Patent ID: 6024499
Filing Date: 2000-02-15
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An optical fiber connector comprising:a columnar ferrule having a through-hole for retaining an optical fiber, said ferrule having a ferrule axis;said ferrule including a connection guide portion at an end thereof, said connection guide portion having a tapered portion forming a part of an imaginary conical face of an imaginary cone;wherein a convex spherical surface is formed at an end of said tapered portion;wherein a reference abutment point is defined as a point located on said convex spherical surface, the reference abutment point being located on the ferrule axis;wherein a reference normal line of said convex spherical surface is defined as a straight line passing through the reference abutment point and intersecting the ferrule axis at a predetermined angle;wherein a reference vertical cross-sectional plane is defined as a plane including the reference normal line and the ferrule axis;wherein a cone central axis of the imaginary cone is placed in said reference vertical cross-sectional plane;wherein a reference abutment line is defined as a line within the reference vertical cross-sectional plane, the reference abutment line being tangent to said convex spherical surface at the reference abutment point, the reference abutment line being perpendicular to the reference normal line, the reference abutment line having a reference abutment segment being a segment of the reference abutment line bordered by the imaginary conical face of the imaginary cone, the reference abutment segment having a central point located on the reference abutment point; andwherein a reference connection line is defined as a straight line within the reference vertical cross-sectional plane, the reference connection line connecting a cone apex of the imaginary cone and the central point, a reference connection angle being formed between the reference connection line and the ferrule axis, the reference connection angle being smaller than said predetermined angle.