Connectors for Composite Fiber Optic/Coaxial Cables and Related Connectorized Cables and Methods

• US 20150030290A1
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Commscope Inc of North Carolina (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Commscope Inc of North Carolina (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wood, Kenneth S.
• Application Number:
  US14/317,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20150030290A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/76
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3817 containing optical and electrical conductors cables including electrical and optical conductors H01B11/22; G02B6/3816 takes precedence
• 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 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44528 Patch-cords; Connector arrangements in the system or in the box routing arrangements H04Q1/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49123 Co-axial cable

Abstract

A connector for a composite communications cable includes a connector body, a contact post mounted within the connector body, a compression sleeve that is received within a rear end of the connector body and an optical fiber passage at a front end of the connector.

Claims

1. A connector for a composite communications cable that includes both a coaxial component and a fiber optic component, the connector comprising:

a connector body;

a contact post mounted within the connector body that is configured to receive both a center conductor of the coaxial component and an optical fiber of the fiber optic component;

a compression sleeve that is received within a rear end of the connector body; and

an optical fiber passage at a front end of the connector body.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein a front end of the connector body includes external threads, the connector further comprising a jam nut that is received on the external threads to mount the connector on a mounting structure.

3. The connector of claim 2, wherein a pair of D-flats are provided in the external threads.

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber passage includes at least one external protrusion, and wherein a furcation tube extends from a front end of the optical fiber passage.

5. The connector of claim 4, wherein heat shrinkable material is installed over the external protrusion of the optical fiber passage and over at least a portion of the furcation tube.

6. The connector of claim 1, in combination with the composite communications cable.

7. The connector and composite communications cable combination of claim 6, wherein the center conductor of the coaxial component extends into the contact post and includes an insulative cap.

8. The connector and composite communications cable combination of claim 6, wherein the composite communications cable further comprises:

a dielectric spacer that substantially surrounds the center conductor;

an outer conductor that substantially surrounds the dielectric spacer; and

a jacket that surrounds the outer conductor,

wherein the optical fiber is a non-buffered optical fiber positioned between the center conductor and the dielectric spacer, and

wherein an outer surface of the non-buffered optical fiber is within 50 microns of the outer surface of the center conductor.

9. The connector of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber passage includes a first channel that is configured to receive the optical fiber and a second channel that is configured to receive the center conductor.

10. The connector of claim 8, wherein a furcation tube extends from a front end of the optical fiber passage, and wherein the center conductor extends through both the optical fiber passage and the furcation tube.

11. A ground plate, comprising:

a base plate;

a mounting plate extending upward from the base plate, the mounting plate including a plurality of slots aligned in a row;

wherein the base plate includes a plurality of fingers, each of which includes a threaded aperture.

12. A method of upgrading a coaxial cable cabling connection to a fiber optic cabling connection, the method comprising:

removing a coaxial connector from a first end of a composite communications cable;

removing portions of a jacket, an outer conductor and a dielectric spacer of the composite communications cable from the first end of the composite communications cable so that a first end portion of an optical fiber of the composite communications cable extends beyond first end portions of the jacket, outer conductor and dielectric spacer;

folding the first end portion of the outer conductor back onto the first end portion of the jacket;

inserting the first end of the composite communications cable into a compression connector so that the first end portion of the optical fiber extends through an optical fiber passage of the compression connector; and

compressing a compression sleeve of the compression connector to lock the composite communications cable in place inside the compression connector.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the compression connector includes:

a connector body;

a contact post mounted within the connector body that is configured to receive both a first end portion of a center conductor of the composite communications cable and the first end portion of the optical fiber,

wherein the optical fiber passage extends from a front end of the connector body and the compression sleeve is received within a rear end of the connector body.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a front end of the connector body includes external threads, the method further comprising threading a jam nut onto the external threads to mount the compression connector on a mounting structure

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the optical fiber passage includes at least one external protrusion, the method further comprising mounting a furcation tube onto a front end of the optical fiber passage.

16. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising installing a heat shrinkable material over the external protrusion of the optical fiber passage and over at least a portion of the furcation tube.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the outer conductor provides strain relief once the composite communications cable is locked in place inside the compression connector.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the optical fiber passage includes first and second channels, the method further comprising passing the first end of the optical fiber through the first channel and passing a center conductor of the composite communications cable through the second channel.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein a furcation tube extends from a front end of the optical fiber passage, and wherein a center conductor of the composite communications cable extends through both the optical fiber passage and the furcation tube.