Dust cap for fiber optic adapter

• US 20080310795A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Parkman, Louis Edward III, Jong, Michael De, Mudd, Ronald Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,945,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/60
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3849 using mechanical protective elements, e.g. caps, hoods, sealing membranes G02B6/3816 takes precedence; provisionally see H01R13/44

Abstract

An adapter dust cap comprising a dust cap body defining a clearance extending at least partially therethrough, a resilient member attached to the connector body, and a latching feature attached to the resilient member and configured to engage within internal geometry defined by a connector adapter. The adapter dust cap is translucent so that visible light from a connector may diffuse therethrough, and may include a material or coating thereon for converting light in the invisible spectrum to visible light so that the light can be detected through the dust cap without removing the dust cap from an adapter to which it is engaged.

Claims

1. An adapter dust cap, comprising:

a dust cap body defining a clearance extending at least partially therethrough;

a resilient member attached to the body; and

a latching feature attached to the resilient member and configured to engage within internal geometry defined by a connector adapter.

2. The adapter dust cap according to claim 1, wherein the dust cap body, the resilient member and the latching feature are integrally formed.

3. The adapter dust cap according to claim 1, wherein the dust cap body is translucent.

4. The adapter dust cap according to claim 1, wherein the dust cap body is translucent and includes invisible-to-visible light converting material.

5. The adapter dust cap according to claim 1, wherein the dust cap body is translucent and includes an invisible-to-visible light converting coating.

6. The adapter dust cap according to claim 1, the dust cap defines a pulling grip.

7. The adapter dust cap according to claim 1, wherein the dust cap defines a clearance for receiving an adapter boss feature.

8. The adapter dust cap according to claim 1, wherein the dust cap attenuates light.

9. The adapter dust cap according to claim 1, wherein the dust cap includes multiple bodies and multiple latching features and a resilient member or multiple resilient members connected together for simultaneously releasing the multiple latching features.

10. An adapter assembly, comprising:

a fiber optic adapter defining one or more clearances for receiving at least one of a fiber optic connector and an adapter dust cap, the adapter defining internal geometry for receiving latching features of the fiber optic connector and the adapter dust cap; and

wherein the adapter dust cap comprises a dust cap body defining a clearance extending at least partially therethrough, a resilient member attached to the connector body, and the latching feature attached to the resilient member.

11. The adapter assembly according to claim 10, wherein the dust cap body, the resilient member and the latching feature are integrally formed.

12. The adapter assembly according to claim 10, wherein the dust cap body is translucent.

13. The adapter assembly according to claim 10, wherein the dust cap body is translucent and includes invisible-to-visible light converting material.

14. The adapter assembly according to claim 10, wherein the dust cap body is translucent and includes an invisible-to-visible light converting coating.

15. The adapter assembly according to claim 10, wherein the dust cap defines a pulling grip.

16. The adapter assembly according to claim 10, wherein the dust cap defines a clearance for receiving a connector ferrule.

17. The adapter assembly according to claim 10, wherein the dust cap attenuates light.

18. The adapter assembly according to claim 10, wherein the dust cap includes multiple bodies and multiple latching features and a resilient member or multiple resilient members connected together for simultaneously releasing the multiple latching features.

19. A fiber optic dust cap comprising a translucent dust cap body including invisible-to-visible light converting material.

20. The dust cap according to claim 19, wherein the material is a coating.