Optical connectors and optical coupling systems having a translating element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10114174-B2
Application number	US-201213485113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2012
Priority date	May 31, 2012
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

Optical connectors, optical coupling systems, and methods of optical coupling are disclosed. In one embodiment, an optical connector includes a plug housing, at least one optical fiber, an internal coupling surface, and a translating element. The translating element has a first coupling surface, a second coupling surface, and at least one optical component within the translating element. The translating element is biased such that when the optical connector is in a disengaged state, the translating element is positioned toward an optical connector opening and the second coupling surface of the translating element is displaced from the internal coupling surface. When the optical connector is in an engaged state, the translating element is positioned such that the second coupling surface of the translating element is positioned at the internal coupling surface and the optical fiber is optically coupled to the optical component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical connector comprising:
a plug housing that defines an optical connector opening;
at least one optical fiber within the plug housing;
a translating element comprising an optical component and a first coupling surface that is surface accessible at the optical connector opening, wherein the translating element is slidably positioned within the plug housing and is configured to translate within the plug housing to optically couple an end of the at least one optical fiber to an optical interface of a mated optical connector by the optical component; and
an internal coupling surface within the plug housing, wherein the end of the at least one optical fiber is located at the internal coupling surface; and wherein the translating element further comprises a second coupling surface and at least one non-collimating optical component extending from the first coupling surface to the second coupling surface, wherein the second coupling surface is opposite from the first coupling surface and faces the internal coupling surface of the plug housing.

2. The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein the translating element translates within the plug housing without movement of the at least one optical fiber.

3. The optical connector of claim 1 , further comprising a spring disposed between the internal coupling surface of the plug housing and a bias engagement surface of the translating element, wherein the translating element is biased by the spring such that:
when the optical connector is in a disengaged state, the translating element is positioned toward the optical connector opening; and
when the optical connector is in an engaged state with a mated optical connector, the translating element is positioned within the plug housing proximate to the end of the at least one optical fiber.

4. An optical connector comprising:
a plug housing that defines an optical connector opening;
at least one optical fiber within the plug housing;
an internal coupling surface within the plug housing, wherein an end of the at least one optical fiber is located at the internal coupling surface; and
a translating element having a first coupling surface and a second coupling surface;
at least one optical component within the translating element that extends from the first coupling surface to the second coupling surface, wherein the translating element is slidably positioned within the plug housing and is biased such that:
when the optical connector is in a disengaged state, the translating element is positioned toward the optical connector opening such that the second coupling surface of the translating element is displaced from the internal coupling surface; and
when the optical connector is in an engaged state with a mated optical connector, the translating element is positioned within the plug housing such that the second coupling surface of the translating element is positioned at the internal coupling surface and the at least one optical fiber is optically coupled to the at least one optical component; and wherein the second coupling surface is opposite from the first coupling surface and faces the internal coupling surface of the plug housing.

5. The optical connector of claim 4 , wherein the at least one optical component comprises a waveguide.

6. The optical connector of claim 4 , wherein the at least one optical component comprises a gradient-index lens.

7. The optical connector of claim 4 , further comprising a bias member within the plug housing disposed between the internal coupling surface and a bias member engaging surface of the translating element that biases the translating element toward the optical connector opening when the optical connector is in the disengaged state.

8. The optical connector of claim 4 , further comprising a first pin and a second pin extending from the internal coupling surface, wherein:
the first pin and the second pin are positioned within the plug housing and extend toward the optical connector opening;
the translating element comprises a first through-hole and a second through-hole;
the first pin is positioned within the first through-hole and the second pin is positioned within the second through-hole; and
the translating element translates on the first pin and the second pin within the plug housing along an optical axis of the optical connector.

9. The optical connector of claim 8 , further comprising a bias member within the plug housing that biases the translating element toward the optical connector opening when the optical connector is in the disengaged state.

10. The optical connector of claim 4 , wherein:
the plug housing comprises an engagement groove that is parallel to an optical axis of the optical connector; and
the translating element comprises an engagement feature that is positioned within the engagement groove such that the translating element translates within the plug housing along the optical axis of the optical connector.

11. The optical connector of claim 4 , wherein the plug housing defines an enclosure to receive a plug portion of the mated optical connector.

12. The optical connector of claim 4 , further comprising an optical connector body and a bias member, wherein:
the plug housing extends from a coupling surface of the optical connector body;
the optical connector body comprises a bias member recess within the internal coupling surface;
the translating element comprises a bias member engagement surface; and
the bias member engages the bias member recess and the bias member engagement surface such that the bias member is substantially positioned within the bias member recess when the optical connector is in the engaged state.

Assignees

• Isenhour Micah Colen
• Knecht Dennis Michael
• Luther James Phillip
• Corning Optical Communications LLC

Inventors

• Isenhour Micah Colen
• Knecht Dennis Michael
• Luther James Phillip

Classifications

• G02B6/3821 Primary

  with axial spring biasing or loading means (G02B6/3847 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/3846

  with fibre stubs · CPC title

• G02B6/3885

  Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448) · CPC title

• G02B6/32

  having lens focusing means {positioned between opposed fibre ends (with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262)} · CPC title

• G02B6/3853

  Lens inside the ferrule (lensed connectors G02B6/32) · CPC title