Fiber optic connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10859771-B2
Application number	US-201916696629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2019
Priority date	Mar 15, 2011
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A connector includes a ferrule assembly having a ferrule, a hub and a spring, the ferrule having a distal face accessible at a distal end of the connector housing, the ferrule being movable in a proximal direction relative to the connector housing. The distal and proximal positions are separated by an axial displacement distance. The ferrule proximal movement is against the spring's bias. The cable of the assembly includes an optical fiber contained within a jacket and also a strength layer between the fiber and the jacket that is anchored to the connector housing. The fiber extends through a fiber from the proximal end of the connector housing to the ferrule. The fiber has a distal portion potted within the ferrule. The fiber passage has a fiber take-up region configured to take-up an excess length of the fiber corresponding to the ferrule axial displacement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fiber optic connector comprising:
a connector housing defining a distal end, a proximal end, and a central longitudinal axis, wherein a ferrule terminating an optical fiber is disposed adjacent the distal end of the connector housing; and
a fiber passage extending between the distal end and the proximal end of the connector housing, wherein the fiber passage of the fiber optic connector has a fiber take-up region that is configured to take-up an excess length of the optical fiber within the fiber passage due to bending of the optical fiber when the ferrule is moved in a proximal direction away from the distal end, the fiber take-up region defined at least in part by a portion that expands away from the central longitudinal axis of the connector housing as the fiber passage transitions into the fiber take-up region in both the proximal direction away from the distal end and a distal direction away from the proximal end.

2. A fiber optic connector according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber take-up region is defined by a portion that expands away from the central longitudinal axis in at least one transverse direction as the fiber passage transitions into the fiber take-up region in both the proximal direction away from the distal end and the distal direction away from the proximal end.

3. A fiber optic connector according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber take-up region is defined by portions that expand away from the central longitudinal axis in two opposing transverse directions as the fiber passage transitions into the fiber take-up region in both the proximal direction away from the distal end and the distal direction away from the proximal end.

4. A fiber optic connector according to claim 1 , wherein the portion of the fiber take-up region that expands away from the central longitudinal axis of the connector housing as the fiber passage transitions into the fiber take-up region defines a gradual curve for guiding the bending of the optical fiber when the ferrule is moved in a proximal direction away from the distal end.

5. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , further comprising a fiber optic cable carrying the optical fiber that is terminated to the ferrule, the fiber optic cable including a cable jacket surrounding the optical fiber, the fiber optic cable also including a strength layer positioned between the optical fiber and the cable jacket, the strength layer being anchored to the connector housing, the optical fiber extending through the fiber passage of the fiber optic connector from the proximal end of the connector housing to the ferrule.

6. The fiber optic connector of claim 5 , wherein the cable jacket has an outer diameter less than 1.5 millimeters.

7. The fiber optic connector of claim 6 , wherein the outer diameter of the cable jacket is less than or equal to 1.2 millimeters.

8. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the fiber take-up region that expands away from the central longitudinal axis of the connector housing as the fiber passage transitions into the fiber take-up region in the proximal direction is positioned proximally offset from the distal end of the connector housing.

9. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector housing is an inner housing of the fiber optic connector that further includes a sleeve mounted over the connector housing.

10. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic connector further comprises a strain relief boot coupled adjacent the proximal end of the connector housing.

11. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the ferrule is movable in a proximal direction relative to the connector housing from a distal position to a proximal position, the distal and proximal positions being separated by an axial displacement distance, wherein the axial displacement distance is at least .015 inches.

12. The fiber optic connector of claim 11 , wherein the axial displacement distance is at least .025 inches.

13. A fiber optic connector comprising:
a connector housing defining a distal end, a proximal end, and a central longitudinal axis, wherein a ferrule terminating an optical fiber is disposed adjacent the distal end of the connector housing; and
a fiber passage extending between the distal end and the proximal end of the connector housing, wherein the fiber passage of the fiber optic connector has a fiber take-up region that is configured to take-up an excess length of the optical fiber within the fiber passage due to bending of the optical fiber when the ferrule is moved in a proximal direction away from the distal end, the fiber take-up region defined at least in part by a cavity wall that curves away from the central longitudinal axis of the connector housing as the fiber passage transitions into the fiber take-up region in both the proximal direction away from the distal end and a distal direction away from the proximal end.

14. A fiber optic connector according to claim 13 , wherein the fiber take-up region is defined by a cavity wall that curves away from the central longitudinal axis so as to form a concave surface in at least one transverse direction as the fiber passage transitions into the fiber take-up region in both the proximal direction away from the distal end and the distal direction away from the proximal end.

15. A fiber optic connector according to claim 13 , wherein the fiber take-up region is defined by cavity walls that curve away from the central longitudinal axis in two opposing transverse directions as the fiber passage transitions into the fiber take-up region in both the proximal direction away from the distal end and the distal direction away from the proximal end.

16. A fiber optic connector according to claim 13 , wherein the cavity wall of the fiber take-up region that curves away from the central longitudinal axis of the connector housing as the fiber passage transitions into the fiber take-up region defines a gradual curve for guiding the bending of the optical fiber when the ferrule is moved in a proximal direction away from the distal end.

17. The fiber optic connector of claim 13 , further comprising a fiber optic cable carrying the optical fiber that is terminated to the ferrule, the fiber optic cable including a cable jacket surrounding the optical fiber, the fiber optic cable also including a strength layer positioned between the optical fiber and the cable jacket, the strength layer being anchored to the connector housing, the optical fiber extending through the fiber passage of the fiber optic connector from the proximal end of the connector housing to the ferrule.

18. The fiber optic connector of claim 17 , wherein the cable jacket has an outer diameter less than 1.5 millimeters.

19. The fiber optic connector of claim 18 , wherein the outer diameter of the cable jacket is less than or equal to 1.2 millimeters.

20. The fiber optic connector of claim 13 , wherein the cavity wall of the fiber take-up region that curves away from the central longitudinal axis of the connector housing as the fiber passage transitions into the fiber take-up region in the proximal direction is positioned proximally offset from the distal end of the connector housing.

21. The fiber optic connector of claim 13 , wherein the connector housing is an inner housing of the fiber optic connector that further includes a sleeve mounted over the connector housing.

22. The fiber optic connector of claim 13 , wherein the fiber optic connector further comprise

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Nhep Ponharith

Classifications

• G02B6/3823 Primary

  containing surplus lengths, internal fibre loops (provisionally see also G02B6/444) · CPC title

• G02B6/3888

  Protection from over-extension or over-compression · CPC title

• G02B6/38875 Primary

  Protection from bending or twisting · CPC title

• G02B6/387

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

• G02B6/3861

  Adhesive bonding (adhesives in general C09J) · CPC title