Optical fiber ferrule apparatus and method

Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

Reexamination Certificate

active

06533467

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention pertains to an optical fiber ferrule apparatus and a method for severing an optical fiber secured within a fiber optic ferrule. More particularly, this invention pertains to a ferrule preparation apparatus and method in which the fiber is severed through the application of a combination of energy and physical separation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Optical fibers are becoming more widely used as a transmission media, and the increased use has increased the need for optical fiber connections to operatively connect one optical fiber to another. The operative connection is typically an aligned connection wherein two optical fibers are secured within ferrules. The ferrules are part of a connector assembly and each connector assembly typically has two sides which may be attached together and also detached.
In a typical assembly, an optical fiber is secured in a ferrule by gluing it, and the terminal end of the optical fiber protrudes out the first end of the ferrule.
The predominant way that ferrules with optical fibers glued therein are prepared is that they are severed by manually cleaving them to a location near the first end of the ferrule. Thereafter the terminal end of the ferrule end is sanded and/or polished back to a position such that the terminal end may be more finely polished by a polishing machine.
There are problems with the predominant way of severing the optical fibers, i.e. with the cleaving process.
It is desirable to provide a severing process with a more consistent starting point for the polishing phase of the preparation of the combined ferrule and optical fiber, although not required by this invention.
It is an objective of this invention to provide a more automated system for making an optical fiber ferrule and for severing the optical fiber in the process of making of the ferrule.
It is also believed that automating the process, as some of the embodiments of this invention, may result in a decreased operation time.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3684474 (1972-08-01), Chisholm
patent: 3910677 (1975-10-01), Becker et al.
patent: 4039309 (1977-08-01), Albanese et al.
patent: 4084308 (1978-04-01), Runge
patent: 4090778 (1978-05-01), Phillips et al.
patent: 4195045 (1980-03-01), Mead
patent: 4208093 (1980-06-01), Borsuk
patent: 4362360 (1982-12-01), Mannschke
patent: 4565558 (1986-01-01), Keil et al.
patent: 4589897 (1986-05-01), Mathyssek et al.
patent: 4622055 (1986-11-01), Mathyssek et al.
patent: 4671609 (1987-06-01), Khoe et al.
patent: 4708426 (1987-11-01), Khoe
patent: 4737009 (1988-04-01), Kakii et al.
patent: 4770487 (1988-09-01), Williams
patent: 5016963 (1991-05-01), Pan
patent: 5037174 (1991-08-01), Thompson
patent: 5256851 (1993-10-01), Presby
patent: 5457759 (1995-10-01), Kalonji et al.
patent: 5551968 (1996-09-01), Pan
patent: 5638471 (1997-06-01), Semo et al.
patent: 5772720 (1998-06-01), Taira-Griffin et al.
patent: 6074100 (2000-06-01), Rowland et al.
patent: 6106368 (2000-08-01), Childers et al.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Optical fiber ferrule apparatus and method does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Optical fiber ferrule apparatus and method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Optical fiber ferrule apparatus and method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3057618

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.