Optical fiber cable connection device and method

An optical fiber connector comprising:

• a body;
• a first lens supported within the body and receiving a first beam of light emitted from an end of a first optic fiber, the first lens emitting an expanded beam of light, and
• a second lens supported within the body and receiving a second beam of light emitted from an end of the second optic fiber, the first and second lenses arranged along a such that the second lens receives the light emitted from the first lens,
• the expanded light emitted by the first lens travelling around the end of the second optic fiber and being substantially coaxial to the light emitted by the second optic fiber, the coaxially aligned beams of light providing rotational symmetry for data transfer about the longitudinal axis.

An optical fiber cable connection device comprising:

• a first optical fiber connector comprising:
• a first body extending along an axis, the first body comprising a first cable receiving end configured to receive at least part of a first optical fiber cable, the first body further comprising a first joinable end, the first body configured to receive first and second optical fibers so that the first optical fiber has a first fiber end positioned substantially on the axis, the second optical fiber has a second fiber end positioned substantially on the axis, the first and second fiber ends being spaced apart from each other;
• and
• a first light management device at least partially positioned within the first body, the first light management device comprising a first lens associated with the first optical fiber and a second lens associated with the second optical fiber,
• wherein the first lens is configured to receive a first light beam from the first fiber end, the first light beam having a fiber light profile, the first lens also being configured to modify the first light beam resulting in a first light beam path, the first light beam path resulting in a first light profile which is different from the fiber light profile,
• wherein the second lens is configured to receive a second light beam from the second fiber end, the second light beam having the fiber light profile, the second lens also being configured to modify the second light beam resulting in a second light beam path, the second light beam path resulting in a second light profile which is different from the first light profile;
• and
• a second optical fiber connector comprising:
• a second body extendable along the axis, the first body comprising a second cable receiving end configured to receive at least part of a second optical fiber cable, the first body further comprising a second joinable end configured to be removeably coupled to the first joinable end, the second body configured to receive third and fourth optical fibers so that the third optical fiber has a third fiber end positioned substantially on the axis, and so that the fourth optical fiber has a fourth fiber end positioned substantially on the axis, the third and fourth fiber ends being spaced apart from each other;
• and
• a second light management device at least partially positioned within the second body, the second light management device comprising a third lens associated with the third optical fiber and a fourth lens associated with the fourth optical fiber,
• wherein the third lens is configured to receive the first light beam having the first light profile, the third lens also being configured to modify the first light beam resulting in the fiber light profile which is receivable by the third optical fiber,
• wherein the fourth lens is configured to receive the second light beam having the second light profile, the fourth lens also being configured to modify the second light beam resulting in the fiber light profile which is receivable by the fourth optical fiber,
• wherein, when the first and second optical fiber connectors are coupled to each other, the first and second light management devices are configured to enable data to pass between the first and second optical fiber cables without physically connecting the first optical fiber to the third optical fiber and without physically connecting the second optical fiber to the fourth optical fiber.

A method for operatively coupling together a plurality of optical fiber cables, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of light beams from a plurality of cable ends of a first optical fiber cable, wherein the cable ends are positioned along a common axis;
• changing each of the light beams from a fiber light profile to a different light profile;
• and
• changing each of the light beams from the different light profile of the light beam to the fiber light profile, enabling the light beam to be received by an optical fiber end of a second optical fiber cable.

A optical fiber connector comprising:

• a first fiber channel;
• a second fiber channel;
• a first gradient refractive index lens;
• and
• a second gradient refractive index lens;
• wherein the first fiber channel inputs a first beam of light into the first gradient refractive index lens;
• wherein the second fiber channel inputs a second beam of light into the second gradient refractive index lens;
• wherein the first and second gradient refractive index lenses are arranged coaxially such that the second fiber channel extends between the first gradient refractive index lens and the second gradient refractive index lens.