Optical ferrules and optical ferrule molds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11874508-B2
Application number	US-202318093965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2023
Priority date	Oct 12, 2015
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

A unitary optical ferrule is molded to include one or more elements for receiving and securing one or more optical waveguides one or more elements for affecting one or more characteristics of light from the optical waveguide while propagating the light within the ferrule. The optical ferrule also includes one or more first alignment features and one or more second alignment features that, when the ferrule is mated with a mating ferrule, each controls alignment of the ferrule with the mating ferrule along three mechanical degrees of freedom. The surface of the optical ferrule can be divided along the thickness axis into a first section and an opposing second section, wherein the first section of the surface includes the receiving and securing elements, the light affecting elements, and the first alignment features and the second section of the surface includes the second alignment features.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A molded unitary optical ferrule comprising:
a molded first section molded by a first side of a mold molding one or more receiving elements of the molded unitary optical ferrule configured to receive and secure an optical fiber, and molding a light affecting element of the molded unitary optical ferrule for affecting one or more of a direction and a divergence of light propagating within the molded unitary optical ferrule, the affected light exiting the molded unitary optical ferrule through an output surface thereof; and
an opposite molded second section molded by an opposite second side of the mold molding the output surface of the molded unitary optical ferrule, wherein the molded second section further comprises at least one second alignment feature, the second alignment feature comprising at least one planar surface, wherein the at least one planar surface is a first planar mating surface configured to slide on a planar mating surface of a mating optical ferrule and the first planar mating surface comprises a plurality of lands between a plurality of grooves.

2. The molded unitary optical ferrule of claim 1 , wherein the molded first section further comprises at least one first alignment feature.

3. The molded unitary optical ferrule of claim 1 , wherein, during mating, the at least one planar surface slides on a planar surface of a mating optical ferrule.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Company

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G02B6/3865 Primary

  fabricated by using moulding techniques (shaping techniques of plastic materials in general B29C; producing plastic optical fiber connectors B29D11/0075) · CPC title

• G02B6/366

  the additional structures allowing for adjustment or alignment in all dimensions, i.e. 3D microoptics arrangements, e.g. free space optics on the microbench, microhinges or spring latches, with associated microactuating elements for fine adjustment or alignment · 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

• G02B6/3839

  for a plurality of light guides · CPC title

• G02B6/3853

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