Fiber optic connector with temperature compensating mechanism

Claim 1

A fiber optic cable connector, comprising: a body having two ends, one end being a fiber mating end; cable connection means for connecting a fiber optic cable of the type having a fiber extending through the center thereof with the fiber surrounded by a buffer layer to said body at one end thereof in a manner such that a portion of the cable having the fiber surrounded by the buffer layer and a portion of the cable having the fiber stripped of its buffer layer extends into said body; fiber retention means for holding the buffer layer covered fiber at a terminated portion of the buffer layer wherefrom the fiber extends, and for holding the bare fiber extending from the terminated buffer layer in a fixed relationship with respect to said fiber retention means, and within said body; capillary ferrule means for receiving said portion of said bare fiber therein in a manner such that said bare fiber is slidable within said capillary ferrule means and further including capillary retaining means for holding said capillary ferrule means in fixed relationship with respect thereto and in a manner extending from the other end of said body and such that said capillary retaining means is retained within said body; spring means for urging said capillary retaining means toward said other end of said body and for permitting said capillary ferrule means to retract into said body upon a force being applied thereto when said connector is connected to a like connector; and temperature compensating means for permitting termination of said fiber in a manner such that it is urged outwardly from the end of said capillary ferrule means when said connector is assembled, and when said connector is connected to a like connector for maintaining the end of the fiber flush with the end of said capillary ferrule means, whereby physical contact between the ends of two bare fibers is obtained by connecting said connector to another like connector and maintained under varying temperature and alignment conditions, and said compensating means comprising a compensating sleeve member having a predetermined coefficient of expansion and positioned in a manner such as to exert a force along the longitudinal axis of said bare fiber, as a result of expansion of said sleeve member due to temperature changes, said force being sufficient to ensure that said bare fiber slides within said capillary ferrule means, when said capillary ferrule means also expands due to temperature changes, with said sliding being an amount sufficient to cause the end of said bare fiber to be maintained flush with the end of said capillary ferrule means.