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:
May. 21, 2002
Filed:
May. 17, 2000
Michael Alan Meis, Stillwater, MN (US);
Scott Anthony Igl, St. Paul, MN (US);
Nicholas Anthony Lee, Woodbury, MN (US);
3M Innovative Properties Company, Saint Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
A connector assembly for optically coupling a first optical waveguide array mounted to a first substrate to an optical device on an intersecting second substrate. The first waveguide array includes a plurality of parallel optical waveguides having a minimum desired bend radius. The first and the second substrate define a first and a second plane respectively and the longitudinal direction of the first waveguide array defines a first axis. The intersection of the two planes defines an intersection axis that is generally perpendicular to the first axis. The first waveguide array has a substrate portion mounted to the first substrate, a midspan portion, and an end portion. The connector assembly includes a first connector adapted to be detachably connected to the second substrate and aligned along a second axis generally perpendicular to the intersection axis. The first connector has a first retaining mechanism that receives and retains the end portion of the first optical waveguide array, where the end portion is suspended over the first plane at a distance along the second axis that is at least equal to the minimum desired bend radius. The midspan portion of the second optical waveguide array describes a suspended bend curve between the first and the second plane, the suspended bend curve having a bend radius that is equal to or greater than the desired minimum bend radius.