Fiber optic connector

• US 9,946,035 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Gustafson, Evan, Hopper, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): BLEVINS, JERRY M
• Application Number:
  US15/260,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20170293089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 385 78
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3821 with axial spring biasing or loading means G02B6/3847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/387 Connector plugs comprising two complementary members, e.g. shells, caps, covers, locked together
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3871 Ferrule rotatable with respect to plug body, e.g. for setting rotational position adjusting fibre within the ferrule, G02B6/3843; Fixation of ferrules after rotation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3878 comprising a plurality of ferrules, branching and break-out means
• 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 6/3885 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 6/3893 Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on

Abstract

A fiber optic connector assembly incorporates features that improve structural rigidity and the integrity of transmitted signals. These features also allow the connector assembly to be accessed easily in high density connectivity environments. These features also facilitate a technique for reversing polarity of the connector assembly with little or no risk of twisting the optical fibers and without requiring the housing assembly to be disassembled. The connector assembly is constructed using a small number of parts, thereby maintaining low maintenance costs while yielding a sturdy structure. A puller can be added to the connector assembly to improve access in congested connectivity applications without increasing the size profile. Chamfered front faces afford a degree of alignment tolerance when plugging the connector assembly into an adapter. Features of the connector assembly can be implemented in both a duplexed housing version as well as a paired simplex clipped version.

Claims

1. A connector, comprising:

a first housing comprising a barrel projection on a front side of the first housing, wherein the barrel projection is hollow and is configured to receive a spring and a ferrule assembly via a front end of the barrel projection, and wherein the barrel projection comprises a groove at or near a base of the barrel projection;

a front body configured to fit over the barrel projection while the spring and the ferrule assembly are in the barrel projection, the front body comprising a rear opening that receives the barrel projection, wherein at least a portion of a rim of the rear opening comprises a ridge configured to be received by the groove of the barrel projection while the front body is attached to the barrel projection; and

a duplex clip configured to hold the first housing and a second housing in a substantially parallel orientation, wherein the duplex clip comprises;

a first pair of rails on a left side of the duplex clip configured to hold a first side plate of the first housing; and

a second pair of rails on a right side of the duplex clip configured to hold a second side plate of the second housing.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the front body is configured to rotate about the barrel projection independently of the ferrule assembly while the front body is attached to the barrel projection.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the barrel projection comprises a geometric profile conforming to a shape of a ferrule holder of the ferrule assembly.

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein the first housing comprises a chamfered front face.

5. The connector of claim 1, wherein the rear opening of the front body is a first rear opening, and wherein the first housing further comprises a second rear opening configured to receive one or more optical fibers.

6. The connector of claim 5, wherein

the barrel projection is a first barrel projection,

the front body is a first front body,

the second housing comprises a second barrel projection on a front side of the second housing,

the second barrel projection is hollow and is configured to receive another spring and another ferrule assembly via a front end of the second barrel projection, and

the second barrel projection has another groove at or near a base of the second barrel projection,

and the connector further comprises:

a second front body configured to fit over the second barrel projection while the other spring and the other ferrule assembly reside in the second barrel projection, the second front body comprising a third rear opening that receives the second barrel projection, wherein at least a portion of a rim of the third rear opening comprises another ridge configured to reside in the other groove of the second barrel projection while the second front body is attached to the second barrel projection.

7. The connector of claim 5, wherein the second rear opening comprises a crimp core configured to mate with a crimp sleeve.

8. The connector of claim 1, further comprising a puller,

wherein the duplex clip comprises one or more first puller rails on a top side of the duplex clip configured to attach to corresponding protrusions on a front end of the puller, and one or more second puller rails on a bottom side of the duplex clip configured to attach to the corresponding protrusions on the front end of the puller.

9. The connector of claim 8, wherein

a first end of the puller comprises a t-bar configured to engage with a first recess in a first latch of the front body, and

a second end of the puller comprises two concave surfaces configured to accommodate two corresponding fiber optic cables.

10. The connector of claim 1, wherein the first housing comprises the first side plate formed on a first side of the first housing and a third side plate formed on a second side of the first housing opposite the first side.

11. A connector, comprising:

a first front body that fits over a first barrel projection formed on a first rear body, wherein a first ferrule assembly resides inside a first chamber formed by the first front body and the first barrel projection, and wherein a first ridge on an inside rim of a first rear opening of the first front body resides in a first groove that traverses a base of the first barrel projection;

a second front body that fits over a second barrel projection formed on a second rear body, wherein a second ferrule assembly resides in a second chamber formed by the second front body and the second barrel projection, and wherein a second ridge on an inside rim of a second rear opening of the second front body resides in a second groove that traverses a base of the second barrel projection; and

a duplex clip that holds the first rear body substantially parallel to the second rear body, the duplex clip comprising;

a first pair of rails on a first side of the duplex clip configured to hold a first side plate formed on the first rear body, and

a second pair of rails on a second side of the duplex clip configured to hold a second side plate formed on the second rear body.

12. The connector of claim 11, wherein

the first front body is rotatable about the first barrel projection independently of the first ferrule assembly, and

the second front body is rotatable about the second barrel projection independently of the second ferrule assembly.

13. The connector of claim 11, further comprising a puller attached to a top side of the connector, wherein the connector is configured to allow the puller to be attached to either of the top side or a bottom side of the connector.

14. The connector of claim 13,

wherein

a first end of the puller comprises a t-bar configured to engage with a first recess in a first latch of the first front body and with a second recess in a second latch of the second front body, and

a second end of the puller comprises two concave surfaces configured to accommodate fiber optic cables that enter a rear side of the connector.

15. The connector of claim 13, wherein the puller comprises protrusions configured to interface with corresponding first grooves formed on a top side of the duplex clip and corresponding second grooves formed on a bottom side of the duplex clip.

16. The connector of claim 11, wherein an inner surface of at least one of the first barrel projection or the second barrel projection has a geometric profile corresponding to a shape of a ferrule holder of the first ferrule assembly or the second ferrule assembly.

17. The connector of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first front body or the second front body has a chamfered front face.

18. A method, comprising:

rotating a first front body of a fiber optic connector about a first barrel projection on which the first front body is attached, wherein the first front body and the first barrel projection house a first ferrule assembly comprising a first ferrule that protrudes from a first front opening of the first front body, and wherein the first ferrule assembly remains fixed within the first barrel projection during the rotating of the first front body;

rotating a second front body of the fiber optic connector about a second barrel projection on which the second front body is attached, wherein the second front body and the second barrel projection house a second ferrule assembly comprising a second ferrule that protrudes from a second front opening of the second front body, and wherein the second ferrule assembly remains fixed within the second barrel projection during the rotating of the second front body;

removing a puller from a first side of a duplex clip that holds the first barrel projection and the second barrel projection in a substantially parallel orientation, the duplex clip comprising a first pair of rails on a first side of the duplex clip configured to hold a first side plate formed on the first barrel projection, and a second pair of rails on a second side of the duplex clip configured to hold a second side plate formed on the second barrel projection; and

attaching the puller to a second side of the duplex clip opposite the first side.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the attaching the puller comprises affixing a front end of the puller to one or more puller rails of the duplex clip.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more puller rails are one or more first puller rails, and the removing the puller comprises disengaging the front end of the puller from one or more second puller rails of the duplex clip.