Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-01
2001-01-16
Font, Frank G. (Department: 2877)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure
C385S062000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174091
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fiber-optic connector having a connector housing and a fiber holding clip, which can be introduced into the connector housing in order to retain a fiber-optic cable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A fiber-optic connector such as this is disclosed in EP 347 118 B1. The described connector has an opaque connector housing with a through hole which is closed off at the end by a fiber element. An index matching gel is situated between this fiber element and the fiber-optic cable end for the purpose of refractive index matching. It is also possible to provide a blind hole instead of the fiber element in the connector housing. The blind hole serves as fiber receptacle and the gel is introduced into the said hole for the purpose of refractive index matching. The fiber end then butts directly against the transparent material of the connector housing at the bottom of the receptacle, which also forms the end surface of the connector.
Given a quality fiber end surface, it is equally possible for the gel to be dispensed with and for the fiber end surface to make direct contact with a complementary element, through a through hole in the connector housing.
Since optical fibers, in particular plastic fibers, are also subject to aging, shortening of the fibers in the connector can occur. This can result in an air-gap spacing between the fiber end surface and the stop formed in the connector housing material or the complementary element. Such an air gap leads to increased attenuation in the transmission of light.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to configure a fiber-optic connector in such a way that the fiber-optic cable end can be maintained in abutting contact in the event of fiber length variations.
The object is achieved by means of a connector having a fiber holding clip that retains the fiber in a connector housing and biases the fiber towards an end of the housing.
In many fiber-optic connectors, this object is achieved by an additional helical spring for applying a spring force in the axial direction to the fiber end. This ensures that the fiber end buts against a predetermined stop or the complementary element. However, the design of these fiber-optic connectors is often very complicated.
The fiber-optic connector according to this invention comprises a fiber holding clip that is pretensioned in the course of introduction into the connector housing through an axial offset in such a way that the fiber-optic cable end remains biased in an abutting fashion against a stop or a complementary element in the event of length variations. The particularly simple fixing of the fiber-optic cable end by the fiber holding clip is thereby additionally utilized to compensate for length variations as well.
If the fiber holding clip is of U-shaped design, it is particularly advantageous for one limb of the U, likewise of U-shaped design, to pierce the sheath of the fiber-optic cable end from both sides, while the second limb is deflected towards the fiber-optic cable end during introduction of the fiber holding clip and, consequently, ensures the necessary pretensioning of the fiber holding clip. If the length of the cable between the first limb and the fiber end then becomes shorter, the pretensioning of the fiber holding clip opposes the shortening so that the first limb is biased in the direction towards the stop for the fiber end.
The opening for the first limb of the fiber holding clip is designed in such a way that axial movement of the limb for the purpose of length compensation is possible, and that, at the same time, overstretching of the elastic fiber holding clip is prevented in the case of strain relief on the fiber.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4741590 (1988-05-01), Caron
patent: 4896938 (1990-01-01), Mathis et al.
patent: 5737463 (1998-04-01), Weiss et al.
patent: 5748818 (1998-05-01), Weiss et al.
patent: 6045270 (2000-04-01), Weiss et al.
patent: 0 347 118 (1989-12-01), None
Copy of German Search Report.
Font Frank G.
Ratliff Reginald A.
Tyco Electronics Corp.
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