OPTICAL RECEPTACLE

• US 20150316727A1
• Filed: 04/28/2015
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toto Limited
• Original Assignee: Toto Limited
• Inventors: KONDO, Sho, AGATSUMA, Hirotsugu, HAKOZAKI, Satoshi, KANEYUKI, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,581,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3822 with beveled fibre ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3826 characterised by form or shape
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3846 with fibre stubs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3851 Ferrules having keying or coding means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3855 characterised by the method of anchoring or fixing the fibre within the ferrule G02B6/3854 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3869 Mounting ferrules to connector body, i.e. plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/421 the intermediate optical component consisting of a short length of fibre, e.g. fibre stub
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an optical receptacle includes a fiber stub including an optical fiber, and a ferrule having a through-hole through which the optical fiber is fixed; a sleeve holding a portion of the fiber stub; a holder holding a portion of the fiber stub on an opposite side to a side that is held by the sleeve; an accommodation unit accommodates at least a portion of the fiber stub and the sleeve, an end surface of the fiber stub being formed as a convex spherical surface inclined with a specific angle with respect to a plane that is orthogonal to a center axis of the optical fiber, the end surface being optically connected to a plug ferrule to be inserted into the sleeve, the holder being provided with a positioning unit controlling an inclined direction of the end surface of the fiber stub.

Claims

1. An optical receptacle comprising:

a fiber stub including

an optical fiber including a clad and a core for optical conduction,

a ferrule having a through-hole through which the optical fiber is fixed, and

an elastic member filling the through-hole of the ferrule along with the optical fiber;

a sleeve holding a portion of the fiber stub;

a holder holding a portion of the fiber stub on an opposite side to a side that is held by the sleeve; and

an accommodation unit provided at a position at which the accommodation unit accommodates at least a portion of the fiber stub and the sleeve,

an end surface of the fiber stub being formed as a convex spherical surface inclined with a specific angle with respect to a plane that is orthogonal to a center axis of the optical fiber, the end surface being optically connected to a plug ferrule to be inserted into the sleeve, the holder being provided with a positioning unit controlling an inclined direction of the end surface of the fiber stub.

2. The receptacle according to claim 1,

wherein the holder is provided with a plurality of positioning units.

3. The receptacle according to claim 1,

wherein the positioning unit provided in the holder is configured of a straight line.

4. The receptacle according to claim 1,

wherein the positioning unit provided in the holder is configured of a notch.

5. The receptacle according to claim 1,

wherein an angle between the positioning unit provided in the holder and the direction in which the end surface of the fiber stub is inclined is within ±

3°

with respect to a predetermined angle.

6. The receptacle according to claim 1,

wherein the holder holds a position away from the end surface, which is formed as a convex spherical surface inclined at a specific angle with respect to the plane that is orthogonal to the center axis of the optical fiber, by 1 mm or greater.

7. The receptacle according to claim 1,

wherein the spherical surface employed as the end surface of the fiber stub is formed over an entire region of the end surface of the ferrule.

8. The receptacle according to claim 1, wherein

the sleeve includes a slit along a center axis of the optical fiber, the slit being provided at a portion of circumference of the sleeve, and

the slit is positioned on a side, on which a distance from the holder is shorter, in the end surface formed as the convex spherical surface inclined at a specific angle with respect to the plane that is orthogonal to the center axis of the optical fiber.

9. The receptacle according to claim 8,

wherein an angle between a straight line connecting the center axis and a first point, which is the closest to the holder, among points on the end surface formed as the convex spherical surface and a straight line connecting the center of the slit and the center axis is equal to or less than 90°

when viewed in a direction in parallel with the center axis.

10. The receptacle according to claim 1, wherein

a portion of an end surface, which is on an opposite side to the end surface formed as the convex spherical surface, of the fiber stub is a plane inclined with respect to the plane that is orthogonal to the center axis of the optical fiber, and

an angle between a straight line connecting the center axis of the optical fiber and a point, which is the closest to the sleeve, among points on the end surface on the opposite side to the end surface formed as the convex spherical surface and a straight line connecting a reference point on the positioning unit and the center axis of the optical fiber is a predetermined angle when viewed in a direction in parallel with the center axis of the optical fiber.