The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 20, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 28, 1998
Bryan Thomas Edwards, Camp Hill, PA (US);
Robert Leon Mansberger, II, Middletown, PA (US);
The Whitaker Corporation, Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
An overmolded alignment ferrule for a fiber optic device used to couple a plurality of optical fibers contained therein to an other fiber optic device. The overmolded alignment ferrule comprises a precision portion for aligning the optical fibers with the other fiber optic device, and an overmolded body portion extending rearward from the precision portion for incorporating the alignment ferrule into the fiber optic device. The precision portion may define a plurality of first guide pin channels for receiving guide pins and a plurality of first fiber channels for receiving the optical fibers. The overmolded body portion may define a plurality of second guide pin channels in communication with the first guide pin channels and at least two second fiber channels. Each second fiber channel is in communication with a respective one of the first fiber channels. In producing the precision portion, the first guide pin channels are desirably used as datum in defining with precision the first fiber channels.