Fibre connector and method of assembly

• US 11,131,812 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2019
• Issued: 09/28/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boxfish Research Limited
• Original Assignee: Boxfish Research Limited
• Inventors: King, Benjamin Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollweg, Thomas A
• Assistant Examiner(s): El-Shammaa, Mary A
• Application Number:
  US16/666,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20200132940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3816 for use under water, high pressure connectors provisionally see G02B6/4428
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3849 using mechanical protective elements, e.g. caps, hoods, sealing membranes G02B6/3816 takes precedence; provisionally see H01R13/44
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3874 using tubes, sleeves to align ferrules
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4427 Pressure resistant cables, e.g. undersea cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/523 for use under water
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/013 Sealing means for cable inlets inlets for cables filled with, or surrounded by, gas or oil H02G15/32

Abstract

A fibre optic connector is described the fibre optic connector comprising a threaded body; a tether strand spreader; a compression seal, when assembled the compression seal located between the tethered strand spreader and the threaded body; a threaded sealing block, connectable to the threaded body, when assembled forcing the tether strand spreader into the threaded body; a fibre terminator; and an elongated sheath connectable to the threaded body and at least partially covering the fibre terminator.

Claims

1. A fibre optic connector comprising:

a threaded body;

a tether strand spreader;

a compression seal, when assembled the compression seal located between the tethered strand spreader and the threaded body;

a threaded sealing block, connectable to the threaded body, when assembled forcing the tether strand spreader into the threaded body;

a fibre terminator; and

an elongated sheath connectable to the threaded body and at least partially covering the fibre terminator.

2. The fibre optic connector of claim 1 wherein the fibre optic connector is waterproof when connected.

3. The fibre optic connector of claim 1 wherein the fibre optic connector is dustproof when connected.

4. The fibre optic connector of claim 1 wherein the fibre optic connector further comprises a spacer insertable into the elongated sheath and wherein the fibre terminator is spaced from the threaded body by the spacer.

5. The fibre optic connector of claim 4 wherein the spacer includes a slot for containing fibre, the slot sized to allow the fibre to flex within the slot as the fibre optic connector is connected.

6. The fibre optic connector of claim 5 wherein the compression seal is elongated and has two ends and the compression seal has a hole through the elongated length of the compression seal between the two ends through which a fibre cable may pass, and wherein when the compression seal is compressed the compression seal compresses on the fibre cable.

7. The fibre optic connector of claim 6 wherein the ends of the compression seal are cone shaped.

8. The fibre optic connector of claim 7 wherein the threaded body and the tether strand spreader inner cavities are cone shaped and sized to fit the cones of the compression seal.

9. The fibre optic connector of claim 8 wherein the fibre optic connector is waterproof and dustproof when connected.

10. The fibre optic connector of claim 4 wherein the compression seal is elongated and has two ends and the compression seal has a hole through the elongated length of the compression seal between the two ends through which a fibre cable may pass, and wherein when the compression seal is compressed the compression seal compresses on the fibre cable.

11. The fibre optic connector of claim 10 wherein the ends of the compression seal are cone shaped.

12. The fibre optic connector of claim 11 wherein the threaded body and the tether strand spreader inner cavities are cone shaped and sized to fit the cones of the compression seal.

13. The fibre optic connector of claim 12 wherein the fibre optic connector is waterproof and dustproof when connected.

14. The fibre optic connector of claim 1 wherein the compression seal is made of compressible nylon.

15. The fibre optic connector of claim 1 wherein the compression seal is elongated and has two ends and the compression seal has a hole through the elongated length of the compression seal between the two ends through which a fibre cable may pass, and wherein when the compression seal is compressed the compression seal compresses on the fibre cable.

16. The fibre optic connector of claim 15 wherein the ends of the compression seal are cone shaped.

17. The fibre optic connector of claim 16 wherein the threaded body and the tether strand spreader inner cavities are cone shaped and sized to fit the cones of the compression seal.

18. The fibre optic connector of claim 15 wherein the fibre optic connector is waterproof and dustproof when connected.

19. A method of connecting an optical fibre cable to a sealable connector, the method comprising:

passing a threaded sealing block of the sealable connector over an outer sheath of the optical fibre cable;

passing a plurality of heat shrink tubes of the sealable connector over the outer sheath;

passing a ring of the sealable connector over the outer sheath;

passing a collar of the sealable connector over the outer sheath;

removing the outer sheath exposing a stranded tethering yam and inner sheath of the optical fibre cable;

passing the stranded tethering yarn and the inner sheath through a tether strand spreader of the sealable connector and folding the stranded tethering yam back over the tether strand spreader;

heat shrinking the collar over the stranded tethering yarn to the outer sheath of the fibre optic cable;

applying a least one of the plurality of heat shrink tubes over the fibre optic cable up to an end of the tether strand spreader;

moving the ring to the tether strand spreader;

applying a least one of the plurality of heat shrink tubes over the fibre optic cable up to the ring;

passing a compression seal of the sealable connector over the inner sheath;

passing a threaded body of the sealable connector over the inner sheath and screwing the threaded body and the threaded sealing block together thus compressing the compression seal;

installing a fibre terminator of the sealable connector on a fibre core of the optical fibre cable; and

screwing an elongated sheath of the sealable connector to the threaded body so as to at least partially cover the fibre terminator.

20. A method of connecting an optical fibre cable to the sealable connector of claim 19, the method further comprising passing a spacer of the sealable connector over the inner sheath before passing the threaded body over the inner sheath.