Optical fiber support structure
AssigneeUS Conec Ltd.
InventorsDaniel Kurtz, Darrell R Childers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical fiber support structure for an optical fiber includes a substrate having a groove configured to receive the optical fiber and running lengthwise generally parallel to the optical fiber and at least two projections from the substrate and into the groove, each of said at least two projections including a surface to receive the optical fiber. The optical fiber support structures may also be included in a fiber optic ferrule. There may also be a plurality of optical fiber openings included with the fiber optic ferrule.
Claims17
An optical fiber support structure for an optical fiber comprising:
- a substrate having a groove configured to receive the optical fiber and running lengthwise between a front end and a rear end in a direction generally parallel to the optical fiber;
- and
- at least two projections extending from the substrate and from the groove, each of said at least two projections including a surface to receive the optical fiber;
- wherein the surface is curved with a radius of curvature at least equal to that of the optical fiber and directed toward the groove, each projection of the at least two projections being at a same distance from the front end or the back end of the substrate.
A fiber optic ferrule for receiving a plurality of optical fibers in a plurality of optical fiber support structures comprising:
- a main body extending between a front end and a rear end, the main body having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- a longitudinal axis extending between the front end and the rear end and parallel to the plurality of optical fiber support structures;
- the plurality of optical fiber support structures being disposed in the main body, each of the plurality of optical fiber support structures have a groove and being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fiber optic ferrule and each being configured to receive an optical fiber;
- and
- a plurality of fiber openings, a respective one of the plurality of fiber openings is aligned with a respective one of the plurality of optical fiber support structures and rearward thereof, each of the plurality of fiber openings having a tubular configuration to accept the optical fibers insertable from the rear end of the ferrule and onto a respective one of the plurality of optical fiber support structures, wherein each of the grooves includes at least two projections extending from the groove, each of said at least two projections including a surface to receive the optical fiber.
A fiber optic ferrule made of an optically clear material comprising:
- a main body of optically clear material extending between a front end and a rear end, the main body having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- a plurality of optical fiber support structures in the main body and having a longitudinal axis extending between the front end and the rear end and parallel to the plurality of optical fiber support structures;
- each of the plurality of optical fiber support structures further comprising a groove in the optically clear material, each of the grooves configured to receive optical fiber therein, each of the grooves running lengthwise between the front end and rear end and at least two projections provided at a front end of each of the grooves, each of said at least two projections extending from the groove and including a surface to receive the optical fiber;
- wherein the surface is curved with a radius of curvature at least equal to that of the optical fiber and directed toward the groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.