Granted Patent B2

US 12,656,549 · App. 18/650,385 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inventors: Robert Wiley (Franklin, TN); Brett Clark (Whites Creek, TN)

Assignee: 3SAE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

G02B6/2555F16M11/041F16M11/12F16M11/18F16M11/32G02B6/2553G02B6/3616

Abstract

Claims (33)

1 . A method of positioning at least one optical fiber, comprising:

providing a base plate;

providing a holder having a first angled side and a second angled side;

providing a plurality of actuators, each actuator at an angle relative to horizontal and having a first end coupled to the base plate and a second end in slidable contact with the first or the second angled side of the holder; and

using the plurality of actuators, moving the holder relative to the base plate by extending or retracting of one or more of the plurality of actuators.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

at least two of the plurality of actuators maintain contact with the holder through a slidable joint having four degrees of freedom.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

at least four of the plurality of actuators maintain contact with the holder through a slidable joint having four degrees of freedom.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

at least two of the plurality of actuators maintain contact with the holder through a slidable joint having five degrees of freedom.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

at least four of the plurality of actuators maintain contact with the holder through a slidable joint having five degrees of freedom.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

disposing one or more of the plurality of actuators at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to the first or second angled side of the holder.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

disposing each of the plurality of actuators at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to the first or second angled side of the holder.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the base plate, the holder and the plurality of actuators providing a four-axis positioning stage.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the base plate includes a first angled side in parallel with the first angled side of the holder when actuators from the plurality of actuators disposed between the first angled side of the base plate and the first angled side of the holder are in a neutral position.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the base plate includes a second angled side in parallel with the second angled side of the holder when actuators from the plurality of actuators disposed between the second angled side of the base plate and the second angled side of the holder are in a neutral position.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein a neutral position is a position where an actuator is not extended.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one actuator from the plurality of actuators has a second magnetic end that forms a slidable joint with the first or second angled side of the holder.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second end of two or more actuators from the plurality of actuators forms a magnetic joint with the first or second angled side of the holder.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second end of each of the plurality of actuators forms a magnetic joint with the first or second angled side of the holder.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the holder includes a groove configured to hold an elongate item.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the elongate item is at least one optical fiber.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the holder is V-shaped.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

an electronic controller operatively coupled to the plurality of actuators causing the plurality of actuators to extend and/or retract to selectively move the holder to a specified position.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein:

the actuators are configured such that the same amount of extension or retraction of any pair of actuators produces movement of the holder solely along a single axis, and said extension or retraction is carried out under control of the electronic controller.

20 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

detecting a position of the holder using one or more sensors and communicating sensor data indicative of the position of the holder to the electronic controller via a feedback loop and the electronic controller causing the plurality of actuators to adjust the position of the holder in response to the sensor data.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (6)

References Cited (206)