Packaging fiber optic components

Abstract

A fiber optic component package comprising one or more fiber optic components and an inner housing supporting the components. The components have one or more optical fibers associated therewith which extend from the housing. The fiber optic component package also has a layer that is substantially impervious to moisture including water vapor and which encloses the inner housing. The layer includes a sheet of substantially moisture impervious flexible material wrapped around the inner housing and a substantially moisture pervious sealant adhesive that serves to bond the sheet of flexible material and fills at least those regions at edges of the sheet of flexible material.

We claim:  
     
       1. A fibre optic component package comprising: 
       one or more fibre optic components;  
       an inner housing supporting said fibre optic component(s), one or more optical fibres associated with the component(s) extending from said inner housing; and  
       an enclosure for said inner housing from which said optical fibre(s) extend, said enclosure comprising:  
       (i) a layer which is substantially impervious to moisture including water vapour and which encloses said inner housing, said layer including a sheet of substantially moisture impervious flexible material wrapped about the housing; and  
       (ii) a moisture impervious sealant adhesive which serves to bond said sheet of said flexible material and fills at least those regions at edges of said sheet of flexible material.  
     
     
       2. A fibre optic component package according to  claim 1 , wherein said sheet of flexible material is a metal foil of any suitably compliant metal. 
     
     
       3. A fibre optic component package according to  claim 2 , wherein said foil is of a thickness in the range 0.01 to 50 micron. 
     
     
       4. A fibre optic component package according to  claim 1 ,  2  or  3 , wherein said inner housing is generally elongate and said sheet is wrapped about the inner homing so as to be overlapped longitudinally of the housing. 
     
     
       5. A fibre optic component package according to  claim 1 , wherein said sheet of flexible material encloses a volume about said inner housing, and said sealant adhesive substantially fills this enclosed volume. 
     
     
       6. A fibre optic component package according to  claim 1 , wherein said sealant adhesive is an epoxy compound. 
     
     
       7. A fibre optic component package according to  claim 1  wherein said inner housing is of generally tubular form. 
     
     
       8. A fibre optic component package according to  claim 7 , wherein said inner housing comprises a capsule formed from two half tubes. 
     
     
       9. A fibre optic component package according to  claim 1  further comprising adhesive means maintaining the housing and optical fibres as an assembly, said layer also extending about such adhesive means. 
     
     
       10. A fibre optic component package according to claims  7  or  9 , wherein said adhesive means includes adhesive deposits to seal the ends of the tube. 
     
     
       11. A fibre optic component package according to  claim 1  further comprising an outer casing to provide physical protection for the package. 
     
     
       12. A fibre optic component package according to  claim 9 , wherein the assembly of the inner housing and the surrounding layer is retained in said casing in a suitable filling. 
     
     
       13. A method of packaging a fibre optic component comprising: 
       supporting the component in an inner housing, with one or more optical fibres associated with the component extending from the housing; and  
       enclosing said housing in a layer which is substantially impervious to moisture including water vapour, said layer including a sheet of substantially moisture impervious flexible material wrapped about the housing, and a substantially moisture impervious sealant adhesive which serves to bond said sheet of flexible material and fills at least those regions at edges of said sheet of flexible material.  
     
     
       14. A method according to  claim 13 , wherein said applying step comprises applying said sealant adhesive to the exterior of the inner housing or to the sheet of substantially moisture impervious flexible material, and wrapping the inner housing including at least a portion of the applied sealant adhesive in said sheet of flexible material. 
     
     
       15. A method according to  claim 13  or  14 , wherein said sheet of flexible material is a metal foil of any suitably compliant metal. 
     
     
       16. A method according to claims  15 , wherein said foil is of a thickness in the range 0.01 to 50 micron. 
     
     
       17. A method according to any one of claims  16 , wherein said sheet of flexible material is wrapped about the inner housing so as to be overlapped longitudinally of the housing. 
     
     
       18. A method according to any of claims  14  or  16 , wherein adhesive is utilised to maintain the housing and optical fibres as an assembly. 
     
     
       19. A method according to any one of claims  17 ,  14  or  16 , further comprising enclosing the wrapped inner housing in an outer casing for providing physical protection for the package. 
     
     
       20. A method according to  claim 19  including retaining the assembly of the inner housing and the surrounding layer in said casing in a suitable filling. 
     
     
       21. A fiber optic component package comprising: 
       
         one or more fiber optic components;  
       
         an inner housing supporting said fiber optic component ( s )  and having first and second opposing ends; one or more optical fibers associated with the component ( s )  extending from the inner housing; and    
         a substantially moisture impervious enclosure for the inner housing from which said optical fiber ( s )  extend, said enclosure comprising,    
       
         a substantially moisture impervious layer disposed around the inner housing, and  
       
       
         a substantially moisture impervious sealant bonded to the substantially moisture impervious layer and enclosing the first and second opposing ends of the inner housing. 
       
     
     
       22. The fiber optic component package of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the fiber optic components is an optical fiber coupler. 
     
     
       23. The fiber optic component package of  claim 21 , wherein the substantially moisture impervious layer forms a tubular shape around the inner housing. 
     
     
       24. The fiber optic component package of  claim 21 , wherein the substantially moisture impervious layer comprises a sheet of substantially moisture impervious material wrapped about the inner housing. 
     
     
       25. The fiber optic component package of  claim 21 , wherein the substantially moisture impervious layer extends at least from the first opposing end of the inner housing to the second opposing end of the inner housing. 
     
     
       26. The fiber optic component package of  claim 21 , wherein at least a portion of the substantially moisture impervious sealant bonds the substantially moisture impervious layer to the inner housing. 
     
     
       27. The fiber optic component package of  claim 21 , wherein the substantially moisture impervious layer comprises a metal layer. 
     
     
       28. The fiber optic component package of  claim 27 , wherein the substantially moisture impervious layer comprises at least one of tin, nickel, gold, aluminum, and alloys comprising at least one of tin, nickel, gold, and aluminum. 
     
     
       29. The fiber optic component package of  claim 21 , wherein the inner housing comprises a capsule formed from two half tubes. 
     
     
       30. The fiber optic component package of  claim 29 , wherein the fiber optic component is disposed in a one of the half tubes. 
     
     
       31. The fiber optic component package of  claim 21 , further comprising an outer casing disposed around the substantially moisture impervious enclosure. 
     
     
       32. An optical fiber coupler package comprising: 
       
         an optical fiber coupler;  
       
       
         an inner housing for holding the optical fiber coupler, the inner housing having first and second opposing ends and at least one optical fiber extending out of a one of the first and second opposing ends;  
       
       
         a substantially moisture impervious enclosure for the inner housing comprising,  
       
       
         a substantially moisture impervious layer disposed around the inner housing, and  
       
       
         a substantially moisture impervious sealant bonded to the substantially moisture impervious layer and enclosing the first and second opposing ends of the inner housing. 
       
     
     
       33. The optical fiber coupler package of  claim 32 , wherein the inner housing comprises a first half tube in which the optical fiber coupler is disposed and a second half tube coupled to the first half tube to form a tubular inner housing. 
     
     
       34. The optical fiber coupler package of  claim 32 , wherein the inner housing further comprises at least two optical fibers coupled to the optical fiber coupler with at least one of the optical fibers extending from the first opposing end of the inner housing and at least one of the optical fibers extending from the second opposing end of the inner housing. 
     
     
       35. The optical fiber coupler package of  claim 34 , further comprising adhesive disposed at ends of the first and second half tubes to hold the at least two optical fibers. 
     
     
       36. A fiber optic component package comprising: 
       
         one or more fiber optic components;  
       
         an inner housing supporting said fiber optic component ( s ) , one or more optical fibers associated with the component ( s )  extending from said inner housing; and    
         an enclosure for said inner housing from which said optical fiber ( s )  extend, said enclosure comprising:    
       ( i )  a layer which is substantially impervious to moisture including water vapor and which encloses said inner housing; and    
       ( ii )  a moisture impervious sealant which fills at least those regions at edges of said layer.   
     
     
       37. The fiber optic component package of  claim 36 , wherein at least one of the fiber optic components is an optical fiber coupler. 
     
     
       38. The fiber optic component package of  claim 36 , wherein the layer comprises a sheet of substantially moisture impervious material wrapped about the inner housing. 
     
     
       39. The fiber optic component package of  claim 36 , wherein the layer forms a tubular shape around the inner housing. 
     
     
       40. The fiber optic component package of  claim 36 , wherein the sealant comprises a moisture impervious sealant adhesive which serves to bond the layer to the inner housing and fills at least those regions at edges of the layer. 
     
     
       41. The fiber optic component package of  claim 36 , wherein the layer comprises a metal layer. 
     
     
       42. The fiber optic component package of  claim 36 , further comprising an outer casing disposed around the substantially moisture impervious enclosure. 
     
     
       43. An optical fiber coupler package comprising: 
       
         one or more optical fiber couplers;  
       
         an inner housing supporting said optical fiber coupler ( s ) , one or more optical fibers associated with the optical fiber coupler ( s )  extending from said inner housing; and    
         an enclosure for said inner housing from which said optical fiber ( s )  extend, said enclosure comprising:    
       ( i )  a layer which is substantially impervious to moisture including water vapor and which encloses said inner housing; and    
       ( ii )  a moisture impervious sealant which fills at least those regions at edges of said layer.   
     
     
       44. The optical fiber coupler package of  claim 43 , wherein the layer forms a tubular shape around the inner housing. 
     
     
       45. The optical fiber coupler package of  claim 43 , wherein the sealant comprises a moisture impervious sealant adhesive which serves to bond the layer to the inner housing and fills at least those regions at edges of the layer. 
     
     
       46. A method of packaging a fiber optic component comprising: 
       
         supporting the component in an inner housing, with one or more optical fibers associated with the component extending from the housing; and  
       
         enclosing said housing in  ( i )  a layer which is substantially impervious to moisture including water vapor and  ( ii )  a substantially moisture impervious sealant which fills at least those regions at edges of said layer.