Patent Publication Number: US-2012027353-A1

Title: Optical fiber connector and method for making same

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an optical fiber connector, and a method for making the optical fiber connector. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Optical fiber connectors are widely used in optical fiber communications. The optical fiber connectors connect optical fibers, or connect optical fibers with other devices. 
     A typical optical fiber connector includes an optical fiber coupling portion and an optical element portion integrally formed with the optical fiber coupling portion. The optical fiber coupling portion has blind optical fiber holes for receiving optical fibers. However, with the above configuration, it is difficult to control coarseness of the bottom of the blind optical fiber holes which may cause light loss in the optical fiber communication. 
     In addition, as the optical element portion is integrally formed with the optical fiber coupling portion, the optical element portion and the optical fiber coupling portion are usually made from the same material which is difficult to meet the respective requirements of the optical element portion and the optical fiber coupling portion. For example, the optical element portion usually requires a high strength and a high light transmittability, and materials with these characteristics usually have low flowability which cannot meet requirements of the optical fiber coupling portion. 
     What is needed, therefore, is an optical fiber connector and a method for making same, which can overcome the above shortcomings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present optical fiber connector and method can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present optical fiber connector and method. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an optical fiber connector in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the optical fiber connector of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cutaway view of the optical fiber connector of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present optical fiber connector and method will now be described in detail below and with reference to the drawings. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , an optical fiber connector  10  includes an optical fiber coupling portion  20  and an optical element portion  30  coupled to the optical fiber coupling portion  20 . 
     The optical fiber coupling portion  20  includes a first engaging surface  22  and at least one optical fiber hole  24 . In the present embodiment, the optical fiber coupling portion  20  has a front surface  21 , and a recess  23  formed in a central area of the front surface  21 . The first engaging surface  22  is the bottom surface of the recess  23 , and the first engaging surface  22  is parallel with the front surface  21 . The optical fiber coupling portion  20  includes four optical fiber holes  24 , and each of the optical fiber holes  24  is configured for receiving an optical fiber (not shown). Each of the optical fiber holes  24  is a through hole in the optical fiber coupling portion  20 , and each of the optical fiber holes  24  has an entrance  241  located at a back surface of the optical fiber coupling portion  20 , and an exit  242  located at the first engaging surface  22 . 
     The optical element portion  30  includes a second engaging surface  32  and an outer surface  33  opposite to the second engaging surface  32 . The outer surface  33  has a number of optical lens portions  34  formed thereon. The optical lens portions  34  each have a curved surface at the outer surface  33 . In the present embodiment, the number of the optical lens portions  34  is the same with the number of the optical fiber holes  24 . The entire optical element portion  30  is integrally formed. The entire optical element portion  30  can be made from a light-pervious material, or at least the optical lens portions  34  and the portions aligned with the optical lens portions  34  are made from the light-pervious material. 
     The optical element portion  30  is attached to the optical fiber coupling portion  20 , with the optical element portion  30  being inserted in the recess  23 , and the second engaging surface  32  being engaged with the first engaging surface  22 . The outer surface  33  is flush with the front surface  21 . In the present embodiment, both of the second engaging surface  32  and the first engaging surface  22  are flat surfaces. The second engaging surface  32  seals the exits  242  of the optical fiber holes  24  to make the optical fiber holes  24  blind. A central axis of each of the optical fiber hole  24  is aligned with an optical axis of one of the optical lens portions  34 . The optical lens portions  34  each can receive a light from or guide a light to one of the optical fibers received in the optical fiber holes  24 , and change light path as needed. In the present embodiment, the optical lens portions  34  are convex lenses. In other embodiments, the optical lens portions  34  can be concave lenses to reduce or avoid dust or other things falling thereon. 
     Relative to a conventional optical fiber connector, which is integrally formed, the combination of the optical fiber coupling portion  20  and the optical element portion  30  can avoid to make blind optical fiber holes. In addition, as the first engaging surface  22  and the second engaging surface  32  are end surfaces of the optical fiber coupling portion  20  and the optical element portion  30 , therefore, the coarseness of the first engaging surface  22  and the second engaging surface  32  are easily to control and to be in time detected. 
     The front surface  21  of the optical fiber coupling portion  20  has two guide members  25  formed on opposite sides of the recess  23 , and the guide members  25  guide the optical fiber connector  10  to couple to the other device (not shown). In the present embodiment, the guide members  25  are posts, and the other device to be coupled to the optical fiber connector  10  can have recesses formed therein. In other embodiments, the guide members  25  can be recesses, and the other device to be coupled to can have posts formed therein. 
     The optical fiber coupling portion  20  and the optical element portion  30  are separately made. A method for making the optical fiber connector  10  may include steps as follows. 
     First, a first mold for molding the optical fiber coupling portion  20  is provided, and a first molding material is fed into the first mold to form the optical fiber coupling portion  20 . As the optical fiber coupling portion  20  has a larger size, the first molding material may be polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or polycarbonate (PC) for example, which has a high flowability to avoid a short shot and a blow hole during molding the optical fiber coupling portion  20 . 
     Second, a second mold for molding the optical element portion  30  is provided, and a second molding material is fed into the second mold to form the optical element portion  30 . The optical element portion  30  requires a high light transmittability, such that the second molding material may be a ULTEM resin for example, which has a high strength and a high light transmittability for a light with a specified wavelength. 
     As the optical fiber coupling portion  20  and the optical element portion  30  are separately made, the optical fiber coupling portion  20  and the optical element portion  30  can be made from different materials detailed above. Relative to the second material, a melting point of the first material can be lower than that of the second material, and a flowability of the first material is higher than that of the second material. 
     In addition, the optical fiber coupling portion  20  and the optical element portion  30  can be made by different molding methods, for example, both the optical fiber coupling portion  20  and the optical element portion  30  can be made by injection molding, alternatively, the optical fiber coupling portion  20  is made by injection molding, and the optical element portion  20  can be made by press-molding. 
     It is understood that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate rather than limit the disclosure. Variations may be made to the embodiments and methods without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure.