3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Palo Alto Research Center Inc.

3m Innovative Properties

Michael Albert Haase

Terry Lee Smith

Thomas James Miller

Alexander R Mathews

James M Nelson

Paul Frederic Baude

Xiaoguang Sun

Bing Hao

James M DePuydt

Barry J Koch

Hwa Cheng

Jun-Ying Zhang

Steven D Theiss

Jun Qiu

Catherine A Leatherdale

Ding Wang

Changbao Ma

Tommie W Kelley

Patrick R Fleming

Todd A Ballen

Dawn V Muyres

Sergey Lamansky

Jeffrey H Tokie

Junqing Xie

Eric W Hemmesch

Martin B Wolk

Stephen A Johnson

Fred Boyle McCormick

John P Baetzold

Zhaohui Yang

Brian Kenneth Nelson

Daniel J Theis

Terence D Neavin

Thomas R Hoffend, Jr

Silva K Theiss

Robert W Wilson

Xudong Fan

Daniel F Cronch

Richard J Thompson

Boon K Lee

Sergio D Carranza

Robert M Park

Paul F Baude

Robert Carnes Williams

Fen-Ren Chien

Alexander A Mathews

Andrew John Ouderkirk

Robert Anthony Street

Kenton D Budd

Billy Lee Weaver

Neeraj Sharma

Nicholas A Lee

Manoj Nirmal

Donald J McClure

Yaoqi Joe Liu

Yong Hsu

Evan D Brutinel

Tzu-Chen Lee

George D Vernstrom

David K Misemer

Russell Dean Birkholz

James A Thielen

Bill H Dodge

Amy S Barnes

Yasha Yi

Mahmut Aksit

Lars A Smeenk

Robert J Schubert

Michael W Bench

Daimon K Heller

Grace L Ho

Donald Charles Grillo

Jun Oiu

Michael D Pashley

Supratik Guha

James M Gaines

Kwok-Keung Law

Bor-Jen Wu

Paul A Chery

Ruby L Byrne

Steven D Thelss

Alessandra Ohana Pinto Chiareli

James M Depuydt

An optical assembly includes an optical ferrule configured to receive an input light ray through an input location on a major input surface of the optical ferrule along a first direction for coupling to an optical waveguide secured to the optical ferrule, the optical ferrule including a reference location, such that a change in a temperature of the optical assembly causes the input light ray and the input location, but not the reference location, to move respective distances d1 and d2 along a same direction along a same axis, wherein a magnitude of d1-d2 is δ, and a maximum of magnitudes of d1 and d2 is greater than 10 times δ.

Optical connector using thermal expansion to maintain alignment

An optical ferrule has a different thermal expansion coefficient than a substrate to which a optical device is mounted, the ferrule optically coupling the device to one or more optical fibers. The optical ferrule includes and/or a cradle in which the ferrule is mounted include lateral and longitudinal engagement feature that ensure alignment with the optical device at an operating temperature, the ferrule expanding relative to the substrate when transitioning to the operating temperature.

Apparatus and method for maintaining optical ferrule alignment during thermal expansion or contraction

An optical ferrule includes an optical coupling member with a light redirecting element that redirects input light from a waveguide toward an output window. The optical coupling member has a mating surface configured to slidably mate with a mating optical coupling member along a longitudinal axis of the optical ferrule. The optical ferrule also includes at least one stacking member along a longitudinal edge of the optical coupling member. The stacking member has a distal end extending beyond one of the mating surface and a top surface opposed to the mating surface. The stacking member also has a contact surface opposed to the distal end. The contact surface is configured to rotatably interface with a corresponding distal end of a of an adjacently stacked optical ferrule.

Stackable optical ferrule and connector using same

A fiber optic ribbon is disclosed and includes a plurality of optical fibers extending along a first axis and arranged along an orthogonal second axis at a pitch P. Each optical fiber includes a core surrounded by a cladding surrounded by a buffer, the buffer has a nominal diameter D0 substantially equal to P. The buffer is stripped between a buffer-end location on the fiber and a free end of the fiber to form a stripped section. The buffer is distorted at the buffer-end location, such that at the buffer-end location, a width W of the buffer in the second axis is less than D0.

Optical connector and methods of modifying optical connector

Each optical cable includes an array of at least one optical waveguide and at least one optical ferrule attached to the array of optical waveguides. The housing includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion engaged with the first housing portion. The second housing portion comprises at least one carrier and one frame. The carrier and frame of the second housing portion are configured to support the one or more optical cables. The first housing portion and the second housing portion are configured such that mechanical engagement of the first housing portion with the second housing portion moves the carrier relative to the frame. Movement of the carrier relative to the frame causes a bend in each optical waveguide and rotation of each ferrule. The bend provides a predetermined spring force of the optical waveguides at a predetermined angle of the ferrule.

Configurable optical connector

An optical ferrule comprises first and second compound stop features respectively disposed at opposing sides of the optical ferrule. Each compound stop feature has upper and lower contact surfaces. The lower contact surface is offset below the mating surface of the optical ferrule along a thickness axis perpendicular to the mating surface. The upper contact surface is offset above the mating surface along the thickness axis. The lower contact surface is offset forward from the upper stop surface along a mating direction of the optical ferrule. A connecting surface connects the upper contact surface and the lower contact surface.

Optical ferrule having compound stops

Ferrules, alignment frames and connectors having at least one flexing element are provided. A ferrule or an alignment frame may include a body and first and second flexible arms, and a connector may include the ferrule or the alignment frame. A ferrule may have a first flexible arm that has a first fixed end attached to a first side of the body of the ferrule and an opposite first free end, and may have a second flexible arm having a second fixed end attached to a second side of the body, opposite the first side, and an opposite second free end. When the ferrule is mated with a mating ferrule, the first and second flexible arms are flexed away from the respective first and second sides of the body, and the first and second free ends contact the mating ferrule.

Ferrules, alignment frames and connectors

A light coupling unit includes a first major surface comprising one or more substantially parallel first grooves oriented along a first direction for receiving one or more optical waveguides. A second major surface for slidably contacting a mating light coupling unit comprises an optically transmitting window for propagating an optical signal therethrough, and a region of second grooves and lands configured to capture particulate contaminants in the second grooves.

Dust mitigating optical connector

An optical ferrule assembly includes a hybrid optical ferrule having a glass portion assembled to a polymeric portion. The polymeric portion includes a groove for receiving and supporting an optical fiber having opposing open front and back ends. A light redirecting member includes an input surface for receiving light from the optical fiber and a light redirecting side. The open back end of the groove and the input surface define a recessed region therebetween. The glass portion includes an optically transparent glass insert disposed in the recessed region conforming in shape to an internal shape of the recessed region. An optical fiber is received and supported in the groove. The optical fiber includes a fiber end laser welded to the glass insert so that a central light ray from the optical fiber propagates through the glass insert before being received and redirected by the light redirecting side.

Optical ferrule assemblies

A light coupling element including a groove and a light redirecting member is described. The groove is for receiving and aligning an optical waveguide and incudes an open front end and a back end. The light redirecting member includes an input side for receiving light from an optical waveguide received and supported in the groove and a light redirecting side for changing a direction of light received from the input side. The groove may include a bottom surface extending between the front and back ends of the groove and including a raised bottom surface portion raised upwardly relative to an unraised bottom surface portion. The unraised bottom surface portion of the bottom surface may be disposed between the raised bottom surface portion of the bottom surface and the input side of the light redirecting member. Optical coupling assemblies including the light coupling element and an optical waveguide are described.

Light coupling element and assembly

A coupling unit includes a light coupling element comprising an attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to a plurality of optical waveguides. One or more grooves are provided at the attachment area. Each groove is configured to receive an optical waveguide and defined by a bottom surface, a first region, a second region, and an opening. The first region is defined between the bottom surface and the second region. The first region in cross section has substantially parallel sidewalls separated by a spacing. The second region is disposed between the first region and the opening. A width of the opening is greater than the spacing.

Optical waveguide positioning feature in a multiple waveguides connector

An optical ferrule includes at least one light affecting element configured to affect one or more characteristics of light from an optical waveguide as the light propagates in the optical ferrule, the light affecting element having an input surface. At least one receiving element receives and secures the optical waveguide to the ferrule so that an output surface of the waveguide is optically coupled to the input surface of the light affecting element. A waveguide stop limits movement of the waveguide toward the input surface of the light affecting element when the optical waveguide is installed in the receiving element. A space between the output surface of the optical waveguide and the input surface of the light affecting element is inaccessible to the optical waveguide when the optical waveguide is installed in the receiving element.

Optical ferrules with waveguide inaccessible space

An optical cable subassembly includes one or more optical waveguides, at least light coupling unit comprising a first attachment area permanently attached to the optical waveguides, and at least one cable retainer comprising a second attachment area permanently attached to the optical waveguides and adapted to be installed in a housing. A length of the optical waveguides between the first attachment area and the second attachment area allows a bend in the optical waveguides that provides a predetermined mating spring force at a predetermined angle of the light coupling unit when installed in the housing.

Optical assembly with cable retainer

A unitary optical ferrule is molded to include one or more elements for receiving and securing one or more optical waveguides one or more elements for affecting one or more characteristics of light from the optical waveguide while propagating the light within the ferrule. The optical ferrule also includes one or more first alignment features and one or more second alignment features that, when the ferrule is mated with a mating ferrule, each controls alignment of the ferrule with the mating ferrule along three mechanical degrees of freedom. The surface of the optical ferrule can be divided along the thickness axis into a first section and an opposing second section, wherein the first section of the surface includes the receiving and securing elements, the light affecting elements, and the first alignment features and the second section of the surface includes the second alignment features.

Optical ferrules and optical ferrule molds

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Michael Albert Haase