Sealing enclosures for a connector on a cable, such as a standardized fiber-optic connector

• US 8,556,520 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Nederland Bv (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Elenbaas, Jacob Arie, Verhoeven, Jarno
• Primary Examiner(s): KIANNI, KAVEH C
• Application Number:
  US12/924,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20110075971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 385/55
• 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 6/3847 with means preventing fibre end damage, e.g. recessed fibre surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/387 Connector plugs comprising two complementary members, e.g. shells, caps, covers, locked together
• 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 6/3887 Anchoring optical cables to connector housings, e.g. strain relief features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3891 Bayonet type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3893 Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3894 Screw-lock type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4248 Feed-through connections for the hermetical passage of fibres through a package wall see provisionally also G02B6/4428
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4428 Penetrator systems in pressure-resistant devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49174 Assembling terminal to elongated conductor

Abstract

The invention relates to a sealing enclosure and a sealing assembly comprising the sealing enclosure and a mating enclosure as well as a method to connect both. The sealing enclosure loosely receives a connector within a connector volume so that the connector, which may be of a standard type used in electronic or optic data transmission, may be displaced within a plug face at the forward end of the connector volume. Thus, the connector may compensate variations in the position of a mating connector with respect to the mating enclosure. Moreover, the sealing enclosure allows to seal off the connector volume and engage the sealing enclosure with a mating enclosure in a single motion. This is affected by having a cable seal interposed between an inner body and an outer body. If the outer body is moved forward to engage the mating connector, the cable seal is squeezed between the cable and the inner body sealing off the connector volume at the rearward end of the inner body.

Claims

1. A sealing enclosure for a connector on a cable, the sealing enclosure comprising:

a cable seal adapted to sealingly engage the cable;

an inner body comprising a connector volume adapted to receive the connector, the connector volume being open at least at a rearward end and the cable seal being arranged at the rearward end of the connector volume, the inner body at its rearward end being provided with a clamping section, which is adapted to receive the cable seal and which is adapted to be compressed radially about the cable seal; and

an outer body adapted to slide over the inner body to a forward position, comprising at least one locking element that is adapted to axially secure the sealing enclosure to a mating enclosure when the outer body is in the forward position, the outer body being provided with a wall tapering in the rearward direction, the wall compressing the clamping section around the cable seal;

wherein in the forward position, the outer body extends beyond the cable seal in the rearward direction and the cable seal is compressed by the outer body.

2. The sealing enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the sealing enclosure comprises the connector mounted on an end of the cable, the connector being received loosely at least in a forward section of the connector volume.

3. The sealing enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the connector is received displaceable relative to the inner body in a direction perpendicular to the forward-rearward direction.

4. The sealing enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the connector is received displaceable relative to the inner body in the forward-rearward direction.

5. The sealing enclosure according to claim 1, wherein a space extending between the inner body and the outer body is sealed at a rearward end of the outer body by the cable seal in the forward position of the outer body.