Receptacle ferrules with monolithic lens system and fiber optic connectors using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9239440-B2
Application number	US-201113279644-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2011
Priority date	Nov 9, 2010
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

Receptacle ferrules with at least one monolithic lens system and fiber optic connectors using same are disclosed. Ferrule assemblies formed by mating plug and receptacle ferrules are also disclosed, as are connector assemblies formed by mating plug and receptacle connectors. The fiber optic connectors and connector assemblies are suitable for use with commercial electronic devices and provide either an optical connection, or both electrical and optical connections. The monolithic optical system defines a receptacle optical pathway having a focus at the receptacle ferrule front end. When a plug ferrule having a plug optical pathway is mated with the receptacle ferrule, the plug and receptacle optical pathways are optically coupled at a solid-solid optical pathway interface where light passing therethrough is either divergent or convergent, and where unwanted liquid is substantially expelled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic connector receptacle for mating with a fiber optic plug connector having a plug ferrule with a plug optical pathway, the fiber optic connector receptacle comprising:
a receptacle ferrule comprising a receptacle ferrule body having top and bottom surfaces and opposite back and front ends;
a receptacle ferrule holder configured to hold the receptacle ferrule;
a receptacle sleeve having front and back ends and an interior that contains the receptacle ferrule holder with the receptacle ferrule held therein;
at least one monolithic optical system formed in the receptacle ferrule body and including a lens formed at the bottom surface and a mirror formed at the back end, the at least one monolithic optical system being configured to define a receptacle optical pathway from the bottom surface to the front end and having a substantially right-angle bend; and
the front end of the receptacle ferrule body having a first mating geometry configured to form with the plug ferrule a solid-solid contact at an optical pathway interface between the plug and receptacle optical pathways.

2. The fiber optic connector receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising the mirror having a reflectivity that at least in part is defined by internal reflection within the receptacle ferrule body.

3. The fiber optic connector receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising wherein the mirror includes a reflective layer external to and immediately adjacent the ferrule body.

4. The fiber optic connector receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the mirror and lens having a biconic configuration.

5. The fiber optic connector receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising the mirror and lens both having positive optical power.

6. The fiber optic connector receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising the receptacle ferrule body front end having at least one guide pin with a guide pin end where the receptacle optical pathway has convergence or divergence.

7. The fiber optic connector receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising the ferrule body being formed from material that transmits light having a wavelength in the range from 850 nm to 1550 nm.

8. A receptacle ferrule assembly, comprising:
the fiber optic connector receptacle of claim 1 ; and
an active device arranged adjacent the lens.

9. A ferrule assembly comprising:
the fiber optic connector receptacle of claim 1 ; and
a plug ferrule matingly engaged to the fiber optic connector receptacle.

10. The ferrule assembly of claim 9 , further comprising the plug ferrule having a plug ferrule body with a front end configured to engagingly mate with the receptacle ferrule body front end, the plug ferrule body supporting at least one optical fiber having a fiber end and that defines a plug optical pathway, with the fiber end contacting the receptacle ferrule body front end to form an optical pathway interface between the receptacle optical pathway and the plug optical pathway, where light passing through the receptacle optical pathway interface is either convergent or divergent.

11. The fiber optic connector receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising an active device platform that supports at least one active device, with the receptacle sleeve arranged relative to the active device platform so that the at least one active device is optically coupled to the at least one receptacle optical pathway.

12. A fiber optic connector assembly, comprising:
the fiber optic connector receptacle of claim 1 ; and
a fiber optic plug connector operably mated to the fiber optic connector receptacle.

13. The fiber optic connector receptacle of claim 1 , the receptacle ferrule body front end having at least one guide pin with a guide pin end where the receptacle optical pathway passes through the guide pin to the guide pin end.

14. A fiber optic connector receptacle for mating with a fiber optic plug connector having a plug ferrule with a plug optical pathway for forming a ferrule assembly, the fiber optic connector receptacle comprising:
a receptacle ferrule comprising a receptacle ferrule body having top and bottom surfaces and opposite back and front ends;
a receptacle ferrule holder configured to hold the receptacle ferrule;
a receptacle sleeve having front and back ends and an interior that contains the receptacle ferrule holder with the receptacle ferrule held therein;
at least one monolithic optical system formed in the receptacle ferrule body and including a lens formed at the bottom surface and a mirror formed at the back end, the at least one monolithic optical system being configured to define a receptacle optical pathway from the bottom surface to the front end and having a substantially right-angle bend;
a plug comprising a plug ferrule matingly engaged to the receptacle ferrule, and the plug comprising a first and a second resilient member arranged between a plug ferrule holder and a plug ferrule back end; and
the front end of the receptacle ferrule body having a first mating geometry configured to form with the plug ferrule a solid-solid contact at an optical pathway interface between the plug and receptacle optical pathways.

Assignees

• Demeritt Jeffery Alan
• Fortusini Davide Domenico
• Isenhour Micah Colen
• Knecht Dennis Michael
• Luther James Phillip
• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Demeritt Jeffery Alan
• Fortusini Davide Domenico
• Isenhour Micah Colen
• Knecht Dennis Michael
• Luther James Phillip

Classifications

• G02B6/4246

  Bidirectionally operating package structures · CPC title

• G02B6/4292 Primary

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

• G02B6/3817

  containing optical and electrical conductors (cables including electrical and optical conductors H01B11/22; G02B6/3816 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

• G02B6/4231

  with intermediate elements, e.g. rods and balls, between the elements · CPC title