Optical fiber connection system

Abstract

An optical fiber connection system for connecting a plurality optical fibers is described. The connection system comprises a first bare fiber holder comprising a first splice element and a second bare fiber holder comprising a second splice element. Each of the first and second splice elements comprises a splice body having a first end and a second end and a plurality of alternating alignment and clamping channels formed in a top surface of splice body that extend from the first end to the second end of the splice body. When the first and second bare fiber holders are mated, at least a portion of the alignment channels of the first spice element overlap a portion of the clamping channels in the second splice element and at least a portion of the clamping channels of the first splice element overlap a portion of the alignment channels of the second splice element to hold the first and second optical fibers in end to end alignment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An optical fiber connection system configured to interconnect a plurality of first and second optical fibers, the connection system comprising:
 a first bare fiber holder comprising a first splice element, and   a second bare fiber holder comprising a second splice element,   wherein each of the first splice element and the second splice element comprises a splice body having a first end and a second end and a plurality of alternating alignment and clamping channels formed in a top surface of splice body that extend from the first end to the second end of the splice body, and   when placed in a mating position, at least a portion of the alignment channels of the first spice element overlap a portion of the clamping channels in the second splice element and at least a portion of the clamping channels of the first splice element overlap a portion of the alignment channels of the second splice element to hold the plurality of first and second optical fibers in end to end alignment.   
     
     
         2 . The connection system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first and second optical fibers optical fibers are held along three lines of contact between the first and second splice elements. 
     
     
         3 . The connection system of  claim 2 , wherein first and second lines of contact is where the plurality of first and second optical fibers optical fibers contact the sloped channel walls of the alignment channels and the third line of contact is where the plurality of first and second optical fibers optical fibers contact the bottom wall of the clamping channel that overlaps with the alignment channel. 
     
     
         4 . The connection system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first bare fiber holder and the second bare fiber holder comprises a holder housing having an element receiving pocket with a front wall adjacent to the first end of the holder housing to hold one of the first or the second splice elements. 
     
     
         5 . The connection system of  claim 4 , wherein the first end of the first splice element is disposed adjacent to the front wall of the element receiving pocket in the first bare fiber holder and the second end of the second splice element is disposed adjacent to the front wall of the element receiving pocket in the second bare fiber holder. 
     
     
         6 . The connection system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second bare fiber holders further comprises a fiber organizer disposed within a holder housing, wherein the fiber organizer comprises a comb structure that aligns the optical fibers with the plurality of optical fibers plurality of alternating alignment and clamping channels of the first or second splice element. 
     
     
         7 . The connection system of  claim 6 , wherein the comb structure includes an array of grooves, with each groove configured to guide an optical fiber disposed therein and a remote gripping region to remotely grip the plurality of first or second optical fibers at a distance from their bare ends. 
     
     
         8 . The connection system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second bare fiber holders are force balanced to allow creation of a dry splice optical connection between the plurality of first or second optical fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The connection system of  claim 8 , wherein the force balancing is provided by a resilient element disposed between a portion of the fiber organizer and the holder housing; and an intermediate spring element disposed between a front portion of the fiber organizer and the splice element. 
     
     
         10 . The connection system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second splice elements are formed of a low coefficient of thermal expansion silica material 
     
     
         11 . The connection system of  claim 10 , wherein the low coefficient of thermal expansion silica material is a net shape cast and cure silica material. 
     
     
         12 . The connection system of  claim 1 , further comprising an optical coupling material disposed between ends of the plurality of first and second optical fibers. 
     
     
         13 . The connection system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second bare fiber holders is ferrule-less. 
     
     
         14 . The connection system of  claim 1 , wherein both the first bare fiber holder and the second bare fiber holder is ferrule-less. 
     
     
         15 . The connection system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second bare fiber holders are mated in the field to optically connect the plurality of first and second optical fibers. 
     
     
         16 . The connection system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second bare fiber holders are mated in the factory to optically connect the plurality of first and second optical fibers.