Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Paul H Binek

Bryon J Cronk

Robert Travis Smith

Thomas M Cherney

John M Magnusson

A connector for use with a cable containing a plurality of optical fibers supported in a flexible matrix and disposed parallel to each other, such as in a flat ribbon configuration. The connector includes a substantially flat housing member having a rear opening corresponding in size and shape to a cable to be received. The opening has associated therewith means for anchoring the cable. Passageways through the housing are provided for the individual fibers to be received and anchored within fiber retaining members such that the fiber ends are accessible at the front of the housing to be coupled to fibers within a mated connector. The fiber retaining members are in turn adapted to be received into an abutting relationship within an alignment means which maintains the mated fibers in axial alignment when the connectors are mated. The housing also has associated therewith a latching means on both sides of the flat housing adapted to corresponding members of the mated connector to align the respective members and to maintain the abutting relationship when the respective connectors are mated.

Connector for optical fiber cables

A system for optically linking processing equipment including a flat ribbon cable containing a plurality of optical fibers supported in a flexible matrix, a connector for optically terminating fibers of the cable including a member having means for receiving and for anchoring the cable to enable the fibers to be coupled to fibers within a mated connector, and a terminal connector adapted for mating with the first connector and for providing an electrical interface with electronic data processing equipment. Both connectors include means for retaining fibers within their respective housings to enable coupling the fibers when the connectors are mated together. The terminal connector further includes an electronic circuit having a transmitter section and a receiver section, wherein the transmitter section includes at least one light source for converting an electrical input logic signal to a corresponding optical signal and wherein the receiver section includes at least one photodetector for converting an optical logic signal received through the mated connector into a corresponding electrical output signal.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Paul H Binek