Optical assemblies with managed connectivity

• US 9,735,523 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2016
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), CommScope Connectivity UK Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), CommScope Connectivity UK Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Petersen, Cyle D., Taylor, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanghavi, Hemang
• Application Number:
  US15/193,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20160380398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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. An adapter block assembly comprising:

a first optical adapter defining oppositely facing first and second ports that provide access to an interior of the first optical adapter, the first optical adapter also defining an aperture that provides access to the interior, the aperture being defined in a surface extending between the first and second ports;

a first contact assembly disposed in the aperture defined in the first optical adapter;

at least a first printed circuit board disposed adjacent one side of the first optical adapter so that the first printed circuit board covers the aperture and the first contact assembly; and

a retainer arrangement that holds the first printed circuit board to the first optical adapter with sufficient force to retain the first contact assembly within the aperture;

wherein a total height of the adapter block assembly is no more than 13 mm.

2. The adapter assembly of claim 1, wherein the retainer arrangement comprises:

a cover that extends over the first printed circuit board; and

a plurality of retention members that secure the cover to the first optical adapter.

3. The adapter block assembly of claim 2, wherein the retention members include flanges that extend outwardly from the cover, the flanges having deflectable tabs that are sized to deflect into undercuts defined in the first optical adapter.

4. The adapter block assembly of claim 2, wherein the retention members include separate clamp members having first sections that couple to the cover, second sections that extend over edges of the cover and the first printed circuit board, and third sections that couple to the first optical adapter.

5. The adapter block assembly of claim 1, wherein the retainer arrangement includes a retention strip having an adapter retention barb configured to attach to the first optical adapter and a board retention barb configured to attach to the first printed circuit board.