Optical fiber connector with integrated installation tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018128996-A1
Application number	US-201715785626-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 17, 2017
Priority date	Nov 7, 2016
Publication date	May 10, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical connector having at least one removable integrated assembly tool for terminating an optical fiber cable is described. The connector comprises a housing configured to mate with a receptacle, a collar body disposed in the housing, a backbone that retains the collar body in the housing, a removable funnel-shaped and a fiber boot. The collar body secures a ferrule secured at a first end thereof, and includes mechanical element disposed in an intermediate portion and a buffer clamping portion near a second end of the collar body. The backbone has a mounting structure surrounding a central bore at one end. The funnel-shaped fiber guide attaches to the mounting structure to facilitate insertion of an optical fiber into the connector, and wherein the fiber boot is attachable to the mounting structure after the fiber guide has been removed.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An optical fiber connector having at least one removable integrated assembly tool for terminating an optical fiber cable, comprising:
a housing configured to mate with a receptacle; a collar body disposed in the housing, the collar body securing a ferrule at a first end thereof, a mechanical element disposed in an intermediate second portion of the collar body, and a buffer clamping portion near a second end of the collar body, wherein the buffer clamping portion is configured to clamp at least a portion of a buffer cladding of the optical fiber upon actuation; a backbone to retain the collar body within the housing, the backbone including a mounting structure surrounding a central bore at one end of the backbone, a removable funnel-shaped fiber guide attached to the mounting structure to facilitate insertion of an optical fiber into the connector; and a fiber boot attachable to the mounting structure after the funnel-shaped fiber guide has been removed.

2 . The connector of claim 1 , further comprising a dust cap actuator tool disposed over the ferrule.

3 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the dust cap actuator tool comprises a body portion that covers and protects the end face of the connector ferrule and a cap actuator that is configured to actuate the mechanical element in the connector.

4 . The connector of claim 3 , wherein the cap actuator is connected to the body portion by a living hinge so that the cap actuator can be moved from a first position to a second position.

5 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical element is a mechanical fiber gripping element.

6 . The connector of claim 1 , further comprising a fiber stub adhesively mounted in the ferrule wherein a first end of the fiber stub is disposed flush with an end face of the ferrule and a second end of the fiber stub extends beyond the ferrule so that it will extend into an interior of the connector.

7 . The connector of claim 6 , wherein the second end of the fiber stub extends into the mechanical element where it will be spliced to a terminal end of the optical fiber cable.

8 . The connector of claim 6 , wherein the mechanical element is a mechanical splice element.

9 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the funnel-shaped fiber guide includes a connection portion to removably connect and align the funnel-shaped fiber guide to the backbone of optical fiber connector and a funnel portion to facilitate insertion of the optical fiber into the collar body of the connector.

10 . The connector of claim 9 , wherein the connection portion comprises a box-like cradle that partially surrounds the mounting structure and a pair of catch arms to secure the funnel-shaped fiber guide to the mounting structure.

11 . The connector of claim 10 , wherein the pair of catch arms comprises a stationary catch arm and a flexible catch arm.

12 . The connector of claim 9 , wherein the connection portion includes one or more alignment walls to help maintain alignment of the funnel portion of the funnel-shaped fiber guide with the second end of the optical fiber connector.

13 . The connector of claim 9 , wherein the funnel portion of the funnel-shaped fiber guide includes a channel extending from a narrow end adjacent the connection portion to a wide end space away from the connection portion.

14 . The connector of claim 13 , wherein the channel is tapered from the wide end and the narrow end.

15 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector is one of an LC format connector and an SC format connector.

16 . A removable funnel-shaped fiber guide that can be temporarily attached to an optical fiber connector to facilitate insertion of an optical fiber into the connector, the funnel-shaped fiber guide comprising:
a connection portion to removably connect and align the funnel-shaped fiber guide to the optical fiber connector and a funnel portion to facilitate insertion of the optical fiber into the collar body of the connector, wherein the funnel portion of the funnel-shaped fiber guide includes a channel extending from a narrow end adjacent the connection portion to a wide end space away from the connection portion.

17 . The connector of claim 16 , wherein the pair of catch arms comprises a stationary catch arm and a flexible catch arm.

18 . The connector of claim 16 , wherein the connection portion includes one or more alignment walls to help maintain alignment of the funnel portion of the funnel-shaped fiber guide with the second end of the optical fiber connector.

19 . The connector of claim 16 , wherein the channel is tapered from the wide end and the narrow end.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Sawicki Joseph C
• Larson Donald K
• May Michael
• Yamauchi Takaya

Classifications

• G02B6/3846

  with fibre stubs · CPC title

• G02B6/3898 Primary

  Tools, e.g. handheld; Tuning wrenches; Jigs used with connectors, e.g. for extracting, removing or inserting in a panel, for engaging or coupling connectors, for assembling or disassembling components within the connector, for applying clips to hold two connectors together or for crimping (tools for cleaning, G02B6/3866; tools in general B25B) · CPC title

• G02B6/3887

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

• G02B6/3849

  using mechanical protective elements, e.g. caps, hoods, sealing membranes (G02B6/3816 takes precedence; provisionally see H01R13/44) · CPC title

• G02B6/3893

  Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on · CPC title