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US 8,616,781 B2Granted
Expanded beam optical connector
AssigneeInnovative Intellectual Properties LLC
InventorGreyson O. Knapp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expanded beam optical connector includes a housing and an expanded beam lens being mounted in the housing. The connector is operable to axially align the expanded beam lens and a terminated optical fiber so that the expanded beam lens is configured to be in optical communication with the optical fiber.
Claims11
An expanded beam optical connector operable to receive multiple terminated optical fibers, said connector comprising:
- a housing presenting a passage that extends through the housing;
- an optical ferrule including an end-face and multiple fiber openings that intersect the end-face and are operable to receive respective fiber ends of the multiple terminated optical fibers,
- said optical ferrule being mounted in the passage;
- and
- a plurality of GRIN lenses mounted in the passage,
- said plurality of GRIN lenses being substantially axially aligned with corresponding fiber openings so that the plurality of GRIN lenses and corresponding optical fibers are configured to be in optical communication with one another,
- said plurality of GRIN lenses being in abutting engagement with the end-face,
- at least one of the GRIN lenses presenting an outer lens surface;
- and
- at least one endless sealing device including a metallic layer applied to the outer lens surface,
- said metallic layer being soldered to the housing in sealing engagement therewith.
8 more elements
An expanded beam optical connector operable to receive multiple terminated optical fibers, said connector comprising:
- a housing presenting a passage that extends through the housing;
- an optical ferrule including an endface and multiple fiber openings that intersect the end-face and are operable to receive respective fiber ends of the multiple terminated optical fibers,
- said optical ferrule being mounted in the passage;
- and
- a plurality of GRIN lenses mounted in the passage,
- said plurality of GRIN lenses being substantially axially aligned with corresponding fiber openings so that the plurality of GRIN lenses and corresponding optical fibers are configured to be in optical communication with one another,
- said plurality of GRIN lenses being in abutting engagement with the end-face;
- and
- at least one diffractive optical element operable to transform an intensity profile of a light beam passing through at least one of the GRIN lenses.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.