Ingress-protected optical fiber connector assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022269013-A1
Application number	US-202217678640-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 23, 2022
Priority date	Feb 24, 2021
Publication date	Aug 25, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

In an ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly, an optical fiber plug mates with a receptacle at a bulkhead adapter and an ingress-protected housing assembly couples to the bulkhead adapter to enclose the optical fiber plug. The ingress-protected housing includes an outer housing and a compressible cable seal. The outer housing is rotatable to advance the outer housing, simultaneously compressing the compressible cable seal and fastening the housing assembly to the bulkhead adapter. The outer housing can have a plurality coupling positions at which the cable seal is compressed with a different amount of compression force. A non-sealing cable clamp can transfer tension on the cable to the bulkhead adapter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly comprising:
an optical fiber plug configured for terminating an optical fiber cable and for mating with a receptacle at a bulkhead adapter; and an ingress-protected housing assembly configured to couple to the bulkhead adapter and enclose the optical fiber plug mated with the receptacle, the ingress-protected housing assembly comprising an outer housing and a compressible cable seal, the outer housing being rotatable in a coupling direction about a longitudinal axis relative to the optical fiber plug to advance the outer housing along the longitudinal axis from an uncoupled position to a coupled position in relation to the bulkhead adapter, wherein rotating the outer housing in the coupling direction to advance the outer housing along the longitudinal axis from the uncoupled position to the coupled position simultaneously (1) compresses the compressible cable seal against the optical fiber cable to make a fluid seal between the ingress-protected housing assembly and the optical fiber cable and (2) fastens the ingress protected housing assembly to the bulkhead adapter so that the rotatable outer housing must be counter-rotated in an uncoupling direction about the longitudinal axis to separate the ingress-protected housing assembly from the bulkhead adapter.

2 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the ingress-protected housing assembly further comprises a collet, the outer housing configured to deflect a portion of the collet radially inward with respect to the longitudinal axis as the outer housing is rotated in the coupling direction to advance the outer housing along the longitudinal axis from the uncoupled position to the coupled position.

3 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 2 , wherein ingress-protected housing assembly further comprises a push ring having a front end portion and a rear end portion spaced apart along the longitudinal axis, the front end portion defining an inner chamfer, the outer housing configured to advance the push ring forward along the longitudinal axis as the outer housing is rotated in the coupling direction to advance the outer housing along the longitudinal axis from the uncoupled position to the coupled position whereby the inner chamfer of the push ring bears against the collet to deflect said portion of the collet radially inward.

4 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the compressible cable seal has an interior configured to receive the optical fiber cable therein, wherein the compressible cable seal is selectively openable such that optical fiber cable can be moved radially with respect to the longitudinal axis into the interior of the compressible cable seal.

5 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the ingress-protected housing assembly comprises an inner housing, the ingress-protected housing assembly configured to couple to the bulkhead adapter such that a portion of the bulkhead adapter is sandwiched radially between the inner housing and the outer housing.

6 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 5 , further comprising a bulkhead gasket disposed on the inner housing for being compressed between the inner housing and the bulkhead adapter for sealing an interface between the ingress-protected housing assembly and the bulkhead adapter.

7 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set for in claim 5 , wherein the compressible cable seal is configured to sealingly engage the inner housing to seal an interface between the compressible cable seal and the inner housing.

8 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the inner housing comprises a keying feature configured to engage a complementary keying feature of the bulkhead adapter in an aligned orientation about the longitudinal axis to allow insertion of the inner housing into the bulkhead adapter in the aligned orientation and to block insertion of the inner housing into the bulkhead adapter at other orientations with respect to the longitudinal axis.

9 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the inner housing further comprises a detent formation configured to engage a complementary detent formation of the bulkhead adapter to temporarily hold the inner housing at an operative position in relation to the bulkhead adapter.

10 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 9 , wherein as the outer housing is rotated in the coupling direction to advance the outer housing along the longitudinal axis from the uncoupled position to the coupled position, the outer housing makes a threaded connection to the inner housing and is positioned in relation to the bulkhead adapter such that the outer housing prevents release of the detent formation from the complementary detent formation.

11 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the outer housing comprises an inner rotational coupling feature and the bulkhead adapter comprises an outer rotational coupling feature, wherein as the outer housing is rotated in the coupling direction to advance the outer housing along the longitudinal axis from the uncoupled position to the coupled position, the inner rotatable coupling feature engages the outer rotational coupling feature to couple the outer housing to the bulkhead adapter.

12 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the inner rotational coupling feature and the outer rotational coupling feature are configured to make a threaded connection.

13 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the inner rotational coupling feature and the outer rotational coupling feature are configured to make a bayonet connection.

14 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the inner rotational coupling feature and the outer rotational coupling feature are configured to make a bayonet connection at any of a plurality of spaced apart coupling positions of the outer housing.

15 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the outer housing is configured to compress the compressible cable seal a different amount at each of the plurality of spaced apart coupling positions.

16 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 14 , further comprising a lock ring slidably disposed on the outer housing for movement between an unlocked position in which the lock ring allows rotation of the outer housing about the longitudinal axis and a locked position at which the lock ring prevents rotation of the outer housing about the longitudinal axis.

17 . The ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly is field-installable onto the optical fiber cable.

18 . A connection system comprising the ingress-protected fiber optic connector assembly as set forth in claim 1 and a bulkhead adapter.

19 . A method of making an ingress-protected fiber optic connection, the method comprising:
plugging an optical fiber plug into a receptacle at a bulkhead adapter; and rotating an outer housing of an ingress-prote

Assignees

• Senko Advanced Components Inc

Inventors

• Iizumi Kenji
• Takano Kazuyoshi
• Newbury Paul

Classifications

• G02B6/3887

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

• G02B6/3849 Primary

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

• G02B6/3825

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

• G02B6/3604

  Rotary joints allowing relative rotational movement between opposing fibre or fibre bundle ends · CPC title