3m Innovative Properties Company

Kirk L Taylor

James R Bylander

Wesley A Raider

Takaya Yamauchi

Akihiko Yazaki

Eric M Morgan

A plug-type optical connector is provided with a ferrule and an aligning sleeve member. The aligning sleeve member receives a portion of the ferrule including an abutting end face inside a bore to prevent staining and damage and uses a movable shutter to prevent light emitted through the ferrule from leaking to the outside. The socket type optical connector is provided with a ferrule and a holding section. The optical connector is not provided with an aligning sleeve member and further can hold a coated optical fiber by a holding section behind the ferrule by a radius of curvature of at least a prescribed minimum radius of curvature. Optical loss in the coated optical fiber can be reduced while effectively reducing the external dimensions in the direction of extension of the ferrule at the time of use. An optical fiber connecting device that includes a combination of a pair of optical connectors is also provided to be suitably applied to an optical transmission line laid indoors.

Optical connector, optical fiber with connector, optical fiber connecting device, and optical fiber connection method

A plug-type optical connectoris provided with a ferruleand an aligning sleeve member. The aligning sleeve memberreceives a portion of the ferruleincluding an abutting end faceinside a boreto prevent staining and damage and uses a movable shutterto prevent light emitted through the ferrulefrom leaking to the outside. The socket type optical connectoris provided with a ferruleand a holding section. The optical connectoris not provided with an aligning sleeve member and further can hold a coated optical fiber by a holding sectionbehind the ferruleby a radius of curvature of at least a prescribed minimum radius of curvature. Optical loss in the coated optical fiber can be reduced while effectively reducing the external dimensions in the direction of extension of the ferruleat the time of use. An optical fiber connecting device that includes a combination of a pair of optical connectors is also provided to be suitably applied to an optical transmission line laid indoors.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Kirk L Taylor