PRECISION ALIGNMENT OF OPTICAL FIBER ENDS ALONG RESPECTIVE OPTICAL PATHWAYS IN A MULTI-OPTICAL FIBER CONNECTOR MODULE, AND METHODS

摘要

An MF connector module is provided that positions the fiber end portions relative to respective V-grooves of the module in such a way that the fiber end portions can be bent, and thereby loaded, by a predetermined amount when the fiber end portions are being installed in the respective V-grooves. The bending of the fiber end portions ensures that the optical axes of at least the tips of the fiber end portions are parallel to the optical axes of the respective V-grooves. The loading of the fiber end portions caused by the bending ensures that significant lengths of the fiber end portions are tangent to and in contact with the inner walls of the respective V-grooves. This tangential contact between the fiber end portions and the inner walls of the V-grooves causes the fiber end faces to be precisely aligned with the respective optical axes of the MF connector module.

主权项

1. A multi-optical fiber (MF) connector module comprising:
a module body comprising:
a top side, a bottom side, a front end, a back end, a left side, and a right side;a chamber formed in the top side of the module body, the chamber having at least a front wall, a bottom, a first side wall, and a second side wall;a ridge, or corner, opposite the front wall of the chamber and extending in a direction that is generally parallel to the front wall of the chamber;an optics system disposed in or on the front wall of the chamber; anda plurality of V-grooves formed in the bottom of the chamber, each V-groove having a front end and a back end that is opposite the front end, the front end of each V-groove being proximate the optics system, the V-grooves having respective optical axes that are parallel to one another and generally perpendicular to the front wall of the chamber, wherein the ridge is a greater distance from the bottom side of the module body than the grooves are from the bottom side of the module body, and wherein when a plurality of end portions of optical fibers are laid in the chamber, rear locations on the fiber end portions are in contact with the ridge and end faces of the optical fibers are proximate respective V-grooves of the plurality of V-grooves.