Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Optical tap
-
Application No.: US14749496Application Date: 2015-06-24
-
Publication No.: US09696495B2Publication Date: 2017-07-04
- Inventor: Richard Y. Mei , Brian K. Bushnell , Joseph C. Livingston , Zuzhou Yue , Chin Choi-Feng
- Applicant: CommScope, Inc. of North Carolina
- Applicant Address: US NC Hickory
- Assignee: CommScope, Inc. of North Carolina
- Current Assignee: CommScope, Inc. of North Carolina
- Current Assignee Address: US NC Hickory
- Agency: Muncy, Geissler, Olds & Lowe, P.C.
- Main IPC: G02B6/27
- IPC: G02B6/27 ; G02B6/26 ; G02B6/32 ; G02B6/42

Abstract:
An optical tap includes a support with a first port facing a first ferrule supporting a first fiber along a first axis. A beamsplitter is connected to the support and intersected by the first axis. A second port is fastened to the support and facing a second ferrule supporting a second fiber along a second axis that intersects the beamsplitter. A third port is fastened to the support and facing a third ferrule supporting a third fiber along a third axis that intersects the beamsplitter, wherein the beamsplitter splits a first light signal from the first port to sends first and second portions of the first signal to the second and third ports, respectively. When the beamsplitter may optionally be configured as a polarizing element and include elements configured to rotate relative to each other to change a ratio of the first and second portions. The optical tap may optionally include a light intensity controlling device located in an optical path between the beamsplitter and at least one of the second or third ferrules. Optionally, a first collimating lens is configured to expand a first light beam that is substantially aligned with the first axis, and a second collimating lens is located between the beamsplitter and the second port, and configured to contract the second portion of the expanded first light beam to the second port.
Public/Granted literature
- US20160025929A1 OPTICAL TAP Public/Granted day:2016-01-28
Information query