Optical fiber connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10795094-B2
Application number	US-201815980472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2018
Priority date	May 15, 2018
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

An optical fiber connector includes an optical fiber ferrule and a single-piece housing in which the ferrule is received. The housing can be installed in an adapter to make an optical connection. A rotational locking mechanism has a rotor mounted on the housing for rotation with respect the housing about a rotational axis. The rotor can be rotated between a locked position and an unlocked position. The rotational locking mechanism is configured to inhibit the housing from being withdrawn from the adapter in the locked position of the rotor and to permit the housing to be withdrawn from the adapter in the unlocked position, and further comprising a guide pin, wherein the housing comprises an integral guide pin retainer configured to hold the guide pin in place on the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical fiber connector comprising:
an optical fiber ferrule;
a single-piece housing, the ferrule being received inside the housing, the housing being configured to be installed in an adapter to make an optical connection; and
a rotational locking mechanism comprising a rotor mounted on the housing for rotation with respect the housing about a rotational axis, the rotor being rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the rotational locking mechanism further comprising a guide pin, wherein the housing comprises an integral guide pin retainer configured to hold the guide pin in place on the housing, and further wherein the housing comprises a shaft extending along the rotational axis, the rotor being mounted on the shaft for rotation with respect to the shaft about the axis, and wherein the rotor is further configured to be pressed onto the shaft, the rotor comprising a chamfered edge surface that is configured to engage the shaft and resiliently compress the shaft radially of the rotational axis as the rotor is pressed onto the shaft.

2. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a protrusion on one of the housing and the rotor configured to engage the other of the housing and the rotor to provide a restraint against rotation of the rotor about the axis away from the locked position.

3. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 2 wherein the protrusion is on the rotor.

4. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the housing has a distal end portion and a proximal end portion that are spaced apart along the rotational axis, wherein the protrusion is configured to engage the proximal end portion of the housing when the rotor is in the locked configuration.

5. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the proximal end portion of the housing defines a recess that is configured to receive the protrusion therein when the rotor is in the locked configuration.

6. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the rotor comprises a handle tab extending from the rotor and configured to provide a grip for manually rotating the rotor with respect to the housing.

7. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the handle tab extends from an opposite end of the rotor body along the axis away from the housing.

8. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the handle tab comprises a first handle tab and the rotor further comprises a second handle tab that is circumferentially spaced apart.

9. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 1 , wherein guide pin retainer comprises a top brace and a bottom brace and wherein the guide pin is received between top and bottom braces and urges the top brace and the bottom brace apart from one another.

10. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the shaft has a lip and the rotor is configured to clear the lip as the rotor is pressed onto the shaft, wherein the shaft is configured to resiliently rebound after the rotor clears the lip whereby the lip holds the rotor on the housing.

11. An optical fiber connector comprising:
an optical fiber ferrule; and
a single-piece housing having a length with opposing tabs, the ferrule being received inside the housing and secured by said tabs
wherein the housing and the ferrule are configured to be in direct engagement with one another, wherein the direct engagement between the housing and the ferrule is configured to substantially block movement of the ferrule with respect to the housing along the length of the housing; and
wherein the optical fiber connector is free of a ferrule spring, and further wherein the said tab is resiliently deflectable from a first position to a second position as the ferrule is inserted proximally into the housing to an installed position, the tab being configured to resiliently rebound toward the first position when the ferrule reaches the installed position and to engage the ferrule after it resiliently rebounds to inhibit the ferrule from moving distally with respect to the housing.

12. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the optical fiber connector is free of a compression spring.

13. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 11 , further comprising a guide pin, wherein the housing comprises an integral guide pin retainer configured to hold the guide pin in place on the housing.

14. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 13 , wherein guide pin retainer comprises a top brace and a bottom brace and wherein the guide pin is received between top and bottom braces and urges the top brace and the bottom braces apart from one another.

15. An optical fiber connector as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the housing further comprises a stop that is configured to engage the ferrule to inhibit the ferrule from moving distally with respect to the housing when the ferrule reaches the installed position.

16. An optical fiber connector comprising:
an optical fiber ferrule;
a single-piece housing, the ferrule being received inside the housing, the housing being configured to be installed in an adapter to make an optical connection, the housing having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, the proximal end portion of the housing comprising a shaft having an axis, the shaft comprising first and second shaft members, each of the first and second shaft members having a proximal end portion defining a lip; and
a rotor configured to be mounted on the shaft for rotation with respect the shaft about the axis, the rotor being rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the rotor being configured to inhibit the housing from being withdrawn from the adapter in the locked position of the rotor and to permit the housing to be withdrawn from the adapter in the unlocked position, the rotor comprising a rotor body having a proximal end and a distal end spaced apart along the axis, the rotor body defining a hole extending through the rotor body along the axis and a chamfered edge surface adjacent the distal end of the rotor body that extends around at least a portion of the hole, wherein the rotor is configured to be pressed distally onto the shaft such that the shaft extends through the hole and the lips of the first and second shaft members engage the proximal end of the rotor body to inhibit the rotor from moving proximally along the axis with respect to the shaft, the chamfered edge surface being configured to engage the free ends of the first and second shaft member and deflect the first and second shaft members toward one another as the rotor is pressed onto the shaft.

Assignees

• Senko Advanced Components Inc

Inventors

• Lee Benjamin
• Chang Jimmy Jun-Fu
• WONG Kimman
• Takano Kazuyoshi

Classifications

• G02B6/3869 Primary

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

• G02B6/3882 Primary

  using rods, pins or balls to align a pair of ferrule ends · CPC title

• G02B6/3825

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

• G02B6/389

  characterised by the method of fastening connecting plugs and sockets, e.g. screw- or nut-lock, snap-in, bayonet type · CPC title

• G02B6/3871 Primary

  Ferrule rotatable with respect to plug body, e.g. for setting rotational position (adjusting fibre within the ferrule, G02B6/3843); Fixation of ferrules after rotation · CPC title