Rugged passively cooled high power laser fiber optic connectors and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016341906-A1
Application number	US-201615147269-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 5, 2016
Priority date	Jun 3, 2011
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

There are provided high power laser connectors and couplers and methods that are capable of providing high laser power without the need for active cooling to remote, harsh and difficult to access locations and under difficult and harsh conditions and to manage and mitigate the adverse effects of back reflections.

First claim

1 - 36 . (canceled)

37 . A passively cooled high power laser connector comprising:
a. a tail end and a face end; b. a housing defining a cavity, the cavity located between the tail end and the face end; c. an optics package, comprising an optical fiber having a core, a first chamber, a back reflection chamber, an optical block, and a window; and, d. the optics package defining a portion of a laser beam path, the laser beam path extending from the tail end to the face end, and capable of transmitting a laser beam having a power of at least about 15 kW.

38 . The connector of claim 37 , comprising a means for athermalizing.

39 . The connector of claim 37 , comprising a means for addressing back reflections;

40 . The connector of claim 37 , comprising a means for addressing cladding modes.

41 . The connector of claim 37 , comprising a means for passively cooling the connector.

42 . The connector of claim 37 , comprising a means for athermalizing; and a means for addressing back reflections.

43 . The connector of claim 42 , comprising a means for passively cooling the connector.

44 . The connector of claim 37 , wherein the housing comprises a first and a second section; the first section comprising an alignment means.

45 . The connector of claim 39 , wherein the means for addressing back reflections comprises a TIR surface of the optical block.

46 . The connector of claim 39 , wherein the means for addressing back reflections comprises the optical block having ears.

47 . A high power laser connector comprising:
a. a tail end and a face end; b. a housing defining a cavity, the cavity located between the tail end and the face end; c. an optics package, comprising an optical fiber having a core, a first chamber, and an optical block; d. the optics package defining a portion of a laser beam path, the laser beam path extending from the tail end to the face end, and capable of transmitting a laser beam having a power of at least about 15 kW; e. at least a portion of the optics package in the cavity; and, f. the optics block having ear structures.

48 . (canceled)

49 . The connector of claim 37 , comprising a means for monitoring a condition of the connector.

50 . The connector of claim 47 , comprising a means for monitoring a condition of the connector.

51 - 92 . (canceled)

93 . A method of transmitting high power laser energy to a remote location;
a. providing a source of a high power laser beam, capable of providing at least about 15 kW of power; b. optically and mechanically associating a proximal end of a high power optical fiber having a length of at least about 1 km with the high power laser source; c. the optical fiber having a passively cooled high power laser connector on a distal end of the high power optical fiber; and, d. transmitting at least 10 kW of laser power through the connector.

94 - 96 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Foro Energy Inc

Inventors

• Rinzler Charles C
• Gray William C
• Fraze Jason D
• Faircloth Brian O
• Zediker Mark S
• Mckay Ryan P

Classifications

• H01S3/0064

  Anti-reflection devices, e.g. optical isolaters (absorbing layers for marking or protecting purposes in laser working B23K26/50; magneto-optical non-reciprocal devices G02F1/093, G02F1/0955) · CPC title

• G02B6/3624 Primary

  Fibre head, e.g. fibre probe termination (optical details of light guide terminations G02B6/241; reshaping of light guides G02B6/2552; optical details of coupling light into or out of fibre end G02B6/262) · CPC title

• H01S3/042

  for solid state lasers {(H01S3/0401 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G02B6/3813 Primary

  for transmission of high energy beam (coupling high energy sources and light guides G02B6/4296) · CPC title

• G02B2006/4297

  having protection means, e.g. protecting humans against accidental exposure to harmful laser radiation · CPC title