Self-aligning fiber optic connector

Claim 2

A connector for a fiber optic cable having a light-conducting core and a sheath surrounding said core, comprising: (a) a substantially cylindrical body member having first and second endfaces and a coaxial central bore therethrough sized for receiving a corresponding lengthwise portion of said core from which said sheath has been removed; (b) means for attaching said sheath to said body member near said first endface; (c) a pair of substantially identical alignment projections disposed on said second endface in diametrically opposed relationship to said central bore; (d) a pair of substantially identical fully enclosed alignment slots defined in said second endface, and disposed in diametrically opposed relationship to said central bore and in quadrature to said alignment projections, said fully enclosed slots defined in size and shape to receive projections substantially identical to that defining said alignment projections; (e) wherein the combination of said body member, alignment projections and slots define a geometric shape having 180° rotational symmetry about the cylindrical axis of symmetry of said body member; (f) wherein said body member is formed of two substantially identical half-cylindrical sections joinable along a plane including said axis, each section having corresponding first and second endfaces, said second endface of each section including one alignment slot defined therein, and further comprising means for joining said half-cylindrical sections along said plane; and, (g) wherein each alignment projection extends backwards within each half-cylindrical body member section and includes mating holes and mating posts for secure and accurate positioning in relation to each half-cylindrical section.

Claim 3

A connector assembly for butt joining the ends of the light-conducting cores of two sheathed fiber optic cables, comprising: (a) a pair of substantially identical, substantially cylindrical body members, each body member having first and second endfaces and a coaxial central bore therethrough sized for receiving a corresponding lengthwise portion of one light-conducting core from which said sheath has been removed, and including means near each first endface for attaching one said cable thereto; (b) means for joining said body members together in an abutting relationship along respective second endfaces and in coaxial alignment of said central bores, said means including a pair of substantially identical alignment projections disposed on respective second endfaces of each body member and in diametrically opposed relationship to each central bore, and a pair of substantially identical fully enclosed alignment slots defined in the respective second endfaces of each body member and disposed in diametrically opposed relationship to each central bore and in quadrature to said alignment projections, each fully enclosed slot of each body member configured to receive a corresponding projection of the other body member; (c) wherein each combination of each body member, alignment projections and slots defines a geometric shape having 180° rotational symmetry about the axis of each body member; (d) wherein each body member is formed of two substantially identical half-cylindrical sections joinable along a plane including said cylindrical axis, each section having corresponding first and second endfaces, each second endface of each section including one alignment slot defined therein, and further comprising means for joining said half-cylindrical sections along said planes; and, (e) wherein each alignment projection extends backwards within each half-cylindrical body member section and includes mating holes and mating posts for secure and accurate positioning in relation to each half-cylindrical section.

Claim 4

A connector assembly for butt joining the ends of the light-conducting cores of two sheathed fiber optic cables, comprising: (a) a pair of substantially identical, substantially cylindrical body members, each body member having first and second endfaces and a coaxial central bore therethrough sized for receiving a corresponding lengthwise portion of one light-conducting core from which said sheath has been removed, and including means near each first endface for attaching one said cable thereto; (b) means for joining said body members together in an abutting relationship along respective second endfaces and in coaxial alignment of said central bores, said means including a pair of substantially identical alignment projections disposed on respective second endfaces of each body member and in diametrically opposed relationship to each central bore, and a pair of substantially identical fully enclosed alignment slots defined in the respective second endfaces of each body member and disposed in diametrically opposed relationship to each central bore and in quadrature to said alignment projections, each fully enclosed slot of each body member configured to receive a corresponding projection of the other body member; (c) wherein each combination of each body member, alignment projections and slots defines a geometric shape having 180° rotational symmetry about the axis of each body member; (d) wherein each body member is formed of two substantially identical half-cylindrical sections joinable along a plane including said cylindrical axis, each section having corresponding first and second endfaces, each second endface of each section including one alignment slot defined therein, and further comprising means for joining said half-cylindrical sections along said planes; and, (e) wherein each alignment projection extends backwards within each half-cylindrical body member section and includes mating holes and mating posts for secure and accurate positioning in relation to each half-cylindrical section.