KR19990076635A - Fiber Connector with Fiber Spring Force and Alignment Groove - Google Patents

Abstract

Fiber optical connectors, including plugs and receptacles, use the spring force supplied by the bending of the plug fibers to maintain a continuous compressive load at fiber bonds located in the fiber alignment grooves. The plug has a holder for fixing the plug fiber and the side plate, and the side plate snaps onto the holder with the plug fiber extending generally straight in the side plate. The side plate has a slot that provides access to the end of the plug fiber and a sliding door that selectively covers the slot. The receptacle includes other fiber holders and housings for securing receptacle fibers, with protrusions or fingers attached to the receptacle fiber holders and having fiber alignment grooves. The finger is oriented in the receptacle housing such that when the plug is inserted into the receptacle, the finger extends through the slot in the side plate at an oblique angle with respect to the plug axis. In this way, the ends of the plug fibers slide into the fiber alignment grooves in the finger and come into contact with the end faces of the receptacle fibers. Successive insertions lead to curvature of the plug fibers to obtain a compressive load. The plug door may have a cam operating surface operated by a corresponding surface on the door of the receptacle. The connector can be used to interconnect multiple fiber pairs simultaneously or to terminate the fibers in an active optical device.

Description

Fiber Connector with Fiber Spring Force and Alignment Groove

Optical fibers have replaced copper wires as a good medium to carry telecommunication signals. As with copper wires, it is necessary to interconnect the optical fibers and terminate the fibers in active optical devices during installation, repair or replacement of the fibers. There are generally two types of interconnection devices, splices and connectors. The term splice generally refers to a device that provides a permanent connection between a pair of optical fibers. The term "connector", on the contrary, generally refers to a device that can often be repeatedly engaged or released with different plugs or receptacles. The connector may also refer to the plug portion of the fiber end that is attached to the optical device. Optical devices include, for example, light sensors (electrophotographic diodes) and light sources (light sources of LEDs, laser diodes). The termination of the optical fiber may be indirect, ie the fiber may be connected to another (passive) optical device such as a beam splitter or polarizer when the optical beam is directed directly to the optical device. Since the present invention is intended to provide permanent connections or terminations as well as temporary connections or terminations in essence, the present invention relates generally to connectors although the term should not be understood in a limiting sense.

In the fiber optical connector described in US Pat. No. 5,381,489, the connector has a plug and a receptacle, the plug having a V-groove for each fiber interconnected with the fiber receiver and the end of the fiber at the middle of the groove. Terminated. The receptacle has a plate that retracts when the plug is inserted, thereby lowering other fibers into the V-groove of the plug. Upon full insertion of the plug, the two fiber ends contact and the fibers fixed to the receptacle are elastically deformed to maintain a continuous compressive load between the ends of the fiber. The connector provides quick disconnection and reconnection of multiple fiber pairs without the use of ferrules or other alignment members. High strength fibers can be used to support repeated insertion and bending of the fibers. The exact length of the fiber (i.e. the relative position of the fiber's end in the plug and receptacle) is not important because the tolerance is provided by the slag taken on the curved receptacle fiber (the end fixed to the plug is not curved and is always straight State). The ends of the fibers are provided by simple cleaving or beveling; The ends of the fibers can be optionally cleaved or beveled at any angle (ie, at an angle not perpendicular to the axis of the fiber) to reduce signal reflection.

Many optical fiber splices use plate elements with fiber containment grooves, with means for gripping the ends of the fibers in a common groove. Some of these devices are designed to interconnect multiple fiber pairs, such as the splice shown in US Pat. No. 5,151,964. In US Pat. No. 4,028,162, the fibers are connected to the alignment grooves at a glancing angle so that they are held temporarily while the connector plate is secured to the interconnected fibers. Other examples of techniques involving curved fibers entering the alignment grooves are US Pat. Nos. 4,077,702, 4,148,559, 4,322,127, 5,080,461, and French Patent Application 2,660,442. Some connector designs using the principle of bending the fibers into fiber alignment grooves are complex and require many components, such as the designs shown in US Pat. Nos. 4,045,121, 4,218,113, 4,767,180.

The connector of US Pat. No. 5,381,489 uses this fiber bending principle, but has other drawbacks. For example, because the tips are exposed above the fiber receiving groove, the plug design allows dust to easily accumulate on the tips of the fibers. The fibers in the receptacle may similarly be contaminated because there is no door or other means of closing the opening when there is no plug. While the connector of US Pat. No. 5,381,489 has fewer parts than in most ferrule connectors, it is desirable to remove moving parts such as springs in sliding plates or receptacles. This design also encourages the use of high strength fibers in the sockets, which makes them less compatible with the inherent base of standard fibers. Thus, it is desirable and advantageous to provide a fiber optical connector that likewise provides for quick disconnection and reconnection of multiple fiber pairs, while being easy to install and use, and which can overcome the aforementioned disadvantages without sacrificing performance or cost. .

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a device for connecting telecommunication lines (such as voice, data, video, etc.) to other wires or terminals, and more particularly to an apparatus for interconnecting at least one optical fiber with another optical fiber or an optical electronic element. will be.

The invention can be best understood with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a side view of an end of one embodiment of the present invention, showing a fiber optical connector including a plug and a receptacle.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the plug and receptacle of FIG. 1, with a partial cross section showing curved fibers inside the plug. FIG.

3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a plug used with the present connector with a sliding door.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a plug used with the present connector, with the plug side plate omitted to show the details in detail.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a plug used with the present connector, in which the hinged door has a cam operating surface that interacts with the cam operating surface of the plug door.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a termination fixture that may be used in the receptacle of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a side view of the termination of the present connector used for termination rather than fiber to fiber interconnection.

8 is a cross-sectional view of a tool used to clean the tip of the fiber in the plug.

9 is a cross-sectional view of a tool used to clean the tip of the fibers in the receptacle.

The present invention generally provides an optical fiber connector having a plug releasably attached to a receptacle having at least one fiber terminating inside the plug and having other fibers fixed therein. The plug has a fiber holder holding the ends of the optical fibers and an elongated hollow plug body having first and second ends, the first ends into the interior of the plug body having sufficient space for the ends of the plug fibers to bend. The end of the plug fiber is openly attached to the plug fiber in an extended state, and the second end has a slot that provides access to the end of the fiber. The receptacle has an opening sized to receive the second end of the plug body, and a protrusion or finger made to enter the slot into the plug body at an oblique angle with respect to the plug body axis. The finger has a fiber alignment groove therein that is in a position to receive the end of the plug fiber when the plug body is inserted into the receptacle. In an embodiment for fiber to fiber interconnection, the receptacle also has a receptacle fiber holder whose end face secures the ends of other optical fibers located along the middle portion of the fiber alignment groove. The receptacle fiber can be properly held in the groove by a fiber hold down device. In another embodiment of the termination to the electro-optical device, the finger is attached to a base having a fiber stop. In both embodiments, the plug fiber generally extends straight in the plug body when the plug is removed from the receptacle, but the plug fiber is either at both ends of the receptacle fiber, or at the fiber stop when the plug is fully inserted into the receptacle. It is long enough to be curved to maintain a continuous compressive load on the part. The bending of the plug fibers also keeps the fibers firmly installed in the fiber alignment grooves.

First latch means are provided to releasably secure the plug body in the receptacle, and second latch means are provided to releasably mount the receptacle on the support surface. The first latching means can be formed in an extension or landing of the plug fiber holder. This landing may also have an upright post extending into the plug body to limit the bending of the ends of the plug fibers. The plug may be biased into an interconnected position to push back against the first latch means to minimize the effect of manufacturing tolerances.

The plug body also includes a plug door slidable between a closed position where the plug door covers the plot and an open position where the slot is not obstructed by the plug door. The plug door has a cam operating surface manufactured to squeeze the door member laterally, and the receptacle has a door having a corresponding cam operating surface manufactured to cam against the cam operating surface of the plug door when the plug body is inserted into the receptacle. It can have

Connectors can be quickly mated and detached and are easy to install. The design can be made to provide interconnection of multiple fiber pairs.

In the drawings, in particular in Figures 1 and 2, one embodiment 10 of a fiber optical connector of the present invention is shown. The connector 10 generally includes an elongated plug 12 and a socket or receptacle 14. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector 10 showing the plug 12 fully inserted into the receptacle 14 and the receptacle 14 mounted on the support surface of the bulk head 16. 2 is a perspective view with the bulk head 16 omitted, showing the interior of the connector in partial longitudinal section. While the illustrated embodiment provides for the interconnection of two pairs of connectors, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the inventive concepts described herein extend not only to multiple pairs of interconnects but to single pair interconnects as well.

The plug 12 shown in FIG. 3 comprises a fiber holder 18, which may be made of two gripping elements or blocks 20, 22, and a plug body or side plate 24 attached to the fiber holder 18. do. The side plate 24 is removably attached to the plug fiber holder 18 by means of a latch 26 integrally formed on the block 20, for example engaging a cutout 28 formed in the corresponding wall of the side plate 24. Can be. The interconnected or terminated fibers 30, 32 pass through the holder 18 and pass into the hollow interior of the side plate 24. The ends of the fibers are exfoliated, ie they are not fixed to any alignment member such as ferrules. The side plates 24 thus help not only physically position the plug 12 in the receptacle 14, but also provide protection against the other exposed ends of the fibers (the side plates may be used to fully expose the fiber tip if necessary). Retractable). Holder 18 has fiber receiving grooves 34 formed in adjacent surfaces of blocks 20 and 22, both of which may be the same part. The holder 18 can fix the fibers using, for example, gripping, adhesive or both. Other means can be used to secure the fibers to the holder 19. The holder 18 may have an extension 36 surrounding the fiber for additional strain relief and gripping. The boot 38 may be provided for further strain relief and maintenance of the reinforcing member in the fiber cable (KEVLAR standard), which aids in the operation of the plug 12. The reinforcing member need not be crimped but can be attached to the holder. Strain relief of the reinforcing member is obtained by an interference fit of the straight wall portion of the plug fiber holder in the boot. This depends on the choice of materials used for the boot and plug fiber holders, resulting in a design that does not require a crimp ring, facilitates manufacture and reduces the number of required ingredients. The extension may also be formed on the holder in a "curve" (irregular) path for gripping the strands and retaining the boot in an interference fit. “One” barbs on the surface of the plug fiber holder allow attaching the boot to the plug fiber holder, which also allows the cable to be attached to the plug.

1 and 2, the latch 40 is integrally molded on one side of the side plate 24 to releasably secure the plug 12 to the receptacle 14. The latch 40 also mechanically provides polarization to the plug, ie can only be inserted into the receptacle 14 in one direction. The plug 12 may be biased in an interconnected position to push back against the latch, for example, to minimize the effect of manufacturing tolerances by a spring substrate (flexible cantilever) formed in the receptacle 14.

Figure 4 shows a slightly different embodiment 12 'of a plug usable with the connector of the present invention. This embodiment uses a similar side plate, omitted from FIG. 4, to better illustrate the other fiber holder 18 'and internal features. The holder 18 'is again formed from two blocks 20', 20 ", but these two blocks are not the same in this embodiment. First, the block 22 'has several posts 44 And landings 42 with extensions 46, 48. These posts are adapted to guide the fibers within the side plate 24 at an appropriate position relative to the position in the V-groove of the receptacle 14 as described below. Used to limit the warpage of the fibers, ensuring proper alignment of the openings and fiber tips in the side plate 24. The latches 40 'are formed in the block 22' along the lower surface of the landing portion 42. Both Second, the fiber path in the holder 18 'provides a V-groove 34' only to the block 22 'with the corresponding face of the block 20' flat to provide only three fiber gripping surfaces. The V-groove 34 'is recessed into the block 22', and the step 50 is formed in the block 20 'which lies in the recess. It facilitates proper mounting of the lock.

The fibers 30, 32 extend generally in a straight line within the side plate 24 whenever no plug 12, or 12 ′ is installed in the receptacle 14. The fibers are straight in that, although there are small curvatures of the fibers as a result of gravity, they "usually" extend without large curvature. However, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, sufficient space is provided in the side plate 24 to allow the fiber to bend large when the plug is fully inserted into the receptacle. The front end 52 of the side plate 24 has a pair of slots 54, 56 formed therein that provide access to the ends of the fibers located within the side plate 24. When in the closed position of FIG. 3, the hood or door 58 may have the front end (side) of the side plate 24 with two covers or bars 60, 62 with the door 58 covering the slots 54, 56, respectively. 52) is slidably attached. If the door 58 slides into the open position, the bars 60, 62 may pass through the slots 54, 56 without the fibers extending out of the side plate, although this may be acceptable in other designs. , 32) to allow access. The door 58 is slidably attached to the side plate 24 with snap fits by two tangled (or toung-and-groove) arrangements 64, 66 (FIG. 1). In addition, to prevent dust from entering through the slots, the door 58 also prevents any light from the plug fibers from escaping or damaging the user's eyes. As discussed below in connection with FIG. 8, the door 58 has an upper portion of the side plate 24 which can accommodate the push rods so that the fibers emerge from the openings 54, 56 to allow cleaning of the fiber tip in the open position. One or more holes may appear in the image.

Other door arrangements may be provided on the plug. For example, it may have a door (not shown) that rises vertically during the plug insertion process. This is accomplished by having a door seat in another part, such as a shuttle, moving within the side plate body. The shuttle has a vertical slot on each of its side walls and opens across each end. The solid door has a post protruding past the side wall of the shuttle and protrudes into a slot present in the side plate having the following shape. Each slot starts at an upward angle of about 1 mm, becomes horizontal at most of the distance, rises again about 1 mm, and ends with a second horizontal track (about 1.5 mm). When the plug comes into contact with the stop in the receptacle, it pushes back the shuttle in the side plate. During the first few millimeters of movement, the door is raised to its initial position. In this position, the fiber comes into contact with the door and, although not necessary, it curves the fiber at an obtuse angle. The door can also act as an alignment mechanism. This prevents the plug end face from contacting the V-groove with the end face when the plug's end face comes into contact with the V groove. Before the plug is fully inserted, the shuttle reaches the second angled slot in the side plate. At this point, the door is raised to its final position, where the door is no longer in contact with the fibers, which freely bends and provides adequate pressure for the receptacle. Return to the shuttle and door is accomplished by a spring pushing between the fiber holder and the shuttle. A particular advantage of this design is that the fiber is exposed to the entire end of the plug without any slots that must contact the V-groove.

In another door arrangement (not shown), the door slides across the plug during the insertion process and again uses a shuttle that moves within the sideplate body. The shuttle has a vertical slot on each of its side walls and opens across the end closest to the fiber holder. The end closest to the front of the side plate has a closed end with two vertical slots aligned with the fiber and extending from the top to the bottom. The door is a rectangular plate with two vertical slots extending from its bottom to about two material thicknesses thereon. It also does not have a notch cutout of the side plate at its top in the ridge of the side plate. This ridge acts as a cam actuation mechanism for the door. This cam is located on the inner surface of the roof of the side plate. It starts at an obtuse angle from the front and reaches the center leading to the bottom of the body. In the closed position, the two sets of slots and doors in the shuttle are offset from each other to provide a closed plug. When the plug comes into contact with the stop in the receptacle, it pushes the shuttle back in the side plate. During the first few millimeters of movement, the door slides sideways in the side plate for the same time that the shuttle moves backwards. Once the two sets of slots are aligned, providing an open slot through which the fiber can penetrate, the door reaches the straight section of the cam, at which point the door stops moving sideways and is carried back into the side plate by the shuttle . The return of the shuttle and the door is accomplished by a spring pushing between the fiber holder and the shuttle. This design also exposes the entire end of the plug and provides smooth operation of the door.

Modifications of the plug design of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the above description. For example, the plug can be used where the important difference is the way of transporting the plug fiber into the V-groove of the receptacle. This other plug design has a body with two distinct parts: a body part that engages the socket and a boot part that is connected to the body part by a hinge. The hinges allow the plug body and boot to lie at an angle of 180 degrees (ie straight extension) when the plug is inserted into the socket. The boot is then rotated downward so that the angle between the body and the boot is less than 180 degrees. This allows the plug fiber to come out of the protective plug body and into the receptacle V-groove. This design also fits into the non-hinge plug, but rotational movement continues to be used to move the plug fiber into the receptacle V-groove. The V-groove does not need to be fed through the slot. These designs also allow the plug boot to lie against the wall and do not require receptacle V-grooves to enter the side plates, and longer plug fibers and larger rotation angles do not provide other manufacturing and assembly tolerances.

Test plugs can also be used to test the operation of the receptacle. This plug is almost identical to the plug described above, except that it receives a single looped fiber so that it has both ends extending towards the receptacle. In this manner, the signal may be transmitted to one of the receptacle fibers, received by the loop-back fiber of the plug, and converted back to another receptacle fiber that carries the signal to the test detection system.

As shown in FIG. 5, the receptacle 14 includes a body or housing 70 and another fiber holder 72. The housing 70 has an opening 74 whose size and shape generally corresponds to the front end 52 of the plug 12. The housing 70 also has suitable properties (such as the latch arm 76) to be releasably mounted to the bulk head 16, which may be, for example, a patch panel or workstation exit. The latch means provide mounting from the front of the panel such that all preliminary work is performed on the front side of the panel, or provides mounting from the rear of the panel so that all preliminary work is performed on the rear side of the panel. Receptacle fibers (only one shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, 78) are secured to the receptacle fiber holder 72 also by gripping using a gripping plate 80 made to hold the fiber at the first end of the holder 72. do. The end of the receptacle fiber extends from the second end of the receptacle fiber holder 72 into a fiber alignment groove formed in the protrusion or fingers 82, 84. The grooves are preferably V-shaped, although they may be more curved, such as U-shaped. The middle portion 86 of the fiber alignment grooves are curved to retain the receptacle fibers in the grooves by elastic compression of the slightly curved fibers. Other means such as fiber clamps as shown in FIG. 9 may be used. The fiber does not extend to the very tip of the fingers 82 and 84 but rather terminates at a sufficient distance from the tip to allow proper support of the plug fiber when the connector is used. If fiber-to-fiber contact occurs in the very close part of the V-groove (or if the plug is inserted too far), the plug fiber can bend over the groove and rise at the vertex to break the connection.

The receptacle 14 may have many fingers with fiber alignment grooves such as fibers in the plug 12. Fingers 82 and 84 are formed to protrude into slots 54 and 56 of side plate 24 respectively when plug 12 is fully inserted into receptacle 14. Fingers 82 and 84 enter at an oblique (non-zero) angle by the plug axis, ie the axis defined by plug fibers 30 and 32 when extending straight into side plate 24. This angle is preferably 42 °, and the balance relates to the fiber contact pressure, the fiber force towards the V-groove, the frictional effect, and the desired tolerance window (large angle increases the tolerance). Since the receptacle fibers do not point to the opening 74, there is no risk of the light escaping damaging the user's eyes. The receptacle fiber holder 72 pivotally attaches to the housing 700 by providing a post on the first end of the holder 72 snapped into a cutout or hook 88 formed at one end of the receptacle housing 70. The holder 72 is releasably locked to a position using bumps or studs formed on the side of the holder that engage the holes 89 in the receptacle housing 70. Other designs for the receptacle fiber holder may be used. Wherein the holder is molded into a single piece with a separate top or cover plate that can snap onto a base having fiber positioning grooves.

Receptacle 14 may also have a flap or door 90 to minimize the entry of contaminants through opening 74. The disclosed embodiment uses a receptacle door that interacts with the plug door to operate the plug door 58 between a closed state and an open state when the plug 12 is inserted into the receptacle 14. In particular, the receptacle door 90 has two cam operating surfaces 92, 94 which interact with the cam operating surfaces 96, 98 on the plug door 58, respectively. The receptacle door 90 is hinged along one edge by providing a post 100 that snaps to the cutout 102 in the receptacle housing 70. Means (not shown), such as spring or cam actuated connections molded in this portion, are used to bias the door 90 to the closed position. When the plug 12 is inserted into the receptacle 14, the front end 52 and the plug door 58 push the receptacle door 90 to raise and open it. The inclined cam operating surface 94 then begins to force the cam operating surface 98 onto the plug door 58 and pushes the door to the side to reveal the slots 54, 56. Then, when the plug 12 is removed from the receptacle 14, the inclined cam operating surface 92 similarly pushes the cam operating surface 96 back when the plug is removed, thereby sliding the plug door 58 to its closed position. Let's do it. The side plate 24 has grooves or indentations 104 and 106 to require the cam operating surfaces 92 and 94 when the plug is in the receptacle, which also serves to further stabilize the connection. Other door designs, such as manually outwardly open and snap-closed doors, may include receptacles 14.

The receptacle may also have a door that acts as a latch to hold the plug. In this other (not shown) design, the plug body (side plate) has an area notched on its bottom. The door in the receptacle is a rectangular spring loaded plate with a tab (cantilever beam) protruding from its bottom when the door is in the closed position. When the plug is inserted into the receptacle, the door rotates from the vertical position to the horizontal position. Once fully inserted in the plug, the notch releases the upper edge from the door. The door then springs back to the water level and reaches the area of the notch. This provides locking between the two parts. Removing the plug is accomplished by pressing on the plug and tab portion of the door. This causes the door to return to its horizontal position, causing the plug to slide out of the receptacle. The tab is formed so that it is not sufficient to hold a finger on the tab when the plug is removed. This structure provides a simple plug design.

The receptacle can also be retrofitted with an internal latch adapted to be mounted at two different positions on the wall, the first position being fully actuated and in contact with the wall and the second position which protrudes slightly from the wall. This provides access to the interior of the receptacle for cleaning.

The plug latching mechanism may advantageously be designed to prevent breakage of the plug assembly when the plug cable is pushed excessively, such as when someone passes over the cable. This is accomplished by providing a latch structure that allows the plug to come out of the receptacle when the tension on the cable exceeds a predetermined pull force. This allows the plug to be released from the receptacle rather than pulling the cable out of the plug, which is more acceptable because of the automatic shutoff of the plug door when removed from the receptacle.

A plug-to-plug interconnect can also be provided, which has no receptacle, but rather a plug with a coupling mechanism (similar to the coupling sleeve used for interconnect ferrule type optical connectors) for receiving both plugs. Two plugs 12 in the shape of (12) are used. The designed design seeks to use S-curves over both plug fibers and fiber stubs positioned in the coupling mechanism, looped such that their ends are in contact with each end of the plug fibers.

All components of connector 10 (except plug boot 38) may be made of any durable material, preferably polycarbonate, VALOX (polyester sold by General Electric), or RADEL ( Polymolsulfon sold by Amoco). The material provides a conductive filler that provides semiconductor properties to the components to minimize triboelectric charging, which can cause fiber end contamination. Boot 38 is preferably formed of a low modulus copolyester, such as sold by RTP in Winona, Minnesota, with the latest material number 1559X67420B.

Assembly and installation of the connector 10 are in a straight direction. The plug 12 may be easily manufactured in the field, but is usually assembled at the factory. In this regard, the term "pre-terminated", as used herein, means that the optical fibers for plug 12 or receptacle 14 are irrespective of whether such attachment occurs at the factory, site, or elsewhere. Refers to attachment. Plug 12 or receptacle 14 is mounted on a jumper cable or patch cord with any kind of optical connector at the other end of the fiber. It is preferable to use fibers having a longer life when exposed to indoor environments, such as high-strength fibers available from 3M (the assignee of the present invention). These fibers have a common core and a cladding surrounded by the novel three layer structure discussed in US Pat. No. 5,381,504. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the connector of the present invention can accommodate both single and multiple modes as well as separate optical fibers or multiple fiber ribbons.

The fibers pre-terminated with plug 12 or receptacle 14 are peeled off, cleaved and washed. When the fiber is in the form of a ribbon that is part of a bundle group of ribbons in the cable, part of the cable jacket is first cut back to represent the ribbon. Most cables have several protective layers, each of which must be removed to provide access to the fiber ribbon. Similar steps should be taken to remove the protective layer of the cable with a single individual fiber. After the fibers are removed from the protective cable jacket, they are peeled off. The peeled fibers are then cleaved, which can be achieved using any one of several commercial fiber cleavers shown in US Pat. No. 5,024,363. The cleaving length for attaching the fiber to the plug 12 is the length from the fiber holder 18 which is about 23 mm in the preferred embodiment. In order to adhere the fibers to the receptacle 14, the cleaving length is the length from the fiber holder 18, which in the preferred embodiment is about 15 mm. Prior to removing the fiber from the cleaver, the skilled worker checks the fiber to ensure that the end face on all the fibers is acceptable, i.e., it is a smooth cleaving part without any spikes. The fiber viewer disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,210,647 may be used for this purpose. Once the skilled worker has confirmed that each fiber has the appropriate end face, the fiber can be removed from the cleaver. In a preferred embodiment, the fiber end faces are chamfered or beveled (at least partially beveled) to obtain the advantages associated with the fiber end shape more fully discussed in US patent application Ser. No. 08 / 122,755. Flat with starring. The fibers are also optionally provided with an asymmetrical treatment such as cleaving to provide an angled end face as shown in US Pat. No. 5,048,908. If so, in order to minimize insertion loss and reflection, the fibers may be inclined in the direction of the end face of one set of inclined fibers (ie, in the plug 12) (ie, in the receptacle 14). It should be inserted to supplement the direction of. In plug fibers, fiber preparation may be performed after the fiber cables are threaded through the boot 38.

Final assembly of the plug 12 includes gripping the fibers in the V-groove of the holder 18 and snapping the side plates 24 onto the holder 18. The side plate 24 can be used with an assembly fixture that guides the side plate on the plug fiber holder to prevent the fiber from being damaged when it is inserted into the side plate. The end of the plug fiber terminates at about 0.5 mm from the end of the side plate. Completion of the receptacle 14 is also simple. The receptacle fiber is gripped on the fiber holder 72 using the gripping plate 80, and the end of the receptacle fiber terminates in the fiber alignment groove at about 15 mm from the tips of the fingers 82, 84. The receptacle fibers can be split after fixing them to the fiber holder. Once the joining and guiding properties are provided in one or both parts, the fiber is assembled into the holder using the V-groove to substantially pick up the fiber holder from the cleaver to prevent contamination of the fiber tip. Can be. Punch-down tools can be used to simplify assembly. The fiber holder 72 is first attached to the housing 70 by pushing the pivot post into the cutout 88 and then snapping the stud into the hole 89. Care must be taken not to contaminate the fiber tip while placing the fiber in the V-groove and attaching the holder to the receptacle.

The installation of the connector 10 is equally straight. Receptacle 14 is optionally mounted to a given surface by conventional means, such as latching arm 76 (other structures can also be molded into housing 700 for customary mounting) Multiple receptacles are also mounted to a single module These can be designed to be forward or rearward loading or sliding from the side After the receptacle 14 is mounted, the connection is completed by simply inserting the plug 12 into the opening 74. Plug 12 is released from receptacle 14 by latch 40.

1 and 2 show the complete insertion of the plug. When the plug 12 is inserted, the door 90 opens and the cam door 58 opens, as described above, allowing the fingers 82, 84 to enter the slots 54, 56, respectively. The plug fibers 30, 32 are in contact with the fiber alignment grooves in the fiber holder 72 and slide until their end faces contact each end face of the receptacle fiber, which is curved when the plug is inserted. Plug fibers can perform S-shaped bending. All forces at the fiber-to-fiber interface come from the elasticity (elastic deformation) of the curved fibers 30, 32, which maintains a continuous compressive load between the ends. The connector 10 is preferably designed to maintain a minimum bend radius of 0.3 "on the fiber.

The dimensions of the various components of the connector can vary significantly depending on the particular application. The following approximate dimensions are considered as examples. The plug 12 has a total length of 57 mm, a width of 12 mm, a thickness of 8 mm, and the plug fiber holder 18 provides a 13 mm long gripping groove. The plug side plate 24 extends about 25 mm beyond the holder 18 to provide an internal space of 24 mm in length, 10 mm in width, and 6 mm in height. The opening 74 of the receptacle 14 is 12 mm x 10 mm. Its overall height and depth are 38 mm and 36 mm. The receptacle fiber holder 72 is 20 mm long, 12 mm wide, and 15 mm thick (from the end where the fibers are gripped at the tips of the fingers 82, 84). The fiber alignment grooves on the fingers 82 and 84 are 11.5 mm long and have a length of 11.5 mm and a maximum depth of 2 mm suitable for receiving most conventional optical fibers. The inner angle of the V-groove should not be too thin because it causes excessive friction with the fiber, but also not too wide because it does not keep the fiber guided properly. The internal angle of 90˚ is considered a good compromise.

The present invention is not limited to connectors for fiber-to-fiber interconnects, but also includes connectors for terminating optical fibers such as active optical devices. 6 shows a termination fixture 110 suitable for use with an active device. The fixture 110 is primarily replaced in place of the receptacle fiber hole diagram 72 and has protrusions or fingers 114 similar to the base 112 and the fingers 82, 84. Finger 114 has a fiber alignment groove 116 to receive one of the plug fibers whose end face is placed on the fiber stop or surface 118 as shown in FIG. The material forming the surface 118 is generally clean (i.e., transparent to the wavelength transmitted from the optical fiber), allowing the active optics to lie on the opposite side of the base 112, whereby the optical signal causes the material to Passing through; The material may be coated or otherwise manufactured to affect the optical signal, such as controls that enhance or polarize the optical signal. Posts 120 formed on base 112 may be used to align or attach fixture 110 to an active device substrate, such as a printed circuit board (PCB). Fixture 110 preferably has a single structure of a clean injection moldable polymer, such as ULTEM (polyetherimide, available from General Electric, Inc.), and opposing surface 118 to focus light from / to the fiber. It may also include a lens 122 formed on. Active optical devices and support structures are outside the scope of the present invention but may include, for example, optoelectronic sensors or laser diodes. Other driven optics (beam splitters, stub fibers in ferrules, etc.) may be used to direct light to or from the active optics, and termination fixtures of various structures may be used to direct or focus the light to a specific location, It may include a structure using total inner reflection (TIR). Using the present invention, the TIR scheme of combining light from bare fibers onto a photo detector, or combining light from a light source into a fiber has many advantages. One advantage is that the position of the fiber is determined by the fiber stop, so that the plug fiber is predetermined by the tolerances on the molded part and the positional accuracy of the active element, ie the light detector or the light source, thus eliminating the need for active optical alignment. Another advantage is that, in combination with the S-curve of the fiber, the overall height of the portable radiotelephone module can be reduced. The S-curve can be used to connect two parallel but not coaxial fibers. Finally, the portable cordless phone can be mounted on a substrate lying on the same side where the connector is inserted.

Fiber stubs, such as stubs (not shown) secured to a holder, such as receptacle holder 72, may be used at the active device end.

In addition to providing quick and easy connection and disconnection, the connector 10 has several other advantages. As described above, it may be easy to pre-terminate in the field as well as in the factory. If the fibers in the plug or receptacle are not terminated exactly in place, the full fiber-to-fiber contact will continue in the finished connection because the elastic stress of the curved fiber provides positive contact force, ie The relative positional tolerances of the fiber pairs are mitigated by slack in the plug fibers. The plug 12 is also essentially pull-proof because of this biasing. The tolerance is also insignificant at the traversal position of a given fiber pair because the V-groove 36 acts to align the fibers and the fibers are biased to the apex of the groove. The surface finish of the fiber alignment grooves should be smooth and the groove angles should be well defined, which is easy to manufacture using standard injection molding techniques. Preferably the V-groove has a sharpness of only 0.001 "radius. V-groove is preferably hard to withstand wear and has a low friction constant to minimize friction on the fiber as the fiber slides in the groove. In addition, the receptacle fiber has a very small depth for mounting, since the receptacle fiber enters the housing 700 at an acute angle (up to 90 °) with respect to the plug axis. In addition, the mounting method has a mounting depth of the RJ45 jack. Compatible with the method Finally, the reduced part count and the fact that all parts can be injection molded make this a very inexpensive connector.

In Figures 8 and 9, these figures show a tool that can be used in connection with the present invention to clean the leading ends of various optical fibers. 8 shows a tool 130 used to clean the tips of the fibers in the plug 12. The tool 130 has a main body 132 manufactured to hold hands, and the hole in the main body 132 is for accommodating the plug 12. The tool 130 also has an actuating member or lever 136 pivotally attached to the bodies 130, 138. In Fig. 8, the lever 136 is shown in the actuated position, in which state the push rod or tab 140 enters a hole or slot 142 in the top of the plug side plate and contacts the plug fiber to make it a slot ( 54, 56) to the outside of the side plate. In the inoperative position, the lever 136 is pivoted away from the opening 132 and retracts the push tab 140 so that the plug 12 can enter the tool 130 without interfering with the push tab. The lever 136 is preferably biased into the inoperative position, for example by a spring.

The opening 134 and the lever 136 are positioned such that when the fiber is pressed through the side plate slot, the plug fiber is also in force contact with the adhesive side 144 of the slip tape 146. The tape 146 is peeled from the tape roll 148 stored in the tool body 132. Two rollers 150 and 152 are provided to advance the tape so that a clean adhesive surface is at the fiber tip. To facilitate use, the tape 146 may be wound around another roller 154 forming a ratchet wheel that engages the pawl 156. Pawl 156 is again positioned on another handle or pivot lever 158 attached to the tool body at 160. In this manner, the user cleans the plug fiber by pressing the handle 158 while advancing the tape and holding the tool. Handle 158 may also be biased to the outermost position, for example by a spring.

9 shows a tool 162 used to clean the tip of the fiber in a modified receptacle 14 '. The shape of the tool 162 is similar to the plug 12, whereby it is manufactured to be inserted into the receptacle 14 ′ in a similar manner. Receptacle 14 ′ is nearly identical to receptacle 14 except that it provides any shape designed to raise the receptacle fibers out of the V-groove for cleaning. These features include fiber retaining or retaining retainers 164 and inclined connections 166. The fiber retainer 164 is pivotally attached to the fiber holder at 168 and is a block or pad located at one end of the retainer arm 172 that is fabricated to press the fiber into the V-groove and properly place therein. And 170. Pad 170 may be molded in a fiber holder-down. The other end of the retainer arm 172 forms a boss or button 174 thereon which pushes against the receptacle fiber when the retainer arm 172 is in the operating position as shown in FIG. Pushing the fiber by the boss 174 causes the fiber to deflect out of the V-groove. Preferably, the fiber retainer 194 is deflected by the spring 176 into the inoperative position, ie, pushing the pad 170 against the fiber to keep the fibers in the V-groove.

Tool 162 includes a body 178 that also houses a supply spool 180 of adhesive tape 182, such as tool 130. The rollers 184, 186 act to position the tape 182 so that its adhesive side can be advanced again to clean the fiber tip. The fiber is deflected as the tool 162 enters the receptacle 14 ′ by an inclined connection 166 comprising two inclined arms 188, 190 fixed to different pivot points 192. A protrusion or actuating bump 194 formed on the front end of the tool 162 pushes against the inclined arm 188 when the tool is inserted into the receptacle. This in turn causes the inclined arm 190 to rotate and push against the catch or finger 196 attached to the fiber retainer 164. Forced contact between the inclined arm 190 and the finger 196 causes the fiber retainer 164 to pivot about the point 168, thereby pushing the boss against the fiber and deflecting the fiber out of the V-groove. . Tape 182 in tool 162 may be wound on another spool 198 or exit tool body 178 in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 8 for tool 130. Small dials or torsion rods may be attached to the winding spool 198 and extend outside the body 178 to allow the user to advance the tape.

Although the present invention has been described with respect to particular embodiments, the description is not meant to be understood in a limited sense. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments as well as other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the description of the present invention. For example, although only two fibers are shown in relation to the figures, the connector 10 may actually accept any number (or only one pair) of fibers. Accordingly, such modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (20)

A plug for terminating or interconnecting optical fibers, Means for firmly holding the ends of the fibers and an elongated hollow plug body attached to the fiber retaining means such that the ends of the fibers extend into the plug body generally parallel to the axis of the plug body; The interior has enough space for the ends of the fiber to bend therein; And the plug body has at least one opening that provides access to an end of the fiber from an oblique angle with respect to the plug body axis. 2. A plug according to claim 1, further comprising means for limiting the warpage of the ends of the fibers located inside the plug body. 2. The access opening of claim 1, wherein the access opening includes a slot located at a front end of the plug body, the access opening being moved between a closed position in which a door member covers the slot and an open position in which the slot is not obstructed by the door member. And a door member attached to the plug body to enable the plug. 2. The plug of claim 1 wherein the plug body is mechanically polarized. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fiber retaining means comprises a first block having a landing member extending in a direction towards the end of the fiber and a second block positioned adjacent to the first block, wherein the landing member terminates the fiber. A plug having an upright post that limits negative warpage, wherein at least one of the first and second blocks has a fiber receiving groove in an adjacent surface. 4. The plug of claim 3 wherein said door member slides laterally across said front end of said plug body. 6. The plug of claim 5 wherein said landing member has latch means attached to receptacle to releasably secure said plug body. 7. The plug of claim 6 wherein the door member has a cam operating surface adapted to squeeze the door member laterally when inserting the plug into the receptacle. A plug fiber holder for holding the peeled end of the optical fiber, a first end open to and attached to the plug fiber holder while the end of the fiber extends substantially inside the plug body substantially parallel to the axis of the plug body and A plug comprising a long hollow plug body having a second end having a slot for providing access to an end, the interior having a space sufficient for the end of the fiber to bend therein; An opening sized to receive the second end of the plug body, and positioned to receive the slot into the plug body to receive the termination of the fiber when the plug body is inserted into the receptacle. A receptacle having a protrusion having a fibrous alignment groove, And latch means for releasably securing the plug body to the receptacle. 10. The optical fiber termination of claim 9, further comprising means for biasing said plug in an outlet direction from said receptacle opening. 10. An optical fiber termination as claimed in claim 9, further comprising means for releasing said latch means when a predetermined tension is applied on said plug fiber. 10. The light according to claim 9, further comprising a door member attached to the plug body such that the door is movable between a closed position in which the door covers the slot and an open position in which the slot is not obstructed by the door member. Fiber termination. 10. The optical fiber termination of claim 9, wherein the receptacle has a receptacle fiber holder that secures the peeled termination of another optical fiber whose end face is positioned along a middle portion of the fiber alignment groove. 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the plug fiber holder includes a first block having a landing member extending in a direction toward the end of the fiber and a second block positioned adjacent to the first block, wherein the landing member terminates the fiber. And an upright post limiting the deflection of the portion, wherein at least one of the first and second blocks has a fiber receiving groove in an adjacent surface. 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the door member has a cam operating surface made to squeeze the door member laterally and slides laterally across the second end of the plug body, And the receptacle has a door member having a corresponding cam operating surface such that when the plug body is inserted into the receptacle the cam is operated against the cam operating surface of the plug door member. 15. The method of claim 13, further comprising fiber retaining means for firmly holding the receptacle fibers at the apex of the fiber alignment groove. A plug fiber holder for holding the peeled end of the optical fiber, a first end open to and attached to the plug fiber holder while the end of the fiber extends substantially inside the plug body substantially parallel to the axis of the plug body and A plug comprising a long hollow plug body having a second end having a slot for providing access to an end, the interior having a space sufficient for the end of the fiber to bend therein; A receptacle housing having an opening sized to receive the second end of the plug side plate, the plug side plate also having means for releasably securing the plug side plate to the receptacle housing, and an oblique angle with respect to the axis of the plug side plate; And a projection that includes a fiber alignment groove that is adapted to enter the slot into the plug side plate to receive the end of the plug fiber when the plug side plate is inserted into the receptacle housing. A receptacle comprising a receptacle fiber holder for securing a portion, and means for releasably mounting the receptacle housing to a support surface; Thereby the plug fiber extends substantially linearly in the plug side plate when the plug is removed from the receptacle but the continuous compression load against the end face of the receptacle fiber when the plug fiber is fully inserted into the receptacle. Fiber optic connector, characterized in that it is long enough to bend to maintain. 18. The plug of claim 17, wherein the plug is also slidably attached to the second end of the plug side plate and has a closed position in which the plug door covers the slot and an open position in which the slot is not obstructed by the plug door. It also includes a plug door The receptacle has means for pressing the plug door into the open position when the second end of the plug side plate is inserted into the receptacle housing and is hingedly attached to the receptacle housing at the opening. Optical connector. A plug fiber holder for securing an end of the optical fiber and a front end having a slot for providing access to the end of the fiber, the long end of which is attached to the plug fiber holder and the end of the fiber extends therein; A plug comprising a hollow plug side plate and a plug door slidably attached to an end of the plug side plate and having a closed position in which the plug door covers the slot and an open position in which the slot is not obstructed by the plug door; A receptacle housing having an opening sized to receive the second end of the plug side plate, and adapted to enter a slot into the plug side plate to receive the termination of the plug fiber when the plug side plate is inserted into the receptacle; A receptacle comprising a protrusion comprising a fiber alignment groove therein positioned therein and means for pressing the plug door in the open position when the second end of the plug side plate is inserted into the receptacle housing; And a receptacle comprising a receptacle door hingedly attached to the receptacle housing. 20. The device of claim 19, wherein the plug door has a cam operating surface that is adapted to squeeze the plug door laterally and slides laterally across the end of the plug body, And the receptacle door has a corresponding cam operating surface adapted to cam on the cam operating surface of the plug door when the plug body is inserted into the receptacle.