Patent EP-0061955-A1 (EP)
Inventor: BOUCHU MICHEL
IPC: G02B6/36
Filed: 1982-03-15
Abstract: 1. Connecting device for guiding, by means of optical fibres (78, 66), a plurality of optical measurement signals originating from a plurality of points in space (28) to the entrance of a slitscanning opto-electronic camera (24), this camera including an optical fibre port (24a) at the entrance, characterized in that the said connecting device comprises : a metallic casing (44) intended to be mounted on the camera and in which n first optical fibres (66) are accommodated, this casing including a first plane wall and a second plane wall (46, 116) opposite one another, between which the said first fibres extend, the first wall (46) in the form of a disk being provided with n bores (53) in which there are mounted cylindrical metallic contacts (52), one end (54) of which projects on the exterior (56) of the first wall (46) to define a plane face (58), the said plane faces (58) all being disposed in a single plane, these n contacts, distributed over the entire first wall (46) and pierced at their centre by a bore (62) receiving a first end (64) of one of the n first optical fibres (66) being flush with the said plane face (58), the second wall (116) formed by two semi-disks being intended to be mounted to face the entrance port (24a) of the said camera (24), one of the semi-disks being provided with n notches (118) regularly spaced from one another, permitting the second end (102) of the sait first fibres (66) to be positioned and maintained in a single straight line, this straight line facing the entrance port (24a) constituting the entrance slit of the camera (24) ; means (68) permitting the centring of the first end (64) of the first optical fibres (66) in the bores (62) of the contacts, and means permitting fixing of the said first fibres (66) in the contacts (52), these centring means (68) exhibiting an end (70) flush with the plane face (58) of the associated contact (52), the materials constituting the contacts (52), the centring means (68) and the fixing means exhibiting a behaviour similar to that of the first optical fibres (66) in relation to polishing ; positioning means (104, 110) serving to guide the second end (102) of the first optical fibres (66) according to the said straight line ; a metallic component (48) which is in the form of a flat disk ans which is intended to be mounted on the casing (44) facing the first wall (46) of the said casing, one of the faces (60) of this metallic component (48) being capable of coming into contact with the plane faces (58) of the contacts, this metallic component being provided with n bores (74) each receiving one end (76) of a fibre of an assembly of n second optical fibres (78), the other ends of which are intended to receive the said optical measurement signals, the said ends of fibres received in the said bores (74) being flush with the face (60) of the said component which is situated to face the casing, each one of these bores (74) being distributed over the said metallic component (48) in such a manner as to be able to be placed to face one of the bores (62) formed in the said contacts (52) of the first wall (46) of the said casing (44) ; means (80) permitting the centring of the second optical fibres (78) in the bores (74) of the said metallic component and means (82) permitting the demountable fixing of the said second fibres, the said centring means (80) exhibiting one end (83) flush with the face (60) of the said component (48) situated to face the said casing ; means (98) permitting the positioning of the said metallic component (48) to face the first wall (46) of the casing (44), in such a manner that the n bores (74) of the said component may be placed to face the n bores (62) formed in the contacts (52) of the said first wall of the casing ; and means (100) permitting the maintenance of the metallic casing (44) and the metallic component (48) in a single unit.