Communication connector having an alignment mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829655-B2
Application number	US-201213348872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2012
Priority date	Jan 12, 2012
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A communication connector including a connector housing configured to hold at least one of optical fibers or electrical contacts. The connector housing has an engagement face that is configured to interface with a mating connector. The communication connector also includes a movable member that is held by the connector housing and that includes a magnetic material. The movable member is permitted to move toward and engage the mating connector when the movable member is magnetically drawn toward the mating connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication connector comprising:
a connector housing configured to hold at least one of optical fibers or electrical contacts, the connector housing having an engagement face that is configured to interface with a mating connector after a coupling operation, the engagement face facing in a forward direction toward the mating connector during the coupling operation, the connector housing including a housing cavity; and
a movable member held by the connector housing within the housing cavity and comprising a magnetic material, the movable member being movable relative to the connector housing during the coupling operation, wherein the movable member is configured to be magnetically drawn in the forward direction by the mating connector during the coupling operation from a first position, in which the movable member and the mating connector are unengaged, to a second position, in which the movable member and the mating connector are engaged, the movable member being at least partially in the housing cavity in the first position, the movable member moving in the forward direction from the first position in the housing cavity to the second position when magnetically drawn during the coupling operation, the movable member being drawn out of the housing cavity when magnetically drawn to the second position.

2. The communication connector of claim 1 , wherein the communication connector comprises a plurality of said movable members held by the connector housing.

3. A communication connector comprising:
a connector housing configured to hold at least one of optical fibers or electrical contacts, the connector housing having an engagement face that is configured to interface with a mating connector after a coupling operation; and
a movable member held by the connector housing and comprising a magnetic material, wherein the movable member is permitted to move, relative to the connector housing, toward and engage the mating connector when the movable member is magnetically drawn toward the mating connector;
wherein the connector housing includes a housing cavity having a cavity opening, the movable member being held within the housing cavity, the movable member permitted to move within the housing cavity toward the mating connector when the movable member is magnetically drawn during the coupling operation, the movable member moving, when magnetically drawn, toward the mating connector from a first position within the housing cavity to a second position, the movable member moving through the cavity opening out of the housing cavity when the movable member is magnetically drawn to the second position.

4. The communication connector of claim 3 , wherein the movable member is permitted to clear the engagement face when the movable member engages the mating connector.

5. The communication connector of claim 3 , wherein the cavity opening is sized and shaped relative to the movable member to stop the movable member from moving beyond a predetermined point.

6. The communication connector of claim 3 , wherein the housing cavity and the movable member at least partially define an alignment mechanism, the communication connector including more than one of said alignment mechanism.

7. The communication connector of claim 3 , further comprising a base member held by the connector housing and comprising a magnetic material, the base member pulling the connector housing toward the mating connector when the base member is magnetically drawn toward the mating connector, the movable member being movable with respect to the base member.

8. The communication connector of claim 3 , further comprising a base member held by the connector housing and comprising a magnetic material, the base member pulling the connector housing toward the mating connector when the base member is magnetically drawn toward the mating connector, wherein the movable member is located between the base member and the mating connector, the movable member being movable with respect to the base member.

9. The communication connector of claim 1 , wherein the movable member includes a coupling portion that clears the engagement face as the movable member moves from the first position to the second position during the coupling operation, the coupling portion having a curved contour.

10. A connector assembly comprising:
a first communication connector including a connector housing having an engagement face and a movable member that is held by the connector housing; and
a second communication connector configured to mate with the first communication connector, the second communication connector having a mating face that interfaces with the engagement face of the first communication connector, the second communication connector including a coupling magnet and a member recess that opens to the mating face, the member recess having an opening that is defined by an edge of a peripheral wall;
wherein the movable member is permitted to move relative to the connector housing of the first communication connector and at least partially into the member recess of the second communication connector when the first and second communication connectors are approximately aligned and the movable member is magnetically drawn toward the coupling magnet, the movable member being sized and shaped relative to the opening of the member recess such that the edge of the peripheral wall blocks the movable member from moving further into the member recess when the coupling magnet magnetically draws the movable member into the member recess.

11. The connector assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first communication connector comprises a plurality of said movable members that are held by the connector housing.

12. The connector assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a base member held by the first communication connector and comprising a magnetic material, the movable member being located between the base member and the second communication connector and movable relative to the base member, the base member pulling the first communication connector and the second communication connector together when the base member is magnetically drawn.

13. The connector assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first communication connector includes a housing cavity having a cavity opening, the movable member being held within the housing cavity, the movable member clearing the cavity opening when magnetically drawn by the coupling magnet.

14. The connector assembly of claim 10 , wherein the movable member includes a coupling portion that clears the engagement face and advances into the member recess, the coupling portion having a curved contour.

15. The connector assembly of claim 10 , wherein the movable member includes a coupling portion that clears the engagement face and advances into the member recess, the member recess having a recess opening, wherein dimensions of the recess opening are smaller than dimensions of the coupling portion.

16. The connector assembly of claim 10 , wherein the second communication connector comprises a connector body having a base portion and a floatable portion that is movably coupled to the base portion, the floatable portion having the mating face and the coupling magnet.

17. The connector assembly of claim 10 , wherein the second communication connector is coupled to a system chassis and the first communication connector is coupled to a card module, the second communication connector being permitted to move toward the first communication connector.

18. The communication connector of claim 1 , wherein the engagement f

Assignees

• Erdman David Donald
• Plotts Alan E
• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Erdman David Donald
• Plotts Alan E

Classifications

• H01R13/64

  Means for preventing incorrect coupling · CPC title

• H01R13/6205

  Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet · CPC title

• G02B6/3886 Primary

  Magnetic means to align ferrule ends · CPC title