Fiber optic hermetic connector

摘要

A fiber optic transmission line is passed uninterrupted through a hermetically sealed dielectric pressure barrier. This is accomplished by fusing glass or casting a resin about hollow upstanding sleeves within the bore of a connector housing. The glass forms a strong hermetically sealed barrier caused by strong compressive forces resulting from the different coefficients of thermal expansion between the metal bore walls and glass matrix. A fiber optic core is passed through a hollow sleeve and sealed to an aperture in a contact pin which is hermetically sealed to the end of the sleeve. The end of the pin is polished to provide an abutment joint with a corresponding contact surface on an associated connector. In the case of a resin matrix, the resin may be cast about the sleeves within the housing bore. During hardening, the resin will bond to the sleeves and walls of the bore to form a strong hermetically sealed pressure barrier.