MPO trunk concatenation adapter

• US 8,727,635 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Livingston, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen Chau N
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOONEY, MICHAEL P
• Application Number:
  US13/086,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20110249942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 385 49- 53, 385/56, 385/57, 385/59, 385/62, 385/65, 385/73, 385 75- 78, 385/83, 385 88- 89, 385/139
• US Class Current: 385/73
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/26 Optical coupling means G02B6/36, G02B6/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3807 Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/381 of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3869 Mounting ferrules to connector body, i.e. plugs
• 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 6/3883 using rods, pins or balls to align a plurality of pairs of ferrule ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3895 identification of connection, e.g. right plug to the right socket or full engagement of the mating parts keying element on the plug or adapter G02B6/3831; keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical connection H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/423 using guiding surfaces for the alignment

Abstract

An MPO connector adapter to connect a first female MPO connector to a second female MPO connector includes a housing. An adapter ferrule is retained within the housing. First and second alignment pin sections extend from a first face of the adapter ferrule to mate with guide holes of the first female MPO connector. Third and fourth alignment pin sections extend from an opposite face of the adapter ferrule to mate with guide holes of the second female MPO connector. Optical fibers within the adapter ferrule couple optical signals from the first female MPO connector to the second female MPO connector.

Claims

1. An MPO connector adapter to connect a first female MPO connector to a second female MPO connector comprising:

a housing;

an adapter ferrule within said housing, wherein said adapter ferrule is loosely attached to said housing, such that said adapter ferrule may move in all directions relative to said housing while remaining attached to said housing;

first and second alignment pin sections extending from a first face of said adapter ferrule; and

third and fourth alignment pin sections extending from a second face of said adapter ferrule.

2. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 1, wherein said second face is on an opposite side of said adapter ferrule as compared to said first face.

3. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of fibers within said adapter ferrule, wherein each of said fibers has a first fiber end disposed adjacent to said first face and a second fiber end disposed adjacent to said second face.

4. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 3, wherein said first fiber ends are located between said first and second alignment pin sections, and wherein said second fiber ends are located between said third and fourth alignment pin sections.

5. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 4, wherein said first fiber ends are located in a single aligned row between said first and second alignment pin sections.

6. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 4, wherein said first fiber ends consist of eight fiber ends in a single row, twelve fiber ends in a single row, twenty-four fiber ends in two rows, forty-eight fiber ends in four rows, or seventy-two fiber ends in six rows.

7. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 1, wherein said adapter ferrule includes a slot and said housing includes a projecting portion seated into said slot to retain said adapter ferrule within said housing.

8. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 1, wherein said first alignment pin section is a first end portion of a first alignment pin and said third alignment pin section is an opposite, second end portion of said first alignment pin, and wherein said second alignment pin section is a first end portion of a second alignment pin and said fourth alignment pin section is an opposite, second end portion of said second alignment pin.

9. An MPO connector adapter to connect a first female MPO connector to a second female MPO connector comprising:

a housing;

an adapter ferrule within said housing; and

first and second alignment pins extending through said adapter ferrule, wherein first and second ends of said first and second alignment pins, respectively, extend from a first face of said adapter ferrule, and third and fourth ends of said first and second alignment pins, respectively, extend from a second face of said adapter ferrule, and wherein said second face is on an opposite side of said ferrule as compared to said first face.

10. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of fibers within said adapter ferrule, wherein each of said fibers has a first fiber end disposed adjacent to said first face and a second fiber end disposed adjacent to said second face, and

wherein said first fiber ends are located between said first and second ends of said first and second alignment pins, and wherein said second fiber ends are located between said third and fourth ends of said first and second alignment pins.

11. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 9, wherein said adapter ferrule is loosely attached to said housing, such that said adapter ferrule may move slightly within said housing while remaining attached to said housing.

12. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 11, wherein said adapter ferrule includes a slot and said housing includes a projecting portion seated into said slot to retain said adapter ferrule within said housing.

13. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 9, wherein said first alignment pin includes a first reduced diameter portion proximate a midpoint between its ends, and wherein said second alignment pin includes a second reduced diameter portion proximate a midpoint between its ends;

and further comprising;

a first clip seated into said first reduced diameter portion and at least partially encircling said first alignment pin; and

a second clip seated into said second reduced diameter portion and at least partially encircling said second alignment pin.

14. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 13, wherein said adapter ferrule includes a first slot providing access to said first clip and a second slot providing access to said second clip.

15. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 14, wherein said housing includes a first projecting portion and a second projecting portion, and wherein said first projecting portion is seated into said first slot and said second projecting portion is seated into said second slot, such that said adapter ferrule may move slightly relative to said housing as said first projecting portion moves within said first slot and said second projecting portion moves within said second slot.

16. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 14, wherein said first slot is provided within a first lateral side of said adapter ferrule and said second slot is provided within a second lateral side of said adapter ferrule, opposite to said first lateral side.

17. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 10, wherein said first fiber ends are located in a single aligned row between said first and second ends of said first and second alignment pins.

18. The MPO connector adapter according to claim 10, wherein said first fiber ends consist of eight fiber ends in a single row, twelve fiber ends in a single row, twenty-four fiber ends in two rows, forty-eight fiber ends in four rows, or seventy-two fiber ends in six rows.

19. An MPO connector system comprising:

a first female MPO connector presenting a first terminal with fiber ends from a first cord;

a second female MPO connector;

presenting a second terminal with fiber ends from a second cord; and

an MPO connector adapter including;

a housing;

an adapter ferrule within said housing;

first and second alignment pins extending through said adapter ferrule, wherein first and second ends of said first and second alignment pins, respectively, extend from a first face of said adapter ferrule, and third and fourth ends of said first and second alignment pins, respectively, extend from a second face of said adapter ferrule, and wherein said second face is on an opposite side of said ferrule as compared to said first face;

a plurality of fibers within said adapter ferrule, wherein each of said fibers has a first fiber end disposed adjacent to said first face and a second fiber end disposed adjacent to said second face, wherein said first fiber ends are located between said first and second ends of said first and second alignment pins, wherein said second fiber ends are located between said third and fourth ends of said first and second alignment pins, wherein said first fiber ends of said first face of said adapter ferrule mate with said fiber ends of said first terminal of said first female MPO connector, when said first female MPO connector is mated to said MPO connector adapter, and wherein said second fiber ends of said second face of said adapter ferrule mate with said fiber ends of said second terminal of said second female MPO connector, when said second female MPO connector is mated to said MPO connector adapter.