Dust Caps for Fiber Optic Connectors

• US 20100310226A1
• Filed: 06/03/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Network Power Energy Systems North America Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Network Power Energy Systems North America Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Leon, Eduardo, Wakileh, George I., Chen, Simon Shen-Meng
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/139
• 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 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames

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.

Claims

1. (canceled)

3-5. -5. (canceled)

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.

2. The dust cap of claim 14 wherein the connector body includes an inner surface and an outer surface, and wherein the housing is adapted to releasably engage the outer surface of the connector body'"'"'s first end.

6. The dust cap of claim 12 wherein the mounting member includes at least one protuberance for releasably engaging the support structure.

7. The dust cap of claim 12 wherein the mounting member includes a biased clip for releasably engaging the support structure.

10. The dust cap of claim 12 wherein the dust cap is configured to releasably engage an adjacent like dust cap to thereby join at least two dust caps together.

11. The dust cap of claim 10 further comprising a tab and a slot for releasably engaging a slot and a tab, respectively, of adjacent like dust caps.

13. The dust cap of claim 12 wherein the dust cap has a monolithic construction.

14. The dust cap of claim 12 wherein the housing is configured to contact the connector body and avoid contact with the ferrule and the end face of the optical fiber when the dust cap is releasably coupled to the fiber optic connector.

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.

16. The assembly of claim 15 further comprising the support structure, the mounting member releasably coupled to the support structure and supporting the dust cap and the fiber optic connector releasably coupled to the dust cap from the support structure.

17. The assembly of claim 30 wherein the dust cap holder is configured for attachment to another support structure.

30. The assembly of claim 16 wherein the support structure includes a dust cap holder, and wherein the mounting member is releasably coupled to the dust cap holder.

31. The assembly of claim 16 wherein the support structure includes a panel, and wherein the mounting member is releasably coupled to the panel.

32. An optical module assembly comprising a housing and at least one pigtail extending from the housing and terminated by the fiber optic connector of the assembly of claim 15.

33. The assembly of claim 32 further comprising a fiber optic splitter within the optical module assembly housing.

34. An optical module assembly comprising a housing and at least one pigtail extending from the housing and terminated by the fiber optic connector of the assembly of claim 30.

35. The assembly of claim 34 further comprising a fiber optic splitter within the optical module assembly housing.

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.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the support structure includes a dust cap holder.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising reengaging the mounting member to the support structure without the fiber optic connector releasably coupled to the dust cap.

21-29. -29. (canceled)