Northern Telecom Limited

Jaroslav M Hvezda

Richard J Middlehurst

Jack F Dalgleish

Benne Velsher

George Debortoli

Helmut H Lukas

Grant K Pacey

David A Kahn

Brian T Osborne

Richard J Glover

Jacques R Desjardins

Edward J Olszewski

Hugh F Morrin

Robert W Fisher

Kahn: David A

Optical cable enclosure for connecting a supply optical cable to a customer cable having respective storage regions for optical fibers of both cables and an interconnection region for the fibers. The optical fibers of the customer cable extend either to their storage region or to the interconnection region, guide members being positioned for change in direction from one region to the other. The paths of the optical fibers are controlled regardless of their destination to ensure no undue stresses are placed upon the fibers. This control is effected quickly and easily.

Optical fiber cable enclosure

An optical fiber tray including a fiber connector holder with storage in the holder for incoming fibers for connection to rear facing ends of the connectors. Front facing connector ends are joined to outgoing fibers in the form of patch cords which pass through a storage facility in which each patch cord is disposed in its own storage region. A minimum bend radius channel through which the patch cords travel is movable in the tray to lessen the distance moved by patch cords as the tray is moved forwardly and rearwardly. This movable channel allows for excess fiber from within the tray during tray movement and without disturbing patch cord material outside the tray.

Optical fiber storage and connector tray and shelf and tray assembly

An assembly for axially aligning two ferrules comprises a first housing, an alignment sleeve carrier, an alignment sleeve retained within a passage of the alignment sleeve carrier and a nut for securing the alignment sleeve carrier to the first housing such that a leading end of a first ferrule received in a passage of the first housing can extend into the alignment sleeve. The assembly further comprises a second housing, a socket member and a spring clip for securing the socket member to the second housing. The socket member has a through passage for receiving a second ferrule at one end and a leading end of the alignment sleeve carrier at another end such that the second ferrule can extend into the alignment sleeve for axial alignment with the first ferrule when the alignment sleeve carrier is received in the passage of the socket member. The spring clip permits limited movement of the socket member on the second housing to facilitate entry of the alignment sleeve carrier into the passage of the socket member and alignment of the first and second ferrules within the alignment sleeve. The assembly is used in a blind mating optical fiber connector.

Ferrule alignment assembly for blind mating optical fiber connector

An optical busbar, for optically interconnecting electronic and/or photonic equipment, comprises a rod of light-transmissive material, for example polycarbonate, having a longitudinal planar surface. Preferably the rod is of polygonal cross-sectional shape. Distributed along its length, opposite the planar surface, the rod has a plurality of inclined reflector surfaces for diverting light travelling along the rod so that it emerges laterally at intervals corresponding to the spacing of the reflector surfaces. When the rod is installed on a backplane of the equipment, with a plurality of circuit cards projecting perpendicularly from the backplane, optoelectrical devices on the circuit cards are arranged to be in register with the inclined reflector surfaces. Optical signals transmitted along the optical busbar will be distributed to the circuit cards. The optical conductor will, of course, function with the light travelling in the opposite direction, i.e. transmitted from the circuit card and reflected to travel along the length of the conductor.

Optical busbar

A mounting bracket for test probes for use in testing electronic circuitry. By placing a printed circuit board (PCB) from a shelf of interconnected PCBs in an extender card connected to the shelf, a mounting bracket may be attached to the extender card. The mounting bracket allows test probe assemblies to be placed anywhere over the PCB being tested. A system is thereby created wherein any point to be tested on the PCB may be readily accessed. The system may be used to test PCBs employing flat-pack, dual in-line, or surface mount integrated circuit (IC) technology. The mounting bracket is useful for testing PCBs in situations where the PCB must be operating as part of a larger, combined circuitry such as used in the telecommunications industry.

Mounting bracket for test probes

An adjustable quick-mount test probe assembly for use in circuit testing. The test probe assembly provides a convenient means for testing printed circuit boards containing Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) components and high density interconnect substrates. This is due to its versatility in terms of positioning and its use of replaceable, 'off-the-shelf' test probe tips. The test probe assembly provides a means of quickly connecting test clips from a test equipment unit to a circuit board, as well as providing a means of neatly arranging test leads to avoid the possibility of entanglement and reducing strain on the test probe. Test set-up time is greatly reduced, and confidence of test set-up integrity is increased.

Adjustable quick-mount test probe assembly

A mounting arrangement for mounting an optical conductor on a 'photonic' backplane provides for simple, accurate positioning during installation and easy access to, and removal of, the optical conductor when in service. The optical conductor constitutes a 'busbar' in that it has a series of reflector surfaces spaced along its length to permit distribution or aggregation of several light signals. In one embodiment, an individual support is provided at each reflector/circuit card location. Each support is a seating member which houses a lens to couple light between the optical conductor and the circuit card. In another, preferred, embodiment the optical conductor is housed in a channel in a guide rail mounted upon the backplane. Separate cover members are releasably mounted upon the guide rail adjacent each circuit card. Each cover member has an aperture and lens to couple light between the reflector and the circuit card. The aperture and lens may be in a boss which couples in spigot-and-socket fashion with a tubular lens-carrying coupled mounted on the circuit card.

Mounting optical busbars on backplanes

A plug-in form of connector having two connecting members, one inserted into the other, has pairs of opposed contacts. Each pair of contacts is connected electrically by a pivoted contact lever, which pivots about an axis normal to its length as one connecting member is inserted into the other. This increases contact normal forces from a minimum at initial insertion. A reduction in insertion force is obtained without a reduction in contact normal forces on full insertion.

Multiple contact connector having a low insertion force

A multiple contact connector having a low profile has a bottom member for attachment to a large circuit board, the bottom member having a plurality of spaced parallel spring cantilever contact members. A top member is attached to an edge of another circuit board, for example a smaller board, the top member having a plurality of spaced parallel contact members having top and bottom legs, the top legs of the contact members making contact with the smaller board circuit pattern and the bottom legs contacting the cantilever contact members of the bottom member. A spring member extends up from the bottom member and snaps over the top member.

High density low profile multiple contact connector

A multiple contact connector having a low profile has a bottom member for attachment to a large circuit board, the bottom member having a plurality of spaced parallel spring cantilever contact members. A top member is attached to an edge of another circuit board, for example a smaller board, the top member having a plurality of spaced parallel contact members of U shape, the top legs of the contact member making contact with the smaller board circuit pattern and the bottom legs contacting the cantilever contact members of the bottom member. A spring member extends up from the bottom member and snaps over the top member.

A fusion apparatus for fusing a pair of optical fibers end-to-end by an electrical arc has a fiber gripping head on a support housing in which the various electrical and electronic circuits and control devices are housed. The gripping head has two fiber holding members, each member having a first portion for holding a coated portion of a fiber and a second spring loaded portion for bearing on a stripped portion of a fiber end. The second portion is deflectable relative to the first portion. Two electrodes, in opposition, are mounted one on each side of an axis through the fiber ends. A prefusion arc can be provided for initial rounding of the fiber ends. The prefusion arc and fusion arc times can be preset. Transfer members can be mounted on the housing for moving a fused pair of fibers to a heating position where a heat shrink sleeve, previously slid on one of the fiber ends can be positioned over the splice and heat shrunk on to the splice.

Apparatus for fusion splicing of optical fibers

An optical fibre connector for connecting one or more pairs of single fibres in end-to-end relationship has an alignment member having two opposed and inclined datum surfaces, generally in the form of a Vee, and two tubular ferrules resting on the datum surfaces. The ferrules each have two datum positions extending along the ferrule and spaced circumferentially to cooperate with the datum surfaces. Each ferrule has a fibre receiving bore which is formed at a predetermined positional relationship to the datum positions. Rotational location is provided between ferrules and alignment member. The bore is formed by casting material in the ferrule using a mandrel, the ferrule and mandrel accurately positioned in an alignment tool which reproduces the datum surfaces of the alignment member. Build up of tolerances is avoided and slight variation in diameters of the ferrules, and lack of concentricity can be accommodated with accurate alignment of fibre ends still obtained. The invention can be used for a permanent connection, that is a splice, or for make, break and remake types of single or multiple connectors.

Growing community of inventors

Nepean, Canada

Jaroslav M Hvezda