Fiber optic edge card connector

• US 5,325,455 A
• Filed: 10/21/1992
• Issued: 06/28/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Henson, Gordon D., Piekarczyk, Anthony J., Lee, Nicholas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Application Number:
  US07/964,913
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 385/53, 385/55, 385/60, 385/70, 385/76, 385/78, 385/88, 385/89, 385/90, 385/91, 385/92, 385/94, 385/52, 385/137, 385/138, 385/139, 250/227.11
• US Class Current: 385/89
• 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 6/3878 comprising a plurality of ferrules, branching and break-out means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3879 Linking of individual connector plugs to an overconnector, e.g. using clamps, clips, common housings comprising several individual connector plugs
• 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: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3898 Tools, e.g. handheld; Tuning wrenches; Jigs used with connectors, e.g. for extracting, removing or inserting in a panel, for engaging or coupling connectors, for assembling or disassembling components within the connector, for applying clips to hold two connectors together or for crimping tools for cleaning, G02B6/3866; tools in general B25B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/421 the intermediate optical component consisting of a short length of fibre, e.g. fibre stub
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements

Abstract

A fiber optic connector for coupling an optical fiber to an optoelectronic component mounted near the edge of a circuit card. The connector includes a housing, a frame and a plug. The housing is mounted to the circuit card and contains the optoelectronic components. The front edge of the housing, which is flush with the edge of the circuit card, has an alignment block with a plurality of holes therein. The frame is attached to a support bar adjacent the edge of the circuit card. The plug, which has several ferrules each containing the terminal end of an optical fiber, is received by the frame and the ferrules are thereby aligned with the holes in the housing. A tongue-and-groove arrangement may be used to align the plug with the frame, and the plug is preferably polarized. A novel torsion member is used to releasably secure the plug in the frame at one of two positions, an operative position and a storage position. In one embodiment the connector is provided with a shuttle interposed between the housing and the frame. The shuttle maintains the proper orientation of a tip of an elongated actuator tool which is used to engage and disengage electrical connectors which are located on the same circuit card adjacent the fiber optic connector.

Claims

1. An optoelectronic connector comprising:

a housing having an edge;

an optoelectronic component attached to said housing, having an optically active end located proximate said edge;

plug means having a ferrule member, for terminating an end of an optical fiber inside said ferrule member, said plug means including a body having two generally parallel side walls, each of said side walls having a spline; and

frame means for slidably receiving said plug means and for aligning said ferrule member with said optically active end of said optoelectronic component, said fame means having side walls with grooves therein for receiving said splines, and said frame means, plug means and housing each having a thickness of about 5 mm or less.

2. The connector of claim 1 wherein said plug means further includes means for mechanically polarizing said plug means with respect to said frame means.

3. The connector of claim 1 wherein said plug means further includes latch means for releasably retaining said plug means in said frame means in a first, operative position and in a second, retracted position.

4. The connector of claim 1 further comprising shuttle means interposed between said housing and said frame means, for maintaining the orientation of a tip of an elongated actuator tool which may be pushed between said housing and said frame means.

5. The connector of claim 1 wherein:

said housing has an alignment block at said edge, said block having a hole passing therethrough;

said hole has a bushing therein; and

when said plug means is inserted in said frame means, said ferrule member passes through said bushing.

6. A device for interconnecting an optical fiber and an electronic component, comprising:

a generally planar substrate supporting the electronic component;

optoelectronic means, mounted to said substrate and connected to the electronic component, for converting an optical signal to an electrical signal;

plug means having an alignment member, for terminating an end of the optical fiber in said alignment member;

means for optically coupling said alignment member to said optoelectronic means;

frame means for receiving said plug means and aligning said alignment member with said coupling means; and

latch means for releasably retaining said plug means in said frame means in a first, operative position and in a second, retracted position.

7. The device of claim 6 further comprising:

a housing mounted to said substrate, said optoelectronic means being contained in said housing; and

shuttle means interposed between said housing and said frame means, for maintaining the orientation of a tip of an elongated actuator tool which may be pushed between said housing and said frame means.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said frame means and plug means each have a thickness of about 5 mm or less.

9. The device of claim 6 further comprising a housing attached to said substrate, said optoelectronics means being contained in said housing, and said housing having an alignment block having a hole therein, and wherein:

said alignment member is a first alignment member which is inserted in a first end of said hole when said plug means is in said operative position;

said optoelectronic means includes an optically active end; and

said coupling means includes a pigtail optical fiber having first and second ends, said first end being optically connected to said optically active end of said optoelectronics means, and said second end terminating in a second alignment member inserted in a second end of said hole.

10. The device of claim 6 wherein:

said frame means includes a base having first and second slots therein, corresponding to said first and second positions;

said plug means includes a plug body having first and second ends; and

said latch means includes a torsion member constructed of a resilient, flexible material, having first and second ends, said first end of said torsion member being fixed to said plug body proximate said first end thereof, and said second end of said torsion member being located proximate said second end of said plug body and having a tab for insertion into said slots.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said second end of said torsion member further has means for twisting said second end of said torsion member.

12. A fiber optic connector comprising:

a generally planar substrate having an edge;

a housing mounted to said substrate, having an edge which is generally parallel with and adjacent to said edge of said substrate, said housing having an alignment block located at said edge thereof, and having a plurality of holes extending through said alignment block in a direction generally perpendicular to said edge of said housing;

a plug having a body, a plurality of ferrules, and means for attaching said ferrules to said body, each of said ferrules containing a terminal end of one of a plurality of optical fibers;

frame means for receiving said plug and for aligning said ferrules with said holes in said housing; and

shuttle means interposed between said housing and said frame means, for maintaining the orientation of a tip of an elongated actuator tool which may be pushed between said housing and said frame means.

13. The connector of claim 12 wherein said shuttle means comprises a shuttle member slidably attached to said housing, having a length which is generally equal to the length of said edge of said housing, and having an H-shaped cross-section forming two notches, each notch having a width which is approximately equal to the thickness of the actuator tool.

14. The connector of claim 12 further comprising at least one electrical connector pair including:

a first electrical connector attached to said edge of said substrate; and

a second electrical connector releasably attached to said first electrical connector, said second electrical connector having a notch adjacent said first electrical connector and a plurality of contacts slidably mounted in said second connector, each said contact being electrically connected to one of a plurality of wires and having a tab extending into said notch.

15. The connector of claim 12 further comprising latch means for releasably retaining said plug in said frame means in a first, operative position and in a second, retracted position.

16. The connector of claim 12 wherein said housing, plug, frame means and shuttle means each have a thickness of about 5 mm or less.

17. An optoelectronic connector comprising:

a housing having an edge;

a plurality of optoelectronic components attached to said housing, each having an optically active end located proximate said edge;

plug means having a plurality of ferrule members, for terminating ends of optical fibers inside said ferrule members; and

frame means for slidably receiving said plug means and for aligning said ferrule members with said optically active ends of said optoelectronic components, said frame means, plug means and housing each having a thickness no greater than about 8 mm.

18. The connector of claim 17 wherein said frame means, plug means and housing each have a thickness of about 5 mm or less.

19. The connector of claim 17 wherein said plug means provides an interconnection density of said ferrules of at least 1 connection per square centimeter.

20. The connector of claim 17 wherein said plug means includes a body having two generally parallel side walls, each of said side walls having a spline, and said frame means has side walls with grooves therein for receiving said splines, and further comprising latch means for releasably retaining said plug means in said frame means in a first, operative position and in a second, retracted position.

21. A system for connecting wires and optical fibers to a plurality of electronic components located on a circuit card in a data processing system, comprising:

at least one electrical connector pair including a first electrical connector attached to an edge of the circuit card, and a second electrical connector releasably attached to said first electrical connector, said second electrical connector having a notch adjacent said first electrical connector, a plurality of contacts slidably mounted in said second connector, and each said contact being electrically connected to one of the wires and having a tab extending into said notch;

an elongated actuator tool having a pointed tip and sized to fit in said notch of said second electrical connector;

at least one fiber optic connector including a housing, a plug, a frame and a shuttle,

said housing being mounted to the edge of the circuit card adjacent said first electrical connector, having an alignment block located at an edge of said housing generally parallel with and adjacent to the edge of the circuit card, and having a plurality of holes extending through said alignment block in a direction generally perpendicular to said edge of said housing, each said hole having a removable bushing therein,

said plug comprising a body, a plurality of ferrules, and means for attaching said ferrules to said body, said body having two sidewalls each having a spline, each of said ferrules containing a terminal end of one of the optical fibers and being aligned with said bushings in said housing, and said attaching means including means for transferring pulling forces from the optical fiber to said plug body,

said frame having a base, two side walls, and means for mounting said frame to a support member, said side walls having grooves therein for receiving said splines of said plug body, and said base having a plurality of slots therein for receiving said tab of said torsion member,

said shuttle being interposed between said housing and said frame, having a length which is generally equal to the length of said edge of said housing, and having an H-shaped cross-section forming two notches, each notch having a width which is approximately equal to the thickness of said actuator tool; and

a plurality of optoelectronics means, located in said housing proximate said holes therein, for converting optical signals into electrical signals.

22. An optoelectronic connector comprising:

a housing having an edge, and an alignment block located at said edge, said block having a hole passing therethrough and said hole having a bushing therein;

an optoelectronic component attached to said housing, having an optically active end located proximate said edge;

plug means having a ferrule member, for terminating an end of an optical fiber inside said ferrule member; and

frame means for slidably receiving said plug means and for aligning said ferrule member with said optically active end of said optoelectronic component, said ferrule member passing through said bushing when said plug means is inserted in said frame means.