Spacer and strain relief for fiber optic connectors
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A spacer for use with a multifiber connector, the spacer comprising:
- an elongated central element, said elongated central element being formed of a resin material and having first and second ends formed thereon;
at least two openings extending between the first and second ends of the elongated central element; and
a channel in the elongated central element and in communication with the at least two openings to allow an optical fiber to pass therethrough.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A spacer is provided to assist in orienting and aligning optical fibers in a connector. The spacer may also provide strain relief for the optical fibers. The spacer is especially useful with smaller optical fibers that are to be used in connectors that are designed for larger optical fibers or cables. Openings extending through the spacer, which may have a channel that allows for communication between the openings. The spacer can have as many openings as there are fibers for the connector. The spacer also assists in holding the fibers during the cleaving process so that the fibers are cleaved simultaneously and consistently.
29 Citations
26 Claims
-
1. A spacer for use with a multifiber connector, the spacer comprising:
-
an elongated central element, said elongated central element being formed of a resin material and having first and second ends formed thereon;
at least two openings extending between the first and second ends of the elongated central element; and
a channel in the elongated central element and in communication with the at least two openings to allow an optical fiber to pass therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A spacer for use with a multifiber connector, the spacer comprising:
-
a resilient elongated central element having a first and second end;
at least two openings extending between the first and second ends of the elongated central element, the openings have centers that are about 750 microns apart; and
a channel in the elongated central element and in communication with the at least two openings to allow an optical fiber to pass therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
-
19. A spacer for use with a multifiber connector, the spacer comprising:
-
an elongated central element having a first and second end; and
at least two openings extending between the first and second ends of the elongated central element, said openings being sized for an optical fiber having a diameter of about 250 microns;
wherein the elongated central element has a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis being parallel to the openings, and wherein at least one of the first and second ends is oriented at an angle between about 30° and
90°
relative to the longitudinal axis to allow for easier insertion of optical fibers.
-
-
20. A spacer fiber use with a multifiber connector, the spacer comprising:
-
an elongated central element having first and second ends; and
at least two openings extending between the first and second ends of the elongated central element, said openings having centers that are about 750 microns apart; and
wherein the elongated central element is comprised of two halves joined along an edge parallel to the openings.
-
-
21. A spacer for use with a multifiber connector, comprising:
said spacer being formed of a resilient fluorocarbon resin material imparting mechanical resiliency to said spacer, and said spacer comprising an elongated central element having first and second ends, at least two openings extending between said first and second ends and a channel m the elongated central element and in communication with the at least two openings to allow an optical fiber to pass therethrough.
-
22. A multifiber fiber optic connector assembly, said assembly comprising:
-
a spacer, said spacer being formed of a resilient material imparing mechanical resiliency to said spacer, and said spacer comprising an elongated central element having first and second ends, at least two openings extending between said first and second ends and a channel in the elongated central element and in communication with the at least two openings to allow an optical fiber to pass therethrough; and
a lead-in tube, said spacer being inserted into said lead-in tube, said lead-in tube being crimpable about said spacer, said resiliency inhibiting optical attenuation effects, and providing strain relief and protection of said optical fibers. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
-
-
25. A spacer for use with a multifiber connector, the spacer comprising:
-
an elongated central element, said elongated central element being formed of a resin material and having first and second ends formed thereon; and
at least two openings extending between the first and second ends of the elongated central element;
wherein the elongated central element has a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis being parallel to the openings, and wherein at least one of the first and second ends is oriented at an angle between about 30° and
90°
relative to the longitudinal axis to allow for easier insertion of optical fibers.
-
-
26. A spacer for use with a multifiber connector, the spacer comprising:
-
a resilient elongated central element having a first and second end; and
at least two openings extending between the first and second ends of the elongated central element, the openings have centers that are about 750 microns apart and wherein the elongated central element is comprised of two halves joined along an edge parallel to the openings.
-
Specification