Embedded optical fiber termination device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9575261-B2
Application number	US-201615073896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 23, 2010
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

An embedded optical fiber termination device includes a fiber holder with an inner bore and an outer surface. The inner bore is configured to receive a length of optical fiber therein. A removable armature is positioned about a portion of the outer surface of the fiber holder and is removably positioned around a portion of the fiber holder. A composite structure and a method of using the embedded device are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising:
a composite structure having a plurality of layers and an edge, the edge including an opening therein;
an optical fiber embedded within the composite structure, the optical fiber having an optical fiber diameter;
an alignment member having a bore extending therethrough and including first and second sections, the first section being positioned within the opening of the composite structure, and the second section extending out of the composite structure and configured to receive a mating optical fiber member; and
a fiber holder with an inner bore having a bore diameter, the bore diameter being slightly larger than the optical fiber diameter, the fiber holder further including a second edge, the fiber holder being positioned within and in contact with the first section of the alignment member a length of the optical fiber being located within the inner bore of the fiber holder and wherein the second edge of the fiber holder is coplanar with the edge of the composite structure.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , further including a plurality of spaced apart, generally parallel fiber holders, each having a length of an optical fiber therein, and each being positioned within the opening of the edge of the composite structure.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , further including an alignment block within the composite structure and secured to at least some of the fiber holders.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , further including a plurality of alignment bores, a first section of each alignment bore being positioned within the opening of the composite structure, and a second section of each alignment bore extending out of the composite structure and being configured to receive a mating optical fiber member therein.

5. An optical fiber positioning assembly for embedding within a structure, the positioning assembly comprising:
a fiber holder with an inner bore and an outer surface opposite the inner bore the inner bore having a bore diameter and being configured to receive a length of optical fiber therein, the optical fiber having an optical fiber diameter, the bore diameter being slightly larger than the optical fiber diameter; and
a removable armature secured directly to a portion of the outer surface of the fiber holder and being removably positioned around a portion of the fiber holder, the removable armature being formed of a molded silicone material and being slidably removable from the fiber holder by movement along the fiber holder in a direction generally parallel to a longitudinal axis through the inner bore of the fiber holder.

6. The optical positioning assembly of claim 5 , further including a plurality of spaced apart, generally parallel fiber holders, each for receiving a length of an optical fiber therein, and the removable armature extends between and is secured directly to a portion of the outer surface of each of the fiber holders.

7. The optical fiber positioning assembly of claim 6 , further including an alignment block secured to at least some of the fiber holders.

8. The optical fiber positioning assembly of claim 7 , wherein the alignment block is secured to one section of the fiber holders and the removable armature is secured directly to another section of the fiber holders.

9. The optical fiber positioning assembly of claim 5 , wherein an adhesion agent is located between the fiber holder and the removable armature to increase the force required to remove the removable armature from the fiber holder.

10. A method for joining optical fiber assemblies comprising the steps of:
providing an optical fiber positioning assembly including a first fiber holder having a length of optical fiber therein and a removable armature positioned about a portion of the first fiber holder;
forming a structure with the optical fiber positioning assembly embedded therein and extending across a cut line along which the structure will be cut;
cutting the structure along the cut line and through the optical fiber positioning assembly to expose a remaining portion of the removable armature positioned adjacent a cut edge of the structure such that a cut end of the optical fiber positioning assembly is coplanar with the cut edge of the structure;
removing the remaining portion of the first removable armature from adjacent the cut edge of the structure to create a first opening in the cut edge of the structure with an operative portion of the first fiber holder and a first operative portion of the optical fiber located therein;
providing a first optical fiber assembly having the structure and the optical fiber embedded in the first optical fiber assembly and the first fiber holder disposed on an edge of the first optical fiber assembly;
polishing an exposed end of the first operative portion of the optical fiber;
providing an alignment sleeve having first and second sections and inserting the first section of the alignment sleeve into the first opening in the first edge of the first structure while maintaining the second section outside the first opening in the first edge and with the exposed end of the optical fiber being positioned within the first section of the alignment sleeve;
providing a second optical fiber assembly, the second optical fiber assembly including a second opening with a second operative portion of a second fiber holder and an operative portion of an optical fiber located therein; and
joining the second optical fiber assembly to the first optical fiber assembly by inserting the second section of the alignment sleeve into the second opening in the second optical fiber assembly and abutting the operative portion of the optical fiber of the second optical fiber assembly to the operative portion of the optical fiber of the first optical fiber assembly.

Assignees

• Molex Llc

Inventors

• Hodge Malcolm H
• Clarkin James P

Classifications

• G02B6/4471

  Terminating devices (demountable connectors G02B6/3807); Cable clamps · CPC title

• G02B6/3897

  Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards (G02B6/44528 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/3652 Primary

  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

• G02B6/3874 Primary

  using tubes, sleeves to align ferrules · CPC title

• G02B6/3696

  by moulding, e.g. injection moulding, casting, embossing, stamping, stenciling, printing, or with metallic mould insert manufacturing using LIGA or MIGA techniques (shaping the mould surface by machining B29C33/38; moulding techniques B29C39/00, B29C43/00, B29C45/00, B29C48/00, B29C59/00; stamping, printing or embossing techniques B81C1/00444; surface micromachining using LIGA B81C2201/032) · CPC title