Self-aligning optical waveguide connector

Claim 2

An optical waveguide connector comprising a first optical waveguide means having an end portion, a first support means for said end portion of said first optical waveguide means, said first support means including a convex surface of revolution coaxial with said first optical waveguide means, a second optical waveguide means having an end portion, a second support means for said end portion of said second optical waveguide means, said second support means including a concave surface of revolution coaxial with said second optical waveguide means, and means urging said first and second support means relatively toward each other for causing an interengagement of said convex and concave surfaces and thereby aligning said first and second waveguide means.

Claim 3

An optical waveguide connector comprising a first unit, a second unit, releasable means joining said first and second units, first optical waveguide means, second optical waveguide means, first support means carried by said first unit for supporting said first optical waveguide means in said first unit, secoNd support means carried by said second unit for supporting said second optical waveguide means in said second unit, said first and second waveguide means being positioned by said first and second support means so as to have ends thereof in adjacency, one of said support means including a concave surface of revolution, the other of said support means including a convex surface of revolution, and resilient means for biasing said first and second support means together so that said concave surface is engaged by said convex surface, one of said support means being laterally movable with respect to the unit carrying the same, whereby said concave and convex frustoconical surfaces so engaged cause alignment of said first and second support means, and thereby cause alignment of said first and second waveguide means.

Claim 4

An optical waveguide connector comprising a first unit, a second unit, releasable means joining said first and second units, first optical waveguide means, second optical waveguide means, first support means carried by said first unit for supporting said first optical waveguide means in said first unit, secoNd support means carried by said second unit for supporting said second optical waveguide means in said second unit, said first and second waveguide means being positioned by said first and second support means so as to have ends thereof in adjacency, one of said support means including a concave surface of revolution, the other of said support means including a convex surface of revolution, and resilient means for biasing said first and second support means together so that said concave surface is engaged by said convex surface, one of said support means being laterally movable with respect to the unit carrying the same, whereby said concave and convex frustoconical surfaces so engaged cause alignment of said first and second support means, and thereby cause alignment of said first and second waveguide means.

Claim 5

A device as recited in claim 2 in which said concave surface is a frustum of a cone, and said convex surface is a frustum of a cone.

Claim 6

A device as recited in claim 2 in which said laterally movable support means has said convex surface.

Claim 7

A device as recited in claim 4 in which the other of said support means is laterally fixed relative to the unit carrying the same.

Claim 8

A device as recited in claim 5 in which said other support means includes a first member having an opening receiving said waveguide means, and a second member having an opening receiving said first member, said second member being integral with said unit carrying said one support means, said first member being axially slidable relative to said second member.

Claim 9

A device as recited in claim 6 in which said resilient means includes a first spring biasing said first member toward said one support means, and a second spring biasing said one support means toward said first member, said second spring being stronger than said first spring.

Claim 10

A device as recited in claim 7 including in addition means for rotationally adjusting the position of one of said support means relative to the other of said support means for thereby rotationally adjusting the relative positions of said ends of said first and second waveguide means.

Claim 11

An optical waveguide connector comprising a first unit, said first unit including a first shell having a forward end and a rearward end, a first ferrule in said first shell, said first ferrule having an opening therethrough, a first optical waveguide means having an end portion complementarily received in said opening through said first ferrule whereby said first ferrule positions said end portion of said first waveguide means, a first means in said first shell for permitting said first ferrule to move axially and laterally relative to said first shell, said first means including a first abutment for engageable by said first ferrule for limiting such axial movement of said first ferrule forwardly relative to said first shell, a compression spring in said first shell biasing said first ferrule forwardly relative to said first shell, to a normal position in which said first ferrule so engages said first abutment, said first ferrule having a forward end portion having a flat transverse surface centrally thereof, and a convex frustoconical surface diverging rearwardly from said flat surface, said convex frustoconical surface being coaxial with said opening through said first ferrule, said first waveguide means extending to said first flat surface and being substantially flush therewith, a second unit, said second unit including a second shell having a forward and a rearward end, a second ferrule in said second shell, said second ferrule having an opening therethrough, a second optical waveguide means having an end portion complementarily received in said opening through said second ferrule whereby said second ferrule positions said end portion of said second waveguide means, a second means in said second shell for permittinG said second ferrule to move axially relative to said second shell while precluding substantial lateral movement of said second ferrule relative to said second shell, said second means including a second abutment engageable by said second ferrule for limiting such axial movement of said second ferrule forwardly relative to said second shell, a second compression spring in said second shell biasing said second ferrule forwardly relative to said second shell, to a normal position in which said second ferrule so engages said second abutment, said second ferrule having a forward end portion having a second flat transverse surface, said second waveguide means extending to said second surface and being substantially flush therewith, and a fixed means on said second shell defining a concave frustoconical surface at said forward end of said second shell for engagement by said convex frustoconical surface, said concave frustoconical surface being coaxial with said opening through said second ferrule, and being convergent inwardly toward the periphery of said second ferrule at a location rearwardly of said second flat transverse surface when said second ferrule is in said engagement with said second abutment, said first and second units being movable toward each other to a mated position in which said first and second flat surfaces are in abutment, said first compression spring being stronger than said second compression spring whereby said first ferrule displaces said second ferrule rearwardly when said first and second units are in said mated position and said convex surface is brought into engagement with said concave surface for thereby aligning said first and second waveguide means, and releasable means for holding said first and second units in said mated position.

Claim 12

An optical waveguide connector comprising a first unit, said first unit including a first shell having a forward end and a rearward end, a first ferrule in said first shell, said first ferrule having an opening therethrough, a first optical waveguide means having an end portion complementarily received in said opening through said first ferrule whereby said first ferrule positions said end portion of said first waveguide means, a first means in said first shell for permitting said first ferrule to move axially and laterally relative to said first shell, said first means including a first abutment for engageable by said first ferrule for limiting such axial movement of said first ferrule forwardly relative to said first shell, a compression spring in said first shell biasing said first ferrule forwardly relative to said first shell, to a normal position in which said first ferrule so engages said first abutment, said first ferrule having a forward end portion having a flat transverse surface centrally thereof, and a convex frustoconical surface diverging rearwardly from said flat surface, said convex frustoconical surface being coaxial with said opening through said first ferrule, said first waveguide means extending to said first flat surface and being substantially flush therewith, a second unit, said second unit including a second shell having a forward and a rearward end, a second ferrule in said second shell, said second ferrule having an opening therethrough, a second optical waveguide means having an end portion complementarily received in said opening through said second ferrule whereby said second ferrule positions said end portion of said second waveguide means, a second means in said second shell for permittinG said second ferrule to move axially relative to said second shell while precluding substantial lateral movement of said second ferrule relative to said second shell, said second means including a second abutment engageable by said second ferrule for limiting such axial movement of said second ferrule forwardly relative to said second shell, a second compression spring in said second shell biasing said second ferrule forwardly relative to said second shell, to a normal position in which said second ferrule so engages said second abutment, said second ferrule having a forward end portion having a second flat transverse surface, said second waveguide means extending to said second surface and being substantially flush therewith, and a fixed means on said second shell defining a concave frustoconical surface at said forward end of said second shell for engagement by said convex frustoconical surface, said concave frustoconical surface being coaxial with said opening through said second ferrule, and being convergent inwardly toward the periphery of said second ferrule at a location rearwardly of said second flat transverse surface when said second ferrule is in said engagement with said second abutment, said first and second units being movable toward each other to a mated position in which said first and second flat surfaces are in abutment, said first compression spring being stronger than said second compression spring whereby said first ferrule displaces said second ferrule rearwardly when said first and second units are in said mated position and said convex surface is brought into engagement with said concave surface for thereby aligning said first and second waveguide means, and releasable means for holding said first and second units in said mated position.

Claim 13

A device as recited in claim 9 in which said second means includes an opening complementarily receiving said second ferrule, said second means and said second opening having interengaging substantially flat surfaces for so preventing relative rotation of said second ferrule relative to said second means.

Claim 14

A device as recited in claim 9 in which said first support means includes means for preventing substantial rotation of said first waveguide means relative thereto, and said second support means includes means for preventing substantial rotation of said second waveguide means relative thereto.