US 12,189,189 B2
Fiber optic alignment devices; systems; and methods
Danny Willy August Verheyden, Gelrode (BE); Jozef Christiaan Mathieu Versleegers, Bree (BE); Michael Maris, Paal (BE); Alfons Rudi Hermans, Sint-Truiden (BE); and Walter Mattheus, Wijgmaal (BE)
Assigned to COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC, Hickory, NC (US)
Appl. No. 17/298,434
Filed by COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC, Hickory, NC (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 25, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/063026
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 28, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/112645, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 4, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/773,642, filed on Nov. 30, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/834,855, filed on Apr. 16, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/844,011, filed on May 6, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/909,367, filed on Oct. 2, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0026640 A1, Jan. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. G02B 6/36 (2006.01); G02B 6/38 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 6/3652 (2013.01) [G02B 6/3656 (2013.01); G02B 6/3806 (2013.01); G02B 6/3821 (2013.01); G02B 6/3825 (2013.01)] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for co-axially aligning groups of first and second optical fibers to provide an optical coupling between the groups of first and second optical fibers, the apparatus comprising:
structure defining a plurality of parallel fiber alignment grooves each configured for receiving one pair of the first and second optical fibers, the fiber alignment grooves defining fiber insertion axes along which the first and second fibers are moved when inserted into the fiber alignment grooves, the apparatus being configured such that the end faces of a given one of the pairs of the first and second optical fibers will oppose one another when the first and second optical fibers are optically coupled together; and
a plurality of independently moveable beams each having a fiber contact side that opposes an open side of no more than two of the fiber alignment grooves and that is adapted to engage both the first and second optical fibers of at least one of the pairs of first and second optical fibers when the first and second optical fibers are optically coupled together by the apparatus.