US4950048A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical connector ferrule
Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd
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Filing: 1987-06-11
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Granted: 1990-08-21
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Expires: 2007-06-11
Abstract
Abstract An optical connector ferrule for use in an optical coupling of optical fibers includes an insertion member, the insertion member comprising a guide capillary for positioning said optical fibers, which comprises a flat plate and a guide substrate having optical fiber guide grooves in one surface thereof, said flat plate being bounded to said guide substrate to form optical fiber guide holes into which said optical fibers are inserted; a reinforcing pipe for surrounding said guid capillary; and a resin-molded area provided between said guide capillary and said reinforcing pipe for insert-molding said guide capillary within said reinforcing pipe.
Inventors
- 👤 Toshiaki Kakii
- 👤 Yasuo Asano
- 👤 Shuzo Suzuki
- 👤 Koji Kashihara
- 👤 Kazuhito Saito
- 👤 Takeo Komiya
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 18:42
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/29; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/36; G02B6/38; G02B6/3807; G02B6/3833; G02B6/3865; G02B6/381; G02B6/3818; G02B6/3821; G02B6/3873; G02B6/3874; G02B6/3878; G02B6/3879; G02B6/3885; G02B6/40; G02B6/3863; G02B6/389
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
143 words
An optical connector ferrule for use in an optical coupling of optical fibers, comprising: an insertion member having a guide capillary for positioning said optical fibers, said guide capillary comprising a flat plate and a guide substrate having optical fiber guide grooves in one surface thereof, said flat plate being bounded to said guide substrate so as to form optical fiber guide holes into which said optical fibers are inserted; a reinforcing pipe for surrounding said guide capillary; a resin material provided in the area between said guide capillary and said reinforcing pipe for insert-molding said guide capillary within said reinforcing pipe; and a flange member having a non-circular cross section, said flange member being provided at one end of said insertion member so that said optical angle fiber guide holes are positioned at a predetermined angle with respect to said flange member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
143 words
An optical connector ferrule for use in an optical coupling of optical fibers, comprising: an insertion member having a guide capillary for positioning said optical fibers, said guide capillary comprising a flat plate and a guide substrate having optical fiber guide grooves in one surface thereof, said flat plate being bounded to said guide substrate so as to form optical fiber guide holes into which said optical fibers are inserted; a reinforcing pipe for surrounding said guide capillary; a resin material provided in the area between said guide capillary and said reinforcing pipe for insert-molding said guide capillary within said reinforcing pipe; and a flange member having a non-circular cross section, said flange member being provided at one end of said insertion member so that said optical angle fiber guide holes are positioned at a predetermined angle with respect to said flange member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a linking section for fixedly integrating a plurality of said insertion members into a unitary member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 2, wherein said optical fiber guide holes in said plurality of guide capillaries are arranged in a direction that is parallel to a direction in which said insertion members are arranged.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 2, wherein said optical fiber guide holes in said plurality of guide capillaries are arranged in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which said insertion members are arranged.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of said insertion members has a diameter different from that of the others.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical fiber guide grooves are V-shaped.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 1, wherein said insertion member is provided with a center hole at a center thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 7, said center hole is formed by one of said optical fiber guide holes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide capillary is made of a hard and brittle material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide capillary is provided with an exposed area in the rear end thereof where said guide substrate is formed longer than said flat plate to facilitate an insertion of said optical fiber into said optical fiber guide hole.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 10, wherein said exposed area is provided with a step for fixing an optical fiber array.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide capillary projects beyond an end of said reinforcing pipe.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 12, wherein the projected portion of said guide capillary is of a tapered shape.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide capillary is provided with an optical fiber array guide hole.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 1, wherein the center of said optical fiber guide holes coincides with the center of said guide capillary in the thickness direction of said guide capillary.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 15, wherein said guide capillary has a cylindrical surface with the center of said optical fibers at the front end thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
An optical connector ferrule as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flange member is formed by said reinforcing pipe.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
125 words
An optical connector ferrule for use in an optical coupling of optical fibers, comprising: an insertion member having a guide capillary for positioning said optical fibers, said guide capillary comprising a flat plate and a guide substrate having optical fiber guide grooves in one surface thereof, said flat plate being bounded to said guide substrate so as to form optical fiber guide holes into which said optical fibers are inserted, wherein said guide capillary is made of a material which has a smaller Young's modulus than the glass of said optical fiber; a reinforcing pipe for surrounding said guide capillary; and a resin material provided in the area between said guide capillary and said reinforcing pipe for insert-molding said guide capillary within said reinforcing pipe.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
125 words
An optical connector ferrule for use in an optical coupling of optical fibers, comprising: an insertion member having a guide capillary for positioning said optical fibers, said guide capillary comprising a flat plate and a guide substrate having optical fiber guide grooves in one surface thereof, said flat plate being bounded to said guide substrate so as to form optical fiber guide holes into which said optical fibers are inserted, wherein said guide capillary is made of a material which has a smaller Young's modulus than the glass of said optical fiber; a reinforcing pipe for surrounding said guide capillary; and a resin material provided in the area between said guide capillary and said reinforcing pipe for insert-molding said guide capillary within said reinforcing pipe.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-08-20 | 1994-02-19 | 1994-08-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-08-20 | 1998-02-19 | 1998-08-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-08-20 | 2002-02-19 | 2002-08-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |