FIBER OPTIC CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY

• US 20040141693A1
• Filed: 01/16/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Molex Incorporated
• Inventors: Szilagyi, B. Daniel, Grois, Igor, Ernst, Scot A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,764,222 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/55
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3849 using mechanical protective elements, e.g. caps, hoods, sealing membranes G02B6/3816 takes precedence; provisionally see H01R13/44
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3879 Linking of individual connector plugs to an overconnector, e.g. using clamps, clips, common housings comprising several individual connector plugs
• 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 6/389 characterised by the method of fastening connecting plugs and sockets, e.g. screw- or nut-lock, snap-in, bayonet type

Abstract

A fiber otic connector assembly includes a receptacle for receiving a fiber optic connector along an optic axis. A housing has an open end for receiving the fiber optic connector. A pair of shutter members are pivotally mounted on the housing at opposite sides of the open end for pivotal movement toward and away from each other to close and open the open end. One of the shutter members is shorter than the other shutter member so that the one shutter member closes before the other shutter member and, thereby, prevents binding therebetween. The receptacle has a bottom mating face, and the fiber optic connector has a plurality of alignment pins insertable into guide holes in the mating face. The fiber optic connector assembly include particular dimensional relationships to prevent the alignment pins from engaging the mating face rather than entering the guide holes.

Claims

1. A receptacle for receiving a fiber optic connector along an optic axis, comprising:

a housing having an open end for receiving the fiber optic connector inserted thereinto on said optic axis; and

a pair of shutter members pivotally mounted on the housing at opposite sides of the open end for pivotal movement toward and away from each other toward and away from the optic axis to close and open said open end, one of the shutter members being shorter than the other shutter member in a direction radially of said axis so that the one shutter member closes before the other shutter member and, thereby, prevents binding therebetween.

2. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein an inner edge of said other shutter member overlaps an inner edge of said one shutter member when the shutter members are closed.

3. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein said shutter members are generally planar.

4. The receptacle of claim 3 wherein said open end of the housing is generally rectangular, and said shutter members are generally rectangular.

5. The receptacle of claim 1, including spring means operatively associated between the shutter members and the housing to bias the shutter members toward closed positions.

6. The receptacle of claim 5 wherein said spring means include at least one spring member for each shutter member with generally equal spring constants to apply a generally equal spring force on each shutter member.

7. A receptacle for receiving a fiber optic connector along an optic axis, comprising:

a housing having a generally rectangular open end for receiving the fiber optic connector inserted thereinto on said optic axis;

a pair of planar, generally rectangular shutter members pivotally mounted on the housing at opposite sides of the open end for pivotal movement toward and away from each other toward and away from the optic axis to close and open said open end, one of the shutter members being shorter than the other shutter member in a direction radially of said axis so that the one shutter member closes before the other shutter member and, thereby, prevents binding therebetween, with an inner edge of said other shutter member overlapping an inner edge of said one shutter member when the shutter members are closed; and

spring means operatively associated between the shutter members and the housing to bias the shutter members toward closed positions.

8. The receptacle of claim 7 wherein said spring means include at least one spring member for each shutter member with generally equal spring constants to apply a generally equal spring force on each shutter member.

9. A fiber optic connector assembly, comprising:

a first connector including a housing forming a receptacle defining an optic axis, the receptacle having given cross-dimensions in “

X” and

“

Y”

directions and a given depth in a “

Z”

direction, a bottom of the receptacle defining a mating face with a pair of transversely spaced pin-receiving guide holes;

a second connector including a housing forming a plug insertable into said receptacle on said optic axis, the plug having given cross-dimensions in the “

X” and

“

Y”

directions and a given length in the “

Z”

direction, with a pair of transversely spaced alignment pins projecting axially from the plug for insertion into the guide holes in the mating face at the bottom of the receptacle of the first connector; and

the respective cross-dimensions of the plug and the receptacle being such as to provide a sufficiently close fit and the receptacle being of sufficient depth in relation to the length of the plug and the projecting alignment pins to prevent the alignment pins from engaging the mating face at the bottom of the receptacle rather than entering the guide holes in the mating face.

10. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 9 wherein said plug and said receptacle are rectangular with respective major and minor sides in said “

X” and

“

Y”

directions, respectively.

11. A fiber optic connector assembly, comprising:

a first connector including a housing forming a receptacle defining an optic axis, a bottom of the receptacle defining a mating face with a pair of transversely spaced pin-receiving guide holes;

a second connector including a housing forming a plug insertable into said receptacle on said optic axis, with a pair of transversely spaced alignment pins projecting axially from the plug for insertion into the guide holes in the mating face at the bottom of the receptacle of the first connector; and

an elongated guide rib on one of the outside of the plug or the inside of the receptacle insertable into an elongated guide groove in the other of the outside of the plug or the inside of the receptacle when the plug is inserted into the receptacle, the rib and groove extending generally parallel to the optic axis, and the rib having a sufficiently close fit in the groove and the rib and groove having sufficient lengths in relation to the length of the alignment pins to prevent the alignment pins from engaging the mating face at the bottom of the receptacle rather than entering the guide holes in the mating face.

12. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 11, including a pair of said elongated ribs respectively insertable into a pair of said elongated grooves, the respective pairs of ribs and grooves being spaced transversely relative to the optic axis.