Optical test instrument with removable cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11022520-B2
Application number	US-201916553964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2019
Priority date	Oct 11, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

An optical test instrument, in combination with a removable connector cartridge is provided. A method of replacing a damaged or worn optic fiber interface is also provided. The optical test instrument has casing having a cartridge receiving cavity therein with an inner end provided with a test instrument optical port; and an outer end provided with a cartridge receiving opening. The connector cartridge is sized and configured to be inserted in the cartridge receiving cavity. The connector cartridge has a cartridge inner end for facing the test instrument optical port when in use, and a cartridge outer end for receiving an optic fiber from a device under test (DUT). The connector cartridge houses a fiber optic cable extending between the cartridge inner end and the cartridge outer end. The connector cartridge is removably connectable to the instrument casing to allow replacement of the connector cartridge when the cartridge outer end is worn or damaged.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical test instrument comprising:
an instrument casing, including measurement components therein;
a cartridge receiving cavity extending within the instrument casing, the cartridge receiving cavity having:
an inner end provided with a test instrument optical port; and
an outer end provided with a cartridge receiving opening, the opening being located on the instrument casing;

a connector cartridge sized and configured to fit in the cartridge receiving cavity, the connector cartridge having:
a cartridge inner end which faces the test instrument optical port, and
a cartridge outer end which receives an optic fiber from a device under test (DUT), the connector cartridge housing a fiber optic cable extending between the cartridge inner end and the cartridge outer end, the connector cartridge being removably connectable to the instrument casing so as to allow replacement of the connector cartridge when the cartridge outer end is worn or damaged.

2. The optical test instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the optical test instrument is one of an Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR), a power meter, an Optical Spectrum Analyzer (OSA), a Variable Optical Attenuator (VOA), and a WDM or CWDM optical channel checker.

3. The optical test instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the optical instrument is a handheld portable test instrument for measuring parameters of at least one of optical signals, the optical test instrument comprising a display for displaying at least some of said parameters.

4. The optical test instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the connector cartridge is provided with a resilient clip near its outer end, allowing toolless insertion and removal of the cartridge from within the instrument casing.

5. The optical test instrument according to claim 4 , wherein the connector cartridge is provided with lateral guiding flanges, and wherein the instrument casing is providing with corresponding guiding slits or tabs, to guide the insertion and removal of the cartridge from the cartridge cavity of the instrument casing.

6. The optical test instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the connector cartridge comprises:
a first connector at the cartridge inner end, for interfacing with the test instrument optical port of the optical test instrument; a second connector at the cartridge outer end, for interfacing with a DUT connector; the fiber optic cable extending between the first and second connectors.

7. The optical test instrument according to claim 6 , wherein the first and second connectors have a reduced length between about 30 mm and about 50 mm, compared to standard-sized optical connectors.

8. The optical test instrument according to claim 6 , wherein the first and second connectors are angled physical contact (APC) connectors or ultra-physical contact (UPC) connectors.

9. The optical test instrument according to claim 6 , wherein the first and second connectors are one of SC, LC, FC and MTP/MTPO connectors, the fiber optic cable being a single fiber or multi-fiber fiber cable.

10. The optical test instrument according to claim 6 , wherein the cartridge outer end is provided with a DUT connector adapter having an outer side and an inner side, the outer side of the DUT connector adapter receiving a connector from the DUT, the inner side of the DUT connector adapter receiving the second connector, and wherein in use, the outer side of the DUT connector adapter extends outside of the instrument casing, while the remainder of the connector cartridge is housed inside the cartridge receiving cavity.

11. The optical test instrument according to claim 10 , wherein the fiber optic cable and the first and second connectors are permanently affixed inside the casing cartridge.

12. The optical test instrument according to claim 10 , wherein cartridge casing comprises internal sidewalls and/or flanges sized and configured to frictionally engage with the first and/or the second connectors.

13. The optical test instrument according to claim 6 , wherein the fiber optic cable is bent at least once within the connector cartridge.

14. The optical test instrument according to claim 13 , wherein the fiber optic cable comprises bend insensitive fiber optic cable and comprises a single-mode or multimode optic fiber.

15. The optical test instrument according to claim 14 , comprising a fiber optic patch cord, the fiber optic cable being part of the fiber optic patch cord.

16. The optical test instrument according to claim 13 , wherein the connector cartridge comprises one or more winding guides, receiving bend portions of the fiber optic cable housed therein.

17. The optical test instrument according to claim 16 , wherein the one or more winding guides are arched, S-shaped or C-shaped or comprises tabs spaced away from a lateral sidewall of the connector cartridge.

18. The optical test instrument according to claim 16 , wherein at least one of the winding guides is located near the inner end of the cartridge, and at least one winding guide is located near the outer end of the cartridge.

19. The optical test instrument according to claim 16 , wherein the cartridge comprises lateral sidewalls, one of the lateral sidewalls being provided with a fiber slot for passing a portion of the fiber optic cable therethrough, said one lateral sidewall comprising one of the winding guides on its outer surface.

20. The optical test instrument according to claim 16 , wherein the cartridge comprises at least two or more of the winding guides provided near the outer end of the cartridge, to adapt to different lengths of fiber optic cables.

21. A fiber optic connector cartridge, for use in combination with an optical test instrument, the test instrument receiving a fiber optical cable of a device under test (DUT), the connector cartridge comprising:
a cartridge casing, sized and configured to fit in a cartridge receiving cavity extending within the optical test instrument, the cartridge casing having opposed inner and outer ends, the outer end being provided with a DUT connector adapter, for receiving a connector from the DUT;
a fiber optic cable housed within the cartridge casing, the fiber optic cable comprising a first connector and a second connector, and a bend insensitive fiber optic link extending therebetween,
the first connector being configured for interfacing with an optical port inside the test instrument;
the second connector of the fiber optic cable being received at one side of the DUT connector adapter;
the connector cartridge being removably and toollessly connectable to the optical test instrument, allowing replacement thereof when optic fiber interfaces of the connector cartridge are damaged or worn.

Assignees

• Exfo Inc

Inventors

• Simard Michael
• Palanjyan Kristine
• Perron Stephane

Classifications

• G02B6/3897

  Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards (G02B6/44528 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01M11/3154 Primary

  Details of the opto-mechanical connection, e.g. connector or repeater · CPC title

• G01M11/3109 Primary

  Reflectometers detecting the back-scattered light in the time-domain, e.g. OTDR · CPC title

• G02B6/426 Primary

  mounting, engaging or coupling of the package to a board, a frame or a panel · CPC title

• G01M11/0207

  Details of measuring devices · CPC title