We claim:
1. A method of inserting an optical system into optical fibers in bulk, comprising:
fixing the position of a portion of optical fibers in a bundle of optical fibers;
slicing the bundle of optical fibers at the portion to form a first and second bundle of optical fibers; and
positioning an optical system between the first and second bundles of optical fibers.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixing step includes embedding the portion of the optical fibers in a solid.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the slicing step cuts through the solid.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixing step fixes the portion of the optical fibers in an array.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixing step uses mechanical means on either end of the portion of the optical fibers to fix the position of the portion of the optical fibers.
6. The method of claim 1, after the slicing step, further comprising:
polishing exposed ends of at least one of the first and second bundles of optical fibers.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning step positions the optical system and the first and second bundles of optical fibers such that the second bundle of optical fibers is rotated 180 degrees with respect to the first bundle of optical fibers along an optical axis of the optical system, and the optical system inverts an image output by the first bundle of optical fibers.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical system includes a first lens system including at least one lens, a beam splitter and a second lens system including at least one lens.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the beam splitter splits off about 1% of an incident beam.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the optical system further includes a detector positioned to receive a beam split off by the beam splitter.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein
the fixing step includes embedding the portion of the optical fibers in a solid;
the slicing step cuts through the solid; and
the positioning system positions the optical system and the first and second bundles of optical fibers such that the second bundle of optical fibers is rotated 180 degrees with respect to the second bundle of optical fibers along and optical axis of the optical system, and the optical system inverts an image output by the first bundle of optical fibers.
12. A bulk optical fiber structure, comprising:
a first bundle of optical fibers having first ends fixed in a first position;
a second bundle of optical fibers having second ends fixed in a second position associated with the first position; and
an optical system disposed between the first and second bundles of optical fibers.
13. The structure of claim 12, wherein the first and second ends are embedded in first and second solids, respectively.
14. The structure of claim 12, wherein the first and second positions are first and second arrays, respectively.
15. The structure of claim 12, further comprising:
first mechanical means fixing the first ends in the first position; and
second mechanical means fixing the second ends in the second position.
16. The structure of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first and second ends are polished.
17. The structure of claim 12, wherein the optical system and the first and second bundles of optical fibers are positioned such that the second bundle of optical fibers is rotated 180 degrees with respect to the first bundle of optical fibers along an optical axis of the optical system, and the optical system inverts an image output by the first bundle of optical fibers.
18. The structure of claim 12, wherein the optical system includes a first lens system including at least one lens, a beam splitter and a second lens system including at least one lens.
19. The structure of claim 18, wherein the beam splitter splits off about 1% of an incident beam.
20. The structure of claim 18, wherein the optical system further includes a detector positioned to receive a beam split off by the beam splitter.
21. The structure of claim 12, wherein
the first and second ends are embedded in first and second solids, respectively.
the optical system and the first and second bundles of optical fibers are positioned such that the second bundle of optical fibers is rotated 180 degrees with respect to the first bundle of optical fibers along an optical axis of the optical system, and the optical system inverts an image output by the first bundle of optical fibers.
22. The structure of claim 12, wherein the second position is an inverse of the first position.
23. A method of tapping optical fibers in a telecommunication system, comprising:
fixing the position of a portion of optical fibers in a bundle of optical fibers;
slicing the bundle of optical fibers at the portion to form a first and second bundle of optical fibers; and
positioning a tap optical system that preserves fiber relationship integrity between the first and second bundles of optical fibers.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the positioning step positions a tap optical system that preserves fiber signal purity.
25. The method of claim 23, wherein the tap optical system is a tap-in optical system.
26. The method of claim 23, wherein the tap optical system is a tap-out optical system.
27. A bulk optical fiber tap structure, comprising:
a first bundle of optical fibers having first ends fixed in a first position;
a second bundle of optical fibers having second ends fixed in a second position associated with the first position; and
a tap optical system disposed between the first and second bundles of optical fibers, the tap optical system preserving fiber relationship integrity from the first bundle to the second bundle.
28. The structure of claim 27, wherein the tap optical system preserves fiber signal purity.
29. The structure of claim 27, wherein the tap optical system is a tap-in optical system.
30. The structure of claim 23, wherein the tap optical system is a tap-out optical system.
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. A system for controlling the flow of a substance comprising:
a valve coupled to an intake and an outtake for the substance;
a rotatable portion coupled to the valve that selectively places the valve into an open position that allows flow of the substance from the intake to the outtake or a closed position that blocks flow of the substance from the intake to the outtake;
at least one sensor located remotely from the valve that can detect the presence of the substance;
a control unit configured to receive signals from the sensor;
an actuator coupled to the control unit by at least a pair of wires that are coupled to each the actuator and the control unit according to a predetermined polarity allowing the control unit to determine if the valve is in an opened or closed position, wherein the actuator will selectively control the valve to an open position or a closed position in response to at least one signal from the control unit placed upon at least one wire of the pair of wires;
a motor operatively coupled to the actuator; and
a valve control mechanism within the control unit configured to respond to an instruction to place the valve in either the open position or the closed position and place the signal on the pair of wires to control the valve to the open position or the closed position as dictated by the instruction;
wherein upon reception from the sensor that the substance has been detected, the valve control mechanism will generate the instruction to place the valve into the closed position; wherein the control unit further comprises an error detection mechanism for determining if the pair of wires are attached incorrectly.
2. The leak detection system of claim 1 further comprising an activating mechanism on the control unit that selectively generates the instruction to place the valve in either the open position or the closed position and a timing mechanism to stop the actuator within a predetermined time period after generating the instruction.
3. The leak detection system of claim 1 further comprising an attachment mechanism that is fixedly attached to both the actuator and the valve, the attachment mechanism holding the actuator and the valve in an aligned configuration with respect to each other.
4. The leak detection system of claim 3 wherein the attachment mechanism is removable such that the rotatable exterior portion is exposed once the attachment mechanism is removed allowing for manual control of the rotatable exterior portion of the valve.
5. The leak detection system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is coupled to the control unit via a wireless interface.
6. The leak detection system of claim 5 wherein the control unit further comprises at least one wired input for the sensor, the wired input providing a bidirectional interface between the control unit and the sensor.
7. The leak detection system of claim 6, wherein the sensor is programmed by the control unit over the bidirectional interface to function only with the control unit via the wireless interface to the exclusion of any other control units.
8. The leak detection system of claim 5, wherein the sensor provides to the control unit via the wireless interface a status of the sensor to the control unit through wireless communication, wherein the status is for at least one of: wet or dry condition; normal functioning; or battery voltage status.
9. The leak detection system of claim 1, wherein the valve is a low torque valve.
10. The leak detection system of claim 9 wherein the actuator has a high gear ratio.
11. The leak detection system of claim 10 wherein the motor is operatively coupled to the actuator to provide a force required by the actuator to open and close the low torque valve and further wherein the motor is configured to provide the force required using power supplied solely from a set of 4 AA batteries.
12. The leak detection system of claim 1, further comprising a flow monitor interface on the control unit capable of accepting an input from a flow monitor and determining if a summarized use of the substance through a conduit exceeds at least one predetermined parameter.
13. A water leak detection system comprising:
at least one sensor that can detect the presence of a substance;
a wireless transmitter coupled to the sensor to transmit detection of the substance by the sensor;
a central control unit coupled to a receiver configured to receive signals from the wireless transmitter;
a low torque ball valve;
a valve actuator configured to control the low torque ball valve to an open position and a closed position in response to at least one signal from the control unit, the valve actuator being coupled to the control unit by at least a pair of wires that are coupled to each the valve actuator and the control unit according to polarity allowing the control unit to determine if the valve is ion an open or closed position, wherein the valve actuator will selectively control the valve to an open position or a closed position in response to at least one signal from the control unit placed upon at least one wire of the pair of wires; and
a leak response mechanism within the control unit that is configured to respond to the reception from the wireless transmitter that water has been detected by controlling the valve actuator to close the low torque ball valve; and
a motor coupled to valve actuator; wherein the control unit further comprises an error detection mechanism to provide an alert if the pair of wires are attached incorrectly.
14. The leak detection system of claim 13 further comprising an attachment mechanism that is fixedly attached to both the actuator and the valve, the attachment mechanism holding the actuator and the valve in an aligned configuration with respect to each other, wherein the attachment mechanism is removable such that the rotatable exterior portion is exposed once the attachment mechanism is removed allowing for manual control of the rotatable exterior portion of the valve.
15. The leak detection system of claim 13 further comprising an activating mechanism on the control unit that selectively generates the instruction to place the valve in either the open position or the closed position and a timing mechanism to stop the actuator within a predetermined time period after generating the instruction.
16. The leak detection system of claim 13, wherein the sensor provides to the control unit via the wireless interface a status of the sensor to the control unit through wireless communication, wherein the status is for at least one of: wet or dry condition; normal functioning; or battery voltage status.
17. The leak detection system of claim 13 wherein the motor is operatively coupled to the actuator to provide a force required by the actuator to open and close the low torque ball valve and further wherein the motor is configured to provide the force required using power supplied solely from a set of 4 AA batteries.
18. The leak detection system of claim 1, further comprising a flow monitor interface on the control unit capable of accepting an input from a flow monitor and determining if a summarized use of the substance through a conduit exceeds at least one predetermined parameter.