Bushing for securing the position of the protective jacket of a jacketed fiber

Abstract

An improved bushing for securing the position of the protective jacket of a jacketed optical fiber with respect to an optical component is provided. The improved bushing includes an elastomeric structure having a first end, a second end, and a jacketed fiber receiving surface. First and second flanges for engaging corresponding cavities within the optical component are attached to opposite sides of the elastomeric structure. The elastomeric structure further defines a cylindrical internal pathway for receiving a jacketed optical fiber, which includes the protective jacket(s) to be secured. The internal pathway runs approximately along the longitudinal centerline of the elastomeric structure from the first end to the second end and has a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the jacketed optical fiber. The elastomeric structure also defines a channel from the internal pathway to the jacketed fiber receiving surface and which extends along the entire length of the internal pathway. Further, the elastomeric structure has an expanded state, an undeformed state, and a compressed state, and when the elastomeric structure is in its expanded state, the channel's width is approximately the diameter of the internal pathway; when the elastomeric structure is in its undeformed state, the channel's width is less than the diameter of the internal pathway; and when the elastomeric structure is in its compressed state, the channel's width is less than it is when the elastomeric structure is in its undeformed state. A notch may also be defined in the jacketed fiber receiving surface.