Multiports and optical connectors with rotationally discrete locking and keying features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10359577-B2
Application number	US-201816018988-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

Fiber optic connectors and connectorized fiber optic cables include connector housings having locking portions defined on the connector housing that allow the connector housing to be selectively coupled to a corresponding push-button securing member of a multiport assembly. Methods for selectively connecting a fiber optic connector to, and disconnecting the fiber optic connector from the multiport assemblies allow for connector housings to be forcibly and nondestructively removed from the multiport assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic connector comprising a ferrule and a connector housing, wherein the ferrule comprises an optical fiber bore and the connector housing comprises:
a ferrule retaining portion structurally configured to engage and retain the ferrule at a front portion of the connector housing;
a longitudinal axis extending from a leading edge plane of the front portion of the connector housing, through the ferrule retaining portion, to a rear portion of the connector housing;
a nominal housing portion defined on an outer surface of the connector housing;
a rotationally discrete keying portion defined on the outer surface of the connector housing; and
a rotationally discrete locking portion defined on the outer surface of the connector housing, wherein
the nominal housing portion is interrupted by the rotationally discrete keying portion and the rotationally discrete locking portion,
the connector housing comprises an unobstructed line of sight from the rotationally discrete keying portion to the leading edge plane of the connector housing along an advancing direction of the fiber optic connector,
the rotationally discrete keying portion comprises at least one rotationally discrete contact surface that is structurally configured to inhibit rotation of the connector housing about the longitudinal axis when engaged with a complementary keying portion of an optical connector port,
the rotationally discrete locking portion comprises a rearwardly facing port engagement face and a locking portion recess that is positioned rearward of the port engagement face,
the locking portion recess is obstructed from the leading edge plane of the connector housing along the advancing direction of the fiber optic connector by the port engagement face, and
the port engagement face of the locking portion is structurally configured to inhibit axial movement of the connector housing along a retracting direction of the fiber optic connector when engaged with a complementary securing member of an optical connector port.

2. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein:
the keying portion comprises a pair of rotationally discrete contact surfaces that are accessible without obstruction from the leading edge plane of the connector housing; and
the rearwardly facing port engagement face of the locking portion is formed from an edge-to-edge cross sectional cut-out of the connector housing.

3. The fiber optic connector of claim 2 , wherein a rotational arc θ 2 circumscribed by the edge-to-edge cross sectional cut-out forming the rearwardly facing port engagement face is less than 90 degrees.

4. The fiber optic connector of claim 2 , wherein each of the rotationally discrete contact surfaces of the keying portion lie in planes that intersect the rearwardly facing port engagement face.

5. The fiber optic connector of claim 2 , wherein each of the rotationally discrete contact surfaces of the keying portion lie in planes that extend orthogonally to a plane of the rearwardly facing port engagement face.

6. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein:
the keying portion comprises a pair of rotationally discrete contact surfaces that are accessible without obstruction from the leading edge plane of the connector housing;
each of the rotationally discrete contact surfaces of the keying portion lie in planes that extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the connector housing; and
the rearwardly facing port engagement face of the locking portion lies in a plane that is intersected by the longitudinal axis of the connector housing.

7. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein:
the keying portion and the locking portion circumscribe respective rotational arcs θ 1 , θ 2 relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector housing; and
the rotational arcs θ 1 , θ 2 are mutually exclusive such that the keying portion and the locking portion are defined on different surface portions of the outer surface of the connector housing.

8. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein:
a rotational arc θ 2 circumscribed by a width of the locking portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector housing is greater than about 90 degrees;
a rotational arc θ 1 circumscribed by the width of the keying portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector housing is less than a rotational arc θ 2 ; and
(θ 1 +θ 2 )<180°.

9. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein a rotational arc θ 1 circumscribed by a width of the keying portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector housing is less than a rotational arc θ 2 circumscribed by the width of the locking portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector housing.

10. The fiber optic connector of claim 9 , wherein the rotational arc θ 1 is less than about 30% of the rotational arc θ 2 .

11. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein:
a rotational arc θ 1 circumscribed by a width of the keying portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector housing is between about 30 degrees and about 70 degrees; and
a rotational arc θ 2 circumscribed by the width of the locking portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector housing is between about 60 degrees and about 120 degrees.

12. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein:
a rotational arc θ 1 circumscribed by a width of the keying portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector housing is less than about 70 degrees; and
a rotational arc θ 2 circumscribed by the width of the locking portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector housing is greater than about 60 degrees, but does not exceed about 120 degrees.

13. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the keying portion of the connector housing extends closer to the front portion of the connector housing than does the locking portion of the connector housing.

14. The fiber optic connector of claim 13 , wherein the ferrule retaining portion of the connector housing is forward of the keying portion and the locking portion of the connector housing.

15. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein:
the connector housing further comprises a transition region between the front portion of the connector housing and the locking portion of the connector housing; and
the keying portion of the connector housing extends at least partially into the transition region of the connector housing.

16. The fiber optic connector of claim 15 , wherein the keying portion extends only partially into the transition region of the connector housing.

17. The fiber optic connector of claim 15 , wherein a length of the keying portion exceeds a length of the transition region along a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis of the connector housing.

18. The fiber optic connector of claim 15 , wherein the length of the keying portion exceeds a length of the front portion of the connector housing along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the connector housing.

19. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the keying portion and the locking portion interrupt the nominal housing portion as a negative cut-out, a positive surface projection, or a combination thereof.

20. The fiber optic connector of claim 19 , wherein the rotationally discrete contact surfaces of the keying portion, the port engagement face of the locking portion, and the locking portion recess are formed from planar surfaces, flat surfaces, or a combination thereof.

21. The fiber optic conn

Assignees

• Corning Res & Dev Corp

Inventors

• Dannoux Thierry Luc Alain
• Rosson Joel Christopher
• Scotta Felice

Classifications

• G02B6/3893

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

• G02B6/3895

  identification of connection, e.g. right plug to the right socket or full engagement of the mating parts (keying element on the plug or adapter G02B6/3831; keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical connection H01R13/64) · CPC title

• G02B6/3851

  Ferrules having keying or coding means · CPC title

• G02B6/3825

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

• G02B6/3843

  with auxiliary facilities for movably aligning or adjusting the fibre within its ferrule, e.g. measuring position or eccentricity (testing the alignment of axes, including eccentricity, G01B11/27) · CPC title