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:
Jan. 23, 2007
Filed:
Sep. 10, 2004
Roger W. Schmitz, Hutchinson, MN (US);
Roger W. Schmitz, Hutchinson, MN (US);
Hutchinson Technology Incorporated, Hutchinson, MN (US);
Abstract
An optical connector comprises a first block having a channel for accommodating a first set of optical cables and a second block having a channel for accommodating a second set of optical cables. Each block has three protrusions, each adapted to be engaged to a respective one of the three protrusions from the other block in an end-to-end fashion and having a channel for accommodating one of the optical cables. The connector further comprises a spring biasing the two blocks to maintain the end-to-end engagement a longitudinal direction between the protrusions three spacers. The connector also includes limiter disk having three slots arranged in a Y-pattern, each slot width-wise closely fitting an opposing pair of the protrusions. The limiter disk thus constrains the relative shifting or rotation between the two blocks in any direction transverse to the longitudinal direction. The connector further includes a fastener attached to the two blocks for securing the two blocks together. A kinematic support is thus provided for stable optical connection across an optical connector.