Fiber optic inspection apparatus

• US 9,341,542 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apack Automation Corporation
• Original Assignee: Apack Automation Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Chun-Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): Stock, Jr., Gordon J
• Application Number:
  US14/309,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20150168252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/30 Testing of optical devices, constituted by fibre optics or optical waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3882 using rods, pins or balls to align a pair 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

Abstract

A fiber optic inspection apparatus includes a male connector with a protruding pin or a female connector with a plug hole, a casing, an inspection means, a first control unit and a second control unit. The casing has an accommodating space for installing the inspection means, first control unit and second control unit, and a connecting hole. The inspection means has a connecting end and a pair of moving guide pins, and the connecting end has two through holes for passing the moving guide pins and switching the status of protruding from or being received in the through holes. The first control unit is for fixing the inspection means and coupling the moving guide pins, and a control button is extended from the second control unit and has a side linked with the first control unit for switching the position of the two moving guide pins.

Claims

1. A fiber optic inspection apparatus, for inspecting a transmission status of a fiber optic circuit, and the fiber optic circuit having at least one connector, which is a male connector with a protruding pin or a female connector with a plug hole, comprising:

a casing, having an accommodating space, and a connecting hole formed on a side of the casing for plugging in the fiber optic circuit;

an inspection means, installed in the accommodating space, and having a connecting end and a pair of moving guide pins, and the connecting end being installed at a position corresponding to the connecting hole and coupled to the fiber optic circuit for an inspection, and the connecting end having a pair of through holes corresponding to the pair of moving guide pins respectively for passing the pair of moving guide pins therein, and protruding the pair of moving guide pins out of the pair of through holes or receiving the pair of moving guide pins into the pair of through holes, so that the connecting end can change according to the male connector or the female connector;

a first control unit, installed in the accommodating space, for fixing the inspection means, and connecting the pair of moving guide pins; and

at least one second control unit, installed in the accommodating space, and having a control button installed at and extended from a side of the second control unit, and the control button being disposed on an outer side of the casing, and a side of the second control unit opposite to the side having the control button being linked with the first control unit, wherein when a user controls the control button, the second control unit acts correspondingly and drives the first control unit at the same time, so that the pair of moving guide pins are moved and engaged with the fiber optic circuit to conduct an inspection.

2. The fiber optic inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control button is a slider, and the casing has a slide slot formed at a position corresponding to the control button and provided for a user to push and move the control button.

3. The fiber optic inspection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first control unit includes a fixing seat and a moving seat, and the fixing seat is installed at a position corresponding to the connecting hole for fixing the connecting end, and a pair of protruding columns are extended from a side of the fixing seat, and the moving seat is disposed on a side of the fixing seat and has a pair of penetrating holes for passing the pair of protruding columns, and the moving seat is coupled to the pair of moving guide pins, so that the moving seat drives the pair of moving guide pins while moving along the pair of protruding columns.

4. The fiber optic inspection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the fixing seat has an installation slot concavely formed thereon for fixing the inspection means.

5. The fiber optic inspection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second control unit includes a first guide block, a second guide block and a gear, and the first guide block is coupled to a side of the control button and has a first engaging portion disposed on an opposite side corresponding to the gear, and the second guide block is coupled to the moving seat and has a second engaging portion disposed on a side corresponding to the gear, and the first guide block and the second guide block are disposed opposite to each other, and the gear is installed between the first guide block and the second guide block and engaged with the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion respectively, and wherein the control button is pushed to drive the first guide block and cause the gear and the second guide block to move, so as to drive the moving seat to move the pair of moving guide pins.

6. The fiber optic inspection apparatus of claim 5, wherein the fixing seat has an installation slot concavely formed thereon for fixing the inspection means.