Fiber pigtail with integrated lid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9400356-B2
Application number	US-201313804269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for a fiber pigtail. The fiber pigtail includes a single mode fiber optic ribbon having a section of polymer ribbon removed to expose bare fibers, a fiber optic ferrule in contact with the single mode fiber optic ribbon at one distal end, and an integrated polymer lid permanently attached to the bare fibers of the single mode fiber optic ribbon at another distal end of the single mode fiber optic ribbon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber pigtail apparatus, comprising:
a single mode fiber optic ribbon having a section of polymer ribbon removed to expose bare fibers;
a fiber optic ferrule in contact with the single mode fiber optic ribbon at one distal end; and
an integrated polymer lid permanently attached to the bare fibers of the single mode fiber optic ribbon at another distal end of the single mode fiber optic ribbon, the integrated polymer lid comprising an adhesive layer that bonds individual ones of the bare fibers to a bottom surface of the integrated polymer lid;
wherein the integrated polymer lid permanently attached to the bare fibers is void of or excludes a V-groove structure underneath, such that the integrated polymer lid attached to the bare fibers are together freely moveable as no V-groove structure is attached underneath the integrated polymer lid;
wherein the integrated polymer lid permanently attached to the bare fibers has a flat bottom surface, the flat bottom surface being attached to the bare fibers;
wherein the fiber optic ferrule is on an opposite end of the single mode fiber optic ribbon, in a lengthwise direction, from the integrated polymer lid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the integrated polymer lid is transparent to ultraviolet light.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the single mode fiber optic ribbon includes 12 optical fibers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic ferrule includes a mechanical transfer ferrule.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the integrated polymer lid is approximately 3.4 millimeters in width.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the integrated polymer lid is approximately 2 millimeters in length.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the integrated polymer lid is approximately 100 micrometers in thickness.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein spacing on the integrated polymer lid is set to a predefined amount between each of the bare fibers based on being attached to the integrated polymer lid.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the predefined amount of the spacing on the integrated polymer lid is set based on a temporary V-groove.

10. A system, comprising:
a fiber pigtail; and
a first fiber optic ferrule;
wherein the fiber pigtail includes a single mode fiber optic ribbon having a section of polymer ribbon removed to expose bare fibers;
wherein the fiber pigtail includes a second fiber optic ferrule in contact with the single mode fiber optic ribbon at one distal end;
wherein the fiber pigtail includes an integrated polymer lid permanently attached to the bare fibers of the single mode fiber optic ribbon at an other distal end of the single mode fiber optic ribbon, the integrated polymer lid comprising an adhesive layer that bonds individual ones of the bare fibers to a bottom surface of the integrated polymer lid;
wherein the integrated polymer lid permanently attached to the bare fibers is void of or excludes a V-groove structure underneath, such that the integrated polymer lid attached to the bare fibers are together freely moveable as no V-groove structure is attached underneath the integrated polymer lid;
wherein the integrated polymer lid permanently attached to the bare fibers has a flat bottom surface, the flat bottom surface being attached to the bare fibers;
wherein the first fiber optic ferrule is on an opposite end of the single mode fiber optic ribbon, in a lengthwise direction, from the integrated polymer lid;
wherein the first fiber optic ferrule is in proximity to the second fiber optic ferrule; and
wherein the bare fibers held by the integrated polymer lid are proximate to single mode waveguides on a wafer as to provide optical coupling between the bare fibers and the single mode waveguides on the wafer.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the wafer includes mechanical engagement features to mechanically align the bare fibers integrated in and held by the integrated polymer lid to the single mode waveguides on the wafer;
wherein the wafer is a separate and distinct structure from the integrated polymer lid permanently attached to the bare fibers;
wherein the bare fibers are mechanically engaged with the mechanical engagement features on the wafer and held in place with an adhesive; and
wherein the mechanical engagement features of the wafer are V-grooves formed in the wafer so as to be under the integrated polymer lid permanently attached to the bare fibers, as the integrated polymer lid permanently attached to the bare fibers has no V-groove structure underneath.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second fiber optic ferrule in the fiber pigtail is mechanically engaged with the first fiber optic ferrule.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the integrated polymer lid is transparent to ultraviolet light.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the single mode fiber optic ribbon includes 12 optical fibers.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second fiber optic ferrule includes a mechanical transfer ferrule.

Assignees

• IBM
• Afl Telecommunications Llc

Inventors

• Barwicz Tymon
• Fortier Paul F
• Lichoulas Ted

Classifications

• G02B6/3636 Primary

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

• G02B6/423

  using guiding surfaces for the alignment · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• Y10T156/1062

  Prior to assembly · CPC title

• G02B6/3861 Primary

  Adhesive bonding (adhesives in general C09J) · CPC title