What is claimed is:
1. A guide rail support bracket for a conveyor system, the guide rail support bracket comprising:
a mounting segment extending substantially along a first plane;
a support segment attached to a periphery of the mounting segment, said support segment extending substantially along a second plane, the second plane being substantially perpendicular to the first plane,
a clamping section comprising:
a first clamping segment attached to the support segment, the first clamping segment extending substantially along a third plane, the third plane being substantially perpendicular to the first plane, and forming a substantially acute angle relative to the second plane; and
a second clamping segment connected to the first clamping segment at a clamping joint, the second clamping segment extending along a fourth plane, the fourth plane being substantially perpendicular to the first plane, and forming an angle between about 70 degrees and about 110 degrees relative to the third plane.
2. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the substantially acute angle formed between the second and third planes is about 45 degrees.
3. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the angle between the third and fourth planes is about 90 degrees.
4. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the mounting segment comprises a longitudinal slot adapted to allow the bracket portion to be mounted to a conveyor system.
5. The support bracket of claim 1, wherein the clamping section comprises a hole formed in the clamping joint.
6. The support bracket of claim 5, wherein the hole comprises a longitudinal slot.
7. The support bracket of claim 6, further comprising an eyebolt having an eye portion and a threaded portion.
8. The support bracket of claim 7, wherein the longitudinal slot is dimensioned so as to allow the eye portion of the eyebolt to pass therethrough.
9. The support bracket of claim 8, wherein said eyebolt is adapted to receive a support rod.
10. The support bracket of claim 9, wherein the clamping joint of said clamping section comprises a radius which is substantially similar to the radius of the support rod.
11. A method of assembling a conveyor system, comprising:
providing a guide rail support bracket having a mounting segment and a rod-clamping portion;
attaching the guide rail support bracket to a conveyor assembly;
providing a rod adapted to support a guide rail clamp;
providing a clamping member adapted to clamp the rod to the rod-clamping portion of the guide rail support bracket;
assembling said rod and said clamping member on said clamping portion of said guide rail support bracket; and
rotating said clamping member to a desired position relative to said guide rail support bracket about a longitudinal axis of said rod.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein rotating said clamping member includes rotating said clamping member about said rod.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein said clamping member comprises a knob and an eyebolt.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein assembling said rod and said clamping member comprises inserting said eyebolt through an opening in said support bracket and inserting said rod through said eyebolt.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the rod comprises a circular cross-section.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising securing said clamping member at said desired position relative to said guide rail support bracket.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein securing said clamping member comprises tightening a knob on an eyebolt.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a substrate having a trench therein, the trench extending to an edge of the substrate;
a waveguide array positioned in the trench, the waveguide array extending to the edge of the substrate; and
a ferrule attached at or near the edge of the substrate and spanning a width of the waveguide array, the ferrule being directly in contact with a surface of the waveguide array.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the waveguide and the ferrule include fiducial marks thereon for aligning the ferrule and the waveguide.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the waveguide array is flexible.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the waveguide is integrated with the substrate.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ferrule includes a recess having a bottom, wherein the bottom is in direct contact with the waveguide array.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one fiducial mark is placed on the bottom of the recess.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pair of ferrule trenches adjacent to the trench and positioned at or near the edge of the substrate.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the ferrule includes a recess between a pair of supports, wherein the recess has a bottom that is in direct contact with the waveguide array and wherein the supports are positioned in the ferrule trenches.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an adhesive to secure the supports in the ferrule trenches.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pair of ferrule slots adjacent to the trench and positioned at or near the edge of the substrate, the ferrule slots extending throughout the thickness of the substrate.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the ferrule includes a recess between a pair of supports, wherein the recess has a bottom that is in direct contact with the waveguide array and wherein the supports are positioned in the ferrule slots.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an adhesive to secure the supports in the ferrule slots.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a retention mechanism to hold an external connector to the ferrule.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the retention mechanism comprises a spring clamp.
15. A process comprising:
positioning a waveguide in a trench on a substrate, the waveguide extending to an edge of the substrate; and
attaching a ferrule at or near the edge of the substrate, the ferrule including a recess having a bottom, wherein the bottom is in direct contact with a surface of the waveguide.
16. The process of claim 15 wherein positioning the waveguide array in the trench comprises:
dispensing adhesive in a bottom of the trench; and
inserting the waveguide array in the trench on top of the adhesive.
17. The process of claim 15 wherein positioning the waveguide array in the trench comprises integrating the waveguide into the substrate during build-up of the one or more layers that comprise the substrate.
18. The process of claim 15, further comprising aligning the ferrule and the waveguide.
19. The process of claim 18 wherein aligning the ferrule and the waveguide comprises:
positioning the ferrule near the waveguide array;
aligning a fiducial mark on the ferrule with a fiducial mark on the waveguide; and
lowering the ferrule onto the waveguide.
20. The process of claim 15 wherein attaching the ferrule to the substrate comprises:
dispensing beads of adhesive adjacent to the trench; and
placing the ferrule on the adhesive.
21. The process of claim 15, further comprising forming a pair of ferrule trenches adjacent to the trench.
22. The process of claim 21 wherein the ferrule includes a recess between a pair of supports, wherein the recess has a bottom that is in direct contact with the waveguide array and wherein the supports are positioned in the ferrule trenches.
23. The process of claim 15, further comprising forming a pair of ferrule slots adjacent to the trench, the slots extending through the full thickness of the substrate.
24. The process of claim 23 wherein the ferrule includes a recess between a pair of supports, wherein the recess has a bottom that is in direct contact with the waveguide array and wherein the supports are positioned in the ferrule slots.
25. A system comprising:
a first optical package including:
a first substrate having a trench therein and an optical die thereon, the trench extending from the optical die to an edge of the substrate,
a waveguide array positioned in the trench, the waveguide array extending from the optical die to the edge of the substrate, and
a ferrule attached at or near the edge of the substrate and spanning a width of the waveguide array, the ferrule being directly in contact with a surface of the waveguide array;
a second optical package including
a second substrate having an optical die thereon, and
a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) coupled to the optical die; and
an external waveguide coupled to an external connector, wherein the optical die of the first optical package is coupled to the optical die of the second optical package by coupling the external connector to the ferrule.
26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the ferrule includes a recess having a bottom, wherein the bottom is in direct contact with the waveguide.
27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a pair of ferrule trenches adjacent to the trench and positioned at or near the edge of the first substrate.
28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the ferrule includes a recess between a pair of supports, wherein the recess has a bottom that is in direct contact with the waveguide array and wherein the supports are positioned in the ferrule trenches.
29. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a pair of ferrule slots adjacent to the trench and positioned at or near the edge of the first substrate, the ferrule slots extending throughout the thickness of the first substrate.
30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the ferrule includes a recess between a pair of supports, wherein the recess has a bottom that is in direct contact with the waveguide array and wherein the supports are positioned in the ferrule slots.
31. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a retention mechanism to hold the external connector to the ferrule.
32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the retention mechanism comprises a spring clamp.