Optical fiber connector having enhanced assembly means

• US 5,809,192 A
• Filed: 03/05/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Briggs, Robert Carl, Manning, Randy Marshall, Fawcett, Thomas Ralph Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Palmer, Phan T. H.
• Application Number:
  US08/611,312
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 385/76-81, 385/86, 385/87
• US Class Current: 385/78
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3843 with auxiliary facilities for movably aligning or adjusting the fibre within its ferrule, e.g. measuring position or eccentricity testing the alignment of axes, including eccentricity, G01B11/27
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3869 Mounting ferrules to connector body, i.e. plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3888 Protection from over-extension or over-compression
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3893 Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3894 Screw-lock type

Abstract

An optical fiber connector assembly for receiving an optical fiber and reducing transverse offset loss has a ferrule (15) having a plurality of tabs (19) disposed circumferentially thereabout. The ferrule (15) and a compression spring (20) are retainably received in a cable attachment body (25) in one of a plurality of possible rotational orientations to form an assembly (11). Apertures (44) and longitudinal cutouts (42) in the plug body (40) receive retention lugs (35) on the cable attachment body (25). In an FC connector, a plurality of latch beams (67) on the plug body (40) retainably engage an internal retention diameter (71) in an FC coupling nut. The ferrule assembly (11) together with the plug body (40) are assembled to the FC coupling nut (60) using axial motions.

Claims

1. A fiber optic connector comprising:

a ferrule assembly having an outwardly extending retention lug, a plug body having a retention aperture receiving said lug and having opposing cantilever latch members biased outwardly, said latch members having a retention shoulder, each said latch member comprising independently cantilevered latch beams, each latch beam having a latch hook thereon defining a respective recess between said respective latch hook and said retention shoulder and an external body having an internal retention diameter received by said recess.

2. The fiber optic connector as recited in claim 1 wherein, said latch beams are comprised of a latch member having a longitudinal slice thereon said slice being shorter than said single beam.

3. An optical fiber connector comprising:

a ferrule,

a cable attachment body retainably engaging said ferrule, said cable attachment body having a plurality of spaced-apart retention lugs thereon, said retention lugs extending outwardly from the cable attachment body, and

a receptor member having a plurality of alternating spaced-apart apertures and longitudinal cutouts therein, each respective adjacent lug in the cable attachment body being received in the corresponding aperture and longitudinal cutout in the receptor member, the receptor member retainably engaging said cable attachment body in one of the finite plurality of possible rotational orientations.

4. An optical fiber connector as in claim 3, wherein said spaced-apart longitudinal cutouts form a corresponding plurality of cantilevered beams therebetween, one said aperture being on each said beam, said apertures being placed so that two of said retention lugs deflect two of said beams and each said retention lug is received in respective apertures in each said beam when said receptor member receives said cable attachment body.

5. An optical fiber cable assembly comprising:

a ferrule having a first retention member and having a longitudinal bore therethrough, an optical fiber cable disposed within said bore, a cable attachment body having a second retention member cooperating with said first retention member to retainably engage and prevent rotational displacement between said ferrule and said cable attachment body and, a receptor member retainably engaging said cable attachment body.

6. An optical fiber interconnection system comprising two optical fiber cable assemblies, each cable assembly comprising:

a ferrule having a longitudinal bore therethrough, an optical fiber cable disposed within said bore, a cable attachment body retainably engaging said ferrule therewithin, said ferrule cooperating with said body to resist rotational displacement between said ferrule and said body, and a receptor member retainably engaging said body, and a mating receptacle wherein each said receptor member is retainably engaged by said receptacle to maintain each said ferrule and mating relationship.

7. An optical fiber connector comprising:

a ferrule having a first retention member, a cable attachment body having a second retention member cooperating with said first retention member to retainably engage and prevent rotational displacement between said ferrule and said cable attachment body and, a receptor member retainably engaging said cable attachment body.

8. An optical fiber connector as recited in claim 7, wherein said receptor member retainably engages said cable attachment body in one of a finite plurality of possible rotational orientations.

9. An optical fiber connector as recited in claim 8, the cable attachment body having a shoulder and a polygonal body portion adjacent to the shoulder, the receptor member having a first end having a corresponding polygonal opening therein and a locking latch adjacent to the polygonal opening, the cable attachment body being received in the polygonal opening in the receptor member and said locking latch being engaged to the shoulder on the cable attachment body, the polygonal opening in the receptor member cooperating with the polygonal body portion of the cable attachment body wherein the receptor member retainably engages the cable attachment body in a selected one of a finite number of possible rotational orientations.

10. An optical fiber connector as recited in claim 7, further comprising a plurality of spaced-apart tabs being formed circumferentially on the ferrule, the cable attachment body having a first end, a second end and a longitudinal bore therebetween, a plurality of alternating openings and longitudinal slots being formed in the first end of the cable attachment body, the spaced apart tabs on the ferrule being rotatably oriented with respect to, and received in, said alternating openings and longitudinal slots in the cable attachment body.

11. A method of assembling an optical fiber connector to reduce transverse offset loss in an optical fiber, the connector having a ferrule, the ferrule having an alignment portion adjoining a base, a plurality of spaced-apart tabs being formed at the juncture of the alignment portion and the base, a compression spring disposed about the base, a cable attachment body connected to the tabs to form an assembly with the alignment portion, the base and the compression spring, a plug body, means for rotatably orienting and connecting the assembly to the plug body, the method comprising the steps of:

inserting the ferrule in an opening in a longitudinal bore in the cable attachment body, the ferrule extending outwardly from the cable attachment body, the plurality of tabs on the ferrule being received in a corresponding plurality of alternating openings and longitudinal slots in the cable attachment body, inserting the optical fiber in a longitudinal bore in the ferrule, finishing the optical fiber at an end of the ferrule distal from the cable attachment body, testing the assembly for eccentricity, the cable attachment body having a plurality of spaced-apart retention lugs extending outwardly therefrom, the receptor member having a corresponding plurality of spaced-apart alternating longitudinal cutouts and apertures, attaching the receptor member to the assembly wherein the respective retention lugs are received in the alternating longitudinal cutouts and apertures such that the assembly may be rotatably connected to the receptor member to produce an orientation of the assembly with respect to the receptor member to reduce transverse offset loss.

12. A method of assembling and tuning an optical fiber connector comprising the steps of:

assembling a ferrule in retainable engagement with a cable attachment body to create a ferrule assembly,

terminating said ferrule assembly,

polishing said ferrule assembly,

measuring eccentricity of said terminated and polished ferrule assembly in each of a finite number of possible rotational orientations with respect to reference fiber, and

assembling said assembly to a plug body in a one of the finite number of possible rotational orientations having the smallest measured eccentricity with respect to said reference fiber.

13. The method of assembling and tuning an optical fiber connector as in claim 12 and further wherein, said ferrule assembly comprises a ferrule that resists rotational displacement relative to said cable attachment body during the steps of terminating, polishing, and measuring, and further wherein said ferrule resists rotational displacement relative to said plug body subsequent to the step of assembling said assembly to said plug body.