Patent ID: 8867876

Claim:
A method of assembling an interleaved fiber array having at least two pluralities of optical fibers, the optical fibers having a diameter, the method comprising: providing a first plurality of optical fibers, each of the optical fibers having a first end and a second end and each of the optical fibers having a coating at the first end such that the diameter of the optical fibers at the first end is at least 3.5 times the diameter of the optical fibers at the second end, and the optical fibers generally being aligned in a first plane at the first end; providing a second plurality of optical fibers, each of the optical fibers having a first end and a second end and each of the optical fibers having a coating at the first end such that the diameter of the optical fibers at the first end is at least 3.5 times the diameter of the optical fibers at the second end, and such that the diameter of the optical fibers at at least one portion between the first end and the second end is less than the diameter of the optical fibers at the first end and is greater than the diameter of the optical fibers at the second end, and the optical fibers generally being aligned in a second plane at the first end; aligning the first and second plurality of optical fibers relative to one another at the first end of the optical fibers such that each of the optical fibers of the first and second plurality of optical fibers is aligned in a plane orthogonal to the first and second planes and each of the orthogonal planes for each the optical fibers in the first and second pluralities of optical fibers are different from one another; and interleaving the second ends of the optical fibers from the first and second pluralities of optical fibers into a third plane wherein an optical fiber from one plurality of optical fibers is not adjacent to another optical fiber from the same plurality of optical fibers, and wherein at least one of the optical fibers from the first plurality of optical fibers is adjacent to two optical fibers from the second plurality of optical fibers.