Patent ID: 6799900
Filing Date: 2004-10-05
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A ferrule for a fiber ribbon having optical fibers, said ferrule comprising:a block-shaped body having a front end face and a rear end face; a plurality of through holes formed in said body, said through holes allowing the optical fibers to be inserted therein, individually; a hole array opening in the front end face of said body, said hole array being formed of a plurality of lines of said through holes arranged in a plurality of tiers, and having columns and rows of said through holes; a cavity formed in said body, said cavity extending from the rear end face of said body into said body, causing said through holes to open thereto as inlets, and accommodating one end portion of the fiber ribbon having the optical fibers to be inserted individually into said through holes; an insertion opening formed in the rear end face of said body, said insertion opening allowing said cavity to open in the rear end face of said body and receiving the optical fibers to be inserted individually into said through holes; a tiered bottom forming a bottom of said cavity, said tiered bottom having a plurality of projections each formed with corresponding inlets of said through holes and guide grooves by which the optical fibers are guided toward the corresponding inlets of said through holes, respective positions of said projections of said tiered bottom being differentiated in stages between adjacent columns of said hole array so that said tiered bottom has a staircase-shape symmetrical with respect to a center as viewed in a direction of said rows of said hole array; and an opening formed in one of outer surfaces of said body, parallel to rows of said hole array, said opening allowing said tiered bottom to be exposed through the one outer surface.