Self-aligning optical fiber connector

Claim 2

An optical fiber connector comprising:

Claim 3

a housing having a generally cylindrical first bore, at least two opposed ribs extending radially into said first bore and terminating in a hub having a hole coaxial with said first bore, a pair of sleeves mounted on said housing in opposed relationship, said sleeves terminating in an inwardly projecting peripheral edge defining an opening to said housing coaxial with said first bore, said peripheral edge forming an annular cavity with said housing, a resilient O-ring located in said annular cavity having an inside diameter slightly less than said first bore, at least one pair of slightly elongated half-round holding members pivotally mounted in said hole, said holding members having a flat surface in opposed mating relationship, said surfaces having an opposed longitudinal V-groove defining a second bore coaxial with said first bore, said second bore having a conically inclined convergent surface on either end thereof defining an entrance to receive the exposed core end of an optical fiber, means for guiding the ends of an optical fiber into said second bore, and means for elastically maintaining said holding members in opposed relationship.

Claim 4

a housing having a generally cylindrical first bore, at least two opposed ribs extending radially into said first bore and terminating in a hub having a hole coaxial with said first bore, a pair of sleeves mounted on said housing in opposed relationship, said sleeves terminating in an inwardly projecting peripheral edge defining an opening to said housing coaxial with said first bore, said peripheral edge forming an annular cavity with said housing, a resilient O-ring located in said annular cavity having an inside diameter slightly less than said first bore, at least one pair of slightly elongated half-round holding members pivotally mounted in said hole, said holding members having a flat surface in opposed mating relationship, said surfaces having an opposed longitudinal V-groove defining a second bore coaxial with said first bore, said second bore having a conically inclined convergent surface on either end thereof defining an entrance to receive the exposed core end of an optical fiber, means for guiding the ends of an optical fiber into said second bore, and means for elastically maintaining said holding members in opposed relationship.

Claim 5

The optical fiber connector of claim 1 wherein said means for guiding the ends of an optical fiber into said second bore comprises a fiber end connector of the type having an elongated hollow cylindrical body with a reduced diameter forward portion and an enlarged rear portion, said forward portion defining a cylinder, having a forward and a rear inwardly projecting annular ring defining a cavity, a fiber end guide slidably mounted in the forward portion of said cavity coaxial therewith comprising a hollow cylindrical body portion having a flat circular base, said base having a central guide hole of slightly larger diameter than the outside diameter of the end of an optical fiber, a fiber retention gripper comprising a generally cylindrical body portion having an axial bore, a pair of opposed grippers defining the frustrum of a core integrally joined to the forward end of said body, the bottom surface of which projects outwardly to mate against said rear annular ring, and a compression spring located between said fiber guide and said fiber retention gripper having one end bearing against the base of said fiber guide and the other end bearing against the conical surface defined by said grippers, said spring biasing said fiber guide against said forward annular ring while simultaneously biasing said grippers inwardly to grip the end of an optical fiber.

Claim 6

An optical fiber connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one wedge having first and second ends is mounted within said housing, said first end located at the mating point between said half-round holding members and said second end passing through the said housing, said wedge being enclosed by a resilient body whose normal force urges said wedge away from said half-round holding members, said wedge being capable of moving between said half-round holding members and spreading them apart in response to a force on the second end of said wedge overcoming the normal force of said resilient body.

Claim 7

An optical fiber connector in accordance with claim 2 wherein at least one wedge having first and second ends is mounted within said housing, said first end located at the mating point between said half-round holding members and said second end passing through the said housing, said wedge being enclosed by a resilient body whose normal force urges said wedge away from said half-round holding members, said wedge being capable of moving between said half-round holding members and spreading them apart in response to a force on the second end of said wedge overcoming the normal force of said resilient body.

Claim 8

An improved optical fiber connector of the type wherein each of the ends of a pair of single cladded optical fibers is inserted into an end coupler and axially aligned in end-to-end relationship by inserting said end couplers into a central coupler of the type having a generally cylindrical first bore, wherein the improvement comprises two half-round holding members mounted in said central coupler, each of said holding members having a flat surface in opposed mating relationship with each other, each of said surfaces having an opposed longitudinal V-groove defining a second bore coaxial with said first bore, said second bore having a conically inclined convergent surface on either end thereof for receiving and guiding the exposed end of an inserted fiber into said second bore whereby the longitudinal axis of said fiber coincides with the longitudinal axis of said second bore, said fiber spreading said holding members away from each other, and means for elastically maintaining said holding members in opposed relationship.

Claim 9

An improved optical fiber connector of the type wherein each of the ends of a pair of single cladded optical fibers is inserted into an end coupler and axially aligned in end-to-end relationship by inserting said end couplers into a central coupler of the type having a generally cylindrical first bore, wherein the improvement comprises two half-round holding members mounted in said central coupler, each of said holding members having a flat surface in opposed mating relationship with each other, each of said surfaces having an opposed longitudinal V-groove defining a second bore coaxial with said first bore, said second bore having a conically inclined convergent surface on either end thereof for receiving and guiding the exposed end of an inserted fiber into said second bore whereby the longitudinal axis of said fiber coincides with the longitudinal axis of said second bore, said fiber spreading said holding members away from each other, and means for elastically maintaining said holding members in opposed relationship.

Claim 10

An optical fiber connector in accordance with claim 5 wherein at least one wedge having first and second ends is mounted within said end coupler, said first end located at the mating point between said half-round holding members and said second end passing through said end coupler, said wedge being enclosed by a resilient body whose normal force urges said wedge away from said half-round holding members, said wedge being capable of moving between said half-round holding members and spreading them apart in response to a force on the second end of said wedge overcoming the normal force of said resilient body.