US 8,573,854 B2Granted

Fiber optic connector assembly

AssigneeTyco Electronics Corporation

InventorsRobert C. Briggs, David R. Baechtle, Edmunc J. Haley

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Abstract

A fiber optic connector assembly includes a front housing and a rear housing movably coupled to the front housing between retracted and advanced positions. A drive mechanism is coupled to the rear housing that moves the rear housing from the retracted position to the advanced position. Fiber optic connectors are fixedly coupled to the rear housing with a mating end driven with respect to the front housing in a mating direction when the rear housing is moved from the retracted position to the advanced position. Optionally, the fiber optic connector assembly may be side-loaded into position with respect to a fixed connector assembly, and then the fiber optic connector is driven to the advanced position in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of loading.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A fiber optic connector assembly comprising:

a front housing side loaded to an initial coupled position in which the front housing is configured to be coupled to a fixed connector housing;
a rear housing movably coupled to the front housing, the rear housing being movable in an advancing direction from a retracted position to an advanced position, in the retracted position the rear housing is spaced apart from the front housing;
wherein the front housing is side loaded in a direction generally perpendicular to the advancing direction;
a drive mechanism coupled to the rear housing, the drive mechanism moving the rear housing from the retracted position to the advanced position;
and
a plurality of fiber optic connectors fixedly coupled to the rear housing, the fiber optic connectors having mating ends received by the front housing, the mating ends being driven with respect to the front housing in a mating direction for mating with corresponding connectors when the rear housing is moved from the retracted position to the advanced position.

3 more elements

A fiber optic connector system comprising:

a fixed connector assembly having a plurality of fixed fiber optic connectors extending along connector axes, the fixed connector assembly having a fixed housing having a front end and sides extending from the front end generally parallel to the connector axes;
and
a fiber optic connector assembly removably coupled to the fixed connector assembly, the fiber optic connector assembly being side-loaded to an initial coupled position in a direction generally perpendicular to the connector axes, the fiber optic connector assembly being mated to the fixed connector assembly to a final coupled position in a direction generally parallel to the connector axes, the fiber optic connector assembly having a plurality of fiber optic connectors having mating ends being mated with corresponding fixed fiber optic connectors when the fiber optic connector assembly is in the final coupled position.

A fiber optic connector system comprising:

a fixed connector assembly having a plurality of fixed fiber optic connectors extending along connector axes, the fixed connector assembly having a fixed housing having a front end and sides extending from the front end generally parallel to the connector axes;
and
a fiber optic connector assembly removably coupled to the fixed connector assembly, the fiber optic connector assembly having a front housing and a rear housing movably coupled to the front housing, the front housing being side-loaded to an initial coupled position in which the front housing is coupled to the fixed housing, the front housing being latched to the front end of the fixed housing of the fixed connector assembly to secure the fiber optic connector assembly with respect to the fixed connector assembly, the fiber optic connector assembly having a drive mechanism coupled between the front housing and the rear housing, the drive mechanism moving the rear housing in an advancing direction from a retracted position to an advanced position, the front housing being side-loaded in a direction generally perpendicular to the advancing direction, the fiber optic connector assembly having a plurality of fiber optic connectors having mating ends being driven with respect to the front housing in a mating direction generally parallel to the connector axes for mating with corresponding fixed fiber optic connectors when the rear housing is moved from the retracted position to the advanced position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/089,078Filed 18 Apr 2011
Published: US 2012/0263419 A118 Oct 2012
Granted: 5 Nov 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G02B 6/3897
Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs: connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards
G02B 6/3825
Of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres: with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle,…
G02B 6/3879
Comprising a plurality of ferrules, branching and break-out means: linking of individual connector plugs to an overconnector, e.g. using clamps,…
G02B 6/3885
Connectors using guide surfaces for aligning ferrule ends, e.g. tubes, sleeves, V-grooves, rods, pins, balls: multicore or multichannel optical…