OPTICAL TRANSCEIVER MODULE AND DUPLEX FIBER OPTIC CONNECTOR

• US 20090220200A1
• Filed: 03/03/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies Fiber IP Singapore PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: J.P. van Haasteren, Adrianus, Lim, Tze Wei, Sheau Tung Wong, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 7,798,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/89
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3851 Ferrules having keying or coding means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3878 comprising a plurality of ferrules, branching and break-out means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3887 Anchoring optical cables to connector housings, e.g. strain relief features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3893 Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4246 Bidirectionally operating package structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements

Abstract

Various embodiments of duplex fiber optic connectors and optical transceiver modules are provided. One embodiment comprises an optical transceiver module comprising: an integrally-formed housing having a duplex front port with a pair of alignment holes for receiving a pair of ferrules from a duplex fiber optic connector, the duplex front port having an upper flexible retaining element and a lower flexible retaining element for retaining the pair of ferrules from the duplex fiber optic connector; an opto-electronic assembly contained within the housing; and an electrical interface extending from the integrally-formed housing.

Claims

1. An optical transceiver module comprising:

an integrally-formed housing having a duplex front port with a pair of alignment holes for receiving a pair of ferrules from a duplex fiber optic connector, the duplex front port having an upper flexible retaining element and a lower flexible retaining element for retaining the pair of ferrules from the duplex fiber optic connector;

an opto-electronic assembly contained within the housing; and

an electrical interface extending from the integrally-formed housing.

2. The optical transceiver module of claim 1, wherein the integrally-formed housing comprises injection-molded plastic.

3. The optical transceiver module of claim 1, wherein one of the upper flexible retaining element and the lower flexible retaining element has a keyway adapted to receive an orientation key disposed on the duplex fiber optic connector, and the other of the upper flexible retaining element and the lower flexible retaining element has a cut-out for receiving a latch disposed on the duplex fiber optic connector.

4. The optical transceiver module of claim 1, wherein the duplex front port is adapted to accommodate a duplex unshield twisted pair (UTP) connector.

5. An optical connector assembly comprising:

a duplex fiber optic connector comprising an integrally-formed connector housing comprising;

a top portion and a bottom portion connected via a flexible hinge and defining a pair of channels for receiving a transmitter fiber optic cable and a receiver fiber optic cable at a first end of the integrally-formed connector housing; and

a pair of ferrules disposed on a second end of the integrally-formed connector housing opposite the first end, one ferrule for receiving a first fiber core associated with the transmitter fiber optic cable and the other ferrule for receiving a second fiber core associated with the receiver fiber optic cable; and

an optical transceiver module comprising;

an integrally-formed transceiver housing having a duplex front port with a pair of alignment holes for receiving the pair of ferrules from the duplex fiber optic connector, the duplex front port having an upper flexible retaining element and a lower flexible retaining element for retaining the pair of ferrules;

an opto-electronic assembly contained within the transceiver housing; and

an electrical interface extending from the transceiver housing.

6. The optical connector assembly of claim 5, wherein the transceiver housing and the connector housing comprise injection-molded plastic.

7. The optical connector assembly of claim 5, wherein one of the connector housing and the transceiver housing comprises an orientation key and the other comprises an orientation keyway.

8. The optical connector assembly of claim 7, wherein one of the connector housing and the transceiver housing further comprises a latch and the other comprises a cut-out for receiving the latch.

9. A duplex fiber optic connector comprising:

an integrally-formed housing having a top portion and a bottom portion connected via a flexible hinge and defining a pair of channels for receiving a transmitter fiber optic cable and a receiver fiber optic cable at a first end of the integrally-formed housing;

a pair of ferrules disposed on a second end of the integrally-formed housing opposite the first end, one ferrule for receiving a first fiber core associated with the transmitter fiber optic cable and the other ferrule for receiving a second fiber core associated with the receiver fiber optic cable;

a connector latching element disposed on one of the top portion and the bottom portion; and

a connector orientation key or keyway disposed on the other of the top portion and the bottom portion.

10. The duplex fiber optic connector of claim 9, wherein the housing comprises an injection-molded plastic material.

11. The duplex fiber optic connector of claim 9, wherein the connector latching element comprises a flexible base element.

12. The duplex fiber optic connector of claim 9, wherein one of the top portion and the bottom portion includes at least one latch element, and the other of the top portion and the bottom portion includes at least one recess for receiving the latch element.