3M Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Corning Research & Development Corporation

James B Carpenter

Richard A Patterson

Donald Kent Larson

James R Bylander

Paul N Winberg

Chansool Park

Douglas P Hills

Dale E Elder

James Francis Brennan, Iii

Nicholas A Stacey

Donald G Doss

Anthony William Gatica

Gordon Wiegand

Ronald Phillip Pepin

Frank J Glatzl

John P Stedman

Michael Alan Meis

Alexander R Mathews

Gordon D Henson

Wesley A Raider

Takaya Yamauchi

Bryon J Cronk

Rutesh D Parikh

Akihiko Yazaki

Charles M Mansfield

Dora M Paolucci

Johnny P Bryant

Haregoppa S Gopalakrishna

Steven L Johnson

Laura A Weller-Brophy

Nirmal K Viswanathan

Joseph A Paparella

Wai-Fung Mak

Dennis G Brannan

Optical fiber connecting devices and methods of connecting first and second optical fibers are described. The exemplary devices have a housing composed of an upper and lower housing portions, a mechanical element disposed in a cavity of the lower housing portion, the mechanical element configured to axially align and connect the bare glass portions of the first and second optical fibers; and an actuation mechanism to open and close the splice element a plurality of times, and allows the first and second optical fibers to be positioned, secured and actuated in the mechanical element at the same or different times.

Connector for connecting two bare optical fibers

A splice holder device includes a tray mountable in a telecommunications closure, the tray including a splice mounting mechanism configured to receive a splice device. The splice holder device also includes first and second fiber clamps disposed on the tray, wherein the first and second fiber clamps are each configured to releasably secure a buffered portion of an optical fiber. The tray can include a single splice device, such as a mechanical splice, mounted therein or can include a plurality of splice devices mounted therein. The splice holder device can be configured to be securedly mounted in a telecommunications enclosure.

Splice holder device

An optical fiber splicing and gripping device includes a material having first and second members hingedly attached. A gripping region is formed in the material that includes first and second gripping portions disposed on first and second inner portions of each of the members. The material further includes separate first and second clamping zones along a length of the gripping region. The optical fiber splicing and gripping device further includes a cap engageable with the material to selectively actuate the first clamping zone independently of actuating the second clamping zone.

Fiber splicing and gripping device

An optical connector for terminating an optical fiber comprises a housing configured to mate with a receptacle and a collar body disposed in the housing. The collar body includes a fiber stub disposed in a first portion of the collar body, the fiber stub including a first optical fiber mounted in a ferrule and having a first end proximate to an end face of the ferrule and a second end. The collar body also includes a mechanical splice disposed in a second portion of the collar body, the mechanical splice configured to splice the second end of the fiber stub to a second optical fiber. The collar body also includes a buffer clamp configured within a third portion of the collar body, the buffer clamp configured to clamp at least a portion of a buffer cladding of the second fiber upon actuation. A fiber distribution unit is also provided.

Optical connector and fiber distribution unit

An assembly tool for installing an optical fiber in an optical connector includes a base having a connector mounting region to receive and secure the optical connector on the base, the connector including a housing and a ferrule. The assembly tool further includes a protrusion setting mechanism to set a protrusion of the terminal end of the optical fiber, the protrusion corresponding to a distance the terminal end of the fiber extends from an end face of the connector ferrule.

Assembly tool and optical connector assembly method

A fiber splice device includes a body comprising a ductile material. First and second end port sections located on opposite ends of the body are provided and are adapted to receive first and second optical fibers, respectively. The splice device further includes a fiber splicing section, adapted to house a fiber splice, located on the body between the end port sections. The fiber splicing section includes a fiber splice actuation section having a self-locking mechanism integral with the body. The splice device can be used in a variety of locations, such as in the access and metro areas of the fiber optic network, and it is not damaged easily.

Fiber splice device

An optical waveguide, such as an optical fiber, including a length of waveguide and at least one discrete longitudinal section having increased photosensitivity with respect to other portions of the waveguide.

Sectionally photosensitive optical waveguides

An apparatus that exposes only a selected portion of a length of optical fiber to a hydrogen atmosphere loading process. The apparatus includes a loading chamber that encloses at least the selected portion of the optical fiber and contains a hydrogen hydrogen atmosphere. At least one heating element regionally heats the hydrogen atmosphere surrounding the selected portion. The heating element may heat the hydrogen atmosphere to a temperature of at least 250&#xb0; C.

Apparatus for selective photosensitization of optical fiber

A method for increasing the photosensitivity of a selected portion of an optical fiber and for producing a grating in the selected portion of an optical fiber. The method includes the step of placing the selected portion of the optical fiber in a hydrogen containing atmosphere. The volume of the hydrogen-containing atmosphere immediately surrounding only the selected portion of the optical fiber is heated to a temperature of at least 250&deg; C. Only the selected portion of the optical fiber is exposed to the heated volume of the hydrogen-containing atmosphere at a temperature of at least 250&deg; C. for a predetermined time.

Method for selective photosensitization of optical fiber

A mechanical optical fiber splice which does not employ any gel material with a matching refractive index, wherein the fiber ends are prepared for intimate axial compressive contact and the fiber end faces are maintained in the splice element in optically aligned intimate contact under axial compression, as the result of heating, elastic deformation or plastic deformation of the splice element.

Method for connecting optical fibers and the interconnection

A device for interconnecting the bare ends of two or more optical fibers uses a common receptacle having a fiber clamping element therein and camming surfaces for actuating the element, and at least one plug having a camming finger for engaging one of the camming surfaces. The camming surfaces are located such that, when only one of the camming surfaces is actuated, the clamping element rocks to a side of the pocket opposite the one camming surface and remains in the open state, but when both of the camming surfaces are actuated, the clamping element is forced to the closed state. The plug includes a fiber protector free to slide within the plug housing, substantially enclosing the bare end of the fiber when the plug housing is removed from the receptacle, but retracting when the plug housing is inserted into the receptacle to direct the bare end of the fiber toward said guide tube. A fiber collet biases the terminal end of the fiber toward the forward end of the plug to place a preload condition on the bare end of the fiber. The connector is particularly suited for cleave-and-bevel installations. The receptacle preferably uses a novel clamping element having two plate members with fiber-contacting surfaces, at least one of said fiber-contacting surfaces having a fiber-receiving groove. Edges of the plates are aligned and held together with a split tube spring. At least one of the plate members is provided with a wire-receiving groove and a wire therein which acts as a fulcrum to allow the plates to pivot along an axis defined by the wire. The split tube spring provides a precisely controlled load along the edges of the plates, allowing the opposite ends to be clamped together (within the guide tube) by a force sufficient to overcome the controlled load of the split tube spring.

Cleave and bevel fiber optic connector

A device for interconnecting the bare ends of two or more optical fibers uses a common receptacle having a fiber clamping element therein and camming surfaces for actuating the element, and at least one plug having a camming finger for engaging one of the camming surfaces. The camming surfaces are located such that, when only one of the camming surfaces is actuated, the clamping element rocks to a side of the pocket opposite the one camming surface and remains in the open state, but when both of the camming surfaces are actuated, the clamping element is forced to the closed state. The plug includes a fiber protector free to slide within the plug housing, substantially enclosing the bare end of the fiber when the plug housing is removed from the receptacle, but retracting when the plug housing is inserted into the receptacle to direct the bare end of the fiber toward said guide tube. A fiber collet biases the terminal end of the fiber toward the forward end of the plug place a preload condition on the bare end of the fiber. The connector is particularly suited for cleave-and-bevel installations. The receptacle preferably uses a novel clamping element having two plate members with fiber-contacting surfaces, at least one of said fiber-contacting surfaces having a fiber-receiving groove. Edges of the plates are aligned and held together with a split tube spring. At least one of the plate members is provided with a wire-receiving groove and a wire therein which acts as a fulcrum to allow the plates to pivot along an axis defined by the wire. The split tube spring provides a precisely controlled load along the edges of the plates, allowing the opposite ends to be clamped together (within the guide tube) by a force sufficient to overcome the controlled load of the split tube spring.

Bare fiber connector

An optical module for interconnecting two or more optical fibers has a microreplicated waveguide element which is integrally formed on the same substrate with a splice element. In one embodiment, the module has three plates, a bottom plate, a cover plate, and a top plate, all contained within a common housing. The bottom plate has fiber-receiving grooves and fiber alignment grooves at its ends, the fiber alignment grooves being aligned with waveguide channels formed on the central portion of the bottom plate. The cover plate is used when forming the cores of the waveguide channels, to force residual curable, waveguide material into flow channels adjacent the waveguide channels, and this material, when cured, adheres the bottom and cover plates together. The top plate is used to clamp fibers which are held in the fiber alignment grooves, with the center of the fibers aligned with the core of the waveguide channels. The module housing includes wedges which may be independently actuated to secure the fibers, in a remateable fashion, to either end of the module.

Microreplicated optical module

A tool adapted for use in cleaving an optical fiber installed in a ferrule connector, which can also act as an acutation cap for the connector. The tool comprises a body having a cavity for receiving the ferrule of the connector, and a floor at the extreme end of the cavity which contacts the ferrule end face when the ferrule is fully inserted into the cavity, there further being a hole in this floor, positioned to receive a portion of the optical fiber which has been inserted in the ferrule and protrudes from the end face. When the fiber passes through the hole and beyond the floor, it may be scored and subsequently cleaved. The thickness of the floor is controlled to precisely locate the score with respect to the ferrule end face, to present an optimal length of fiber stub for polishing. Scoring the fiber in this manner allows the buffered portion of the fiber to be secured to the strain relief element of the connector, and any clamping element of the connector secured, prior to scoring and cleaving.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

James B Carpenter