Multi-fiber interconnect system
AssigneeITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsPeter Joseph Hyzin, Can Trong Nguyen, James Edward Novacoski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
First and second connector housings (20, 26) each hold a corresponding set (22, 30) of numerous fibers, that are coupled when their tips (40, 42) abut, in a low-cost and rugged arrangement. The housings are identical and each has numerous bores (50, 52) extending to a mating face (34, 36). Each fiber is fixed in position in one of the bores, by potting material (64). The diameters of the bores are only slightly greater than the diameters of the fibers, so the potting material helps center the fiber in the end of the bore that lies adjacent to the mating face.
Claims12
An optical connector system for connecting together the ends of first and second sets of optical fibers that each includes a plurality of optical fibers that each have tips, comprising:
- first and second housings that each has a mating face and that each has a plurality of parallel fiber-receiving bores extending in a longitudinal direction through the corresponding housing to the mating face thereof, with each bore having a front end portion that extends to the mating face of the housing, with said fibers of said first set each extending through a different one of said bores of said first housing and with said fibers of said second set each extending through a different one of said bores of said second housing, with each fiber having an end fixed in position in the corresponding bore;
- for each of said housings, the tips of each of said fibers lying in the housing and the mating face of the housing, all lie precisely flush and in a common optical plane;
- a quantity of potting material lying in each of said bore front end portions and around a fiber portion that lies in the bore front end portion;
- each of said bore front end portions has an inside diameter that is less than twice the outside diameter of the fiber portion lying therein.
An optical connector arrangement, comprising:
- a first housing having front and rear ends, with said front end forming a first planar mating face, said first housing having a plurality of parallel bores with front portions opening to said mating face;
- a first set of a plurality of optical fibers that each extends through one of said bores, with each fiber having an end portion with a tip lying at said mating face;
- a plurality of first quantities of set potting material each lying in one of said bores and around the end portion of the fiber lying in the bore;
- said mating face lying precisely in a plane and said fiber tips all lying in said plane and flush with said mating face;
- said bore front portions each has an inside diameter no more than 10% of the outside of the corresponding fiber.
A method for constructing on optical fiber connector that includes a plurality of optical fibers, comprising:
- inserting said plurality of fibers forwardly through bores in a first housing, including projecting front portions of the fibers through bore front portions and forward of a first mating face of the first housing while a first quantity of fluid potting material lies in a first housing cavity that is rearward of said bores and that communicates with said bores, including dragging said fluid potting material forwardly along said bores by said fibers as said fiber front portions are projected forwardly;
- allowing said potting material to set to a solid state, removing said fiber projecting front portions, and polishing front tips of said fibers and said mating face so said mating face is flat and the front tips of said fibers are precisely flush with said mating face.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.