Fiber optic connector with adhesive management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9946033-B2
Application number	US-201615014125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2016
Priority date	Aug 7, 2013
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A fiber optic connector includes a ferrule configured to receive and support one or more optical fibers and at least one component coupled to a surface of the ferrule by an adhesive. The at least one component overlays a footprint area defined on the surface to which the adhesive is applied, and the surface has a plurality of recessed formations within the footprint area to accommodate the adhesive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic connector for a cable having a plurality of optical fibers, the fiber optic connector comprising:
a ferrule comprising a plurality of u-shaped or v-shaped grooves configured to receive and support an exposed core of the plurality of optical fibers, and a first plurality of recessed formations formed within at least a portion of the plurality of u-shaped or v-shaped fiber support features, wherein the plurality of optical fibers are secured within the plurality of u-shaped or v-shaped grooves by an adhesive such that the adhesive within an individual u-shaped or v-shaped groove does not migrate into a neighboring u-shaped or v-shaped groove;
at least one lens element positioned on the ferrule;
and at least one component coupled to a surface of the ferrule by an adhesive, the at least one component being a window coupled to a forward-facing surface of the ferrule by the adhesive;
wherein the at least one component overlays a footprint area defined on the surface to which the adhesive is applied, the surface having a second plurality of recessed formations within the footprint area, and the at least one lens element of the ferrule being recessed from the forward-facing surface so that an air gap is provided between the at least one lens element and the window.

2. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of recessed formations are distributed on substantially the entire footprint area.

3. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein:
the forward-facing surface of the ferrule extends in a transverse plane relative to a longitudinal axis along which the ferrule extends;
a gap thickness is defined between the window and the transverse plane; and
the volume of adhesive coupling the window to the forward-facing surface is greater than a volume defined by the product of the gap thickness and the footprint area.

4. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the window is prismatic with opposed front and rear surfaces extending between a plurality of side surfaces, and further wherein at least one of the side surfaces of the window is substantially co-planar with a side surface of the ferrule.

5. The fiber optic connector of claim 4 , wherein the second plurality of recessed formations on the forward-facing surface of the ferrule are formed in a region of the footprint area proximate the side surface of the ferrule that is substantially co-planar with at least one side surface of the window.

6. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive forms a continuous bead on the forward-facing surface around an opening to the air gap.

7. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one component comprises one or more gradient refractive index (GRIN) lenses.

8. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of recessed formations comprises a plurality of pyramid or cone-shaped wells formed in the footprint area.

9. An optical cable assembly, comprising:
a cable having one or more optical fibers carried within a jacket; and
a fiber optic connector according to claim 1 coupled to an end of the cable.

10. A method of assembling a fiber optic assembly including a fiber optic connector according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
providing the ferrule of the fiber optic connector;
applying the adhesive to the surface of the ferrule; and
coupling the at least one component to the at least one surface with the adhesive.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein applying the adhesive comprises dispensing droplets of the adhesive having a volume of approximately 2 nanoliters or larger.

12. A fiber optic connector for a cable having a plurality of optical fibers, the fiber optic connector comprising:
a ferrule comprising:
a first plurality of u-shaped or v-shaped fiber support features configured to receive and support an exposed core of the plurality of optical fibers, and a first plurality of recessed formations formed within at least a portion of the plurality of u-shaped or v-shaped fiber support features, wherein the plurality of optical fibers are secured within the plurality of u-shaped or v-shaped grooves by an adhesive such that the adhesive within an individual u-shaped or v-shaped groove does not migrate into a neighboring u-shaped or v-shaped groove;
a fiber tray recess;
a second plurality of recessed formations within at least a portion of the fiber tray recess;
a front surface;
a recess within the front surface extending in a transverse plane relative to a longitudinal axis along which the ferrule extend, the recess defining a forward-facing surface that is recessed relative to the front surface; and
a third plurality of recessed formations within at least a portion of the forward-facing surface;

a fiber tray coupled to the ferrule by an adhesive disposed between the fiber tray and the fiber tray recess; and
a window coupled to the forward-facing surface of the ferrule by an adhesive.

13. The fiber optic connector of claim 12 , wherein
a gap thickness is defined between the window and the transverse plane; and
the volume of adhesive coupling the window to the forward-facing surface is greater than a volume defined by the product of the gap thickness and the footprint area.

14. The fiber optic connector of claim 12 , wherein the ferrule comprises at least one lens element, the at least one lens element being recessed from the forward-facing surface so that an air gap is provided between the at least one lens element and the window.

15. The fiber optic connector of claim 12 , wherein the fiber tray further comprises:
a second plurality of fiber support features; and
a fourth plurality of recessed formations disposed on at least a portion of the second plurality of fiber support features.

Assignees

• Corning Optical Communications LLC

Inventors

• Elliott Kevin Eugene

Classifications

• G02B6/3853

  Lens inside the ferrule (lensed connectors G02B6/32) · CPC title

• G02B6/3861 Primary

  Adhesive bonding (adhesives in general C09J) · CPC title

• G02B6/3839

  for a plurality of light guides · 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

• 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