Fiber optic connector with long terminus movement and moderate length

• US 6,935,789 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hyzin, Peter Joseph, Gross, Russell Frederick III
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hughes, James P.
• Application Number:
  US10/387,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20040179786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 385/78, 385/60, 385/59, 385/72, 385/87, 385/76, 385/58, 385/56, 385/55, 385/53
• 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 6/3847 with means preventing fibre end damage, e.g. recessed fibre surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3866 Devices, tools or methods for cleaning connectors cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/387 Connector plugs comprising two complementary members, e.g. shells, caps, covers, locked together
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3877 Split sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3878 comprising a plurality of ferrules, branching and break-out means

Abstract

An optic fiber connector has a terminus (24) with a front tip (110) that lies at an initial position at which the tip is at least flush with or forward of the surrounding housing front surface (112) and which is moved rearwardly by a mating terminus (22) so the tips of the termini are halfway between front and rear ends (132, 134) of an alignment sleeve (34). The housing has a peripheral portion (120) that projects forward of the ferrule front tips to protect them even though they project forward of the housing front surface. The alignment sleeve has a short length (A) that is about three times its inside diameter (C), and a long spring (84) is used to bias the terminus forwardly and maintain a substantially constant forward force on the terminus, the spring having an initial length (B) which is at least 150% of the alignment sleeve length. A plug (96) that holds the alignment sleeve in place, has an internal bore with a rear bore portion (154) that receives the front end of the terminus body (90). A retainer (100) includes a clip holder (102) with a holder rear portion (172) surrounded by the spring.

Claims

1. An optic fiber connector which includes a housing having a front surface and having a plurality of through passages each passage having a terminus-holding rear passage portion and a front passage portion that holds an alignment sleeve, said connector including a plurality of optic fiber termini that each is slideable in forward and rearward directions in the corresponding passage, each terminus having a rear terminus portion lying in a corresponding rear passage portion and a ferrule projecting into said sleeve, and said connector including a plurality of springs each lying in one of said rear passage portions and around at least part of a corresponding terminus and biasing the terminus forwardly, said housing including a stop that limits forward movement of each terminus to a predetermined forward initial ferrule position, wherein;

each ferrule has a front tip, and the lengths of said sleeves and of said ferrules result in said ferrule front tips lying forward of said alignment sleeves and sufficiently forward to lie at least flush with said housing front surface in said forward initial ferrule position;

said housing has a peripheral housing portion that projects forward of said ferrule front tips in their forward initial positions.

2. The connector described in claim 1 including a mating optic fiber connector device which has a plurality of termini devices with projecting ferrule devices for entering said alignment sleeves, and wherein:

said connector and connector device have stop shoulders that abut one another when said connector and connector device are fully mated;

said ferrule devices have tips that project halfway through said alignment sleeves when said stop shoulders abut one another, said ferrule tips also lying halfway through said alignment sleeve wherein said stop shoulders abut.

3. The connector described in claim 1 wherein:

said alignment sleeves each have an inside diameter front and rear ends, and an alignment sleeve length between said ends which is about three times said inside diameter, and each spring has an initial length when the ferrule lies in said initial position, said spring length being at least 150% of said alignment sleeve length.

4. The connector described in claim 3 wherein:

said spring length is at least 200% of said alignment sleeve length.

5. An optic fiber connector which includes a housing with a through passage extending in front and rear longitudinal directions and with a housing front surface that surrounds said passage front end, an alignment sleeve lying in a front portion of said passage and having alignment sleeve front and rear ends, a spring lying in a rear portion of said passage, and a terminus that lies in said passage and that includes a ferrule with a front ferrule portion lying in said alignment sleeve, said ferrule having a front tip, said spring having a front portion that surrounds a portion of said terminus and said spring coupled to said terminus to urge it and its ferrule forward to a most forward initial position while allowing said ferrule to slide rearward until the ferrule tip lies halfway between said alignment sleeve front and rear ends, wherein:

in said most forward position of said ferrule said ferrule tip lies sufficiently forward to lie at least flush with said housing front surface;

said alignment sleeve has a length of about three times its inside diameter and said spring has a length, in said initial position of said ferrule, that is more than 150% of said alignment sleeve length.

6. An optic fiber connector which includes a housing having a front surface and having a plurality of through passages each passage having a terminus-holding rear passage portion and a front passage portion that holds an alignment sleeve, said housing front surface lying around front ends of said passages, said connector including a plurality of optic fiber termini that are slideable in forward and rearward directions in the corresponding passage, each terminus having a terminus rear portion lying in a corresponding rear passage portion and a ferrule projecting into a corresponding one of said sleeves, said housing forming stops that each limits forward movement of a corresponding terminus to a predetermined forward initial ferrule position, including:

a plurality of helical springs that each lies in different one of said rear passage portions and that biases a corresponding terminus forwardly, and each terminus being slideable in forward and rearward directions independently of the other of said termini;

each ferrule has a front tip, and the lengths of said alignment sleeves and of said ferrules result in said ferrule front tips lying forward of said alignment sleeves and flush with or forward of said housing front surface in said forward initial ferrule positions.

7. The connector described in claim 6 wherein:

said housing has a peripheral housing portion that projects forward of said ferrule front tips in their forward initial positions.

8. The connector described in claim 6 including a mating optic fiber connector device which has a plurality of termini devices with projecting ferrule devices for entering said alignment sleeves, and wherein:

said connector and connector device have stop shoulders that abut one another when said connector and connector device are fully mated;

said ferrule devices have device tips that project halfway through said alignment sleeves when said stop shoulders abut one another, said ferrule tips also lying halfway through said alignment sleeve when said stop shoulders abut.

9. The connector described in claim 6 wherein:

said alignment sleeves each has front and rear ends with predetermined inside diameters, and said alignment sleeves each has a predetermined alignment sleeve length between said ends which is about three times said inside diameter, and each spring has an initial length when the ferrule lies in said initial position, said initial length being at least 150% of said alignment sleeve length.