US 11,782,224 B2Granted

Fiber optic connector

AssigneeCommScope Technologies LLC

InventorPonharith Nhep

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Abstract

A connector includes a ferrule assembly having a ferrule, a hub and a spring, the ferrule having a distal face accessible at a distal end of the connector housing, the ferrule being movable in a proximal direction relative to the connector housing. The distal and proximal positions are separated by an axial displacement distance. The ferrule proximal movement is against the spring's bias. The cable of the assembly includes an optical fiber contained within a jacket and also a strength layer between the fiber and the jacket that is anchored to the connector housing. The fiber extends through a fiber from the proximal end of the connector housing to the ferrule. The fiber has a distal portion potted within the ferrule. The fiber passage has a fiber take-up region configured to take-up an excess length of the fiber corresponding to the ferrule axial displacement.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A fiber optic connector comprising:

a connector housing defining a distal end, a proximal end, and a central longitudinal axis, wherein a ferrule terminating an optical fiber is disposed adjacent the distal end of the connector housing;
and
a fiber passage extending between the distal end and the proximal end of the connector housing, wherein the fiber passage of the fiber optic connector has a fiber take-up region that is configured to take up an excess length of the optical fiber within the fiber passage due to bending of the optical fiber when the ferrule is moved in a proximal direction away from the distal end, the fiber take-up region defined at least in part by a portion that gradually curves away from the central longitudinal axis of the connector housing to define a smooth contact wall within the connector housing in at least one of the proximal direction away from the distal end and a distal direction away from the proximal end, wherein the portion of the fiber take-up region that gradually curves away from the central longitudinal axis of the connector housing is positioned proximally offset from the distal end of the connector housing.

A fiber optic connector comprising:

a connector housing defining a distal end, a proximal end, and a central longitudinal axis, wherein a ferrule terminating an optical fiber is disposed adjacent the distal end of the connector housing;
and
a fiber passage extending between the distal end and the proximal end of the connector housing, wherein the fiber passage of the fiber optic connector has a fiber take-up region that is configured to take up an excess length of the optical fiber within the fiber passage due to bending of the optical fiber when the ferrule is moved in a proximal direction away from the distal end, the fiber take-up region defined at least in part by a smooth cavity wall that gradually curves away from the central longitudinal axis of the connector housing as the fiber passage transitions into the fiber take-up region in at least the proximal direction away from the distal end and a distal direction away from the proximal end, wherein at least a portion of the smooth cavity wall gradually curves away from the central longitudinal axis of the connector housing at a decreasing slope in at least the proximal direction away from the distal end and the distal direction away from the proximal end.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/110,854Filed 3 Dec 2020 · continuation
Priority: 15 Mar 2011
Published: US 2021/0173150 A110 Jun 2021
Granted: 10 Oct 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G02B 6/38875
Anchoring optical cables to connector housings, e.g. strain relief features: protection from bending or twisting
G02B 6/381
Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs: of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres
G02B 6/3821
Of a low-reflection-loss type: with axial spring biasing or loading means
G02B 6/3823
Of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres: containing surplus lengths, internal fibre loops

Family

Application61/452,953Us provisional application · filed 15 Mar 2011
Application61/510,711Us provisional application · filed 22 Jul 2011
Application13/420,286Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Mar 2012
Application14/154,352Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Jan 2014
US 8,636,425 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Jan 2014
Application14/858,900Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Sep 2015
US 9,151,904 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Oct 2015
Application15/357,030Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Nov 2016
US 9,500,813 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Nov 2016
Application15/837,290Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Dec 2017
US 9,841,566 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Dec 2017
Application16/204,672Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Nov 2018
US 10,146,011 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Dec 2018
Application16/696,629Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Nov 2019
US 10,495,822 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Dec 2019
US 2021/0173150 A1Pre-grant publication · published 10 Jun 2021
US 10,859,771 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0257859 A1Published application
US 2014/0254988 A1Published application
US 2016/0178850 A1Published application
US 2017/0168245 A1Published application
US 2018/0164509 A1Published application
US 2019/0162911 A1Published application
US 2020/0166712 A1Published application
US 11,782,224 B2This patent

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