Patent · US Expired

Fiber optic connector assembly

US4772081A · kind A · utility

34Cited by
7References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 15, 1986
Grant dateSep 20, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 15, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/38875
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical fiber connector assembly for coupling an optical fiber cable having optical fibers to an instrument equipped with a light source and a photodetector. The connector assembly has a housing accommodating a pair of ferrules that support the optical fibers. The ferrules have cone-shaped heads and generally flat forward ends. The optical fibers have ends that are flush with the flat ends of the heads. The heads of the ferrules seat into cone-shaped recesses in receptacles mounted on the instrument. The light source and photodetector are aligned with the receptacles so that the light from the light source is transmitted to a first optical fiber and the light from second optical fibers is received by the photodetector. A screw mounted on the housing is threaded into a hole in the instrument to releasably connect the housing to the instrument and locate the heads in alignment with the cone-shaped recesses in the receptacles. Biasing means associated with the ferrules continuously bias and seat the heads in the cone-shaped recesses to maintain the alignment of the ends of the optical fibers with the light source and photodetector.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.