Apparatus and method for aligning optical transports in a ferrule

摘要

A method and apparatus for aligning optical transports in a ferrule. The transports are aliened in the ferrule by mounting the ferrule on a jig having grooves into which the ends of the optical transports are inserted for transversely aligning the fibers in the ferrule. A row of transports is placed in the ferrule cavity with the front ends of the transports extending past the ferrule and into the grooves of the jig, thereby laterally aligning the transports with the grooves. The fibers are affixed to the ferrule. The ferrule can then be removed from the jig and the front ends of the transports that extended into the grooves of the jig cleaved flush with the front face of the ferrule.

主权项

1. A combination for assembling a plurality of optical transports in a ferrule comprising:
a ferrule having a cavity therethrough in a longitudinal dimension for receiving a row of optical transports, at least a portion of the optical transports disposed on a substantially planar layer of cladding, and a lateral alignment feature; and at least one jig having a lateral alignment feature adapted to mate to the lateral alignment feature of the ferrule to laterally align the jig and the ferrule, the jig including a surface having a plurality of grooves therein, wherein the surface and grooves are positioned relative to the alignment feature of the jig and the alignment feature of the jig is positioned relative to the alignment feature of the ferrule such that, when the jig is mounted on the ferrule via the mating alignment features, the grooves of the jig are laterally aligned relative to the ferrule such that transports passing longitudinally though the cavity of the ferrule and longitudinally into the jig and received in the grooves in the jig will be positioned within the cavity of the ferrule in a desired lateral alignment; wherein the grooves define an uninterrupted longitudinal path having a lateral profile comprising at least a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a minimum width in a first lateral dimension substantially parallel to the surface, the second portion in communication with the surface through the first portion, and wherein the second portion of the grooves is wider in the first lateral dimension than the minimum width; wherein the grooves are dimensioned relative to the optical transports such that, when the optical transports are positioned in the grooves with the layer of cladding in contact with the surface, the optical transports extend through the first portion of the groove and into, but not beyond the second portion of the groove; wherein the grooves are sized and shaped relative to the optical transports so that the optical transports passing longitudinally through the grooves are aligned in a second lateral dimension orthogonal to the first lateral dimension by virtue of the layer of cladding contacting the surface with the optical transports in the grooves, and the optical transports are aligned in the first lateral dimension by virtue of the optical transports fitting through the minimum width of the first portions of the grooves; wherein the minimum width is defined between a first point and a second point in the groove and wherein the jig comprises a first jig body and a second jig body, each of the first and second jig bodies defining a portion of the lateral profile and wherein the first point is on the first jig body and the second point is on the second jig body; wherein the first jig body comprises a plurality of first longitudinal channels and the second jig body comprises a plurality of second longitudinal channels and wherein the first and second jig bodies are aligned laterally with each other so that the first and second channels are laterally offset from each other so that the first channels and the second channels partially overlap in the longitudinal direction, the overlaps defining the lateral profile of the grooves.