Fiber Optic Adapter Assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023152535-A1
Application number	US-202318157107-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 20, 2023
Priority date	Mar 28, 2019
Publication date	May 18, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fiber optic adapter assembly reduced in size from a SFP footprint to a SC footprint to accommodate a first fiber optic connector on a first side within one or more ports, and a second fiber optic connector on a second side within one or more ports. The first fiber optic connector is a duplex fiber optic connector with an overall length of about 50 mm and the second fiber optic connector is a behind-the-wall connector with an overall length of about 15 mm thereby reducing the overall length of a connector and adapter assembly for increasing optical fiber density.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fiber optic adapter assembly comprising:
a housing comprising:
opposite first and second side walls and a width extending from the first side wall to the second side wall;
opposite first and second end walls and a height extending from the first end wall to the second end wall; and
a middle wall extending from the first end wall to the second end wall, the middle wall being spaced apart between the first end wall and the second end wall;
wherein the first side wall, the middle wall, the first end wall, and the second end wall define a first generally rectangular receptacle including first and second duplex connector ports spaced apart along the height, the first generally rectangular receptacle being non-partitioned such that the first duplex connector port is open to the second duplex connector port;
wherein the middle wall, the second side wall, the first end wall, and the second end wall define a second generally rectangular receptacle including third and fourth duplex connector ports spaced apart along the height, the second generally rectangular receptacle being non-partitioned such that the third duplex connector port is open to the fourth duplex connector port; and
wherein the middle wall separates the first and second duplex connector ports from the third and fourth duplex connector ports.

2 . The fiber optic adapter assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to fit four duplex connectors in a duplex-SC adapter footprint.

3 . The fiber optic adapter assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the width is 25.8 mm.

4 . The fiber optic adapter assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the height is 9.5 mm.

5 . The fiber optic adapter assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the middle wall has a first side facing the first generally rectangular receptacle, the first side shaped with first features for aligning first and second duplex connectors with the first and second duplex connector ports, respectively.

6 . The fiber optic adapter assembly as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the middle wall has a second side facing the second generally rectangular receptacle, the second side shaped with features for aligning third and fourth duplex connectors with the third and fourth duplex connector ports, respectively.

7 . The fiber optic adapter assembly as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the features of the first side define first and second alignment channels spaced apart along the connector height and wherein the features of the second side define third and fourth alignment channels spaced apart along the connector height.

8 . The fiber optic adapter assembly as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the first and second alignment channels are configured to slidably receive correspondingly sized and shaped portions of the first and second duplex connectors to align the first and second duplex connectors with the first and second duplex connector ports, respectively; and
wherein the first and second alignment channels are configured to slidably receive correspondingly sized and shaped portions of the first and second duplex connectors to align the first and second duplex connectors with the first and second duplex connector ports, respectively

9 . The fiber optic adapter assembly as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising first and second duplex alignment sleeve holders in the first generally rectangular receptacle, the first and second duplex alignment sleeve holders being spaced apart along the height.

10 . The fiber optic adapter assembly as set forth in claim 9 , further comprising third and fourth duplex alignment sleeve holders in the second generally rectangular receptacle, the third and fourth duplex alignment sleeve holders being spaced apart along the height.

11 . The fiber optic adapter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the outer housing has a first port side and a second port side opposite the first port side, the first, second, third, and fourth duplex connector ports opening through the first port side, the fiber optic adapter assembly further comprising fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth duplex connector ports opening through the second port side, wherein the fiber optic adapter assembly is configured to mate with first, second, third, and fourth duplex fiber optic connectors in the first, second, third, and fourth duplex connector ports and wherein the fiber optic adapter assembly is configured to mate with fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth duplex fiber optic connectors in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth duplex connector ports.

12 . The fiber optic adapter assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth duplex fiber optic connectors are the same type of duplex fiber optic connector.

13 . The fiber optic adapter assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth duplex fiber optic connectors are a first type of duplex fiber optic connector and the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth fiber optic connectors are a second type of duplex fiber optic connector, wherein the second type of duplex fiber optic connector is a behind-the-wall fiber optic connector.

14 . The fiber optic adapter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the outer housing further comprises a mounting clip, the mounting clip having a widthwise dimension greater than the width of the housing.

15 . The fiber optic adapter assembly as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a respective pair of opposing adapter latch hooks in the each of the first, second, third, and fourth duplex connector ports.

16 . A fiber optic port device, the fiber optic port device comprising:
a housing comprising:
a first side wall, a second side wall, and a width extending from the first side wall to the second side wall,
a first end wall, a second end wall, and a height extending from the first end wall to the second end wall,
a middle wall extending from the first end wall to the second end wall, the middle wall being spaced apart between the first side wall and the second side wall of the outer housing,
wherein the first side wall, the middle wall, the first end wall, and the second end wall define a first generally rectangular receptacle having a first plurality of duplex connector ports spaced apart along the height,
wherein the middle wall, the second wall, the first end wall, and the second end wall define a second generally rectangular receptacle having a second plurality of duplex connector ports spaced apart along the height; and
a respective pair of ferrule alignment sleeves for each of the duplex connector ports, wherein each pair of ferrule alignment sleeves comprises first and second ferrule alignment sleeves spaced apart along the width of the housing.

17 . The fiber optic port device of claim 16 , wherein each of the first and second generally rectangular receptacles is non-partitioned such that each of the first and second generally rectangular receptacles is free of internal widthwise walls separating the duplex connector ports.

18 . The fiber optic port device of claim 17 , wherein the middle wall has a second side facing the second generally rectangular receptacle, the second side shaped with first features for aligning a first plurality of duplex connectors with the first plurality of duplex connector ports.

19 . The fiber optic port device of claim 16 , wherein the middle wall has a first side facing the first generally rectangular receptacle, the first side shaped with first f

Assignees

• Senko Advanced Components Inc

Inventors

• Chang Jimmy
• Takano Kazuyoshi
• Newbury Paul

Classifications

• G02B6/3897

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

• G02B6/3893 Primary

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

• G02B6/406 Primary

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

• G02B6/4284

  of optical modules with disconnectable electrical connectors (latching arms for electrical connectors H01R13/627) · CPC title

• G02B6/3825

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