Adapter for cleaning an optical junction and reducing optical back reflection

摘要

An adapter includes a housing with opposed openings for receiving a first connector that is mechanically and optically mateable with a second connector to form one or more optical signal communication links. The housing is arranged with a slot for receiving a flexible material having an index of refraction that approximates the index of refraction of aligned pairs of optical fibers. The flexible material is appropriately sized to cover the fibers from each of the connectors. The optical fiber ends of a respective connector can be cleaned by inserting the connector in the adapter and advancing the flexible material. Once the optical fiber ends of both connectors have been cleaned and the flexible material further advanced, the connectors can be reinserted in the adapter to establish an optical signal link between the optical fibers.

主权项

1. An adapter, comprising:
a housing having a first connector mating portion and a second connector mating portion, the housing having a first opening in a first end of the first connector mating portion, the first opening arranged to receive a first optical connector, a second opening in a first end of the second connector mating portion, the second opening opposed to the first opening and arranged to receive a second optical connector, the housing forming a third opening and a fourth opening arranged on opposed walls of the housing between the first connector mating portion and the second connector mating portion; a holder coupled along a first exterior surface of the housing, the holder arranged to provide a supply of a flexible material through the third opening, the flexible material having an index of refraction that approximates a respective index of refraction of the optical medium in the first and second optical connectors; and a structure coupled along a second exterior surface of the housing, the second exterior surface opposed to the first exterior surface of the housing, the structure arranged to support an end portion of the flexible material that exits the housing from the fourth opening, wherein a surface of one of the first optical connector or the second optical connector is cleaned by contacting and advancing the supply of flexible material across the surface, wherein upon completion of such movement an optical junction is formed.