Expanded Beam Optical Connector and Method of Making The Same
AssigneeWinchester Electronics Corporation
InventorJerome C. FARNAN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An expanded beam (EB) optical connector. In some embodiments, the EB optical connector includes: a rigid, hollow, straight contact tube having a centerline axis; and a collimator assembly having an optical axis and comprising an optical fiber and a collimating lens, wherein the centerline axis of the contact tube is at least substantially aligned with the optical axis such that collimated light produced by the lens from light exiting the fiber travels though the contact tube and the loss of light caused by misalignment of the axes is not more than 2 dB.
Claims20
An expanded beam (EB) optical connector, comprising:
- a rigid, hollow, straight contact tube having a centerline axis, said contact tube defining an empty space that extends the entire length of the contact tube;
- and
- a collimator assembly having an optical axis and comprising an optical fiber and a collimating lens, wherein
- the contact tube is not a lens holder,
- the centerline axis of the contact tube is at least substantially aligned with the optical axis such that collimated light produced by the lens from light exiting the fiber travels through the empty space defined by the contact tube and the loss of light caused by misalignment of the axes is not more than about 2 dB, and
- the contact tube does not abut the collimating lens.
An expanded beam (EB) optical connector, comprising:
- a rigid, hollow contact tube holder;
- a rigid, hollow contact tube having a first end attached to a first end portion of the contact tube holder, said contact tube defining an empty space that extends the entire length of the contact tube;
- and
- a collimator assembly comprising a lens, an optical fiber and a lens holder, wherein
- the contact tube is not a lens holder,
- at least a portion of the lens and at least a portion of optical fiber are housed in the lens holder,
- at least a portion of the lens holder is positioned in a cavity formed by a second end portion of the contact tube holder,
- the lens holder is adhesively fastened to the contact tube holder, and
- an optical axis of the collimator is aligned with an axis of the contact tube such that any collimated light produced by the lens from light exiting the fiber travels through the empty space defined by the contact tube.
An expanded beam (EB) optical connector, comprising:
- a rigid, hollow, straight contact tube having a centerline axis, said contact tube defining an empty space that extends the entire length of the contact tube;
- and
- a collimator assembly having an optical axis and comprising an optical fiber and a collimating lens, wherein
- the contact tube is not a lens holder,
- the centerline axis of the contact tube is at least substantially aligned with the optical axis such that collimated light produced by the lens from light exiting the fiber travels through the empty space defined by the contact tube and the loss of light caused by misalignment of the axes is not more than about 2 dB,
- the collimator assembly further comprises a lens holding tube open at both ends,
- at least a portion of the lens is housed within a first end portion of the lens holding tube,
- at least a portion of the optical fiber is housed within a second end portion of the lens holding tube,
- the EB optical connector further comprises a rigid, hollow contact tube holder having a first tubular end portion defining a first tubular cavity and a second tubular end portion defining a second tubular cavity,
- a first end of the contact tube is disposed within said first tubular cavity, and
- the first end portion of the lens holding tube is disposed within said second tubular cavity such that at least a portion of the lens is also disposed within said second tubular portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.