Optical fiber cable, and optical connector cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10838154-B2
Application number	US-201816161273-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2018
Priority date	Oct 19, 2017
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

An optical fiber cable is disclosed. The optical fiber cable comprises an optical cable including optical fibers and a sheath where the optical fibers are arranged in a first array, and a holder. The optical fibers have first extending parts that extend outside from the sheath, and second extending parts that extends from the first extending parts to the tips of the optical fibers. The holder comprises a first portion that houses therein transition portions where the first extending parts transitions from the first array to a second array, and a second portion that holds parts of the first extending parts in the second array. The second portion is configured to hold the first extending parts in a manner such that a mutual positional relationship among the second extending parts keeps the same state as a mutual positional relationship among the first extending parts at the second portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical fiber cable comprising:
an optical cable including a plurality of optical fibers and a sheath surrounding the plurality of optical fibers, the plurality of optical fibers being arranged in a first array within the sheath, wherein the plurality of optical fibers have first extending parts that respectively extend outside from one end of the sheath, and second extending parts that respectively extend from one ends of the first extending parts to the tips of the optical fibers; and
a holder arranged in the vicinity of the one end of the sheath, the holder comprising a first portion that houses therein transition portions of the first extending parts where the first extending parts transitions from the first array to a second array different from the first array and that is in contact with the transition portions, and a second portion that holds parts of the first extending parts in the second array,
wherein the second portion is configured to hold the first extending parts in a manner that a mutual positional relationship among the second extending parts keeps the same state as a mutual positional relationship among the first extending parts at the second portion,
wherein the holder is a resin molded member,
wherein the first extending parts are fixed by the molded resin at the second portion, and
wherein a center of gravity of the plurality of optical fibers in the second array is displaced relative to a center of gravity in the first array in an extension direction of the plurality of optical fibers.

2. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion holds the first extending parts in a manner that the second extending parts are mutually parallel.

3. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the first array is a two-dimensional array.

4. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the second array is a one-dimensional array.

5. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein a fiber-to-fiber pitch of the plurality of optical fibers in the second array is wider than a fiber-to-fiber pitch in the first array.

6. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion covers partial outer circumferences of the first extending parts in the second array.

7. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion covers whole outer circumferences of the first extending parts in the second array.

8. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion is provided with an opening in an area close to the second portion, at least parts of the first extending parts being exposed in the opening.

9. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the holder further comprises a positioning mechanism configured to position the optical fiber cable relative to other member, the positioning mechanism projecting from one end of the holder along an extension direction of the plurality of optical fibers.

10. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the holder is in close contact with the plurality of optical fibers in the second portion.

11. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion is in contact with the first extending parts in the second array.

12. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein tip parts of the optical fibers are exposed outside of the holder.

13. The optical fiber cable according to claim 12 , wherein the exposed tip parts of the optical fibers are mutually parallel.

14. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein outside of the transition portions and areas between the respective transition portions are filled with a resin of the holder to fix the transition portions to the first portion.

15. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein outside of the first extending parts in the second array and areas between the respective first extending parts in the second array are filled with a resin of the holder to fix the first extending parts to the second portion.

16. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the holder fixes the optical fibers thereto to prevent free movement of the transition portions of the optical fibers.

17. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein the second extending parts of the optical fibers are exposed outside of the holder and each length of the second extending parts is 3 mm to 10 mm.

18. The optical fiber cable according to claim 1 , wherein a pitch of the plurality of optical fibers in an extension direction of the plurality of optical fibers changes between the first array and the second array.

19. An optical connector cable comprising:
a circuit board;
a photoelectric conversion device arranged on the circuit board;
the optical fiber cable according to claim 1 ; and
a lens member configured to install the second extending parts thereon, the lens member optically coupling the plurality of the optical fibers with the photoelectric conversion device.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Nagasaki Taisuke
• Inoue Takeshi
• Yokochi Toshihisa

Classifications

• G02B6/4292 Primary

  the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements · CPC title

• G02B6/3873

  Connectors using guide surfaces for aligning ferrule ends, e.g. tubes, sleeves, V-grooves, rods, pins, balls · CPC title

• G02B6/3636

  the mechanical coupling means being grooves (G02B6/3652 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4214

  the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device (G02B6/4246 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/3838 Primary

  using grooves for light guides · CPC title