Fiber optic connectors and connectorization employing adapter extensions and/or flexures

A connectorized fiber optic cable assembly comprising:

• a connector housing comprising a ferrule retaining portion, an adapter seating portion, and a longitudinal axis extending through the ferrule retaining portion of the connector housing and the adapter seating portion of the connector housing;
• an ferrule retained by the ferrule retaining portion of the connector housing, the ferrule comprising an optical fiber bore aligned with the longitudinal axis of the connector housing;
• a cable adapter characterized by a Young's modulus EA and comprising an optical cable passageway, an optical fiber passageway, a housing insert portion seated in the adapter seating portion of the connector housing, and an adapter abutment;
• an adapter extension integrated with the cable adapter, the adapter extension characterized by a Young's modulus EE, which is less than EA, and comprising an extended cable passageway, wherein the adapter abutment of the cable adapter is positioned between the adapter extension and the housing insert portion of the cable adapter and limits an extent to which the cable adapter extends into the adapter seating portion of the connector housing;
• a fiber optic cable extending along the extended cable passageway of the adapter extension and the optical cable passageway of the cable adapter, the fiber optic cable comprising an optical fiber extending along optical fiber passageway of the cable adapter to the optical fiber bore of the ferrule;
• and
• a multi-diametrical sealing flexure comprising a cable engaging portion engaging an outer cable surface of the fiber optic cable, a housing engaging portion engaging an outer housing surface of the connector housing, and an intermediate flexure portion extending from the cable engaging portion to the housing engaging portion and engaging an outer extension surface of the adapter extension.

A fiber optic connector comprising:

• a connector housing comprising a ferrule retaining portion, an adapter seating portion, and a longitudinal axis extending through the ferrule retaining portion of the connector housing and the adapter seating portion of the connector housing;
• a ferrule structurally configured to be retained by the ferrule retaining portion of the connector housing comprising an optical fiber bore;
• a cable adapter comprising an optical cable passageway, an optical fiber passageway, an extension securement portion, a housing insert portion structurally configured to be seated in the adapter seating portion of the connector housing, and an adapter abutment structurally configured to be positioned between the extension securement portion and the housing insert portion to limit an extent to which the cable adapter extends into the adapter seating portion of the connector housing;
• and
• an adapter extension integrated with, or structurally configured to be secured to, the extension securement portion of the cable adapter and comprising an extended cable passageway, wherein
• the adapter abutment and the connector housing are structurally configured to form an adapter sealing interface where the adapter abutment contacts an abutment facing surface of the connector housing,
• the adapter sealing interface forms a non-destructive flexural relief point along a length of the longitudinal axis, and
• the adapter sealing interface originates at a housing-to-adapter elbow comprising an exposed anchoring face oriented towards the ferrule retaining portion of the connector housing.

A connectorized fiber optic cable assembly comprising:

• a connector housing comprising a ferrule retaining portion, an adapter seating portion, and a longitudinal axis extending through the ferrule retaining portion of the connector housing and the adapter seating portion of the connector housing;
• a ferrule retained by the ferrule retaining portion of the connector housing, the ferrule comprising an optical fiber bore;
• a fiber optic cable extending along the longitudinal axis of the connector housing, the fiber optic cable comprising an optical fiber extending to the optical fiber bore of the ferrule;
• a multi-diametrical sealing flexure comprising a cable engaging portion engaging an outer cable surface of the fiber optic cable and a housing engaging portion engaging an outer housing surface of the connector housing;
• and
• a subcutaneous sealing element positioned between an outer surface of the connector housing and an inner surface of the multi-diametrical sealing flexure, wherein the subcutaneous sealing element bounds an entire rotational periphery of the connector housing about the longitudinal axis of the connector housing and cooperates with the multi-diametrical sealing flexure to form an annular projection in an outer surface of the multi-diametrical sealing flexure.