US3846010A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical waveguide connector
Assignee: Corning Glass Works
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Filing: 1973-07-05
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Granted: 1974-11-05
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Expires: 1993-07-05
Abstract
Abstract An in-line connector for joining two bundles of optical waveguides. The end portions of the fibers of the first and second bundles are respectively disposed in apertures in first and second ferrules. The aperture shapes and dimensions are such that the fibers of each bundle are retained in a close packed array whereby the centers of the ends of any three contiguous fibers of a bundle are disposed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle. The two ferrules are fastened together in such a manner that the peripheries of the apertures are contiguous, thereby causing the alignment of each fiber of one bundle with a corresponding fiber of the other bundle.
Inventors
- 👤 R Love
- 👤 R Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 12:00
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/36; G02B6/40; G02B6/403
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
197 words
An in-line connector for joining first and second bundles having equal numbers of optical waveguide fibers of substantially equal diameters, said coupler comprising means forming a first aperture which is adapted to retain the fibers of said first bundle in a close packed array wherein the ends of said first bundle of fibers lie in a first plane that is substantially perpendicular to the axes thereof, the centers of the ends of any three contiguous fibers of said first bundle being disposed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle, said first aperture being adapted to confine the fibers of said first bundle to the smallest possible cross-sectional area in which they can be disposed, means forming a second aperture which is adapted to retain said second bundle of fibers in a close packed array wherein the ends of said fibers of said second bundle lie in a second plane that is substantially perpendicular to the axes thereof, the cross-sectional shape of said second aperture being a mirror image of that of said first aperture, and means for aligning said first and second aperture forming means so that the peripheries of said first and second apertures are contiguous.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
197 words
An in-line connector for joining first and second bundles having equal numbers of optical waveguide fibers of substantially equal diameters, said coupler comprising means forming a first aperture which is adapted to retain the fibers of said first bundle in a close packed array wherein the ends of said first bundle of fibers lie in a first plane that is substantially perpendicular to the axes thereof, the centers of the ends of any three contiguous fibers of said first bundle being disposed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle, said first aperture being adapted to confine the fibers of said first bundle to the smallest possible cross-sectional area in which they can be disposed, means forming a second aperture which is adapted to retain said second bundle of fibers in a close packed array wherein the ends of said fibers of said second bundle lie in a second plane that is substantially perpendicular to the axes thereof, the cross-sectional shape of said second aperture being a mirror image of that of said first aperture, and means for aligning said first and second aperture forming means so that the peripheries of said first and second apertures are contiguous.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A connector in accordance with claim 1 further comprising means for urging the end of said first bundle toward the end of said second bundle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A connector in accordance with claim 2 wherein the walls of said aperture forming means have planar sides that intersect at an angle of p.60* wherein p 1 or 2.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
A connector in accordance with claim 3 wherein said first and second apertures are in the shape of a hexagon, and wherein each bundle contains N fibers where N 3n2- 3n+1 and where the length a of each side of said hexagonal aperture is determined by the equation a (n- 1/2 )d, where n is an integer greater than 1.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
A connector in accordance with claim 3 wherein each channel is in the shape of an equilateral triangle, the length a of each side of which is given by the equation a (n+0.732)d, and the number N of fibers in each of said first and second bundles is given by the equation N 1/2 n(n+1) where n is an integer greater than 1.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
A connector in accordance with claim 3 wherein said first and second apertures are in the shape of a 60* corner parallelogram having two sides of length a along which n fibers are disposed and two sides of length b along which m fibers are disposed, the length a being (n+0.1547)d and the length b being (m+0.1547)d, the total number N of fibers in each bundle being mn.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
A connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first and second aperture forming means comprise first and second ferrules in which said first and second apertures are respectively disposed, said first and second ferrules having endfaces that lie in said first and second planes, respectively.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
65 words
A connector in accordance with claim 7 wherein the cross-sectional shape of the outer surface of said first ferrule is a mirror image of that of said second ferrule, said connector further comprising an alignment sleeve having an aperture, the shape of which corresponds to the outer surfaces of said first and second ferrules, said alignment sleeve maintaining said first and second ferrules in alignment.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A connector in accordance with claim 8 further comprising means for urging the ends of the fibers of said first bundle toward the ends of said fibers of said second bundle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
A connector in accordance with claim 9 further comprising means for facilitating the insertion of said first and second bundles into said first and second apertures, respectively.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-11-04 | 1978-05-06 | 1978-11-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-11-04 | 1982-05-06 | 1982-11-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-11-04 | 1986-05-06 | 1986-11-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |