Method for releasably connecting two groups of optical fibers, and plug-in connector for carrying out said method

US7325979B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• HUBER+SUHNER AG · CH

Inventors

• Thomas Ammer · Widnau, CH
• Uhland Goebel · Senden, DE
• Martin Strasser · Geisingen, DE
• Falk Draheim · Sursee, CH
• Peter Nuechter · Hinwil, CH
• Carlo Compare · Winterthur, CH

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 30, 2006
• Grant date: Feb 5, 2008
• Expiry date: Jan 30, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/3885
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for removably connecting two groups of individual, parallel fibers that are delimited by end faces that are perpendicular to the fiber axis. The two groups of fibers are moved towards each other in an axial direction until each of the fibers abuts against the end face of the assigned fiber from the other group. The fibers of the two groups are aligned in pairs relative to each other before being moved into contact with each other, and any differences in fiber lengths is compensated for by elastically deforming the fiber along the fiber main axis. This method eliminates the disadvantages associated with bending the fibers because length variations are essentially compensated for by axially compressing the fibers.