OPTICAL CONNECTOR AND OPTICAL COUPLING STRUCTURE

• US 20180321446A1
• Filed: 10/18/2016
• Published: 11/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: ARAO, Hajime, SANO, Tomomi, SHIMAKAWA, Osamu, FUKUDA, Masakazu, HOSOKAWA, Takako
• Granted Patent: US 10,444,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3822 with beveled fibre ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3853 Lens inside the ferrule lensed connectors G02B6/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3882 using rods, pins or balls to align a pair of ferrule ends
• 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

Abstract

An optical connector is disclosed. The optical connector includes an optical fiber, a ferrule that holds the optical fiber, the ferrule having a flat ferrule end surface facing a counterpart optical connector, and a spacer provided on the ferrule end surface so as to define a clearance between the ferrule end surface and the counterpart optical connector. A tip surface of the optical fiber is exposed at the ferrule end surface. Respective normal directions to the tip surface of the optical fiber and the ferrule end surface are inclined with respect to an optical-axis direction of the optical fiber in a section along an optical axis of the optical fiber. The spacer includes an opening configured to allow an optical path extending from the tip surface of the optical fiber to pass therethrough.

Claims

1. An optical connector comprising:

an optical fiber;

a ferrule that holds the optical fiber, the ferrule having a flat ferrule end surface facing a counterpart optical connector; and

a spacer provided on the ferrule end surface so as to define a clearance between the ferrule end surface and the counterpart optical connector,

wherein a tip surface of the optical fiber is exposed at the ferrule end surface,

wherein respective normal directions to the tip surface of the optical fiber and the ferrule end surface are inclined with respect to an optical-axis direction of the optical fiber in a section along an optical axis of the optical fiber, and

wherein the spacer includes an opening configured to allow an optical path extending from the tip surface of the optical fiber to pass therethrough.

2. The optical connector according to claim 1,

wherein a pair of guide holes are formed in the ferrule end surface alongside a direction intersecting the section, the pair of guide holes configured to insert each of guide pins thereinto, and

wherein the center of the tip surface of the optical fiber is displaced from a line connecting the centers of the pair of guide holes at the ferrule end surface.

3. The optical connector according to claim 1,

wherein a pair of guide holes are formed in the ferrule end surface alongside a direction intersecting the section, the pair of guide holes configured to insert each of guide pins thereinto, and

wherein the spacer further includes a pair of through holes through which the guide pins pass.

4. The optical connector according to claim 1,

wherein the optical axis of the optical fiber is inclined with respect to a connection direction in the section, and

wherein the optical path extending from the tip surface of the optical fiber extends along the connection direction.

5. The optical connector according to claim 1,

wherein a thickness of the spacer in a connection direction is 10 μ

m or greater and 100 μ

m or smaller.

6. The optical connector according to claim 1,

wherein the tip surface of the optical fiber is flush with the ferrule end surface.

7. The optical connector according to claim 1,

wherein the spacer adheres to the ferrule end surface.

8. The optical connector according to claim 1,

wherein the spacer is formed of a same material as that of the ferrule.

9. An optical coupling structure comprising first and second optical connectors configured to be connected to each other, wherein

the first and second optical connectors each comprise an optical fiber and a ferrule that holds the optical fiber, the ferrule having a flat ferrule end surface,

the ferrule end surface of the first optical connector and the ferrule end surface of the second optical connector face each other,

tip surfaces of the optical fibers are exposed at the respective ferrule end surfaces of the first and second optical connectors, and respective normal directions to the tip surfaces of the optical fibers and the ferrule end surfaces are inclined with respect to an optical-axis direction of the optical fibers in a section along optical axes of the optical fibers,

the optical coupling structure further comprises a spacer configured to define a clearance between the ferrule end surface of the first optical connector and the ferrule end surface of the second optical connector, wherein the spacer has an opening configured to allow an optical path extending between the tip surface of the optical fiber of the first optical connector and the tip surface of the optical fiber of the second optical connector to pass therethrough.

10. The optical coupling structure according to claim 9,

wherein the tip surface of the optical fiber of the first optical connector is optically coupled to the tip surface of the optical fiber of the second optical connector in the opening with only air therebetween.