OPTICAL CONNECTOR, OPTICAL FIBER WITH CONNECTOR, OPTICAL FIBER CONNECTING DEVICE, AND OPTICAL FIBER CONNECTION METHOD

• US 20080292246A1
• Filed: 02/18/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Research & Development Corporation (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Bylander, James R., Raider, Wesley A., Yazaki, Akihiko, Morgan, Eric M., Taylor, Kirk L., Yamauchi, Takaya
• Granted Patent: US 7,942,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/60
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3821 with axial spring biasing or loading means G02B6/3847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3822 with beveled fibre ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3849 using mechanical protective elements, e.g. caps, hoods, sealing membranes G02B6/3816 takes precedence; provisionally see H01R13/44
• 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 6/3874 using tubes, sleeves to align ferrules
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3877 Split sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/38875 Protection from bending or twisting

Abstract

A plug-type optical connector is provided with a ferrule and an aligning sleeve member. The aligning sleeve member receives a portion of the ferrule including an abutting end face inside a bore to prevent staining and damage and uses a movable shutter to prevent light emitted through the ferrule from leaking to the outside. The socket type optical connector is provided with a ferrule and a holding section. The optical connector is not provided with an aligning sleeve member and further can hold a coated optical fiber by a holding section behind the ferrule by a radius of curvature of at least a prescribed minimum radius of curvature. Optical loss in the coated optical fiber can be reduced while effectively reducing the external dimensions in the direction of extension of the ferrule at the time of use. An optical fiber connecting device that includes a combination of a pair of optical connectors is also provided to be suitably applied to an optical transmission line laid indoors.

Claims

1. An optical fiber with a connector, comprising an optical connector with a ferrule and a coated optical fiber, said ferrule being attached to a distal end of said coated optical fiber, wherein:

said ferrule is provided with an abutting end face and a fiber holding channel opening in said abutting end face and accommodating an optical fiber of said coated optical fiber; and

wherein

said coated optical fiber includes a beveled area formed adjoining an axial end face of said optical fiber and extending to be tapered toward said axial end face, and a free area formed adjoining said beveled area and being not secured to said fiber holding channel over a range of a predetermined length from said abutting end face in said fiber holding channel of said ferrule.

2. An optical fiber connection method for interconnecting a pair of optical fibers in an end abutting state, the method comprising:

providing a pair of ferrules respectively including abutting end faces and fiber holding channels opening at said abutting end faces for accommodating optical fibers;

forming a beveled area extending tapered toward an axial end face adjoining said axial end face on at least one of the pair of optical fibers;

respectively inserting the pair of optical fibers through said fiber holding channels of said pair of ferrules to making said axial end face of at least one of said optical fibers project outward from an abutting end face of a corresponding ferrule, and providing at least one of said optical fibers with a free area not secured to said fiber holding channel over a range of a predetermined length from said abutting end face in said fiber holding channel of the corresponding ferrule; and

arranging said pair of ferrules at aligning positions where said fiber holding channels are straightly aligned with each other, and making said axial end faces of said pair of optical fibers abut against each other under pressure.