Opto-electric connector

• US 7,572,063 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stratos International Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Stratos International Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Warnes, Christopher M., Woolmer, Graham, Mynott, Geoffrey Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Uyen Chau N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peace; Rhonda S
• Application Number:
  US11/224,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20070058907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 385 54- 56, 385 58- 61, 385/65, 385 76- 79, 385 92- 94
• US Class Current: 385/56
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3817 containing optical and electrical conductors cables including electrical and optical conductors H01B11/22; G02B6/3816 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 6/3879 Linking of individual connector plugs to an overconnector, e.g. using clamps, clips, common housings comprising several individual connector plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3882 using rods, pins or balls to align a pair of ferrule ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3894 Screw-lock type

Abstract

The device includes a housing, an insert, a first ferrule, a second ferrule, a first ball lens, a second ball lens, a first contact pin, a second contact pin, a first contact socket, a second contact socket, an alignment pin, and an alignment socket. The housing has a first key and a second key. The insert is mounted in the housing. The first ferrule is mounted in the insert. The second ferrule is mounted in the insert. The first ball lens is mounted in the insert, and the first ball lens is in optical communication with the first ferrule. The second ball lens is mounted in the insert, and the first ball lens is in optical communication with the second ferrule. The first and second contact pins, and the first and second contact sockets are mounted in the insert.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a housing having a first key and a second key;

an insert mounted in the housing;

a first ferrule mounted in the insert;

a first ball lens mounted in the insert, and the first ball lens is in optical communication with the first ferrule;

a second ferrule mounted in the insert;

a second ball lens mounted in the insert, and the second ball lens is in optical communication with the second ferrule;

a first contact pin mounted in the insert;

a first contact socket mounted in the insert;

a second contact pin mounted in the insert;

a second contact socket mounted in the insert;

an alignment pin mounted in the insert; and

an alignment socket formed in the insert, and wherein

the first key, the second key, the first ball lens, the second ball lens, the first contact pin, the first contact socket, the second contact pin, the second contact socket, the alignment pin, and the alignment socket are hermaphroditic with a first key, a second key, a first ball lens, a second ball lens, a first contact pin, a first contact socket, a second contact pin, a second contact socket, an alignment pin, and an alignment socket of another device, and wherein

the first ferrule has an end which is at an angle relative to a longitudinal length direction of the first ferrule, and wherein the second ferrule has an end which is at an angle relative to a longitudinal length direction of the second ferrule.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the first key has a first end and a second end, and the second key has a third end and fourth end, and the first end of the first key is separated from the third end of the second key by approximately seventy-five degrees, and the second end of the second key is separated from the fourth end of the second key by approximately one-hundred-six degrees.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the alignment pin and the alignment socket lie on a first line, and a second line intersects the first line at ninety degrees, and the second line is equal distant from both the alignment pin and the alignment socket, the first contact pin separated from the first line by approximately fifty-five degrees, the first contact socket separated from the first line by approximately fifty-five degrees, the second contact pin separated from the first line by approximately ten, the second contact socket separated from the first line by approximately ten degree, the first ball lens separated from the second line by approximately thirty degrees, and the second ball lens separated from the second line by approximately thirty degrees.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the alignment pin is approximately five millimeters away from an intersection of the fist line and the second line, the alignment socket is approximately five millimeters away from the intersection, the first ball lens is approximately five millimeters away from the intersection, the second ball lens is approximately five millimeters away from the intersection, the first contact pin is approximately five millimeters away from the intersection, the first contact socket is approximately five millimeters away from the intersection, the second contact pin is approximately two and one-tenth millimeters away from the intersection, and the second contact socket is approximately two and one tenth millimeters away from the intersection.

5. A device comprising:

a first housing having a first key and a second key;

a first insert mounted in the first housing;

a first ferrule mounted in the first insert;

the first ferrule having an end which is at an angle relative to a longitudinal length direction of the first ferrule;

a first ball lens mounted in the first insert, and the first ball lens is in optical communication with the first ferrule;

a second ferrule mounted in the first insert;

the second ferrule having an end which is at an angle relative to a longitudinal length direction of the second ferrule;

a second ball lens mounted in the first insert, and the second ball lens is in optical communication with the second ferrule;

a first contact pin mounted in the first insert;

a first contact socket mounted in the first insert;

a second contact pin mounted in the first insert;

a second contact socket mounted in the first insert;

an alignment pin mounted in the first insert;

an alignment socket formed in the first insert, and wherein the first key, the second key, the first ball lens, the second ball lens, the first contact pin, the first contact socket, the second contact pin, the second contact socket, the alignment pin, and the alignment socket are hermaphroditic with a first key, a second key, a first ball lens, a second ball lens, a first contact pin, a first contact socket, a second contact pin, a second contact socket, an alignment pin, and an alignment socket of another device;

a second housing;

a second insert mounted in the second housing;

a first fiber optic connector mounted in the second insert;

a second fiber optic connector mounted in the second insert;

a third contact pin mounted in the second insert;

a fourth contact pin mounted in the second insert;

a fifth contact pin mounted in the second insert;

an sixth contact pin mounted in the second insert;

a cover attached to the second housing, and the cover having a third key;

a first optical fiber attached to the first ferrule and the first fiber optic connector so that the first ferrule is in optical communication with the first fiber optic connector;

a second optical fiber attached to the second ferrule and the second fiber optic connector so that the second ferrule is in optical communication with the second fiber optic connector;

a first conductor attached to the first contact pin and the third contact pin so that the first contact pin is in electrical communication with the third contact pin;

a second conductor attached to the first contact socket and the fourth contact pin so that the first contact socket is in electrical communication with the fourth contact pin;

a third conductor attached to the second contact pin and the fifth contact pin so that the second contact pin is in electrical communication with the fifth contact pin; and

a fourth conductor attached to the second contact socket and the sixth contact pin so that the second contact socket is in electrical communication with the sixth contact pin.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein the first housing is attached to the second housing, and further comprising a bulkhead plate attached to one of the first housing and the second housing.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the first fiber optic connector conforms to the LC standard, and the second fiber optic connector conforms to the LC standard.

8. A device according to claim 7 wherein the cover is a male cover.

9. A device according to claim 5 wherein the first fiber optic connector conforms to the LC standard, and the second fiber optic connector conforms to the LC standard.

10. A device according to claim 9 wherein the cover is a male cover.

11. A device according to claim 10 wherein the first key has a first end and a second end, and the second key has a third end and fourth end, and the first end of the first key is separated from the third end of the second key by approximately seventy-five degrees, and the second end of the second key is separated from the fourth end of the second key by approximately one-hundred-six degrees.

12. A device according to claim 11 wherein the alignment pin and the alignment socket lie on a first line, and a second line intersects the first line at ninety degrees, and the second line is equal distant from both the alignment pin and the alignment socket, the first contact pin separated from the first line by approximately fifty-five degrees, the first contact socket separated from the first line by approximately fifty-five degrees, the second contact pin separated from the first line by approximately ten, the second contact socket separated from the first line by approximately ten degree, the first ball lens separated from the second line by approximately thirty degrees, and the second ball lens separated from the second line by approximately thirty degrees.

13. A device according to claim 12 wherein the alignment pin is approximately five millimeters away from an intersection of the fist line and the second line, the alignment socket is approximately five millimeters away from the intersection, the first ball lens is approximately five millimeters away from the intersection, the second ball lens is approximately five millimeters away from the intersection, the first contact pin is approximately five millimeters away from the intersection, the first contact socket is approximately five millimeters away from the intersection, the second contact pin is approximately two and one-tenth millimeters away from the intersection, and the second contact socket is approximately two and one tenth millimeters away from the intersection.

14. A device comprising:

a first housing;

a first insert mounted in the first housing;

a first fiber optic connector mounted in the first insert;

a second fiber optic connector mounted in the first insert;

a first contact pin mounted in the first insert;

a second contact pin mounted in the first insert;

a third contact pin mounted in the first insert;

a fourth contact pin mounted in the first insert;

a first cover attached to the first housing, and the first cover having a first key, and wherein the first cover is a male cover;

a second housing;

a second insert mounted in the second housing;

a third fiber optic connector mounted in the second insert;

a fourth fiber optic connector mounted in the second insert;

a fifth contact pin mounted in the second insert;

a sixth contact pin mounted in the second insert;

a seventh contact pin mounted in the second insert;

an eighth contact pin mounted in the second insert;

a second cover attached to the second housing, and the second cover having a second key, and wherein the second cover is a male cover;

a first optical fiber attached to the first fiber optic connector and the third fiber optic connector so that the first fiber optic connector is in optical communication with the third fiber optic connector;

a second optical fiber attached to the second fiber optic connector and the fourth fiber optic connector so that the second fiber optic connector is in optical communication with the fourth fiber optic connector;

a first conductor attached to the first contact pin and the fifth contact pin so that the first contact pin is in electrical communication with the fifth contact pin;

a second conductor attached to the second contact pin and the sixth contact pin so that the second contact pin is in electrical communication with the sixth contact pin;

a third conductor attached to the third contact pin and the seventh contact pin so that the third contact pin is in electrical communication with the seventh contact pin; and

a fourth conductor attached to the fourth contact pin and the eighth contact pin so that the fourth contact pin is in electrical communication with the eighth contact pin.