Fiber Optic Component With Glass Carrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fiber optical components face challenges with thermal expansion and mechanical instability due to metallic carriers and adhesives, leading to misalignment of optical fibers and reduced beam quality, especially in high-power laser applications.
Innovation Solution
A fiber optical component using a glass carrier and optical elements made of quartz glass, where the optical fibers and elements are fused together, eliminating the need for metallic carriers and adhesives, and minimizing thermal expansion, ensuring stable beam propagation and improved positioning accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If metallic carriers and adhesives are used to assemble fiber optical components, then ease of manufacture is improved, but thermal expansion and mechanical instability occur leading to misalignment of optical fibers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters of the carrier from metal to glass, which has a different thermal expansion coefficient and mechanical properties. This parameter change eliminates thermal expansion-induced misalignment while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard glassworking techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses glass as a composite material that combines the benefits of thermal stability, mechanical strength, and optical transparency. The glass carrier integrates multiple functions (structural support, thermal stability, optical pathway) that were previously requiring separate metal and adhesive components.
2Strength
If metallic carriers are used in fiber optical components, then mechanical strength is improved, but thermal-induced misalignment occurs reducing beam quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal and mechanical parameters of the carrier material from metal to glass. Glass provides sufficient mechanical strength for optical component assembly while having minimal thermal expansion, thereby eliminating the source of beam quality degradation.
3Ease of operation
If adhesives are used to connect optical elements, then ease of assembly is improved, but mechanical instability occurs leading to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the adhesive layer from the assembly process. By using a glass carrier with integrated mounting features, the need for separate adhesive bonding is removed, eliminating the mechanical instability and misalignment issues associated with adhesive degradation.
4Manufacturing precision
If glass carrier and fused connections are used, then positioning accuracy and thermal stability are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the carrier structure with the mounting features and optical pathways into a single glass component. This integration eliminates the need for separate metal carriers, adhesive layers, and alignment fixtures, thereby reducing overall manufacturing complexity despite the specialized glassworking processes required.
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 solution provides a thermally and mechanically stable fiber optical component with improved positioning accuracy and reduced thermal-induced misalignment, enhancing the quality of beam combination and safety in high-power applications.
Implementation Method 1
the optical fibers and elements are fused together, eliminating the need for metallic carriers and adhesives
Implementation Method 2
minimizing thermal expansion, ensuring stable beam propagation and improved positioning accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
Fiber optical component (1) comprising a plurality of optical fibers (10) each having at least, preferably exactly, one core of glass, preferably made of quartz glass, which is designed in each case to guide a signal light radiation (A), with at least, preferably exactly, one first optical element (11) made of glass, preferably made of quartz glass, which is connected to an inlet surface (11a) with in each case one open end of the cores of the optical fibers (10), preferably further connected to an open end of a cladding of the optical fibers (10) substantially enclosing the core, and designed to receive the signal light radiations (A) from the open ends of the cores of the optical fibers (10) and to emit them to the outside via at least one outlet surface (11b), with at least, preferably exactly, a second optical element (12) made of glass, preferably quartz glass, per optical fiber (10), which is designed and arranged at a distance relative to the first optical element (11) along the direction of propagation of the signal light beams (A), to receive the signal light radiation (A) of at least, preferably exactly, one of the optical fibers (11) at an inlet surface (12a) from the first optical element (11) and to emit it to the outside via at least one outlet surface (12b), and with a carrier (14) which positions the second optical elements (12) at least along the direction of propagation of the signal light radiations (A), preferably and transversely to the direction of propagation of the signal light radiations (A), relative to the first optical element (11), wherein the carrier (14) has glass, preferably quartz glass, preferably consists of glass, preferably quartz glass.