EP0327267A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Optical fiber connector and methods of making
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1989-01-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-01-27
Abstract
Abstract In an optical fiber connector in which each of two optical fibers (21-21) is terminated by a plug (40) having a passageway (41) for receiving an end portion of the optical fiber, eccentricity of one fiber end relative to the other is reduced by causing each optical fiber to be mounted in a specified orientation with respect to its associated plug passageway. In one embodiment, because the two cylindrical plugs which are used in the connector are derived from contiguous segments (111-111) of length of tubular stock, because the plugs are arranged so that the contiguous ends of the plugs before separation from the stock become the mating ends in the connection and because the plugs after separation from each other have the same rotational orientation with respect to each other as before, the predetermined orientation of the fiber ends in the plug passageways of the two adjoining plugs prior to separation of the segments from the stock reduces substantially any eccentricity which otherwise would be caused by the random mounting of the fibers in the associated passageways.
Inventors
- 👤 James Ashley Aberson
- 👤 George F. Deveau
- 👤 Kenneth M. Yasinski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 06:27
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/36; G02B6/38; G02B6/3807; G02B6/3833; G02B6/3851; G02B6/381; G02B6/3818; G02B6/3821; G02B6/3834; G02B6/3843; G02B6/3873; G02B6/3882; G02B6/3887; G02B6/38875; G02B6/3854
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
An optical fiber connector, which comprises first and second plugs, each plug having an outer surface and a passageway therethrough for receiving an end portion of an optical fiber, a first optical fiber having an end portion which is received in the passageway of said first plug and a second optical fiber having an end portion which is received in the passageway of said second plug, and alignment means for maintaining the outer surface of said first plug aligned with the outer surface of said second plug, said connector characterized in that each said passageway having a cross section transverse to a longitudinal axis of the plug which is larger than that of the optical fiber to be received therein and; each of said fiber end portions being disposed in an associated passageway of an associated plug intentionally in the same orientation with respect to the associated passageway of the associated plug.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
152 words
An optical fiber connector, which comprises first and second plugs, each plug having an outer surface and a passageway therethrough for receiving an end portion of an optical fiber, a first optical fiber having an end portion which is received in the passageway of said first plug and a second optical fiber having an end portion which is received in the passageway of said second plug, and alignment means for maintaining the outer surface of said first plug aligned with the outer surface of said second plug, said connector characterized in that each said passageway having a cross section transverse to a longitudinal axis of the plug which is larger than that of the optical fiber to be received therein and; each of said fiber end portions being disposed in an associated passageway of an associated plug intentionally in the same orientation with respect to the associated passageway of the associated plug.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The optical fiber connector of claim 1, wherein the cross section of each passageway is significantly larger than that of a plug to be received therein.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The optical fiber connector of claim 2, wherein each said fiber end portion is disposed in its associated passageway intentionally in the same orientation with respect to the direction of any eccentricity of the associated passageway from a centroidal axis of the associated plug.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
77 words
The optical fiber connector, of claim 1, wherein each of said plugs comprise a segment of tubular stock with the segments of said stock for said first and second plugs being contiguous portions of said stock and such that contiguous end faces of the two portions of the stock which are to become said first and second plugs become adjacent free end faces of the first and second plugs which are to be mated in said connector;
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
91 words
The connector of claim 6, wherein each of said plug segments prior to separation from each other has a free end thereof received in a cavity of housing, said housing including a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion, said housing having a passageway therethrough which is aligned with said passageway in its associated plug segment when said plug segment is mounted therein, each said housing also including a tab and said housings being assembled to said plug segments to cause the tabs on said housings to be aligned longitudinally.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
86 words
A terminated optical fiber, which comprises: a plug having an outer surface and a passageway therethrough which is adapted to receive an end portion of an optical fiber and which has a cross section transverse to a longitudinal axis of the plug which is larger than that of the optical fiber to be received therein; and an optical fiber having an end portion which is received in the passageway of said plug and which is disposed therein in a predetermined orientation with respect to said passageway.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
86 words
A terminated optical fiber, which comprises: a plug having an outer surface and a passageway therethrough which is adapted to receive an end portion of an optical fiber and which has a cross section transverse to a longitudinal axis of the plug which is larger than that of the optical fiber to be received therein; and an optical fiber having an end portion which is received in the passageway of said plug and which is disposed therein in a predetermined orientation with respect to said passageway.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
196 words
A method of connecting optical fibers, said method including the steps of: providing a first plug having a longitudinally extending passageway therethrough, the passageway being adapted to receive and end portion of an optical fiber and having a transverse cross section which is significantly larger than the transverse cross section of the end portion of the optical fiber to be received therein, providing a second plug having a longitudinally extending passageway therethrough, the passageway being adapted to receive an end portion of an optical fiber and having a transverse associated which is significantly larger than the transverse cross section of the end portion of the optical fiber to be received therein, inserting an end portion of an optical fiber into the passageway of the first plug and an end portion of an optical fiber into the passageway of the second plug; causing the end portion of the optical fiber in the passageway of the first plug to be in the same orientation with respect to the passageway as the optical fiber in the passageway of the second plug is with respect to the passageway of the second plug; and causing the plugs to be aligned longitudinally.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
196 words
A method of connecting optical fibers, said method including the steps of: providing a first plug having a longitudinally extending passageway therethrough, the passageway being adapted to receive and end portion of an optical fiber and having a transverse cross section which is significantly larger than the transverse cross section of the end portion of the optical fiber to be received therein, providing a second plug having a longitudinally extending passageway therethrough, the passageway being adapted to receive an end portion of an optical fiber and having a transverse associated which is significantly larger than the transverse cross section of the end portion of the optical fiber to be received therein, inserting an end portion of an optical fiber into the passageway of the first plug and an end portion of an optical fiber into the passageway of the second plug; causing the end portion of the optical fiber in the passageway of the first plug to be in the same orientation with respect to the passageway as the optical fiber in the passageway of the second plug is with respect to the passageway of the second plug; and causing the plugs to be aligned longitudinally.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 7, wherein each optical fiber is caused to be secured within its associated passageway so that the optical fiber is biased a predetermined orientation with respect to the direction of eccentricity of the associated passageway.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
129 words
A method of termination an optical fiber, said method including the steps of: determining the direction of any eccentricity of a passageway formed in a plug with respect to a longitudinal centroidal axis of the plug, the passageway being adapted to receive and end portion of an optical fiber and having a transverse cross section which is significantly larger than a transverse cross section of the end portion of the optical fiber to be received therein; inserting an end portion of an optical fiber into the passageway of the plug; and causing the end portion of the optical fiber to be disposed in the passageway in a predetermined orientation with respect to the direction of any eccentricity of the passageway relative to a longitudinal centroidal axis of the plug.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
129 words
A method of termination an optical fiber, said method including the steps of: determining the direction of any eccentricity of a passageway formed in a plug with respect to a longitudinal centroidal axis of the plug, the passageway being adapted to receive and end portion of an optical fiber and having a transverse cross section which is significantly larger than a transverse cross section of the end portion of the optical fiber to be received therein; inserting an end portion of an optical fiber into the passageway of the plug; and causing the end portion of the optical fiber to be disposed in the passageway in a predetermined orientation with respect to the direction of any eccentricity of the passageway relative to a longitudinal centroidal axis of the plug.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of providing plugs for terminating optical fibers, said method including the steps of: providing a plug having a longitudinally extending passageway therethrough, the passageway being adapted to receive an end portion of an optical fiber and having a transverse cross section which is significantly larger than the transverse cross section of the end portion of the optical fiber to be received therein; mounting the plug in a connector body; and providing a marking on an external surface of the connector body, said marking being aligned radially with a centroidal axis of the passageway.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of providing plugs for terminating optical fibers, said method including the steps of: providing a plug having a longitudinally extending passageway therethrough, the passageway being adapted to receive an end portion of an optical fiber and having a transverse cross section which is significantly larger than the transverse cross section of the end portion of the optical fiber to be received therein; mounting the plug in a connector body; and providing a marking on an external surface of the connector body, said marking being aligned radially with a centroidal axis of the passageway.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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