Optical fiber retainer

Details Optical fiber retainer Optical fiber retainer

1999-06-21

2001-05-01

Font, Frank G. (Department: 2877)

Optical waveguides

Accessories

External retainer/clamp

C385S093000, C385S060000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06226437

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical fiber retainer used to couple an optical fiber to an optical communication module.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, optical communication modules include light emitting modules, light receiving modules, and connector modules.
A light emitting module, which integrates a laser diode, a lens, and an optical fiber, gathers laser beams emitted from the laser diode by the lens and optically couples them within the optical fiber.
A light receiving module is constructionally the same as the above described light emitting module, except that it includes a photodiode instead of the laser diode of the light emitting module. Laser beams emitted from the optical fiber are gathered by the lens and received in the photodiode disposed at the focus position thereof.
A connector module, which is different from the light emitting module and the light receiving module in that it does not include a laser diode nor a photodiode, simply couples optical fibers. Optical communication modules which enable optical fibers to be inserted and removed are called receptacle-type ones.
In receptacle-type optical communication modules, stable output of laser beams to optical fibers requires accurate positioning of the optical axes of optical fibers with respect to the position at which to couple the light beams.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above described problems and its object is to provide a fiber retainer of an optical communication module that enables output drop due to misalignment of the core direction of an optical fiber and a direction perpendicular to the core to be prevented.
A first arrangement for solving the above described problems is to provide an optical fiber retainer comprising a case having a bottom wall and an optical fiber inserted in the case, wherein a light guide part of the optical fiber is engaged in a through hole provided in the bottom wall to position the optical fiber in the case, the light guide part being uncovered by stripping a protective jacket from the tip of the optical fiber.
A second arrangement for solving the above described problems is to bring the end face of the protective jacket into intimate contact with the bottom plate face of the bottom wall.
A third arrangement for solving the above described problems is to provide an optical fiber retainer comprising a case having a bottom wall, a sleeve having a fiber insertion hole inserted within the case, a plate spring, and an optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber whose light guide part is uncovered by stripping a protective jacket from the tip thereof is inserted in the fiber insertion hole, the light guide part is engaged in a through hole provided in the bottom wall, the plate spring engages in the surface of the protective jacket of the optical fiber to prevent the optical fiber from being disconnected, and the sleeve is driven in the insertion direction of the optical fiber to disengage the plate spring from the optical fiber.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4986625 (1991-01-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 5745633 (1998-04-01), Giebel et al.

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