Optical ferrule having compound stops
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsMichael A. Haase, Bing Hao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical ferrule comprises first and second compound stop features respectively disposed at opposing sides of the optical ferrule. Each compound stop feature has upper and lower contact surfaces. The lower contact surface is offset below the mating surface of the optical ferrule along a thickness axis perpendicular to the mating surface. The upper contact surface is offset above the mating surface along the thickness axis. The lower contact surface is offset forward from the upper stop surface along a mating direction of the optical ferrule. A connecting surface connects the upper contact surface and the lower contact surface.
Claims20
An optical ferrule, comprising:
- a first surface comprising:
- one or more substantially parallel grooves oriented for receiving one or more optical waveguides, and;
- a plurality of light redirecting members configured to be optically coupled to the optical waveguides;
- an opposing second surface comprising a mating surface that defines a mating plane, the mating surface comprising an optically transmitting window for propagating an optical signal therethrough to an optically transmitting window of a mating optical ferrule;
- and
- first and second compound stop features respectively disposed at opposing sides of the optical ferrule, each compound stop feature comprising upper and lower contact surfaces, the lower contact surface having an offset below the mating plane along a thickness axis perpendicular to the mating surface, the upper contact surface having an offset above the mating plane along the thickness axis, and the lower contact surface having an offset forward from the upper contact surface along a mating direction of the optical ferrule;
- and
- a connecting surface connecting the upper contact surface and the lower contact surface.
An optical ferrule, comprising:
- a first surface comprising:
- one or more substantially parallel grooves oriented for receiving one or more optical waveguides, and;
- a plurality of light redirecting members configured to be optically coupled to the optical waveguides;
- an opposing second surface comprising a mating surface that defines a mating plane, the mating surface including an optically transmitting window for propagating an optical signal therethrough to an optically transmitting window of a mating optical ferrule;
- and
- first and second compound stop features respectively disposed at opposing sides of the optical ferrule, each compound stop feature comprising:
- an upper stop surface;
- a lower stop surface, the lower stop surface offset from the upper stop surface along a mating axis of the optical ferrule and along an a thickness axis perpendicular to the mating surface;
- and
- a ramp surface connecting the upper stop surface and the lower stop surface, the ramp surface inclined at an angle with respect to the mating surface over a majority of a length of the ramp surface.
An optical ferrule, comprising:
- a first surface comprising:
- one or more substantially parallel grooves oriented for receiving one or more optical waveguides, and;
- a plurality of light redirecting members configured to be optically coupled to the optical waveguides;
- an opposing second surface comprising a mating surface that defines a mating plane, the mating surface including an optically transmitting window for propagating an optical signal therethrough to an optically transmitting window of a mating optical ferrule;
- and
- first and second compound stop features respectively disposed at opposing sides of the optical ferrule, each compound stop feature comprising:
- an upper stop surface;
- a lower stop surface, the lower stop surface offset from the upper stop surface along a mating axis of the optical ferrule and along a thickness axis perpendicular to the mating surface;
- and
- a connecting surface connecting the lower stop surface and the upper stop surface, wherein a slope of the connecting surface relative to the mating axis is greater than zero over a majority of a length of the connecting surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.