US 12,724,208 B2Granted

Dust cap for fiber optic connectors

AssigneePpc Broadband, Inc.

InventorsStefan Donchev, Sandeep Puliyankulangara, Pete Carapella

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Abstract

A dust plug for a fiber optic connector includes a plug wall, an alignment member and a ferrule protector. The plug wall includes a first side and a second side. The plug wall may or may not be part of a housing. The alignment member may extend from the first side of the plug wall wherein the alignment member is configured to engage with and be disposed within an adapter. The ferrule protector may extend from the second side of the plug wall wherein the ferrule protector may be configured to receive a ferrule of a fiber optic cable. The ferrule protector, the plug wall, and the alignment member may be configured to block a signal from the ferrule when the ferrule is disposed within the ferrule protector and when the member is inserted into the adapter.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A dust plug for a fiber optic connector configured to prevent contaminants from being deposited on a ferrule and also configured to be inserted into an adapter and/or a panel opening comprising:

a housing having a plug wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall;
an upper alignment portion configured to extend away from a first side of the plug wall and be co-planar with the top wall;
a lower alignment portion configured to extend from a lower side of the upper alignment portion;
a ferrule protector extending from a second side of the plug wall into the housing;
wherein the ferrule protector is configured to receive a ferrule of a fiber optic cable;
wherein the upper alignment portion is configured to engage an upper region of an adapter;
wherein the ferrule protector, the plug wall, and the lower alignment portion are configured to block a signal from the ferrule when the ferrule is disposed within the ferrule protector;
wherein the first side wall is configured to define a first aperture and the second side wall is configured to define a second aperture, and wherein the first and second apertures are configured to retain a distal region of a removal tool;
wherein the housing and the ferrule protector are configured to cover the ferrule such that the dust plug is configured to prevent contaminants from being deposited on the ferrule when the ferrule is disposed in the ferrule protector;
wherein the housing is configured to be disposed in an adapter for the connector such that the dust plug is configured to couple the connector with the adapter;
wherein the housing is configured to be disposed in a panel opening such that dust plug is configured to couple the connector with the panel opening:
wherein the upper alignment portion, the lower alignment portion, and the plug wall are configured to define a slot, and the slot is configured to receive a portion of a panel therein;
and
wherein at least one of the upper alignment portion and the lower alignment portion is structurally configured to selectively couple the dust plug with the fiber optic adapter or the panel opening such that the dust plug is configured to permit a fiber optic connector to be coupled with and decoupled from the dust plug while the at least one of the upper alignment portion and the lower alignment portion is selectively coupled with one of the fiber optic adapter and the panel opening.

11 more elements

A dust plug for a fiber optic connector configured to prevent contaminants from being deposited on a ferrule and configured to be inserted into an adapter and/or a panel opening comprising:

a housing having a plug wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall;
an alignment portion extending from a front surface of the plug wall and being configured to be disposed within one of an adapter for the connector or a panel opening;
a ferrule protector extending from a rear side of the plug wall into the housing, the ferrule protector being configured to receive a ferrule of a fiber optic cable;
wherein the ferrule protector, the plug wall, and a lower alignment portion are configured to block a signal from the ferrule when the ferrule is disposed within the ferrule protector;
wherein the alignment portion includes a main body and a biasing portion extending from an upper face of the main body;
wherein the housing is configured to be disposed in an adapter for the connector such that the dust plug is configured to couple the connector with the adapter;
wherein the housing is configured to be disposed in a panel opening such that dust plug is configured to couple the connector with the panel opening;
and
wherein the alignment portion is structurally configured to selectively couple the dust plug with the fiber optic adapter or the panel opening such that the dust plug is configured to permit a fiber optic connector to be coupled with and decoupled from the dust plug while the alignment portion is selectively coupled with one of the fiber optic adapter and the panel opening.

6 more elements

A dust plug for a fiber optic connector configured to prevent contaminants from being deposited on a ferrule and configured to be inserted into an adapter and/or a panel opening comprising:

a plug wall having a first side and a second side;
an alignment portion extending from the first side of the plug wall;
a ferrule protector extending from the second side of the plug wall;
wherein the ferrule protector is configured to receive a ferrule of a fiber optic connector;
wherein the ferrule protector and the plug wall are configured to cover the ferrule such that the dust plug is configured to prevent contaminants from being deposited on the ferrule and to block a signal from the ferrule when the ferrule is disposed within the ferrule protector;
wherein the alignment portion is configured to be received by a fiber optic adapter such that the dust plug is configured to retain the fiber optic connector in the fiber optic adapter;
wherein the alignment portion is configured to be received in a panel opening such that the dust plug is configured to retain the fiber optic connector in the panel opening;
wherein the alignment portion includes an upper alignment portion extending from the first side of the plug wall and configured to engage with an upper region of an adapter and a lower alignment portion extending from the first side of the plug wall and configured to engage with a lower region of the adapter:
wherein the upper alignment portion, the lower alignment portion, and the plug wall are structured to define a slot, and the slot is structured and arranged to receive a portion of a panel therein such that the alignment portion is structured and arranged to be inserted through a panel opening from a first side of the panel and the upper alignment portion and the lower alignment portion are structured and arranged to abut an opposite second side of the panel so as to prevent the dust plug from falling out of the panel opening;
and
wherein the alignment portion is structurally configured to selectively couple the dust plug with the fiber optic adapter or the panel opening such that the dust plug is configured to permit a fiber optic connector to be coupled with and decoupled from the dust plug while the alignment portion is selectively coupled with one of the fiber optic adapter and the panel opening.

8 more elements

A dust plug for a fiber optic connector configured to prevent contaminants from being deposited on a ferrule and configured to be inserted into an adapter and/or a panel opening comprising:

a plug wall having a first side and a second side;
an alignment portion extending from the first side of the plug wall;
a ferrule protector extending from the second side of the plug wall;
wherein the ferrule protector is configured to receive a ferrule of a fiber optic connector;
wherein the ferrule protector and the plug wall are configured to cover the ferrule such that the dust plug is configured to prevent contaminants from being deposited on the ferrule and to block a signal from the ferrule when the ferrule is disposed within the ferrule protector;
wherein the alignment portion is configured to be received by a fiber optic adapter such that the dust plug is configured to retain the fiber optic connector in the fiber optic adapter so as to prevent contaminants from being deposited on the ferrule of the fiber optic connector while the fiber optic connector is retained in the adapter;
wherein the alignment portion is configured to be received in a panel opening such that the dust plug is configured to retain the fiber optic connector in the panel opening so as to prevent contaminants from being deposited on the ferrule of the fiber optic connector while the fiber optic connector is retained in the panel opening;
wherein the alignment portion includes a main body portion and a biasing portion extending from and biased away from an upper face of the main body portion, and the biasing portion is structured and arranged to be urged toward the main body portion such that the alignment portion is structured and arranged to be inserted through a panel opening from a first side of the panel and the biasing portion is structured and arranged to abat an opposite second side of the panel to prevent the dust plus from falling out of the panel opening;
and
wherein the alignment portion is structurally configured to selectively couple the dust plug with the fiber optic adapter or the panel opening such that the dust plug is configured to permit a fiber optic connector to be coupled with and decoupled from the dust plug while the alignment portion is selectively coupled with one of the fiber optic adapter and the panel opening.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/872,875Filed 25 Jul 2022 · us provisional application
Priority: 23 Jul 2021
Published: US 2023/0026985 A126 Jan 2023
Granted: 1 Sep 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

G02B 6/3849
With means preventing fibre end damage, e.g. recessed fibre surfaces: using mechanical protective elements, e.g. caps, hoods, sealing membranes
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
Optical elements, systems or apparatus