Optical fiber connector having a unipartite cap

An optical fiber connector for connecting an optical fiber of an optical fiber cable to optical means, said connector comprising:

• a plug assembly which includes a ferrule for terminating an optical fiber and a base member for supporting one end of the ferrule, said ferrule and said base member being coaxially aligned along their longitudinal axis and having a passageway along said axis for receiving the optical fiber, the base member comprising a ferrule-receiving end, a central portion, and a cap-engaging end which is enlarged with respect to the central portion;
• a cap of single-piece construction having a cable-receiving end, and a connector end for receiving the plug assembly, the cap including an internally disposed pair of cavities that are adjacent to each other but separated by an opening between said cavities whose cross-section area is smaller than either the cross-section area of the cap-engaging end of the base member or the cross-section area of said cavities;
• resilient means disposed around the base member for urging said plug assembly outwardly from said connector end of the cap;
• and
• a crimping sleeve for receiving said cap in one end thereof and the optical fiber cable in its other end, said crimping sleeve and said cap being adapted to capture and hold filamentary strength members from said cable.

In combination, an optical fiber cable and a connector for same,

• the optical fiber cable comprising:
• a buffered optical fiber surrounded by a plurality of non-metallic filamentary strength members, said strength members extending in the same longitudinal direction as the optical fiber and being enclosed within a dielectric outer jacket;
• the connector comprising:
• a plug assembly which includes a ferrule for terminating an optical fiber and a base member for supporting one end of the ferrule, said ferrule and said base member being coaxially aligned along their longitudinal axis and having a passageway along said axis for receiving the optical fiber, the base member comprising a ferrule-receiving end, a central portion, and a cap-engaging end which is enlarged with respect to the central portion;
• a cap of single-piece construction having a cable-receiving end, and a connector end that is adapted to receive the plug assembly, the cap including an internally disposed pair of cavities that are adjacent to each other but separated by an opening between said cavities whose cross-section area is smaller than either the cross-section area of the cap-engaging end of the base member or the cross-section area of said cavities;
• resilient means disposed around the base member for urging said plug assembly outwardly from said connector end of the cap;
• and
• a crimping sleeve attached to the cable-receiving end of the cap and capturing the non-metallic filamentary strength members therebetween;
• whereby forces applied to cable in the longitudinal direction are transferred to the cap.

A connector for terminating an optical fiber cable and for making connection with a predetermined coupling apparatus, the connector including a ferrule/barrel assembly which comprises (i) a cylindrically shaped ferrule having a passageway through its longitudinal axis for receiving an optical fiber, (ii) a barrel member, also having a passageway through its longitudinal axis for receiving the optical fiber, comprising a ferrule-receiving end, a central portion, and a cap-engaging end which is enlarged with respect to the central portion, and (iii) a spring member disposed about the central portion of the barrel member

• CHARACTERIZED BY:
• a unipartite cap having a cable entrance end for receiving an optical fiber cable, and a connector end adapted to make mechanical connection with the predetermined coupling apparatus, the unipartite cap including an internally disposed pair of cavities that are adjacent to each other but separated by an annular lip which circumscribes an opening between said cavities whose cross-section area is slightly smaller than the cross section-area of the cap-engaging end of the barrel member;
• and
• a compliant strain-relief boot which surrounds the cable-entrance end of the unipartite cap for capturing the strength member from the optical fiber cable therebetween.