Optic fiber connector with spring in a self-contained cartridge
AssigneeITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsCharles Linsday Bates III, James Edward Novacoski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optic fiber connector includes a self-contained optical fiber cartridge (12), that can be easily inserted into a passageway (16) of a connector housing (14), and easily removed and replaced, without exposing the coil spring (52) that urges the terminus forwardly. The cartridge includes a frame (20) that completely encircles the spring in all terminus positions and that also surrounds much of the terminus.
Claims14
A self-contained optic fiber cartridge, comprising:
- a frame having a through passage with a largely forwardly-facing frame internal shoulder;
- a terminus which includes a body having a through body bore and a ferrule having a rear end lying in a front portion of said body bore, said ferrule being fixed in place in said front portion of said body bore, said ferrule projecting forward of said body, said body having a largely rearwardly-facing external body shoulder lying forward of said frame internal shoulder;
- a coil spring lying in said passage and having a rear spring end abutting said frame inner shoulder and a front spring end abutting said body shoulder.
A combination of a self-contained optic fiber cartridge and a connector housing that can hold the cartridge, wherein:
- said housing has a through passageway with front and rear passageway portions, said front passageway portion having first and second largely rearwardly-facing housing shoulders, said first housing shoulder lying forward of said second housing shoulder;
- said cartridge includes a frame with a front end forming a largely forwardly-facing frame front shoulder that is positioned to engage said second housing shoulder, said frame having a passage, said cartridge including a terminus with a body lying at least partially in said passage, said body having a front end that forms a largely forwardly-facing body front shoulder that is positioned to engage said housing first shoulder.
A method for constructing an optic fiber connector that includes an optic fiber terminus with a terminus body having an enlarged front end, with a body rear portion of smaller diameter than said front end, and with a largely rearwardly-facing body second shoulder at the rear of said body front end, and that includes a coil spring extending around said body rear portion, comprising:
- inserting said terminus and spring rearwardly into the front end of a passage of a tubular frame, until a rear end of the spring abuts a largely forwardly-facing internal shoulder of the frame and a front end of the spring abuts said body second shoulder with the body second shoulder lying rearward of a front end of the frame;
- enlarging the rear end of the body rear portion, so said terminus cannot fall forwardly out of said frame passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.