US 6,275,643 B1Granted

Attenuator element for use with an optical fiber adapter

AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.

InventorsJames C. Bandy, Steven E. Sheldon, Daniel L. Stephenson

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Abstract

An attenuator element for use within an optical fiber adapter is disclosed. The attenuator element has an elongate block-like head, the head having tapered side walls and beveled surfaces extending along a portion of the respective side walls and a lower planar surface thereof, a neck extending from the lower surface thereof, and an attenutaor disk extending from the neck. The attenuator element is constructed and arranged so that it may be inclined through an angle of from 90° to 82° with respect to the longitudinal axis of an alignment sleeve used to couple two optical fiber connectors together in order to accommodate the coupling of optical fiber ferrules having end faces which are aligned with one another along the longitudinal axis of the alignment sleeve, or where the ferrule end faces may be angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the alignment sleeve. The attenuator element is also constructed and arranged so that it may also be selectively rotated about a longitudinal axis of the attenuator disk and between the end faces of the opposed ferrules received within the alignment sleeve.

Claims25

Dependent claims

An attenuator element for use as a part of an optical fiber adapter used to couple a first optical fiber connector to a second optical fiber connector so that an optical signal is passed therethrough, said attenuator element comprising:

(i) an elongate head formed about a longitudinal axis, said head having:
a first end and a spaced and opposed second end;
a first planar surface and a spaced and opposed second planar surface extending between the first and second ends of the head;
a first side wall and a spaced and opposed second side wall extending between said first and second planar surfaces, and between said first and second ends of the head, respectively;
the ends, side walls, and planar surfaces of the head being joined to one another along their common edges;
wherein each of the side walls of the head is tapered in its lengthwise direction toward each respective end of the head;
and wherein the edges of the head, where the respective side walls and the second planar surface intersect, are beveled in their lengthwise directions toward the first planar surface and the respective ends of the head;
(ii) a neck extending away from the second planar surface, wherein said neck comprises a pair of arcuate shoulders extending from the second planar surface of the head, said shoulders being aligned with and facing away from one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the head;
and
(iii) an elongate attenuator disc depending from the neck and extending away from the longitudinal axis of the head, wherein the shoulders are configured so as to allow the attenuator element to be selectively rotated or inclined with an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis.

7 more elements

An attenuator element for use with an optical fiber adapter used to couple a first optical fiber connector to a second optical fiber connector so that an optical signal is passed therethrough, each optical fiber connector having an elongate cylindrical ferrule extending away therefrom and being separately and opposably received within an elongate alignment sleeve disposed within the adapter and being formed about a longitudinal axis, the alignment sleeve having a continuous slotted opening extending in the lengthwise direction of the alignment sleeve, at least a portion of the attenuator element being placed within the alignment sleeve between the two opposed ferrules of the respective optical fiber connectors, said attenuator element comprising:

an elongate head formed about a longitudinal axis;
a neck depending from said head, said neck being sized and shaped to be passed within the slotted opening of the alignment sleeve;
and
an elongate attenuator disc depending from said neck, said disc being sized and shaped to be passed within the alignment sleeve of the optical fiber adapter;
wherein said attenuator element is constructed and arranged so that the attenuator disc thereof may be selectively positioned within said alignment sleeve at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the alignment sleeve.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.