# US 2022/0035104 A1 · Adapter tip and microscope system for inspection of fiber-optic connector endfaces > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0035104 A1 - Document ID: US20220035104A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/443,496 - Filed: 2021-07-27 - Published: 2022-02-03 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-31 - Assignees: EXFO Inc. - Applicants: EXFO Inc. - Inventors: Jean Filion; Olivier Cote - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220035104A1 ## CPC - G02B 6/3825: {with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs} - G02B 6/385: {Accessories for testing or observation of connectors (means for centering or aligning the light guide within the ferrule with auxiliary facilities for movably aligning or adjusting the fibre within its ferrule, measuring position, eccentricity G02B6/3843; mechanical features associated with the optical testing of optical fibres G01M11/088)} - G02B 6/3853: {Lens inside the ferrule (lensed connectors G02B6/32)} - G02B 21/0008: {Microscopes having a simple construction, e.g. portable microscopes} - G02B 21/0016: {Technical microscopes, e.g. for inspection or measuring in industrial production processes} - G02B 23/2446: {of the image relay (G02B23/26 takes precedence)} - G02B 6/3822: {with beveled fibre ends} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract There is provided an adapter tip to be employed with an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope and an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system suitable for imaging the optical-fiber endface of an angled-polished optical-fiber connector deeply recessed within a connector adapter. The adapter tip or microscope system comprises a relay optical system comprising a Rhomboid prism. The Rhomboid prism being disposed so as to receive light reflected from said optical-fiber endface during inspection and laterally shift the light beam reflected from the angled-polished optical-fiber endface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An adapter tip to be employed with an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope for imaging an optical-fiber endface of an angled-polished optical-fiber connector recessed within a connector adapter, the adapter tip comprising: a housing having a mating interface configured to mechanically engage with the connector adapter for inspecting the optical-fiber endface within the connector adapter; and a relay optical system disposed in said housing and comprising a Rhomboid prism, the Rhomboid prism being disposed so as to receive light reflected from said optical-fiber endface during inspection and laterally shift the light beam reflected from the angled-polished optical-fiber endface, the relay optical system relaying said light beam to an optical axis of the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The adapter tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Rhomboid prism laterally shifts the light beam reflected from the angled-polished optical-fiber endface towards a direction opposite to the vector rejection of the normal to the optical-fiber endface on the optical-fiber axis of the connector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The adapter tip as claimed in claim 2, wherein said relay optical system further comprises at least a first relay lens and a second relay lens, the first relay lens being disposed proximate to the optical-fiber endface so as to receive light reflected from said optical-fiber endface during inspection and the second relay lens being disposed spaced apart from the first relay lens to further relay the light beam to the optical axis of the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The adapter tip as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first relay lens is disposed so as to directly receive light reflected from said optical-fiber endface during inspection and the Rhomboid prism is disposed between said first relay lens and said second relay lens in order to laterally shift the light beam reflected from the optical-fiber endface and relayed by the first relay lens, towards the lens axis of the second relay lens. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The adapter tip as claimed in claim 3, wherein a lens axis of said first relay lens is aligned to a center of the optical-fiber endface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The adapter tip as claimed in claim 3, wherein a lens axis of said first relay lens is offset to a centerline of the object beam, towards a direction corresponding to the vector rejection of the normal to the optical-fiber endface on the optical-fiber axis of the connector, so as to deviate the light beam reflected from the optical-fiber endface towards the optical-fiber axis of the connector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The adapter tip as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lens axis of the second relay lens is offset relative to a center of the optical-fiber endface towards a direction opposite to the vector rejection of the normal to the optical-fiber endface on the optical-fiber axis of the connector, in order to receive the light beam laterally displaced by the Rhomboid prism. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The adapter tip as claimed in claim 7, wherein a lens axis of said first relay lens and the lens axis of the second relay lens are both parallel to an optical-fiber axis of the connector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The adapter tip as claimed in claim 8, wherein said optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope comprises an objective lens and wherein the lens axis of said objective lens is parallel to said optical-fiber axis during inspection. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The adapter tip as claimed in claim 9, wherein a lens axis of the objective lens of the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope is offset relative to the lens axis of the second relay lens during inspection. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The adapter tip as claimed in claim 3, wherein said relay optical system produces an intermediate image plane between said second relay lens and an objective lens of the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The adapter tip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said adapter tip receives illumination light from the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope during inspection in order to image the optical-fiber endface and wherein said relay optical system redirects the illumination light to the optical-fiber endface. ### Claim 13 An optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system for imaging an optical-fiber endface of an angled-polished optical-fiber connector recessed in a connector adapter, the microscope system comprising: an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope; and an adapter tip connectable to the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope and comprising: a housing having a mating interface configured to mechanically engage with the connector adapter for inspecting the optical-fiber endface within the connector adapter; and a relay optical system disposed in said housing and comprising a Rhomboid prism, the Rhomboid prism being disposed so as to receive light reflected from said optical-fiber endface during inspection and laterally shift the light beam reflected from the angled-polished optical-fiber endface, the relay optical system relaying said light beam to an optical axis of the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the Rhomboid prism laterally shifts the light beam reflected from the angled-polished optical-fiber endface towards a direction opposite to the vector rejection of the normal to the optical-fiber endface on the optical-fiber axis of the connector. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said relay optical system further comprises at least a first relay lens and a second relay lens, the first relay lens being disposed proximate to the optical-fiber endface so as to receive light reflected from said optical-fiber endface during inspection and the second relay lens being disposed spaced apart from the first relay lens to further relay the light beam to the optical axis of the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first relay lens is disposed so as to directly receive light reflected from said optical-fiber endface during inspection and the Rhomboid prism is disposed between said first relay lens and said second relay lens in order to laterally shift the light beam reflected from the optical-fiber endface and relayed by the first relay lens, towards the lens axis of the second relay lens. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 15, wherein a lens axis of said first relay lens is offset to a centerline of the object beam, towards a direction corresponding to the vector rejection of the normal to the optical-fiber endface on the optical-fiber axis of the connector, so as to deviate the light beam reflected from the optical-fiber endface towards the optical-fiber axis of the connector. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the lens axis of the second relay lens is offset relative to a center of the optical-fiber endface towards a direction opposite to the vector rejection of the normal to the optical-fiber endface on the optical-fiber axis of the connector, in order to receive the light beam laterally displaced by the Rhomboid prism. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 18, wherein a lens axis of said first relay lens and the lens axis of the second relay lens are both parallel to an optical-fiber axis of the connector. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope comprises an objective lens and wherein the lens axis of said objective lens is parallel to said optical-fiber axis during inspection.