Patent ID: 7171081

Claim:
A fiber optical signal separating/combining apparatus constructed on a substrate for plugging to connectors of an optical transmitter/receiver to multiplex/demultiplex a bi-directional light signal into individual incoming and outgoing light signals, said fiber optical signal separating/combining apparatus comprising: a female connector adhered to said substrate such that said female connector receives, aligns, and protects a near-end terminating connector of a fiber optic cable conveying the bi-directional light signal; a light signal separating/combining device connected to the first female connector to multiplex/demultiplex the bi-directional light signal into the individual incoming and outgoing light signals, wherein said bi-directional light signal is one wavelength and said incoming and outgoing light signals are separate light signals of said one wavelength, wherein the light signal separation apparatus comprises: a fused optical coupler affixed to said substrate and having a first port connected to the female connector to convey the bi-directional light signal of said one wavelength, a second port connected to transmit the incoming light signal of said one wavelength to said optical receiver from the female connector and thus from said fiber optic cable, a third port connected to transmit an outgoing light signal of said one wavelength from said optical transmitter to said female connector and thus to said fiber optic cable, and a fused optical multiplexing/demultiplexing coupler connected between the first, second and third ports to direct the incoming light signal from the first port to the second port and to direct the outgoing light from the third port to the first port to provide bi-directional communications in said one wavelength; and a plurality of paired connectors attached to said substrate for plugging to said optical transmitter/receiver and in connection with a termination connector of an optical transmitter of said optical transmitter/receiver and in connection with a termination connector of an optical receiver of said optical transmitter/receiver, such that a first of said paired connectors is placed in said termination connector of said optical transmitter to transfer said outgoing light signal to said third port for transfer to said first port and thence to said female connector and a second of said paired connectors is placed in said termination connector of said optical receiver to align and protect said second of said paired connectors that convey said individual incoming light signals from said female connector to said first port and thence to said second port to said optical receiver.