Low-loss intermatable ferrules for optical fibers and a method of fabrication thereof
AssigneeCorning Cable Systems LLC
InventorsDennis M. Knecht, James P. Luther, Otto I. Szentesi
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Abstract
A method for assembling a population of ferrules to minimize the eccentricity of the fibers typically includes the steps of selecting a set of ferrules, determining the eccentricity of the ferrules, selecting a fiber, inserting the fiber within the ferrule bore, orienting the fiber within the ferrule, and securing the fiber in place. The result is a population of ferrules that can be mated with little or no insertion loss.
Claims34
A method of making a population of intermatable ferrules, each of the ferrules being mounted on an optical fiber, and each ferrule having an outer surface and defining a longitudinal bore, comprising the steps of:
- selecting from a first set of ferrules a second set of ferrules each having an inner diameter within a predetermined range of inner diameters and an eccentricity of the bore relative to the outer surface of about one-half the difference between the mean of the range of inner diameters and the diameter of the optical fiber;
- providing an optical fiber, the optical fiber having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the ferrule;
- and
- positioning an optical fiber in the bore of each of the second set of ferrules on the basis of the eccentricity so the optical fiber is generally concentric relative to the outer surface of the ferrule.
A population of independent, intermatable ferrules comprising:
- a plurality of cylindrical ferrules, each ferrule having a center, an outer surface and a longitudinal bore, the bore defining an inner diameter and a cylindrical wall of varying thickness extending between the inner diameter and the outer surface of the ferrule;
- and
- a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber having a core and a cladding, the core having a center and the cladding having an outer diameter, the optical fiber mounted in the bore of one of the ferrules against a portion of the wall having the greatest thickness, whereby the center of the optical fiber core is positioned within a predetermined range of the center of the ferrule;
- wherein each of the ferrules has an inner diameter within a range of inner diameters and an eccentricity of the bore relative to the outer surface of about one-half the difference between the mean of the range of inner diameters and the diameter of the optical fiber such that the optical fiber is generally concentric relative to the outer surface of the ferrule when the optical fiber in mounted in the bore.
A population of independent, intermatable ferrules comprising:
- a first plurality of ferrules;
- a second plurality of ferrules selected from the first plurality of ferrules, each of the second plurality of ferrules having an outer surface and a longitudinal bore, the bore defining an inner diameter within a range of inner diameters and an eccentricity of the bore relative to the outer surface of about one-half the difference between the mean of the range of inner diameters and the diameter of the optical fiber;
- and
- an optical fiber mounted in the bore of each of the second plurality of ferrules generally concentric relative to the outer surface of the ferrule;
- whereby when any two ferrules of the second plurality of ferrules are mated in a connector sleeve, the centers of the optical fibers are offset less than a predetermined value relative to one another.
A population of independent, intermatable ferrules comprising;
- a first plurality of ferrules,
- a second plurality of ferrules selected from the first plurality of ferrules, each of the second plurality of ferrules having an outer surface and a longitudinal bore, the bore defining an inner diameter within a range of inner diameters and an eccentricity of the bore relative to the outer surface of about one-half the difference between the mean of the range of inner diameters and the diameter of the optical fiber;
- and
- an optical fiber mounted in the bore of each of the second plurality of ferrules generally concentric relative to the outer surface of the ferrule;
- whereby when any two ferrules of the second plurality of ferrules are mated in a connector sleeve, the mating point has a signal loss less than predetermined value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.