Right-angle optical fiber connector assembly
First Claim
1. A right-angle optical-fiber connector assembly, comprising:
- a rigid ferrule having at least one right-angle bend and defining a ferrule interior and first and second ferrule ends;
a plurality of bend-performance optical fibers that traverse the ferrule interior and that have respective first and second optical fiber ends, a bending radius RF and a minimum bending radius RMIN wherein RMIN≦
RF≦
RMAX, wherein RMAXis the maximum fiber bending radius allowed by the ferrule interior, and wherein at least one of the optical fibers has RF =RMIN, and wherein at least one of the optical fibers is an outermost fiber having a bending radius RF greater than RMIN;
andfirst and second connector ends respectively located at or near the first and second ferrule ends and that respectively operably support the first and second optical fiber ends to provide external optical interconnection capability, whereinthe rigid ferrule is an overmold formed by providing flowable material about the optical fibers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A right-angle optical-fiber connector assembly for providing an optical connection to an external device such as a circuit board. The connector assembly includes a rigid ferrule having at least one right-angle bend and that defines an interior region and first and second ferrule ends, and a maximum optical fiber bending radius RMAX. One or more bend-performance optical fibers traverse the interior region. Each optical fiber has an associated minimum bending radius RMIN and includes a bending radius RF such that RMIN≦RF≦RMAX, wherein at least one of the one or more optical fibers has RF=RMIN. The first and second connector ends are respectively located at or near the first and second ferrule ends and operably support the first and second optical fiber ends. The connector ends are each adapted to provide an external optical interconnection to an external device such as a circuit board.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A right-angle optical-fiber connector assembly, comprising:
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a rigid ferrule having at least one right-angle bend and defining a ferrule interior and first and second ferrule ends; a plurality of bend-performance optical fibers that traverse the ferrule interior and that have respective first and second optical fiber ends, a bending radius RF and a minimum bending radius RMIN wherein RMIN≦
RF≦
RMAX, wherein RMAXis the maximum fiber bending radius allowed by the ferrule interior, and wherein at least one of the optical fibers has RF =RMIN, and wherein at least one of the optical fibers is an outermost fiber having a bending radius RF greater than RMIN;
andfirst and second connector ends respectively located at or near the first and second ferrule ends and that respectively operably support the first and second optical fiber ends to provide external optical interconnection capability, wherein the rigid ferrule is an overmold formed by providing flowable material about the optical fibers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of forming a right-angle connector assembly, comprising:
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providing a rigid ferrule having at least one right-angle bend and defining a ferrule interior and first and second ferrule ends; arranging a plurality of bend-performance optical fibers having respective first and second optical fiber ends so as to traverse the ferrule interior, the optical fibers each having respective first and second optical fiber ends, a bending radius RF and a minimum bending radius RMIN, wherein RMIN≦
RF≦
RMAX,wherein RMAX is the maximum fiber bending radius allowed by the ferrule interior, and wherein at least one of the optical fibers has RF=RMIN, and wherein at least one of the optical fibers is an outermost fiber having a bending radius RF greater than RMIN ; andattaching at least one connector end at or near at least one of the first and second ferrule ends respectively to operably support at least one of the first and second optical fiber ends to provide external optical interconnection capability, wherein providing the rigid ferrule comprises providing flowable material about the optical fibers. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A right-angle optical-fiber connector assembly for connecting to a circuit board, comprising:
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a rigid ferrule having first and second ferrule ends, a ferrule interior, and at least one right-angle bend; a plurality of bend-performance optical fibers that traverse the ferrule interior and that have respective first and second optical fiber ends, a bending radius RF and a minimum bending radius RMIN, wherein RMIN≦
RF≦
RMAX, wherein RMAX is the maximum fiber bending radius allowed by the ferrule interior, and wherein at least one of the optical fibers has RF=RMIN, and wherein at least one of the optical fibers is an outermost fiber having a bending radius RF greater than RMIN; andfirst and second connector ends respectively located at or near the first and second ferrule ends and that respectively operably support the first and second optical fiber ends, wherein at least one of the first and second connector ends is formed at one of the first and second ferrule ends respectively and adapted to optically connect to the circuit board, wherein the rigid ferrule is an overmold formed by providing flowable material about the optical fibers. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification