Single-mode optical fiber with thin coating for high density cables and interconnects
OwnerJeffrey Scott Clark, Matthew Ryan Drake +6inventors
InventorsJeffrey Scott Clark, Matthew Ryan Drake, Shandon Dee Hart, Ming-Jun Li, Randy LaRue McClure, Weijun Niu, Qi Wu, Yali Zhang
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a thin coated optical fiber that enables connector assembly without stripping the optical fiber.
Claims19
A coated optical fiber comprising:
- a glass optical fiber comprising a fiber core and a cladding surrounding the fiber core;
- a polymer coating surrounding the glass optical fiber;
- wherein the polymer coating has a thickness between 0.1 μm and 10 μm and a hardness (Shore D) greater than 60;
- and
- wherein the polymer coating has a concentricity relative to the fiber core ranging between 0.1 μm and 0.5 μm.
An optical fiber connector assembly comprising:
- a coated optical fiber comprising:
- a glass optical fiber comprising a fiber core and a cladding surrounding the core;
- and
- a polymer coating surrounding the glass optical fiber, the polymer coating having a thickness between 0.1 μm and 10 μm, a hardness (Shore D) greater than 60, and a concentricity relative to the fiber core ranging between 0.1 μm and 0.5 μm;
- and
- a ferrule having a front end, a rear end, and a ferrule bore extending between the front end and the rear end, wherein the coated optical fiber is positioned within the ferrule bore such that a core-to-ferrule concentricity at the front end of the ferrule is less than 5 μm.
A method of preparing an optical fiber connector assembly that includes a coated optical fiber and a ferrule, the coated optical fiber comprising a glass optical fiber and a polymer coating surrounding the glass optical fiber, the glass optical fiber including a core and a cladding surrounding the core, the ferrule having a front end, a rear end, and a ferrule bore extending between the front end and the rear end, the method comprising:
- inserting the coated optical fiber into the ferrule;
- wherein the polymer coating of the coated optical fiber engages with an inner surface of the ferrule bore;
- and
- wherein the coated optical fiber is positioned within the ferrule bore following the inserting step such that a core to ferrule concentricity of the connector assembly at the front end of the ferrule is less than 5 μm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.