Optical receptacle, ferrule, and plug ferrule

• US 10,048,448 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toto Limited
• Original Assignee: Toto Limited
• Inventors: Kondo, Sho, Agatsuma, Hirotsugu, Hakozaki, Satoshi, Kaneyuki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kianni, Kaveh C
• Application Number:
  US15/188,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20160299297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 385 78
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/262 Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3846 with fibre stubs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3847 with means preventing fibre end damage, e.g. recessed fibre surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3863 fabricated by using polishing techniques grinding of the fibre ends B24B19/226
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3866 Devices, tools or methods for cleaning connectors cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3874 using tubes, sleeves to align ferrules

Abstract

An optical receptacle including: a fiber stub having a ferrule containing an optical fiber conducting light; a holder holding the fiber stub; and a sleeve. The ends of the sleeve respectively holding a tip of the fiber stub and a plug ferrule inserted into the optical receptacle. The ferrule includes a foreign matter movement suppressor in an end surface thereof which is polished into a convex spherical configuration on a side to be connected to the plug ferrule, and which suppresses movement of foreign matter moving, due to inserting and removing the plug ferrule, from an outer circumferential portion of the ferrule toward a central portion of the end surface.

Claims

1. An optical receptacle, comprising:

a fiber stub including a ferrule containing an optical fiber which conducts light;

a holder and an inner holder portion holding the fiber stub; and

a sleeve disposed within the holder, one end of the sleeve being connected to a tip of the fiber stub within the holder, and one other end of the sleeve being configured to be connected to an end of a plug ferrule to be inserted into the optical receptacle so that portions of end surfaces of the plug ferrule and the fiber stub will be held in contact with each other by the sleeve,

the ferrule including a foreign matter movement suppressor in the end surface of the ferrule, the end surface being polished into a convex spherical configuration, the foreign matter movement suppressor suppressing movement of foreign matter moving, due to inserting and removing the plug ferrule, from an outer circumferential portion of the ferrule toward a central portion of the end surface,

wherein the foreign matter movement suppressor has a recess provided in the end surface of the ferrule, the recess extending in a circumferential configuration, and

wherein the recess is outside a portion where the end surfaces of the ferrule and the plug ferrule contact when the plug ferrule is inserted into the optical receptacle,

wherein the end surface polished into a convex spherical configuration extends from a tapered outer circumferential portion of the ferrule, and the recess is provided in the end of the end surface having the convex spherical configuration, and

wherein a surface roughness of an inner surface of the recess has an arithmetic average roughness (Ra) of not less than 0.8 micrometers and not more than 3.2 micrometers.

2. The optical receptacle according to claim 1, wherein the recess is multiply provided.

3. The optical receptacle according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness of the inner surface of the recess is larger than a surface roughness of a region of the end surface of the ferrule other than the recess.

4. The optical receptacle according to claim 1, wherein

the foreign matter movement suppressor includes a first portion of the end surface of the ferrule on the side to be connected to the plug ferrule, the first portion not directly contacting the plug ferrule, and

an average height of a surface of the first portion is 0.305 or more, and a skewness of the surface of the first portion is −

0.2 or less.

5. The optical receptacle according to claim 4, wherein at least a part of the first portion has a tapered configuration extending to an outer circumferential portion of the fiber stub.

6. The optical receptacle according to claim 4, wherein a second portion of the end surface of the ferrule on the side to be connected to the plug ferrule protrudes further toward the side where the ferrule is connected to the plug ferrule than does the first portion, the second portion directly contacting the plug ferrule.

7. The optical receptacle according to claim 6, wherein a distance between an end surface of the second portion and a portion where the second portion is connected to the first portion is 0.2 millimeters or less.