Optical assembly with cable retainer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10459173-B2
Application number	US-201615763512-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2016
Priority date	Oct 12, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

An optical cable subassembly includes one or more optical waveguides, at least light coupling unit comprising a first attachment area permanently attached to the optical waveguides, and at least one cable retainer comprising a second attachment area permanently attached to the optical waveguides and adapted to be installed in a housing. A length of the optical waveguides between the first attachment area and the second attachment area allows a bend in the optical waveguides that provides a predetermined mating spring force at a predetermined angle of the light coupling unit when installed in the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical cable subassembly comprising:
one or more optical waveguides;
at least one light coupling unit comprising a first attachment area permanently attached to the optical waveguides, the at least one light coupling unit comprising:
a first major surface comprising one or more substantially parallel first grooves oriented along a first direction and receiving the one or more optical waveguides, and
a second major surface for slidably contacting a mating light coupling unit, the second major surface comprising an optically transmitting window for propagating an optical signal therethrough, and a region of second grooves and lands configured to capture particles contaminants in the second grooves; and

at least one cable retainer comprising a second attachment area permanently attached to the optical waveguides and adapted to be installed in a housing, a length of the optical waveguides between the first attachment area and the second attachment area configured to allow a bend in the optical waveguides that provides a predetermined mating spring force at a predetermined angle of the light coupling unit when installed in the housing.

2. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical cable subassembly is adapted to be installed in and subsequently removed from the housing without damage to the housing or optical cable subassembly.

3. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more optical waveguides comprises multiple waveguide arrays; and
the at least one cable retainer comprises a single cable retainer attached to each of the multiple waveguide arrays.

4. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein adhesive is disposed between an outer surface of the plurality of optical waveguides and an inner surface of the cable retainer.

5. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable retainer includes features that provide a space for adhesive between the inner surface of the cable retainer and the outer surface of the plurality of optical waveguides.

6. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable retainer is a unitary component.

7. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable retainer includes first and second pieces and the optical waveguides are disposed between the first and second pieces.

8. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable retainer includes a first channel piece and a second channel piece and the optical waveguides are disposed between the first channel piece and the second channel piece.

9. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable retainer includes a first piece and a second piece that fits at least partially within the first piece and the optical waveguides are attached to the cable retainer between the first piece and the second piece.

10. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable retainer includes a first piece and a second piece attached to the first piece by a hinge.

11. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable retainer includes a first piece and a second piece with the optical waveguides disposed between the first piece and the second piece, the first piece and the second piece including complementary latching parts that latch the first piece and the second piece together.

12. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable retainer has a first end having a first opening for the optical waveguides and a second end with a second opening for the optical waveguides and the optical waveguides bend inside the cable retainer between the first end and the second end.

13. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the cable retainer has a first end with a first opening for the optical waveguides and a second end with a second opening for the optical waveguides and the optical waveguides are not perpendicular to a major surface of at least one end of the cable retainer.

14. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein first attachment area comprises one or more grooves provided at the attachment area, each groove configured to receive an optical waveguide and defined by:
a first region, a second region, an opening, and a bottom surface;
the first region defined between the bottom surface and the second region, the first region in cross section having substantially parallel sidewalls separated by a spacing; and
the second region disposed between the first region and the opening, wherein a width of the opening is greater than the spacing.

15. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the first attachment area comprises:
one or more grooves, each groove configured to receive an optical waveguide having a width;
each groove having a first region and a bottom surface, the first region in cross section having substantially parallel sidewalls separated by a spacing; and
each groove having a longitudinal transition section comprising a first end and a second end, the first end having a sidewall spacing greater than the width of the optical waveguide, and the second end having a sidewall spacing less than the width of the optical waveguide.

16. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the first attachment area comprises:
a one or more grooves, each groove configured to receive an optical waveguide having a width;
each groove having a first region and a bottom surface, the first region in cross section having substantially parallel sidewalls separated by a spacing; and
each groove having two or more sections along a longitudinal direction wherein each section has a different sidewall spacing than adjoining sections, wherein at least one of the sections has a sidewall spacing less than a width of the optical waveguide.

17. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the light coupling unit comprises;
an optically transmitting window for propagating an optical signal therethrough;
a plurality of substantially parallel first grooves on a first region of the surface oriented along a first direction; and
a plurality of substantially parallel second grooves on a second region of the surface oriented along the first direction; and
a third region of the first major surface disposed between first and second regions, the third region being substantially devoid of grooves.

18. The subassembly of claim 1 , wherein the light coupling unit includes one or more curved surfaces, each curved surface corresponding to a different optical waveguide, the curved surface being configured to change a divergence of light from the optical waveguide.

19. An optical cable subassembly comprising:
one or more optical waveguides;
at least one light coupling unit comprising a first attachment area permanently attached to the optical waveguides, wherein the at least one light coupling unit comprises:
a first major surface comprising one or more substantially parallel first grooves oriented along a first direction for receiving one or more optical waveguides; and
a second major surface for slidably contacting a mating light coupling unit, the second major surface comprising:
an optically transmitting window for propagating an optical signal therethrough; and
a region of second grooves and lands configured to capture particulate contaminants in the second grooves, the second grooves substantially parallel to each other and oriented along a direction different from the first direction of the first grooves on the first major surface; and

at least one cable retainer comprising a second attachment are permanently attached to the optical waveguides and adapted to be installed in a housing, a length of the optical waveguides between the first attachment area and the second attachment area configured to allow a bend in the o

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Haase Michael A
• Smith Terry L
• Mathews Alexander R
• Nelson James M

Classifications

• 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

• G02B6/383

  Hermaphroditic connectors, i.e. two identical plugs mating with one another, each plug having both male and female diametrically opposed engaging parts; (electric hermaphroditic coupling H01R24/84, H01R13/28) · CPC title

• G02B6/3885 Primary

  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

• G02B6/3839

  for a plurality of light guides · CPC title

• G02B6/3887

  Anchoring optical cables to connector housings, e.g. strain relief features · CPC title