US20100080517A1 - Fiber optic connector assembly employing fiber movement support and method of assembly - Google Patents
Fiber optic connector assembly employing fiber movement support and method of assembly Download PDFInfo
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- US20100080517A1 US20100080517A1 US12/286,186 US28618608A US2010080517A1 US 20100080517 A1 US20100080517 A1 US 20100080517A1 US 28618608 A US28618608 A US 28618608A US 2010080517 A1 US2010080517 A1 US 2010080517A1
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- fiber
- fiber optic
- movement support
- assembly
- connector
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
- G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
- G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
- G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
- G02B6/3869—Mounting ferrules to connector body, i.e. plugs
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a fiber optic connector assembly and method employing one or more fiber movement supports disposed around one or more optical fibers to inhibit sharp bending in the one or more optical fibers.
- the fiber movement support is more rigid than the optical fiber, so the fiber movement support translates force exerted on the optical fiber towards the axis of the optical fiber to inhibit bending.
- Optical fiber is increasingly being used for a variety of applications, including but not limited to broadband voice, video, and data transmission. Benefits of optical fiber use include extremely wide bandwidth and low noise operation. With the increasing and varied use of optical fibers, it is important to provide efficient methods of interconnecting optical fibers. Fiber optic connectors have been developed for this purpose. It is important that fiber optic connectors not significantly attenuate or alter the transmitted signal. In addition, the fiber optic connector should be relatively rugged and adapted to be connected and disconnected a number of times in order to accommodate changes in the optical fiber transmission path. Because of the skill required in making optical fiber connections and the variances in applications and environments, fiber optic cables carrying one or more optical fibers are typically pre-connectorized with fiber optic connectors by the fiber optic cable manufacturer before the fiber optic cable is deployed.
- Fiber optic connectors may be designed to interconnect one or more optical fibers.
- a duplex fiber optic cable carries two optical fibers for full duplex communications.
- a duplex fiber optic connector is typically employed to provide a connector for the two optical fibers in a duplex fiber optic cable.
- An example of a duplex LC fiber optic connector 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- the duplex LC fiber optic connector 10 provides a connector for two optical fibers (illustrated in FIG. 2 ) enclosed in a cable jacket 11 of a duplex fiber optic cable 12 .
- Buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B illustrated in FIG. 2 ) enclosed in the cable jacket 11 are exposed from the cable jacket 11 on an end portion.
- Bare optical fibers 13 A, 13 B contained within the buffered optical fibers are also exposed on respective end portions 15 A, 15 B (illustrated in FIG. 2 ) of the buffered optical fibers.
- the end portions 15 A, 15 B are inserted through a boot 14 .
- the boot 14 prevents sharp bends from occurring in the duplex fiber optic cable 12 adjacent a connector housing 16 comprised of an upper housing 17 and a lower housing (illustrated as element 36 in FIG. 2 ).
- the end portions of the optical fibers exit the boot 14 and enter the connector housing 16 and are inserted into respective fiber optic connector sub-assemblies 18 A, 18 B supported by the connector housing 16 .
- the end portions of the optical fibers are inserted through respective ferrule holder passages defined by ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B contained inside respective connector sub-assembly housings 21 A, 21 B, whereby the bare portions of the optical fibers 13 A, 13 B extend through ferrules 24 A, 24 B held by the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B.
- the fiber optic connector sub-assemblies 18 A, 18 B are LC fiber optic connector sub-assemblies.
- An optical connection may be established with the bare optical fibers 13 A, 13 B of the duplex fiber optic cable 12 using one or more adapters 26 .
- two female-to-female LC adapters 26 A, 26 B are shown; one for connection to each LC connector sub-assembly housing 21 A, 21 B.
- Each LC connector sub-assembly housing 21 A, 21 B contains a lever 28 A, 28 B (illustrated in FIG.
- the connector housing 16 includes a latch release 34 configured to engage and release both latches 29 B, 29 B with one action.
- the LC adapters 26 A, 26 B each define an internal orifice (not shown) configured to receive the ferrules 24 A, 24 B and align them with complimentary ferrules from optical connectors connected to the opposing end of the LC adapter 26 .
- FIG. 2 illustrates the duplex LC fiber optic connector 10 of FIG. 1 with the upper housing 17 of the connector housing 16 removed from the lower housing 36 .
- the upper housing 17 and lower housing 36 are molded such that a connector housing passage 38 is formed inside the connector housing 16 when the upper housing 17 and lower housing 36 are attached to each other.
- a portion of ferrule holders 40 A, 40 B and buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B from the duplex fiber optic cable 12 are disposed in the connector housing passage 38 .
- the duplex fiber optic cable 12 is inserted through the boot 14 and into a crimp body 44 retained in a crimp body recess 46 defined by the connector housing 16 .
- the crimp body 44 secures the cable jacket 11 in the connector housing passage 38 of the connector housing 16 .
- the connector housing 16 is designed to separate the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B from the duplex fiber optic cable 12 into their own individual LC fiber optic connector sub-assemblies 18 A, 18 B.
- the two buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B each with exposed bare optical fibers 13 A, 13 B on their ends, extend through the crimp body 44 and into the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B.
- a portion of the ferrule holders 40 A, 40 B are retained inside the lower housing 36 in ferrule holder recesses 45 A, 45 B.
- FIG. 2 also shows a dual adapter 26 ′ formed by a single housing, as opposed to the individual LC adapters 26 A, 26 B illustrated in FIG. 1 , for establishing an optical connection with the bare optical fibers 13 A, 13 B.
- FIG. 3 illustrates the duplex fiber optic connector assembly of FIG. 2 with one of the fiber optic connector sub-assemblies 18 A, 18 B inserted into the individual adapter 26 A illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- a bend of about 45 degrees is present in buffered optical fiber 42 A. The bend is a result of a force exerted back onto the ferrule 24 A as a result of connecting adapter 24 A to the optical connector sub-assembly 18 A.
- the force exerted on the buffered optical fiber 42 A as a result may have been caused by friction of the adapter 26 A exerting a force on the ferrule 24 A causing a spring (not shown) inside the fiber optic connector sub-assembly 18 A to move back.
- the force exerted on the buffered optical fiber 42 A may be caused by differences in spring force between fiber optic connector sub-assemblies mated together through the adapter 26 . Bending of an optical fiber, and in particular excess bending of an optical fiber such as illustrated in FIG. 3 , results in high insertion loss.
- Sharp bending of optical fibers occurs because the force is exerted on an optical fiber in a direction that is not parallel or substantially parallel with the axis of the fiber optic cable.
- a force exerted by the ferrules 24 A, 24 A onto the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B is also directed along the longitudinal axes 49 A, 49 B.
- longitudinal axes 53 A, 53 B of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B are angled at angle ⁇ 1 with respect to the longitudinal axes 49 A, 49 B of the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B, because the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B come into the connector housing 16 along a longitudinal axis 50 that is offset from longitudinal axes 49 A, 49 B.
- the force is directed onto the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B along the longitudinal axes 49 A, 49 B of the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B and at an angle ⁇ 1 with respect to the longitudinal axes 53 A, 53 B of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the force is not an axial force with respect to the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B, because the force in not directed along or in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axes 53 A, 53 B of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- This non-axial force causes the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B to kink or bend instead of the force pushing the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B towards the longitudinal axes 53 A, 53 B and back into the duplex fiber optic cable 12 .
- Embodiments of the present invention include a fiber optic connector assembly employing one or more fiber movement supports.
- the one or more fiber movement supports are each disposed around one or more optical fibers contained inside an optical connector housing.
- the one or more fiber movement supports are configured to inhibit sharp bends from occurring in the one or more optical fibers as a result of a force exerted on the one or more optical fibers in a direction angled to the axis of the one or more optical fibers.
- the fiber movement support is more rigid than an optical fiber.
- Embodiments of the invention also include a method of assembling a fiber optic connector assembly employing a fiber movement support.
- one or more optical fibers from a fiber optic cable are exposed on an end portion and are inserted into a rear end of a fiber optic connector housing.
- the exposed optic fiber includes a bare portion of optical fiber.
- the end portion of the optical fiber is inserted into a dedicated fiber movement support, which is inserted into a ferrule holder passage defined by a ferrule holder of a fiber optic connector sub-assembly.
- the end portion of the optical fiber extends through the fiber movement support, into the ferrule holder passage, and through a ferrule held by the ferrule holder in the fiber optic connector sub-assembly.
- the ferrule holder extends through a front end of the connector housing with the bare optical fiber exposed through the ferrule of the fiber optic connector sub-assembly.
- the longitudinal axis of the ferrule holder passage is offset from the longitudinal axis of the fiber optic cable and thus is angled with respect to the axis of the optical fiber.
- the fiber optic connector housing employing a fiber movement support according to the present invention may support any number of optical fibers.
- the fiber optic connector is a duplex fiber optic connector for connecting to a duplex fiber optic cable containing two buffered optical fibers therein.
- Two distinct fiber optic connector sub-assemblies, each with fiber movement supports inserted into the ferrule holder passages therein, are supported by the duplex fiber optic connector.
- the fiber optic connector sub-assemblies may be aligned along longitudinal axes that are offset from the longitudinal axis of the rear end of the duplex fiber optic connector housing, such that force exerted on the buffered optical fibers is angled to the axis of the buffered optical fibers.
- the fiber movement support may be provided in any form or structure so long as it is capable of translating force exerted on an optical fiber disposed therein.
- the fiber movement support is provided in the form of one or more stiffener tubes, wherein one or more optical fibers supported by the fiber optic connector are inserted into the one or more stiffener tubes.
- the fiber movement support is provided in the form of one or more channels molded into a fiber optic connector housing wherein one or more optical fibers are disposed inside the one or more channels.
- the fiber movement support is provided in the form of an insert with one or more insert channels contained therein. The insert is inserted inside and supported by the fiber optic connector housing. The one or more optical fibers are inserted or placed into the one or more channels in the insert.
- FIG. 1 is a view of a prior art duplex fiber optic cable, connector, and adapter
- FIG. 2 is a top view of the duplex fiber optic connector of FIG. 1 showing the optical fibers inside an exposed fiber optic connector housing and inserted into fiber optic connector sub-assemblies of a fiber optic connector;
- FIG. 3 is a close-up top cross section view of the connector housing and fiber optic connector sub-assemblies of FIG. 2 showing an excess bend in an optical fiber caused by the force exerted by the adapter on the ferrule when connected;
- FIG. 4 is a top view of an unconnected fiber optic connector employing stiffener tubes as fiber movement supports for optical fibers disposed in a fiber optic connector housing and inserted into fiber optic connector sub-assemblies of a fiber optic connector, according to one embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 5 is the fiber optic connector of FIG. 4 connected to an adapter, wherein the stiffener tubes disperse force exerted by the adapter against the ferrules of the fiber optic connector sub-assemblies;
- FIG. 6 is a fiber optic connector sub-assembly with a stiffener tube inserted into the ferrule holder passage of the ferrule holder prior to insertion of an optical fiber into the fiber movement support and ferrule holder passage, according to one embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 7 is a top cross section view of the fiber optic connector sub-assembly of FIG. 6 ;
- FIG. 8 is the fiber optic connector sub-assembly of FIGS. 6 and 7 , showing how an optical fiber is inserted into the stiffener tube and into the ferrule holder passage of the fiber optic connector sub-assembly, according to one embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 9 is a top view of a fiber optic connector employing fiber movement support in the form of an insert inserted into a fiber optic connector housing of a fiber optic connector defining channels for supporting optical fibers inserted therein, according to an alternative embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 10 is a top view of a fiber optic connector employing fiber movement supports in the form of channels molded into a fiber optic connector housing of a fiber optic connector for supporting optical fibers inserted therein, according to another alternative embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 11 is a top view of fiber optic connectors employing a single fiber movement support for a single optical fiber disposed in a single fiber optic connector housing, according to alternative embodiments of the invention.
- Embodiments of the present invention include a fiber optic connector assembly employing one or more fiber movement supports.
- the one or more fiber movement supports are each disposed around one or more optical fibers contained inside an optical connector housing.
- the one or more fiber movement supports are configured to inhibit sharp bends from occurring in the one or more optical fibers as a result of a force exerted on the one or more optical fibers in a direction angled to the axis of the one or more optical fibers.
- the fiber movement support is more rigid than an optical fiber.
- Embodiments of the invention also include a method of assembling a fiber optic connector assembly employing a fiber movement support.
- one or more optical fibers from a fiber optic cable are exposed on an end portion and are inserted into a rear end of a fiber optic connector housing.
- the exposed optic fiber includes a bare portion of optical fiber.
- the end portion of the optical fiber is inserted into a dedicated fiber movement support, which is inserted into a ferrule holder passage defined by a ferrule holder of a fiber optic connector sub-assembly.
- the end portion of the optical fiber extends through the fiber movement support, into the ferrule holder passage, and through a ferrule held by the ferrule holder in the fiber optic connector sub-assembly.
- the ferrule holder extends through a front end of the connector housing with the bare optical fiber exposed through the ferrule of the fiber optic connector sub-assembly.
- the longitudinal axis of the ferrule holder passage is offset from the longitudinal axis of the fiber optic cable and thus is angled with respect to the axis of the optical fiber.
- FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention employing a duplex LC fiber optic connector 10 .
- Many of the features of the duplex LC fiber optic connector 10 illustrated in FIG. 4 are common to those illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 previously discussed. Thus, these common features will not be repeated.
- the duplex LC fiber optic connector 10 employs two fiber movement supports, one for each buffered optical fiber 42 A, 42 B of the duplex fiber optic cable 12 in the form of stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B.
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B are cut lengths of tubing with the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B inserted therein, typically before placement or insertion of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B inside the connector housing 16 .
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B are each disposed at angle ⁇ 2 with respect to the longitudinal axis 50 of the duplex fiber optic cable 12 , because the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B are disposed within the connector housing 16 at angle ⁇ 2 with respect to the longitudinal axis 50 when inserted into the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B.
- the angle ⁇ 2 is an acute angle of about 15 degrees. This angle is due to the offset between the longitudinal axes 49 A, 49 B of the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B and longitudinal axis 50 of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B coming into the connector housing 16 . This offset is about 3.2 millimeters (mm) in this embodiment.
- the offset may be at least 2.0 millimeters (mm) in other embodiments.
- This offset between the longitudinal axes 49 A, 49 B of the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B and longitudinal axis 50 of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B causes force exerted back on the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B to push the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B along the longitudinal axes 49 A, 49 B of the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B and not along the longitudinal axes 53 A, 53 B of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B toward the duplex fiber optic cable 12 .
- the force exerted onto the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B is a non-axial force due to this offset.
- the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B can kink and/or bend as a result if a fiber movement support is not employed.
- force exerted on the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B causes the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B to contact the inner wall (not shown) of the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B.
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B are constructed out of a more rigid material than the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B, the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B translate this non-axial force into an axial force in a direction towards the longitudinal axes 53 A, 53 B of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B are pushed back toward and inside the duplex fiber optic cable 12 , thus preventing or reducing bending in the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- any bending does occurs, it is more gradual because of the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B. Sharp bending of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B, like that illustrated in FIG. 3 for example, is inhibited.
- a force is translated towards the longitudinal axis of an optical fiber, this means that the direction force, initially a force directed generally along the longitudinal axes 49 A, 49 B of the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B (and thus non-axial with respect to the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B) is changed in direction by some angle greater than zero towards the longitudinal axes 53 A, 53 B of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the force may be translated such that the initially non-axial force is translated into an axial or substantially axial force with respect to the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the change in direction towards the longitudinal axes 49 A, 49 B of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B may cause the force to be directed in alignment or substantial alignment with the longitudinal axes 49 A, 49 B of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B, although such is not required by the present invention.
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B translate the direction of the force at about an angle of 15 degrees towards the longitudinal axes of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B, although the present invention is not limited to a particular translation angle.
- FIG. 5 illustrates the same duplex LC fiber optic connector 10 of FIG. 4 , but the connector sub-assembly housings 21 A, 21 B and the ferrules 24 A, 24 B have been inserted and connected inside the dual LC adapter 26 ′.
- a single body, dual LC adapter 26 ′ is employed as opposed to individual, single adapters 26 as illustrated in FIG. 4 .
- insertion of the connector sub-assembly housings 21 A, 21 B and the ferrules 24 A, 24 B, into the adapter 26 ′ can be one cause of excess force being exerted back onto the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B disposed in the connector housing 16 .
- the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B do not suffer from sharp bending like that illustrated in FIG. 3 , because stiffener tube 51 A translates the force towards the longitudinal axis 53 A of the buffered optical fiber 42 A.
- Minimal bending may be defined as a small bend radius the connector housing 16 geometry requires at an angle between about 0 to 25 degrees.
- the sharpest angle of bending in the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B disposed in the connector housing 16 of FIG. 5 is about 15 degrees.
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B are translating the exerted force over a greater length of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B may be tight buffered optical fibers, meaning that the buffer tube disposed around the bare optical fibers 13 A, 13 B is tightly bound around the optical fibers 13 A, 13 B.
- the buffered tube may be constructed out of a thermoplastic material, or a fluropolymer such as Tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), Polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF), and PolyVinyl Chloride (PVC), as examples.
- TFE Tetrafluoroethylene
- PTFE Polytetrafluorethylene
- PVDF Polyvinylidene Fluoride
- PVC PolyVinyl Chloride
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B are typically selected such that their inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the outer diameter of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B may be about 900 micrometers ( ⁇ m).
- the inner diameter of the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B may be about 1000 micrometers ( ⁇ m) when designed to support the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the stiffener tubes may be between about 300 and 1000 micrometers ( ⁇ m) for other embodiments, especially if the stiffener tube is designed to support buffered optical fibers of less outer diameter and/or bare optical fibers.
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B may be constructed out of any material that is more rigid that the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B and rigid enough to translate force exerted onto the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B. In this manner, the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B do not kink or bend as easily as the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B, and as a result translate the non-axial force exerted onto the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the range of forces not parallel to the axis of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B that may be exerted on the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B may be between about 0 Newtons (N) and 5 Newtons (N).
- stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B examples include a high density Polyethylene (HPDE), or a fluropolymer, such as TFE, PTFE, PVDF, and PVC, as examples.
- HPDE high density Polyethylene
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B may also be constructed out of a Teflon ®-based material, which contains a PTFE.
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B may be constructed out of any material desired as long as the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B disperse force exerted on optical fibers.
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B are typically placed overtop the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B before placement or insertion into the connector housing 16 .
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B may be disposed in the connector housing 16 before the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B are inserted into the connector housing 16 .
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B may be disposed on both or only one of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the construction of an LC optical connector sub-assembly 18 may be such that only one optical fiber bends sharply and in an undesired manner in response to a force exerted by the ferrule onto the optical fiber.
- One ferrule holder may be offset or offset more from the longitudinal axis of optical fibers coming into the connector housing 16 than another ferrule holder.
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B may be employed with other types of optical fibers that do not include buffering and/or are not coated.
- the present invention also includes embodiments involving a method of assembling a fiber optic connector assembly employing one or more fiber movement supports. These methods and steps that may be employed as part of a method of assembling a fiber optic connector assembly employing one or more fiber movement supports in the form of stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B, such as inserted into the LC fiber optic connector sub-assemblies 18 A, 18 B illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 . However, these steps and methods may be employed for any fiber optic connector employing at least one fiber movement support to support any type of optical fiber, whether buffered, coated, disposed within any other type of structure or support, or not.
- the process begins by first cutting stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B to a desired length, such as from a stiffener tube roll.
- the length of the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B is pre-selected such that the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B can be inserted into a ferrule holder passage, such as ferrule holder passage 56 A illustrated in FIG. 6 .
- ferrule holder passage 56 A illustrated in FIG. 6 .
- this step may also be performed for the other fiber optic connector sub-assemblies, including, for example, connector sub-assembly 18 B for the duplex LC fiber optic connector 10 .
- the length of the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B are selected so that they extend out from the ferrule holder passages 56 A, 56 B disposed inside the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B in a sufficient length to support insertion of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B through the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B and inside the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B.
- stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B are inserted into the ferrule holder passages as illustrated by stiffener tube 51 A inserted into the ferrule holder passage 56 A of the connector sub-assembly 18 A in FIGS. 6 and 7 .
- the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B may be inserted by hand or machine. It may be desirable or convenient to insert the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B into the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B before the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B are inserted or placed into the connector housing 16 .
- the stiffener tube 51 A, 51 B may be used as a guide for inserting the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B into the ferrule holder passages 56 A, 56 B.
- an insertion device 68 such as a syringe for example, may be employed to assist in the insertion of the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B into the ferrule holder passages 56 A, 56 B.
- the insertion device 68 would ideally have an outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B, and rigid enough to support insertion of the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B into the ferrule holder passages 56 A, 56 B. This is illustrated by example in FIG. 6 , wherein the stiffener tube 51 A inserted into the ferrule holder passage 56 A of the ferrule holder 20 A.
- the step of inserting the stiffener tube into the ferrule holder passage is performed for all fiber optic connector sub-assemblies that employ a fiber movement support.
- FIG. 7 is a top cross section view of the fiber optic connector sub-assembly 18 A of FIG. 6 showing the insertion of the stiffener tube 51 A into the ferrule holder passage 56 A of the ferrule holder 20 A. As illustrated, the stiffener tube 51 A is inserted through a ferrule holder opening 58 A defined by the ferrule holder 20 A creating the ferrule holder passage 56 A therein.
- the stiffener tube 51 A is typically inserted fully into the ferrule holder passage 56 A until a first end 60 A of the stiffener tube 51 A abuts against a ferrule bore opening 62 A leading into a ferrule bore 64 A for receiving the bare optical fiber 13 A exposed on the end portion 15 A of the buffered optical fiber 42 A.
- the outer diameter of the stiffener tube 51 A is larger than the inner diameter of the ferrule bore opening 62 A. Due to the length of the stiffener tube 51 A, a portion 65 A of the stiffener tube 51 A extends outside the ferrule holder passage 56 A terminating at a second end 66 A of the stiffener tube 51 A. This second end 66 A of the stiffener tube 51 A receives the bare optical fiber 13 A.
- the next step in this preferred embodiment is to strip the end portions 15 A, 15 B of the cable jacket 11 of the duplex fiber optic cable 12 to the desired or necessary lengths to expose the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B and the bare optical fibers 13 A, 13 B disposed therein for insertion into the connector housing 16 and fiber optic connector sub-assemblies 18 A, 18 B.
- This is illustrated in FIG. 8 for one of the fiber optic connector sub-assemblies 18 A, but is equally applicable for any other fiber optic connector sub-assemblies supported by a connector housing, including connector sub-assembly 18 B.
- the bare optical fibers 13 A, 13 B should be exposed a length sufficient to extend through the ferrules 24 A, 24 B when inserted into their respective stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B and through the ferrule bore 64 A. For example, ten millimeters (mm) of the bare optical fibers 13 A, 13 B may be exposed. Thereafter, the end portions 15 A, 15 B of the duplex fiber optic cable 12 with the exposed buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B and bare optical fibers 13 A, 13 B extending therefrom are inserted through the boot 14 , through the crimp body 44 , and into their respective stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B and through the ferrules 24 A, 24 B.
- the bare optical fibers 13 A, 13 B are inserted through the ferrule bores 64 A, 64 B until the bare optical fibers 13 A, 13 B extend through the ferrules 24 A, 24 B, wherein the bare optical fibers 13 A, 13 B can be cleaved and polished.
- the fiber optic connector sub-assemblies 18 A, 18 B, and more specifically the indentions 47 A, 47 B formed by the ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B are inserted into the ferrule holder recesses 45 A, 45 B molded into the lower housing 36 of the connector housing 16 . Thereafter, the upper housing 17 of the connector housing 16 is inserted on top of the lower housing 36 to secure the connector housing 16 and the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B split into respective ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B therein.
- stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B have been described as one form of fiber movement supports that may be used for the present invention.
- any supporting device or structure may be used as a fiber movement support so long as the device or structure supports an optical fiber and is able to translate a force exerted on an optical fiber toward the axis of the optical fiber.
- FIGS. 9-11 illustrate alternative embodiments of fiber movement supports and fiber optic connectors that may also be used for the been invention and provide support that the present invention is not limited to any particular type of fiber movement support or structure.
- FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 9 illustrates a top view of the duplex LC fiber optic connector 10 of FIGS. 4 and 5 ; however, the fiber movement support is not provided in the form of a stiffener tube 51 . Instead, the fiber movement support is provided in the form of an insert 70 providing one or more insert channels 71 disposed therein. In this embodiment, two insert channels 71 A, 71 B are provided in the insert 70 since the connector housing 16 supports the duplex fiber optic cable 12 .
- the insert channels 71 A, 71 B form a V-shape, where each insert channel 71 A, 71 B separates at an acute angle ⁇ 3 with respect to the longitudinal axis 50 of the fiber optic cable (not shown) and a common insert channel portion 72 that receives the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the insert channels 71 A, 71 B direct the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B to their respective ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B.
- the insert channels 71 A, 71 B support the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B and translate force exerted onto the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B in a direction towards the axes 53 A, 53 B of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the force exerted on the buffered optical fiber 42 B illustrated in FIG. 9 is directed to an inner wall 73 B of the molded channel, which then translates the force to inhibit sharp bending in the buffered optical fiber 42 B.
- any number of insert channels 71 may be present in the insert 70 to accommodate any number of optical fibers to provide fiber movement supports for the optical fibers.
- the insert 70 is placed into the lower housing 36 of the connector housing 16 .
- the insert 70 may be constructed out of the same material as the connector housing 16 , but this is not necessarily required.
- the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B are placed inside the insert channels 71 A, 71 B during assembly.
- the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B may be placed inside the insert channels 71 A, 71 B after the insert 70 is placed inside the lower housing 36 , however, it may be easier to place the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B inside the insert channels 71 A, 71 B before the insert 70 is placed inside the lower housing 36 .
- the upper housing 17 may also contain a complementary insert so that the insert channels 71 A, 71 B in both the lower housing 36 and the upper housing 17 either completely or substantially envelop the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- providing an insert 70 in either the upper housing 17 or the lower housing 36 is possible so long as the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B are supported therein.
- FIG. 10 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 10 illustrates a top view of the duplex LC fiber optic connector 10 of FIGS. 4 and 5 ; however, the fiber movement support is not provided in the form of a stiffener tube 51 . Instead, the fiber movement support is provided in the form of one or molded channels 74 molded into the connector housing 16 . In this embodiment, two molded channels 74 A, 74 B are provided since the connector housing 16 supports the duplex fiber optic cable 12 .
- the molded channels 74 A, 74 B form a V-shape, where each molded channel 74 A, 74 B separates at an acute angle ⁇ 4 with respect to the longitudinal axis 50 of the fiber optic cable (not shown) and a common molded channel portion 76 that receives the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the molded channels 74 A, 74 B direct the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B to their respective ferrule holders 20 A, 20 B. Only one buffered optical fiber 42 B is illustrated for convenience, but the molded channel 74 A may be employed to support the other buffered optical fiber 42 A as well.
- the molded channels 74 A, 74 B supports the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B and translate force exerted onto the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B.
- the force exerted on the buffered optical fiber 42 B is directed to an inner wall 78 B of the molded channel 74 B, which then translates the force towards the longitudinal axis 53 B to inhibit sharp bending in the buffered optical fiber 42 B.
- any number of molded channels 74 may be present to accommodate any number of optical fibers to provide fiber movement supports for the optical fibers.
- the molded channels 74 A, 74 B are molded into the lower housing 36 of the connector housing 16 .
- the molded channels 74 A, 74 B are typically formed out of the same material as the connector housing 16 , but do not necessarily have to be.
- the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B are placed inside the molded channels 74 A, 74 B during assembly.
- the upper housing 17 may also contain complementary molded channels so that the molded channels 74 in both the lower housing 36 and the upper housing 17 either completely or substantially envelop the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B placed inside the channels.
- providing molded channels is only required for this embodiment in either the upper housing 17 or the lower housing 36 so long as the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B are supported therein.
- the fiber movement support in this embodiment is molded into a permanent positioning in the connector housing 16 , it may be desirable to design the molded channels 74 A, 74 B such that there is a tolerance left between the outside diameter of buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B and the inner walls 78 A, 78 B. This allows easier insertion of the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B into the molded channels 74 A, 74 B since the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B cannot be placed in the fiber movement supports before the fiber movement supports are placed or inserted into the connector housing 16 , like was possible with the stiffener tubes 51 A, 51 B of FIGS. 3-8 .
- the molded channels 74 A, 74 B may be designed to have an inner width of distance D 1 , which may be about 2.0 millimeters (mm) to allow for a tolerance T 1 of between about 0.5 and 1.0 millimeters (mm).
- the tolerance should be small enough that kinking or sharp bending in the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B does not occur before the force is translated. It may also be desirable to provide a surface finish in the molded channels 74 A, 74 B so that the buffered optical fibers 42 A, 42 B can slide easily back to the duplex fiber optic cable 12 during translation.
- FIG. 11 illustrates yet another alternative embodiment of a fiber optic connector employing a fiber movement support.
- a single fiber optic connector 80 is provided that employs a connector housing 81 only supporting one buffered optical fiber 82 .
- a fiber movement support such as those illustrated in embodiments herein, may be more particularly useful for multiple fiber optic cables, a fiber movement support may also be employed with single fiber optic cables as well if a force can be exerted onto a single fiber optic cable in a direction angled to the axis of the single fiber optic cable. For example, as illustrated in FIG.
- the connector housing 81 is designed to support a ferrule holder 20 of an optical connector sub-assembly 18 that has a longitudinal axis 84 offset from a longitudinal axis 86 of the buffered optical fiber 82 , such as illustrated in FIG. 11 , force exerted onto the buffered optical fiber 82 will be directed at an angle ⁇ 5 with respect to the longitudinal axis 87 of the buffered optical fiber 82 .
- the fiber movement support is provided in the form of an insert 88 having an insert channel 92 to support the buffered optical fiber 82 inserted therein in a similar manner as the insert 70 of FIG. 10 .
- the buffered optical fiber 82 is placed inside the insert channel 92 wherein the buffered optical fiber 82 will contact an inner wall 94 of the insert channel 92 defined by the insert 88 when a force is exerted onto the buffered optical fiber 82 .
- the insert channel 92 will translate force towards the longitudinal axis 86 of the buffered optical fiber 82 .
- bending of the buffered optical fiber 82 is inhibited thereby avoiding or reducing high insertion losses that can be caused by sharp bending of an optical fiber.
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Abstract
A fiber optic connector assembly and method employing one or more fiber movement supports. The one or more fiber movement supports are each disposed around one or more optical fibers and are configured to inhibit kinks or sharp bends from occurring in the one or more optical fibers. The fiber movement support is more rigid than an optical fiber. Thus, when a force is exerted on an optical fiber in a direction angled to the axis of the optical fiber, the force is directed to the fiber movement support. The fiber movement support translates the non-axial force in a direction toward the axis of the optical fiber. This causes the optical fiber to be pushed back towards the fiber optic cable instead of the kinking or bending the optical fiber, thus avoiding or reducing high insertion losses resulting from bending of the optical fiber.
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a fiber optic connector assembly and method employing one or more fiber movement supports disposed around one or more optical fibers to inhibit sharp bending in the one or more optical fibers. The fiber movement support is more rigid than the optical fiber, so the fiber movement support translates force exerted on the optical fiber towards the axis of the optical fiber to inhibit bending.
- 2. Technical Background
- Optical fiber is increasingly being used for a variety of applications, including but not limited to broadband voice, video, and data transmission. Benefits of optical fiber use include extremely wide bandwidth and low noise operation. With the increasing and varied use of optical fibers, it is important to provide efficient methods of interconnecting optical fibers. Fiber optic connectors have been developed for this purpose. It is important that fiber optic connectors not significantly attenuate or alter the transmitted signal. In addition, the fiber optic connector should be relatively rugged and adapted to be connected and disconnected a number of times in order to accommodate changes in the optical fiber transmission path. Because of the skill required in making optical fiber connections and the variances in applications and environments, fiber optic cables carrying one or more optical fibers are typically pre-connectorized with fiber optic connectors by the fiber optic cable manufacturer before the fiber optic cable is deployed.
- Fiber optic connectors may be designed to interconnect one or more optical fibers. For example, a duplex fiber optic cable carries two optical fibers for full duplex communications. A duplex fiber optic connector is typically employed to provide a connector for the two optical fibers in a duplex fiber optic cable. An example of a duplex LC fiber
optic connector 10 is illustrated inFIG. 1 . The duplex LC fiberoptic connector 10 provides a connector for two optical fibers (illustrated inFIG. 2 ) enclosed in acable jacket 11 of a duplex fiberoptic cable 12. Bufferedoptical fibers FIG. 2 ) enclosed in thecable jacket 11 are exposed from thecable jacket 11 on an end portion. Bareoptical fibers respective end portions FIG. 2 ) of the buffered optical fibers. Theend portions boot 14. Theboot 14 prevents sharp bends from occurring in the duplex fiberoptic cable 12 adjacent aconnector housing 16 comprised of anupper housing 17 and a lower housing (illustrated aselement 36 inFIG. 2 ). The end portions of the optical fibers exit theboot 14 and enter theconnector housing 16 and are inserted into respective fiberoptic connector sub-assemblies connector housing 16. More specifically, the end portions of the optical fibers are inserted through respective ferrule holder passages defined byferrule holders connector sub-assembly housings optical fibers ferrules ferrule holders optic connector sub-assemblies - An optical connection may be established with the bare
optical fibers optic cable 12 using one ormore adapters 26. As illustrated inFIG. 1 , two female-to-female LC adapters connector sub-assembly housing connector sub-assembly housing lever FIG. 2 ) that containslatches latch orifices LC adapters first end connector sub-assembly housings LC adapters levers latches latch orifices connector housing 16 includes alatch release 34 configured to engage and release bothlatches LC adapters ferrules LC adapter 26. -
FIG. 2 illustrates the duplex LC fiberoptic connector 10 ofFIG. 1 with theupper housing 17 of theconnector housing 16 removed from thelower housing 36. Theupper housing 17 andlower housing 36 are molded such that aconnector housing passage 38 is formed inside the connector housing 16 when theupper housing 17 andlower housing 36 are attached to each other. A portion offerrule holders optical fibers optic cable 12 are disposed in theconnector housing passage 38. To establish a connection between the bareoptical fibers optic connector 10, the duplex fiberoptic cable 12 is inserted through theboot 14 and into acrimp body 44 retained in acrimp body recess 46 defined by theconnector housing 16. Thecrimp body 44 secures thecable jacket 11 in theconnector housing passage 38 of theconnector housing 16. - The
connector housing 16 is designed to separate the bufferedoptical fibers optic cable 12 into their own individual LC fiberoptic connector sub-assemblies optical fibers optical fibers crimp body 44 and into theferrule holders ferrule holders lower housing 36 inferrule holder recesses ferrule holders FIG. 2 includeindentions ferrule holders ferrule holder recesses ferrule holders ferrule holder recesses connector housing 16 into theconnector sub-assembly housings upper housing 17 and thelower housing 36 are mated together via protrusions formed by and extending downward on sides of theupper housing 17 that snap fit it intorecesses 43 disposed in thelower housing 36. Theupper housing 17 and thelower housing 36 also containalignment features 48 to ensure that theupper housing 17 is placed onto thelower housing 36 in the correct orientation.FIG. 2 also shows adual adapter 26′ formed by a single housing, as opposed to theindividual LC adapters FIG. 1 , for establishing an optical connection with the bareoptical fibers -
FIG. 3 illustrates the duplex fiber optic connector assembly ofFIG. 2 with one of the fiberoptic connector sub-assemblies individual adapter 26A illustrated inFIG. 1 . A bend of about 45 degrees is present in bufferedoptical fiber 42A. The bend is a result of a force exerted back onto theferrule 24A as a result of connectingadapter 24A to theoptical connector sub-assembly 18A. The force exerted on the bufferedoptical fiber 42A as a result may have been caused by friction of theadapter 26A exerting a force on theferrule 24A causing a spring (not shown) inside the fiberoptic connector sub-assembly 18A to move back. Alternatively, the force exerted on the bufferedoptical fiber 42A may be caused by differences in spring force between fiber optic connector sub-assemblies mated together through theadapter 26. Bending of an optical fiber, and in particular excess bending of an optical fiber such as illustrated inFIG. 3 , results in high insertion loss. - Sharp bending of optical fibers, such as in the buffered
optical fiber 42A illustrated inFIG. 3 , occurs because the force is exerted on an optical fiber in a direction that is not parallel or substantially parallel with the axis of the fiber optic cable. For example as illustrated inFIG. 3 , because theferrule holders longitudinal axes ferrules optical fibers longitudinal axes longitudinal axes optical fibers longitudinal axes ferrule holders optical fibers connector housing 16 along alongitudinal axis 50 that is offset fromlongitudinal axes optical fibers longitudinal axes ferrule holders longitudinal axes optical fibers optical fibers longitudinal axes optical fibers optical fibers optical fibers longitudinal axes optic cable 12. - Embodiments of the present invention include a fiber optic connector assembly employing one or more fiber movement supports. The one or more fiber movement supports are each disposed around one or more optical fibers contained inside an optical connector housing. The one or more fiber movement supports are configured to inhibit sharp bends from occurring in the one or more optical fibers as a result of a force exerted on the one or more optical fibers in a direction angled to the axis of the one or more optical fibers. The fiber movement support is more rigid than an optical fiber. Thus, when a force is exerted on an optical fiber in a direction angled to the axis of the optical fiber supported by the fiber movement support, the force is directed to the fiber movement support. The fiber movement support translates the non-axial force in a direction towards the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber. This causes the optical fiber to be pushed back towards and/or into the fiber optic cable, thus avoiding or reducing kinking or bending of the optical fiber. In this manner, high insertion losses that can occur as a result of bending are avoided or reduced. Embodiments of the invention also include a method of assembling a fiber optic connector assembly employing a fiber movement support.
- In one embodiment, one or more optical fibers from a fiber optic cable are exposed on an end portion and are inserted into a rear end of a fiber optic connector housing. The exposed optic fiber includes a bare portion of optical fiber. The end portion of the optical fiber is inserted into a dedicated fiber movement support, which is inserted into a ferrule holder passage defined by a ferrule holder of a fiber optic connector sub-assembly. The end portion of the optical fiber extends through the fiber movement support, into the ferrule holder passage, and through a ferrule held by the ferrule holder in the fiber optic connector sub-assembly. The ferrule holder extends through a front end of the connector housing with the bare optical fiber exposed through the ferrule of the fiber optic connector sub-assembly. The longitudinal axis of the ferrule holder passage is offset from the longitudinal axis of the fiber optic cable and thus is angled with respect to the axis of the optical fiber. Thus, if a force is exerted onto the ferrule and back onto the optical fiber contained therein, the force is exerted in a direction that is angled to the axis of the optical fiber and thus not an axial force with respect to the optical fiber. This is because the longitudinal axis of the ferrule holder passage is angled to the axis of the optical fiber contained therein. However, the fiber movement support translates the non-axial force in a direction toward the axis of the optical fiber to direct or push the optical fiber back into the fiber optic cable thus avoiding or reducing kinking or bending of the optical fiber.
- The fiber optic connector housing employing a fiber movement support according to the present invention may support any number of optical fibers. In one embodiment, the fiber optic connector is a duplex fiber optic connector for connecting to a duplex fiber optic cable containing two buffered optical fibers therein. Two distinct fiber optic connector sub-assemblies, each with fiber movement supports inserted into the ferrule holder passages therein, are supported by the duplex fiber optic connector. The fiber optic connector sub-assemblies may be aligned along longitudinal axes that are offset from the longitudinal axis of the rear end of the duplex fiber optic connector housing, such that force exerted on the buffered optical fibers is angled to the axis of the buffered optical fibers.
- The fiber movement support may be provided in any form or structure so long as it is capable of translating force exerted on an optical fiber disposed therein. In one embodiment, the fiber movement support is provided in the form of one or more stiffener tubes, wherein one or more optical fibers supported by the fiber optic connector are inserted into the one or more stiffener tubes. In another embodiment, the fiber movement support is provided in the form of one or more channels molded into a fiber optic connector housing wherein one or more optical fibers are disposed inside the one or more channels. In yet another embodiment, the fiber movement support is provided in the form of an insert with one or more insert channels contained therein. The insert is inserted inside and supported by the fiber optic connector housing. The one or more optical fibers are inserted or placed into the one or more channels in the insert.
- Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the invention as described herein, including the detailed description that follows, the claims, as well as the appended drawings.
- It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles and operation of the invention.
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FIG. 1 is a view of a prior art duplex fiber optic cable, connector, and adapter; -
FIG. 2 is a top view of the duplex fiber optic connector ofFIG. 1 showing the optical fibers inside an exposed fiber optic connector housing and inserted into fiber optic connector sub-assemblies of a fiber optic connector; -
FIG. 3 is a close-up top cross section view of the connector housing and fiber optic connector sub-assemblies ofFIG. 2 showing an excess bend in an optical fiber caused by the force exerted by the adapter on the ferrule when connected; -
FIG. 4 is a top view of an unconnected fiber optic connector employing stiffener tubes as fiber movement supports for optical fibers disposed in a fiber optic connector housing and inserted into fiber optic connector sub-assemblies of a fiber optic connector, according to one embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 5 is the fiber optic connector ofFIG. 4 connected to an adapter, wherein the stiffener tubes disperse force exerted by the adapter against the ferrules of the fiber optic connector sub-assemblies; -
FIG. 6 is a fiber optic connector sub-assembly with a stiffener tube inserted into the ferrule holder passage of the ferrule holder prior to insertion of an optical fiber into the fiber movement support and ferrule holder passage, according to one embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 7 is a top cross section view of the fiber optic connector sub-assembly ofFIG. 6 ; -
FIG. 8 is the fiber optic connector sub-assembly ofFIGS. 6 and 7 , showing how an optical fiber is inserted into the stiffener tube and into the ferrule holder passage of the fiber optic connector sub-assembly, according to one embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 9 is a top view of a fiber optic connector employing fiber movement support in the form of an insert inserted into a fiber optic connector housing of a fiber optic connector defining channels for supporting optical fibers inserted therein, according to an alternative embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 10 is a top view of a fiber optic connector employing fiber movement supports in the form of channels molded into a fiber optic connector housing of a fiber optic connector for supporting optical fibers inserted therein, according to another alternative embodiment of the invention; and -
FIG. 11 is a top view of fiber optic connectors employing a single fiber movement support for a single optical fiber disposed in a single fiber optic connector housing, according to alternative embodiments of the invention. - Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, like reference numbers will be used to refer to like components or parts.
- Embodiments of the present invention include a fiber optic connector assembly employing one or more fiber movement supports. The one or more fiber movement supports are each disposed around one or more optical fibers contained inside an optical connector housing. The one or more fiber movement supports are configured to inhibit sharp bends from occurring in the one or more optical fibers as a result of a force exerted on the one or more optical fibers in a direction angled to the axis of the one or more optical fibers. The fiber movement support is more rigid than an optical fiber. Thus, when a force is exerted on an optical fiber in a direction angled to the axis of the optical fiber supported by the fiber movement support, the force is directed to the fiber movement support. The fiber movement support translates the non-axial force in a direction towards the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber. This causes the optical fiber to be pushed back towards and/or into the fiber optic cable, thus avoiding or reducing kinking or bending of the optical fiber. In this manner, high insertion losses that can occur as a result of bending are avoided or reduced. Embodiments of the invention also include a method of assembling a fiber optic connector assembly employing a fiber movement support.
- In one embodiment, one or more optical fibers from a fiber optic cable are exposed on an end portion and are inserted into a rear end of a fiber optic connector housing. The exposed optic fiber includes a bare portion of optical fiber. The end portion of the optical fiber is inserted into a dedicated fiber movement support, which is inserted into a ferrule holder passage defined by a ferrule holder of a fiber optic connector sub-assembly. The end portion of the optical fiber extends through the fiber movement support, into the ferrule holder passage, and through a ferrule held by the ferrule holder in the fiber optic connector sub-assembly. The ferrule holder extends through a front end of the connector housing with the bare optical fiber exposed through the ferrule of the fiber optic connector sub-assembly. The longitudinal axis of the ferrule holder passage is offset from the longitudinal axis of the fiber optic cable and thus is angled with respect to the axis of the optical fiber. Thus, if a force is exerted onto the ferrule and back onto the optical fiber contained therein, the force is exerted in a direction that is angled to the axis of the optical fiber and thus not an axial force with respect to the optical fiber. This is because the longitudinal axis of the ferrule holder passage is angled to the axis of the optical fiber contained therein. However, the fiber movement support translates the non-axial force in a direction toward the axis of the optical fiber to direct or push the optical fiber back into the fiber optic cable thus avoiding or reducing kinking or bending of the optical fiber.
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FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention employing a duplex LCfiber optic connector 10. Many of the features of the duplex LCfiber optic connector 10 illustrated inFIG. 4 (as indicated by the common numeric labeling of components) are common to those illustrated inFIGS. 1-3 previously discussed. Thus, these common features will not be repeated. However, the duplex LCfiber optic connector 10 employs two fiber movement supports, one for each bufferedoptical fiber fiber optic cable 12 in the form of stiffener tubes 51A, 51B. In this embodiment, the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B are cut lengths of tubing with the bufferedoptical fibers optical fibers connector housing 16. - In this disclosed embodiment, the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B are each disposed at angle Θ2 with respect to the
longitudinal axis 50 of the duplexfiber optic cable 12, because the bufferedoptical fibers connector housing 16 at angle Θ2 with respect to thelongitudinal axis 50 when inserted into theferrule holders longitudinal axes ferrule holders longitudinal axis 50 of the bufferedoptical fibers connector housing 16. This offset is about 3.2 millimeters (mm) in this embodiment. The offset may be at least 2.0 millimeters (mm) in other embodiments. This offset between thelongitudinal axes ferrule holders longitudinal axis 50 of the bufferedoptical fibers optical fibers optical fibers longitudinal axes ferrule holders longitudinal axes optical fibers fiber optic cable 12. The force exerted onto the bufferedoptical fibers optical fibers optical fibers optical fibers optical fibers longitudinal axes optical fibers optical fibers fiber optic cable 12, thus preventing or reducing bending in the bufferedoptical fibers - If any bending does occurs, it is more gradual because of the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B. Sharp bending of the buffered
optical fibers FIG. 3 for example, is inhibited. When it is stated that a force is translated towards the longitudinal axis of an optical fiber, this means that the direction force, initially a force directed generally along thelongitudinal axes ferrule holders optical fibers longitudinal axes optical fibers optical fibers longitudinal axes optical fibers longitudinal axes optical fibers optical fibers -
FIG. 5 illustrates the same duplex LCfiber optic connector 10 ofFIG. 4 , but theconnector sub-assembly housings ferrules dual LC adapter 26′. In this embodiment, a single body,dual LC adapter 26′ is employed as opposed to individual,single adapters 26 as illustrated inFIG. 4 . As previously discussed, insertion of theconnector sub-assembly housings ferrules adapter 26′ can be one cause of excess force being exerted back onto the bufferedoptical fibers connector housing 16. As illustrated, the bufferedoptical fibers FIG. 3 , because stiffener tube 51A translates the force towards thelongitudinal axis 53A of the bufferedoptical fiber 42A. Minimal bending may be defined as a small bend radius theconnector housing 16 geometry requires at an angle between about 0 to 25 degrees. For example, the sharpest angle of bending in the bufferedoptical fibers connector housing 16 ofFIG. 5 is about 15 degrees. The stiffener tubes 51A, 51B are translating the exerted force over a greater length of the bufferedoptical fibers - The buffered
optical fibers optical fibers optical fibers optical fibers optical fibers optical fibers - The stiffener tubes 51A, 51B may be constructed out of any material that is more rigid that the buffered
optical fibers optical fibers optical fibers optical fibers optical fibers optical fibers - The stiffener tubes 51A, 51B are typically placed overtop the buffered
optical fibers connector housing 16. However, the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B may be disposed in theconnector housing 16 before the bufferedoptical fibers connector housing 16. Further, the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B may be disposed on both or only one of the bufferedoptical fibers optical connector sub-assembly 18 may be such that only one optical fiber bends sharply and in an undesired manner in response to a force exerted by the ferrule onto the optical fiber. One ferrule holder may be offset or offset more from the longitudinal axis of optical fibers coming into theconnector housing 16 than another ferrule holder. Also, the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B may be employed with other types of optical fibers that do not include buffering and/or are not coated. - The present invention also includes embodiments involving a method of assembling a fiber optic connector assembly employing one or more fiber movement supports. These methods and steps that may be employed as part of a method of assembling a fiber optic connector assembly employing one or more fiber movement supports in the form of stiffener tubes 51A, 51B, such as inserted into the LC fiber
optic connector sub-assemblies FIGS. 4 and 5 . However, these steps and methods may be employed for any fiber optic connector employing at least one fiber movement support to support any type of optical fiber, whether buffered, coated, disposed within any other type of structure or support, or not. - In a preferred embodiment, the process begins by first cutting stiffener tubes 51A, 51B to a desired length, such as from a stiffener tube roll. The length of the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B is pre-selected such that the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B can be inserted into a ferrule holder passage, such as
ferrule holder passage 56A illustrated inFIG. 6 . Although only one fiberoptic connector sub-assembly 18A is illustrated, this step may also be performed for the other fiber optic connector sub-assemblies, including, for example,connector sub-assembly 18B for the duplex LCfiber optic connector 10. The length of the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B are selected so that they extend out from theferrule holder passages 56A, 56B disposed inside theferrule holders optical fibers ferrule holders - Thereafter, the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B are inserted into the ferrule holder passages as illustrated by stiffener tube 51A inserted into the
ferrule holder passage 56A of theconnector sub-assembly 18A inFIGS. 6 and 7 . The stiffener tubes 51A, 51B may be inserted by hand or machine. It may be desirable or convenient to insert the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B into theferrule holders ferrule holders connector housing 16. The stiffener tube 51A, 51B may be used as a guide for inserting the bufferedoptical fibers ferrule holder passages 56A, 56B. Further, aninsertion device 68, such as a syringe for example, may be employed to assist in the insertion of the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B into theferrule holder passages 56A, 56B. Theinsertion device 68 would ideally have an outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B, and rigid enough to support insertion of the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B into theferrule holder passages 56A, 56B. This is illustrated by example inFIG. 6 , wherein the stiffener tube 51A inserted into theferrule holder passage 56A of theferrule holder 20A. Further, if the fiber optic connector supports a connector to more than two optical fibers, the step of inserting the stiffener tube into the ferrule holder passage is performed for all fiber optic connector sub-assemblies that employ a fiber movement support. -
FIG. 7 is a top cross section view of the fiberoptic connector sub-assembly 18A ofFIG. 6 showing the insertion of the stiffener tube 51A into theferrule holder passage 56A of theferrule holder 20A. As illustrated, the stiffener tube 51A is inserted through aferrule holder opening 58A defined by theferrule holder 20A creating theferrule holder passage 56A therein. The stiffener tube 51A is typically inserted fully into theferrule holder passage 56A until afirst end 60A of the stiffener tube 51A abuts against a ferrule bore opening 62A leading into aferrule bore 64A for receiving the bareoptical fiber 13A exposed on theend portion 15A of the bufferedoptical fiber 42A. The outer diameter of the stiffener tube 51A is larger than the inner diameter of the ferrule boreopening 62A. Due to the length of the stiffener tube 51A, aportion 65A of the stiffener tube 51A extends outside theferrule holder passage 56A terminating at asecond end 66A of the stiffener tube 51A. Thissecond end 66A of the stiffener tube 51A receives the bareoptical fiber 13A. - The next step in this preferred embodiment is to strip the
end portions cable jacket 11 of the duplexfiber optic cable 12 to the desired or necessary lengths to expose the bufferedoptical fibers optical fibers connector housing 16 and fiberoptic connector sub-assemblies FIG. 8 for one of the fiberoptic connector sub-assemblies 18A, but is equally applicable for any other fiber optic connector sub-assemblies supported by a connector housing, includingconnector sub-assembly 18B. The bareoptical fibers ferrules optical fibers end portions fiber optic cable 12 with the exposed bufferedoptical fibers optical fibers boot 14, through thecrimp body 44, and into their respective stiffener tubes 51A, 51B and through theferrules optical fibers optical fibers ferrules optical fibers optic connector sub-assemblies indentions ferrule holders lower housing 36 of theconnector housing 16. Thereafter, theupper housing 17 of theconnector housing 16 is inserted on top of thelower housing 36 to secure theconnector housing 16 and the bufferedoptical fibers respective ferrule holders - Thus far, the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B have been described as one form of fiber movement supports that may be used for the present invention. However, any supporting device or structure may be used as a fiber movement support so long as the device or structure supports an optical fiber and is able to translate a force exerted on an optical fiber toward the axis of the optical fiber. In this regard,
FIGS. 9-11 illustrate alternative embodiments of fiber movement supports and fiber optic connectors that may also be used for the been invention and provide support that the present invention is not limited to any particular type of fiber movement support or structure. -
FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 9 illustrates a top view of the duplex LCfiber optic connector 10 ofFIGS. 4 and 5 ; however, the fiber movement support is not provided in the form of astiffener tube 51. Instead, the fiber movement support is provided in the form of aninsert 70 providing one or more insert channels 71 disposed therein. In this embodiment, twoinsert channels insert 70 since theconnector housing 16 supports the duplexfiber optic cable 12. Theinsert channels channel longitudinal axis 50 of the fiber optic cable (not shown) and a commoninsert channel portion 72 that receives the bufferedoptical fibers insert channels optical fibers respective ferrule holders insert channels optical fibers optical fibers axes optical fibers optical fiber 42B illustrated inFIG. 9 is directed to aninner wall 73B of the molded channel, which then translates the force to inhibit sharp bending in the bufferedoptical fiber 42B. Note that any number of insert channels 71 may be present in theinsert 70 to accommodate any number of optical fibers to provide fiber movement supports for the optical fibers. - In this embodiment, the
insert 70 is placed into thelower housing 36 of theconnector housing 16. Theinsert 70 may be constructed out of the same material as theconnector housing 16, but this is not necessarily required. The bufferedoptical fibers FIG. 9 (42B), are placed inside theinsert channels optical fibers insert channels insert 70 is placed inside thelower housing 36, however, it may be easier to place the bufferedoptical fibers insert channels insert 70 is placed inside thelower housing 36. Although not shown, theupper housing 17 may also contain a complementary insert so that theinsert channels lower housing 36 and theupper housing 17 either completely or substantially envelop the bufferedoptical fibers insert 70 in either theupper housing 17 or thelower housing 36 is possible so long as the bufferedoptical fibers -
FIG. 10 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 10 illustrates a top view of the duplex LCfiber optic connector 10 ofFIGS. 4 and 5 ; however, the fiber movement support is not provided in the form of astiffener tube 51. Instead, the fiber movement support is provided in the form of one or moldedchannels 74 molded into theconnector housing 16. In this embodiment, two moldedchannels connector housing 16 supports the duplexfiber optic cable 12. The moldedchannels channel longitudinal axis 50 of the fiber optic cable (not shown) and a common moldedchannel portion 76 that receives the bufferedoptical fibers channels optical fibers respective ferrule holders optical fiber 42B is illustrated for convenience, but the moldedchannel 74A may be employed to support the other bufferedoptical fiber 42A as well. Similar to the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B, the moldedchannels optical fibers optical fibers FIG. 10 for the example of the bufferedoptical fiber 42B, the force exerted on the bufferedoptical fiber 42B is directed to aninner wall 78B of the moldedchannel 74B, which then translates the force towards thelongitudinal axis 53B to inhibit sharp bending in the bufferedoptical fiber 42B. Note that any number of moldedchannels 74 may be present to accommodate any number of optical fibers to provide fiber movement supports for the optical fibers. - In this embodiment, the molded
channels lower housing 36 of theconnector housing 16. The moldedchannels connector housing 16, but do not necessarily have to be. The bufferedoptical fibers FIG. 10 (42B), are placed inside the moldedchannels upper housing 17 may also contain complementary molded channels so that the moldedchannels 74 in both thelower housing 36 and theupper housing 17 either completely or substantially envelop the bufferedoptical fibers upper housing 17 or thelower housing 36 so long as the bufferedoptical fibers - Further, because the fiber movement support in this embodiment is molded into a permanent positioning in the
connector housing 16, it may be desirable to design the moldedchannels optical fibers inner walls optical fibers channels optical fibers connector housing 16, like was possible with the stiffener tubes 51A, 51B ofFIGS. 3-8 . For example, the moldedchannels optical fibers channels optical fibers fiber optic cable 12 during translation. -
FIG. 11 illustrates yet another alternative embodiment of a fiber optic connector employing a fiber movement support. InFIG. 11 , a singlefiber optic connector 80 is provided that employs aconnector housing 81 only supporting one bufferedoptical fiber 82. Although a fiber movement support, such as those illustrated in embodiments herein, may be more particularly useful for multiple fiber optic cables, a fiber movement support may also be employed with single fiber optic cables as well if a force can be exerted onto a single fiber optic cable in a direction angled to the axis of the single fiber optic cable. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 11 , if theconnector housing 81 is designed to support aferrule holder 20 of anoptical connector sub-assembly 18 that has alongitudinal axis 84 offset from alongitudinal axis 86 of the bufferedoptical fiber 82, such as illustrated inFIG. 11 , force exerted onto the bufferedoptical fiber 82 will be directed at an angle Θ5 with respect to thelongitudinal axis 87 of the bufferedoptical fiber 82. - The fiber movement support is provided in the form of an
insert 88 having aninsert channel 92 to support the bufferedoptical fiber 82 inserted therein in a similar manner as theinsert 70 ofFIG. 10 . The bufferedoptical fiber 82 is placed inside theinsert channel 92 wherein the bufferedoptical fiber 82 will contact aninner wall 94 of theinsert channel 92 defined by theinsert 88 when a force is exerted onto the bufferedoptical fiber 82. Theinsert channel 92 will translate force towards thelongitudinal axis 86 of the bufferedoptical fiber 82. Thus, bending of the bufferedoptical fiber 82 is inhibited thereby avoiding or reducing high insertion losses that can be caused by sharp bending of an optical fiber. - Although the present invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples can perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention and are intended to be covered by the appended claims. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims (28)
1. A fiber optic connector assembly, comprising:
a connector housing, comprising:
a first end configured to receive a first end portion of a first optical fiber from a fiber optic cable aligned along a first longitudinal axis; and
a second end receiving a first ferrule holder having a first passage extending therethrough and aligned along a second longitudinal axis offset a distance from the first longitudinal axis, wherein the first passage is in communication with a first ferrule; and
a first fiber movement support disposed in the connector housing and in communication with the first passage, and configured to receive and direct the first end portion into the first passage.
2. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the fiber first movement support is further configured to translate a nonaxial force exerted on the first end portion in a direction towards the longitudinal axis of the first end portion.
3. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the offset distance between the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis at least about 2.0 millimeters.
4. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first fiber movement support translates the direction of the force exerted on the first end portion at an angle between about 15 degrees and 25 degrees.
5. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first fiber movement support is constructed from a rigid material comprised from the group consisting of a thermoplastic material, a fluropolymer, Tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), Polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF), and a Teflon®-based material.
6. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first fiber movement support is adapted to guide the first end portion of the first optical fiber into the first passage.
7. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first fiber movement support is comprised of a first stiffener tube.
8. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first stiffener tube has an inner diameter of between about 300 and 1000 micrometers (μm).
9. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first fiber movement support is comprised of a first insert disposed within the connector housing.
10. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first insert comprises a first insert channel.
11. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first fiber movement support is comprised of a first molded channel molded inside the connector housing.
12. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the connector housing defines a first ferrule holder recess holding a portion of the first ferrule holder.
13. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second end is further configured to receive a second end portion of a second optical fiber from a duplex fiber optic cable;
wherein the second end receives a second ferrule holder having a second passage extending therethrough and aligned along a third longitudinal axis offset a distance from the first longitudinal axis, wherein the second passage is in communication with a second ferrule; and
a second fiber movement support disposed in the connector housing and in communication with the second passage, and configured to receive and direct the second end portion into the second passage.
14. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first fiber movement support and the second fiber movement support are disposed within the connector housing at an acute angle with respect to the first and second longitudinal axes.
15. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first fiber movement support is adapted to receive and guide the first end portion into the first passage, and wherein the second fiber movement support is adapted to receive and guide the second end portion into the second passage.
16. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first fiber movement support is comprised of a first stiffener tube, and the second fiber movement support is comprised of a second stiffener tube.
17. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 13 , wherein the connector housing is comprised of an upper housing coupled to a lower housing defining a connector passage therebetween, and disposed around a portion of a first optical connector sub-assembly, a portion of a second optical connector sub assembly, the first fiber movement support, and the second fiber movement support.
18. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 17 , wherein the lower housing defines at least one mating recess that mates with a protrusion defined by the upper housing.
19. A fiber optic connector assembly, comprising:
an LC connector housing, comprising:
a rear end configured to receive a first end portion and a second end portion both of a duplex first optical fiber aligned along a first longitudinal axis; and
a front end for receiving:
a first ferrule holder of a first LC connector sub-assembly having a first passage extending therethrough and aligned along a second longitudinal axis offset a distance from the first longitudinal axis, wherein the first passage is in communication with a first ferrule; and
a second ferrule holder of a second LC connector sub-assembly having a second passage extending therethrough and aligned along a third longitudinal axis offset a distance from the first longitudinal axis, wherein the second passage is in communication with a second ferrule;
a first fiber movement support disposed in the LC connector housing and in communication with the first passage, and configured to receive and direct the first end portion into the first passage; and
a second fiber movement support disposed in the LC connector housing and in communication with the second passage, and configured to receive and direct the second end portion into the second passage.
20. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 19 , wherein the distance of offset between the first longitudinal axis, and the second and third longitudinal axes is at least about 2.0 millimeters (mm).
21. A method of assembling a fiber optic connector assembly, comprising the steps of:
exposing a first end portion of a first optical fiber contained in a fiber optic cable aligned along a first longitudinal axis;
inserting a first fiber movement support into a first passage extending through a first ferrule holder of a first optical connector sub-assembly aligned along a second longitudinal axis offset a distance from the first longitudinal axis; and
inserting the first end portion into the first fiber movement support and into the first passage.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first fiber movement support is further configured to translate a nonaxial force exerted on the first end portion in a direction towards the longitudinal axis of the first end portion.
23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising placing a portion of the first optical connector sub-assembly into a connector housing.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein placing a portion of the first optical connector sub-assembly into a connector housing comprises placing the portion of the first optical connector sub-assembly into a first recess in a lower housing of the connector housing.
25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising attaching an upper housing of the connector housing onto the lower housing to secure the first optical connector sub-assembly within the connector housing.
26. The method of claim 23 , further comprising placing the first end portion of the fiber optic cable into the connector housing.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein placing the first end portion of the fiber optic cable into the connector housing comprises:
inserting the first end portion through a crimp body; and
placing the crimp body in a third recess in a lower housing of the connector housing.
28. The method of claim 23 , further comprising the steps of:
exposing a second end portion of a second optical fiber contained in the fiber optic cable aligned along the first longitudinal axis;
inserting a second fiber movement support into a second passage extending through a second ferrule holder of a second optical connector sub-assembly aligned along a third longitudinal axis offset a distance from the first longitudinal axis; and
inserting the second end portion into the second fiber movement support and into the second passage.
Priority Applications (2)
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US12/286,186 US20100080517A1 (en) | 2008-09-29 | 2008-09-29 | Fiber optic connector assembly employing fiber movement support and method of assembly |
US13/112,369 US8376629B2 (en) | 2008-09-29 | 2011-05-20 | Fiber optic connector assembly employing fiber movement support and method of assembly |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US12/286,186 US20100080517A1 (en) | 2008-09-29 | 2008-09-29 | Fiber optic connector assembly employing fiber movement support and method of assembly |
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US13/112,369 Continuation US8376629B2 (en) | 2008-09-29 | 2011-05-20 | Fiber optic connector assembly employing fiber movement support and method of assembly |
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US13/112,369 Expired - Fee Related US8376629B2 (en) | 2008-09-29 | 2011-05-20 | Fiber optic connector assembly employing fiber movement support and method of assembly |
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US20110217008A1 (en) | 2011-09-08 |
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