HERMAPHRODITIC OPTICAL FIBER FERRULE

• US 20120033921A1
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Haley, Edmund J., Baechtle, David Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,672,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/78
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/383 Hermaphroditic connectors, i.e. two identical plugs mating with one another, each plug having both male and female diametrically opposed engaging parts; electric hermaphroditic coupling H01R24/84, H01R13/28
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3853 Lens inside the ferrule lensed connectors G02B6/32
• 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 6/3893 Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on

Abstract

The invention pertains to an optical coupling method and apparatus in which the connectors are hermaphroditic and each connector comprises a ferrule that provides (1) the coarse alignment of the fibers, (2) the fine alignment of the fibers, and (3) the releasable latching of two such ferrules to each other. Hence, two such ferrules can be used to connect optical fibers without the need for connector housings. The ferrule of this system includes an alignment protrusion and a complementary alignment hole on the front face of the ferrule for providing the fine alignment. Coarse alignment is provided by longitudinally-directed protrusions extending forwardly of the front face, and recesses in the ferrule that are complementary to the protrusion such that two such ferrules can be mated to each other with the protrusions of one such ferrule fitting snugly within the recesses of the other such ferrule. A releasable latching mechanism is provided on one or more of the protrusions and its complementary recess, such as a bump on one of the protrusion and recess and a mating divot on the other.

Claims

1. A hermaphroditic optical connector comprising:

at least one optical transport having an end face;

a ferrule having a front face through which light may be coupled between the at least one optical transport and another optical transport, the optical transport disposed in the ferrule with the end face positioned to couple light therefrom through the front face of the ferrule;

a fine alignment mechanism for mating with a complementary fine alignment mechanism of another connector to finely laterally align the at least one fiber relative to the other connector; and

a releasable latching mechanism integral with the ferrule for releasably coupling the ferrule to another ferrule when the coarse alignment mechanism and the fine alignment mechanism of the ferrule are engaged with the coarse alignment mechanism and fine alignment mechanism, respectively, of another such ferrule.

2. The optical connector of claim 1 wherein the ferrule is a unitary piece.

3. The optical connector of claim 2 wherein the ferrule is a molded piece.

4. The optical connector of claim 1 further comprising:

a coarse alignment mechanism integrally formed in the ferrule comprising at least one protrusion extending longitudinally forward of the front face and at least one recess, the protrusion and recess being substantially complementary in shape and size so that first and second such connectors can be mated facing each other with the protrusion of the first ferrule extending into the recess of the second ferrule in only one rotational orientation about their longitudinal axes relative to each other;

5. The optical connector of claim 4 wherein the connector does not include a housing surrounding the ferrule.

6. The optical connector of claim 4 wherein the coarse alignment mechanism comprises at least one protrusion and at least one recess, the protrusion and recess being substantially complementary in shape and size so that first and second such optical connectors may be mated facing each other with the protrusion of the first connector extending into the recess of the second connector.

7. The optical connector of claim 6 wherein the at least one protrusion extends longitudinally forward from the front face and the at least one complementary recess extending longitudinally rearward of the front face and is adapted to longitudinally receive the at least one protrusion of another such connector.

8. The optical connector of claim 7 wherein the at least one protrusion comprises a plurality of circumferential walls surrounding the front face and the recess comprises a plurality of recesses in a surface of the ferrule.

9. The optical connector of claim 6 wherein the releasable latching mechanism comprises one of a protuberance and a mating hole disposed in the at least one protrusion and the other of the bump and the mating hole disposed in the at least one recess.

10. The optical connector of claim 6 wherein the releasable latching mechanism comprises first and second contoured elements shaped relative to each other such that, when the first contoured element of one such connector is engaged with the second contoured element of another such connector, the engaged first and second contoured elements act to bias the two connectors toward each other.

11. The optical connector of claim 1 wherein the fine alignment mechanism comprises a hole in the front face and a pin extending from the front face, the hole being complementary in size, shape, and position to the pin so that when two such ferrules are laterally aligned with their front faces facing each other, the two ferrules can be advanced toward each other with the pin of each ferrule extending into the hole of the other ferrule in only one rotational orientation relative to each other thereby providing fine lateral and rotational alignment of the two ferrules, wherein the pin is shorter in the longitudinal dimension that the protrusion such that the at least one protrusion will become longitudinally coextensive with the at least one recess before the pin will become longitudinally coextensive with the hole.

12. The optical connector of claim 4 wherein the coarse alignment mechanism comprises at least one protrusion and at least one recess, the protrusion and recess being substantially complementary in shape and size so that first and second such optical connectors may be mated facing each other with the protrusion of the first connector extending into the recess of the second connector.

13. The optical connector of claim 12 wherein the at least one protrusion extends longitudinally forward from the front face and the at least one complementary recess extends longitudinally rearward of the front face and is adapted to longitudinally receive the at least one protrusion of another such connector.

14. The optical connector of claim 13 wherein the releasable latching mechanism comprises first and second contoured elements shaped relative to each other such that, when the first contoured element of one such connector is engaged with the second contoured element of another such connector, the engaged first and second contoured elements act to bias the two connectors toward each other.

15. The optical connector of claim 12 wherein the releasable latching mechanism comprises one of a bump and a mating hole disposed in the at least one protrusion and the other of the bump and the mating hole disposed in the at least one recess.

16. An optical ferrule for coupling to another optical ferrule so as to align an optical transport in the ferrule to an optical transport in a mated ferrule comprising:

a ferrule body for housing an optical transport therein oriented in a longitudinal direction, the ferrule body having front face substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension and through which front face light emanating from an optical transport disposed in the ferrule body will pass and a side surface substantially parallel the longitudinal dimension;

a plurality of protrusions extending longitudinally forward of the front face and disposed circumferentially around the front face;

a plurality of recesses in the side surface of the ferrule extending rearwardly from the front face, the plurality of recesses being complementary in size, shape, and position to the plurality of protrusions so that when two such ferrules are laterally aligned with their front faces facing each other, the two ferrules can be advanced toward each other with the protrusions of each ferrule extending into the recesses of the other ferrule in only one rotational orientation relative to each other thereby providing a coarse lateral and rotational alignment of the two ferrules;

a pin extending longitudinally forward of the front face;

a hole in the front face, the hole being complementary in size, shape, and position to the pin so that when two such ferrules are laterally aligned with their front faces facing each other, the two ferrules can be advanced toward each other with the pin of each ferrule extending into the hole of the other ferrule in only one rotational orientation relative to each other thereby providing fine lateral and rotational alignment of the two ferrules, wherein the pin is shorter in the longitudinal dimension that the protrusion such that the at least one protrusion will become longitudinally coextensive with the at least one recess before the pin will become longitudinally coextensive with the hole; and

one of a bump and a mating hole disposed in the at least one protrusion and the other of the bump and the mating hole disposed in the at least one recess.

17. The ferrule of claim 16 wherein the ferrule is a unitary piece.

18. The ferrule of claim 17 wherein the ferrule is a molded piece.

19. The ferrule of claim 16 wherein the at least one protrusion comprises a plurality of circumferential walls surrounding the front face and the recess comprises a plurality of recesses in the side surface of the ferrule.

20. The ferrule of claim 19 wherein the bump and hole are positioned relative to each other so that the bump on a first such connector and the hole on a second such connector will mate when the front faces of the first and second ferrules are longitudinally spaced from each other a predetermined distance.