Furukawa Electric has filed a patent for an optical fiber bundle structure. The structure includes multiple optical fiber core wires inserted into a capillary. The diameter ratio of the core at the distal end to the core at the rear end is between 0.57 and 1. This invention aims to improve the performance of optical fiber bundles. GlobalData’s report on Furukawa Electric gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Furukawa Electric, Battery management systems was a key innovation area identified from patents. Furukawa Electric's grant share as of September 2023 was 23%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Optical fiber bundle structure with specific core diameter ratio
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230314700A1) describes an optical fiber bundle structure and its manufacturing method. The structure consists of multiple optical fiber core wires and a capillary. Each optical fiber core wire includes a glass fiber portion with a core and a clad, as well as a resin coated portion. The glass fiber portions are inserted into the capillary. The patent claims that the ratio of the core diameter at the distal end to the core diameter at the rear end (d2/d1) should be equal to or larger than 0.57 and smaller than 1.
The patent also claims that each optical fiber core wire should have a unimodal refractive index profile, allowing light in a predetermined wavelength band to propagate in a single mode. Additionally, the optical fiber core wires should be capable of propagating light with a wavelength of 950 nm or more (claim 3) or 1260 nm or more (claim 4) in a single mode.
The capillary in the optical fiber bundle structure has a hollow shape and includes a large-diameter portion, a tapered portion, and a small-diameter portion. In the small-diameter portion, the clads of the optical fiber core wires or the clads and a part of the inner wall of the capillary are connected to each other by fusion bonding. The diameter of the clads located in the small-diameter portion is smaller than the diameter of the clads located in the large-diameter portion.
The patent also describes an optical fiber connection structure that includes the aforementioned optical fiber bundle structure and a multi-core fiber. The multi-core fiber consists of multiple core portions connected to the cores of the optical fiber core wires, with cladding portions formed on their outer peripheries.
The manufacturing method for the optical fiber bundle structure involves inserting the glass fiber portion of an optical fiber core wire into a capillary, melting and drawing the capillary and the glass fiber portion to achieve the desired d2/d1 ratio, and cutting a portion of the drawn structure to expose a cross-section.
In summary, the patent describes an optical fiber bundle structure and its manufacturing method that aim to achieve efficient and reliable transmission of light signals. The structure includes specific design features and requirements for the optical fiber core wires, capillary, and multi-core fiber. The manufacturing method involves precise insertion, melting, drawing, and cutting processes.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
