Optical connector

• US 5,809,191 A
• Filed: 02/20/1997
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Stevens, Rick C., Sauter, Gerald F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, John
• Application Number:
  US08/802,487
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 385/56-68
• US Class Current: 385/59
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3821 with axial spring biasing or loading means G02B6/3847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448

Abstract

An optical connector is formed by mounting mating optical cable ferrules in separate connector housing sections and then joining the sections together.

Claims

1. A multifiber optical cable connector, comprising:

a first ferrule for receiving an end of a multifiber optical cable and placing each fiber at a respective contact located at an outer face of the ferrule, said first ferrule mounted in a first connector housing section;

a second ferrule having contacts at an outer face corresponding to the contacts on said first ferrule, said second ferrule mounted in a second connector housing section;

one of said housing sections having a guide pin and the other housing section having a guide pin receiving recess for bringing said contact faces of said ferrules into general alignment when the two housing sections are joined together;

one of said ferrules having a pair of alignment pins and the other ferrule having a corresponding pair of pin receiving recesses, said ferrule contacts being precisely aligned by said alignment pins and in intimate positive low-optical loss contact when said connector housing sections are joined together;

one of said ferrules fixedly mounted to its housing section;

the other ferrule mounted in its housing section spring-biased toward intimate butting engagement with said one ferrule when said housing sections are joined together.

2. The optical connector as described in claim 1 wherein one of said housing sections has means for removably attaching the section to a mounting frame.

3. A multifiber optical cable connector, comprising:

a first ferrule for receiving an end of a multifiber optical cable and placing each fiber at a respective contact located at an outer face of the ferrule, said first ferrule mounted in a first connector housing section;

a second ferrule having contacts at an outer face corresponding to the contacts on said first ferrule, said second ferrule mounted in a second connector housing section;

one of said housing sections having a guide pin and the other housing section having a guide pin receiving recess for bringing said contact faces of said ferrules into general alignment when the two housing sections are joined together;

one of said ferrules having a pair of alignment pins and the other ferrule having a corresponding pair of pin receiving recesses, said ferrule contacts being precisely aligned by said alignment pins and in intimate positive low-optical loss contact when said connector housing sections are joined together;

one of said ferrules fixedly mounted to its housing section;

the other ferrule movably mounted in its housing;

a recess in the housing for said other ferrule; and

a spring located in said recess biased to urge said other ferrule into intimate butting contact with said one ferrule.

4. A multifiber optical cable connector, comprising:

a first ferrule having a multitude of contacts on a contact face, each contact receiving a fiber from a multifiber optical cable;

a first housing;

a second ferrule having a multitude of contacts on a contact face corresponding to the contacts on said first ferrule;

a second housing;

one of said ferrules fixedly mounted in said first housing and the other of said ferrules movably mounted in said second housing;

said housings joined together to bring the contact faces of said ferrules into contact with one another;

one of said housings having a guide pin and the other housing having a guide pin receiving recess for bringing said contact faces of said ferrules into general alignment when the two housings are joined together;

one of said ferrule shaving a pair of alignment pins and the other ferrule having a corresponding pair of pin receiving recesses, said ferrule contacts being precisely aligned by said alignment pins and in intimate positive low-optical loss contact when said housings are joined together;

a recess in said second housing; and

a spring located in said recess biased to urge the ferrule in said second housing into intimate butting contact with the other ferrule.