Single-piece cable retention housing for hardened outside plant connector

#The present invention relates generally to optical fiber connectors, and more specifically, to hardened connectors for drop-cable deployments in optical access networks and outside plant applications.

#Optical communication networks are assembled, in part, by connecting sections of optical fiber between two or more locations. Fusion splicing may provide an optimum method of coupling spans of optical fiber together, particularly when the spans are to be permanently connected. However, many situations exist, particularly in outdoor installments where the optical fiber connections need to be easily re-configurable, connected to different terminal points at will, and/or provide strain relief or axial support for the fiber cable. In such installation scenarios, the fusion splicing method may not be a practical option, particularly if the connection point is difficult to access (for example, in a manhole or located at an aerial terminal). Therefore, in order to increase the reliability of the connections, and to provide a reconfigurable installation method, optical fiber cables with factory-terminated, environmentally-sealed and hardened connectors and corresponding mating terminals are typically utilized for drop-cable deployments.

#Several connector manufacturers and vendors offer hardened connectors and associated terminals and adaptors for Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) or Fiber to the Home (FTTH) applications. U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,406 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,113,679 depict example connectors and adaptors that are used in many of the existing outside plant drop-cable deployments connecting Optical Network Terminals (OTNs) with multi-port terminals. The example connectors depicted in these patents include an SC connector plug enclosed in a pronged plug housing, fitted with two silicon O-rings to provide a water tight seal. The cable retention is achieved via sandwiching the optical fiber and cable strength members between a two-piece crimp body, surrounded by a metal crimp ring. The process of securing the optical fiber and strength members within the prior-art two-piece “sandwich” crimp body connector requires several steps, including stripping, trimming, and preparing the cable and fiber; applying epoxy to the crimp body; pre-curing the epoxy; feeding the bare optical fiber through a connector sub-assembly; assembling the connector sub-assembly, cable, and strength members between the crimp body sandwich; applying and crimping the crimp ring; post-curing the epoxy; cleaving, polishing, and inspection. Each of the aforementioned steps can be time consuming and may require a highly trained technician using extreme care to avoid breaking the fragile optical fiber during the process.

#Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

#FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative connector assembly mated to an example adaptor or terminal assembly, according to an example embodiment of the invention.

#FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the assembled connector, according to an example embodiment of the invention.

#Embodiments of the invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

#An embodiment of the invention may enable the use of a one-piece retention housing. The unitary retention housing may be used in the termination of an optical cable, and it may engage strength members of the optical cable to provide mechanical retention for a hardened optical connector assembly, and to further provide strain relief for an optical fiber within an associated optical cable assembly.

#The termination of optical fibers with connectors is a difficult task due to the assembling a multiple-piece, optical fiber connector, particularly when numerous steps are involved, and when the bare, protruding optical fiber end can be easily broken at every step. According to an embodiment of the invention, the unitary retention housing, by virtue of its single body design, may reduce the steps and time associated with the assembly of a connector, may reduce the number of parts required, and may also reduce the risk of breaking the optical fiber during assembly.