Optical Fiber Combiner Segmented Glass Member Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical fiber combiners are prone to mechanical failure due to fusion-spliced portions being easily broken by vibrations, impacts, or external forces, leading to increased divergence angles and light beam leakage.
Innovation Solution
A method for manufacturing an optical fiber combiner involves fusion-splicing a glass member with an outer diameter greater than the core but less than the cladding to input optical fibers, bundling the claddings, and then fusion-splicing the glass members to a bridge fiber, avoiding direct fusion-splicing between glass members and incorporating a cover layer to enhance mechanical strength and reduce light beam divergence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If divergence angle reducing members are fusion-spliced to input optical fibers and then to bridge fiber, then light beam divergence is reduced, but mechanical strength deteriorates due to fusion-spliced portions being easily broken
Solution Approach 1:
The glass member is divided into multiple independent segments, each fusion-spliced to one input optical fiber. These segments are arranged side-by-side without being fusion-spliced to each other, eliminating the creation of additional weak fusion-spliced joints between glass members while still achieving the desired light beam divergence control through the tapered structure of each individual glass member.
Solution Approach 2:
The input optical fibers serve as intermediary elements that connect the glass members to the bridge fiber. By routing light through the input optical fibers rather than creating direct fusion-spliced connections between glass members, the design avoids additional weak points while maintaining optical coupling functionality.
2Manufacturing precision
If diameter of incident end face of bridge fiber is reduced to prevent light beam leakage, then numerical aperture compliance is improved, but mechanical strength of fusion-spliced portions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge fiber's incident end face is segmented to receive multiple input optical fibers at different positions rather than requiring a single large-diameter face. This allows the bridge fiber to maintain a smaller overall diameter for better NA compliance while still accommodating multiple input fibers through the segmented arrangement, and the glass members are segmented to connect to each input fiber separately without mutual fusion-splicing.
3Productivity
If multiple glass members are fusion-spliced to bridge fiber, then light combining efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple fusion-splicing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The glass members are segmented into independent units, each connected to one input optical fiber. This segmentation allows for modular assembly where each glass member-input fiber pair can be prepared independently and then positioned together, reducing the complexity of simultaneous multi-point fusion-splicing operations while maintaining high light combining efficiency through the tapered optical coupling.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method improves mechanical strength and reduces light beam divergence, minimizing losses due to leakage by ensuring the glass members are not fusion-spliced to each other and applying stress evenly, thus enhancing the optical fiber combiner's durability and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a divergence angle reducing member is provided between a plurality of input optical fibers and a bridge fiber... in which the divergence angle reducing member emits the light beam emitted from the input optical fiber at an angle of divergence smaller than the angle of divergence of the entered light beam
Implementation Method 2
One end of the divergence angle reducing member is fusion-spliced to one end of each of the input optical fibers. The other end of the divergence angle reducing member is fusion-spliced to the input end face of the bridge fiber
Data Source
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AI summary
Optical fiber combiner 1 includes a plurality of input optical fibers 20 having a core 21 and a cladding 22 surrounding the core 21, a bridge fiber 30 having a portion that transmits a light beam entered from each of the input optical fibers, and a glass member 50 fusion-spliced to an end face 27 of the cladding 22 and to a first end face 36 of the bridge fiber 30. The end portions of the claddings 22 of the plurality of input optical fibers 20 are bundled on at least a first end face side, with the adjacent side surfaces of the claddings 22 being in contact with each other. The glass member 50 has an outer diameter greater than the diameter of the core 21 and smaller than the outer diameter of the cladding 22. The adjacent glass members 50 are in a non-fusion-spliced state.