Fiber optic connector for a segmented FTTH optical network

A complementary pair of fiber optic connectors, each comprising:

• a body including a fiber channel extending within the body to an internal end, the fiber channel configured to receive an optical fiber;
• an optical lens including a first concave surface formed at the internal end of the fiber channel and a second concave surface formed on a front end of the body, the lens having a centerline extending between the center points of the first and second concave surfaces;
• the first concave surface of the lens operative to spread light sourced from an optical fiber positioned within the fiber channel towards the second concave surface and to re-direct light sourced from the second concave surface towards the first concave surface onto the optical fiber;
• and
• the second concave surface having a suitable size for visual inspection and cleaning and configured to re-direct light sourced from the first concave surface to a direction generally parallel with the centerline and to re-direct light directed towards the second concave surface and in parallel with the centerline towards the first concave surface;
• and
• wherein the front end of the body of each connector is configured to mate with a complementary connector to form a mated configuration in which the second concave surfaces of the connectors are optically coupled to face each other in a concentric formation having a common centerline.

An optical block, comprising:

• a body;
• at least one optical functional unit provided within the body;
• a plurality of optical connectors mounted along an external surface of the body;
• a plurality of optical fibers, each routed between an internal optical functional unit and a corresponding one of the optical connectors;
• and
• each connector comprising a lens, the lens comprising:
• a first concave surface formed within the connector and a second concave surface formed on an external end of the connector, the lens having a centerline extending between the center points of the first and second concave surfaces;
• the first concave surface of the lens optically coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of optical fibers and operative to spread light sourced from the optical fiber towards the second concave surface and to re-direct light sourced from the second concave surface towards the first concave surface onto the optical fiber;
• and
• the second concave surface having a suitable size for visual inspection and cleaning and configured to re-direct light sourced from the first concave surface to a direction generally parallel with the centerline and to re-direct light directed towards the second concave surface and in parallel with the centerline towards the first concave surface.

A segmented FTTH optical network that enables optical communication between a local optical communication node and a plurality of subscriber locations, comprising:

• at least one segmented optical fiber optically coupled to the optical communication node and routed near each of the plurality of subscriber locations;
• a plurality of optical taps distributed along the optical fiber and dividing the optical fiber into a plurality of segments, each tap including an input connector coupled to one optical fiber segment and an output connector coupled to an adjacent optical fiber segment, and each tap including at least one splitter output connector;
• and
• a plurality of subscriber optical fiber links, each coupled between a corresponding one of the plurality of subscriber locations and a corresponding splitter output connector of the plurality of optical taps.

An optical network that enables optical communication for a plurality of subscriber locations, comprising:

• an optical communication node;
• a first segmented optical fiber optically coupled to the optical communication node and routed near each of the plurality of subscriber locations;
• a plurality of optical taps distributed along the first segmented optical fiber for dividing it a plurality of segments, each optical tap including at least one splitter connector;
• and
• a plurality of first subscriber optical fiber links, each coupled to a corresponding splitter connector and routed to a corresponding one of the plurality of subscriber locations.