Wall mount fiber optic connector and associated method for forming the same

• US 7,093,985 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Moog Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Protokraft LLC (Moog Incorporated)
• Inventors: Scharf, Robert Marc, Lord, Randal Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEPISTO, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US10/889,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20060008213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 385/89
• US Class Current: 385/89
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3821 with axial spring biasing or loading means G02B6/3847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4201 Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4246 Bidirectionally operating package structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/428 containing printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4281 the printed circuit boards being flexible in general H05K1/147
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4283 with electrical insulation means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4284 of optical modules with disconnectable electrical connectors latching arms for electrical connectors H01R13/627
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements

Abstract

A wall mount fiber optic connector includes a connector body portion to be mounted on a wall of an electronic system, and the connector body portion has ferrule-receiving passageways therein. Opto-electronic (O/E) converters are coupled to the ferrule-receiving passageways, with each O/E converter being associated with a respective ferrule-receiving passageway. Biasing members are coupled to the O/E converters, with each biasing member urging a respective O/E converter forward. The wall mount fiber optic connector also includes flexible circuits, with each flexible circuit having a first end coupled to a respective O/E converter. A printed circuit board is coupled to second ends of the flexible circuits. An electrical connector portion is carried by the connector body portion and is coupled to the printed circuit board.

Claims

1. A wall mount fiber optic connector comprising:

a connector body portion to be mounted on a wall, and having at least one ferrule-receiving passageway therein;

at least one opto-electronic (O/E) converter associated with the at least one ferrule-receiving passageway;

at least one flexible circuit having a first end coupled to said at least one O/E converter and having a second end;

at least one printed circuit board coupled to the second end of said at least one flexible circuit;

an electrical connector portion carried by said connector body portion and coupled to said at least one printed circuit board;

a spring plate between said at least one printed circuit board and said at least one O/E converter; and

at least one spring between said spring plate and said at least one O/E converter urging said at least one O/E converter forward.

2. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 1 wherein said at least one spring is under compression.

3. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 2 wherein said spring plate is also between said at least one flexible circuit and said at least one O/E converter.

4. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 3 wherein said at least one O/E converter comprises a plurality of conductive leads extending rearwardly therefrom and is coupled to a corresponding flexible circuit;

and wherein said spring plate includes at least one opening therein aligned with said plurality of conductive leads.

5. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 1 wherein said connector body portion comprises:

a wall mount flange;

a subassembly retainer carried by said wall mount flange and retaining said at least one O/E converter therein; and

an end cover removably coupled to an end of said

subassembly retainer.

6. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 5 wherein said subassembly retainer and said wall mount flange have a keyed fitting arrangement therebetween.

7. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 1 wherein said at least one printed circuit board comprises a forward printed circuit board coupled to said at least one flexible circuit, and a rearward printed circuit board coupled to said electrical connector portion.

8. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 1 wherein said at least one O/E converter comprises at least one transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) for converting an electrical signal to an optical signal, and at least one receiver optical subassembly (ROSA) for converting an optical signal to an electrical signal.

9. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 8 wherein each electrical signal is in a parallel format and each optical signal is in a serial format;

wherein each TOSA comprises a deserializer/serializer for converting an electrical signal to be transmitted from the parallel format to the serial format; and

wherein each ROSA comprises a serializer/deserializer for converting a received optical signal from the serial format to the parallel format.

10. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 1 wherein said connector body portion is cylindrically shaped.

11. A wall mount fiber optic connector comprising:

a connector body portion to be mounted on a wall, and having a plurality of ferrule-receiving passageways therein;

a plurality of opto-electronic (O/E) converters, each O/E converter being associated with a respective ferrule-receiving passageway;

a plurality of springs, each spring urging a respective O/E converter forward;

a plurality of flexible circuits, each flexible circuit having a first end coupled to a respective O/E converter and having a second end;

at least one printed circuit board coupled to the second ends of said plurality of flexible circuits; and

an electrical connector portion carried by said connector body portion and coupled to said at least one printed circuit board;

said connector body portion comprising

a wall mount flange,

a subassembly retainer carried by said wall mount flange and retaining said plurality of O/E converters therein, and

an end cover removably coupled to an end of said subassembly retainer.

12. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 11 further comprising a spring plate between said plurality of flexible circuits and said plurality of O/E converters;

and wherein said springs are under compression between said spring plate and said O/E converters.

13. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 12 wherein each O/E converter comprises a plurality of conductive leads extending rearwardly therefrom and being coupled to a corresponding flexible circuit;

and wherein said spring plate includes a plurality of openings therein aligned with said plurality of conductive leads.

14. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 11 wherein each respective spring is under tension.

15. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 11 wherein said subassembly retainer and said wall mount flange have a keyed fitting arrangement therebetween.

16. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 11 wherein said at least one printed circuit board comprises a forward printed circuit board coupled to said plurality of flexible circuits, and a rearward printed circuit board coupled to said electrical connector portion.

17. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 11 wherein said plurality O/E converters comprise at least one transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) for converting an electrical signal to an optical signal, and at least one receiver optical subassembly (ROSA) for converting an optical signal to an electrical signal.

18. A wall mount fiber optic connector according to claim 17 wherein each electrical signal is in a parallel format and each optical signal is in a serial format;

wherein each TOSA comprises a deserializer/serializer for converting an electrical signal to be transmitted from the parallel format to the serial format; and

wherein each ROSA comprises a serializer/deserializer for converting a received optical signal from the serial format to the parallel format.

19. An electronic system comprising:

a housing including a wall;

an electrical circuit carried by said housing;

at least one wall mount fiber optic connector comprising

a connector body portion mounted on the wall of said housing, and having at least one ferrule-receiving passageway therein,

at least one opto-electronic (O/E) converter associated with the at least one ferrule-receiving passageway,

at least one biasing member urging said at least one O/E converter forward,

at least one flexible circuit having a first end coupled to said at least one O/E converter and having a second end,

at least one printed circuit board coupled to the second end of said at least one flexible circuit,

an electrical connector portion carried by said connector body portion and coupled to said at least one printed circuit board,

a spring plate between said at least one printed circuit board and said at least one O/E converter, and

at least one spring between said spring plate and said at least one O/E converter urging said at least one O/E converter forward; and

cable between said electrical connector portion and said electrical circuit.

20. An electronic system according to claim 19 wherein said at least one spring is under compression.

21. An electronic system according to claim 20 wherein said spring plate is also between said at least one flexible circuit and said at least one O/E converter.

22. An electronic system according to claim 21 wherein said at least one O/E converter comprises a plurality of conductive leads extending rearwardly therefrom and being coupled to a corresponding flexible circuit;

and wherein said spring plate includes at least one opening therein aligned with said plurality of conductive leads.

23. An electronic system according to claim 19 wherein said connector body portion comprises:

a wall mount flange;

a subassembly retainer carried by said wall mount flange and retaining said at least one O/E converter therein; and

an end cover removably coupled to an end of said subassembly retainer.

24. An electronic system according to claim 23 wherein said subassembly retainer and said wall mount mounting flange have a keyed fitting arrangement therebetween.

25. An electronic system according to claim 19 wherein said at least one printed circuit board comprises a forward printed circuit board coupled to said at least one flexible circuit, and a rearward printed circuit board coupled to said electrical connector portion.

26. An electronic system according to claim 19 wherein said at least one O/E converter comprises at least one transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) for converting an electrical signal to an optical signal, and at least one receiver optical subassembly (ROSA) for converting an optical signal to an electrical signal.

27. An electronic system according to claim 26 wherein each electrical signal is in a parallel format and each optical signal is in a serial format;

wherein each TOSA comprises a deserializer/serializer for converting an electrical signal to be transmitted from the parallel format to the serial format; and

wherein each ROSA comprises a serializer/deserializer for converting a received optical signal from the serial format to the parallel format.

28. An electronic system according to claim 19 wherein said connector body portion is cylindrically shaped.

29. A method for making a wall mount fiber optic connector comprising:

forming at least one ferrule-receiving passageway in a connector body portion to be mounted on a wall;

coupling at least one opto-electronic (O/E) converter to the at least one ferrule-receiving passageway;

coupling a first end of at least one flexible circuit to the at least one O/E converter;

coupling at least one printed circuit board to a second end of the at least one flexible circuit;

coupling an electrical connector portion to the at least one printed circuit board, the electrical connector portion being carried by the connector body portion;

providing a spring plate between the at least one printed circuit board and the at least one O/E converter; and

positioning at least one spring between the spring plate and the at least one o/E converter for urging the at least one O/E converter forward.

30. A method according to claim 29 wherein the at least one spring is under compression.

31. A method according to claim 30 wherein the spring plate is also between the at least one flexible circuit and the at least one O/E converter.

32. A method according to claim 31 wherein the at least one O/E converter comprises a plurality of conductive leads extending rearwardly therefrom and being coupled to a corresponding flexible circuit;

and wherein the spring plate includes at least one opening therein aligned with the plurality of conductive leads.

33. A method according to claim 29 wherein the connector body portion comprises a wall mount flange;

a subassembly retainer carried by the wall mount flange and retaining the at least one O/E converter therein; and

an end cover removably coupled to an end of the subassembly retainer.

34. A method according to claim 33 wherein the subassembly retainer and the wall mount mounting flange have a keyed fitting arrangement therebetween.

35. A method according to claim 29 wherein the at least one printed circuit board comprises a forward printed circuit board coupled to the at least one flexible circuit, and a rearward printed circuit board coupled to the electrical connector portion.

36. A method according to claim 29 wherein the at least one O/E converter comprise at least one transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) for converting an electrical signal to an optical signal, and at least one receiver optical subassembly (ROSA) for converting an optical signal to an electrical signal.

37. A method according to claim 29 wherein the connector body portion is cylindrically shaped.