Termination means for fiber optic bundle

摘要

A means for terminating a bundle of glass optical fibers comprising a single plastic element and a single metal ferrule. The plastic element has four main, generally concentric, sections beginning with a nut on one end, an externally threaded portion adjacent the nut, a cylindrically-shaped portion adjacent the threaded portion but with a smaller diameter and employed to align the plastic element in a coaxial coupling means, and a small tubular portion adjacent the cylindrical portion and concentric therewith. The metal ferrule fits around the small tubular portion. An aperture having portions of decreasing diameters extends concentrically through the plastic element with the largest diameter portion being at the nut end and the smallest diameter portion being within the small tubular portion. The bundle of glass fibers with the sheath thereon extends into a first portion of the aperture, and an unsheathed portion of the bundle of glass fibers extends through a second portion of the aperture and then into the tubular portion of the plastic element which is the smallest diameter portion of the aperture. The metal ferrule is crimped over the plastic tubular element which in turn is crimped around the glass fibers to retain them in the plastic element. The end of the tubular element and the retained fibers are ground off to a predetermined distance from a reference point in the termination means so that said fibers can properly abut against a similarly terminated bundle of fibers or some other type of mating optical device.