Communication light detecting device

• US 8,213,791 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2009
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd., NTT Communications Corporation (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cable Systems Corp. (Corning Incorporated), NTT Communications Corporation (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation), Hitachi Cable Limited (Proterial Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kojima, Seiji, Suzuki, Kanako, Nakatani, Yoshihiro, Ishikawa, Toshihiko, Nishikawa, Takao, Ito, Kojiro, Sueoka, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Kinam
• Application Number:
  US12/465,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20100008676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 398/20, 398/17, 398/141
• US Class Current: 398/20
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4201 Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4219 Mechanical fixtures for holding or positioning the elements relative to each other in the couplings; Alignment methods for the elements, e.g. measuring or observing methods especially used therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/424 Mounting of the optical light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4259 of the transparent type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4286 Optical modules with optical power monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/429 by surface irregularities on the light guide, e.g. by mechanical modification of the surface of the light guide on its exterior

Abstract

A communication light detecting device interconnecting light transmission paths and collocated therebetween, comprises: an optical coupling body including a core portion for photo coupling with the light transmission paths, and a light extracting portion for extracting a part of the communication light as a leakage light; and a light detecting portion having a light receiving member for receiving the leakage light. The light extracting portion is preferable to possess a lower refractive index than that of the core portion. Besides, the light extracting portion is preferable to include a light detecting use groove with a groove width of 50 μm or more and 140 μm or less formed by cutting and separating the core portion. Besides, the light extracting portion is preferable to be the optical coupling body in which outer diameter of the core portion is different from the outer diameter of a core of the light transmission path.

Claims

1. A communication light detecting device configured to interconnect a plurality of light transmission paths for communication light, and to be collocated between the light transmission paths, the communication light detecting device comprising:

an optical coupling body, including;

a clad portion,

a core portion configured to photo couple with the light transmission paths, and

a light extracting portion, configured to extract a part of the communication light as a leakage light, having a light detecting use groove formed by cutting and separating the core portion, and having a lower refractive index than that of the core portion; and

a light detecting portion having a light receiving member configured to receive the leakage light.

2. The communication light detecting device according to claim 1, wherein:

the light detecting use groove is formed in such a manner that the depth direction of the light detecting use groove facing a light receiving face of the light receiving member is perpendicular with respect to the light receiving face.

3. The communication light detecting device according to claim 1, wherein:

the light detecting use groove is formed in a slanting manner so as to cross diagonally with respect to the optical axis direction of the core portion.

4. The communication light detecting device according to claim 1, wherein:

a container groove configured to take in a part of the light receiving member is formed in the optical coupling body, and the light detecting use groove is formed in the container groove.

5. The communication light detecting device according to claim 1, wherein:

in the light detecting use groove, a resin having a lower refractive index than that of the core portion is filled.

6. The communication light detecting device according to claim 1, wherein:

wherein the optical coupling body includes a ferrule building in an optical fiber, and the ferrule includes a member which transmits as well as scatters the leakage light.

7. The communication light detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the optical coupling body includes two ferrules each building in an optical fiber:

and

wherein the light detecting use groove of the light extracting portion is formed by disposing the two ferrules with a predetermined gap and a resin having a lower refractive index than that of the core portion filled in the gap of the light detecting use groove.

8. The communication light detecting device according to claim 6, wherein:

the core diameter of the optical fiber is equal to the core diameter of the light transmission path photo coupled with the optical coupling body, and the clad diameter of the optical fiber is within a range from 40 to 125 μ

m.

9. The communication light detecting device according to claim 1, wherein:

wherein the light detecting portion further includes a light output member configured to output a visible light when the leakage light is received by the light receiving member.

10. A communication light detecting device collocated between each of light transmission paths for interconnecting each of end portions of the light transmission paths inside a sleeve, each of the light transmission paths being comprised of an optical fiber for communication light, and for detecting existence and absence of the communication light, comprising:

an optical coupling body including a clad portion and a core portion for photo coupling with the light transmission paths, and further including a light detecting use groove formed so as to cut and separate the core portion as well as a refractive index matching agent filled in the light detecting use groove; and

a light detecting portion having a light receiving member for detecting a leakage light of the communication light leaking via the light detecting use groove and collocated adjacent the optical coupling body, wherein;

groove width of the light detecting use groove along the optical axis direction of the core portion is within a range from 50 to 150 μ

m.

11. The communication light detecting device according to claim 10, wherein:

in the optical coupling body, a container groove for taking in a part of the light receiving member is formed and the light detecting use groove is formed in the container groove.

12. The communication light detecting device according to claim 10, wherein:

the light detecting use groove is formed in a slanting manner so as to cross diagonally with respect to the optical axis direction of the core portion.

13. The communication light detecting device according to claim 10, wherein:

the light detecting portion further includes a light output member configured to output a visible light when the leakage light is received by the light receiving member.

14. The communication light detecting device according to claim 10, wherein:

the sleeve is made of a ceramics permitting transmission of the leakage light.

15. The communication light detecting device according to claim 10, wherein:

the light detecting portion further includes a failure detecting member for informing existence and absence of a failure in the light detecting portion.

16. A communication light detecting device interconnecting each of light transmission paths for communication light, detecting existence and absence of the communication light, and collocated between the light transmission paths, comprising:

an optical coupling body including;

a clad portion,

a core portion for photo coupling with the light transmission paths, and

a light extracting portion, for extracting a part of the communication light as a leakage light, and having a light detecting use groove formed by cutting and separating the core portion; and

a light detecting portion including a light receiving member for receiving the leakage light and collocated adjacent the optical coupling body, and further including a failure detection light emitting member for emitting failure detection light toward the light extracting portion and a light receiving member for receiving the failure detection light reflected near the light extracting portion.

17. The communication light detecting device according to claim 16, wherein:

the failure detection light emitting member includes a failure detecting use light emitting source for emitting the failure detecting detection light and an operating member for operating the failure detecting use light emitting source.

18. The communication light detecting device according to claim 16, wherein:

the light receiving member for receiving the leakage light and the light receiving member for receiving the failure detection light are a common light receiving member.

19. The communication light detecting device according to claim 17, wherein:

the core portion and the clad portion of the optical coupling body are comprised of an optical fiber, and the failure detecting use light emitting source is collocated so as to face the optical coupling body.

20. The communication light detecting device according to claim 19, wherein:

at a position of the optical coupling body facing the failure detecting use light emitting source, a cutout portion is formed.

21. The communication light detecting device according to claim 19, wherein:

the optical coupling body further includes a reflection member for reflecting the failure detection light toward the light receiving member.

22. A communication light detecting device configured to interconnect a plurality of light transmission paths for communication light, and to be collocated between the light transmission paths, the communication light detecting device comprising:

an optical coupling body including;

a clad portion,

a core portion configured to photo couple with the light transmission paths, and

a light extracting portion, configured to extract a part of the communication light as a leakage light, having a light detecting use groove separating the core portion; and

a light detecting portion having a light receiving member configured to receive the leakage light.