Shielded adapter assembly
AssigneeTyco Electronics Corporation
InventorsMatthew Burkholder, David Erdman, Michael Gurreri
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adapter comprising: (a) a housing having a front and a rear orientation and walls to define a port configured for receiving a mating plug assembly and an opening through the rear of the port, the walls comprising at least two opposing walls; and (b) two shutters, each shutter having a proximate end and a distal end, each shutter being attached at its proximate end to one of the opposing walls with its distal end extending rearwardly, the shutters being biased inwardly toward the interior of the port such that, when the adapter is unmated, the shutters meet at an angle α to at least partially shield the opening and, when the adapter is mated with a plug, the plug contacts the shutters and pivots them outwardly.
Claims25
An adapter in combination with a plug having a plug housing and a ferrule, which, in its unmated state, protrudes from said plug housing, said adapter comprising:
- a housing having a front and a rear orientation and defining a port configured for receiving a mating plug assembly, said port having an opening through the rear thereof said port, said housing comprising at least two opposing walls;
- connector retaining latches in said port for interengaging said plug to secure said plug to said housing;
- and
- two shutters, each shutter having a proximate end and a distal end, each shutter being attached at its proximate end to one of said opposing walls with its distal end extending rearwardly such that its distal end is between said connector retaining latches when said adapter is unmated, said shutters being biased inwardly toward the interior of said port such that, when said adapter is unmated, said shutters meet at an angle α to at least partially shield said opening, during mating, said plug housing contacts said shutters and pivots them outwardly such that they avoid contact with said ferrule.
An adapter assembly comprising:
- a plug having a plug housing and a ferrule, which, in its unmated state protrudes from said plug housing;
- a housing having a front and a rear orientation and defining a port configured for receiving a mating plug assembly, said port defining an opening through the rear thereof, said housing comprising at least two opposing walls;
- connector retaining latches in said port for interengaging said plug to secure said plug to said housing;
- and
- two shutters, each shutter having a proximate end and a distal end, each shutter being pivotally connected to one of said opposing walls at its proximate end with its distal end extending rearwardly such that its distal end is between said connector retaining latches when said adapter is unmated, said shutters being biased inwardly toward the interior of said port such that, when said adapter is unmated, said shutters meet at an angle α to at least partially shield said opening, during mating, said plug housing contacts said shutters and pivots them outwardly such that they avoid contact with said ferrule.
An adapter in combination with a multiplug assembly, each plug having a plug housing and a ferrule, which, in its unmated state, protrudes from said plug housing, said adapter comprising:
- a housing having a front and a rear orientation and defining a plurality of ports, each port configured for receiving a plug of said multiplug assembly, each port having an opening through the rear thereof, said housing comprising at least two opposing walls;
- and
- two shutters for each port, each shutter having a proximate end and a distal end, each shutter being attached at its proximate end to one of said opposing walls with its distal end extending rearwardly, the shutters of each port being biased inwardly toward the interior of the port such that, when said adapter is unmated, the shutters meet at an angle α to at least partially shield the opening in the port, during mating, a plug housing contacts the shutters and pivots them outwardly such that they avoid contact with the ferrule of the plug.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.