Optical fiber connector

Details Optical fiber connector Optical fiber connector

2001-12-14

2004-09-28

Sanghavi, Hemang (Department: 2874)

Optical waveguides

With disengagable mechanical connector

Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure

C385S078000, C385S088000, C385S092000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06796719

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector, and particularly to an optical fiber connector having an spring member for applying a spring force to press and stably mount a fiber plug inserted into the optical fiber connector.
2. Description of Related Art
Present day telecommunication technology utilizes, to an increasing extent, optical fibers for signal transmission. The use of optical fibers, in turn, requires numerous collateral components especially adapted to handle the light or optical transmission, among which are optical fiber connectors.
Optical fiber connectors for connecting between digital audio systems mostly use a ferrule for alignment and support of the fiber, whether it is made from glass or plastic. And the ferrule is inserted into an inserting hole of a housing of the optical fiber connector. Examples of optical fiber connector that uses a plastic fiber within a ferrule include: i) the F07 Duplex Plastic Fiber System from AMP; ii) the SMI (small Multi-media Interface) Connector from Sony Corporation; and iii) the HFBR series of plastic fiber connectors from Hewlett Packard. For assuring performance of the optical connector, it is necessary that a door prevents dust and vapor in the air from entering the inserting hole of the housing.
For example, as shown in FIG. 9, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-331859 discloses an optical fiber connector, which comprises a housing 1 holding an optical element 11, a rotatable door 13 assembled to the housing 1, a fiber plug 2 and a fiber 21 received in the fiber plug 2. The housing 1 defines a cavity 12 for receiving the fiber plug 2. However, the rotatable door 13 is not received in the housing 1, and is easy to be damaged. Furthermore, the rotatable door 13 is at outside of the housing 1 when the fiber plug 2 is inserted into the cavity 12, which increases the space occupied by the optical fiber connector.
It is thus desirable to provide an improved optical connector for overcoming the above problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved optical fiber connector having a door received in a housing of the optical fiber connector when a fiber plug is inserted in the housing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber connector having a spring member for applying a spring force to a fiber plug mated with the optical fiber connector.
An optical fiber connector comprises an insert body, a door, a housing, an optical element and a spacer.
The door comprises a shutter, a fixing portion and a spring member. An indentation is defined in the middle of the fixing portion. The shutter can be made from elastoplastic polymer material. The shutter can undergo deformation when an external force is applied thereto, and can restore to its original state when the external force is removed.
The insert body is inserted into an inserting hole of the housing and mounted therein, and coven the inlet side of the inserting hole. A opening of the insert body communicates with the inserting hole of the housing. A faceplate of the insert body communicates with the inserting hole of the housing. A faceplate of the insert body and a flange of the housing hold the fixing portion of the door therebetween, thus mounting the elastic body. An protuberance of the faceplate engages with the indentation of the door, helping stably mount the door. The door attached to the inlet side of the inserting bole closes the opening of the insert body to prevent dust and vapor from entering the inserting hole. The spacer is inserted into the housing and engages with the housing by coupling keys of the spacer with notches of the housing. The optical element is mounted in a mounting aperture of the housing by engaging the spacer to the housing.
The shutter of the door is bent inwardly in the inserting hole of the housing by insertion of the fiber plug, until the fiber plug is completely inserted into the inserting hole of the housing.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6004043 (1999-12-01), Abendschein et al.
patent: 6081647 (2000-06-01), Roth et al.
patent: 6240229 (2001-05-01), Roth
patent: 6352375 (2002-03-01), Shimoji et al.

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