发明授权
US06416236B1 Ferrule for facilitating fiber-to-fiber contact and associated fabrication method
有权
用于促进纤维与纤维接触和相关制造方法的套圈
- 专利标题: Ferrule for facilitating fiber-to-fiber contact and associated fabrication method
- 专利标题(中): 用于促进纤维与纤维接触和相关制造方法的套圈
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申请号: US09390482申请日: 1999-09-07
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公开(公告)号: US06416236B1公开(公告)日: 2002-07-09
- 发明人: Darrell R. Childers , James P. Luther , Dennis M. Knecht , Thomas Theuerkorn
- 申请人: Darrell R. Childers , James P. Luther , Dennis M. Knecht , Thomas Theuerkorn
- 主分类号: G02B636
- IPC分类号: G02B636
摘要:
A ferrule and an associated fabrication method are provided that facilitates fiber-to-fiber contact without requiring the end portions of the optical fibers to protrude beyond the front face of the ferrule. The ferrule includes a ferrule body having opposed front and rear faces and defining at least one optical fiber bore extending between the front and rear faces and adapted to receive an optical fiber. Advantageously, at least the medial portion of the front face through which the optical fiber bores open protrudes outwardly beyond at least some peripheral portions of the front face. By designing the front face such that the medial portion protrudes outwardly beyond peripheral portions of the front face, angular errors in the peripheral portions of the front face and dirt or other particles that accumulate on the peripheral portions of the front face will not prevent the medial portions of the front faces of a pair of ferrules from making contacting as the respective fiber optic connectors are mated. As such, the end portions of the optical fibers need not protrude much, if any, beyond the front face of the ferrule in order to establish fiber-to-fiber contact such that the ferrule can absorb at least some of the forces that would otherwise be imparted to the optical fibers.