Welding optical connector

Abstract

An optical connector accommodates and retains a fusion splice portion having a stub fiber fitted to an optical connector ferrule, the stub fiber ferrule being fused to a buffered fiber. One end of a protective sleeve that reinforces the welded portion is configured to adhere to a buffer mounted on a stub fiber of the optical connector ferrule and the other end is adhered to a buffer of the buffered fiber. The protective sleeve has an inner heat shrink tube, an outer heat shrink tube, and at least one element that allows the protective sleeve to be concentric with the ferrule and cable bumper axis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model generally relates to a fusion fiber optic connector, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for protecting the fusion fiber in the connector. Background Technology

[0002] To achieve connections to field-mounted fiber optic cables using splice connectors, Panduit currently offers mechanical splice connectors of the LC, SC, and ST types under the name Opticam, detailed in U.S. Patents 7,011,454 and 8,256,970. Opticam connectors are characterized by factory-polished ferrules in which the stub fiber is housed within an index-matching gel inside the connector. For termination, the field-mounted fiber is stripped, cleaned, and cut to a fixed length, and inserted into the connector, aligned with the stub fiber via the index-matching gel. Once aligned, a cam-actuated damper clamp holds the field-mounted fiber in place to prevent any movement. Opticam mechanical splice connectors are easy to terminate and do not require expensive termination tools. They use an index-matching gel to transmit signals from the field-mounted fiber to the stub fiber. Due to the different optical properties of glass and gel, mechanical splice connectors have higher loss.

[0003] What is needed is a fusion connector in which glass is heat-fused to provide a connector with minimal loss. This type of connector was not popular in the industry due to the extremely high cost of fusion splicing equipment, but recently the cost of fusion splicing equipment has decreased, making this type of connector cost-effective for field use. Utility Model Content

[0004] An optical connector includes a fusion splice having a short optical fiber fitted on an optical connector ferrule, the short optical fiber being fused to a buffered optical fiber. One end of a protective sleeve reinforcing the fusion splice is configured to adhere to a buffer on the short optical fiber fitted on the optical connector ferrule, and the other end of the protective sleeve is adhered to a buffer on the buffered optical fiber. The protective sleeve has an inner heat-shrink tubing, an outer heat-shrink tubing, and at least one element that allows the protective sleeve to be concentric with the axes of the ferrule and the cable buffer. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the fusion connector assembly 10 is shown.

[0006] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the fusion connector 20.

[0007] Figure 3 An exploded 3D view of the ring assembly 60.

[0008] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional view of the ring assembly 60, showing the top bonding groove 140 and the side bonding groove 150.

[0009] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional view of the housing 40, showing the top bonding feature 160 and the side bonding feature 170.

[0010] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional view showing the protective sleeve 70.

[0011] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional view showing the rear component 230.

[0012] Figure 8 It is a three-dimensional view showing the components in their shipping configuration.

[0013] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional view showing assembly steps 1 and 2.

[0014] Figure 10 Assembly step 3 is shown.

[0015] Figure 11 Assembly step 4 is shown.

[0016] Figure 12 Assembly step 5 is shown.

[0017] Figure 13 The assembled connector 10 is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0018] This invention relates to a splice-type fusion splice connector with a splice protective sleeve having dual reinforcing bars and heat shrink tubing. The splice protective sleeve is adhered to a factory fiber optic buffer at one end and to a field fiber optic buffer at the other. The dual reinforcing bars reinforce the fusion section between the two buffers. The dual bars allow the splice protective sleeve to be concentric with the buffer diameter and provide uniform support on both sides of the buffer's central axis. The splice protective sleeve shown in this invention is characterized by having dual reinforcing bars, but it can have one or more reinforcing bars made of metal or plastic. The invention shown here is for LC type connectors, but it can also be implemented in SC or ST type fiber optic connectors.

[0019] Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the fusion splice connector assembly 10 is shown. The fusion splice connector 20 is terminated to the fiber optic cable 30.

[0020] Figure 2This is an exploded view of the fusion connector 20. The fusion connector 20 includes a dust cover 50, a housing 40, a ferrule assembly 60, a protective sleeve 70, a spring 80, a backbone 90, and a boot 100. The dust cover 50 is characterized by a tether for easy handling during assembly. The tether can be broken off after assembly if needed. The dust cover 50 is assembled onto the ferrule assembly 60 to protect the ferrule interface. In this view, it is identified as the front assembly 220. The spring 80, backbone 90, and boot 100 are shipped to the customer in an assembled state as the rear assembly 230 to reduce the number of individual parts that need to be assembled in the field.

[0021] Figure 3 This is an exploded three-dimensional view of the ferrule assembly 60. It includes a ferrule 110, a ferrule retainer 120, and an optical fiber 130. The optical fiber 130 includes a buffer 240 and a glass optical fiber 250.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional view of the ring assembly 60, showing the top bonding groove 140 and the side bonding groove 150.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional view of the housing 40, showing the top bonding feature 160 and the side bonding feature 170. The top bonding feature 160 and the side bonding feature 170 must be aligned with the top bonding groove 140 and the side bonding groove 150, respectively, to enable the ferrule assembly 60 to be assembled to the housing 40. The bonding features help ensure the orientation of the ferrule assembly.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional view showing the protective sleeve 70. It includes an outer heat shrink tubing 180, reinforcing rods 190 and 200, and an inner heat shrink tubing 210.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional view showing the rear assembly 230. The spring 80 is partially pressed into the bracket 90, and the protective cover 100 is snapped onto the bracket 90.

[0026] Figure 8 It is a three-dimensional view showing the components of the shipment configuration.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional view showing assembly steps 1 and 2. In step 1, the rear assembly 230 and the protective sleeve 70 are screwed onto the fiber optic cable 30. In step 2, the cable buffer 30 is stripped, and the glass fiber 290 is split.

[0028] Figure 10Assembly step 3 is shown. In this step, the front assembly 220 is fused to the split glass fiber 290 at fusion point 260 using a fusion splicing device.

[0029] Figure 11 Assembly step 4 is shown. In this step, the protective sleeve 70 slides onto the buffer 240 behind the ferrule retainer 120 and the cable buffer 300. The protective sleeve 70 is then heat-shrinked using welding equipment.

[0030] Figure 12 Assembly step 5 is shown. In this step, the tether of the dust cover 50 is pulled through the housing 40, aligning the top bonding groove 140 with the top bonding feature 160 and the side bonding groove 150 with the side bonding feature 170. In step 6, the rear assembly is assembled to the housing 40. The bracket latch 280 latches to the housing latch window 270.

[0031] Figure 13 The assembled connector 10 is shown.

[0032] While the present invention has been described as having a preferred design, further modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or alterations of the present invention using its general principles. Furthermore, this application is intended to cover any deviations from this disclosure that are known or conventional practices in the field to which the invention pertains and fall within the limitations of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An optical connector, the optical connector receiving and retaining a fusion splice portion, wherein a short fiber ferrule fitted to an optical connector ferrule is fused with a buffered fiber, characterized in that: One end of the protective sleeve reinforcing the fusion splice is configured to be adhered to a buffer on the short optical fiber mounted to the optical connector ferrule, and the other end is adhered to a buffer on the buffered optical fiber. The protective sleeve includes an inner heat shrink tubing, an outer heat shrink tubing, and at least one element that allows the protective sleeve to be concentric with the axis of the ferrule and the cable buffer.

2. The optical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The element that allows the protective sleeve to be concentric with the axes of the collar and the cable buffer includes two reinforcing rods.

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