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US 10,520,676 B2Granted
Splice-on fiber optic connector
AssigneeCommScope Technologies LLC
InventorsPonharith Nhep, Yu Lu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a splice-on connector configuration having connector body defining a forward fiber buckling region and a rearward splice encapsulation region. The splice encapsulation region can be filled with curable adhesive. The splice encapsulation region can also function to anchor a fiber optic cable.
Claims20
A fiber optic connector and cable assembly comprising:
- a connector body including a front housing interconnected with a rear housing, the front housing including a front end and a rear end, the front end of the front housing forming a plug portion of the connector body, the rear housing extending rearwardly from the rear end of the front housing;
- a ferrule assembly that mounts within the connector body, the ferrule assembly including a ferrule having a front end and a rear end, the front end of the ferrule being accessible at the front end of the front housing, the ferrule assembly including a ferrule flange mounted on the ferrule, the ferrule flange defining a rearwardly facing surface, the ferrule assembly including a ferrule optical fiber secured within the ferrule, the ferrule optical fiber including a rear stub portion that projects rearwardly from the rear end of the ferrule;
- an adhesive plug mounted within the connector body at a position which divides an interior of the connector body into a forward portion and a rearward portion, the ferrule assembly being forwardly spaced apart from a rear end of the forward portion of the interior of the connector body, the adhesive plug defining a slot through which the rear stub portion of the ferrule optical fiber extends;
- a fiber optic cable including a cable optical fiber spliced to the rear stub portion of the ferrule optical fiber at a splice location within the rearward portion of the interior of the connector body;
- an adhesive that fills at least a portion of the rearward portion of the interior of the connector body and anchoring the cable within the rearward portion of the interior of the connector body;
- and
- the adhesive plug being configured to prevent the curable adhesive from entering the forward portion of the interior of the connector body.
4 more elements
A method of assembling a fiber optic connector and cable assembly, comprising:
- loading a ferrule assembly into a front housing through a rear end of the front housing;
- loading a rear stub portion into the front housing through a rear end of the front housing;
- loading an adhesive plug into a rear housing, the adhesive plug dividing the rear housing between a rearward portion and a forward portion;
- passing the rear stub portion of the ferrule optical fiber through a slot of the adhesive plug;
- splicing the stub portion of the ferrule optical fiber to a cable optical fiber at a splice location within the rearward portion of the rear housing;
- injecting curable adhesive into the rearward portion of the rear housing;
- and
- curing the curable adhesive such that the cable optical fiber is fixed to the rear housing.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.