US 11,874,508 B2
Optical ferrules and optical ferrule molds
Michael A Haase, St. Paul, MN (US); Alexander R. Mathews, Austin, TX (US); Terry L. Smith, Roseville, MN (US); and James M. Nelson, Lino Lakes, MN (US)
Assigned to 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY, St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed by 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY, St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed on Jan. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/093,965.
Application 16/946,248 is a division of application No. 15/758,743, granted, now 10,746,942, issued on Aug. 18, 2020, previously published as PCT/US2016/056324, filed on Oct. 11, 2016.
Application 18/093,965 is a continuation of application No. 17/716,052, filed on Apr. 8, 2022, granted, now 11,579,375.
Application 17/716,052 is a continuation of application No. 16/946,248, filed on Jun. 12, 2020, granted, now 11,327,244, issued on May 10, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/239,996, filed on Oct. 12, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0144989 A1, May 11, 2023
Int. Cl. G02B 6/38 (2006.01); G02B 6/36 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 6/3865 (2013.01) [G02B 6/366 (2013.01); G02B 6/383 (2013.01); G02B 6/3839 (2013.01); G02B 6/3853 (2013.01); G02B 6/3885 (2013.01)] 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A molded unitary optical ferrule comprising:
a molded first section molded by a first side of a mold molding one or more receiving elements of the molded unitary optical ferrule configured to receive and secure an optical fiber, and molding a light affecting element of the molded unitary optical ferrule for affecting one or more of a direction and a divergence of light propagating within the molded unitary optical ferrule, the affected light exiting the molded unitary optical ferrule through an output surface thereof; and
an opposite molded second section molded by an opposite second side of the mold molding the output surface of the molded unitary optical ferrule, wherein the molded second section further comprises at least one second alignment feature, the second alignment feature comprising at least one planar surface, wherein the at least one planar surface is a first planar mating surface configured to slide on a planar mating surface of a mating optical ferrule and the first planar mating surface comprises a plurality of lands between a plurality of grooves.