Optical assemblies with managed connectivity

• US 9,379,501 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Connectivity UK Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), CommScope Connectivity UK Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Taylor, Christopher, Petersen, Cyle D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Tam
• Application Number:
  US14/169,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20140220794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 439/620.04, 439/620.06, 439/620.21, 439/620.22, 439/676, 439/941
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• 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 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/428 containing printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7033 making use of elastic extensions of the terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/76 with sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. to a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/13 Patch panels for monitoring, interconnecting or testing circuits, e.g. patch bay, patch field or jack field; Patching modules

Abstract

An example universal contact assembly includes plug contact members and a sensing contact member that are overmolded together to form a single unit. Example adapter block assembly include a first optical adapter; a first contact assembly disposed in an aperture defined in the first optical adapter; a first circuit board; and a retainer arrangement that holds the first circuit board to the first optical adapter with sufficient force to retain the first contact assembly within the aperture. Example retainer arrangements include a cover having flanges with tabs that deflect into cavities defined by the first optical adapter; clamp members that clamp a cover to the first optical adapter to hold the first circuit board therebetween; and a retention strip having barbs that attach to the first optical adapter and barbs that attach to the first printed circuit board.

Claims

1. A contact assembly comprising:

a body having a first end and an opposite second end that define a longitudinal axis of the body, the body also having a first side and an opposite second side that define a lateral axis of the body; and

a plurality of plug contact members coupled to the body, the plug contact members being laterally spaced from each other along the lateral axis of the body, each plug contact member having a first portion extending outwardly from the first end of the body to define a first contact section, each plug contact member also having a second section that extends outwardly from the second end of the body, the second sections of the plug contact members defining resilient sections and defining second contact sections at which the plug contact members extend back towards the first portions of the plug contact members, each resilient section being disposed between the second end of the body and a corresponding one of the second contact sections, only one of the plug contact members extending farther along the longitudinal axis of the body than a remainder of the plug contact members, the only one plug contact member defining a third contact section at a distal end.

2. The contact assembly of claim 1, wherein the body defines a tapered portion partially facing the second end of the body to accommodates deflection of the plug contact members.

3. The contact assembly of claim 1, wherein the body includes pegs protruding outwardly from the body, the pegs being configured to mount the body to a circuit board.

4. The contact assembly of claim 1, wherein a width of the contact assembly taken at the first contact sections is larger than a width of the contact assembly taken at the second contact sections.

5. The contact assembly of claim 1, further comprising a sensing contact member extending from the first end of the body, the sensing contact member having a first portion laterally aligned with the first contact sections of the plug contact members, the sensing contact member also having a second portion aligned with the third contact section of the only one plug contact member along a non-lateral direction, the plug contact members and sensing contact member being overmolded together to form the body.

6. The contact assembly of claim 5, wherein the sensing contact member extends only from the first end of the body.

7. The contact assembly of claim 5, wherein the sensing contact member extends outwardly past the first contact sections of the plug contact members, and wherein the third contact section of the only one plug contact member extends outwardly past the second contact sections of the plug contact members.

8. The contact assembly of claim 5, wherein sufficient deflection of the second contact sections causes the third contact section of the only one plug contact member to touch the second portion of the sensing contact, thereby electrically connecting the only one plug contact member and the sensing contact.

9. The contact assembly of claim 8, wherein distal ends of the plug contact members do not touch the first contact sections of the plug contact members regardless of deflection.

10. The contact assembly of claim 1, wherein the contact assembly is configured to fit within an LC-type adapter.

11. The contact assembly of claim 10, wherein the LC-type adapter includes a printed circuit board having a first contact pad and a second contact pad.

12. The contact assembly of claim 1, wherein the contact assembly is configured to fit within an MPO-type adapter.

13. A contact assembly comprising:

a plurality of plug contact members that are laterally spaced from each other, each plug contact member having a first contact section and a second contact section, only one of the plug contact members having an extension that forms a third contact section, the extension extending from the second contact section of the only one plug contact member and extending beyond the first contact section of the only one plug contact member; and

a body surrounding portions of the plug contact members between the first and second contact sections, the extension extending from the second contact section, beyond the body, to a distal end.

14. The contact assembly of claim 13, wherein the body is overmolded over the plug contact members to form a single unit.

15. The contact assembly of claim 13, wherein the plug contact members have first portions extending from a first end of an overmolded body and second portions extending from a second end of the overmolded body.

16. The contact assembly of claim 13, wherein an overmolded portion of the single unit includes pegs configured to facilitate attaching the single unit to a surface.

17. The contact assembly of claim 13, wherein the contact assembly is configured to fit within an LC-type adapter including a printed circuit board having a first contact pad and a second contact pad.

18. A contact arrangement comprising:

a circuit board having a row of first contact pads and a second contact pad spaced from the first row of contact pads; and

a contact assembly disposed at the circuit board, the contact assembly including a body supporting a plurality of contact members, the contact members extending between first and second ends, the first ends of the contact members aligning with and contacting the first contact pads of the circuit board, the contact members extending outwardly from the body in a direction away from the circuit board and then curving back towards the circuit board to define plug contact surfaces, the plurality of contact members including only one elongated contact member that extends beyond the plug contact surface to align with the second contact pad of the circuit board in a non-lateral direction, wherein the second end of the only one elongated contact member is not laterally aligned with the second ends of a remainder of the contact members.

19. The contact arrangement of claim 18, wherein a width of the contact arrangement taken at the first ends of the contact members is larger than a width of the contact arrangement taken at the plug contact surfaces.

20. The contact arrangement of claim 19, wherein the contact members are disposed in a row, and wherein outer contacts in the row extend laterally inwardly towards inner contacts in the row as the contact members extend outwardly from the body in the direction away from the circuit board.

21. The contact arrangement of claim 18, further comprising a sensing contact member held by the body, the sensing contact member having a first portion laterally aligned with the first ends of the contact members, the plug contact members and sensing contact member being overmolded together to form the body.