Patent ID: 8824841

Claim:
An expanded beam optical insert for use in fiber optic couplers, said insert comprising: a housing defining a housing passageway with proximal and distal openings for receiving an optical conduit, said housing passageway having an inner surface that tapers in diameter from said proximal opening to said distal opening; a lens disposed in said housing passageway near said distal opening, said lens having a larger diameter than the diameter of said distal opening of said housing passageway so that said lens is precluded from passing through said distal opening; a tapered hollow sleeve positioned in said housing passageway, said sleeve having an outer surface that generally corresponds to said inner surface of said housing passageway, and said sleeve having an inner surface for receiving the optical conduit, said sleeve further having a distal end portion disposed toward said distal opening of said housing passageway and a proximal end portion disposed toward said proximal opening of said housing passageway; and wherein said lens is securable in a fixed position in said housing passageway, between said distal opening of said housing passageway and said distal end portion of said sleeve, via a compressive axial force applied to said proximal end portion of said sleeve in the direction of said distal opening of said housing passageway.