FEMALE HARDENED OPTICAL CONNECTORS FOR USE WITH HYBRID RECEPTACLE

• US 20140064671A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Robert Elvin Jr. Barnette
• Inventors: Barnette, Robert Elvin Jr., Tran, Hieu Vinh
• Granted Patent: US 9,696,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/81
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/381 of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres
• 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 6/3869 Mounting ferrules to connector body, i.e. plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/38875 Protection from bending or twisting
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3888 Protection from over-extension or over-compression
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3889 using encapsulation for protection, e.g. adhesive, molding or casting resin
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A female hardened fiber optic connector for terminating an end of a fiber optic cable that is suitable for making an optical connection with another hardened cable assembly and cable assemblies using the same are disclosed. The female hardened fiber optic connector includes a connector assembly, a crimp body, and a shroud. The crimp body has a first shell and a second shell for securing the connector assembly at a front end of the shells and a cable attachment region rearward of the front end for securing a cable. The crimp body fits within the shroud and is secured within the shroud using a locking feature disposed on a rim area of the shroud. The female hardened connector may further include a receptacle having a non-hardened receptacle port and a hardened receptacle port, where alignment fingers of the female hardened connector fit into distinct openings on the non-hardened receptacle port side.

Claims

1. A female hardened fiber optic connector, comprising:

a connector assembly;

a crimp body having a first shell and a second shell for securing the connector assembly at a front end of the shells and a cable attachment region rearward of the front end; and

a shroud having alignment fingers on a first end and a locking feature extending from a rim area of the shroud, wherein the crimp body fits within a portion of the shroud and is secured therein by the locking feature.

2. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 1, the locking feature being one or more integrally formed clips for securing the crimp body.

3. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 1, further including a female coupling nut having an internal attachment feature.

4. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 3, further including an receptacle having a non-hardened receptacle port on a first side and a hardened receptacle port on the second port.

5. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 4, wherein the alignment fingers are received into discrete openings on the first side of the receptacle.

6. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 1, further including a crimp band.

7. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 1, being a portion of a cable assembly further including a fiber optic cable attached to the hardened fiber optic connector.

8. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 7, wherein the fiber optic cable includes strength members secured to the cable attachment region.

9. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 8, a tensile element of the fiber optic cable being a plurality of tensile yarns attached between an outer barrel of the crimp body and a crimp band or one or more strength components disposed between the first shell and the second shell of the crimp body.

10. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 7, wherein the first shell and second shell are secured using a crimp band and/or an adhesive.

11. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 7, wherein the fiber optic cable has an optical fiber having a buffer layer that enters the crimp body and enters the connector assembly.

12. The female hardened fiber optic connector of claim 7, the cable assembly further includes a boot.

13. A method of making a hardened fiber optic connector assembly, comprising:

providing a fiber optic cable having at least one optical fiber;

providing a female hardened fiber optic connector that includes a connector assembly, a crimp body having a first shell and a second shell for securing the connector assembly at a front end of the shells and a cable attachment region rearward of the front end, and a shroud having alignment fingers on a first end and a locking feature extending from a rim area of the shroud, wherein the crimp body fits within a portion of the shroud and is secured by the locking feature;

attaching the at least one optical fiber to the connector assembly; and

securing the connector assembly between the first shell and second shell.

14. The method of claim 13, the female hardened fiber optic connector further including a female coupling nut having an internal attachment feature and the locking feature being one or more integrally formed clips for securing the crimp body.

15. The method of claim 14, the hardened fiber optic connector assembly further including an receptacle, wherein the receptacle has a non-hardened receptacle port on a first side and a hardened receptacle port on a second side.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the alignment fingers are received into discrete openings on the first side of the receptacle.

17. The method of claim 13, further including tensile elements in the fiber optic cable and strain-relieving at least some of the tensile elements of the fiber optic cable to the crimp body.

18. The method of claim 17, the tensile elements being a plurality of tensile yarns attached between an outer barrel of the crimp body and a crimp band or one or more strength components disposed between a first shell and a second shell of the crimp body.

19. A hardened fiber optic connector assembly, comprising:

a fiber optic cable having at least one optical fiber

a female hardened fiber optic connector attached to the at least one optical fiber of the fiber optic cable, the female hardened fiber optic connector, comprising;

a connector assembly;

a crimp body having a first shell and a second shell for securing the connector assembly at a front end of the shells and a cable attachment region rearward of the front end; and

a shroud having alignment fingers on a first end and a locking feature extending from a rim area of the shroud, wherein the crimp body fits within a portion of the shroud, and the locking feature is one or more integrally formed clips for securing the crimp body within the shroud.

20. The female hardened fiber optic connector assembly of claim 19, further including a female coupling nut having an internal attachment feature.

21. The female hardened fiber optic connector assembly of claim 20, further including an receptacle having a non-hardened receptacle port on a first side and a hardened receptacle port on the second side.

22. The female hardened fiber optic connector assembly of claim 21, wherein the alignment fingers are received into discrete openings on the first side of the receptacle.

23. The female hardened fiber optic connector assembly of claim 19, the wherein the fiber optic cable includes one or more tensile elements secured to the cable attachment region.

24. The female hardened fiber optic connector assembly of claim 23, the tensile elements being a plurality of tensile yarns attached between an outer barrel of the crimp body and a crimp band or one or more strength components disposed between a first shell and a second shell of the crimp body.

25. The female hardened fiber optic connector assembly of claim 19, wherein the first shell and second shell are secured using an adhesive or a crimp band.