US 11,531,167 B2Granted

Connectors for micro-duct terminations of fiber optic cable

AssigneePpc Broadband, Inc.

InventorsPeter A. Carapella, Noah Montena, William Crawford

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Abstract

A connector for coupling a fiber optic cable with a connection point includes a connector body at a first end of the connector and extending in a longitudinal direction and a connector housing at a second end of the connector. The connector body defines a first longitudinal conduit configured to receive a duct, and the duct is configured to slidingly receive the fiber optic cable. A compression fitting is configured to be received about a first end of the connector body and to slide relative to the connector body in the longitudinal direction to radially compress the first end of the connector body to grip the duct. The connector housing includes a second longitudinal conduit substantially aligned with the first longitudinal conduit in the longitudinal direction and a connection portion configured to couple the fiber optic cable to the connection point. The first longitudinal conduit and the second longitudinal conduit are configured to slidingly receive the fiber optic cable.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An optical fiber feed-through connector for optically coupling a pre-terminated end portion of an optical fiber cable with a non-feed-through optical fiber connector comprising:

a feed-through duct engaging portion configured to move between a first position, where the feed-through duct engaging portion is configured to receive a free end portion of a duct shaped so as to allow a pre-terminated end portion of an optical fiber cable to be slidingly fed through the duct, and a second position, where the feed-through duct engaging portion is configured to be compressed around the free end portion of the duct, the feed-through engaging portion being configured to permit the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable to be slidingly fed through both the duct and the feed-through duct engaging portion in the first position and the second position;
and
a feed-through housing portion configured to be operatively coupled to the feed-through duct engaging portion so as to allow the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable to be slidingly fed through the feed-through housing portion after the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable has been slidingly fed through both the duct and the feed-through duct engaging portion;
wherein the feed-through duct engaging portion and the feed-through housing portion are configured to allow the pre-terminated end portion of the fiber optical cable to be optically coupled with a non-feed-through optical fiber connector after the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable has been slidingly fed through the duct, the feed-through duct engaging portion, and the feed-through housing portion;
wherein the non-feed-through optical fiber connector is configured to be optically coupled to the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable without allowing the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable to be slidingly fed through the non-feed-through optical fiber connector;
wherein the feed-through duct engaging portion includes a first longitudinal conduit configured to allow the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable to be slid through the first longitudinal conduit, and the feed-through housing portion includes a second longitudinal conduit configured to allow the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable to be slid through the second longitudinal conduit;
wherein the feed-through housing portion includes a connection point configured to be coupled to the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable;
and
wherein the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable comprises a first pre-terminated end portion of a first optical fiber cable section, and the non-feed-through optical fiber connector is configured to mate the first pre-terminated end portion of the first optical fiber cable section with a second pre-terminated end portion of a second optical fiber cable section.

6 more elements

An optical fiber feed-through connector for optically coupling a pre-terminated end portion of an optical fiber cable with a non-feed-through optical fiber connector comprising:

a feed-through duct engaging portion configured to move between a first position, where the feed-through duct engaging portion is configured to receive a free end portion of a duct shaped so as to allow a pre-terminated end portion of an optical fiber cable to be pushed or pulled through the duct, and a second position, where the feed-through duct engaging portion is configured to be compressed around the free end portion of the duct, the feed-through engaging portion being configured to permit the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable to be slidingly fed through both the duct and the feed-through duct engaging portion in the first position and the second position;
and
a feed-through housing portion configured to be operatively coupled to the feed-through duct engaging portion so as to allow the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable to be pushed or pulled through the feed-through housing portion;
wherein the feed-through duct engaging portion includes an inner member that is configured to fit into the free end portion of the duct and prevent the free end portion of the duct from collapsing when the feed-through duct engaging portion is compressed around the free end portion of the duct;
and
wherein the feed-through duct engaging portion and the feed-through housing portion are configured to allow the pre-terminated end portion of the fiber optical cable to be optically coupled with a non-feed-through optical fiber connector after the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable has been pushed or pulled through the duct.

3 more elements

An optical fiber feed-through connector for optically coupling a pre-terminated end portion of an optical fiber cable with a non-feed-through optical fiber connector comprising:

a feed-through duct engaging portion having a body member and a compression fitting portion configured to axially move between a first position, where the feed-through duct engaging portion is configured to receive a free end portion of a duct shaped to allow a pre-terminated end portion of an optical fiber cable to be slidingly fed through the duct, and a second position, where the compression fitting portion is configured to radially compress a portion of the body member around the free end portion of the duct, the feed-through engaging portion being configured to permit the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable to be slidingly fed through both the duct and the feed-through duct engaging portion in the first position and the second position;
and
a feed-through housing portion configured to be operatively coupled to the feed-through duct engaging portion so as to allow the pre-terminated end portion of the optical fiber cable to be slidingly fed through the feed-through housing portion;
wherein the feed-through duct engaging portion and the feed-through housing portion are configured to allow the pre-terminated end portion of the fiber optical cable to be optically coupled with a non-feed-through optical fiber connector.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/190,247Filed 2 Mar 2021 · continuation
Priority: 25 Feb 2015
Published: US 2021/0278608 A19 Sep 2021
Granted: 20 Dec 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G02B 6/3825
Of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres: with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle,…
G02B 6/387
Mounting ferrules to connector body, i.e. plugs: connector plugs comprising two complementary members, e.g. shells, caps, covers, locked together
G02B 6/3888
Anchoring optical cables to connector housings, e.g. strain relief features: protection from over-extension or over-compression
G02B 6/4446
Boxes: cable boxes, e.g. splicing boxes with two or more multi fibre cables

Family

Application62/120,823Us provisional application · filed 25 Feb 2015
Application62/241,134Us provisional application · filed 13 Oct 2015
Application15/054,121Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Feb 2016
Application15/949,466Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Apr 2018
US 9,946,036 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Apr 2018
Application16/519,871Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Jul 2019
US 10,359,580 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Jul 2019
US 2021/0278608 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Sep 2021
US 10,935,734 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2016/0252685 A1Published application
US 2018/0231721 A1Published application
US 2019/0384015 A1Published application
US 11,531,167 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.