Fiber optic connector having fiber cutting means
AssigneeThomas & Betts Corporation
InventorsRussell H. Williams, Peter Garner, K. Scott Gordon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A composite fiber cutting and terminating apparatus includes first and second housings supported for relative movement, the first housing supporting therein both a terminating device, such as a photodiode, and a cutting device. The second housing retentively engages an optical fiber. Upon relative movement of the housings, the fiber is initially cut to define a termination end face and the termination end face is thereafter placed in registration with the detention device.
Claims33
In a fiber optic connector, the improvement comprising, as a situate member of said connector in use:
- a separation device adapted for forming a fiber termination end face and for disposition in optically non-interfering relation to said fiber termination end face.
A fiber optic connector component including means for retentively engaging a fiber, separation means for defining a termination end face for said fiber, and housing means for supporting such fiber engaging means and said separation means for relative movement, said housing means defining terminating registry surface adjacent said fiber termination end face, whereby said termination end face may be placed in registration with a termination device by said housing means.
In combination, in a fiber optic connector:
- (a) means for retentively receiving an optic fiber;
- (b) fiber cutting means;
- (c) a fiber termination device;
- and
- (d) means for supporting said fiber receiving means, said fiber cutting means and said fiber termination device for relative movement to effect cutting of said fiber to define a termination end face therefor and to provide subsequent registry of said termination end face and said termination device.
A fiber optic connector for termination with a termination device, comprising in combination:
- (a) first housing means including separation means thereon;
- (b) second housing means for retentively engaging said fiber;
- and
- (c) means coupling said first and said second housing means for movement relative to each other to effect separation of a portion of said fiber during such relative movement of said first and second housing means, a retentively engaged portion of said separated fiber defining an end face for termination with a termination device.
A method for cutting an optical fiber and registering such cut fiber with a termination device, comprising the steps of:
- (a) retentively engaging said fiber in preselected manner at a location spaced from an end of said fiber;
- (b) displacing such retained fiber in a predetermined locus to cut said fiber to define a termination end face for said fiber at said location;
- and
- (c) while continuing such retention of said fiber in said preselected manner, further displacing said fiber in said predetermined locus to dispose said termination end face and said termination device in mutual registry.
A method for cutting an optical fiber with a cutting device and registering such cut fiber with a termination device, comprising the steps of:
- (a) supporting said cutting device and said termination device in fixed mutual relation;
- (b) retentively engaging said fiber at a location spaced from an end of said fiber;
- (c) disposing said cutting device in interference path with said fiber at said location therein;
- and
- (d) while maintaining such retentive engagement of said fiber, displacing said fiber and said cutting device relative to one another to cut said fiber at said location to thereby define a termination end face for said fiber and continuing such displacement until said termination end face and said termination device are in mutual registry.
Apparatus for cutting an optical fiber with a cutting device and terminating same with a termination device, comprising:
- (a) first housing means for supporting said cutting device and said termination device therein;
- (b) second housing means for retentively engaging said fiber;
- and
- (c) joinder means engageable with said first and second housing means for effecting first relative movement thereof to engage said fiber with said cutting device and provide a termination end face for said fiber and for effecting second relative movement of said first and second housing means to place said termination end face in registry with said termination device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.