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US 2001/0019654 A1Published application
Field repairable hermaphroditic connector tool
AssigneeStratos Lightwave, Inc.
InventorsMark R. Waldron, Martin Crocker, Philip Fick, Alan Hagger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hermaphroditic fiber optic termination device including a plug insert removably insertable into a front of a housing. The housing having locking holes. The plug insert formed so as to receive ferrules surrounding terminal ends of the optical fibers. The plug insert having spring latches, where each spring latches has a nub. The nub feature being designed so as to spring into the locking holes of the housing.
Claims24
A hermaphroditic cable or waveguide termination device for optical fibers, the termination device comprising:
- a housing having locking holes, the housing having a front end, the front end having mating structures which are substantially identical to and mateable with a mating structure of a front end of another housing;
- and
- a plug insert removably provided in the housing through the front end of the housing, the plug insert having optical connector ports, each of the optical connector ports dimensioned so as to receive a respective optical assembly where each optical assembly has a respective optical ferrule which aligns a respective optical fiber, the plug insert having a substantially cylindrical surface and a first surface substantially perpendicular to the cylindrical surface, the plug insert having nub features provided in a region of the cylindrical surface for mating with the locking holes, the first surface having a first ferrule port and a second ferrule port, the first ferrule port having a plug insert extension projecting from the first surface, the second ferrule port dimensioned so as to receive a plug insert extension of another plug insert, the first optical connector receiving port communicating with the second ferrule port, the second optical connector receiving port communicating with the first ferrule port.
A tool for inserting/extracting a plug insert into/out of a housing of a hermaphroditic cable or waveguide termination device, the tool comprising:
- a body having a main aperture formed through a length of the body, the main aperture having a first spring seat formed therein, the body having a pin travel aperture formed through a diameter of the body and substantially perpendicular to the main aperture, the body having a first end and a second end, the first end having a first friction grip and a second friction grip, the first and second friction grips react a force supplied by compressed spring latches of the plug insert, the first and second friction grips engage the spring latches over a first distance;
- a plunger having a large diameter region and a small diameter region and having a second spring seat formed on the large diameter region, a portion of both the small diameter region and the large diameter region slidably provided in the main aperture of the body, the large diameter region having a pin receiving aperture, the large diameter region having a free end which acts as an actuation surface, the actuation surface of the plunger extending beyond the second end of the body, the small diameter region having a free end which acts as a release surface, the release surface translating through a second distance when the plunger is fully actuated, the second distance being greater than the first distance of the friction grips of the body so as to ensure release of the plug insert from the friction grips when the plunger is fully actuated;
- a pin pressed into the pin receiving aperture of the plunger, the pin provided in the pin travel aperture of the body, a clearance exists between the pin and surfaces of the pin travel aperture which allow the pin to translate within the pin travel aperture, the clearance between the pin and the surface of the pin travel aperture is at least as great as the second distance, in an unreleased state the pin contacts a portion of the surface of the pin travel aperture;
- and
- a spring provided in the main aperture of the body, the spring surrounding a portion of the small diameter region of the plunger, the spring being in a state of compression and reacting forces against the first and second spring seats.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.