Optical and electrical hybrid connector

• US 20060098921A1
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JB IP Acquisitions LLC
• Original Assignee: Spectros Corporation (AliphCom Corp.)
• Inventors: Fierro, Michael R., Benaron, David A., Parachikov, Ilian H., Hutt, Marvin K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,427,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/75
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3817 containing optical and electrical conductors cables including electrical and optical conductors H01B11/22; G02B6/3816 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/625 Casing or ring with bayonet engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement

Abstract

An improved hybrid connector for rapidly, reliably, and reversibly making mixed optical and electrical connections has a plug (103) with one or more centrally located fiber-containing optical ferrules (108) and one or more peripheral electrical contacts (109), and second, a socket (105) with interior electrical contacts (115) and a fiber-bearing central floating optical connector (225). Insertion and rotation of a shaft (107) of the plug into a bore (201) of the socket connects the respective electrical contacts of the shaft and socket, and nearly-simultaneously couples the respective optical fibers of the plug ferrule and socket connector, thus creating a rapid, reversible, and low-cost hybrid connection optimized for both the electrical and optical requirements of a mixed optical and electrical connection.

Claims

1. An optical and electrical hybrid connector comprising:

(a) a male plug having an elongated plug shaft, said shaft having a first central set of one or more optical fibers terminating in an optical ferrule and a second peripheral set of one or more axial spaced electrical contact elements;

(b) a socket for receiving said plug shaft, said socket having a central axial-position-tolerant optical coupling element having one or more optical fibers and a peripheral set of one or more electrical contacts;

(c) said individual fibers and contacts of said plug arranged so as to make respective optical coupling with corresponding said individual fibers and electrical contacts of said socket when said shaft is slidably and completely received into said socket.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein said optical coupling element comprises a floating connector arranged in said socket so as to move axially in said socket with pressure, and further arranged to maintain a minimum physical gap between the one or more fibers in said plug ferrule and one or more fibers in said socket optical coupling element over a range of predetermined distances of axial insertion of said shaft into said socket.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein each axial-position-tolerant optical coupling element comprises a collimating lens element coupled to said one or more fibers in said coupling element, said collimating lens arranged to provide optical coupling of said shaft optical fibers to said coupling element fibers over a range of predetermined distances of axial insertion of said shaft into said socket.

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein said peripheral set of electrical contacts comprises a flexible printed circuit board adhered to the outer surface of the shaft of said male plug.

5. The connector of claim 1, wherein further said socket has an alignment pin, said shaft has an L-shaped channel for receiving said alignment pin and preventing rotation of said shaft during axial insertion into said socket, said shaft having a flat region with said peripheral electrical contact elements further arranged so as not to make electrical contact with said socket contacts during said axial insertion and further arranged so as to make electrical contact with said socket electrical contacts after the shaft is fully inserted and rotated when the pin is at the end of the elongated channel.

6. The connector of claim 1, wherein said shaft is cylindrical with a flat portion, said electrical contacts have axial portions and axially spaced circumferential portion which extend from the flat portion on the cylindrical portion so as not to make electrical contact with said socket contacts during insertion of said shaft in said socket, and bring said socket contacts into reversible electrical contact with said contact during partial rotation of said shaft after said slidable insertion into said socket.

7. The connector of claim 1, further comprising an L-shaped alignment channel on said shaft and a pin on said socket adapted to ride on said alignment channel for ensuring rotational orientation during said slideable insertion and subsequent rotational locking of the shaft.

8. The connector of claim 1, further comprising a memory element, said memory element carried by said male plug and electrically coupled to said selected electrical contacts.

9. The connector of claim 1, further comprising additional alignment insensitive optical fibers.

10. A medical illuminator catheter comprising:

(a) a biocompatible catheter sheath, said catheter sheath having a monitor end, a central body, and a patient end;

(b) an optical and electrical hybrid male plug located at the monitor end of said catheter;

(c) a light source at the patient end of said catheter;

(d) at least one optical collection fiber for collecting light scattered from a region illuminated by the light source and for transmitting said collected light from said patient end of the catheter, along a length of said catheter and into said male plug at the monitor end of the catheter; and

(e) power supply wires for transmitting electrical power to said light source, said wires traversing a length of said catheter and electrically connected to both said light source and to contacts on said connection plug.

11. A hybrid electrical and optical coupler, comprising a first member having an elongated shaft, said shaft having a central core of one or more optical fibers and a peripheral array of one or more electrical contact elements, each said fiber terminating in an optical ferrule, a socket for slidably and insertably receiving said elongated shaft, said socket having a central axial-position-tolerant optical coupling member and one or more electrical contacts whereby after insertion of the shaft into the socket said shaft optical fibers and electrical contacts make contact with said axial-position-tolerant optical coupling member and said socket contacts.