Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
75 words
An optical fiber holder comprising a housing, means for defining an opening in one end of said housing for receiving and for holding an end of an optical fiber, and a surrounding portion of said housing surrounding said opening, the improvement comprising, a plurality of centering elements integral with said housing and distributed around the periphery of said surrounding portion of said housing and constructed for deflection resiliently toward said surrounding portion of said housing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
75 words
An optical fiber holder comprising a housing, means for defining an opening in one end of said housing for receiving and for holding an end of an optical fiber, and a surrounding portion of said housing surrounding said opening, the improvement comprising, a plurality of centering elements integral with said housing and distributed around the periphery of said surrounding portion of said housing and constructed for deflection resiliently toward said surrounding portion of said housing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
An optical fiber holder as recited in claim 1, wherein the improvement further comprises, said centering elements have respective free ends distributed around the periphery of said surrounding portion of said housing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
An optical fiber holder as recited in claim 2, wherein the improvement further comprises, said free ends of said centering elements are defined by slots extending axially along said housing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
An optical fiber holder as recited in claim 3, wherein the improvement further comprises, an end of said housing, said slots and said opening communicate with said end of said housing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
An optical fiber holder as recited in claim 4, wherein the improvement further comprises, said free ends of said centering elements and said surrounding portion of said housing extending to said end of said housing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
An optical fiber holder as recited in claim 1, wherein the improvement further comprises, an end of said housing, said centering elements and said surrounding portion of said housing extending to said end of said housing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
An optical fiber holder as recited in claim 6, wherein the improvement further comprises, free ends of said centering elements extending to said end of said housing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
An optical ffiber holder as recited in claim 7, wherein the improvement further comprises, slots extending axially of said housing and extending between said free ends of said centering elements and said surrounding portion of said housing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
An optical fiber holder as recited in claim 8, wherein the improvement further comprises, said surrounding portion of said housing is substantially rigid.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
An optical fiber holder as recited in claim 1, wherein the improvement further comprises, said surrounding portion of said housing is substantially rigid.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
57 words
A method of manufacturing optical fiber holders, comprising: providing an elongated housing; rotating said housing around its axis while simultaneously drilling an opening in one end of said housing, the rotation of said housing forming said opening in substantially the exact center of said one end; and positioning the end of an optical fiber in said opening.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
57 words
A method of manufacturing optical fiber holders, comprising: providing an elongated housing; rotating said housing around its axis while simultaneously drilling an opening in one end of said housing, the rotation of said housing forming said opening in substantially the exact center of said one end; and positioning the end of an optical fiber in said opening.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said drilling step comprises rotating said drill in the opposite direction from the direction of rotation of said housing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said rotating step comprises positioning said housing in a sleeve manufactured at substantially the center of the tolerance range of a connector member into which said housing will later be inserted, and rotating said sleeve and said housing positioned therein.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 13 and further including the step of forming a portion of an axial bore in said housing extending from a second end thereof to adjacent said one end, and wherein said drilling step comprises drilling the remainder of said bore from said one end to said portion of said axial bore.