Optical connector with one-piece body

• US 10,520,686 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2018
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SENKO Advanced Components, Inc. (SENKO Group Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: SENKO Advanced Components, Inc. (SENKO Group Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wong, Yim, Ho, Man Ming, Takano, Kazuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Petkovsek, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/979,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20180335581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/381 of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3821 with axial spring biasing or loading means G02B6/3847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3833 Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3851 Ferrules having keying or coding means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3869 Mounting ferrules to connector body, i.e. plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/387 Connector plugs comprising two complementary members, e.g. shells, caps, covers, locked together
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3882 using rods, pins or balls to align a pair of ferrule ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 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 Class Codes: G02B 6/3888 Protection from over-extension or over-compression
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3893 Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on

Abstract

A multiple fiber push-on (MPO) optical connector is provided having a ferrule configured to house multiple optical fibers and including a stepped portion extending from at least one pair of opposing exterior surfaces of the ferrule. A one-piece housing-backpost is provided having a distal end in a connection direction and a proximal end in a cable direction. The one-piece housing-backpost is configured to receive a ferrule spring and the ferrule from the distal end. The housing-backpost includes at least one resiliently-deformable ferrule-retaining protrusion extending from a sidewall to engage a corresponding stepped portion of the ferrule. The resiliently-deformable ferrule-retaining protrusion is configured to deform towards the housing-backpost interior sidewall as the ferrule is inserted from the distal end and to extend outward against the stepped portion of the ferrule when the ferrule is seated in the housing-backpost to maintain the ferrule in the housing-backpost.

Claims

1. A multi-fiber push on optical connector comprising:

a ferrule configured to house multiple optical fibers and including a stepped portion extending from at least one pair of opposing exterior surfaces of the ferrule;

a one-piece housing-backpost having a distal end in a connection direction and a proximal end in a cable direction and configured to receive a ferrule spring and the ferrule from the distal end;

the housing-backpost having at least one pair of opposing interior side walls and at least one resiliently-deformable ferrule-retaining protrusion extending from the sidewall to engage the corresponding stepped portion of the ferrule, the resiliently-deformable ferrule-retaining protrusion being configured to deform towards the housing-backpost interior sidewall as the ferrule is inserted from the distal end and to extend outward against the stepped portion of the ferrule when the ferrule is seated in the housing-backpost to maintain the ferrule in the housing-backpost.

2. The multi-fiber push-on optical connector of claim 1, further comprising a pin keeper having a main body and a top arm and bottom arm respectively extending from the main body, wherein,

the housing-backpost is configured to receive the pin keeper from the distal end;

and

the top and bottom arms are configured to hold respectively on a top side and a bottom side of the ferrule to retain the ferrule in the housing-backpost.

3. The multi-fiber push-on optical connector of claim 2, further comprising polarity-changing key slidably retained on a surface of the housing-backpost, the polarity-changing key including an aperture cooperating with a deformable housing-backpost projection to retain the polarity-changing key on the housing-backpost.

4. The multi-fiber push-on optical connector of claim 1, further comprising:

an outer housing at least partially surrounding the housing-backpost; and

one or more resilient forward biasing projections extending from one or more of the outer housing or the housing-backpost for biasing the outer housing towards a distal end of the housing-backpost.

5. The multi-fiber push-on optical connector of claim 4, wherein the one or more resilient forward biasing projections is integrally formed with either the housing-backpost or with the outer housing.

6. The multi-fiber push-on optical connector of claim 4, wherein the one or more resilient forward biasing projection is a primary bendable arm protruding from the outer housing.

7. The multi-fiber push-on optical connector of claim 6, further comprising one or more auxiliary bendable arms protruding from the outer housing and configured to act on the primary bendable arm to enhance the elastic force for biasing the outer housing towards the distal end of the housing-backpost.

8. The multi-fiber push-on optical connector of claim 4, wherein the one or more resilient forward biasing projection further comprises a bendable arm protruding from the housing-backpost.

9. The multi-fiber push-on optical connector of claim 4, wherein the one or more resilient forward biasing projection is a ramp extending from the housing-backpost.

10. The multi-fiber push-on optical connector of claim 9, further comprising a flexing wing in the outer housing configured to open upon contacting the ramp as the outer housing is withdrawn in the distal direction.

11. The multi push-on optical connector of claim 4, wherein the one or more resilient forward biasing projection is a flexing wedge formed on the housing-backpost.

12. The multi-fiber push-on optical connector of claim 11, wherein a proximal edge of the outer housing compresses the flexing wedge as the outer housing is withdrawn in a proximal direction.