Field installable rugged optical terminus

A method of terminating a fiber optic cable, the fiber optic cable having a filament surrounded by a buffer, strength members surrounding the buffer and a jacket surrounding the strength members, the method comprising:

• providing a terminus having an alignment member having a forward end, a rearward end and channel extending between the rearward and forward ends, the channel comprising a fiber alignment portion containing a rearward end face of a fiber stub of the terminus, the terminus further having a ferrule coupled to the alignment member, a forward portion of the fiber stub secured in the ferrule and a forward end face of the fiber stub at a forward end of the ferrule, and wherein the alignment member is static and does not change shape during termination of the fiber optic cable with the terminus and does not have parts that move relative to one another during termination of the fiber optic cable with the terminus;
• preparing the fiber optic cable including stripping the jacket, strength member and buffer, and cleaving the filament to establish a forward end face of the filament;
• inserting the filament into the fiber alignment portion of the channel of the alignment member so that the forward end face makes operative optical connection with the rear end face of the fiber stub in the fiber alignment portion;
• and
• bonding the filament and fiber stub to the fiber alignment portion with curable adhesive and bonding the buffer of the fiber optic cable to the alignment member so as to mechanically join the alignment member and each of the buffer, the filament, and the fiber stub.

A terminus for a fiber optic cable that has a filament surrounded by a buffer, wherein a forward portion of the filament has a forward end face, comprising:

• a ferrule having a forward end, a rearward end, and a ferrule channel extending between the forward and rearward ends;
• a fiber stub secured in the ferrule channel and the fiber stub having a polished forward end face at the forward end of the ferrule and a rearward end face, the fiber stub extending from the rearward end of the ferrule so that the rearward end face is rearwardly spaced from the rearward end of the ferrule;
• an alignment member axially aligned with the ferrule and having a forward end, a rearward end and an alignment member channel extending between the forward and rearward ends, the fiber stub extending into the alignment member channel so that a rearward part of the fiber stub including the rearward end face is located in the alignment member channel, the alignment member channel configured to receive the forward portion of the filament including the forward end face of the filament and a forward portion of the buffer of the fiber optic cable, and wherein the forward portion of the filament, the forward portion of the buffer and the rearward portion of the fiber stub, following termination, are bonded with curable adhesive so as to mechanically join the alignment member and each of the buffer, the filament, and the fiber stub;
• and
• a terminus body surrounding the alignment member.