Floating connector subassembly and connector including same

• US 6,550,979 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Luther, James P., Theuerkorn, Thomas, Fleenor, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Robert H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Artman, Thomas R
• Application Number:
  US09/999,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20030077045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 385/76-78, 385/70, 385/72-73, 385/53, 385/58, 385/52, 385/139
• 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 6/3849 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 6/3871 Ferrule rotatable with respect to plug body, e.g. for setting rotational position adjusting fibre within the ferrule, G02B6/3843; Fixation of ferrules after rotation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3893 Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on

Abstract

A connector subassembly and related connector that are configured to floatingly align and tune mated ferrules are disclosed. The connector subassembly includes a ferrule holder and a plug housing having an inner surface with slanted or sloped alignment features, such as, for example, a radially extending key. In an embodiment, the ferrule holder assembly is configured to hold the ferrule and has an outer surface defining a groove extending axially. The key is slidably disposed in the groove. The connector includes the ferrule holder, the plug housing, a spring element disposed within the plug housing and urging the ferrule holder in a direction axially toward the rearward opening, a crimp body attached to the plug housing so as to compress the spring element, a boot attached to the plug housing via the crimp body and disposed about a portion of an optical fiber, and a tube disposed about a section of the optical fiber and secured to the ferrule holder.

Claims

1. A fiber optic connector subassembly comprising:

a plug housing having an inner surface that defines a cavity extending axially and a plug housing engaging surface therein, the plug housing defining a forward opening in communication with the cavity for receiving an optical fiber extending into a ferrule and defining a rearward opening in communication with the cavity, the rearward opening configured for the optical fiber and the ferrule to extend substantially axially, the plug housing engaging surface disposed proximate the rearward opening, the plug housing inner surface defining a key extending into the cavity, the key defining a height in a radial direction that decreases in a direction axially away from the rearward opening; and

a ferrule holder configured to hold the ferrule and including a ferrule holder engaging surface engageable with the plug housing engaging surface, the ferrule holder having an outer surface defining an axial extending groove for slidably receiving the key so that the ferrule holder is increasingly radially movable relative to the plug housing inner surface as the ferrule holder moves relative to the plug housing in a direction axially away from the rearward opening, such that the connector subassembly provides radially floating alignment of the ferrule.

2. The connector subassembly of claim 1, wherein the plug housing engaging surface is substantially conical and defines a circular cross-section decreasing radially in a direction axially towards the rearward opening.

3. The connector subassembly of claim 2, wherein the ferrule holder engaging surface is substantially conical.

4. The connector subassembly of claim 1, wherein the ferrule holder defines a radially extending stop portion disposed proximate the ferrule holder engaging surface, and wherein the plug housing inner surface defines a complimentary stop portion, the groove extending axially across at least a portion of the ferrule holder stop portion.

5. The connector subassembly of claim 1, wherein the key has a cross-section including a generally rounded tip.

6. The connector subassembly of claim 1, wherein the key has a cross-section including a substantially rectangular sloped tip.

7. The connector subassembly of claim 1, wherein the groove has a generally flared cross-section.

8. The connector subassembly of claim 6, wherein the groove has a generally v-shaped cross-section.

9. The connector subassembly of claim 1, wherein the plug housing includes at least two keys disposed circumferentially about the plug housing inner surface, and wherein the ferrule holder includes at least two grooves disposed about the ferrule holder engaging surface, each of the grooves slidably receiving a respective one of the keys.

10. The connector subassembly of claim 9, wherein the at least two keys are disposed nonsymmetrically circumferentially about the plug housing inner surface.

11. The connector subassembly of claim 1, wherein the plug housing engaging surface includes a plug housing planar aligning section and the ferrule holder engaging surface includes a ferrule holder planar aligning section, the plug housing planar aligning section and the ferrule holder planer aligning section being engageable with each other.

12. The connector subassembly of claim 11, wherein the plug housing engaging surface includes at least two planar aligning sections and the ferrule holder engaging surface includes at least two planar aligning sections, each plug housing engaging surface planar aligning section being engageable with a respective one of the ferrule holder engaging surface planar aligning sections.

13. The connector subassembly of claim 1, further including a compression spring element disposed within the plug housing for urging the ferrule holder in a direction axially toward the rearward opening.

14. The connector subassembly of claim 1, wherein the plug housing includes at least two keys disposed circumferentially about the plug housing inner surface, and wherein the ferrule holder includes at least two grooves disposed about the ferrule holder, each of the grooves slidably receiving a respective one of the keys.

15. The connector subassembly of claim 14, wherein the at least two keys are disposed nonsymmetrically circumferentially about the plug housing inner surface.

16. A connector subassembly providing a floating alignment of a ferrule adapted to receive an optical fiber, the connector subassembly comprising:

a plug housing having an inner surface that defines a cavity extending axially and an engaging surface therein, the plug housing defining a forward opening in communication with the cavity for receiving the optical fiber and a rearward opening in communication with the cavity and through which the optical fiber and ferrule extend substantially axially, the engaging surface disposed proximate the rearward opening, the plug housing inner surface defining at least two plug housing orienting elements; and

a ferrule holder configured to hold the ferrule and including a ferrule holder engaging surface engageable with the plug housing engaging surface, the ferrule holder engaging surface defining at least two plug housing orienting elements, the ferrule holder being increasingly radially movable relative to the plug housing inner surface as the ferrule holder moves relative to the plug housing in a direction axially away from the rearward opening, such that the connector subassembly provides radially floating alignment of the ferrule.

17. The connector subassembly of claim 16, wherein at least one of the plug housing orienting elements includes a key and at least one of the ferrule holder orienting elements includes a groove for slidably receiving the key.

18. The connector subassembly of claim 16, wherein at least one of the plug housing orienting elements includes a plug housing planar aligning section and at least one of the ferrule holder orienting elements includes a ferule housing planar aligning section engageable with one another.

19. A fiber optic connector comprising:

a plug housing having an inner surface that defines a cavity extending axially and a plug housing engaging surface therein, the plug housing defining a forward opening in communication with the cavity for receiving an optical fiber extending into a ferrule and defining a rearward opening in communication with the cavity, the rearward opening configured for the optical fiber and the ferrule to extend substantially axially, the plug housing engaging surface disposed proximate the rearward opening, the plug housing inner surface defining a key extending into the cavity, the key defining a height in a radial direction that decreases in a direction axially away from the rearward opening; and

a ferrule holder configured to hold the ferrule and including a ferrule holder engaging surface engageable with the plug housing engaging surface, the ferrule holder having an outer surface defining an axial extending groove for slidably receiving the key so that the ferrule holder is increasingly radially movable relative to the plug housing inner surface as the ferrule holder moves relative to the plug housing in a direction axially away from the rearward opening, such that the connector subassembly provides radially floating alignment of the ferrule;

a spring element disposed within the plug housing and urging the ferrule holder in a direction axially toward the rearward opening;

a crimp body attached to the plug housing so as to compress the spring element; and

a boot attached to the plug housing via the crimp body and disposed about a portion of the optical fiber.

20. The connector of claim 19, further including a tube disposed about a section of the optical fiber and secured to the ferrule holder.