Integrated Connector Cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021364709-A1
Application number	US-202117396211-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 6, 2021
Priority date	Aug 31, 2018
Publication date	Nov 25, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical connector assembly includes an optical component assembly, inner and outer optical fibers, a componentry cover, and a connector. The optical component assembly includes an optical unit. The inner and the outer optical fibers are on opposing sides of the optical unit such that the optical unit receives a first optical signal from the inner optical fiber and the outer optical fiber receives a second optical signal from the optical unit or such that the optical unit receives the second optical signal from the outer optical fiber and the inner optical fiber receives the first optical signal from the optical unit. The componentry cover encapsulates an entirety of the optical unit and portions of the inner and the outer optical fibers. The connector includes a portion of first outer optical fiber that is exposed to route the second optical signal.

First claim

1 . An optical connector assembly comprising:
an optical component assembly including an optical unit; first inner and first outer optical fibers on opposing sides of the optical unit such that the optical unit receives a first optical signal from the first inner optical fiber and the first outer optical fiber receives a second optical signal from the optical unit or such that the optical unit receives the second optical signal from the first outer optical fiber and the first inner optical fiber receives the first optical signal from the optical unit; a componentry cover encapsulating an entirety of the optical unit and first portions of the first inner and the first outer optical fibers; and a connector including a second portion of the first outer optical fiber, the second portion being exposed to route the second optical signal.

2 . The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical unit is a termination unit and each of the inner and outer optical fibers terminates at the termination unit.

3 . The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical unit is at least one selected from the group of a termination unit, wavelength-division multiplexer (WDM), a tap filter, a reflector, an attenuator, and a dispersion compensator.

4 . The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the connector further includes a ferrule and the second portion of the first outer optical fiber extends through the ferrule.

5 . The connector assembly of claim 4 , wherein the connector further includes a connector housing surrounding a portion of the ferrule.

6 . The connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a jacket surrounding a second portion of the first inner optical fiber; and a chamfer or round having opposing ends attached to the componentry cover and the jacket, respectively.

7 . The connector assembly of claim 6 , wherein an outside diameter of the componentry cover is larger than an outside diameter of the jacket such that the respective chamfer or round tapers from the componentry cover to the jacket.

8 . The connector assembly of claim 6 , wherein the respective chamfer or round is a boot overlying the jacket and being adjacent to the componentry cover to expose the componentry cover.

9 . The connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an additional inner optical fiber and an additional outer optical fiber, the additional inner and the additional outer optical fibers being on opposing sides of the optical unit such that the optical unit receives a third optical signal from the additional inner optical fiber and the additional outer optical fiber receives a fourth optical signal from the optical unit or such that the optical unit receives the fourth optical signal from the additional outer optical fiber and the additional inner optical fiber receives the third optical signal from the optical unit,
wherein the componentry cover further encapsulates respective first portions of the additional inner and the additional outer optical fibers, and wherein the connector includes a respective second portion of the additional outer optical fiber, the second portion of the additional outer optical fibers being exposed to route the fourth optical signal.

10 . The connector assembly of claim 9 , wherein the connector further includes a ferrule and the second portions of the first outer optical fiber and the additional outer optical fiber extend through the ferrule.

11 . The connector assembly of claim 10 , wherein the connector further includes a connector housing surrounding a portion of the ferrule.

12 . The connector assembly of claim 9 , wherein the connector further includes a connector housing and the second portions of the first outer optical fiber and the additional outer optical fiber extend through the connector housing, the connector housing being non-cylindrical.

13 . The connector assembly of claim 12 , wherein the connector further includes a pair of ferrules, the connector housing surrounding portions of the pair of the ferrules, wherein the second portion of the first outer optical fiber extends through one of the pair of the ferrules, and wherein the second portion of the additional outer optical fiber extends through the other one of the pair of the ferrules.

14 . The connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a bendable cover attaching the componentry cover to the connector, wherein the bendable cover is bendable from a first state to a second state, and wherein the second state is maintained in the absence of an external force being applied to the optical connector assembly.

15 . The connector assembly of claim 14 , wherein the bendable cover is bendable to at most an angle corresponding to a minimum bending radius for the optical fibers.

16 . The connector assembly of claim 14 , wherein the bendable cover and the componentry cover are integral with each other such that the covers are inseparable without fracture of either one or both of the covers.

17 . The connector assembly of claim 14 , wherein the bendable cover is in the form of bellows.

18 . The connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a permanently bent cover attaching the componentry cover to the connector.

19 . The connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a hinge including a pin attaching the componentry cover to the connector.

20 . The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the componentry cover or the connector includes a protrusion and the other of the componentry cover or the connector includes a hole receiving the protrusion to attach the componentry cover to the connector.

21 . The connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a ball-and-socket joint including a ball attached to the componentry cover or the connector and a socket attached to the other of the componentry cover and the connector.

22 . The connector assembly of claim 21 , wherein the ball includes a ball passageway and the socket includes a socket passageway such that the second portion of the first optical fiber extends through either one or both of the ball passageway and the socket passageway.

23 . The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the componentry cover defines a notch extending to an end of the cover through which the first inner optical fiber extends.

24 . An optical connector assembly combination, comprising:
the connector assembly of claim 23 , such connector assembly being a first connector assembly; and an additional connector assembly in the form of the first connector assembly, wherein the additional connector assembly is bendable such that a portion of a componentry cover of the additional connector assembly is able to contact the notch of the first connector assembly when the additional connector assembly and the first connector assembly are in respective bent states.

25 . An optical connector assembly combination, comprising:
the connector assembly of claim 23 , such connector assembly being a first connector assembly; and an additional connector assembly in the form of the first connector assembly, wherein the additional connector assembly is bendable such that a portion of a componentry cover of the additional connector assembly fits within the notch of the first connector assembly when the additional connector assembly and the first connector assembly are in respective bent states.

26 . An optical cable termination assembly, comprising:
the connector as

Assignees

• Go Foton Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Takeuchi Kenichiro
• Lu Haiguang
• Chen David Zhi
• Nakamura Kenichiro

Classifications

• G02B6/4478 Primary

  Bending relief means · CPC title

• G02B6/28

  having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals · CPC title

• G02B6/38875

  Protection from bending or twisting · CPC title

• G02B6/3887 Primary

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

• G02B6/3885

  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