FERRULE ASSEMBLY WITH INTEGRAL LATCH

• US 20140193120A1
• Filed: 06/14/2012
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Molex Incorporated (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hodge, Malcolm H., Chen, Wenzong, Richardson, Dean, Ennst, Scot A., Chiltz, Thomas D., Marrapose, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US14/123,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20140193120A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/79
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3652 the additional structures being prepositioning mounting areas, allowing only movement in one dimension, e.g. grooves, trenches or vias in the microbench surface, i.e. self aligning supporting carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3672 with fibres arranged in a regular matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3696 by moulding, e.g. injection moulding, casting, embossing, stamping, stenciling, printing, or with metallic mould insert manufacturing using LIGA or MIGA techniques shaping the mould surface by machining B29C33/38; moulding techniques B29C39/00, B29C43/00, B29C45/00, B29C48/00, B29C59/00; stamping, printing or embossing techniques B81C1/00444; surface micromachining using LIGA B81C2201/032
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/403 of the ferrule type, connecting a pair of ferrules

Abstract

An optical fiber assembly includes a ferrule body with a plurality of optical fibers positioned therein. The assembly may include a beam expanding element adjacent the front face of the ferrule body with a lens array aligned with the optical fibers. A resilient latch is integrally formed with the beam expanding element or the ferrule body.

Claims

1. An optical fiber assembly comprising:

a plurality of generally parallel optical fibers, each optical fiber having an end face;

a ferrule body having the plurality of optical fibers positioned therein, the ferrule body having a front face, the end face of each optical fiber being positioned generally adjacent the front face of the ferrule body;

a beam expanding element generally adjacent the front face of the ferrule body, the beam expanding element having a lens array aligned with the optical fibers of ferrule body; and

a resilient latch for interconnecting the optical fiber assembly to a mating component, the resilient latch being integrally formed with the beam expanding element.

2. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1, further including a pair of rearwardly extending, cantilevered resilient latch arms.

3. The optical fiber assembly of claim 2, wherein each latch arm has a latching projection for engaging a latching shoulder of the mating component.

4. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1, further including a generally elongated member integrally formed with and extending between the beam expanding element and the resilient latch.

5. The optical fiber assembly of claim 4, wherein the generally elongated member extends along a sidewall of ferrule body generally from the front face of the ferrule body towards a rear face of the ferrule body.

6. The optical fiber assembly of claim 5, wherein the generally elongated member is fixed to the sidewall of the ferrule body.

7. The optical fiber assembly of claim 5, wherein the generally elongated member is generally non-deflectable.

8. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1, wherein the mating component is an adapter configured to mate with another ferrule assembly.

9. An optical fiber assembly comprising:

a plurality of generally parallel optical fibers, each optical fiber having an end face;

a ferrule body directly engaging the optical fibers positioned therein, the ferrule body having a front face, the end face of each optical fiber being positioned generally adjacent the front face of the ferrule body;

a beam expanding element generally adjacent the front face of the ferrule body, the beam expanding element having a lens array aligned with the optical fibers of ferrule body, the lens array being spaced from the optical fibers by a predetermined distance; and

a resilient latch for interconnecting the optical fiber assembly to a mating component, the resilient latch being integrally formed with one of the ferrule body and the beam expanding element.

10. The optical fiber assembly of claim 9, further including a pair of rearwardly extending, cantilevered resilient latch arms.

11. The optical fiber assembly of claim 10, wherein each latch arm has a latching projection for engaging a latching shoulder of the mating component.

12. The optical fiber assembly of claim 9, wherein the mating component is an adapter configured to mate with another ferrule assembly.

13. An optical fiber assembly comprising:

a plurality of generally parallel optical fibers, each optical fiber having an end face;

a ferrule body directly engaging optical fibers positioned therein, the ferrule body having a front face, the end face of each optical fiber being positioned generally adjacent the front face of the ferrule body; and

a resilient latch for interconnecting the optical fiber assembly to a mating component, the resilient latch being integrally formed with the ferrule body.

14. The optical fiber assembly of claim 13, where in the resilient latch has a pair of rearwardly extending, cantilevered resilient latch arms.

15. The optical fiber assembly of claim 14, wherein each latch arm has a latching projection for engaging a latching shoulder of the mating component.

16. The optical fiber assembly of claim 15, wherein the latch arm has a secondary projection for engaging the mating component and biasing the ferrule body towards a mating optical fiber assembly.