Modified MT Ferrule with Removed Cantilevered Fibers & Internal Lenses & Mold Pin
AssigneeUS Conec Ltd.
InventorDarrell R. Childers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A modified MT fiber optic ferrule has optical fiber receiving holes by the front end to receive the ends of optical fibers inserted into and through the ferrule. The optical fiber receiving holes are aligned with optical fiber openings in the center of the ferrule and have lenses formed in the optical fiber receiving holes to collimate from or focus light into the optical fibers in the fiber optic ferrules. The front end of the fiber optic ferrule may also have integral mating surfaces.
Claims12
A method of molding a multi-fiber fiber optic ferrule having an internal lens formed during molding comprising the steps of:
- providing a mold comprising a molding pin holder, the molding pin holder having at least one row of a plurality of columns of openings to hold molding pins, the openings extending through the molding pin holder, and
- providing a plurality of molding pins to be inserted into the openings in the molding pin holder, each of the plurality of molding pins comprising a main body extending between a proximal end and a distal end, a proximal first portion having a first diameter, a distal second portion having a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter and a forward facing portion at a junction of the proximal first portion and the distal second portion, and an end portion at the distal end and having a concave configuration to form a lens in the multi-fiber fiber optic ferrule;
- providing a flowing molding material within the mold to form the multi-fiber fiber optic ferrule.
A fiber optic ferrule comprising:
- a main body having a front end, a back end, and a middle portion disposed between the front end and back end;
- an optical fiber support structure disposed in the middle portion and extending in a direction from the back end toward the front end of the main body, the optical fiber support structure configured to receive at least one optical fiber therein, and
- at least one lens having a convex surface that extends rearwardly from the front end towards the back end and being aligned with the optical fiber support structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.