Szczepanski, Paul W.; Monks, David J.;

Optical component packaging

Disclosed is an optical component packaging assembly including a rectangular plastic box with an upper half and a lower half. In the lower half, a thermal plastic vacuum formed insert is positioned within the lower half. The lower insert has a recess. The recess has opposed convex ends and central finger recesses. The opposed convex ends prevent the end faces of the optical component from being brought into contact with the insert. The convex ends may be v-shaped or semi-circular. The finger recesses provide convenient access to the laser rod so that the person unpackaging the laser rod from the optical component packaging is most likely to engage the laser rod at a center portion thereof rather than grasping the laser rod at the end faces thereof, thereby inadvertently damaging the optical surfaces of the laser rod. When the optical component packaging box is closed, a downwardly extending portion from an insert placed in the upper half of the box engages the outer diameter of the laser rod and secures the laser rod in position in the recess.

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What is claimed is:

1. A packaging container for holding at least one laser rod, said at least one laser rod having an elongated shape extending along an axis with two axially opposed ends, each axially opposed end having a planar surface and both planar surfaces are parallel to each other, said packaging container comprising:

a container body forming an exterior of said packaging container;

an insert located within said container body, said insert having at least one elongated recess, extending along an axis, each of said at least one recess having axially opposed convex ends, the at least one laser rod positionable in said recess such that each end of the at least one laser rod faces and is spaced from a convex end of the at least one recess, the at least one laser rod being removable therefrom to be placed in a laser rod apparatus.

2. The packaging container of claim 1, wherein said container body includes an upper half and a lower half connected by a hinge, said container body having an open position where said at least one laser rod can be accessed and a closed position where said at least one laser rod is captured in said recess.

3. The packaging container of claim 2, wherein said insert includes an upper half mounted in said container body upper half and a lower half mounted in said container body lower half, a portion of said insert upper half being urged into the at least one laser rod thereby capturing the at least one laser rod in said recess.

4. The packaging container of claim 1, wherein said recess extends at an angle from a portion thereof to an outer surface thereof.

5. The packaging container of claim 1, wherein each of said at least one recesses has a longitudinal length greater than the length of the at least one laser rod.

6. The packaging container of claim 1, wherein said opposed convex ends are v-shaped.

7. The packaging container of claim 1, wherein said opposed convex ends are semi-circular.

8. The packaging container of claim 1, wherein said insert has finger grip recesses located on opposite sides of each of said recesses.

9. The packaging container of claim 1, wherein the at least one recess is symmetrical in the transverse direction and the longitudinal direction.

10. The packaging container of claim 4, wherein the recess secures the laser rod by engaging an outer diameter along two portions of the laser rod along portions of said recess without end faces of the laser rod being in contact with any portion of the container.

11. The packaging container of claim 1, wherein the at least one laser rod is cylindrical.

12. The packaging container of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one laser rods has a face at opposite ends thereof, each of the faces being kept out of contact with said insert.

13. A packaging container for holding at least one optical component, said at least one optical component having an elongated shape extending along an axis with two axially opposed ends, each axially opposed end having a planar surface and both planar surfaces are parallel to each other, said packaging container comprising:

a container body forming an exterior of said packaging container;

an insert located within said container body, said insert having at least one elongated recess, each of said at least one recess having axially opposed convex ends, the at least one optical component positionable in said recess and having ends spaced from said opposed convex ends, the at least one optical component being removable therefrom to be placed in a laser rod apparatus.

14. The packaging container of claim 13, wherein said container body includes an upper half and a lower half connected by a hinge, said container body having an open position where said at least one optical component can be accessed and a closed position where said at least one optical component is captured in said recess.

15. The packaging container of claim 14, wherein said insert includes an upper half mounted in said container body upper half and a lower half mounted in said container body lower half, a portion of said insert upper half being urged into the at least one optical component thereby capturing the at least one optical component in said recess.

16. The packaging container of claim 13, wherein said recess extends at an angle portion thereof to an outer surface thereof.

17. The packaging container of claim 13, wherein each of said recesses has a longitudinal length greater than the length of the at least one optical component.

18. The packaging container of claim 13, wherein said opposed convex ends are v-shaped.

19. The packaging container of claim 18, wherein said opposed convex ends are semi-circular.

20. The packaging container of claim 13, wherein said insert has finger grip recesses located on opposite sides of each of said recesses.

21. The packaging container of claim 13, wherein the at least one recess is symmetrical in the transverse direction and the longitudinal direction.

22. The packaging container of claim 16, wherein the recess secures the laser rod by engaging an outer diameter along two portions of the laser rod along portions of said recess without end faces of the laser rod being in contact with any portion of the container.

23. The packaging container of claim 13, wherein the at least one optical component is a laser rod.

24. The packaging container of claim 13, wherein each of the at least one optical component has an optical surface, said optical surface being kept out of contact with said insert.