US 11,668,883 B2
Optical fiber connection system including optical fiber alignment device with optical fiber cleaner
Jan Watte, Grimbergen (BE); Stefano Beri, Zaventem (BE); Danny Willy August Verheyden, Gelrode (BE); Sangram Keshari Samal, Orissa (IN); Ana Margarida Doamaral Cardoso Dos Santos, Aalst (BE); Peter Martha Dubruel, Oudenaarde (BE); and Ana Nedelcheva Hristova, Holsbeek (BE)
Assigned to COMMSCOPE CONNECTIVITY BELGIUM BVBA
Filed by CommScope Connectivity Belgium BVBA, Kessel-Lo (BE)
Filed on May 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/316,122.
Application 17/316,122 is a continuation of application No. 16/806,318, filed on Mar. 2, 2020, granted, now 11,002,922.
Application 16/806,318 is a continuation of application No. 15/687,665, filed on Aug. 28, 2017, granted, now 10,578,810, issued on Mar. 3, 2020.
Application 15/687,665 is a continuation of application No. 14/764,494, granted, now 9,885,839, issued on Feb. 6, 2018, previously published as PCT/EP2014/051711, filed on Jan. 29, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/885,850, filed on Oct. 2, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/758,150, filed on Jan. 29, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2021/0333481 A1, Oct. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. G02B 6/38 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 6/3866 (2013.01) [G02B 6/3809 (2013.01); G02B 6/3841 (2013.01); G02B 6/3843 (2013.01); G02B 6/3849 (2013.01); G02B 6/3893 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical fiber alignment system comprising:
an alignment device defining a fiber insertion axis extending between first and second ends of the alignment device, the alignment device also defining a fiber alignment region disposed along the fiber insertion axis;
a first cleaning membrane disposed at the first end of the alignment device, the first cleaning membrane extending across the fiber insertion axis; and
a second cleaning membrane disposed at the second end of the alignment device, the second cleaning membrane extending across the fiber insertion axis so that the fiber alignment region is disposed between the first and second cleaning membranes; and
gel disposed within the alignment device and retained between the first and second cleaning membranes, the gel being a different material from the first and second cleaning membranes.