WO2002012940A1 - Dispositif a courbure de fibre optique superieure a un rayon de courbure minimal - Google Patents

Dispositif a courbure de fibre optique superieure a un rayon de courbure minimal Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2002012940A1
WO2002012940A1 PCT/GB2001/003409 GB0103409W WO0212940A1 WO 2002012940 A1 WO2002012940 A1 WO 2002012940A1 GB 0103409 W GB0103409 W GB 0103409W WO 0212940 A1 WO0212940 A1 WO 0212940A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
optical
strengthening member
wall
guide formations
radius
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2001/003409
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Andrew Kevin Wellings
Mark Volanthen
Original Assignee
Alcatel Optronics Uk Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Alcatel Optronics Uk Limited filed Critical Alcatel Optronics Uk Limited
Priority to AU2002229153A priority Critical patent/AU2002229153A1/en
Publication of WO2002012940A1 publication Critical patent/WO2002012940A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
    • G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
    • G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
    • G02B6/3887—Anchoring optical cables to connector housings, e.g. strain relief features
    • G02B6/38875—Protection from bending or twisting
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
    • G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
    • G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
    • G02B6/3887—Anchoring optical cables to connector housings, e.g. strain relief features
    • G02B6/3888—Protection from over-extension or over-compression
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
    • G02B6/4439—Auxiliary devices
    • G02B6/4471—Terminating devices ; Cable clamps
    • G02B6/4478—Bending relief means

Definitions

  • This invention relates to optical devices, for example devices providing support for optical fibres, such as single optical fibres, optical fibre ribbon cables or other arrangements or cables of optical fibres.
  • Optical fibres are considered to be mechanically flexible. Fibres, either singly or formed into ribbons or cables, can be bent or curved to achieve a desired routing layout or for other purposes. However, there are limits on the minimum radius by which an optical fibre can be bent. As the bend radius decreases (i.e. the bend becomes tighter), losses in the optical fibre increase. Generally a commercially available optical fibre will have a specified minimum bend radius such as 10mm. This is a minimum radius below which losses or other undesirable effects such as birefringence in the fibre increase above a level considered acceptable.
  • One situation in which undesirably tight bends can occur is where a fibre passes through the packaging of a packaged optical device.
  • an integrated optical component such as an arrayed waveguide device, variable optical attenuator or the like will typically be formed on a substrate to which one or more optical fibres are connected.
  • the substrate is mounted within a mechanically robust package to prevent access or damage to the integrated component. This means that input and output optical fibres must pass through the packaging to provide a connection to the integrated component.
  • This invention provides an optical device having an outer wall through which one or more optical fibres are routed, the device comprising: a flexible strengthening member attached to the optical fibre adjacent to an outer aspect of the wall; and guide formations protruding from the wall, the guide formations being positioned and shaped with respect to the strengthening member so as to prevent at least a part of the strengthening member adjacent to the wall from bending, in at least one direction, at a bend radius less than a predetermined minimum radius.
  • the invention recognises that the use of the rubber boot as described above does not in fact ensure that the fibre maintains at least a minimum bend radius. So, undesirably tight bends could still occur.
  • the invention makes use of guide formations protruding from the wall which inhibit bending of the strengthemng member.
  • the guide formations could act to inhibit bending in only one direction, or a pair of opposing directions, it is preferred that the guide formations are arranged so as to prevent at least a part of the strengthening member adjacent to the wall from bending, in any direction, at a bend radius less than a predetermined radius. This is advantageously achieved by using guide formations which are circularly symmetric.
  • optical fibres Although these techniques are useful in respect of single optical fibres, they are particularly useful for two or more optical fibres attached to a common strengthening member.
  • the two or more optical fibres could be formed into a single cable such as an optical fibre ribbon cable.
  • the device is particularly useful as an optical fibre connector or as a package for an optical component, such as an integrated optical component, and indeed the invention extends to a packaged optical component comprising an optical component housed in such a device.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic cross section of a packaged optical device
  • Figures 2 to 5 are schematic end elevations showing different configurations of the packaged device of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a schematic cross section of an optical fibre connector.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic cross section of a packaged optical device.
  • An integrated optical component such as an arrayed waveguide grating, a variable optical attenuator, an optical switch, a combination of two or more of these functions or another device altogether 10 is mounted within a plastics package 20.
  • the package 20 is in the form of a rectangular box, although of course other forms could be used.
  • the component 10 is fastened to at least one sidewall of the package 20 by, for example, plastics lugs (not shown).
  • Optical fibre ribbon cables 30, 40 penetrate the walls 35, 45 of the package 20 and are connected (“pigtailed") to the optical component 10.
  • Optical fibre ribbon cables are flat arrays of optical fibres fastened side-by-side to one another, generally in a 1 x n configuration although other configurations such as a 2 x n configuration could be used.
  • single optical fibres or bundled optical fibre cables could be used, the fibres / cables could be sleeved or unsleeved.
  • a strengthening member 50 is attached to the optical fibre cable.
  • the strengthening member 50 is a flexible sleeve which surrounds the cable and protrudes a short distance (e.g. 20mm) from the outer wall of the package 20.
  • a strengthening member could be fastened to one side of the cable.
  • the strengthening member 50 is elongate along the longitudinal axis of the fibre cable and preferably sufficiently flexible so as to bend with the optical fibre cable - otherwise, a sharp bend or "kink" could occur at the distal end of the strengthening member 50.
  • suitable materials for the strengthening member 50 are silicone and polyurethane.
  • the strengthening member 50 bends with the fibre cable, it has another function which is to add bulk to the cable in order to inhibit sharp bends along the length of the strengthening member 50.
  • the strengthemng member acts in a similar manner to the "rubber boot" arrangement of the prior art discussed above.
  • Guide formations 60 also protrude from the outer walls 35, 45 of the package
  • the guide formations have a surface adjacent to the strengthening member which curves with a radius r ls a radius which is greater than or equal to the minimum desired bend radius of the optical fibre cable.
  • the curve is arranged so that the guide formation is narrow towards the wall 35, 45 of the package 20. It can therefore be seen that the guide formations inhibit bending of the strengthening member 50 to a sharper radius than that defined by the curved edge of the guide formations, namely radius ri. In fact, if the edge of the strengthening member 50 is abutted against the guide formation 60, the longitudinal axis of the fibre cable 30 will bend at a radius slightly greater than ⁇ ⁇ .
  • n could be made smaller than the minimum bend radius of the fibre cable, or in another example n could be set to equal the minimum bend radius of the fibre cable and the increased radius of the corresponding bend of the longitudinal axis of the cable simply used as a small safety margin.
  • Figures 2 to 5 are schematic end elevations showing different configurations of the package device of Figure 1.
  • circularly symmetric guide formations are used in the context of a fibre ribbon cable 30.
  • circularly symmetric guide formations are used but this time with a circularly symmetric cable 30' with a circularly symmetric strengthening member 50'.
  • Figures 4 and 5 show similar arrangements but with the curved guide formations 60 inhibiting bending only in two opposing directions.
  • Figure 6 is a schematic cross section of an optical fibre connector in which an optical fibre, cable or ribbon cable 100 is inhibited from bending by guide formations 160 and a strengthening member 150.
  • a threaded portion 110 is provided to allow the connector to be screwed into a corresponding connector of the opposite gender.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Light Guides In General And Applications Therefor (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif optique présentant une paroi externe à travers laquelle une ou plusieurs fibres optiques sont acheminées. Ce dispositif comprend un élément de renfort flexible, relié à la fibre optique adjacente à la face extérieure de la paroi, et des éléments de guidage s'étendant de la paroi, lesdits éléments de guidage étant positionnés et formés en adéquation avec l'élément de renfort, de manière à éviter toute courbure d'au moins une partie de l'élément de renfort adjacent à la paroi, dans au moins une direction, à un rayon de courbure inférieur à un rayon minimal prédéfini.
PCT/GB2001/003409 2000-08-04 2001-07-27 Dispositif a courbure de fibre optique superieure a un rayon de courbure minimal WO2002012940A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2002229153A AU2002229153A1 (en) 2000-08-04 2001-07-27 Device with optical fibre bending above minimum bend radius

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0019238.5 2000-08-04
GB0019238A GB2365990A (en) 2000-08-04 2000-08-04 Optical device with strengthening member and guide formations

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2002012940A1 true WO2002012940A1 (fr) 2002-02-14

Family

ID=9897039

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2001/003409 WO2002012940A1 (fr) 2000-08-04 2001-07-27 Dispositif a courbure de fibre optique superieure a un rayon de courbure minimal

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2002229153A1 (fr)
GB (1) GB2365990A (fr)
WO (1) WO2002012940A1 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2002093223A1 (fr) * 2001-05-16 2002-11-21 Motorola Broadband Nürnberg GmbH Dispositif de support d'une fibre optique
WO2003069751A1 (fr) * 2002-02-16 2003-08-21 Tyco Electronics Raychem Nv Enceinte pour cables
US20110125360A1 (en) * 2009-11-20 2011-05-26 Jatco Ltd Control apparatus for automatic transmission

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2046472A (en) * 1979-04-03 1980-11-12 Nkf Groep Bv Electro-optical connector
EP0078399A1 (fr) * 1981-10-03 1983-05-11 Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Connecteur optique
EP0399766A2 (fr) * 1989-05-23 1990-11-28 Anthony John Stockman Dispositif pour la connection des câbles optiques
GB2277206A (en) * 1993-04-14 1994-10-19 Victoria Ann Foss Cable sealing and locking device
JPH0980258A (ja) * 1995-09-12 1997-03-28 Nippon Steel Weld Prod & Eng Co Ltd コネクタ付光ファイバケ−ブル
DE19541139C1 (de) * 1995-10-27 1997-05-15 Siemens Ag Aufnahmeanordnung und Verfahren zum Herstellen einer Aufnahmeanordnung für mindestens einen umhüllten Lichtwellenleiter
JPH1078532A (ja) * 1996-09-03 1998-03-24 Harness Sogo Gijutsu Kenkyusho:Kk 光ファイバケーブルのコネクタ

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU5180798A (en) * 1997-07-23 1999-02-16 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Optical fiber retention and strain relief collar

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2046472A (en) * 1979-04-03 1980-11-12 Nkf Groep Bv Electro-optical connector
EP0078399A1 (fr) * 1981-10-03 1983-05-11 Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Connecteur optique
EP0399766A2 (fr) * 1989-05-23 1990-11-28 Anthony John Stockman Dispositif pour la connection des câbles optiques
GB2277206A (en) * 1993-04-14 1994-10-19 Victoria Ann Foss Cable sealing and locking device
JPH0980258A (ja) * 1995-09-12 1997-03-28 Nippon Steel Weld Prod & Eng Co Ltd コネクタ付光ファイバケ−ブル
DE19541139C1 (de) * 1995-10-27 1997-05-15 Siemens Ag Aufnahmeanordnung und Verfahren zum Herstellen einer Aufnahmeanordnung für mindestens einen umhüllten Lichtwellenleiter
JPH1078532A (ja) * 1996-09-03 1998-03-24 Harness Sogo Gijutsu Kenkyusho:Kk 光ファイバケーブルのコネクタ

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 1997, no. 07 31 July 1997 (1997-07-31) *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 1998, no. 08 30 June 1998 (1998-06-30) *

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2002093223A1 (fr) * 2001-05-16 2002-11-21 Motorola Broadband Nürnberg GmbH Dispositif de support d'une fibre optique
WO2003069751A1 (fr) * 2002-02-16 2003-08-21 Tyco Electronics Raychem Nv Enceinte pour cables
US20110125360A1 (en) * 2009-11-20 2011-05-26 Jatco Ltd Control apparatus for automatic transmission

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0019238D0 (en) 2000-09-27
AU2002229153A1 (en) 2002-02-18
GB2365990A (en) 2002-02-27

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