Coupler for optical communication system

Claim 2

An optical coupler comprising at least four elongated transparent mixer rods, each rod having first and second planar endfaces that are substantially perpendicular to the axis thereof, means for connecting an optical signal transmission line to the first endface of each of said mixer rods, a plurality of bundles of optical waveguide fibers, one of said bundles being coupled to the second endface of each of said mixer rods, each of said bundles being divided into groups of fibers, one of which extends to the second endface of each of the remaining mixer rods, and a housing for supporting said mixer rods, said plurality of bundles of optical waveguide fibers being disposed within said housing.

Claim 3

A coupler in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said mixer rods comprises a rod of transparent material and a layer of transparent cladding material disposed upon the surface of said rod, the refractive index of said cladding material being lower than that of said rod.

Claim 4

A coupler in accordance with claim 2 further comprising a layer of refractive index matching fluid disposed adjacent to the first and second endfaces of each of said mixer rods.

Claim 5

A coupler in accordance with claim 3 wherein each of said groups of optical waveguide fibers contains the same number of fibers.

Claim 6

A coupler in accordance with claim 4 wherein said rods are cylindrically shaped.

Claim 7

A coupler in accordance with claim 4 wherein said rods are conically shaped.

Claim 8

In an optical communication system having a plurality of optical signal transmission lines each comprising at least one optical waveguide having a core of transparent material having a refractive index n1 surrounded by a layer of transparent cladding material having a refractive index n2 that is lower than n1, a coupler for coupling the signal in any one of said optical signal transmission lines to all of the remaining transmission lines, said coupler comprising at least four elongated transparent mixer rods each having first and second planar endfaces that are substantially perpendicular to the axis thereof, means disposed adjacent to the periphery of the first endface of each of said mixer rods for connecting the end of a respective one of transmission lines adjacent to said first endface, the optical waveguides of which said transmission line is comprised terminating in faces that are disposed in a substantially planar array adjacent to said first endface, a plurality of bundles of optical waveguide fibers, one of said bundles being coupled to the second endface of each of said mixer rods, each of said bundles being divided into groups of fibers, one of which extends to the second endface of each of the remaining mixer rods, and a housing for supporting said mixer rods, said plurality of bundles of optical waveguide fibers being disposed within said housing.

Claim 9

In an optical communication system having a plurality of optical signal transmission lines each comprising at least one optical waveguide having a core of transparent material having a refractive index n1 surrounded by a layer of transparent cladding material having a refractive index n2 that is lower than n1, a coupler for coupling the signal in any one of said optical signal transmission lines to all of the remaining transmission lines, said coupler comprising at least four elongated transparent mixer rods each having first and second planar endfaces that are substantially perpendicular to the axis thereof, means disposed adjacent to the periphery of the first endface of each of said mixer rods for connecting the end of a respective one of transmission lines adjacent to said first endface, the optical waveguides of which said transmission line is comprised terminating in faces that are disposed in a substantially planar array adjacent to said first endface, a plurality of bundles of optical waveguide fibers, one of said bundles being coupled to the second endface of each of said mixer rods, each of said bundles being divided into groups of fibers, one of which extends to the second endface of each of the remaining mixer rods, and a housing for supporting said mixer rods, said plurality of bundles of optical waveguide fibers being disposed within said housing.

Claim 10

A coupler in accordance with claim 7 further comprising means disposed adjacent to the periphery of the second endface of each of said mixer rods for supporting the end of a respective one of said bundles adjacent to said second endface.

Claim 11

An optical coupler in accordance with claim 8 wherein each of said mixer rods comprises a cylindrically shaped rod of transparent material and a layer of transparent cladding material disposed upon the surface of said rod, the refractive index of said cladding material being lower than that of said rod.

Claim 12

An optical coupler in accordance with claim 9 further comprising a layer of refractive index matching fluid disposed adjacent to the first and second endfaces of each of said mixer rods.

Claim 13

An optical coupler in accordance with claim 10 wherein each of said groups of optical waveguide fibers contains the same number of fibers.