Polarity scheme for multi-fiber connectors with a connector key

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12130480-B2
Application number	US-202217746195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2022
Priority date	May 17, 2021
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

Optically connecting two transceivers requires the transmitting portion of one transceiver matches with the receiving portion of the other transceivers. This requires that the polarity of the fiber optic connectors (attached to one another in a jumper) that connect the two transceivers is correct. Maintaining the correct polarity in the field can be confusing, time-consuming, and difficult to achieve. Not to mention that the installers need to make sure they have the correct number and polarity of the jumpers. This is further complicated when the fiber optic connectors are VSFF and have a key on a short side of the fiber optic connector. A system that involves an A-to-B patch cord and an opposed key adapter solves each of these issues. Only one type of patch cord (A-to-B) and one type of adapter is needed. With these components, an installer can connect the two transceivers without any mistakes.

First claim

We claim:

1. An optical patch panel connection comprising:
a first multi-fiber connector having a first multifiber ferrule, the first multi-fiber connector including a connector key on a first short side thereof and a second multi-fiber connector having a second multifiber ferrule, the second multi-fiber connector including a connector key on a second short side thereof, the first and the second multi-fiber connectors being connected together by optical fibers terminated in the respective first and second multifiber ferrules to form a first A-to-B patch cord; and
at least one adapter having an opening extending between a first side and a second side to receive one of the first and the second multi-fiber connectors, the opening bound by a pair of long sided walls and a pair of short sided walls and extending between the first and second sides, the pair of long sided walls being longer than the pair of short sided walls when viewed directly in front of the opening on each of the first side and the second side of the at least one adapter such that the height of the at least one adapter is more than a width thereof, the adapter including a first keyway at the first side and a second keyway at the second side and the first keyway on an opposite side of the opening from the second keyway, the first and the second keyways being in communication with the opening,
wherein the first A-to-B patch cord is connected to the adapter on the first side with the connector key of the first or the second multi-fiber connector mated to the first keyway and to a second A-to-B patch cord identical to the first A-to-B patch cord, the second A-to-B patch cord having a third multi-fiber connector and a fourth multi-fiber connector connected together in a configuration identical to the first multi-fiber connector and the second multi-fiber connector, the third multi-fiber connector having a third multifiber ferrule, the third multi-fiber connector including a connector key on a third short side and the fourth multi-fiber connector also having a fourth multifiber ferrule, the fourth multi-fiber connector including a connector key on a fourth short side thereof, the third short side being opposite the fourth short side,
wherein the second A-to-B patch cord is connected to the at least one adapter on the second side with the connector key of the third or the fourth multi-fiber connector mated to the second keyway, and
wherein the first side of the at least one adapter has a keyway opening on only one of the short sides of the at least one adapter to secure the first multi-fiber connector or the second multi-fiber connector to the first side of the at least one adapter, and wherein the second side of the at least one adapter also has a keyway opening on only one of the short sides that is diagonally opposite the short side on the first side having the keyway opening to secure the third multi-fiber connector or the fourth multi-fiber connector to the second side of the at least one adapter.

2. The optical patch panel connection according to claim 1 , wherein each of the multi-fiber connectors supports at least three optical fibers.

3. The optical patch panel connection according to claim 1 , wherein the first keyway at the first side is on one of the pair of short sides and the second keyway at the second side is on another of the pair of short sides.

4. The optical patch panel connection according to claim 1 , wherein the optical patch panel connection has a plurality of adapters that are identical to the at least one adapter and a plurality of A-to-B patch cords that are identical to the first A-to-B patch cord.

5. The optical patch panel connection according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the A-to-B patch cords is connected to a transceiver.

6. An optical patch panel connection comprising:
a first multi-fiber connector having a first multifiber ferrule, the first multi-fiber connector including a connector key and a second multi-fiber connector having a second multifiber ferrule, the second multi-fiber connector including a connector key opposite to the connector key of the first multi-fiber connector, the first and the second multi-fiber connectors being connected together by optical fibers terminated in the respective first and second multifiber ferrules to form a first A-to-B patch cord; and
at least one adapter attachable to an optical patch panel, the at least one adapter having an opening extending between a first side and a second side to receive one of the multi-fiber connectors, the opening bound by a pair of long sided walls and a pair of short sided walls and extending between the first and second sides, the pair of long sided walls being longer than the pair of short sided walls when viewed directly in front of the opening on each of the first side and the second side of the at least one adapter such that the height of the at least one adapter is more than a width thereof, the adapter including a first keyway on the first side and a second keyway on the second side, the first and the second keyways being in communication with the opening and each having a single keyway opening on the first side and a single keyway opening on the second side on one of the pair of short sided walls, the single keyway opening on the first side being located diagonally opposite the single keyway opening on the second side,
wherein the first A-to-B patch cord is connected to the adapter on the first side with the connector key of the first or the second multi-fiber connector mated to the first keyway and to a second A-to-B patch cord identical to the first A-to-B patch cord, the second A-to-B patch cord connected to the adapter on the second side with a connector key of a corresponding multi-fiber connector mated to the second keyway.

7. The optical patch panel connection according to claim 6 , wherein the each of the multi-fiber connectors supports at least three optical fibers.

8. The optical patch panel connection according to claim 6 , wherein the first keyway at the first side is one of the pair of short sides and the second keyway at the second side is on another of the pair of short sides.

9. The optical patch panel connection according to claim 6 , wherein the optical patch panel connection has a plurality of adapters that are identical to the at least one adapter and a plurality of A-to-B patch cords that are identical to the first A-to-B patch cord.

10. The optical patch panel connection according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of the A-to-B patch cords is connected to a transceiver.

11. The optical patch panel connection according to claim 6 , wherein the adapter has a plurality of openings.

12. The optical patch panel connection according to claim 6 , wherein the first and second keyways are on opposite sides of the opening.

13. An optical patch panel connection to connect two transceivers to one another comprising:
a plurality of A-to-B patch cords, each of the plurality of A-to-B patch cords being identical and consisting of a first multi-fiber connector having a first multifiber ferrule, the first multi-fiber connector including a connector key and a second multi-fiber connector having a second multifiber ferrule, the second multi-fiber connector including a connector key in a flipped orientation relative to the connector key of the first multi-fiber connector, the first and the second multi-fiber connectors being connected together by optical fibers terminated in the respective first and second multifiber ferrules; and
a plurality of adapters, each of the plurality of adapters being identical and having an opening extending between a first side and a second side, the opening bound b

Assignees

• Us Conec Ltd

Inventors

• Hendrick Jeff
• Hughes Michael E

Classifications

• G02B6/3825 Primary

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

• G02B6/3831

  comprising a keying element on the plug or adapter, e.g. to forbid wrong connection (keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical coupling H01R13/64) · CPC title

• G02B6/406 Primary

  of the ferrule type, connecting a plurality of pairs of ferrules · CPC title