Multi-fiber fiber optic connection system with flexible, insertable pins

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10215926-B2
Application number	US-201213715176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2012
Priority date	Dec 14, 2011
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A flexible pin for use in a male fiber optic connector is flexible both in bending and radially to accommodate variations in fiber optic ferrules of the male fiber optic connector and a female fiber optic connector. The flexibility may accommodate angular errors of the male and the female fiber optic connectors. The flexibility may also accommodate diametral errors of the flexible pin of the male fiber optic connector and diametral errors in a pin hole of the female fiber optic connector. The flexibility is sufficient that a connector spring or spring clamp can mate mating faces of the male and the female fiber optic connectors with the errors present. In certain embodiments, the flexible pin is a removable pin that includes a latch. The removable pin can be installed and removed from a fiber optic connector without disassembling a ferrule from a connector housing of the fiber optic connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic connection system for optically connecting optical fibers, the fiber optic connection system comprising:
a first fiber optic connector including a first ferrule with a first mating face, the first ferrule adapted to hold a first set of optical fibers with ends of the first set of optical fibers terminating at the first mating face of the first ferrule, the first ferrule including at least one flexible pin defining an axial dimension and a radial dimension perpendicular to the axial dimension and extending from the first mating face outwardly and in a first direction away from the first mating face of the first ferrule, the at least one flexible pin including a latch portion releasably engageable with a shoulder of a bore defined by the first fiber optic connector, the latch portion being radially compressible about a void disposed within the flexible pin, the void being at least partially radially aligned with the latch portion; and
a second fiber optic connector including a second ferrule with a second mating face, the second ferrule adapted to hold a second set of optical fibers with ends of the second set of optical fibers terminating at the second mating face of the second ferrule, the second ferrule including at least one pin hole adapted to receive the flexible pin of the first ferrule of the first fiber optic connector;
wherein insertion of the flexible pin of the first ferrule into the pin hole of the second ferrule aligns the first ferrule and the second ferrule with respect to each other and thereby is adapted to align the ends of the first set of optical fibers with the ends of the second set of optical fibers; and
wherein the first mating face of the first ferrule may deviate from a design of the first ferrule by a tolerance of the first ferrule, wherein the second mating face of the second ferrule may deviate from a design of the second ferrule by a tolerance of the second ferrule, and wherein the at least one flexible pin is adapted to flex to accommodate the tolerances of the first and the second ferrules when the first and the second mating faces are mated together.

2. The fiber optic connection system of claim 1 , wherein the first ferrule is adapted to position the first set of optical fibers along a first row, wherein the flexible pin of the first ferrule is positioned along the first row, wherein the second ferrule is adapted to position the second set of optical fibers along a second row, and wherein the pin hole of the second ferrule is positioned along the second row.

3. The fiber optic connection system of claim 1 , wherein the first ferrule further includes a pin hole and the second ferrule further includes a flexible pin and wherein the pin hole of the first ferrule is adapted to receive the flexible pin of the second ferrule.

4. The fiber optic connection system of claim 3 , wherein the first ferrule is adapted to position the first set of optical fibers along a first row, wherein the flexible pin and the pin hole of the first ferrule are positioned along the first row on opposite ends of the first row, wherein the second ferrule is adapted to position the second set of optical fibers along a second row, and wherein the pin hole and the flexible pin of the second ferrule are positioned along the second row on opposite ends of the second row.

5. The fiber optic connection system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and the second fiber optic connectors are interconnectable with an MPO fiber optic connector.

6. The fiber optic connection system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one flexible pin is removable from the first ferrule by pulling in the first direction on a portion of the flexible pin that extends outwardly away from the first ferrule.

7. The fiber optic connection system of claim 5 , wherein the first fiber optic connector includes a housing that houses at least a portion of the first ferrule and wherein the at least one flexible pin is removable from the first ferrule without removing the first ferrule from the housing of the first fiber optic connector.

8. The fiber optic connection system of claim 5 , wherein the first ferrule includes a pin hole and wherein the flexible pin is insertable into the pin hole of the first ferrule by pushing the flexible pin into the pin hole of the first ferrule in a second direction generally opposite the first direction.

9. The fiber optic connection system of claim 1 , wherein the tolerance of the first ferrule includes an angle tolerance of the first ferrule, wherein the tolerance of the second ferrule includes an angle tolerance of the second ferrule, wherein an orientation of the first mating face of the first ferrule may deviate from a design orientation of the first ferrule by the angle tolerance of the first ferrule, wherein an orientation of the second mating face of the second ferrule may deviate from a design orientation of the second ferrule by the angle tolerance of the second ferrule, and wherein the at least one flexible pin flexes to accommodate the angle tolerances of the first and the second ferrules when the first and the second mating faces are mated together.

10. The fiber optic connection system of claim 9 , wherein the angle tolerances of the first and the second ferrules are each 0.2 degree or less.

11. The fiber optic connection system of claim 9 , wherein the first fiber optic connector includes a first spring that generates a first force and the second fiber optic connector includes a second spring that generates a second force, wherein the first force urges the first mating face toward the second mating face and the second force urges the second mating face toward the first mating face when the first and the second fiber optic connectors are connected to each other, and wherein the first and second forces are sufficient to flex the at least one flexible pin and mate the first and the second mating faces together when the first and the second fiber optic connectors are connected to each other.

12. The fiber optic connection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flexible pin is substantially made of a material with a modulus of elasticity of less than 5,000,000 pounds per square inch.

13. The fiber optic connection system of claim 1 , wherein an imperfection of either of the ferrules causes the at least one flexible pin to flex when the first mating face of the first ferrule and the second mating face of the second ferrule are mated together by a mating force.

14. The fiber optic connection system of claim 13 , further comprising a spring that provides a spring force as the mating force, wherein the spring force is sufficient to mate the first mating face of the first ferrule and the second mating face of the second ferrule together when the imperfections of both of the ferrules are less than a predetermined set of tolerances.

15. The fiber optic connection system of claim 1 , wherein the first ferrule includes a pin hole and wherein the flexible pin is mounted in the pin hole of the first ferrule, wherein the flexible pin and the pin hole of the first ferrule define a clearance fit region with clearance between the flexible pin and the pin hole of the first ferrule at least when the flexible pin is not flexed, wherein the flexible pin and the pin hole of the first ferrule define a contact fit region with contact between the flexible pin and the pin hole of the first ferrule, and wherein the contact fit region is positioned between the clearance fit region and the first mating face of the first ferrule.

16. The fiber optic connection system of claim 1 , wherein an exc

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Ott Michael J

Classifications

• G02B6/3885 Primary

  Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• G02B6/38 Primary

  having fibre to fibre mating means · CPC title

• G02B6/3825

  with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs · CPC title

• G02B6/3893

  Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on · CPC title