Fiber optic connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9500813-B2
Application number	US-201514858900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2015
Priority date	Mar 15, 2011
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A connector includes a ferrule assembly having a ferrule, a hub and a spring, the ferrule having a distal face accessible at a distal end of the connector housing, the ferrule being movable in a proximal direction relative to the connector housing. The distal and proximal positions are separated by an axial displacement distance. The ferrule proximal movement is against the spring's bias. The cable of the assembly includes an optical fiber contained within a jacket and also a strength layer between the fiber and the jacket that is anchored to the connector housing. The fiber extends through a fiber from the proximal end of the connector housing to the ferrule. The fiber has a distal portion potted within the ferrule. The fiber passage has a fiber take-up region configured to take-up an excess length of the fiber corresponding to the ferrule axial displacement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fiber optic connector comprising:
a connector housing defining a distal end and a proximal end; and
a fiber passage extending between the distal end and the proximal end of the connector housing, wherein the fiber passage of the fiber optic connector has a fiber take-up region that is configured to take-up an excess length of optical fiber within the fiber passage, the fiber take-up region having an intermediate section positioned between a distal section and a proximal section, the intermediate section defining an intermediate transverse cross-sectional area, the distal section defining a distal transverse cross-sectional area, and the proximal section defining a proximal transverse cross-sectional area, the distal transverse cross-sectional area and the proximal transverse cross-sectional area each being smaller than the intermediate transverse cross-sectional area, wherein the fiber passage further defines a first transition portion between the distal section and the intermediate section and a second transition portion between the proximal section and the intermediate section, each of the first and second transition portions defining a gradual increase in transverse cross-sectional area as the distal and proximal sections transition to the intermediate section so as to form funnel shaped passages at the first and second transition portions, the distal transverse cross-sectional area being defined at a location that is proximally offset from the distal end of the connector housing.

2. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector housing is defined by a distal housing portion that removably connects to a proximal housing portion, the distal housing portion defining the distal end of the connector housing and the proximal housing portion defining the proximal end of the connector housing.

3. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic connector is an SC style connector that includes a release sleeve that slidably mounts over the connector housing.

4. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic connector is an LC style connector that includes a flexible latch extending at an acute angle from a top wall of the connector housing in a direction from the distal end toward the proximal end.

5. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic connector further comprises a strain relief boot coupled adjacent the proximal end of the connector housing.

6. The fiber optic connector of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of an outer profile of the strain relief boot defines a circular configuration.

7. The fiber optic connector of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of an outer profile of the strain relief boot defines a generally square configuration.

8. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the fiber take-up region defines an obround configuration.

9. The fiber optic connector of claim 8 , wherein the fiber take-up region transitions from an obround configuration to a circular configuration as the fiber passage extends from the proximal end of the connector housing toward the distal end of the connector housing.

10. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate section has a cross-dimension that is at least two times as large as a cross-dimension of the distal section.

11. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate section has a cross-dimension that is at least two times as large as a cross-dimension of the proximal section.

12. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate section has a cross-dimension that is at least three times as large as a cross-dimension of the distal section.

13. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate section has a cross-dimension that is at least three times as large as a cross-dimension of the proximal section.

14. The fiber optic connector of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate section has a cross-dimension that is at least two times as large as a cross-dimension of the proximal section and that is at least two times as large as a cross-dimension of the distal section.

Assignees

• Adc Telecommunications Inc
• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Nhep Ponharith

Classifications

• G02B6/3861

  Adhesive bonding (adhesives in general C09J) · CPC title

• G02B6/3821 Primary

  with axial spring biasing or loading means (G02B6/3847 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/387

  Connector plugs comprising two complementary members, e.g. shells, caps, covers, locked together · CPC title

• G02B6/3825

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

• G02B6/381

  of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres · CPC title