US 6,547,444 B2 · Techniques for selectively exposing and protecting an optical interface using film

Abstract

The invention is directed to techniques for controlling access to an optical interface using film having windowed sections and non-windowed sections. The windowed and non-windowed sections are selectively positioned over an optical interface location that holds the optical interface in order to protect the optical interface. Preferably, such positioning occurs in an automated manner such that a technician need not perform an extensive cleaning step each time fiber optic equipment requires handling, e.g., each time a fiber optic connector of a fiber optic component is unplugged and re-plugged. In one arrangement, an optical connector housing holds the optical interface in an optical interface location of the optical connector housing, and a film positioning assembly selectively positions windowed and non-windowed sections of film over the optical interface location in order to selectively expose and protect the optical interface.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An optical connector, comprising:

an optical connector housing to hold an optical interface in an optical interface location of the optical connector housing;
film having windowed sections and non-windowed sections, the windowed and non-windowed sections being interleaved with each other;
and
a film positioning assembly, coupled to the optical connector housing, that selectively positions the windowed and non-windowed sections of the film over the optical interface location in order to selectively expose and protect the optical interface location.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Techniques for selectively exposing and protecting an optical interface using film

Life of this patent

Techniques for selectively exposing and protecting an optical interface using film

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20