Fiber optic adapter with integrally molded ferrule alignment structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778422-B2
Application number	US-201615165446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	Aug 27, 2008
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A fiber optic adapter is disclosed. The fiber optic adapter includes a main body configured to receive a first fiber optic connector through a first end and a second fiber optic connector through a second end for mating with the first fiber optic connector. The adapter includes a ferrule alignment structure located within an axial cavity of the main body, the ferrule alignment structure including a sleeve mount and a ferrule sleeve, the sleeve mount including an axial bore and at least one latching hook extending from a center portion of the sleeve mount toward the first end of the main body and at least one latching hook extending from the center portion toward the second end of the main body, the latching hooks configured to flex for releasably latching the first and second fiber optic connectors to the fiber optic adapter. The sleeve mount and the main body of the fiber optic adapter are unitarily molded as a single piece and the ferrule sleeve is separately placed within the axial bore of the sleeve mount.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fiber optic adapter for interconnecting two fiber connectors in coaxial alignment, each connector including a generally cylindrical ferrule holding an end of an optical fiber, the adapter comprising:
a main body with an axial cavity extending between a first opening defined at a first end of the main body and a second opening defined at a second end of the main body, the first end configured to receive a first fiber optic connector through the first opening and the second end configured to receive a second fiber optic connector through the second opening for mating with the first fiber optic connector; and
a ferrule alignment structure located within the axial cavity, the ferrule alignment structure including a sleeve mount defining a first end, a second end, and a center portion, wherein the first end of the sleeve mount is positioned toward the first end of the main body and the second end of the sleeve mount is positioned toward the second end of the main body, the sleeve mount further defining an axial bore that defines a longitudinal axis extending from the first end of the sleeve mount toward the second end of the sleeve mount, the axial bore configured to receive and coaxially align the ferrules of the first and second fiber optic connectors when the connectors are inserted into the adapter, wherein the sleeve mount and the main body of the fiber optic adapter are unitarily molded as a single piece, wherein the sleeve mount includes a first portion extending from the center portion of the sleeve mount toward the first end of the sleeve mount and a second portion extending from the center portion of the sleeve mount toward the second end of the sleeve mount, each of the first and second portions defining an inwardly extending finger for capturing the ferrule sleeve within the axial bore once the sleeve is received within the bore.

2. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion of the sleeve mount defines flexible arms defined around the axial bore of the sleeve mount for receiving a ferrule sleeve, the flexible arms configured to flex out radially to receive the ferrule sleeve into the axial bore after the sleeve mount and the main body have been unitarily molded.

3. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 2 , wherein the flexible arms extend from the center portion of the sleeve mount toward at least one of the first end and the second end of the sleeve mount.

4. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 2 , wherein the sleeve mount defines three of the flexible arms.

5. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the inwardly extending finger of the first portion is positioned around the axial bore at a peripherally offset relationship with respect to the inwardly extending finger of the second portion along the longitudinal axis defined by the axial bore.

6. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 5 , wherein each of the first portion and the second portion of the sleeve mount includes three inwardly extending fingers.

7. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve mount of the ferrule alignment structure is configured to be moldable with a molding tool, wherein parts of the molding tool are pulled apart from the first and second ends of the main body along a direction of the longitudinal axis.

8. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic adapter is configured for interconnecting two SC type fiber connectors in coaxial alignment.

9. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the main body and the sleeve mount are injection-molded from a polymer.

10. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter includes an outwardly protruding mounting tab from at least one side of the main body.

11. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 10 , wherein the adapter includes an outwardly protruding mounting tab on each of a right side-wall and a left side-wall of the main body.

12. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 1 , further comprising a ferrule sleeve inserted into the sleeve mount in a direction along the longitudinal axis.

13. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 12 , wherein the ferrule sleeve is made out of metal.

14. A fiber optic adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve mount includes two latching hooks extending from the center portion of the sleeve mount toward the first end of the main body and two latching hooks extending from the center portion of the sleeve mount toward the second end of the main body, wherein the latching hooks extending toward the first end of the main body are positioned on opposite sides of the axial bore and are configured to flex toward and away from each other to releasably latch a first connector to the adapter, and the latching hooks extending toward the second end of the main body are positioned on opposite sides of the axial bore and are configured to flex toward and away from each other to releasably latch a second connector to the adapter.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Nelson Keith

Classifications

• G02B6/3865

  fabricated by using moulding techniques (shaping techniques of plastic materials in general B29C; producing plastic optical fiber connectors B29D11/0075) · CPC title

• G02B6/3834

  Means for centering or aligning the light guide within the ferrule · CPC title

• G02B6/3833

  Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture · CPC title

• G02B6/3874

  using tubes, sleeves to align ferrules · CPC title

• G02B6/3825 Primary

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