Patent ID: 7151867

Claim:
An optical coupler for transmitting an optical signal between a first device and at least a plurality of second devices, the optical coupler comprising: a plurality of optical fibers each having first and second ends, a portion of each of the fibers being stripped, the first device disposed in optical communication with the second end of each one of the at least the plurality of optical fibers, one second device disposed in optical communication with the first end of at least one of the optical fibers, and another second device disposed in optical communication with the first end of at least another one of the optical fibers and with the second ends of the optical fibers being juxtaposed in the first device, a sleeve being provided which surrounds the second ends of the optical fibers and from which the stripped portion of each of the optical fibers protrudes, and further comprising a first, heat shrinkable sheath that surrounds a stripped portion of each of the optical fibers which extends from the sleeve to a portion of each of the optical fibers that is not stripped, wherein the sleeve and optical fibers having wicks, and the sleeve wicks and optical fiber wicks are intermingled around the first, heat-shrinkable sheath.