Tunable optical fiber connector
AssigneeFitel USA Corp.
InventorsNorman R. Lampert, Wayne Lloyd Lewis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tunable optical fiber connector has a barrel assembly within a housing in which a tubular member has mounted thereon a nut in a light press fit. The tubular member has a ferrule extending from the front thereof and, in a preferred embodiment, notches in its end for use with a tuning wrench. The outer dimensions of the nut are chosen to minimize float between the nut and the cavity that contains the nut within the housing. The connector is first roughly turned by rotation of the nut and tubular member together, and then precisely tuned by rotation of the tubular member relative to the nut.
Claims15
For use in an optical fiber connector, a barrel assembly comprising:
- a tubular member having a cable receiving end and a connector end, and a first bore having a central axis extending therethrough from one of said ends to the other;
- a ferrule having an axis mounted in said bore at said connector end having a fiber bore extending therethrough approximately axially aligned with the axis of said first bore;
- and
- a tuning member having a bore therein dimensioned to make said tuning member a light press fit on said tubular member, said tubular member being rotatable with respect to said tuning member.
A tunable optical fiber connector comprising:
- a housing member having a front section having a connector end and a rear section and having a bore extending axially therethrough from one of said sections through the other;
- a barrel assembly comprising an elongated tubular member axially positioned within said bore and having a ferrule holding portion at a first end thereof adjacent said connector end of said first section, said barrel assembly having a connector end and a cable receiving end;
- said housing member having a cavity with a portion having a non-cylindrical surface;
- a ferrule mounted in said ferrule holding portion and extending from said connector end of said front section;
- said tubular member having a flange member spaced from said first end and defining a mounting surface;
- a tuning nut having a non-cylindrical surface on the periphery thereof and a mounting bore for mounting said nut on said mounting surface, said mounting bore diameter and said mounting surface diameter being such as to make the nut a light press fit on said mounting surface sufficient to hold said nut in place on said tubular member and to allow rotation of said tubular member relative to said nut upon application of torque thereto;
- said nut having the non-cylindrical outer surface restrained in an axial direction within the housing member, and having a rear surface bearing against said flange and a tapered front surface;
- the non-cylindrical surface of the cavity in said bore in said front section having a nut containing portion corresponding to said non-cylindrical surface on said nut;
- and
- spring means for maintaining said barrel assembly seated within said housing during use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.