Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Sumiden Opcom, Ltd.

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Nippon Telegraph Telephone Corporation

Yasuo Asano

Toshiaki Kakii

Shuzo Suzuki

Keiji Osaka

Takeo Komiya

Kazuhiko Arimoto

Tooru Yanagi

Hidetoshi Takasugi

Tomomi Sano

Kazuhito Saito

Toru Yanagi

Koji Kashihara

Naoshi Hakamata

Mitsuaki Osanai

Disclosed is an optical connector connecting apparatus. In the apparatus, a plurality of fixed optical connectors are mounted on a fixed member in a lined-up manner. An optical connector containing member having a movable optical connector mounted thereon is supported on a support member through a small-diameter beam. A moving plate mounted on a base supports the support member, and the movable optical connector is moved in X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions so as to be connected to the fixed optical connector. Therefore, a position deviation at the time of the connection is corrected by the flexing of the small-diameter beam so that fine-positioning is unnecessary.

Optical connector apparatus

Optical connector connecting apparatus and optical connector connecting

An arrangement for effectively fusing together two optical fibers. Many fibers currently have a carbon-based coating applied to the bare fiber, with the coating being surrounded by a plastic jacket. It has been difficult to fuse the two fibers together due to the coating. The present invention provides an effective method for removing the coating using a rapid and high temperature electric discharge. The removal of the coating allows a better connection of the two fibers with the connection having a low transmission loss.

Apparatus and method for joining coated optical fibers by fusion

An optical connector and splicer including an optical fiber positioning member for optical coupling of optical fibers where the coupling is assisted by at least two guide pins. The optical fiber positioning member comprises a substrate plate and a flat plate. The substrate plate has optical fiber grooves and guide pin grooved each formed at one surface thereof for positioning the one optical fibers and said guide pins, respectively. The flat plate has a flat surface confronting with the grooves surface of the substrate plate. An exposed area is formed on a part of the substrate plate where said flat plate is not joined for facilitating an insertion of the optical fibers into the optical fiber grooves. A method of the optical connector and splicer comprises the steps of: preparing a substrate plate assembly form a single wafer made of a hard and brittle material; continuously forming a predetermined pattern of optical fiber grooves and guide pin grooves on a surface of said substrate plate assembly; bonding at least one flat plate to said surface of said substrate plate assembly with an adhesive thin layer, so that optical fiber groove holes and guide pin groove holes are provided; cutting a bonded assembly into sections each having predetermined dimensions of said positioning member; and fixing the optical fibers in said optical fiber groove holes by bonding with an adhesive.

Method of making an optical connector and splicer

An optical connector ferrule for use in an optical coupling of optical fibers includes an insertion member, the insertion member comprising a guide capillary for positioning said optical fibers, which comprises a flat plate and a guide substrate having optical fiber guide grooves in one surface thereof, said flat plate being bounded to said guide substrate to form optical fiber guide holes into which said optical fibers are inserted; a reinforcing pipe for surrounding said guid capillary; and a resin-molded area provided between said guide capillary and said reinforcing pipe for insert-molding said guide capillary within said reinforcing pipe.

Optical connector ferrule

An optical connector and splicer including an optical fiber positioning member for optical coupling of optical fibers where the coupling is assisted by at least two guide pins. The optical fiber positioning member comprises a substrate plate and a flat plate. The substrate plate has optical fiber grooves and guide pin grooves each formed at one surface thereof for positioning the one optical fibers and said guide pins, respectively. The flat plate has a flat surface confronting with the grooved surface of the substrate plate. An exposed area is formed on a part of the substrate plate where said flat plate is not joined for facilitating an insertion of the optical fibers into the optical fiber grooves. A method of the optical connector and splicer comprises the steps of: preparing a substrate plate assembly form a single wafer made of a hard and brittle material; continuously forming a predetermined pattern of optical fiber grooves and guide pin grooves on a surface of said substrate plate assembly; bonding at least one flat plate to said surface of said substrate plate assembly with an adhesive thin layer, so that optical fiber groove holes and guide pin groove holes are provided; cutting a bonded assembly into sections each having predetermined dimensions of said positioning member; and fixing the optical fibers in said optical fiber groove holes by bonding with an adhesive.

Optical connector and splicer

An method and apparatus for arranging a plurality of coated optical fibers in a plane and a simultaneous collective fusion splicing method using the apparatus, comprising the steps of: arranging first and second sets of the coated optical fibers in a plane; clamping, in each of the sets, end portions of the coated optical fibers by a clamping device; collectively removing, in both the first and second sets, coatings from the end portions of the coated optical fibers so as to obtain exposed fiber end portions; collectively cutting, simultaneously, in each of the sets, the exposed fiber end portions so as to obtain cut end faces; collectively fusion splicing simultaneously, the two sets of the cut end faces so as to produce joints of the first and second sets of fibers, and collectively reinforcing the joints.

Apparatus for arranging a plurality of coated optical fibers and

A method for splicing coated optical fibers. The outer coating layer of two coated optical fiber ends to be joined is removed from respective end portions thereof. The inner optical fibers so exposed are then coated with a layer of UV-curable resin. After the resin layer has been hardened by irradiating it with ultraviolet radiation, the coated portion may be securely clamped without fear of damaging the optical fibers. The clamped end portions may then be moved toward one another in order that they may be fused together.

Method for splicing optical fibers

Disclosed herein is an independent optical ferrule, an optical connector employing the independent ferrule, and replaceable plug unit employing the independent ferrule. Also disclosed is a method of using the replaceable plug unit employing the independent ferrule. The independent ferrule includes a stem portion having both ends each confronting ones of optical elements such as an end ferrule. The independent ferrule further includes at least one optical fiber held in a fixed position in the stem and having the both ends flush with the end faces of the stem. The independent ferrule also includes a collar adapted to serve as positioning member upon assembly of said independent ferrule into the optical connector or the replaceable plug unit.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Yasuo Asano