Fiber optic ferrule and a guide pin clamp with field changeable guide pins
AssigneeUS Conec Ltd.
InventorsDarrell R. Childers, Craig M. Conrad, Jason Higley, Jillcha F. Wakjira, Myron W. Yount
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fiber optic ferrule and a guide pin clamp allows for changing guide pins in the field. The guide pin clamp has a forward clamp portion, a rearward clamp portion configured to engage the biasing spring and a guide pin retaining plate. The forward clamp portion and the rearward clamp portion move relative to one another to also move guide pin retaining plate from a first position to a second position to allow for the removal or insertion of guide pins.
Claims11
A method for changing gender of a fiber-optic connector having at least one housing, a fiber optic ferrule disposed at least partially within the at least one housing, the fiber optic ferrule having guide pin openings extending from a front face to a rear face of the fiber optic ferrule to hold a guide pin therein, a spring, a spring push, and a pin clamp positioned rearward of the fiber optic ferrule, the method comprising:
- accessing from the at least one housing at least one of a first portion and a second portion of the pin clamp, the first portion and the second portion of the pin clamp being at a first relative orientation inside the fiber optic connector before the accessing;
- applying a force to at least one of the first portion and the second portion;
- changing the first relative orientation of the first portion and the second portion to a second relative orientation of the first portion and the second portion to receive or release a guide pin indicating a gender of the fiber optic connector, the first portion and the second portion being movable relative to each other between the first relative orientation and the second relative orientation;
- releasing the applied force;
- and
- reverting the first portion and the second portion back to the first relative orientation after the releasing, thereby changing a gender of the fiber-optic connector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.