IP Library Granted Patent US 10,598,866
Granted Patent B2
US 10,598,866 · App. 14/944,660 · Granted Mar 24, 2020

Low reflection fiber-optic connector

Inventors: Juncheng Xu (Santa Clara, CA); Terry M. Stapleton (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignee: LumaSense Technologies Holdings, Inc.
G02B6/3818G02B6/382G02B6/3817G02B6/3861G02B6/3863G02B6/4207
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,598,866
App. No.
14/944,660
Granted
Mar 24, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A low-reflection fiber-optic connector. The fiber-optic connector includes a ferrule that includes a fiber passage and an optical fiber traversing the fiber passage. The optical fiber includes a polished fiber end that is substantially flush with a ferrule end face. The ferrule end face, in an area surrounding the polished fiber end, is modified to reduce an optical reflectivity.

Claims (18)

1. A fiber-optic connector that reduces reflections of incident light, the fiber-optic connector comprising:

a ferrule including a bore hole that forms a fiber passage through the ferrule to a ferrule end face;

an optical fiber including:

a polished fiber end that is flush with a surface defined by the ferrule end face; and

a core and a cladding that traverse the fiber passage and that are exposed at the flush surface;

an adhesive disposed within the fiber passage that fixes the optical fiber by directly binding an outer surface of the cladding to the fiber passage; and

a coating, disposed on only on a limited area of the ferrule end face, that includes a window, wherein the coating surrounds and is adjacent to the bore hole and the polished fiber end and has lower optical reflectivity than the ferrule end face, such that the core and the cladding of the polished fiber end are uncovered and unmodified, wherein

when an area of the ferrule end face larger than the bore hole is illuminated by the incident light, the coating reduces a reflected signal from the ferrule end face.

2. The fiber-optic connector of claim 1 , wherein

the coating is a photosensitive dye, and

the window is generated by exposing the photosensitive dye in the region of the polished fiber end to light, injected from a second fiber end of the optical fiber.

3. The fiber-optic connector of claim 2 , wherein

the photosensitive dye is a positive photoresist, and

the window is generated by dissolving the exposed photosensitive dye with a photo developer agent.

4. The fiber-optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the coating includes a pigment that reduces the optical reflectivity of the coating.

5. The fiber-optic connector of claim 1 , wherein

the ferrule is electrically conductive, and

the coating is an electroplated metal.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2017
From: LUMASENSE TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS, INC.
To: COMERICA BANK
Reel/Frame 043682/0236 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 23, 2016
From: XU, JUNCHENG; STAPLETON, TERRY M.
To: LUMASENSE TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 039845/0515 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170139149A1 · May 18, 2017