Blind mating strain relieved optical fiber connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9720184-B2
Application number	US-201514613998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2015
Priority date	Feb 4, 2015
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention include an optical fiber connector for connecting optical fibers. The optical fiber connector includes a ferrule coupled to one or more optical fiber ribbons. The optical fiber connector includes a connector housing coupled with a radius controlled ribbon bending housing. The connector housing surrounds the ferrule on at least four sides, and the one or more optical fiber ribbons coupled to the ferrule are within the connector housing. The optical fiber connector includes a strain relief clamp coupled with the radius controlled ribbon bending housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical fiber connector comprising:
a ferrule coupled to one or more optical fiber ribbons;
a connector housing coupled with a radius controlled ribbon bending housing, wherein the connector housing surrounds the ferrule on at least four sides, and the one or more optical fiber ribbons coupled to the ferrule are within the connector housing, and wherein the radius controlled ribbon bending housing incorporates one or more guide rails, wherein the one or more guide rails are parallel protrusions extending from the radius controlled ribbon bending housing, and wherein a space between the one or more guide rails is wide enough to fit a stack of one or more fiber ribbons from an adjacent optical fiber connector and align the stack; and

a strain relief clamp coupled with the radius controlled ribbon bending housing.

2. The optical fiber connector of claim 1 , wherein the radius controlled ribbon bending housing provides a smooth 90 degree bend for the one or more optical fiber ribbons.

3. The optical fiber connector of claim 1 , wherein the ferrule can couple with up to 64 fibers.

4. The optical fiber connector of claim 1 , further comprising a spring within the connector housing, wherein the spring surrounds the one or more optical fiber ribbons, and wherein the ferrule is in contact with the spring such that the ferrule can retract within the connector housing.

5. The optical fiber connector of claim 1 , wherein the radius controlled ribbon bending housing incorporates one or more routing shelves, and wherein the one or more guide rails and the one or more routing shelves are positioned such that when a first optical fiber connector and a second optical fiber connector are positioned next to each other, a stack of one or more fiber ribbons from the first optical fiber connector can be positioned on the one or more routing shelves and aligned by the one or more guide rails of the second optical fiber connector.

6. The optical fiber connector of claim 1 , wherein the radius controlled ribbon bending housing includes at least one snap, and wherein the strain relief clamp includes at least one snap catch.

7. The optical fiber connector of claim 6 , wherein the strain relief clamp couples with the radius controlled ribbon bending housing when the at least one snap of the radius controlled ribbon bending housing engages with the at least one snap catch of the strain relief clamp.

8. The optical fiber connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector housing includes at least one opening, and wherein the radius controlled ribbon bending housing includes at least one molded catch, and wherein the connector housing and the radius controlled ribbon bending housing couple when the at least one opening of the connector housing engages with the at least one molded catch of the radius controlled ribbon bending housing.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Benner Alan F
• Brandon Mark A
• Ellsworth Michael J
• Mckeever Eric J
• Nguyen Thong N
• Seminaro Edward J

Classifications

• G02B6/3829 Primary

  Bent or angled connectors (G02B6/3827 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/3887

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

• G02B6/3885

  Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448) · CPC title

• G02B6/3825

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

• G02B6/3821

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