Fiber optic connectors serve as the mechanical interface between an opto-electric component and an optical fiber. Fiber optic connectors have been made from various materials, most traditionally from brass and then plated with nickel. As volumes produced increased, connectors were then cast from zinc alloy and similarly nickel plated. As the diameters of the glass fibers has decreased, the need for improved optical coupling between the opto-electric component and the optical fiber has increased, resulting in connectors made from molded plastics, such as, for example, a transparent plastic material such as polyetherimide. Such transparent materials are generally temperature and chemical resistant, transmit well in the near-Infrared (IR) range, and can have the necessary optics integrally molded into the body of the connector. Connectors and connector housings made from transparent plastic polymers have been utilized for several years.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds