Methods for processing ferrules and/or optical fibers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10451815-B2
Application number	US-201615777620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2016
Priority date	Nov 18, 2015
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to methods for processing ferrules of fiber optic connectors such that the amount of polishing that is required is eliminated or at least reduced. In one example, an energy source is used to remove excess adhesive from the end face of the fiber and likely from an end face of the ferrule.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for processing an optical fiber and for securing the optical fiber to a ferrule, the ferrule including a ferrule body having a distal end and a proximal end, the ferrule body also defining a fiber opening that extends axially through the ferrule body from the proximal end to the distal end, the method comprising:
(a) processing a distal end face of the optical fiber so as to round and shape the distal end face of the optical fiber to form a pre-processed end face of the optical fiber;
(b) applying adhesive within the fiber opening of the ferrule body;
(c) inserting the optical fiber with the pre-processed end face through the adhesive filled opening of the ferrule body and positioning the optical fiber within the fiber opening such that the pre-processed end face of the optical fiber is located at a pre-determined axial position relative to the distal end of the ferrule body;
(d) curing the adhesive to fix the optical fiber within the fiber opening such that the pre-processed end face of the optical fiber is fixed at the pre-determined axial position relative to the distal end of the ferrule body; and
(e) removing excess adhesive from the pre-processed end face of the optical fiber using a non-contact energy source.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
(a) polishing the pre-processed end face of the optical fiber after the adhesive has been removed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the step of processing the distal end face of the optical fiber includes a laser ablation process.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the step of processing the distal end face of the optical fiber includes a plasma process.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the optical fiber includes a GRIN fiber fused to an end of the optical fiber secured within the ferrule.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
(a) determining a core offset of the optical fiber.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
(a) polishing an end face of the ferrule to achieve a pre-selected angle relative to the core offset of the optical fiber.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
(a) the pre-selected angle ranges from about 6 to about 10 degrees.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) a flat plate is used as a stop arrangement to set the pre-determined axial position.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
(a) the flat plate defines an opening for allowing the excess adhesive to pass therethrough.

11. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
(a) the laser ablation process includes a plurality of laser beam pulses that are directed at the distal end face of the optical fiber.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
(a) the laser beam pulses have wavelengths in the range of 200-3000 nanometers.

13. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of:
(a) coating an anti-reflective material on the distal end face of the GRIN lens after the adhesive is removed.

14. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
(a) the laser ablation process includes directing a plurality of laser beam pulses at an end face of the ferrule to ablate a layer of ferrule material from the ferrule without ablating the distal end face of the optical fiber, wherein after the layer has been ablated the optical fiber projects distally outwardly from the ferrule a distance equal to a thickness of the ferrule layer removed by the plurality of laser beam pulses.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the non-contact energy source includes an electromagnetic wave based energy stream to remove the portion of the distal end face.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the curing comprises directing energy from a CO 2 laser onto the ferrule.

17. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
(a) the plasma process includes directing a plurality of energy pulses at an end face of the ferrule to ablate a layer of ferrule material from the ferrule without ablating the optical fiber, wherein after the layer has been ablated the optical fiber projects distally outwardly from the ferrule a distance equal to a thickness of the ferrule layer removed by the plurality of energy pulses.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the ferrule is an MT-type ferrule.

19. A method for processing an optical fiber and for securing the optical fiber to a ferrule, the ferrule including a ferrule body having a distal end and a proximal end, the ferrule body also defining a fiber opening that extends axially through the ferrule body from the proximal end to the distal end, the method comprising:
(a) processing a distal end face of the optical fiber so as to round and shape the distal end face of the optical fiber to form a pre-processed end face of the optical fiber;
(b) applying adhesive within the fiber opening of the ferrule body;
(c) inserting the optical fiber with the pre-processed end face through the adhesive filled opening of the ferrule body and positioning the optical fiber within the fiber opening such that the pre-processed end face of the optical fiber is located at a pre-determined axial position relative to the distal end of the ferrule body;
(d) curing the adhesive to fix the optical fiber within the fiber opening such that the pre-processed end face of the optical fiber is fixed at the pre-determined axial position relative to the distal end of the ferrule body;
(e) removing excess adhesive from the pre-processed end face of the optical fiber using a non-contact energy source;
(f) determining an initial core offset distance of an optical fiber core; and
(g) polishing an end face of the ferrule at an 8 degree angle relative to the initial core offset distance of the optical fiber core.

20. A method for processing an optical fiber and for securing the optical fiber to a ferrule, the optical fiber including a beam expansion section, the beam expansion section having a construction adapted to expand an optical beam from a first beam diameter to an enlarged second beam diameter, the ferrule including a ferrule body having a distal end and a proximal end, the ferrule body also defining a fiber opening that extends axially through the ferrule body from the proximal end to the distal end, the method comprising:
(a) processing a distal end face of the optical fiber to form an optical fiber with a pre-processed end face;
(b) applying adhesive within the fiber opening of the ferrule body;
(c) inserting the optical fiber with the pre-processed end face through the adhesive filled opening of the ferrule body and retracting the optical fiber back into the fiber opening of the ferrule such that the beam expansion section is recessed relative to the distal end of the ferrule;
(d) removing excess adhesive from the distal end of the ferrule;
(e) establishing a position of the optical fiber such that the beam expansion section is protruding from the end face of the ferrule;
(f) setting a recess distance of an optical fiber tip relative to the distal end of the ferrule;
(g) curing the adhesive to fix the optical fiber within the fiber opening such that the beam expansion section is fixed relative to the distal end of the ferrule body; and
(h) removing excess adhesive from the pre-processed end face of the optical fiber using a non-contact energy source.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein:
(a) the beam expansion section includes a GRIN fiber.

22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising the step of:
(a) mating an optical component having

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc
• Commscope Asia Holdings Bv

Inventors

• Flaig Robert Charles
• Gurreri Michael Lawrence
• Webb Joshua Lee
• Kadar-Kallen Michael Aaron
• Paul Randall Bobby
• Bretz Dwight Andrew
• Schneider Paul
• De Boer Tom
• De Gast Dirk Alexander

Classifications

• H01J37/32009

  Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources (plasma generation in general H05H1/24) · CPC title

• G02B6/381

  of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres · CPC title

• B23K26/402

  involving non-metallic material, e.g. isolators · CPC title

• G02B6/3853

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

• G02B6/3863 Primary

  fabricated by using polishing techniques (grinding of the fibre ends B24B19/226) · CPC title