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US 12,693,477 B2Granted
Pitch conversion ferrule boot
AssigneeCommScope Technologies LLC
InventorsPaige E. Canzonieri, Richard S. Tiev, Jaime Gonzalez Batista, Scott L Carlson, Yu Lu, Bruce Ogren, Chinmay M. Bendale, Joseph Fredrick Cowdery, Seth C. Taccola
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a ferrule boot that provides a pitch conversion from fiber ribbon having a first pitch (e.g., about 200 microns) to a multi-fiber ferrule having fiber openings arranged at a second pitch larger than the first pitch (e.g., about 250 microns). The ferrule boot may also function as a tool for inserting pitch converted optical fibers into the multi-fiber ferrule.
Claims19
A fiber optic assembly comprising:
- a fiber ribbon including a plurality of optical fibers maintained at a first center-to-center spacing;
- a multi-fiber ferrule including a front end and a rear end, the multi-fiber ferrule including a row of ferrule fiber openings adjacent the front end of the multi-fiber ferrule, the ferrule fiber openings being arranged at a second center-to-center spacing that is larger than the first center-to-center spacing, the plurality of optical fibers having end portions secured within the ferrule fiber openings such that the end portions of the plurality of optical fibers are arranged at the second center-to-center spacing within the multi-fiber ferrule;
- and
- a ferrule boot including a rear end and a front end, the front end secured within the multi-fiber ferrule adjacent the rear end of the multi-fiber ferrule, the ferrule boot defining a row of ferrule boot fiber openings arranged at the first center-to-center spacing at the rear end, each ferrule boot fiber opening including a conical taper to funnel a received optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers to the second center-to-center spacing at the front end of the ferrule boot, the plurality of optical fibers being arranged to extend through the ferrule boot fiber openings.
1 more element
A fiber optic assembly comprising:
- a fiber ribbon including a plurality of optical fibers maintained at a first center-to-center spacing;
- a multi-fiber ferrule including a front end and a rear end, the multi-fiber ferrule including a row of ferrule fiber openings adjacent the front end of the multi-fiber ferrule, the ferrule fiber openings being arranged at a second center-to-center spacing that is larger than the first center-to-center spacing, the plurality of optical fibers having end portions secured within the ferrule fiber openings such that the end portions of the plurality of optical fibers are arranged at the second center-to-center spacing within the multi-fiber ferrule;
- and
- a ferrule boot secured within the multi-fiber ferrule adjacent the rear end of the multi-fiber ferrule, the ferrule boot defining a row of ferrule boot fiber openings arranged at an average center-to-center spacing that is larger than the first center-to-center spacing, the plurality of optical fibers being arranged to extend through the ferrule boot fiber openings, wherein the ferrule boot fiber openings are arranged in pairs of ferrule boot fiber openings, wherein the ferrule boot fiber openings of each pair of ferrule boot fiber openings are separated by a first ferrule boot fiber opening center-to-center spacing, and wherein the ferrule boot fiber openings of adjacent ones of the pairs of ferrule boot fiber openings are separated by a second ferrule boot fiber opening center-to-center spacing that is larger than the first ferrule boot fiber opening center-to-center spacing.
1 more element
A fiber optic assembly comprising:
- a fiber ribbon including a plurality of optical fibers;
- a multi-fiber ferrule including a front end and a rear end, the multi-fiber ferrule including a row of ferrule fiber openings adjacent the front end of the multi-fiber ferrule, the ferrule fiber openings being arranged at a ferrule center-to-center spacing, the plurality of optical fibers having end portions secured within the ferrule fiber openings such that the end portions of the plurality of optical fibers are arranged at the ferrule center-to-center spacing within the multi-fiber ferrule;
- and
- a ferrule boot secured within the multi-fiber ferrule adjacent the rear end of the multi-fiber ferrule, the ferrule boot defining a row of ferrule boot fiber openings arranged in pairs of ferrule boot fiber openings, wherein the ferrule boot fiber openings of each pair of ferrule boot fiber openings are separated by a first ferrule boot fiber opening center-to-center spacing, and wherein the ferrule boot fiber openings of adjacent ones of the pairs of ferrule boot fiber openings are separated by a second ferrule boot fiber opening center-to-center spacing that is larger than the first ferrule boot fiber opening center-to-center spacing, wherein the ferrule boot includes a front portion and a rear portion, wherein an interior of the front portion defines an inner slot that is not divided into separate openings and that has a cross-sectional shape that is elongate along a width of the ferrule boot, wherein the inner slot includes a taper such that the inner slot expands in a height orientation as the inner slot extends in a forward direction, and wherein an interior of the rear portion is divided into a plurality of ferrule boot fiber openings that are parallel and that extend through the rear portion from the rear end of the ferrule boot toward the front portion.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.