EP0053914A1 — Fibre optic connectors and lens elements therefor

Claim 1

Independent Claim 93 words

A lens element for use in a fibre optic waveguide connector, which comprises a body (3;105;340) of translucent material having at least one lens surface (21;109;341) formed thereon, and, characterised in that the said element (3;105) also comprises one or more projections (22;342) extending forwardly and beyond said lens surface, said projections being so arranged that, when said element is held against another such element with the said lens surfaces in face-to-face relationship and said projections interengaging, the optical axes of the lens surfaces are brought into coincidence or parallelism by said interengagement.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 93 words

A lens element for use in a fibre optic waveguide connector, which comprises a body (3;105;340) of translucent material having at least one lens surface (21;109;341) formed thereon, and, characterised in that the said element (3;105) also comprises one or more projections (22;342) extending forwardly and beyond said lens surface, said projections being so arranged that, when said element is held against another such element with the said lens surfaces in face-to-face relationship and said projections interengaging, the optical axes of the lens surfaces are brought into coincidence or parallelism by said interengagement.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 29 words

A lens element according to claim 1, which comprises a single projection in the form of a continuous flange (22;342) extending around the periphery of the lens surface (21;109;341)..

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 13 words

A lens element according to claim 1, which comprises two or more projections.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 59 words

A lens element according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the or each projection terminates in an end face (23;319), the end face(s) all lying in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens surface, whereby when two lens elements are held together as defined, the end face(s) of the respective projections are in abutting interengagement.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 44 words

A lens element according to claim 1, wherein two or more projections are provided with corresponding spaces therebetween whereby, when two lens elements are held together as defined, the respective projections of one element are received in the respective spaces in the other element.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 34 words

A lens element according to claim 5, wherein the projections and spaces are so shaped as to permit positive interlocking between the projections on each element and the corresponding spaces on the other element.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 72 words

A lens element according to any preceding claim which comprises a generally elongate body (3;105; 340) of translucent material having said lens surface (21;109;341) formed at one end thereof, with the optical axis of the lens generally coincident with the longitudinal axis of the body, and having at the other end an axial recess (16,18;.11O,111;343,344), terminating at or about the focal point of the lens, for receiving therein a fibre optic waveguide.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 37 words

A lens element according to claim 7, wherein said recess comprises an outer truncated conical portion (16;110;343) and an inner truncated conical portion (18;lll;344), the outer said portion having a greater cone angle than the inner portion.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 53 words

A lens element according to claim 8, wherein the inner truncated conical portion (344) is such that the said portion narrows to a width less than that of a fibre optic waveguide so that, when such a waveguide is introduced therein, it jams against the side wall of the said inner conical recess.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 76 words

A lens element according to any of claims 1 to 6, which comprises an elongate tube (302) having a lens (13,314) therein intermediate the ends of the tube and coaxial with the tube, that portion (315) of the tube extending forwardly and beyond the or one of the lens surfaces (314) constituting said projection, and that portion of the tube extending rearwardly of said lens surface constituting a recess for receiving a light receiver or emitter.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 92 words

A pair of lens elements for use in a fibre optic waveguide connector, which lens elements each comprise a body of translucent material (3;105;302, 318,340) having at least one lens surface (21;109;13, 314,341) formed thereon and, extending forwardly and beyond said lens surface, one or more projections (22; 342) the said projection(s) on each lens element being such that, when the two elements are held together with the said respective lens surfaces in face-to-face relation, the respective projections interengage to bring the optical axes of the lens surfaces into coincidence or parallelism.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 92 words

A pair of lens elements for use in a fibre optic waveguide connector, which lens elements each comprise a body of translucent material (3;105;302, 318,340) having at least one lens surface (21;109;13, 314,341) formed thereon and, extending forwardly and beyond said lens surface, one or more projections (22; 342) the said projection(s) on each lens element being such that, when the two elements are held together with the said respective lens surfaces in face-to-face relation, the respective projections interengage to bring the optical axes of the lens surfaces into coincidence or parallelism.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 71 words

A pair of lens elements according to claim 11, wherein the said one or more projections (342) on a first (340) of said elements are different from the said one or more projections (315) on a second (302) of said elements, the said projection on the two elements however being complementary and interengageable when the lens elements are held together as defined, to bring the optical axes into coincidence or parallelism.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 28 words

A pair of lens elements according to claim 11 or 12, wherein at least one of said elements is as defined in any of claims 1 to 10.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 114 words

Apparatus for connecting together two fibre optic waveguides, which comprises a first and a second housing (1;101), a pair of lens elements (3;105) as claimed in any of claims 11 to 13, one lens element of the pair being received in each housing; means (9,20,16,18;102) in each housing for receiving a fibre optic waveguide such that optical data emitted from the waveguide passes through the respective lens element in the-housing; the first housing being releasably couplable to the second housing to bring the respective lens elements in face-to-face relationship with their respective projections being biased towards each other and inter-engaging to retain the optical axes of the two lens elements in coincidence or parallelism.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 128 words

Apparatus for connecting a fibre optic waveguide to a receiving or transmitting station, which comprises a pair of lens elements as defined in claim 11, 12 or 13, one of said elements (302) being mounted in said receiving or transmission station and the other of said elements (340) being mounted in a housing member (307) including means (333) for receiving said fibre optic waveguide whereby optical data transmitted to or from said waveguide passes through said lens element in the housing; and means (322,321,320) for releasably coupling said housing to said station whereby said respective lens elements are brought into face-to-face relationship and biased towards each other to cause their respective projections to interengage to hold the said lenses such that their optical axes are coincident or parallel.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 45 words

Apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the or each said housing comprises a body member (1; 101) having an open bore (2) therein, said lens element (3) being slidably receivable in said bore with said projections (22) at one end of said bore.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 96 words

A fibre optic waveguide connector which comprises a body member (1;101;307), having an open bore (2) therein, a lens element (3;105;340) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10 disposed within said bore, with the projections (22;342) on said lens element extending to or beyond an open end of said bore, and means (16,17,18;102;333) for receiving in said body member a fibre optic waveguide positioned with respect to said lens element whereby light emitted from said waveguide passes through said lens element and out of said open end of said bore as a collimated beam.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 51 words

1 8. A connector according to claim 17 which also includes coupling means (40-52;320,321,322) for releasably coupling it to another member having identical coupling means, to form a unitary assembly of the connector and the other member, in which assembly light emitted from said waveguide is directed into said other member.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 58 words

A connector according to claim 18, wherein the coupling means comprises one or more axially extending arms (40,44,46;118), and one or more corresponding axially extending recesses (50,52;121), whereby the connector may be coupled to another connector or other member having identical coupling means, by interengagement of the arm(s) of each coupling means in the recess(es) of the other.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 48 words

A pair of connectors each as defined in claim 17, 18 or 19, wherein when the connectors are coupled together, the respective lens elements are held in face-to-face relation with their respective projections in inter-engagement to maintain the optical axes of the two lens elements coincident or parallel.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 93 words

A two-part fibre optic waveguide connector, wherein the first part comprises a body (102;350) for receiving and firmly locating therein a fibre optic waveguide, with an exposed end of the waveguide precisely positioned in the first part; and a second part (101; 307) releaaably couplable to said first part, said second part comprising a lens element (105;340) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, coupling of the first part to the second part automatically positioning the said waveguide end to emit or receive optical data to or from the lens element.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 58 words

A two-part connector according to claim 21, wherein the said first part (102;308) comprises a base (130;350) and a lid (131,132;360), one or both of which have open grooves or channels (134,135,136;351) therein whereby, when the lid is closed on the base, there are formed one or more passageways for receiving and holding said fibre optic waveguide therein.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 79 words

A fibre optic connector which comprises a body member for receiving the end of a fibre optic waveguide, a lens element as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10 for receiving or transmitting optical data from or to the said waveguide, wherein the said lens is so mounted in the body member that the body member can move slightly relative to the lens element in at least one plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens element.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 134 words

A method of transmitting optical data which comprises feeding said data into a first lens element which comprises a body of translucent material (3;105; 340) including a lens surface (21;109;341), the said optical data passing through the first lens and being emitted therefrom as a substantially collimated beam of light; passing said collimated beam through a second lens element (3;105;302,318) comprising a body of translucent material including a lens surface (21;109; 13,314,341), said lens surface focussing said beam, and wherein each said lens element comprises one or more projections (22;342,315) extending forwardly of and beyond its respective lens surface, and said lens elements are held together with the respective projections in engagement, the said projections being so arranged that the two lens elements are thus held with their respective optical axes coincident or parallel.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 134 words

A method of transmitting optical data which comprises feeding said data into a first lens element which comprises a body of translucent material (3;105; 340) including a lens surface (21;109;341), the said optical data passing through the first lens and being emitted therefrom as a substantially collimated beam of light; passing said collimated beam through a second lens element (3;105;302,318) comprising a body of translucent material including a lens surface (21;109; 13,314,341), said lens surface focussing said beam, and wherein each said lens element comprises one or more projections (22;342,315) extending forwardly of and beyond its respective lens surface, and said lens elements are held together with the respective projections in engagement, the said projections being so arranged that the two lens elements are thus held with their respective optical axes coincident or parallel.

Fibre optic connectors and lens elements therefor

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