Transparent Stop for Optical Fiber Radiation Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing apparatuses for coupling radiation from optical fibers face challenges in delimiting the output-coupling angle and preventing back-reflected radiation from entering the fiber, leading to heating and potential damage due to metallic stops and undesired reflections.
Innovation Solution
A stop made from a transparent material with total internal reflection faces is used to delimit the output-coupling angle and prevent back-reflected radiation from entering the optical fiber, utilizing the principle of total internal reflection to redirect radiation outside the housing or to absorbers, thereby reducing heating and reflections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a stop made from a metallic material is used to delimit the output coupling angle, then the beam profile can be cropped and the coupling angle delimited, but undesirable reflections occur at the stop which heat the surrounding housing and do not permit exact cropping of the beam profile
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the stop from metallic to transparent (e.g., glass or plastic), fundamentally altering how the stop interacts with radiation. This parameter change eliminates reflective heating while maintaining beam profile control through total internal reflection at precisely angled surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the metallic reflective stop with a transparent stop that uses optical principles (total internal reflection) instead of mechanical reflection. This substitution eliminates the harmful reflective heating effect while achieving the same beam delimitation function through differently oriented reflection surfaces within the transparent material.
2Manufacturing precision
If a stop is used to delimit the output coupling angle, then the divergence of radiation can be controlled, but back-reflected radiation from workpieces cannot be easily absorbed or diverted, causing heating and potential damage to the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent stop performs multiple functions simultaneously: it delimits the output coupling angle for forward-propagating radiation and also reflects back-reflected radiation away from the housing. This multi-functionality is achieved through the combination of its transparent material properties and precisely angled internal reflection surfaces that handle both forward and backward radiation differently.
Solution Approach 2:
The transparent stop acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the optical fiber and the surrounding housing. It allows controlled radiation passage while intercepting and redirecting harmful back-reflected radiation, preventing it from reaching and heating the housing without requiring separate absorption components.
3Productivity
If radiation exits divergently from the end of an optical fiber, then the radiation can be coupled out, but the divergence or output-coupling angle cannot be easily delimited without additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the radiation coupling function with the beam angle delimitation function into a single integrated transparent stop component. Instead of requiring separate elements for coupling and angle control, the transparent stop with its precisely angled internal surfaces performs both functions simultaneously, reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The transparent stop features locally varied internal surfaces with specific angles designed for different functions: some surfaces are angled to reflect high-angle divergent radiation back into the fiber, while other surfaces allow controlled passage of desired radiation. This local quality variation enables precise angle delimitation without additional components.
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 transparent stop effectively delimits the output-coupling angle, prevents back-reflected radiation from re-entering the fiber, and reduces heating risks, ensuring precise control over the radiation beam and minimizing damage to the apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
the stop body has a first total internal reflection face for reflecting radiation that is coupled out of the output coupling end of the optical fiber with greater output coupling angles than the maximum output coupling angle
Implementation Method 2
the stop body has a second total internal reflection face for reflecting radiation that propagates in the opposite direction of the radiation coupled out of the output coupling end and is reflected back by a workpiece or another obstacle
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for coupling out radiation from an optical fiber, includes a housing, and a stop having a stop opening for delimiting an output coupling angle of radiation that is coupled out of an output end of the optical fiber to a maximum output coupling angle with respect to a central axis of the stop opening, wherein the stop is arranged in the housing. The stop has a stop body made from a transparent material, the stop body has a first total internal reflection face for reflecting radiation that is coupled out of the output end of the optical fiber with greater output coupling angles than the maximum output coupling angle, and the stop body has a second total internal reflection face for reflecting radiation that propagates opposite to the radiation coupled out of the output end and is reflected back by a workpiece.