Encapsulation method of beam combiner capable of bearing limiting temperature and optical fiber beam combiner

By using the same sealant material as the fiber bundle and the packaging member in the fiber bundle for packaging, the problem of deformation or fracture of the fiber bundle at high and low temperatures is solved, and the high reliability and stability of the bundle for packaging is achieved.

CN119439398AActive Publication Date: 2025-02-14SICHUAN STRONGEST LASER TECH CO LTD

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411531302.1
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-10-30
Publication Date
2025-02-14
Estimated Expiration
2044-10-30

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing fiber optic beam combiner is packaged at high and low temperatures, and the direct force of the glue stress release on the device is large, resulting in the fiber bundle being easily deformed or broken, affecting the reliability of the beam combiner.

Method used

The fiber bundle is fixed from different positions by using the same sealant as the packaging member and the fiber bundle, and the fiber bundle is fixed to form a packaging structure with the same stress changes as the packaging member and the fiber bundle, to avoid the direct impact of stress on the fiber bundle.

Benefits of technology

It effectively enhances the reliability of the beam-combiner, avoids deformation or breaking of the optical fiber bundle at the limit temperature, and improves the stability and reliability of the beam-combiner under high and low temperature conditions.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of optical fiber beam combiners, and discloses a packaging method of a beam combiner capable of bearing limiting temperature and an optical fiber beam combiner. According to the packaging method of the beam combiner capable of bearing limiting temperature, optical fiber bundle packaging materials and modes are designed; different devices are connected and fixed from different positions by adopting the sealant of which the elasticity modulus is close to that of the packaging component and the optical fibers of the optical fiber bundle, so that the optical fiber bundle can be effectively fixed in the packaging component with a proper amount of sealant, and a packaging structure of which the stress change is the same as that of the packaging component and the optical fiber bundle can also be formed; therefore, the main body optical fiber bundle of the beam combiner can be prevented from being deformed by stress, or the quartz groove is prevented from being broken due to unbalanced stress, and the reliability of the beam combiner is further effectively enhanced.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of optical fiber combiners, and in particular relates to a combiner packaging method and an optical fiber combiner capable of withstanding extreme temperatures. Background Art

[0002] Fiber combiner is one of the core components of fiber laser, mainly used for pump coupling of fiber laser. Fiber combiner can efficiently couple the energy of multiple lasers into one fiber for transmission. Its power is generally tens of watts, hundreds of watts, or even kilowatts. Such high-power operation makes the heat dissipation problem of fiber combiner more and more prominent.

[0003] In an existing beam combiner, Figure 1 As shown, it includes two concave quartz components, one as a mounting groove for the optical fiber bundle, and the other as a cover plate, the two are packaged by interlocking with each other, and the outer shell is a concave metal groove and a metal cover plate for sealing.

[0004] However, this technical solution has the following problems:

[0005] 1. Under high and low temperature conditions, the stress release of the glue that fixes the optical fiber bundle inside the quartz tank exerts a large direct force on the device;

[0006] 2. The processing accuracy requirement is high, otherwise it will be difficult for the quartz package cover to fit between the quartz mounting groove and the metal package groove;

[0007] 3. The structure is relatively complex and the production cost is high. Summary of the invention

[0008] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a combiner packaging method and an optical fiber combiner that can withstand extreme temperatures, so as to solve the problem that in the existing combiner packaging, the stress release of glue at high and low temperatures has a large direct force on the device, which causes the optical fiber bundle to be easily deformed or even broken, affecting the reliability of the combiner.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0010] On the one hand, a method for packaging a beam combiner capable of withstanding extreme temperatures is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0011] Dispensing the first sealant on the bare fiber section of the optical fiber bundle to fix the relative positions of the optical fibers before coupling the optical fiber bundle;

[0012] Placing a packaging component made of the same material as the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle in the housing of the beam combiner, and fixing the packaging component in the housing of the beam combiner by a second sealant;

[0013] The optical fiber bundle is placed in the packaging groove of the packaging component in the beam combiner, and the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point of the optical fiber bundle are respectively fixed in the packaging groove by the third sealant, and the third sealant covers the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point;

[0014] The fourth sealant is used to fix the two ends of the optical fiber bundle, and the fourth sealant covers the coating layers at the two ends of the optical fiber bundle in the packaging groove;

[0015] The packaging groove is covered with a first cover plate made of the same material as the packaging component, the first cover plate is fixed to the packaging component by a fifth sealant, and the beam combiner is sealed;

[0016] The elastic modulus of the second sealant, the third sealant, the fourth sealant and the fifth sealant is close to or equal to the elastic modulus of the packaging component.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the step of applying a first sealant to a bare fiber section of the optical fiber bundle burned by a taper machine and located outside the fire area to fix the relative positions of the optical fibers before coupling the optical fiber bundle includes the following method:

[0018] The first sealant is suspended and dispensed on the optical fiber bundle fired by the taper drawing machine and solidified, and the dispensed position is the bare fiber section outside the fire area of ​​the optical fiber bundle to fix the relative position between the optical fibers before the optical fiber bundle is coupled.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the step of placing a packaging component made of the same material as the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle in a housing of the beam combiner, and fixing the packaging component in the housing of the beam combiner by a second sealant, comprises the following method:

[0020] Apply a second sealant to the inner bottom of the combiner housing;

[0021] Put in a packaging component made of the same material as the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle, and press lightly so that the second sealant evenly fills the gap between the packaging component and the combiner housing;

[0022] Use UV light to cure.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the step of sealing the packaging groove with a first cover plate made of the same material as the packaging component, fixing the first cover plate to the packaging component by a fifth sealant, and sealing the beam combiner includes the following method:

[0024] The packaging groove is covered with a first cover plate made of the same material as the packaging component, and the contact gaps between the two sides of the first cover plate and the packaging component are filled and cured with a fifth sealant;

[0025] The second cover plate matched with the housing of the beam combiner is fixed on the housing to close the beam combiner;

[0026] Use soft glue to seal the fiber ports at both ends of the combiner.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the second sealant is a high-refractive-index glue, the fourth sealant is a high-refractive-index glue, and the fifth sealant is a high-refractive-index glue.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the shell of the beam combiner is provided with an air pressure balance hole, and the air pressure balance hole is communicated with the space inside the shell where the packaging component is located.

[0029] In a possible implementation, the packaging groove surface of the packaging component is in a U-shape with a smooth transition.

[0030] In a possible implementation, the packaging component is made of quartz.

[0031] On the other hand, a fiber combiner is also provided, comprising a shell, a packaging component, a first cover plate and an optical fiber bundle, wherein the packaging component is arranged in the shell, the packaging component is fixed in the shell by a second sealant filling a gap between the shell and the packaging component, the materials of the packaging component and the first cover plate are the same as the materials of the optical fibers of the optical fiber bundle, the optical fiber bundle is arranged in a packaging groove of the packaging component, the optical fibers before coupling of the optical fiber bundle are fixed by a first sealant, the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point of the optical fiber bundle are fixed in the packaging groove by a third sealant, the third sealant covers the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point, the two ends of the optical fiber bundle are fixed in the packaging groove by a fourth sealant, and the fourth sealant covers the coating layer at the two ends of the optical fiber bundle in the packaging groove, and the first cover plate is fixed to the packaging component by a fifth sealant to close the packaging groove;

[0032] The elastic modulus of the second sealant, the third sealant, the fourth sealant and the fifth sealant is close to or equal to the elastic modulus of the packaging component.

[0033] In a possible implementation, the shell of the beam combiner is provided with an air pressure balance hole, and the air pressure balance hole is communicated with the space inside the shell where the packaging component is located;

[0034] And / or, the packaging groove surface of the packaging component is in a U-shape with a smooth transition;

[0035] And / or, the packaging component is made of quartz, and each optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle is a quartz optical fiber;

[0036] And / or, both ends of the shell of the beam combiner are provided with openings communicating with the packaging groove;

[0037] And / or, the first sealant is located at the bare fiber section outside the fire area.

[0038] In a possible implementation, the second sealant is a high-refractive-index glue, the fourth sealant is a high-refractive-index glue, and the fifth sealant is a high-refractive-index glue.

[0039] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0040] The packaging method of a combiner capable of withstanding extreme temperatures and the optical fiber combiner of the present invention are designed from the perspective of optical fiber bundle packaging materials and methods, and different devices are connected and fixed from different positions using a sealant having an elastic modulus close to that of the packaging component and the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle. This can not only achieve effective fixation of the optical fiber bundle in the packaging component with an appropriate amount of sealant, but also form a packaging structure with the same stress changes as the packaging component and the optical fiber bundle. This can prevent stress from causing deformation of the main optical fiber bundle of the combiner, or causing the quartz groove to be broken due to uneven stress, thereby effectively enhancing the reliability of the combiner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an existing optical fiber combiner;

[0042] Figure 2 An exploded view of a fiber optic combiner;

[0043] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of a packaging structure of an optical fiber combiner;

[0044] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the bottom holes of a housing of a fiber combiner;

[0045] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the dispensing positions of the first glue and the third glue of an optical fiber combiner;

[0046] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the glue dispensing position of the fourth glue for fixing the input and output optical fiber coating layers of an optical fiber combiner;

[0047] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the use position of soft glue for an optical fiber combiner;

[0048] Figure 8 A flow chart of a method for packaging a beam combiner capable of withstanding extreme temperatures;

[0049] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a temperature test position of a beam combiner of a test example of a beam combiner packaging method capable of withstanding extreme temperatures;

[0050] Fig.10 A test diagram of a beam combiner efficiency showing a test example of a beam combiner packaging method that can withstand extreme temperatures.

[0051] In the figure: 01-fifth sealant; 02-second sealant; 03-first sealant; 1-second cover plate; 2-first cover plate; 3-packaging component; 4-combiner housing; 5-first hole position; 6-second hole position; 7-air pressure balance hole; 8-suspended fixing point; 9-input end peeling point glue fixing point; 10-output end peeling point glue fixing point; 11-first end fixing point; 12-second end fixing point; 13-first port; 14-second port. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with specific implementation methods.

[0053] The failure or damage of the combiner manifests itself in reduced efficiency, heat generation and burning. The main reasons for these problems are changes in fiber parameters, deformation and breakage, and these changes are mainly affected by the packaging materials and methods. The packaging of the fiber bundle inside the combiner must involve direct contact between the material and the fiber bundle, and the performance and position of the material directly affect its force on the fiber bundle, thereby affecting the deformation and breakage of the fiber bundle. Especially for temperature and humidity parameters, various materials will expand or contract to a large extent with changes in temperature and humidity, which will cause the packaging to increase the force on the fiber bundle and affect the reliability of the combiner.

[0054] The larger the fixed / contact area between the packaging material and the optical fiber bundle, the more stable the optical fiber bundle. However, once the material changes, the larger the contact area means the greater the variable, and the greater the adverse impact on the device.

[0055] To solve the above problems, please refer to Figure 2-8 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for packaging a beam combiner capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, comprising the following steps:

[0056] Step S100: applying the first sealant 03 to the bare fiber section of the optical fiber bundle to fix the relative positions between the optical fibers before coupling the optical fiber bundle.

[0057] In this step, the first sealant 03 is applied to fix the optical fibers of the optical fiber bundle before coupling, so that the relative position of each optical fiber can be fixed, which is conducive to stable packaging.

[0058] Step S200 : placing a packaging component 3 made of the same material as the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle in a beam combiner housing 4 , and fixing the packaging component 3 in the beam combiner housing 4 by a second sealant 02 .

[0059] In this step, the packaging component 3 is made of the same material as the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle, which can facilitate the same stress change as the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle; and the packaging component 3 is fixed in the combiner housing 4 by a second sealant 02 with a similar elastic modulus, and can undergo the same stress change when the packaging component 3 produces a stress change, thereby avoiding the situation where the packaging component 3 is deformed due to the large strain difference with the second sealant 02 and causing an increase in the deformation, and can also better fix the packaging component 3.

[0060] Step S300: Place the optical fiber bundle into the packaging groove of the packaging component 3 in the combiner, and fix the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point of the optical fiber bundle in the packaging groove respectively by the third sealant, and the third sealant covers the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point.

[0061] In this step, the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point of the optical fiber bundle are fixed in the packaging groove by the third sealant, which can make the optical fiber bundle initially fixed, and the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point of the optical fiber bundle can be protected by the third sealant; the third sealant also uses a glue with an elastic modulus close to that of the packaging component 3, so that it can produce the same stress change at high and low temperatures, and better avoid the situation where the strain difference is too large and causes excessive deformation of the optical fiber bundle; filling the packaging groove can cover the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point of the optical fiber bundle, and the stripping point is the boundary point between the coating layer and the bare fiber section, such as Figure 5 As shown, the third sealant is dispensed at the input end peeling glue fixing location 9 and the output end peeling glue fixing location 10 for fixing.

[0062] Step S400: fix the two ends of the optical fiber bundle with a fourth sealant, and the fourth sealant covers the coating layers at the two ends of the optical fiber bundle in the packaging groove.

[0063] In this step, the two ends of the optical fiber bundle are fixed by the fourth sealant and the coating layers at the two ends are covered, so that the fourth glue having an elastic modulus close to that of the packaging component 3 can undergo the same stress change under high and low temperature conditions, thereby being more conducive to protecting the optical fiber bundle, and after the fourth glue is fixed, the optical fiber bundle can be basically fixed in the packaging component 3; Figure 6 As shown, the fourth sealant is dispensed at the first end fixing portion 11 and the second end fixing portion 12 respectively.

[0064] Step S500: Cover the packaging groove with a first cover plate 2 made of the same material as the packaging component 3; the first cover plate 2 is fixed to the packaging component 3 by a fifth sealant 01, and the beam combiner is sealed.

[0065] In this step, the packaging groove is sealed with a first cover plate 2 made of the same material as the packaging component 3, and a fifth sealant 01 having an elastic modulus close to that of the packaging component 3 is used. This allows the packaging component 3 to form a uniform strain structure with the first cover plate 2 through the fifth sealant 01, thereby further improving the protection of the optical fiber bundle. Finally, by packaging the combiner, further influence of the external environment on the internal glue can be avoided.

[0066] Among them, the elastic modulus of the second sealant 02, the third sealant, the fourth sealant and the fifth sealant 01 is close to or equal to the elastic modulus of the packaging component 3. These sealants can be sealed from different positions respectively, so that the packaging component 3, the first cover plate 2 and the optical fiber bundle can form an integral body with equal stress changes through the corresponding sealants, without deforming the main optical fiber bundle of the beam combiner, or causing the packaging component 3 to be broken due to uneven force, thereby effectively enhancing the reliability of the beam combiner, and can effectively package and seal the optical fiber bundle, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the beam combiner under high and low temperature conditions, so that the design is carried out from the perspective of the optical fiber bundle packaging material and method, and the sealant with an elastic modulus close to that of the packaging component 3 is selected to fix different main positions of the optical fiber bundle at different positions, which can balance the contradiction between the steady state of the optical fiber bundle and the stress change caused by temperature change, thereby improving the reliability of the beam combiner.

[0067] It is understandable that it is generally believed that a refractive index higher than 1.6 is a high refractive index, and a refractive index lower than 1.6 is a low refractive index. In the specific implementation process, a sealant with a corresponding refractive index can be selected according to actual needs or conditions. The sealant is preferably UV glue.

[0068] Through the above technical scheme, the design is made from the perspective of the fiber bundle packaging materials and methods, and a sealant with an elastic modulus close to that of the packaging component 3 and the optical fiber of the fiber bundle is used to connect and fix different devices from different positions. It is possible to effectively fix the optical fiber bundle in the packaging component 3 with an appropriate amount of glue, and to form a packaging structure with the same stress change as the packaging component 3 and the optical fiber bundle. This can prevent the stress from causing deformation of the main optical fiber bundle of the combiner, or causing the packaging component 3 to be broken due to uneven force, thereby effectively enhancing the reliability of the combiner.

[0069] In one embodiment, step S100: dispensing the bare fiber section of the optical fiber bundle with the first sealant 03 to fix the relative positions of the optical fibers before coupling the optical fiber bundle, includes the following method:

[0070] Step S110: dispense the first sealant 03 in mid-air on the optical fiber bundle fired by the taper machine and solidify it. The dispense position is the bare fiber segment outside the fired area of ​​the optical fiber bundle to fix the relative position between the optical fibers before coupling the optical fiber bundle.

[0071] In this step, glue is dispensed on the bare fibers (cladding) of the three optical fibers in the optical fiber bundle. The glue is dispensed in mid-air on the cladding of the optical fiber bundle without contacting the packaging component 3. It is only used to fix the relative positions of the three optical fibers. Besides, outside the fire area of ​​the optical fiber bundle, since the optical fibers are more likely to break after being burned by fire, slight changes in glue stress may cause damage to the optical fibers. Therefore, the weak points of the optical fibers can be avoided to reduce the influence of the stress variable. After the first sealant 03 is dispensed, it is cured by ultraviolet light; Figure 5 As shown, the first sealant 03 is dispensed on the suspended fixing portion 8 of the optical fiber bundle to fix the relative positions between the optical fibers.

[0072] Specifically, the refractive index of the first sealant 03 is lower than that of the optical fiber cladding.

[0073] Further, step S200: placing a packaging component 3 made of the same material as the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle in the combiner housing 4, and fixing the packaging component 3 in the combiner housing 4 by a second sealant 02, including the following method:

[0074] Step S210: applying the second sealant 02 to the inner bottom of the combiner housing 4;

[0075] Step S220: insert a packaging component 3 made of the same material as the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle, and press lightly so that the second sealant 02 evenly fills the gap between the packaging component 3 and the combiner housing 4;

[0076] Step S230: curing using ultraviolet light.

[0077] In this way, the second sealant 02 is dispensed on the inner bottom of the combiner housing 4, so that the outer side of the packaging component 3 can be bonded and fixed to the combiner housing 4 through the second sealant 02, and the second sealant 02 can be pressed to evenly fill the gap between the sub-packaging component 3 and the combiner housing 4 to fill the gap between the two, thereby playing a role of fixing and full-gap sealing, making the packaging more reliable, and at the same time, it can also form a more integrated equal strain system with the packaging component 3 made of the same material as the optical fiber bundle, thereby providing stronger protection for the optical fiber bundle and the packaging component 3.

[0078] In order to further achieve equal strain of the entire package and improve the sealing of the package, further, step S500: the first cover plate 2 with the same material as the packaging component 3 is used to cover the packaging groove, the first cover plate 2 is fixed to the packaging component 3 by the fifth sealant 01, and the beam combiner is sealed, including the following method:

[0079] Step S510: Cover the packaging groove with the first cover plate 2 made of the same material as the packaging component 3, and fill and cure the contact gaps between the two sides of the first cover plate 2 and the packaging component 3 with the fifth sealant 01;

[0080] Step S520: The second cover plate 1 matching the combiner housing 4 is fixed on the housing to close the combiner;

[0081] Step S530: Use soft glue to seal the optical fiber ports at both ends of the combiner.

[0082] In this way, by covering the packaging groove with the first cover plate 2 which is consistent with the material of the packaging component 3, the materials of the first cover plate 2 and the packaging component 3 can be unified, and with the fifth glue having a comparable elastic modulus, they can be bonded to form a packaging structure with an equivalent stress change, thereby further reducing the impact on the optical fiber bundle and the packaging component 3, effectively preventing both from deformation and breakage, and enabling the first cover plate 2, the packaging component 3 and the fifth glue to be packaged more effectively and reliably; the combiner housing 4 is also provided with a matching second cover plate 1, which can close the combiner housing 4, and the second cover plate 1 is fixed to the housing by screws to close the entire quartz device; at the same time, the optical fiber ports at both ends of the combiner housing 4 are sealed by soft glue, thereby avoiding further impact of the external environment on the internal sealant, thereby isolating the sealant in contact with the optical fiber bundle, and reducing the risk of degradation of the sealant due to temperature changes. Specifically, the optical fiber port is a straight port or a through port, which is divided into a first port 13 and a second port 14 at one end, and soft glue is distributed and filled in the two ports; there are a first hole 5 and a second hole 6 at the bottom of the combiner housing 4, the first hole 5 is used to fix the second cover plate 1 by screws, and the second hole 6 is used to fix the combiner as a whole.

[0083] In the embodiment of the present application, the second sealant 02 is a high-refractive-index glue, the fourth sealant is a high-refractive-index glue, and the fifth sealant 01 is a high-refractive-index glue.

[0084] The second sealant 02, the fourth sealant and the fifth sealant 01, all of which are made of high-refractive index glue, can not only effectively package and fix the corresponding devices, but also have a good heat dissipation effect. Together with the metal combiner housing 4 and the second cover plate 1, it is beneficial to conduct heat outward and improve the overall heat dissipation effect.

[0085] Specifically, the first sealant 03 and the third sealant are made of glue with a low refractive index.

[0086] In order to improve the adaptability of the glue inside the beam combiner under high and low temperature conditions, the shell of the beam combiner is provided with an air pressure balance hole 7, and the air pressure balance hole 7 is communicated with the space inside the shell where the packaging component 3 is located.

[0087] In this way, the air pressure balance hole 7 can ensure that the packaging component 3 is adhered to the inner bottom surface of the combiner housing 4 through glue without bubbles or gaps. At the same time, it can better guide the tensile force and contraction force generated by the glue due to temperature changes without generating excessive force on the packaging component 3 and damaging the device.

[0088] At the same time, the packaging groove surface of the packaging component 3 can also be in a smoothly transitioned U-shape. By adopting a smoothly transitioned U-shaped groove surface shape, the stress generated by the temperature change of the glue stored inside can be dispersed to the entire packaging groove side wall, thereby enhancing the bearing capacity of the packaging component 3 device.

[0089] Specifically, the material of the packaging component 3 is quartz. The materials of optical fibers mainly include quartz optical fibers, fluorine-doped optical fibers, infrared optical fibers, composite optical fibers, fluorine chloride optical fibers, and plastic-coated optical fibers. In the embodiment of the present application, quartz optical fibers are preferred, and accordingly, the material of the packaging component 3 is also quartz, so that the stress changes can be the same as those of the optical fibers.

[0090] Based on the above-mentioned method of packaging a beam combiner that can withstand extreme temperatures, please refer to Figure 2-7 As shown, the embodiment of the present application also provides a fiber combiner packaged by the method, comprising a shell, a packaging component 3, a first cover plate 2 and an optical fiber bundle, wherein the packaging component 3 is arranged in the shell, and the packaging component 3 is fixed in the shell by a second sealant 02 filling a gap between the shell and the packaging component 3, and the material of the packaging component 3 and the first cover plate 2 are the same as the material of the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle, and the optical fiber bundle is arranged in the packaging groove of the packaging component 3, and the optical fibers of the optical fiber bundle before coupling are fixed by the first sealant 03, and the first sealant 03 is located outside the fire area. Bare fiber segment, the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point of the optical fiber bundle are fixed in the packaging groove by the third sealant, the third sealant covers the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point, the two ends of the optical fiber bundle are fixed in the packaging groove by the fourth sealant, and the fourth sealant covers the coating layer at both ends of the optical fiber bundle in the packaging groove, the first cover plate 2 is fixed to the packaging component 3 by the fifth sealant 01 to close the packaging groove; wherein the elastic modulus of the second sealant 02, the third sealant, the fourth sealant and the fifth sealant 01 are close to or equal to the elastic modulus of the packaging component 3.

[0091] The shell of the beam combiner is provided with an air pressure balance hole 7, and the air pressure balance hole 7 is communicated with the space inside the shell where the packaging component 3 is located;

[0092] The packaging groove surface of the packaging component 3 is in a U-shape with a smooth transition;

[0093] The packaging component 3 is made of quartz, and each optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle is a quartz optical fiber;

[0094] Both ends of the shell of the beam combiner are provided with openings communicating with the packaging groove;

[0095] The first sealant 03 is located at the bare fiber section outside the fire area.

[0096] The optical fiber combiner with the above structure has the following technical effects:

[0097] 1. The packaging component 3 and the first cover plate 2 are simple to combine, thin, light, and have low processing accuracy requirements. It is only necessary that the width of the packaging component 3 and the first cover plate 2 is slightly smaller than the internal width of the combiner housing 4, and the gap can be fixed by filling it with glue;

[0098] 2. Use a fixing glue with an elastic modulus close to that of quartz material to fill the bottom, interior, and first cover plate 2 of the packaging component 3, respectively fixing the packaging component 3 and the combiner housing 4, the packaging component 3 and the optical fiber bundle, and the packaging component 3 and the first cover plate 2. The unification of the glue in these three places can make the glue change in the same way as the packaging component 3 and the optical fiber quartz at high or low temperatures without deforming the main optical fiber bundle of the combiner, or causing the packaging component 3 to be broken due to uneven force, thereby effectively enhancing the reliability of the combiner, and fixing different main positions of the optical fiber bundle by high and low fold glue respectively, avoiding the weak points of the optical fiber bundle, balancing the contradiction between the steady state and the force variable of the optical fiber bundle, and at the same time playing a good heat dissipation role.

[0099] 3. Specifically, the main positions of the combiner fiber bundle - the relative positions between the optical fibers and the bare fiber segments, require good fixation and minimal force. Based on this, a small amount of low-fold glue is used to fix its key positions, and avoid the vulnerable points of the fiber bundle fire area; further, in order to stabilize the entire optical fiber, an appropriate amount of high-fold glue is filled in the less important optical fiber containing the coating layer, which can not only effectively stabilize the optical fiber bundle in the packaging component 3, but also dissipate the heat of the optical fiber well; at the same time, a packaging component 3 made of the same material as the optical fiber quartz is used as the initial packaging, which can make the fiber bundle packaging material and the optical fiber bundle itself change equally at any working temperature, and its U-shaped structure can also have a higher stress dispersion ability for the glue that fixes the optical fiber bundle inside; the metal shell packaging protects and dissipates heat for the quartz packaging, and screw holes can also be designed on it to fix the combiner device to any product; finally, soft glue is used to isolate the high and low fold glues in contact with the optical fiber bundle to reduce the risk of degradation due to temperature changes.

[0100] 4. The combiner using the above packaging method or packaging structure can continuously withstand extreme storage of 24h×22 at -40℃, 24h×22 at 85℃ 85% HR, and 24h×5 at -40~85℃ high and low temperature cycle. After extreme storage, the quartz device of the combiner has no cracks, and the optical fiber bundle has no obvious bending, breakage and other deformations. The pump efficiency fluctuation of the optical performance of the combiner is ≤3%, which meets the extreme test requirements of passive optical fiber devices.

[0101] Test Case

[0102] Comparative test. After the combiner is manufactured in accordance with the present application, it is stored normally on the production line, and then subjected to appearance inspection and optical testing, and the data is recorded. The qualified combiner products are numbered and subjected to three extreme temperature storages: high temperature and high humidity, low temperature, and high and low temperature shock. After the extreme temperature storage is completed, the samples are taken out for the same test, and the data fluctuations before and after the storage of the combiner are compared to obtain the temperature resistance and long-term reliability of the combiner packaging method of the present application.

[0103] The specific tests are as follows:

[0104] 1. Appearance inspection

[0105] The second cover is opened, and the packaging component is observed through the first cover made of transparent quartz material under a microscope to see if it is broken, if the colloid is broken or fallen off, and if the optical fiber bundle is broken or bent.

[0106] 2. Optical test

[0107] For the optical performance of the combiner, the main parameters are the temperature of the combiner and the pump efficiency. The higher the temperature (the closer to the ignition point of the colloid and the optical fiber coating, 100°C and above), the lower the reliability of the combiner. The temperature parameter location is as follows: Fig. 9 As shown in the figure, for the whole device after the combiner is manufactured, its main temperature parameters are: the temperature of the input multi-fiber, the temperature of the metal shell of the combiner, and the temperature of the output single fiber; the pump efficiency test is as follows Fig.10 As shown in the figure, under the same pump source and optical path, the pump efficiency of the beam combiner can be obtained by comparing the output power before and after connecting to the beam combiner.

[0108] Test results:

[0109] The following test data were recorded after the beam combiner was connected to the optical path and 100% of the light was emitted for 2 minutes. In order to better compare the performance changes of the beam combiner after extreme temperature storage, no water cooling was performed on the beam combiner during the test.

[0110] 1. Temperature shock limit test, comparison of test data before and after the combiner, see Table 1, temperature storage range: -40℃~85℃; storage time: 24h×5.

[0111] Table 1

[0112]

[0113] 2. High temperature and high humidity limit test, comparison of test data before and after the combiner, see Table 2, temperature and humidity storage: 85℃85%RH; storage time: 24h×22.

[0114] Table 2

[0115]

[0116]

[0117] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that the above preferred embodiments should not be regarded as limiting the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention should be based on the scope defined by the claims. For ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for packaging a beam combiner capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Dispensing the first sealant on the bare fiber section of the optical fiber bundle to fix the relative positions of the optical fibers before coupling the optical fiber bundle; Placing a packaging component made of the same material as the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle in the housing of the beam combiner, and fixing the packaging component in the housing of the beam combiner by a second sealant; The optical fiber bundle is placed in the packaging groove of the packaging component in the beam combiner, and the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point of the optical fiber bundle are respectively fixed in the packaging groove by the third sealant, and the third sealant covers the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point; The fourth sealant is used to fix the two ends of the optical fiber bundle, and the fourth sealant covers the coating layers at the two ends of the optical fiber bundle in the packaging groove; The packaging groove is covered with a first cover plate made of the same material as the packaging component, the first cover plate is fixed to the packaging component by a fifth sealant, and the beam combiner is sealed; The elastic modulus of the second sealant, the third sealant, the fourth sealant and the fifth sealant is close to or equal to the elastic modulus of the packaging component.

2. A method for packaging a beam combiner capable of withstanding extreme temperatures as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The step of dispensing a first sealant on the bare fiber section of the optical fiber bundle to fix the relative positions of the optical fibers before coupling the optical fiber bundle comprises the following method: The first sealant is suspended and dispensed on the optical fiber bundle fired by the taper drawing machine and solidified, and the dispensed position is the bare fiber section outside the fire area of ​​the optical fiber bundle to fix the relative positions between the optical fibers before the optical fiber bundle is coupled.

3. A method for packaging a beam combiner capable of withstanding extreme temperatures as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The step of placing a packaging component made of the same material as the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle in the housing of the beam combiner, and fixing the packaging component in the housing of the beam combiner by a second sealant, comprises the following method: Apply a second sealant to the inner bottom of the combiner housing; Put in a packaging component made of the same material as the optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle, and press lightly so that the second sealant evenly fills the gap between the packaging component and the combiner housing; Use UV light to cure.

4. The method for packaging a beam combiner capable of withstanding extreme temperatures as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The step includes sealing the packaging groove with a first cover plate made of the same material as the packaging component, fixing the first cover plate to the packaging component through a fifth sealant, and sealing the beam combiner, including the following method: The packaging groove is covered with a first cover plate made of the same material as the packaging component, and the contact gaps between the two sides of the first cover plate and the packaging component are filled and cured with a fifth sealant; The second cover plate matched with the housing of the beam combiner is fixed on the housing to close the beam combiner; Use soft glue to seal the fiber ports at both ends of the combiner.

5. The method for packaging a beam combiner capable of withstanding extreme temperatures as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The second sealant is a high-refractive-index glue, the fourth sealant is a high-refractive-index glue, and the fifth sealant is a high-refractive-index glue.

6. A method for packaging a beam combiner capable of withstanding extreme temperatures as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The shell of the beam combiner is provided with an air pressure balance hole, and the air pressure balance hole is communicated with the inner space of the shell where the packaging component is located.

7. A method for packaging a beam combiner capable of withstanding extreme temperatures as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The packaging groove surface of the packaging component is in a U-shape with a smooth transition; And / or, the packaging component is made of quartz.

8. A fiber combiner, characterized in that: It comprises a shell, a packaging component, a first cover plate and an optical fiber bundle, wherein the packaging component is arranged in the shell, the packaging component is fixed in the shell by a second sealant filling a gap between the shell and the packaging component, the materials of the packaging component and the first cover plate are the same as the materials of the optical fibers of the optical fiber bundle, the optical fiber bundle is arranged in a packaging groove of the packaging component, the optical fibers of the optical fiber bundle before coupling are fixed by a first sealant, the first sealant is located at a bare fiber section outside a fire area, the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point of the optical fiber bundle are both fixed in the packaging groove by a third sealant, the third sealant covers the input end stripping point and the output end stripping point, the two ends of the optical fiber bundle are fixed in the packaging groove by a fourth sealant, and the fourth sealant covers the coating layer at the two ends of the optical fiber bundle in the packaging groove, and the first cover plate is fixed to the packaging component by a fifth sealant to close the packaging groove; The elastic modulus of the second sealant, the third sealant, the fourth sealant and the fifth sealant is close to or equal to the elastic modulus of the packaging component.

9. The optical fiber combiner according to claim 8, characterized in that: The shell of the beam combiner is provided with an air pressure balance hole, and the air pressure balance hole is communicated with the space inside the shell where the packaging component is located; And / or, the packaging groove surface of the packaging component is in a U-shape with a smooth transition; And / or, the packaging component is made of quartz, and each optical fiber of the optical fiber bundle is a quartz optical fiber; And / or, both ends of the shell of the beam combiner are provided with openings communicating with the packaging groove; And / or, the first sealant is located at the bare fiber section outside the fire area.

10. The optical fiber combiner according to claim 8, characterized in that: The second sealant is a high-refractive-index glue, the fourth sealant is a high-refractive-index glue, and the fifth sealant is a high-refractive-index glue.

Citation Information

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