Field repairable hermaphroditic connector

• US 6,234,683 B1
• Filed: 09/13/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stratos International Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Stratos Lightwave LLC
• Inventors: Crocker, Martin, Hagger, Alan, Fick, Philip, Waldron, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US09/395,074
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 385/78, 385/77, 385/81, 385/82, 385/83, 385/84, 385/85, 385/86, 385/59, 385/60, 385/62, 385/53, 385/55
• US Class Current: 385/78
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3821 with axial spring biasing or loading means G02B6/3847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/383 Hermaphroditic connectors, i.e. two identical plugs mating with one another, each plug having both male and female diametrically opposed engaging parts; electric hermaphroditic coupling H01R24/84, H01R13/28
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3831 comprising a keying element on the plug or adapter, e.g. to forbid wrong connection keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical coupling H01R13/64
• 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 6/3878 comprising a plurality of ferrules, branching and break-out means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3888 Protection from over-extension or over-compression
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3894 Screw-lock type
• 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

Abstract

A hermaphroditic fiber optic termination device including a plug insert removably insertable into a front of a housing. The housing having locking holes. The plug insert formed so as to receive ferrules surrounding terminal ends of the optical fibers. The plug insert having spring latches, where each spring latches has a nub. The nub feature being designed so as to spring into the locking holes of the housing.

Claims

1. A hermaphroditic cable or waveguide termination device for optical fibers, the termination device comprising:

a housing having locking holes, the housing having a front end, the front end having mating structures which are substantially identical to and mateable with a mating structure of a front end of another housing; and

a plug insert removably provided in the housing through the front end of the housing, the plug insert having optical connector ports, each of the optical connector ports dimensioned so as to receive a respective optical assembly where each optical assembly has a respective optical ferrule which aligns a respective optical fiber, the plug insert having a substantially cylindrical surface and a first surface substantially perpendicular to the cylindrical surface, the plug insert having nub features provided in a region of the cylindrical surface for mating with the locking holes, the first surface having a first ferrule port and a second ferrule port, the first ferrule port having a plug insert extension projecting from the first surface, the second ferrule port dimensioned so as to receive a plug insert extension of another plug insert, the first optical connector receiving port communicating with the second ferrule port, the second optical connector receiving port communicating with the first ferrule port.

2. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 1 wherein each of the nub features is connected to the plug insert with a respective spring latch.

3. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 2 wherein each spring latch is cantilevered to the plug insert.

4. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 3 wherein the second ferrule port has a first seal provided therein.

5. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 4 wherein the cylindrical surface of the plug insert has a ridge feature.

6. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 5 wherein the front end of the housing has a stopping surface, wherein the ridge of the plug insert is adjacent the stopping surface when the plug insert is inserted into the housing.

7. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 6 wherein the plug insert extension of the plug insert has a retainer provided partially therein.

8. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 7 wherein the retainer of the plug insert has an alignment sleeve provided partially therein.

9. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 8 wherein the alignment sleeve in the plug insert is dimensioned so as to accommodate the fiber optic ferrule.

10. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 9 wherein the mating structures of the housing have threadforms formed thereon.

11. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 10 wherein the mating structures of the housing include a first key and a second key.

12. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 11 wherein the first key is separated from the second key by an arc length of approximately sixty degrees on one side and by an arc length of approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees on another side of the first key.

13. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 12 wherein the first key has an arc length of approximately sixty degrees and the second key has an arc length of approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees.

14. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 13 wherein the locking holes of the housing are diametrically opposed to each other.

15. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 14 wherein the housing has an inner diameter surface.

16. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 15 wherein the inner diameter surface has a second o-ring groove.

17. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 16, further comprising a second o-ring provided in the second o-ring groove, the second o-ring situated against the cylindrical surface of the plug insert.

18. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 17, further comprising a cover tube surrounding a portion of the housing, the cover tube having a first end, the first end having a first undulating surface.

19. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 18, further comprising a grip ring slidably and rotationally surrounding a portion of the cover tube, the grip ring having a second end, the second end having a second undulating surface, the first undulating surface of the cover tube adjacent to the second undulating surface of the grip ring so as to emminate an audible indication of the grip ring situated in a closed position.

20. The hermaphroditic termination device according to claim 1 wherein each optical ferrule has a diameter of substantially 1.25 mm.