WIDE TEMPERATURE RANGE OPTICAL FIBER CONNECTOR WITH THERMAL EXPANSION COMPENSATION

• US 20140294395A1
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Molex Incorporated (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Waldron, Mark, Hodge, Malcolm H., Chen, Wenzong, Richardson, Dean A., Armand, Jannick, Gardner, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,977,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/115
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/381 of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3823 containing surplus lengths, internal fibre loops provisionally see also G02B6/444
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3829 Bent or angled connectors G02B6/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3853 Lens inside the ferrule lensed connectors G02B6/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3865 fabricated by using moulding techniques shaping techniques of plastic materials in general B29C; producing plastic optical fiber connectors B29D11/0075
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3888 Protection from over-extension or over-compression
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4262 characterised by the shape of the housing for semiconductor lasers H01S5/02208
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4293 hybrid electrical and optical connections for transmitting electrical and optical signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers

Abstract

An optical fiber assembly comprises an optical fiber having a forward end, a ferrule supporting the optical fiber, a beam expanding element aligned with the forward end of the optical fiber, and a thermal expansion compensation element adjacent the optical fiber to compensate for thermal expansion differences between the optical fiber and the ferrule.

Claims

1. An optical fiber assembly comprising:

an optical fiber having a forward end;

a ferrule supporting the optical fiber;

a beam expanding element aligned with the forward end of the optical fiber; and

a thermal expansion compensation element adjacent the optical fiber to compensate for thermal expansion differences between the optical fiber and the ferrule.

2. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1, wherein the beam expanding element is a resilient lens and the forward end of the optical fiber engages the resilient lens.

3. The optical fiber assembly of claim 2, wherein the resilient lens is insert molded within the ferrule.

4. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1, wherein the ferrule includes a central bore with a central axis, the central bore being dimensioned to permit a portion of the optical fiber spaced from the forward end to move laterally along the central axis while the forward end remains aligned with the beam expanding element.

5. The optical fiber assembly of claim 4, wherein the beam expanding element is a lens integrally formed with the ferrule.

6. The optical fiber assembly of claim 5, wherein the lens is spaced from the forward end of the optical fiber and a portion of the ferrule is positioned between the lens and the forward end.

7. A system for high bandwidth signal transmission comprising:

a device subassembly, the device subassembly having an electronic component capable of electronic signal transmission;

a transceiver subassembly for converting electronic signal transmission into optical signal transmission; and

a rotatable electrical connection between the device subassembly and the transceiver subassembly.

8. A system for high bandwidth signal transmission comprising:

a device subassembly, the device subassembly having an electronic component capable of electronic signal transmission, a transceiver subassembly for converting the electronic signal transmission into optical signal transmission; and

a rotatable connector for connecting to the device subassembly, the rotatable connector having an axis of rotation, a pair of electrical contacts, and an optical connector system along the axis of rotation.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the optical connector system has an air gap between mating optical components.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the optical connector system has at least one expanded beam optical connector.