Laser-cleaving of an optical fiber array with controlled cleaving angle

    公开(公告)号:US11640031B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-05-02

    申请号:US17321886

    申请日:2021-05-17

    IPC分类号: G02B6/25 G02B6/04

    摘要: The present disclosure relates to a process by which an optical fiber array is cleaved with a laser-cleaving apparatus. The coating material is stripped or removed from a section of an optical fiber array; a coated or ribbonized section of the optical fiber array is secured in a holder; the holder is aligned inside the laser-cleaving apparatus; the laser cleaves the stripped ends of the fibers in the optical fiber array; the laser-cleaved ends of the optical fibers are then mechanically separated to remove the free ends from the optical fibers in the optical fiber array, leaving a cleaved array of optical fibers. The cleaving process enables the optical fiber array to be cleaved at flexible locations along an optical fiber ribbon or optical fiber cable with no swelling, minimal cleave angle variation across the cores of the optical fibers, a controlled surface roughness of the optical fiber end-faces, and high process yield.

    Fiber array spacers, optical assemblies incorporating fiber array spacers, and methods of fabricating the same

    公开(公告)号:US11415754B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-08-16

    申请号:US17022443

    申请日:2020-09-16

    IPC分类号: G02B6/36 G02B6/25

    摘要: Fiber array spacers, optical fiber assemblies, optical assemblies, and methods for fabricating optical assemblies are disclosed. In one embodiment, an optical fiber assembly includes a fiber array spacer and a fiber ribbon having an array of optical fibers. The fiber array spacer has an array of spacer fibers, wherein individual spacer fibers of the array of spacer fibers are bonded to one another, and a diameter of the individual spacer fibers determines a height of the fiber array spacer. Each optical fiber of the array of optical fibers has an glass portion. The glass portion of each optical fiber is bonded to the fiber array spacer such that a longitudinal axis of the individual spacer fibers is transverse to a longitudinal axis of individual optical fibers of the fiber ribbon.

    Method of manufacturing optical fiber assembly

    公开(公告)号:US11372161B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-06-28

    申请号:US16651808

    申请日:2018-10-23

    申请人: FUJIKURA LTD.

    发明人: Shuhei Kanno

    摘要: A method of manufacturing an optical fiber assembly into which optical fibers are integrated includes: preparing an alignment member having through holes with a pitch that is greater than a coating diameter of the optical fibers; inserting each of the optical fibers into one of the through holes; after the inserting of the optical fibers into the through holes, holding the optical fibers on both sides of the alignment member by a pair of grippers; after the inserting of the optical fibers into the through holes, connecting at least adjacent ones of the optical fibers by disposing an adhesive material on at least one side of the alignment member; and forming an optical fiber assembly by curing the adhesive material in a state in which the optical fibers held by the grippers are stretched along an optical axis.

    Optical fiber cleaver and optical fiber cleaving method

    公开(公告)号:US11320593B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-05-03

    申请号:US16772658

    申请日:2018-12-11

    IPC分类号: G02B6/25

    摘要: An optical fiber cleaver includes: a body unit on which an optical fiber extending in a first direction is loaded; a lid unit connected to the body unit to be rotatable and openable; a pair of retainers arranged to be separate from each other in the first direction and retain the optical fiber between the pair of retainers when the lid unit is closed with respect to the body unit; a blade member that comes into contact with the optical fiber from one direction side of a second direction intersecting the first direction between the pair of retainers and hurt the optical fiber; and a movement unit that brings the blade member into contact with the optical fiber from the one direction side of the second direction and move the blade member to one direction side of a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction.

    Method for manufacturing lensed optical fiber and cutting device

    公开(公告)号:US11314020B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-04-26

    申请号:US17008415

    申请日:2020-08-31

    发明人: Naoki Misu

    摘要: A cutting device that cuts, with a predetermined length, an elongated GRIN lens fused with an optical fiber with tips thereof abutting each other, the cutting device including: a fiber holder placing unit on which a fiber holder for holding the optical fiber is placed; a lens holder placing unit on which a lens holder for holding the GRIN lens is placed; and a cutting unit arranged between the fiber holder placing unit and the lens holder placing unit, wherein the fiber holder placing unit includes a positioning unit for positioning the fiber holder placed thereon, and the lens holder placing unit includes a positioning unit for positioning the lens holder placed thereon.

    Systems and methods for coupling optical fiber bundles

    公开(公告)号:US11269146B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-03-08

    申请号:US16700243

    申请日:2019-12-02

    IPC分类号: G02B6/40 A61B1/00 G02B6/25

    摘要: An apparatus comprises a first fastener part having a first set of mating features and a second fastener part having a second set of mating features. Coupling the first set of mating features with the second set of mating features, such that the first set of mating features contacts and at least partially overlaps the second set of mating features, forms a fastener having a channel with a hexagonal cross-section. The channel is configured to receive a plurality of fibers. Coupling the first fastener part to the second fastener part clamps the plurality of fibers in a hexagonal packing configuration.