Hardened fiber optic connectors having a mechanical splice connector assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10151887-B2
Application number	US-201715434161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Jan 12, 2016
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

Hardened fiber optic connectors having a mechanical splice assembly are disclosed. The mechanical splice assembly is attached to a first end of an optical waveguide such as an optical fiber of a fiber optic cable by way of a stub optical fiber, thereby connectorizing the hardened connector. In one embodiment, the hardened connector includes an inner housing having two shells for securing a tensile element of the cable and securing the mechanical splice assembly so that a ferrule assembly may translate. Further assembly of the hardened connector has the inner housing fitting into a shroud of the hardened connector. The shroud aides in mating the hardened connector with a complimentary device and the shroud may have any suitable configuration. The hardened connector may also include features for fiber buckling, sealing, cable strain relief or a pre-assembly for ease of installation.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A hardened connector, comprising:
an inner housing comprising at least two shells, the at least two shells having a longitudinal passageway for passing at least one optical waveguide therethrough, at least one cable clamping portion, and a connector assembly receiving portion, and the connector assembly receiving portion comprises an extended length cavity; and
a mechanical splice connector assembly, the mechanical splice connector assembly comprises a connector body and a ferrule assembly having a stub optical fiber secured to a ferrule, wherein a portion of the mechanical splice connector assembly is secured to the inner housing so that the ferrule assembly of the mechanical splice connector assembly can move rearward into the extended length cavity when displaced rearward.

2. The hardened connector of claim 1 , the mechanical splice connector assembly comprising one or more splice parts disposed in a ferrule holder.

3. The hardened connector of claim 1 , the mechanical splice connector assembly comprising a cam.

4. The hardened connector of claim 3 , the connector assembly receiving portion of the at least two shells shaped to receive the cam of the mechanical splice connector only when the cam is in a clamping orientation.

5. The hardened connector of claim 1 , the mechanical splice connector assembly comprising one or more translucent components.

6. The hardened connector of claim 1 , the inner housing comprising at least one latch for securing the connector body.

7. The hardened connector of claim 1 , further including a shroud, wherein a portion of the at least two shells is disposed within the shroud.

8. The hardened connector of claim 1 , further comprising a shroud, wherein a portion of the at least two shells is disposed within the shroud and the shroud has a keyed passageway for inhibiting rotation between the shroud and the at least two shells.

9. The hardened connector of claim 1 , further comprising a shroud with a first finger and a second finger, wherein a portion of the at least two shells is disposed within the shroud, and the shroud has a keyed passageway for orientating the inner housing in a predetermined orientation relative to the first finger and second finger.

10. The hardened connector of claim 1 , further including a crimp band for holding the at least two shells together.

11. The hardened connector of claim 1 , further comprising a shroud having a first end and a second end, and a coupling nut for removably attaching the at least one hardened connector.

12. The hardened connector of claim 11 , the shroud defining at least one opening of the first end, the at least one opening extending lengthwise from a medial portion of the shroud to the first end of the shroud, wherein the ferrule is accessible within the first end of the shroud.

13. The hardened connector of claim 12 , the at least one opening defining a pair of openings disposed on opposites sides of the shroud.

14. The hardened connector of claim 7 , further comprising an O-ring disposed on the shroud for weatherproofing the hardened connector.

15. The hardened connector of claim 1 , further comprising a snap ring disposed on a portion of a shroud.

16. The hardened connector of claim 1 , the at least one hardened connector further comprising a shroud having a first end and a second end, wherein the shroud has at least one alignment indicia for indicating a mating orientation.

17. The hardened connector of claim 1 , further comprising a shroud having a first end and a second end, the shroud includes a first finger and a second finger for mating, wherein the first finger and the second finger have different cross-sectional shapes for keying the hardened connector.

18. The hardened connector of claim 1 , further comprising a protective cap.

19. The hardened connector of claim 1 being attached to a fiber optic cable, the cable further including a first strength component and a second strength component.

20. The hardened connector of claim 1 being attached to a fiber optic cable and further comprising a heat shrink tube for weatherproofing the cable, the heat shrink tube being disposed over a portion of the hardened connector and a portion of a cable jacket.

21. The hardened connector of claim 1 being attached to a fiber optic cable, the at least one cable clamping portion securing at least one tensile element of a plurality of tensile elements of the cable between an outer barrel formed by the at least two shells and a crimp band.

22. The hardened connector of claim 1 , wherein the at least two shells are at least partially disposed within a shroud, the shroud includes a first finger and a second finger for mating with a complementary receptacle, wherein the first finger and the second finger are disposed about 180 degrees apart and have different cross-sectional shapes for keying the hardened connector.

23. The hardened connector of claim 1 , a plurality of the components of the hardened connector being formed from a UV stabilized material.

24. A hardened connector, comprising:
an inner housing comprising at least two shells, the at least two shells having a longitudinal passageway for passing at least one optical waveguide therethrough, at least one cable clamping portion, and a connector assembly receiving portion, and the connector assembly receiving portion comprising an extended length cavity; and
a mechanical splice connector assembly, the mechanical splice connector assembly comprises a connector body and a ferrule assembly having a stub optical fiber secured to a ferrule and one or more splice parts disposed in a ferrule holder, wherein a portion of the mechanical splice connector assembly is secured to the inner housing so that the ferrule assembly of the mechanical splice connector assembly can move rearward into the extended length cavity when displaced rearward.

25. The hardened connector of claim 24 , the mechanical splice connector assembly comprising a cam.

26. The hardened connector of claim 25 , the connector assembly receiving portion of the at least two shells shaped to receive the cam of the mechanical splice connector only when the cam is in a clamping orientation.

27. The hardened connector of claim 24 , the mechanical splice connector assembly comprising one or more translucent components.

28. The hardened connector of claim 24 , the inner housing comprising at least one latch for securing the connector body.

29. The hardened connector of claim 24 , further comprising a snap ring disposed on a portion of a shroud.

30. The hardened connector of claim 24 , further including a shroud, wherein a portion of the at least two shells is disposed within the shroud.

31. The hardened connector of claim 24 , further comprising a shroud, wherein a portion of the at least two shells is disposed within the shroud and the shroud has a keyed passageway for inhibiting rotation between the shroud and the at least two shells.

32. The hardened connector of claim 24 , further comprising a shroud with a first finger and a second finger, wherein a portion of the at least two shells is disposed within the shroud, and the shroud has a keyed passageway for orientating the inner housing in a predetermined orientation relative to the first finger and second finger.

Assignees

• Corning Optical Communications LLC

Inventors

• De Jong Michael
• Kluwe Wolf Peter
• Leyva Jr Daniel
• Tao Min

Classifications

• G02B6/387

  Connector plugs comprising two complementary members, e.g. shells, caps, covers, locked together · CPC title

• G02B6/3869

  Mounting ferrules to connector body, i.e. plugs · CPC title

• G02B6/3806

  Semi-permanent connections, i.e. wherein the mechanical means keeping the fibres aligned allow for removal of the fibres (dismountable connectors G02B6/3807) · CPC title

• G02B6/381

  of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres · CPC title

• G02B6/3887

  Anchoring optical cables to connector housings, e.g. strain relief features · CPC title