# US 12,216,316 B2 · External laser source physical contact verification of a fiber optic ferrule > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,216,316 B2 - Document ID: US12216316B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/728,683 - Filed: 2022-04-25 - Published: 2022-10-27 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-23 - Assignees: US Conec Ltd. - Applicants: US Conec, Ltd - Inventors: Michael E. Hughes; Darrell R. Childers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12216316B2 ## CPC - G02B 6/4246: {Bidirectionally operating package structures} - G01M 11/31: {with a light emitter and a light receiver being disposed at the same side of a fibre or waveguide end-face, e.g. reflectometers} - G02B 6/3885: {Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448)} - G02B 6/4286: {Optical modules with optical power monitoring} - G02B 6/4292: {the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements} - H04B 10/25: Arrangements specific to fibre transmission - H04B 10/40: Transceivers - G02B 6/4296: {coupling with sources of high radiant energy, e.g. high power lasers, high temperature light sources} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract A fiber optic ferrule having an angled endface is used in a system where the system can detect back reflection if there is an air gap but not if the fiber optic ferrule is physically mated to another optical device such as a fiber optic ferrule or transceiver. The angle of the end face is preferably between 3 and 5° and most preferably about 4° for most systems. No special detection equipment is needed to infer and determine an acceptable physical contact between two mated fiber-optic ferrules having the angled end faces. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fiber optic ferrule comprising: a top surface; a bottom surface; a first side surface and a second side surface extending between the top surface and the bottom surface; a front face extending between the top surface and the bottom surface; a rear face extending between the top surface and the bottom surface and having an opening to receive optical fibers for termination at the fiber optic ferrule; and a longitudinal axis extending between the front face and the rear face, wherein the front face has an angle relative to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the angle being between 1 and 7 degrees. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fiber optic ferrule according to claim 1, wherein the angle is between 3 and 5 degrees. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fiber optic ferrule according to claim 1, wherein the angle is about 4 degrees. ### Claim 4 A fiber optic ferrule comprising: a main body having a top surface and a bottom surface, a first side surface extending between the top surface and the bottom surface and a second side surface extending between the top surface and the bottom surface on opposites sides of the main body, a front face at a front end of the main body, and a rear face at a rear end of the main body; a rear central opening extending into the main body from the rear end face and configured to receive at least one optical fiber; and wherein the front face at the front end of the main body is angled between 1 and 7 degrees such that a distance between the front face and the rear face is greater on the top surface than on the bottom surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The fiber optic ferrule according to claim 4, wherein the front face is angled at about 4 degrees. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The fiber optic ferrule according to claim 4, wherein the fiber optic ferrule has a back-reflection of an optical signal sent through the at least one optical fiber when exposed to air, the back-reflection being at a first predetermined value and the first predetermined value is detectable by a detection apparatus. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fiber optic ferrule according to claim 6, wherein the fiber optic ferrule has a back-reflection of an optical signal sent through the at least one optical fiber when the fiber optic ferrule is in physical contact with a second fiber optic ferrule, the back-reflection having a second predetermined value and the second predetermined level is not detectable by the detection apparatus. ### Claim 8 A fiber optic ferrule with at least one optical fiber comprising: a front face having an angle and is non-perpendicular to a longitudinal axis through the fiber optic ferrule, wherein the angle is more than 0° but less than 8°; the fiber optic ferrule having a back-reflection of an optical signal sent through the at least one optical fiber when exposed to air, the back-reflection being at a first predetermined value; the fiber optic ferrule having a back-reflection of an optical signal sent through the at least one optical fiber when the fiber optic ferrule is in physical contact with a second fiber optic ferrule, the back-reflection having a second predetermined value; wherein the first predetermined level is detectable by a detection apparatus and the second pre-determined level is not detectable by the detection apparatus. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fiber optic ferrule with at least one optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein the angle is between 0.5 and 6 degrees. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The fiber optic ferrule with at least one optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein the angle is between 3 and 5 degrees. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The fiber optic ferrule with at least one optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein the angle is 4 degrees. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The fiber optic ferrule with at least one optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein the optical signal sent through the at least one optical fiber is at a low power. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The fiber optic ferrule with at least one optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein the optical signal is sent through the at least one optical fiber at a higher power only after the back-reflection is not detectable by the detection apparatus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The fiber optic ferrule with at least one optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein the first predetermined level is between −18 dB and −55 dB of optical power. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The fiber optic ferrule with at least one optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein the second predetermined level is less than −55 dB of optical power. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The fiber optic ferrule with at least one optical fiber according to claim 8, wherein the detection apparatus comprises a photo-detector of a transceiver unit on a circuit board.