Connector engagement sensing mechanism
First Claim
1. A connector assembly comprising:
- an adapter including a first adapter wall;
a housing device including a housing receivable by the adapter and having a bore, the housing device further including a front end, a rear end opposite the front end, and a first housing wall such that when the first housing wall is received in the adapter and is on an inner side of the first adapter wall, movement of the first housing wall is limited by the first adapter wall;
a ferrule device including a ferrule at least partially within the bore of the housing and having a mating end extendable beyond the front end of the housing device;
a sensor mounted on the housing device or mounted on the adapter such that the sensor confronts the housing device, the sensor being configured for detecting a force applied by the housing device or being configured for detecting translation of the housing device,wherein an electrical characteristic of the sensor changes to indicate a predetermined force has been applied by the housing device when the sensor is configured for detecting a force applied by the housing device or changes to indicate a translation of the housing device to a predetermined position when the sensor is configured for detecting translation of the housing device,wherein the adapter includes a second adapter wall opposing the first adapter wall, and wherein the first housing wall is between the first and the second adapter walls when the first housing wall is received in the adapter and is on the inner side of the first adapter wall,wherein the housing device includes a second housing wall opposite the first housing wall,wherein when the first housing wall is received in the adapter and is on the inner side of the first adapter wall, the first housing wall faces the first adapter wall to define a first distance therebetween and the second housing wall faces the second adapter wall to define a second distance therebetween, andwherein the sum of the first and the second distances is greater than zero.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A connector assembly includes an adapter, a housing device, a ferrule assembly, and a sensor. The housing device is received by the adapter and has a bore, a front end, and a rear end opposite the front end. A ferrule of the ferrule assembly is within the bore of the housing device and has a mating end extending beyond the front end of the housing device. The sensor is mounted on the rear end of the housing, the rear end of the ferrule assembly, or on the adapter confronting and spaced apart from the housing device or the ferrule assembly. The sensor is configured for detecting a force applied by the housing device or the ferrule assembly, respectively. An electrical characteristic of the sensor changes to indicate a predetermined force has been applied by the housing device or the ferrule assembly, respectively.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A connector assembly comprising:
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an adapter including a first adapter wall; a housing device including a housing receivable by the adapter and having a bore, the housing device further including a front end, a rear end opposite the front end, and a first housing wall such that when the first housing wall is received in the adapter and is on an inner side of the first adapter wall, movement of the first housing wall is limited by the first adapter wall; a ferrule device including a ferrule at least partially within the bore of the housing and having a mating end extendable beyond the front end of the housing device; a sensor mounted on the housing device or mounted on the adapter such that the sensor confronts the housing device, the sensor being configured for detecting a force applied by the housing device or being configured for detecting translation of the housing device, wherein an electrical characteristic of the sensor changes to indicate a predetermined force has been applied by the housing device when the sensor is configured for detecting a force applied by the housing device or changes to indicate a translation of the housing device to a predetermined position when the sensor is configured for detecting translation of the housing device, wherein the adapter includes a second adapter wall opposing the first adapter wall, and wherein the first housing wall is between the first and the second adapter walls when the first housing wall is received in the adapter and is on the inner side of the first adapter wall, wherein the housing device includes a second housing wall opposite the first housing wall, wherein when the first housing wall is received in the adapter and is on the inner side of the first adapter wall, the first housing wall faces the first adapter wall to define a first distance therebetween and the second housing wall faces the second adapter wall to define a second distance therebetween, and wherein the sum of the first and the second distances is greater than zero. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A connector assembly comprising:
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an adapter including a first adapter wall, a base plate, and a post extending from the base plate; a housing device including a housing receivable by the adapter and having a bore, the housing device further including a front end, a rear end opposite the front end, and a first housing wall such that when the first housing wall is received in the adapter and is on an inner side of the first adapter wall, movement of the first housing wall is limited by the first adapter wall; a ferrule device including a ferrule at least partially within the bore of the housing and having a mating end extendable beyond the front end of the housing device; a sensor mounted on the rear end of the housing device or mounted on the post of the adapter such that the sensor confronts the housing device, the sensor being configured for detecting a force applied by the housing device, wherein an electrical characteristic of the sensor changes to indicate a predetermined force has been applied by the housing device, and wherein the sensor is in abutment with the post when the sensor is mounted on the rear end of the housing device and detects the force applied by the rear end of the housing device or the sensor is in abutment with the rear end of the housing device when the sensor is mounted on the post and detects the force applied by the rear end of the housing device.
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8. A connector assembly comprising:
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an adapter including a first adapter wall; a housing device including a housing receivable by the adapter and having a bore, the housing device further including a front end, a rear end opposite the front end, and a first housing wall such that when the first housing wall is received in the adapter and is on an inner side of the first adapter wall, movement of the first housing wall is limited by the first adapter wall; a ferrule device including a ferrule at least partially within the bore of the housing and having a mating end extendable beyond the front end of the housing device; a sensor mounted on the housing device or mounted on the adapter such that the sensor confronts the housing device, the sensor being configured for detecting a force applied by the housing device, wherein an electrical characteristic of the sensor changes to indicate a predetermined force has been applied by the housing device, and wherein the ferrule device is a ferrule assembly including an inner ferrule portion and an outer ferrule portion attached to the inner ferrule portion.
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9. An optical assembly comprising:
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a connector assembly comprising; an adapter including a first adapter wall; a housing device including a housing receivable by the adapter and having a bore, the housing device further including a front end, a rear end opposite the front end, and a first housing wall such that when the first housing wall is received in the adapter and is on an inner side of the first adapter wall, movement of the first housing wall is limited by the first adapter wall; a ferrule device including a ferrule at least partially within the bore of the housing and having a mating end extendable beyond the front end of the housing device; a sensor mounted on the housing device or mounted on the adapter such that the sensor confronts the housing device, the sensor being configured for detecting a force applied by the housing device, wherein an electrical characteristic of the sensor changes to indicate a predetermined force has been applied by the housing device; and a connector receivable by the adapter, wherein the electrical characteristic of the sensor changes to indicate that the connector has applied a sufficient force against the ferrule of the connector assembly. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An optical assembly comprising:
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A connector assembly comprising; an adapter including a first adapter wall; a housing device including a housing receivable by the adapter and having a bore, the housing device further including a front end, a rear end opposite the front end, and a first housing wall such that when the first housing wall is received in the adapter and is on an inner side of the first adapter wall, movement of the first housing wall is limited by the first adapter wall; a ferrule device including a ferrule at least partially within the bore of the housing and having a mating end extendable beyond the front end of the housing device; a sensor mounted on the housing device or mounted on the adapter such that the sensor confronts the housing device, the sensor being configured for detecting translation of the housing device, wherein an electrical characteristic of the sensor changes to indicate translation of the housing device to a predetermined position; and a connector receivable by the adapter, wherein the electrical characteristic of the sensor changes to indicate that the connector is received by the adapter, and wherein the electrical characteristic of the sensor changes to indicate that the connector has applied a sufficient force against the ferrule of the connector assembly. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A connector assembly comprising:
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an adapter; a housing device including a housing receivable by the adapter and having a bore, a front end, and a rear end opposite the front end; a ferrule device including a ferrule at least partially within the bore of the housing and having a mating end extendable beyond the front end of the housing; a sensor mounted on the ferrule device or on the adapter device, the sensor including a probe and being configured for detecting either one or both of (i) a force applied by the rear end of the ferrule device and (ii) translation of the ferrule device, wherein the probe is aligned with the ferrule device such that the ferrule device is in contact with the probe when the sensor detects the respective one of the force applied by the ferrule device or translation of the ferrule device, wherein an electrical characteristic of the sensor changes to indicate (i) a predetermined force has been applied by the ferrule device when the sensor is configured for detecting a force applied by the ferrule device or (ii) a translation of the ferrule device to a predetermined position when the sensor is configured for detecting translation of the ferrule device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification