FERRULE HOUSING WITH INTEGRATED BOOT

• US 20190041584A1
• Filed: 09/13/2016
• Published: 02/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commscope Connectivity Belgium BVBA (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Commscope Connectivity Belgium BVBA (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: COENEGRACHT, Philippe, DE BIE, Alexandre Caroline M., FREDERICKX, Maddy Nadine, CLAES, Paul Joseph, GENECHTEN, Geert, AZNAG, Mohamed, HOUBEN, Diederik, NHEP, Ponharith
• Granted Patent: US 10,520,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/381 of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3821 with axial spring biasing or loading means G02B6/3847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3861 Adhesive bonding adhesives in general C09J
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/387 Connector plugs comprising two complementary members, e.g. shells, caps, covers, locked together
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/38875 Protection from bending or twisting

Abstract

Aspects and techniques of the present disclosure relate to a fiber optic connector including a connector body defining a central longitudinal axis that extends in a front-to-rear orientation. The connector body can include a front connector housing piece and a rear connector housing piece that may be aligned along the central longitudinal axis. A front end of the rear connector housing piece can be adapted to connect with a rear plug end of the front connector housing piece. The rear end of the rear connector housing piece can include a unitary fiber bend radius limiting structure. The unitary fiber bend radius limiting structure can be generally funnel-shaped. A ferrule assembly can be captured between the front and rear connector housing pieces with the rear connector housing piece functioning as a rear spring stop.

Claims

1. A fiber optic connector comprising:

(a) a connector body assembly defining a central longitudinal axis that extends between a front end and a rear end of the connector body assembly, the connector body assembly having a connector body length that extends along the central longitudinal axis between the front and rear ends of the connector body assembly, the connector body assembly including;

(i) a front connector body part including a front end with a front end portion and a rear end with a rear end portion, the front end portion defining a connector plug; and

(ii) a rear connector body part defining a forward end and an opposite rearward end, the rearward end including a rear portion defining a fiber opening in alignment with the central longitudinal axis;

(iii) the rear connector body part being secured within the rear end portion of the front connector body part;

(b) a ferrule positioned at least partially within the connector body assembly;

(i) the ferrule having a front end and an opposite rear end;

(ii) the ferrule having a ferrule length that extends along the central longitudinal axis between the front and rear ends of the ferrule; and

(iii) the connector body length being less than 2.0 times the ferrule length;

(c) a spring for biasing the ferrule in a forward direction;

(i) the spring being retained within the connector body assembly by the rear connector body part.

2. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the rear connector body part defines a receptacle for receiving a rear end of the spring.

3. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the rear connector body part and the front connector body part are secured together by a snap-fit connection interface.

4. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the connector plug is an SC-type connector.

5. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the ferrule is an SC-type ferrule.

6. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the front connector body part includes a snap fit structure positioned on opposite sides within the front connector body part such that the rear connector body part snap fits within the front connector body part.

7. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the rear connector body part includes a fiber bend radius limiting structure for providing fiber bend radius protection.

8. The fiber optic connector of claim 7, wherein:

(a) the fiber bend radius limiting structure is generally funnel-shaped, the fiber bend radius limiting structure defining the fiber opening at the rear portion of the rear connector body part.

9. The fiber optic connector of claim 8, wherein:

(a) the fiber bend radius limiting structure tapers outwardly as the fiber bend radius limiting structure extends in a rearward direction.

10. The fiber optic connector of claim 9, wherein:

(a) the fiber bend radius limiting structure has a convex curvature as the fiber bend radius limiting structure extends in the rearward direction.

11. The fiber optic connector of claim 7, wherein:

(a) at least a portion of the fiber bend radius limiting structure is axially coextensive within a portion of the front connector body part.

12. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the rear end of the connector body assembly is defined by the rear end of the front connector body part.

13. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the connector body length is 1.75 times the ferrule length.

14. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the connector body length is less than 1.75 times the ferrule length.

15. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) at least 75% of the rear connector body part is within the connector body assembly.

16. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) at least 70% of the rear connector body part is within the connector body assembly.

17. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) at least 80% of the rear connector body part is within the connector body assembly.

18. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) at least 90% of the rear connector body part is within the connector body assembly.

19. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein:

(a) at least 70% of the rear connector body part axially overlaps with the front connector body part.

20. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) a release sleeve that mounts over the connector body assembly.

21. A fiber optic assembly comprising:

(a) a fiber optic connector including a connector body assembly defining a central longitudinal axis that extends between a front end and a rear end of the connector body assembly, the connector body assembly having a connector body length that extends along the central longitudinal axis between the front and rear ends, the connector body assembly including;

(i) a front connector body part including a front end with a front end portion and a rear end with a rear end portion, the front end portion defining a connector plug; and

(ii) a rear connector body part defining a forward end and an opposite rearward end, the rearward end including a rear portion defining a fiber opening in alignment with the central longitudinal axis;

(iii) the rear connector body part having a rear connector body length that extends along the central longitudinal axis between the forward end and the rearward end of the rear connector body part; and

(iv) the rear connector body part being secured within the rear end portion of the front connector body part;

(b) a fiber optic adapter having a first axial end portion defining a first adapter port and a second axial end portion defining a second adapter port;

(i) the fiber optic adapter having an adapter length that extends between the first and second axial end portions;

(ii) the connector body assembly being secured in the first adapter port of the fiber optic adapter; and

(iii) the connector body length being less than 1.5 times as long as the adapter port length.

22. A fiber optic connector comprising:

(a) a connector body assembly defining a central longitudinal axis that extends between a front end and a rear end of the connector body assembly, the connector body assembly having a connector body length that extends along the central longitudinal axis between the front and rear ends of the connector body assembly, the connector body assembly including;

(i) a front connector body part including a front end with a front end portion and a rear end with a rear end portion, the front end portion defining a connector plug; and

(ii) a rear connector body part defining a forward end and an opposite rearward end, the rearward end including a rear portion defining a fiber opening in alignment with the central longitudinal axis;

(iii) the rear connector body part being secured within the rear end portion of the front connector body part;

(b) a ferrule positioned at least partially within the connector body assembly;

(i) the ferrule having a front end and an opposite rear end;

(ii) the ferrule having a ferrule length that extends along the central longitudinal axis between the front and rear ends of the ferrule; and

(iii) the connector body length being less than 2.0 times the ferrule length;

(c) a spring for biasing the ferrule in a forward direction;

(i) the spring being retained within the connector body assembly by the rear connector body part; and

(d) a release sleeve of the fiber optic connector mounts over the connector body assembly, the release sleeve extending from a first end to a second end, the first end of the release sleeve positioned nearer the front end of the connector body assembly, the second end of the release sleeve positioned nearer the rear end of the connector body assembly.

23-35. -35. (canceled)