Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-19
2001-06-26
Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2872)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection
C385S076000, C385S078000, C385S137000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250817
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to optical fiber connectors and, more particularly, to a device that attaches to the buffer adapter, also known as the boot, of an optical fiber simplex connector to provide the connector with anti-snagging characteristics and/or to enable the polarity of an optical fiber cable terminated by the connector to be ascertained.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In networks and communication equipment that utilize optical fibers, it is frequently desirable to make a connection with a pair of optical fibers and to ensure that the connections have been made correctly. For example, it is important to ensure that a transmitting optical fiber is connected to the transmitter port of a transceiver and that the receive optical fiber is connected to the receiver port of the transceiver. Similarly, it is important that when a pair of transmit and receive optical fibers are to be connected to another pair of transmit and receive optical fibers, the correct optical fibers of each of the pairs are connected together, or optically coupled at their ends. Otherwise, an end of a transmit optical fiber of one pair may be connected to an end of a receive optical fiber of the other pair, which, for obvious reasons, is unacceptable. Properly orienting the optical fibers in this manner ensures that the optical fibers are connected with the proper polarity.
Duplex optical connectors have been utilized in the communications industry to couple two simplex optical fibers together in a duplex arrangement to allow both optical fibers to be simultaneously connected to ports located on communication equipment or to an adapter that connects pairs of optical fibers together. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,706 discloses a duplex optical fiber connector for terminating a cable containing a pair of buffered optical fibers. Each of the optical fibers is held within a fiber-holding assembly comprising a ferrule and a spring-loaded base member. The fiber-holding assemblies are contained within a common housing that is formed to include two flexible molded plastic side arm members for interlocking with a mating receptacle. The housing includes details that can be used to ensure that when the optical fiber connector is connected with another optical fiber connector, the connection is made with the proper polarity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,425 (hereinafter the '425 patent) also discloses an optical fiber duplex connector, which is shown in FIG.
1
. The duplex connector is constructed by joining together a pair of simplex connectors
1
with a plastic clip
2
. Each clip
2
includes a first planar structure
3
having a pair of cylindrical pins
4
of different diameters thereon, which are press fit into associated openings
5
formed in the simplex connectors
1
to thereby connect them together. The plastic clip
2
has information thereon, such as the letters A and B, that may be utilized by a user to identify the correct polarization of the duplex connector with respect to an adapter (not shown) into which it is plugged.
Although the plastic clip disclosed in the '425 patent is suitable for use with the type of simplex connectors shown in
FIG. 1
, which are normally connected to the front side of a connector receptacle or adapter, this clip
2
is not suitable for use with behind-the-wall (BTW) connectors. BTW connectors are connected on the back side, commonly referred to as the junior side, of the receptacle or adapter where there is typically very little room. The confined area dictates that the simplex connectors and the boots associated therewith generally be shorter in length than the boots
7
of the cables
6
that are used with the simplex connectors
1
in front side mounting configurations.
On the front side of the connector receptacle or adapter, there generally is plenty of space and the length of the connector
1
and the boot
7
, which is also referred to as a cable support, is not an issue. Therefore, the plastic clip
2
disclosed in '425 patent, which connects to the housings of the connectors
1
, is suitable for use in this type of environment since the lengths of the housings normally are sufficiently long to accommodate connection with the clip
2
at locations near the back ends of the housings. However, this generally is not true with respect to connectors used in BTW configurations.
FIG. 2
illustrates another known optical fiber duplex connector. The duplex connector shown in
FIG. 2
comprises two connectors
10
that are clipped together by a duplex yoke
11
, which attaches near the back ends of the connector housings. Once the duplex yoke
11
has been attached, end portions of two strain relief boots
12
are pushed over crimp cans
13
extending from the back ends of the connector housings. Heat-fit tubing
14
is attached to the fiber cable
15
and to the ends of the crimp cans
13
. The cable
15
is typically 1.6 millimeters (mm) in diameter, although cables having other diameters with or without heat-fit tubing can be utilized. Each of the connectors
10
is comprised of a two-piece housing. The front portion
16
of the housing has a latch
17
thereon and houses the ferrule assembly (not shown) that holds the end of the optical fiber. The back portion
18
of the housing contains a metal insert (not shown) that assists the connector in handling side loading. The optical fiber cable
15
contains aramid fiber strength members that are crimped to the metal insert.
As with the duplex connector of the '425 patent, the duplex yoke
11
attaches to the connector housings and forms an anti-snag trigger to assist in decoupling the connection. The housings of the connectors
10
are sufficiently long to enable the yoke
11
to be attached to them because the connectors
10
require the back portions
18
of the housings, which contain the metal inserts that provide the connectors
10
with sufficient side loading capability. As with the duplex connector of the '425 patent, the duplex connector shown in
FIG. 2
normally is used on the front side of receptacles or adapters rather than on the junior side. Connectors utilized on the front side normally must have greater strain relief and side loading capability, since they are normally disposed in environments where they are susceptible to greater bending forces and typically use larger cordage. Therefore, these jumper connectors typically are longer than BTW connectors due to the insertion of a metal insert that is used for transferring cable loads to the connector. Longer connector plug housings provide surfaces that enable the connector housings to be clipped together by a duplex yoke that attaches to the connector housings. However, the duplex yoke shown in FIG.
2
and known simplex yokes are not suitable for use with BTW connectors typically connected on the junior side of an adapter or device receptacle in BTW mounting arrangements for the same reasons that the duplex clip of the '425 patent is not suitable for use in such arrangements.
FIG. 3
is a side view of an optical connector that is typically used in a BTW configuration and which is suitable for use with the duplex clip of the present invention. The connector
20
shown in
FIG. 3
comprises a plug body
21
and a rear extender cap
22
. The plug body
21
has keyways
23
—
23
formed in opposite sides thereof. The rear extender cap
22
has keys
24
—
24
disposed on opposite sides thereof. The plug body
21
is coupled to the extender cap
22
by snapping the keys
24
—
24
located on each side of the plug body
21
inside of the keyways
23
—
23
formed on each side of the extender cap
22
. The extender cap
22
is coupled to a buffer adapter
25
, or boot, which protects a buffered optical fiber (not shown). The boot
25
is comprised of a wide cylindrical portion
26
, which fits over an end of the extender cap
22
, a tapered cylindrical portion
27
, which resists side pulling and ensures a proper minimum bend radius, and a narrow cylindrical portion
28
, which protects the buffere
Driscoll Elizabeth J.
Lampert Norman Roger
Mock Troy Barry
Lucent Technologies - Inc.
Schuberg Darren
Thomas Kayden Horstemeyer & Risley LLP
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