Optical fiber connector having compliant alignment features
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsNicholas A. Lee, Harry A. Loder, Larry R. Cox
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A connector assembly for securing and optically aligning one or more optical fiber arrays, each optical fiber array having a plurality of optical fibers having an outer surface. The connector assembly includes a base having fiber receiving features configured to receive and align the plurality of optical fibers; and a retaining element that covers at least a portion of the alignment features and secures the plurality of optical fibers against the alignment features. The retaining element has a first contact surface that contacts the plurality of optical fibers, where the contact surface is able to conform to the outer surfaces of the plurality of optical fibers.
Claims33
A ferrule for securing and optically aligning a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber having an outer surface, the ferrule comprising:
- a) a ferrule base having alignment features configured to receive and align the plurality of optical fibers;
- and
- b) a retaining element that covers at least a portion of the alignment features and secures the plurality of optical fibers against the alignment features, the retaining element having a contact surface that contacts the plurality of optical fibers, where the contact surface is able to conform to the outer surfaces of the plurality of optical fibers.
A connector assembly for securing a plurality of optical fibers, the connector assembly comprising:
- a) a base having a V-groove array that receives the plurality of optical fibers;
- b) a cover that mates onto the base over at least a portion of the V-groove array and applies a retaining force upon the plurality of optical fibers;
- and
- c) the cover having a compliant contact area having a compression range that is equal to or greater than the expected fiber alignment height variability, wherein the compliant cover applies at least a portion of the retaining force to each one of the plurality of fibers.
A connector assembly for coupling a plurality of optical waveguides, each waveguide having an outer surface, the connector assembly comprising:
- a) at least one ferrule block having a fiber receiving surface including one or more parallel v-grooves suited to receive the one or more optical waveguides;
- b) a top-loading ferrule cover that couples over at least a portion of the parallel v-grooves, the ferrule cover having a contact surface configured to secure the one or more optical waveguides within a respective v-groove, the cover having a contact surface that presses the one or more optical waveguides into the respective v-grooves, wherein the contact surface has a durometer hardness that is less than that of the outer surface of the optical waveguides.
A connector assembly for securing and optically aligning one or more optical fiber arrays, each optical fiber array comprising a plurality of optical fibers having an outer surface, the connector assembly comprising:
- a) a base having fiber receiving features configured to receive and align the plurality of optical fibers;
- and
- b) a retaining element that covers at least a portion of the alignment features and secures the plurality of optical fibers against the alignment features, the retaining element having a first contact surface that contacts the plurality of optical fibers, where the contact surface is able to conform to the outer surfaces of the plurality of optical fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.