Fiber optic guide pin changer and field tool with adapter
AssigneeUS Conec Ltd.
InventorsCraig M. Conrad, Jason Higley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pin exchanger has protrusions from gripping elements that engage fiber optic guide pins. Guide beams on the pin exchanger provide a reference for aligning the guide pins and the pin exchanger with a fiber optic connector and a fiber optic ferrule. An adapter is also provided that has openings to receive the guide beams. The adapter is preferably installed in a field tool and together they engage the fiber optic connector, align the pin exchanger and move the guide pin holder to allow guide pins to be inserted or removed.
Claims13
A method of removing at least one guide pin from a fiber optic connector, the fiber optic connector having a connector housing, the method comprising the steps of:
- aligning a pin exchanging tool with the connector housing, the pin exchanging tool having a first gripping element and a second gripping element disposed substantially parallel to and spaced apart from each other;
- pushing the pin exchanging tool towards a front end of the fiber optic connector so that the pin exchanging tool engages the at least one guide pin in a ferrule of the fiber optic connector between the first and second gripping elements;
- and
- pulling the pin exchanging tool away from the front end of the fiber optic connector while exerting force on the at least one guide pin through the first and second gripping elements to engage and remove the at least one guide pin from the fiber optic connector with the pin exchanging tool thereby changing a gender of the fiber optic connector from male to female.
A method of inserting at least one guide pin into a fiber optic connector, the method comprising the steps of:
- aligning a pin exchanging tool with the connector housing and an adapter, the pin exchanging tool having a first gripping element and a second gripping element disposed substantially parallel to and spaced apart from each other, at least one guide pin disposed between the first and second gripping elements;
- pushing the pin exchanging tool into the adapter and towards a front end of the fiber optic connector so that the pin exchanging tool inserts the at least one guide pin into a ferrule of the fiber optic connector while exerting force on the first and second gripping elements;
- and
- pulling the pin exchanging tool away from the front end of the fiber optic connector and the adapter after releasing force on the first and second gripping elements.
A method of securely holding at least one guide pin from a fiber optic connector in a pin exchanging tool, the pin exchanging tool including two parallel gripping elements and guide beams attached to each of the gripping elements, the fiber optic connector having a connector housing and being inserted into an adapter, the method comprising the steps of:
- inserting the pin exchanging tool into the adapter, wherein the at least one guide pin is positioned between two aligned protrusions of the pin exchanging tool extending respectively from and in between each of the two parallel gripping elements;
- and
- causing the at least one guide pin to be released from a pin keeper holding the at least one guide pin in the fiber-optic connector to securely hold the at least one guide pin within the pin exchanging tool between the two aligned protrusions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.