Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-20
2004-06-08
Patel, Tulsidas C. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06746266
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to fiber optic connectors, and more particularly to a duplex fiber optic connector device having a pair of individual fiber optic connectors in a side-by-side relationship.
2. Prior Art
Fiber optic connectors are used to provide optical connections between fibers and input/output ports of optical components. Light bearing information can be transmitted to different terminals via such connectors. Originally, fiber optic systems utilized simplex interconnection systems with single connector plugs terminating single fiber optic cables. In a simplex system, only transmission or reception of information can take place at one time. Consequently, simplex systems are severely limited in the amount of information that they can transmit and receive during a given period of time. To increase the amount of information that can be transmitted in fiber optic systems, multi-channel systems were developed. Such multi-channel systems include, for example, duplex connector plugs and cables which are capable of simultaneous transmission and reception. Thus, using a duplex system enables information to be transmitted at a much higher rate.
In order to manage duplex connector plugs and cables, structures have been designed for interconnecting two fiber optic connectors in a side-by-side relationship to form a duplex connector. For instance, adapter structures have been designed which provides a pair of side-by-side through receptacles for receiving a pair of fiber optic connectors in a side-by-side arrangement. Not only do such duplex adapters increase costs by requiring an additional, somewhat bulky component, but they also have difficulty maintaining proper axial alignment of connectors, which is necessary far optimum signal transmission. Manufacturing inaccuracies or large tolerances cause misalignment in such duplex connectors or adapters. Consequently, other interconnection systems, adapters or the like have been designed for holding a pair of fiber optic connectors in a side-by-side arrangement which compensate for misalignment due to manufacturing tolerances and the like.
A conventional duplex fiber optic connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,514 (referring to
FIGS. 6
to
8
). This connector comprises a first connector housing
110
, a second connector housing
120
, and a latch member
150
. The first connector housing
110
comprises a pair of first locking members
130
molded integrally therewith. Each locking member
130
includes a locking flange
131
with a chamfered edge
132
and an elongated opening
133
. The second connector housing
120
comprises four hooked arms
141
. The latch member
150
has four retention arms
151
projecting laterally outwardly from the four corners thereof. The latch member
150
has a pair of latches
152
each having a chamfered surface
153
. The latch member
150
is unitarily molded and loosely engages with the second connector housing
120
by the retention arms
151
loosely engaging with the hooked arms
141
of the second connector housing
120
.
When the first connector housing
110
is to be engaged with the second connector housing
120
, the first locking members
130
are first opposed to the latch member
150
, the chamfered surfaces
153
being aligned with the chamfered edges
132
of the first locking members
130
such that the latches
152
of the latch member
150
are guided into the openings
133
of the first locking members
130
. The latches
152
are pressed against the locking flanges
131
so that the latch member
150
becomes engaged with the first locking members
130
. The first connector housing
110
can be moved relative to the second connector housing
120
in a small range since the latch member
150
is in loose engagement with the hooked arms
141
of the connector housing
120
. Therefore, the connector housings are held in a side-by-side relationship with “float” therebetween provided by the loosely engaged latch member.
However, the relative movement between the two connector housings is provided by the latch member
150
being in loose engagement with the locking arms
141
and the latch member
150
being in tight engagement with the first locking members
130
. The structure is complicated and difficult to manufacture. In addition, the latches
152
of the latch member
150
are tightly received in the openings
133
of the first locking members
130
and press tightly against the locking flanges
131
, which make disassembly of the two connector housings very difficult. An improved duplex fiber optic connector device is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a duplex fiber optic connector device which has a simple structure and which is easy to manufacture and to disassemble.
To achieve the above objects, a duplex fiber optic connector system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first connector housing for receiving a first optical fiber plug, and including a first latch member unitarily molded therewith; and a second connector housing for receiving a second optical fiber plug, and including a second latch member unitarily molded therewith; wherein the first latch member comprises four retention members each having an opening, the second latch member comprises four hooked members each having a protrusion, and the protrusions are received in the openings such that the first latch member is in loose engagement with the second latch member. The first connector housing is thus held in a side-by-side relationship with the second connector housing with a slight relative movement, or float, allowed.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5122077 (1992-06-01), Maejima et al.
patent: 5288251 (1994-02-01), Sumida
patent: 5386487 (1995-01-01), Briggs et al.
patent: 5895296 (1999-04-01), Okabe
patent: 6240228 (2001-05-01), Chen et al.
patent: 6332813 (2001-12-01), Okabe et al.
patent: 6343959 (2002-02-01), Sato
patent: 6375517 (2002-04-01), Okabe et al.
patent: 6402568 (2002-06-01), Nagai
Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co. LTD
Patel Tulsidas C.
Wei Te Chung
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