Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Jack P Blomgren

Gordon D Henson

Terry Lee Smith

Michael Alan Meis

Nicholas A Lee

Robert G Frey

Richard Hagan

The present invention provides a precise optical fiber cable connector for aligning and connecting ends of a pair of cables. The connector has a fiber alignment block having a fiber receiving surface and a connector engagement surface. First and second openings are provided in the connector engagement surface. An alignment ball is provided and is retained in the first opening. The alignment ball is for aligning the connector with another like connector, and specifically, for aligning optical fibers carried on the connector alignment assemblies.

Alignment assembly for multifiber or single fiber optical cable connector

A connector for coaxial interconnection of optical fibers includes an elastically deformable housing having regions with differing geometries and elastic properties. The geometries and elastic properties in the housing regions are adapted to retain against a channeled mount optical fiber components with widely varying diameters and a wide range of tolerances.

Device with differentially deformable housing for connection of optical

An optical fiber distribution module has a panel formed with a plurality of parallel lands having undercuts for releasably attaching a plurality of optical fiber connectors, each of which forms a bridge across the panel. The lands have sufficient length to permit two of the connectors to be attached to the same lands with a jacketed optical fiber from each of said connectors passing beneath the bridge defined by the other connector. When a large number of the connectors are attached to the panel, the passage of some optical fibers beneath such bridges helps to organize, route, and identify the interconnected optical fibers.

Optical fiber distribution module

An optical fiber switch has a substrate with a straight groove into which the free ends of two optical fibers are pushed into abutting relation to permit signals incoming on one of the fibers to be transmitted to the other. Preferably, the switch is a 2.times.2 fiber array. In one 2.times.2 switch, a substrate has two mutually perpendicular surfaces, each formed with a pair of grooves, and all four optical fibers are simultaneously pushed into one set of grooves to connect the fibers in one way, or pushed into the other set of grooves to switch the alignment. In a different 2.times.2 switch, a substrate has a central, longitudinal passageway that is square in cross section, and the grooves are provided by the four corners of the passageway.

Optical fiber switch

A prior optical fiber connector includes an elongated mandrel of substantially uniformly elliptical cross section that is encompassed by a resiliently deformable housing which, in its relatively undeformed state, can optically interconnect two optical fibers by urging their ends against a straight longitudinal groove in the surface of the mandrel. The interconnection can be made more easily when there is, either integral with or around the housing, an envelope incorporating a pair of second-class levers which, when squeezed together by ones fingers, deform the housing. The extremities of the levers can be formed to permit the connector to be releasably attached to a patch panel or to an optical fiber distribution module.

Optical fiber connector including integral deformable housing and

A simplified and low cost optical fiber connector incorporating strain relief means comprising a hollow housing within which a connection of optical fibers is isolated and stabilized from external strains and stresses by chocks located at opposing ends of the passageway through the housing which releasably secure the fibers in cooperation with the housing. The novel connector may be used with both polymeric and glass optical fibers, and with optical fibers which have or do not have buffer coatings. The novel connector may also be used to provide optical fiber connections incorporating strain relief means to a fiber optic splitter, a fiber optic coupler, and an opto-electronic package.

Optical fiber connector incorporating means for isolating connection

A simplified and low cost device for restraining an object or objects therein having a resiliently deformable housing including an interior passageway having wall portions adapted to receive and support the object, and wall portions which will be spaced from the object; which housing is deformed by the application of external compressive force at discrete locations causing the spaced wall portions to move toward the object, and resulting in the supporting wall portions moving away from the object, thereby affording the release of the object from the device.

Growing community of inventors

Red Wing, MN, United States of America

Jack P Blomgren