Dust Caps for Fiber Optic Connectors
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A dust cap for a fiber optic connector is disclosed. The fiber optic connector includes a connector body having a first end and second end and a ferrule positioned at the first end of the connector body. The ferrule holds an optical fiber having an end face. The dust cap includes a housing adapted to engage the first end of the connector body to releasably couple the dust cap to the fiber optic connector and protect the end face of the optical fiber. Additionally, or alternatively, the dust cap may be configured to releasably engage an adjacent dust cap to join at least two dust caps together, and may include one or more mounting members for releasably coupling the dust cap to a support structure to thereby support the dust cap and any fiber optic connector releasably coupled to the dust cap from the support structure.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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3-5. -5. (canceled)
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8-9. -9. (canceled)
- 12. A dust cap for protecting and supporting a fiber optic connector, the fiber optic connector including a connector body having a first end and second end and a ferrule positioned at the first end of the connector body, the ferrule holding an optical fiber having an end face, the dust cap including a mounting member for releasably coupling the dust cap to a support structure and a housing defining a cavity having an open end sized to receive at least the ferrule and the end face of the optical fiber, the mounting member supporting the dust cap and the fiber optic connector from the support structure when the dust cap is releasably coupled to the fiber optic connector with at least the ferrule and the end face of the optical fiber received in the open end of the cavity and the mounting member is releasably coupled to the support structure.
- 15. A fiber optic assembly comprising a fiber optic connector including a connector body having a first end and second end and a ferrule positioned at the first end of the connector body, the ferrule holding an optical fiber having an end face, and a dust cap including a housing releasably coupled to the first end of the connector body and a mounting member for releasably coupling the dust cap to a support structure, the mounting member supporting the dust cap and the fiber optic connector from the support structure when the mounting member is releasably coupled to the support structure, the housing enclosing the end face of the optical fiber to protect the end face of the optical fiber.
- 18. A method of coupling an optical fiber of a fiber optic apparatus, the fiber optic apparatus including a support structure, at least one optical adapter, a dust cap and a fiber optic connector having a connector body with a first end and a ferrule extending from the first end of the connector body, the ferrule holding an optical fiber having an end face, the dust cap releasably coupled to the fiber optic connector to protect the end face of the optical fiber, the dust cap including a mounting member releasably engaging the support structure to support the dust cap and the fiber optic connector releasably coupled to the dust cap from the support structure, the method comprising disengaging the mounting member from the support structure with the dust cap releasably coupled to the fiber optic connector, removing the dust cap from the fiber optic connector, and coupling the fiber optic connector to the at least one optical adapter.
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21-29. -29. (canceled)
Specification