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:
Jun. 11, 2002
Filed:
Feb. 29, 2000
Gary J. Grimes, Birmingham, AL (US);
Norman Roger Lampert, Norcross, GA (US);
Charles J. Sherman, Westminster, CO (US);
Lucent Technologies Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
An interconnection system is shown that enables an optical circuit board , having a number of optical devices , to be easily connected to and disconnected from a backplane . The optical devices are positioned along a side edge of a printed wiring board and are adapted to interconnect with a like number of optical connectors that are arrayed on the backplane in a row or column. Each optical plug is held in a holder , which is retained in backplane by a clip . Each of the optical connectors is a plug that includes a ferrule , which encloses an optical fiber and projects from one end of the plug. Each of the edge-mounted optical devices includes a jack receptacle at its front end and has a cavity that is shaped to receive the optical plug. All of the jack receptacles are similarly shaped. Each cavity further includes a boss for receiving the ferrule. The plugs and jack receptacles are arranged to engage, but not interlock with, each other. The optical devices include two or more downward-extending pins that are received in corresponding holes in the printed wiring board for accurate positioning. Illustratively, optical device includes a jack receptacle in its front-end portion and its back-end portion ; whereas optical device includes a jack receptacle in its front-end portion and one or more transducers , for converting between electrical and optical signals, in its back-end portion