Easy-to-clean optical connector system

Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection

Reexamination Certificate

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Reexamination Certificate

active

06309112

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to an optical connector system, i.e. a connector system used to connect together sections of optical fibers. The purpose of the invention is to allow such a connector to be easily maintained, particularly cleaned.
Optical fiber connector systems have a principle providing the engagement of a connector, e.g. a male plug, into a complementary connector, e.g. a female socket. Such an engagement has the function to guide and to connect the optical terminations of the connector to the optical terminations of the complementary connector. Protruding ferrules are arranged to this end in the connector. In the complementary connector, a female connector in one example, embedded ferrules are arranged in coincidence therewith. Ferrules are devices designed for maintenance and exposition of one end of an optical fiber section. Ferrules basically have the mechanical function of gripping a fragile end of the optical fiber. In order to obtain a proper alignment of a ferrule with the other, it is desirable for the ferrules to be deeply buried inside the complementary connector. Such good alignment is obtained thanks to an alignment sleeve provided at the circumference of the ferrule of the complementary connector, the two optical ferrules being connected therein. Despite all precautions, it is apparent that, after a certain period of use, such an optical connector is the place where transmission losses occur, due to dirt forming at the ends of the fibers held by these ferrules. Therefore, the latter must be cleaned. Cleaning becomes increasingly critical as the contact depth increases.
In order to solve this problem, the European Patent Application EP-A-0 762 167 recommends the provision of a complementary connector having a raising part. This raising part is the female form of the connector. When it is removed, the complementary connector exposes, flush therewith, the ends of the optical fibers for an easy cleaning thereof. Nevertheless, this solution involves two drawbacks. First, the intermediate raising part has to be removed (and mounted again after cleaning). This involves an additional operation, hence a time loss and requires, due to the miniature size of connectors, the use and possession of special tools. Further, the intermediate raising part to be removed may also be lost. Secondly, when the raising part is removed, it has to be stored in a place which may even not be clean, so that, when it is applied again on the female complementary connector, the resulting cleaning operation is not perfect.
The object of the invention is to obviate this problem by proposing a connector system wherein the different parts of the complementary connector are not separable and wherein the ends of the ferrules of this complementary connector may be accessed by simply disconnecting the connector from the complementary connector.
The principle of the invention consists in providing a complementary connector which may have two states. In a first, disconnected, state, the ferrules of the complementary connector are exposed flush with the complementary connector. Thereby, they are easily accessible for cleaning. Furthermore, it will be shown that, by this arrangement, the internal components of the complementary connector cannot come be contaminated by any dirt which would oppose the cleaning efforts. In a second, connected, state, the complementary connector takes a conventional female shape, corresponding to a mode in which protection is provided against external agents by embedding the connector in this complementary connector.
However, such a device requires springs to cause such a sequence of engagements and contacts between terminations of optical fibers in an automatic manner. In practice, the restoring forces of the different springs have to be differentiated. This requires the more resistant springs to be larger. In the field of miniaturized connectors, in some cases, the size of springs is critical. In the invention, this dimensional problem is solved by removing one of the springs. One of the pushing parts is then replaced by a clip. This clip is stationary when it is subject to a weak stress exerted by a pusher on its head. When the stress becomes stronger, the clip opens and surrounds the end of the pusher, allowing the pusher to keep on progressing. In fact, the clip can only open when the pusher has run a certain stroke and the jaws of the clip are accommodated in a bore allowing them to be spaced apart. Thanks to this arrangement, the connector size can be considerably reduced, and a gain of up to two connector sizes can be obtained as compared with a spring arrangement.
Thus, the invention relates to an optical connector system comprising on the one hand a connector bearing a first set of ferrules and on the other hand a complementary connector having, in coincidence therewith, a second set of ferrules sticking out of a sliding sleeve which is capable of taking two positions, a disconnecting position in which the sleeve is retracted on the complementary connector and exposes the ends of the second ferrules, and a connecting position, in which the sleeve is advanced on the complementary connector and forms the female receptacle for the connector, characterized in that the connector has a fixed pusher and in that the complementary connector has a moving assembly which bears the second set of ferrules and is provided with an adjusting clip abutting on the pusher during the passage from the disconnecting position to the connecting position and which surrounds one end of this pusher in the connecting position.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5138679 (1992-08-01), Edwards et al.
patent: 5138680 (1992-08-01), Briggs et al.
patent: 5142597 (1992-08-01), Mulholland et al.
patent: 5542015 (1996-07-01), Hultermans
patent: 6146024 (2000-11-01), Melchior
patent: 0762167 A1 (1997-03-01), None

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