Lensed fiber optic ferrule with simplified molding
AssigneeUS Conec Ltd.
InventorsDaniel D. Kurtz, Ke Wang, Darrell R. Childers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fiber optic ferrule has a main body with a top surface and a bottom surface and extends between a front end and a back end. The front face includes a recessed portion with a plurality of optical lenses. The front face is configured to allow for the plurality of lenses to be on an angle relative to the front face and the fiber optic ferrule will have not any undercuts and allow the fiber optic ferrule to be ejected from a mold without engaging any portions of the mold.
Claims20
A fiber-optic ferrule for receiving a plurality of optical fibers in optical fiber support structures comprising:
- a main body extending between a front end and rear end, the main body having a top surface and a bottom surface, and two side surfaces joining the top surface and the bottom surface, with the optical fiber support structures at least partially disposed within the main body, wherein the main body includes a front facing surface of a shoulder;
- a longitudinal axis extending between the front end and the rear end;
- a front face at the front end of the main body;
- a recessed portion at the front face being at a non-perpendicular angle to the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a plurality of optical lenses within the recessed portion,
- wherein the recessed portion has a plurality of points on a surface thereof and every one of the plurality of points on the surface, including every point on the plurality of optical lenses in the recessed portion, is even with or rearward of the each of the plurality points thereabove between the top surface and the bottom surface.
A fiber optic ferrule for receiving a plurality of optical fibers in optical fiber support structures comprising:
- a main body extending between a front end and rear end, the main body having a top surface and a bottom surface, and two side surfaces joining the top surface and the bottom surface, with the optical fiber support structures at least partially disposed within the main body;
- a longitudinal axis extending between the front end and the rear end;
- a front face at the front end of the main body;
- a recessed portion at the front face being at a non-perpendicular angle to the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a plurality of optical lenses within the recessed portion arranged in a first row and a second row, the second row being offset from the first row relative to the front end or the rear end of the main body,
- wherein the recessed portion has a plurality of points on a surface thereof and every one of the plurality of points on the surface, including every point on the plurality of optical lenses in the recessed portion is even with or rearward of the each of the plurality points thereabove along a vertical axis between the top surface and the bottom surface, the fiber optic ferrule being ejected in a direction parallel to the vertical axis after a molding process.
A fiber optic ferrule for receiving a plurality of optical fibers in optical fiber support structures comprising:
- a main body extending between a front end and rear end, the main body having a top surface and a bottom surface,, the bottom surface having an opening extending partially into the main body forward of the optical fiber support structures;
- a longitudinal axis extending between the front end and the rear end;
- a front face at the front end of the main body;
- a recessed portion at the front face;
- a plurality of optical lenses within the recessed portion arranged at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a vertical opening within the main body extending downwardly towards the bottom surface,
- wherein the fiber optic ferrule is moved in a direction orthogonal to the top surface post molding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.