Coupling optical fibers and cooling fluid passages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12487425-B2
Application number	US-202318124399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2023
Priority date	Mar 21, 2023
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

An optical system is provided that includes a conduit fitting, a first connector, a first conduit, a first ferrule and a first nut. The conduit fitting includes a receptacle. The first connector is disposed within the receptacle. The first connector includes a first bore, a first counterbore and a first port radially outboard of the first bore. The first conduit includes a first optics line and a first fluid passage. The first conduit projects longitudinally into the first counterbore and is attached to the first connector. The first optics line projects longitudinally into the first bore. The first fluid passage is fluidly coupled with the first port. The first ferrule circumscribes the first connector. The first nut is threaded onto the conduit fitting and is configured to wedge the first ferrule radially between the first connector and the conduit fitting.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical system, comprising:
a conduit fitting comprising a receptacle; a first connector disposed within the receptacle, the first connector including a first bore, a first counterbore and a first port radially outboard of the first bore; a first conduit including a first optics line and a first fluid passage, the first conduit projecting longitudinally into the first counterbore and attached to the first connector, the first optics line projecting longitudinally into the first bore, and the first fluid passage fluidly coupled with the first port; a first ferrule circumscribing the first connector; and a first nut threaded onto the conduit fitting and configured to wedge the first ferrule radially between the first connector and the conduit fitting; wherein the first fluid passage circumscribes and extends longitudinally along the first optics line.

2 . The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the first nut is configured to press the first ferrule longitudinally against the first connector to wedge the first ferrule radially between the first connector and the conduit fitting.

3 . The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising a first driver circumscribing the first connector, the first driver longitudinally engaged with and between the first nut and the first ferrule.

4 . The optical system of claim 3 , wherein the first nut is configured to wedge the first driver radially between the first ferrule and the first connector.

5 . The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the first connector passes longitudinally through an aperture in an endwall of the first nut.

6 . The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the first optics line comprises one or more optical fibers.

7 . The optical system of claim 6 , wherein
the first optics line further comprises a first optical sheath circumscribing and extending longitudinally along the one or more optical fibers; and the first optical sheath projects longitudinally into the first bore and is attached to the first connector.

8 . The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the first port is one of a plurality of first ports in the first connector and fluidly coupled with the first fluid passage.

9 . The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second optics line comprising a plurality of second optical fibers; the first optics line comprising a plurality of first optical fibers; and each of the plurality of first optical fibers optically coupled to a respective one of the plurality of second optical fibers at an optical interface between the first optics line and the second optics line.

10 . The optical system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a conduit coupler configured to align an end of each of the plurality of first optical fibers with an end of the respective one of the plurality of second optical fibers; and the conduit coupler including the conduit fitting and the first nut.

11 . The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising a second fluid passage fluidly coupled with the first fluid passage through the first port.

12 . The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second connector disposed within the receptacle, the second connector including a second bore, a second counterbore and a second port radially outboard of the second bore, and the second port fluidly coupled with the first port; a second conduit including a second optics line and a second fluid passage, the second conduit projecting longitudinally into the second counterbore and attached to the second connector, the second optics line projecting longitudinally into the second bore and optically coupled with the second optics line, and the second fluid passage fluidly coupled with the second port; a second ferrule circumscribing the second connector; and a second nut threaded onto the conduit fitting and configured to wedge the second ferrule radially between the second connector and the conduit fitting.

13 . The optical system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a key projecting radially into a first connector groove, a second connector groove and a fitting groove; the first connector further including the first connector groove; the second connector further including the second connector groove; and the conduit fitting further including the fitting groove.

14 . An optical system, comprising:
a conduit fitting comprising a receptacle; a first connector disposed within the receptacle, the first connector including a first bore, a first counterbore and a first port radially outboard of the first bore; a first conduit including a first optics line and a first fluid passage, the first conduit projecting longitudinally into the first counterbore and attached to the first connector, the first optics line projecting longitudinally into the first bore, and the first fluid passage fluidly coupled with the first port; a first ferrule circumscribing the first connector; and a first nut threaded onto the conduit fitting and configured to wedge the first ferrule radially between the first connector and the conduit fitting; wherein the first conduit further includes a first tube; wherein the first tube forms an outer peripheral boundary of the first fluid passage, and the first tube projects longitudinally into the first counterbore and is attached to the first connector; and wherein the first optics line projects longitudinally out from the first tube and into the first bore.

15 . An optical system, comprising:
a conduit fitting comprising a receptacle; a first connector disposed within the receptacle, the first connector including a first bore, a first counterbore and a first port radially outboard of the first bore; a first conduit including a first optics line and a first fluid passage, the first conduit projecting longitudinally into the first counterbore and attached to the first connector, the first optics line projecting longitudinally into the first bore, and the first fluid passage fluidly coupled with the first port; a first ferrule circumscribing the first connector; a first nut threaded onto the conduit fitting and configured to wedge the first ferrule radially between the first connector and the conduit fitting; a key projecting radially into a first connector groove and a fitting groove; the first connector further including the first connector groove; and the conduit fitting further including the fitting groove.

16 . The optical system of claim 15 , wherein the key is bonded to the conduit fitting.

Assignees

• Raytheon Tech Corp
• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Warren Eli
• Dodds David
• Hackett Bryan J
• Ingram Alan E
• Sabol Michael F
• O'Gara Nicholas
• Hardwick Kyle

Classifications

• G01M15/14

  Testing gas-turbine engines or jet-propulsion engines · CPC title

• G01M15/02

  Details or accessories of testing apparatus · CPC title

• F16L25/01

  specially adapted for realising electrical conduction between the two pipe ends of the joint or between parts thereof · CPC title

• F01D17/06

  responsive to speed · CPC title

• F01D11/24

  by selectively cooling-heating stator or rotor components · CPC title