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US 5,265,181 AGranted
Optical fiber connector with easy changeable verification element
AssigneeFoxconn International, Inc.
InventorPeter Chang
Life of this patent
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AssigneeFoxconn International, Inc.
InventorPeter Chang
Estimating the term…
An optical fiber connector assembly (10) comprises an insulating housing (100) formed from two complementary upper cover (101) and lower base (102) suitably locked together to form the hollow housing (100). Within the housing (100) is formed at least one ferrule-receiving trough (103) adapted to receive a ferrule (400) for securing an optical fiber cable to the housing (100). Formed in the housing (100) is a passageway (105) for receiving a hollow retention bolt (200) through which the optical fiber cable enters the housing (100). A multi-faceted mode-marking key element (300) is provided independently nested with an interference fit in an appropriate recess, i.e. cavities (104, 104'), within the housing (100) between the cover (101) and the base (102). The key element (300) is of a parallelepiped form having four different structural surfaces (A, B, M, S) which surround a horizontal axis which is perpendicular to the rest two side surfaces (301). These four different surfaces (A, B, M, S) define four different keyways (311, 312, 313, -) to accommodate four different key projections of other four receptacle connectors under the condition of one-to-one at a time.
An optical fiber connector assembly comprising:
An optical fiber connector assembly comprising a housing enclosing a pair of ferrules at a first end for receiving an optical fiber cable therein, a passageway defined at an opposite second end incorporating retention means to fasten said optical fiber cable to the housing, at least one latch of the housing cooperating with one detent within the housing for self-locking the housing, a recess formed within the housing for receiving a multi-faceted mode-marking key element therein wherein said key element has at least three orientation planes positioned around a horizontal axis about which the key element can be repositioned within the recess by rotation, each orientation plane defining a mutually exclusive keyway thereon for receiving a projection key of a complementary receptacle connector, and wherein a pair of opposite engagement bars are positioned at the bottom of the recess for engagement with the key element
A multi-faceted mode-marking key element for reception within an optical fiber connector assembly being of a parallelepiped shape having four orientation planes peripherally enclosing an axis, a first orientation plane having a pair of parallel raising blocks on two opposite sides and a keyway defined therebetween, a second orientation plane having a block on a right side with a left side keyway, a third orientation plane opposite to the first orientation plane having no raising block thereon, and a fourth orientation plane opposite to the second orientation plane having a block on a left side with a right side keyway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.