Did You Know...
...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7594765 | Arrangement for optically coupling an optical waveguide to an optical unit of an optical module and coupling element for such an arrangement Various embodiments of arrangements for optically coupling an optical waveguide to an optical unit of an optical module are provided. One embodiment is an optical module for optically coupling an optical waveguide to an optical unit. One such optical module comprise... | 09/29/2009 |
| 7330546 | Multimedia patching box A multimedia patching box including a generally rectangular housing. The housing includes a first wall positioned opposite from a second wall. The housing also includes opposing third and fourth walls that extend between the first and second walls. A panel is mounte... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7322751 | Apparatus and method for orienting an optical waveguide in relation to an optical unit of an optical module The invention relates to an apparatus and method for orienting an optical waveguide in relation to an optical unit arranged in or on an optical module. The optical module has a reference geometry which defines a first axis of symmetry. An offset between the optical ... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7311449 | High precision optoelectronic components An optoelectronic assembly having components designed to be fabricated on a stamping process capable of producing parts having tolerances below 1000 nanometers. The optoelectronic assembly includes ferrules and sleeves. The ferrules can include two identical half fe... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7264403 | Optical ferrule having a covering and associated method of ablating an optical fiber An optical ferrule is provided with a ferrule body having a front face and at least one covering applied to the front face to protect the front face of the ferrule from a laser beam used during a trimming process. The optical ferrule may also have a second covering ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7255485 | Optical plug-in connection An optical plug-in connection including: an optical plug-in connector; a coupling configured to receive the plug-in connector; and locking means for locking the plug-in connector in the coupling when the plug-in connector is inserted into the coupling, wherein the l... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7246951 | Method and apparatus for optically coupling an optical waveguide to an optical module A method for optical coupling an optical waveguide to an optical unit arranged in or on an optical module, a corresponding optical module, coupling element, and a kit of coupling elements is provided. The optical module has a reference geometry which defines a first... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7206107 | Method and system for beam expansion in a display device An exit pupil extender wherein the relative amount of different color components in the exit beam is more consistent with that of the input beam. In order to compensate for the uneven amount in the diffracted color components in the exit beam, the exit pupil extende... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7177505 | MEMS-based actuator devices using electrets Electrets are used in a variety of MEMS-based actuator devices. The electret is able to store electrical charge for a long time with negligible charge leakage. Therefore, when an electret is incorporated into a MEMS device that requires actuation, the device can be ... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7147385 | Fiber optic connector and method A fiber optic connector including a ferrule surrounding an optical fiber and a hub engaging the ferrule. The hub includes a front portion having first and second opposing surfaces and first and second tapered regions extending from the first and second opposing surf... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7066656 | Connector for optic fibres The invention is directed to a connector (10) for connecting optic fibers (12, 13). The connector has a longitudinally extending body (14). The body has a first end and a second end. The body has a pass-conduit (20) extending from the fir... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7021832 | Optical module with a coupling member having an elliptic outer shape for coupling an optical device thereto In addition to the optically passive alignment between the optical fiber and the semiconductor device using a V-groove provided on a substrate made of silicon single crystal, the active alignment therebetween may be carried out for enhancing the optical coupling eff... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7013073 | Method and apparatus for fixing a fiber at the center of a ferrule The invention relates to an apparatus for fixing a fiber at the center of a ferrule comprising a heating stage, a temperature controller, at least one charge-coupled device, a first moving stage, a processor unit and a solder material feeder. The heating stage is us... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6960029 | Plastic optical fiber end surface processing method, processing apparatus for the method, cutter for use in the method, and plastic optical fiber connecting method A plastic optical fiber end surfaces processing method is disclosed which allows formation of not only a convex semi-spherical surface but also of an arbitrary profile such as a concave semi-spherical surface. In addition, an apparatus for use in the method, a cutte... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6935791 | Apparatus and methods for micro-positioning and alignment A fiber optic module according to the invention includes a housing, a light source, a positioning device, and an optical fiber. The housing defines interior and exterior regions of the module. The housing has a source receiving aperture and a fiber receiving apertur... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6901186 | Optical fiber collimator using gradient index rod lens An optical fiber collimator using a gradient index rod lens for securing a required long opposing distance and easy handling. The collimator includes a single mode fiber and a gradient index rod lens for receiving an incident light from the single mode fiber and con... | 05/31/2005 |
| 6805490 | Method and system for beam expansion in a display device A planar substrate having a first diffractive element for coupling light waves of different colors into the substrate and guiding the light waves by successive internal reflections. A second diffractive element, disposed on the substrate, causes the guided light wav... | 10/19/2004 |
| 6742936 | Low-loss intermatable ferrules for optical fibers and a method of fabrication thereof A method for assembling a population of ferrules to minimize the eccentricity of the fibers typically includes the steps of selecting a set of ferrules, determining the eccentricity of the ferrules, selecting a fiber, inserting the fiber within the ferrule bore, ori... | 06/01/2004 |
| 6731853 | Multiple fiber chip clamp An optical fiber clamp that precisely aligns and clamps multiple optical fibers in multi-channel freespace optical systems, eliminates multiple parts and simplifies assembly. Multiple wafers each having an array of holes passing therethrough, are aligned with respec... | 05/04/2004 |
| 6715932 | Eccentric optical fiber connector ferrule and method of manufacturing the same An eccentric optical fiber connector ferrule according to the present invention comprises an optical fiber in which a coating at an end thereof is removed to expose the end of the fiber, a metallic coating bonded to a part of a side face at the end of the optical fi... | 04/06/2004 |
| 6655849 | Optical connector, particularly for operating in high pressure environment The invention concerns an optical fibre connector (15, 18) for high pressure (P) environments. Said connector comprises means for maintaining (1, 2, 19b) the respective ends of the fibres, facing one another. The invention is characterised in that it furt... | 12/02/2003 |
| 6546182 | Angled fiber termination and methods of making the same Angled fiber terminations and methods of making the angled fiber terminations. One aspect relates to an optical fiber support assembly. The assembly comprises a substrate with a hole formed in the substrate. The hole comprises at least one non-circular op... | 04/08/2003 |
| 6470120 | Method and apparatus for aligning fiber optics with optical elements Apparatus and associated method for aligning optical components including lenses, filters, lasers, fiber optics, etc. The apparatus aligns a first optic element and a second optic element and includes a frame and a sleeve. The frame defines a frame bore a... | 10/22/2002 |
| 6402392 | Ferrule tubular body and ferrule To provide a ferrule tubular body and a ferrule which is free from a fear that the end face of the ferrule may be roughened, which can eliminate an eccentric adjustment process performed after an optical fiber is fixed, and which can attain the optical co... | 06/11/2002 |
| 6379054 | Field installable multifiber connector A multifiber connector is provided according to one embodiment which includes a multifiber ferrule, splice components and a crimp tube that defines a lengthwise extending passageway having a lateral cross-sectional shape that is generally oval for receivi... | 04/30/2002 |
| 6371658 | Tuned multiple fiber optic connector A tuned multiple fiber optical connector and a method for tuning same is disclosed. A first connector housing retains each of a first plurality of optical fiber ends in a predetermined location. The first connector housing has a first key element. A core ... | 04/16/2002 |
| 6302593 | Fiber optic connector with micro-alignable lenses and associated fabrication method A fiber optic connector and an associated fabrication method where the connector has a connector housing having a base side, a and pair of sidewalls upstanding from the base side that are spaced apart in relation to each other, and each of the housing sid... | 10/16/2001 |
| 6273618 | Optical fiber connector An improved optical fiber connector includes a pair of female bodies, each having a first end and a second end, a cavity defined in the first end and a tubular portion extending from the second end, the tubular portion having a diameter smaller than that ... | 08/14/2001 |
| 6238102 | Multiaxial optical coupler A multiaxial optical coupler for use in a device using an LiNbO3 substrate, which is reliable over a wide temperature range and capable of reducing coupling loss. A capillary has a plurality of linear through holes formed therethrough in a manner each inc... | 05/29/2001 |
| 6155722 | Twin-core ferrule structure for an optical connector A twin-core ferrule structure is provided which is miniaturized in size, facilitated for accurate positioning the optical axes of two optical fibers, and improved both in degree of freedom of determining a shape and in high-volume productivity. The twin-c... | 12/05/2000 |
| 5980117 | Methods and arrangements for duplex fiber handling Methods and apparatus for a dual-fiber ferrule are disclosed. A hole having a preferably elliptical shape and a size suitable for receiving two bare optical fibers is formed along the axis of symmetry of a retaining member. The elliptically-shaped hole de... | 11/09/1999 |
| 5946436 | Structure of optical connector and aligning method The invention provides a structure of an optical connector and an aligning method which are capable of easily accomplishing the alignment between optical fibers without pre-alignment before the assembling of the optical connector and disassembling of an o... | 08/31/1999 |
| 5812258 | Optical coupler and alignment apparatus with multiple eccentric adjustments The present invention adjusts the relationship of two optical components within an optical coupler by the use of eccentric sleeves. As individual eccentric sleeves of an adjustable subassembly are rotated, they change either the angle or the location of t... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5680494 | FC-type optical fiber connector adapter An FC-type optical fiber connector adapter, such as an FC/PC optical fiber connector adapter, is provided with a circumferential flange and at least one substantially radially extending projection for mounting in a panel designed to accommodate biconic op... | 10/21/1997 |
| 5664033 | Remote fiber test system using a non-blocking N×N mechanical fiber optical switch An remote fiber test system includes a non-blocking N×N optical switch having N input ports and N output ports with one of the input ports coupled to a measurement test instrument for examining any of the optical fibers coupled to the output ports. The n... | 09/02/1997 |
| 5623562 | Method of aligning opposing optical transmission paths in a mechanical optical switch A mechanical optical switch having opposing first and second optical transmission paths, such as optical fibers, forming an optical interface and rotating about respective independent and offset first and second rotational axes for positioning the fibers ... | 04/22/1997 |
| 5600739 | Optical fiber alignment apparatus for a mechanical optical switch An alignment apparatus for determining angular coordinates for offset and intersecting optical fibers in a mechanical optical switch has an analytical apparatus for imaging the end faces of the ferrules containing the opposing optical fibers of the switch... | 02/04/1997 |
| 5557696 | Adaptors for a device for cleaning and polishing an optical fiber A device for cleaning and/or polishing an end surface of an optical fiber is comprised of an insert and a cleaning rod. The insert has a hole formed throughout its length whose axis is eccentric to the optical fiber axis. The rod, when rotated, effectuate... | 09/17/1996 |
| 5438638 | Electrically controlled mechanical optical switch An M×N mechanical optical switch has opposing input and output optical fiber bundles disposed within offset ferrules. Each ferrule is mounted in three-point kinematically correct V-groove holder allowing the optical fibers in each optical fiber bundle to... | 08/01/1995 |
| 5337392 | Method of coupling an optical fiber to an optical component on the same substrate In a method of coupling an optical fiber to an optical component on the same substrate, eccentricity of the core of a coupling fiber is exploited to adjust the vertical position of the core by rotation of the fiber about its axis. This adjustment is carri... | 08/09/1994 |
