Loopback dust cap for fiber optic link error detection and method of making same
AssigneeCorning Research & Development Corporation
InventorsTory Allen Klavuhn, Eric Stephan ten Have
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A loopback dust cap for a fiber optic cable including at least two optical fibers terminated by a connector. The dust cap includes a body having a plurality of cavities including one cavity configured to receive one ferrule of the connector and another cavity configured to receive another ferrule of the connector. The plurality of cavities also defines surfaces in the body that, when the connector engages the dust cap, collimate an optical beam emitted by one optical fiber, redirect the collimated optical beam, and focus the collimated optical beam on another optical fiber. The dust cap is thereby configured to couple optical signals between one optical fiber and another optical fiber of the fiber optic cable.
Claims20
A loopback dust cap for a fiber optic cable including a first optical fiber terminated by a first ferrule and a second optical fiber terminated by a second ferrule, comprising:
- a body including a first cavity configured to receive the first ferrule, a second cavity configured to receive the second ferrule, and one or more third cavities, wherein
- at least one of the first cavity and the one or more third cavities define a first surface configured to reduce a divergence of an optical beam emitted by the first optical fiber,
- at least one of the second cavity and the one or more third cavities define a second surface configured to increase a convergence of the optical beam so that the optical beam is focused onto the second optical fiber, and
- the one or more third cavities define a plurality of surfaces including a third surface and a fourth surface configured to redirect the optical beam so that the optical beam is received by the second optical fiber.
A loopback dust cap for a fiber optic cable including a first optical fiber terminated by a first ferrule and a second optical fiber terminated by a second ferrule, comprising a body including:
- a first cavity configured to receive the first ferrule;
- a second cavity configured to receive the second ferrule;
- and
- one or more third cavities that:
- define a first surface configured to redirect and to reduce a divergence of an optical beam emitted by the first optical fiber, and
- define a second surface configured to further redirect and to increase a convergence of the optical beam so that the optical beam is focused onto the second optical fiber.
A method of fabricating a loopback dust cap for a fiber optic cable including a first optical fiber terminated by a first ferrule and a second optical fiber terminated by a second ferrule, comprising:
- defining a first cavity configured to receive the first ferrule in a body of transparent material;
- defining a second cavity configured to receive the second ferrule in the body of transparent material;
- defining a plurality of surfaces in or on the body of transparent material configured to collimate an optical beam emitted by the first optical fiber, redirect the optical beam so that the optical beam is aligned with the second optical fiber, and focus the optical beam on the second optical fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.