MULTI-FERRULE CONNECTOR FOR MULTICORE FIBER TERMINATIONS

• US 20130259429A1
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OFS Fitel LLC (Furukawa Electric Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: OFS Fitel LLC (Furukawa Electric Company Limited)
• Inventors: Sandels, Gregory A., Czosnowski, Wladyslaw
• Granted Patent: US 9,366,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/78
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3851 Ferrules having keying or coding means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3871 Ferrule rotatable with respect to plug body, e.g. for setting rotational position adjusting fibre within the ferrule, G02B6/3843; Fixation of ferrules after rotation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3879 Linking of individual connector plugs to an overconnector, e.g. using clamps, clips, common housings comprising several individual connector plugs
• 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

A ganged connector housing Is configured to receive a plurality of single-fiber connectors. Each connector is removably retainable at a respective location in the connector housing. Each single-fiber connector comprises a ferrule configured to receive and retain a single multicore fiber. The single-fiber connectors have a high-density packing footprint within the connector housing. Each single-fiber connector and its respective ferrule is configured to enable individual repositioning, tuning, alignment, repair or replacement of a respective multicore fiber terminated therein, independent of other optical fibers within the plurality of single fiber ferrules, and without requiring replacement of the entire set of multicore fibers.

Claims

1. A multifiber connector structure for terminating a set of multicore fibers, the multifiber connector structure comprising:

a ganged connector housing configured to receive a plurality of single-fiber

connectors, each connector being removably retainable at a respective location in the connector housing,

wherein each single-fiber connector comprises a housing containing a ferrule for receiving and retaining a single multicore fiber,

wherein the single-fiber connectors have a high-density packing footprint within the connector housing, and

wherein each single-fiber connector and its respective ferrule is configured to enable individual repositioning, tuning, alignment, repair or replacement of a respective multicore fiber terminated therein, independent of other optical fibers within the plurality of single fiber ferrules, and without requiring replacement of the entire set of multicore fibers.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the ganged housing comprises an aperture shaped to closely lit around a stacked array of single-fiber connectors.

3. The connector of claim 2, wherein the aperture is configured such that in a stacked array of single-fiber connectors, the connector surfaces in a first row abut

corresponding connectors surfaces in a second row such that the first and second rows support each other.

4. The connector of claim 3, wherein the aperture is configured to have upper and lower latching slots to receive resilient latching arms at one side of each of the single-fiber connectors.

5. The connector of claim 1, wherein each individual ferrule can be selectively and adjustably positioned within its respective receptacle in the connector housing.

6. The connector of claim 5, wherein each single-fiber connector is configured to provide for rotational alignment of a multicore fiber installed into the ferrule therein.

7. A ganged adapter for providing connectivity between a ganged housing according to claim 1 and a second, structure, wherein the ganged adapter comprises:

an adapter body with a first opening at a first lace and a second opening at a second face,

wherein at least one of the first and second openings is configured to receive a ganged housing, into which is installed, a stacked array of single-fiber connectors, each, terminating a respective multicore fiber, and

wherein the adapter body is configured such that when the ganged housing is loaded into the first opening of the ganged adapter and a second structure is loaded into the second opening of the ganged adapter, the cores of the multicore fibers contained in the ganged housing are brought into aligned contact with, corresponding cores contained in the second structure.

8. The ganged adapter of claim 7, wherein the second structure comprises a second ganged adapter according to claim 1 containing a second plurality of multicore fibers.

9. The ganged adapter of claim 8, further comprising:

an army of mating sleeves between the first and second ganged adapter openings,

wherein each mating sleeve Is configured to receive a pair of connector ferrules, comprising a connector ferrule from the first ganged housing and a respective connector ferrule from the second ganged housing.