Right-angle optical fiber connector assembly

• US 20080240657A1
• Filed: 03/29/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: David Lee Dean, Dennis Michael Knecht, Thomas Theuerkorn
• Inventors: Theuerkorn, Thomas, Knecht, Dennis Michael, Dean, David Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,527,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/78
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3829 Bent or angled connectors G02B6/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3882 using rods, pins or balls to align a pair of ferrule ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements

Abstract

A right-angle optical-fiber connector assembly for providing an optical connection to an external device such as a circuit board. The connector assembly includes a rigid ferrule having at least one right-angle bend and that defines an interior region and first and second ferrule ends, and a maximum optical fiber bending radius R_MAX. One or more bend-performance optical fibers traverse the interior region. Each optical fiber has an associated minimum bending radius R_MIN and includes a bending radius R_F such that R_MIN≦R_F≦R_MAX, wherein at least one of the one or more optical fibers has R_F=R_MIN. The first and second connector ends are respectively located at or near the first and second ferrule ends and operably support the first and second optical fiber ends. The connector ends are each adapted to provide an external optical interconnection to an external device such as a circuit board.

Claims

1. A right-angle optical-fiber connector assembly, comprising:

a rigid ferrule having at least one right-angle bend and defining a ferrule interior and first and second ferrule ends;

one or more bend-performance optical fibers that traverse the ferrule interior and that have respective first and second optical fiber ends, a bending radius R_F and a minimum bending radius R_MIN, wherein R_MIN≦

R_F≦

R_MAX, wherein R_MAX is the maximum fiber bending radius allowed by the ferrule interior, and wherein at least one of the one or more optical fibers has R_F=R_MIN; and

first and second connector ends respectively located at or near the first and second ferrule ends and that respectively operably support the first and second optical fiber ends to provide external optical interconnection capability.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein R_MIN is about 2 mm.

3. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein R_F=R_MIN for each optical fiber.

4. The connector assembly of claim 1, further including first and second connector housings located at the first and second ferrule ends and that define the first and second connector ends.

5. The connector assembly of claim 4, wherein the first and second connector housings and said first and second connector ends define corresponding first and second connectors selected from the group of connectors comprising:

FC, SC, LC, ST, MU and MTP connectors.

6. The connector assembly of claim 1, further including a circuit board optically connected to one of the connector ends.

7. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the ferrule includes two right-angle bends, wherein the first and second connector ends respectively face opposite directions.

8. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the ferrule is an overmold.

9. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the ferrule is formed from one of metal, ceramic and metal.

10. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more optical fibers are each microstructured optical fibers.

11. A method of forming a right-angle connector assembly, comprising:

providing a rigid ferrule having at least one right-angle bend and defining a ferrule interior and first and second ferrule ends;

arranging one or more bend-performance optical fibers having respective first and second optical fiber ends so as to traverse the ferrule interior, the one or more optical fibers each having respective first and second optical fiber ends, a bending radius R_F and a minimum bending radius R_MIN, wherein R_MIN≦

R_F≦

R_MAX, wherein R_MAX is the maximum fiber bending radius allowed by the ferrule interior, and wherein at least one of the one or more optical fibers has R_F=R_MIN; and

attaching at least one connector end at or near at least one of the first and second ferrule ends respectively to operably support at least one of the first and second optical fiber ends to provide external optical interconnection capability.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one connector housings is located at at least one of the first and second ferrule ends so as to define at least one connector end.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one connector end is formed at one of the first and second ferrule ends and optically connected to a circuit board.

14. The method of claim 11, including forming two right-angle bends in the ferrule, wherein the first and second connector ends respectively face opposite directions.

15. The method of claim 11, including forming the ferrule using an overmolding process.

16. The method of claim 11, including providing each optical fiber with R_F=R_MIN.

17. A right-angle optical-fiber connector assembly for connecting to a circuit board, comprising:

a rigid ferrule having first and second ferrule ends, a ferrule interior, and at least one right-angle bend;

one or more bend-performance optical fibers that traverse the ferrule interior and that have respective first and second optical fiber ends, a bending radius R_F and a minimum bending radius R_MIN, wherein R_MIN≦

R_F≦

R_MAX, wherein R_MAX is the maximum fiber bending radius allowed by the ferrule interior, and wherein at least one of the one or more optical fibers has R_F=R_MIN, and

first and second connector ends respectively located at or near the first and second ferrule ends and that respectively operably support the first and second optical fiber ends, wherein at least one of the first and second connector ends is formed at one of the first and second ferrule ends respectively and adapted to optically connect to the circuit board.

18. The connector assembly of claim 17, wherein at least one of the connector ends is defined by at least one connector housing having a retaining feature adapted to operably retain the connector end to the circuit board.

19. The connector assembly of claim 17, wherein the first and second connector ends correspond to first and second connectors selected from the group of connectors comprising:

FC, SC, LC, IC, ST, MU and MTP connectors.

20. The connector assembly of claim 17, wherein R_F=R_MIN for each optical fiber.