Ingress protected connector with an unitary orientation feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11092756-B2
Application number	US-201916592267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2019
Priority date	Oct 10, 2018
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

Ingress protected connectors used outdoors are mated with and within an adapter. To aid in mating an orientation finger is provided as part of the proximal end of the ingress protected connector. Within the ingress protected connector is a fiber optic connector being protected from the environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ingress protected connector, comprising:
a plug frame configured to accept a fiber optic connector;
the plug frame accepts a sealing surface that mates with a corresponding adapter interface to protect against water and debris ingress; and
the plug frame having a front end portion and a rear end portion spaced apart along a longitudinal center axis;
the front portion of the plug frame comprising a forwardly facing end face and a single integrated unitary finger projecting forward from the forwardly facing end face along the longitudinal center axis, the single integrated unitary finger comprising a flat surface for orienting the ingress protected connector upon insertion and mating to the adapter interface;
wherein the single integrated unitary finger is the only portion of the plug frame that projects forward from the forwardly facing end face.

2. The ingress protected connector of claim 1 , wherein
the sealing surface is an O-ring.

3. The ingress protected connector of claim 1 , further comprising
an outer housing including a threaded portion near a proximal end of the ingress protected connector for securing to an adapter.

4. The ingress protected connector of claim 1 , further comprising a cable and a crimp ring, the crimp ring securing the cable at a distal end of the ingress protected connector, the cable further comprising at least one optical fiber for connection to a fiber optic connector secured at a proximal end of the plug frame.

5. The ingress protected connector as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the plug frame has first and second halves separated by an imaginary middle plane located on the longitudinal center axis and wherein the first half of the plug frame defines an entirety of the single integrated unitary finger.

6. The ingress protected connector as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the forwardly facing end face defines a forward-most location of the second half of the plug frame.

7. The ingress protected connector as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the forwardly facing end face extends in an end face plane oriented transverse to the imaginary middle plane and wherein no portion of the plug frame is forward of the end face plane except for the single integrated unitary finger.

Assignees

• Senko Advanced Components Inc

Inventors

• Takano Kazuyoshi

Classifications

• G02B6/3897

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

• G02B6/3894 Primary

  Screw-lock type · CPC title

• G02B6/3887

  Anchoring optical cables to connector housings, e.g. strain relief features · CPC title

• G02B6/3869 Primary

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

• G02B6/3825

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