Patent · US Expired

Optical fiber connector

US4936662A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
2References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 10, 1989
Grant dateJun 26, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 10, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/3888
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical fiber connector can be assembled without an adhesive using a known combination of a grooved mount and a sleeve that can either grip or release a stripped end of an optical fiber. The mount-sleeve combination is positioned within a housing which is open at one end to receive one or more stripped optical fibers and is formed at its other end with a tiny orifice that is radially aligned with a groove of the mount. After inserting a stripped optical fiber through the mount-sleeve combination and the orifice, the sleeve is allowed to grip the fiber, thus restraining it against longitudinal movement. Because of this restraint, the protruding portion of the fiber can be cleaved or polished along with the adjacent portions of the end cap. The housing preferably is formed by a thermoplastic shroud and a ceramic end cap in which the orifice is formed. The shroud preferably has an external latch by which the connector can be disconnectably fastened to a receptacle in a single motion to make low-loss connections to other optical fibers.

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