US 2013/0170797 A1 · MULTI-FIBER FIBER OPTIC CONNECTION SYSTEM WITH FLEXIBLE, INSERTABLE PINS

Abstract

A flexible pin for use in a male fiber optic connector is flexible both in bending and radially to accommodate variations in fiber optic ferrules of the male fiber optic connector and a female fiber optic connector. The flexibility may accommodate angular errors of the male and the female fiber optic connectors. The flexibility may also accommodate diametral errors of the flexible pin of the male fiber optic connector and diametral errors in a pin hole of the female fiber optic connector. The flexibility is sufficient that a connector spring or spring clamp can mate mating faces of the male and the female fiber optic connectors with the errors present. In certain embodiments, the flexible pin is a removable pin that includes a latch. The removable pin can be installed and removed from a fiber optic connector without disassembling a ferrule from a connector housing of the fiber optic connector.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A fiber optic connection system for optically connecting optical fibers, the fiber optic connection system comprising:

a first fiber optic connector including a first ferrule with a first mating face, the first ferrule adapted to hold a first set of optical fibers with ends of the first set of optical fibers terminating at the first mating face of the first ferrule, the first ferrule including at least one flexible pin extending outwardly away from the first ferrule in a first direction away from the first mating face of the first ferrule;
and
a second fiber optic connector including a second ferrule with a second mating face, the second ferrule adapted to hold a second set of optical fibers with ends of the second set of optical fibers terminating at the second mating face of the second ferrule, the second ferrule including at least one pin hole adapted to receive the flexible pin of the first ferrule of the first fiber optic connector.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Multi-fiber fiber optic connection system with flexible, insertable pins

Life of this patent

Multi-fiber fiber optic connection system with flexible, insertable pins

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36