Unitary optical ferrrule

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015205054-A1
Application number	US-201314418048-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 27, 2013
Priority date	Oct 5, 2012
Publication date	Jul 23, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A ferrule ( 10 ) has a receiving area for receiving and securing an optical waveguide ( 20 ) and an optical element ( 13 ) for receiving light from an optical waveguide received and secured at the receiving area and changing at least one of a divergence and a propagation direction of the received light. A plurality of registration features ( 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 ) are configured to permit a stacking of the ferrule in a stacking direction such that the ferrules in the stack are aligned relative to each other along a length of the ferrule and along a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction.

First claim

1 . A ferrule having a unitary structure and comprising:
a receiving area for receiving and securing an optical waveguide; an optical element for receiving light from an optical waveguide received and secured at the receiving area and changing at least one of a divergence and a propagation direction of the received light; and a plurality of registration features configured to permit a stacking of the ferrule in a stacking direction such that in a stack of the ferrule, the plurality of registration features prevent a ferrule and an adjacent ferrule from sliding relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction and along a length of the ferrule.

2 . The ferrule of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the registration features are configured to permit a two-dimensional horizontal and vertical stacking of the ferrules such that a maximum height of the two-dimensional stack is less than a sum of maximum heights of the individual ferrules in the two-dimensional stack and a maximum width of the two-dimensional stack is less than a sum of maximum widths of the individual ferrules in the two-dimensional stack.

3 - 10 . (canceled)

11 . The ferrule of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the registration features are configured to permit the stacking of the ferrule along the stacking direction such that a maximum dimension of the stack along the stacking direction is less than a sum of maximum dimensions of the individual ferrules in the stack along the stacking direction.

12 . The ferrule of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the registration features are configured to permit a vertical stacking of the ferrules such that a maximum height of the vertical stack is less than a sum of maximum heights of the individual ferrules in the vertical stack.

13 . The ferrule of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the registration features are configured to permit a horizontal stacking of the ferrules such that a maximum width of the horizontal stack is less than a sum of maximum widths of the individual ferrules in the horizontal stack.

14 . The ferrule of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of registration features comprises at least a first registration feature on a top side of the ferrule and a second registration feature on a bottom side of the ferrule.

15 . The ferrule of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of registration features comprises at least a first registration feature on a first side of the ferrule and a second registration feature on an opposite second side of the ferrule.

16 . The ferrule of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of registration features comprises at least a first registration feature on a top side of the ferrule, a second registration feature on a bottom side of the ferrule, a third registration feature on a first side of the ferrule, and a fourth registration feature on an opposite second side of the ferrule.

17 . The ferrule of claim 1 , wherein the receiving area comprises a channel extending along at least a portion of the length of the ferrule.

18 . The ferrule of claim 17 , wherein the channel comprises an opening from the top side of the ferrule, the opening being configured to receive an adhesive for bonding an optical waveguide received in the channel to the ferrule.

19 . A ferrule having a unitary structure and comprising:
a receiving area for receiving and securing an optical waveguide; and an aperture for limiting a size of light that exits the ferrule, the ferrule being configured so that light from an optical waveguide received and secured at the receiving area fills the aperture, wherein when viewed along a length of the ferrule, a projected area of the aperture is at least 80% of a projected area of the ferrule, and wherein the ferrule further comprises a plurality of registration features configured to permit a stacking of the ferrule in a stacking direction such that in a stack of the ferrule, the plurality of registration features prevent a ferrule and an adjacent ferrule from sliding relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction and along a length of the ferrule.

20 . The ferrule of claim 19 further comprising an optical element disposed at the aperture and configured to receive light from an optical waveguide received and secured at the receiving area and change at least one of a divergence and a propagation direction of the received light.

21 . A ferrule having a unitary structure and comprising:
an array of receiving areas, each receiving area being configured to receive and secure an optical waveguide; and an array of apertures, each aperture corresponding to a different receiving area and being configured to receive light from an optical waveguide received and secured at the corresponding receiving area and limit a size of light that exits the ferrule, the ferrule being configured so that light from an optical waveguide received and secured at a receiving area fills the aperture corresponding to the receiving area, wherein when viewed along a length of the ferrule, a sum of projected areas of the apertures is at least 80% of a projected area of the ferrule, and wherein the ferrule further comprises a plurality of registration features configured to permit a stacking of the ferrule in a stacking direction such that in a stack of the ferrule, the plurality of registration features prevent a ferrule and an adjacent ferrule from sliding relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction and along a length of the ferrule.

22 . The ferrule of claim 21 , wherein the array of receiving areas comprises a two-dimensional array of receiving areas and the array of apertures comprises a two-dimensional array of apertures.

23 . The ferrule of claim 21 , comprising an output face so that light propagating through the output face exits the ferrule, the ferrule being configured to receive light from the output face side of the ferrule, at least a portion of the received light propagating through an aperture in the array of apertures and coupling to an optical waveguide that is received and secured at the receiving area corresponding to the aperture.

24 . The ferrule of claim 21 , comprising an output face so that light entering the ferrule from an optical waveguide in an array of optical waveguides that is received and secured at the receiving area of the ferrule exits the ferrule through the output face, where the ferrule is also configured to couple at least a portion of light entering the output face of the ferrule through an aperture in the array of apertures to the optical waveguide corresponding to the aperture.

25 . An optical connector comprising:
a housing; and a plurality of ferrules disposed within the housing, each ferule having a unitary structure and comprising: a receiving area for receiving and securing an optical waveguide; and at least one registration feature, the at least one registration feature of the ferrules in the plurality of ferrules engaging each other to form a stack of aligned ferrules along at least one stacking direction, the engagement preventing a ferrule and an adjacent ferrule from sliding relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction and along a length of the ferrule, a maximum dimension of the stack of ferrules along the at least one stacking direction being less than a sum of maximum dimensions of the individual ferrules in the stack along the at least one stacking direction.

26 . The optical connector of claim 25 , wherein each ferrule in the plurality of ferrule

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Smith Terry L
• Mathews Alexander R

Classifications

• G02B6/3833 Primary

  Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture · CPC title

• G02B6/3851

  Ferrules having keying or coding means · CPC title

• G02B6/3676 Primary

  Stacked arrangement · CPC title

• G02B6/3652

  the additional structures being prepositioning mounting areas, allowing only movement in one dimension, e.g. grooves, trenches or vias in the microbench surface, i.e. self aligning supporting carriers · CPC title