Fibre optic data network

摘要

A fibre optic data network comprises a plurality of optical fibres and a plurality of coupling devices associated with the fibres to couple them optically into the network configuration, each coupling device comprising means to hold an intermediate portion of a first fibre and to conform it to a predetermined path which executes a bend having a radius of curvature sufficiently small to cause some of any light flowing through the first fibre to leak from the cladding around the outer edge of the bend, and means to hold at least one further fibre with a light receptive portion positioned to receive at least a portion of the light leaking from the cladding around the outer edge of the bend. The couplings can be made in a non-invasive manner with even the cladding of the first fibre remaining intact. This enables networks to be restructured readily without signal degradation, and even allows some data bus configurations to be coupled to without interruption of service to other users.