EP0297765A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical fiber biconic connector
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1988-06-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-06-21
Abstract
Abstract In an optical fiber connector (20), an alignment sleeve (66) for holding two conically shaped portions (30-30) of plugs (24-24) of plug assemblies (22-22) each of which terminates an optical fiber (25) of a cable 35 includes two conically shaped cavities (68,70) communicating through a common plane (72). The conically shaped portion of each plug is urged toward the center of the sleeve by a spring (44). Each plug assembly at its cable entrance end is provided with an end retainer (80) having a central opening which is larger than the cross sectional area of the plug body but not of a retaining ring (42) disposed around the plug. When caps (46-46) of the plug assemblies are mounted and turned into a coupling housing (57) which encloses the sleeve and which is supported by a panel, the sleeve is maintained in a floating position under the urging of each plug. The sleeve together with the plugs therein is capable of movement prior to the occurrence of relative movement between one of the plugs and the sleeve. When unwanted exterior axial forces are applied to one cable, the plug which terminates that cable may move slightly but the distance between the retaining ring and the end retainer does not exceed that required to cause relative movement between the plug and sleeve and hence is insufficient to cause the optical connection between the two plugs to be broken. Also, the diameter of the plug and of the opening through the end retainer and through an interior annular lip in the cap are such that upon the application of forces laterally to the plug, the plug engages the end retainer before it engages the lip thereby limiting angular movement of the plug.
Inventors
- 👤 Norman R. Lampert
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 14:45
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/36; G02B6/38; G02B6/3807; G02B6/381; G02B6/3825; G02B6/3873; G02B6/3874; G02B6/3875; G02B6/3887; G02B6/3888; G02B6/3897; G02B6/389; G02B6/3894
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
276 words
A connector (20) for connecting an optical fiber (34) to optical means (34), said connector comprising a plug assembly (23) to provide a termination for the fiber, the plug assembly having a plug (26) for receiving and supporting co-axially the fiber, said plug having a frusto conical end portion (30) to be positioned to provide optical communication between the fiber and the said optical means, a support arrangement (46) for the plug, and resilient means (44) for urging the said end portion towards the said optical means, the connector further comprising sleeve means (66) with a conically shaped cavity (70) for receiving the conically shaped portion of said plug therein and being adapted to have said optical means disposed adjacent to and urged in a direction toward said cavity to establish an optical connection with the optical fiber such that upon the transmission of axial forces to said plug, said sleeve means together with said plug seated therein and the optical means are capable of movement through a first distance prior to the occurrence of relative movement between said plug and said sleeve means; CHARACTERISED IN THAT the plug assembly further comprises plug retaining means (42, 80) having a first part (42) connected to the plug and a second part (80) fixed separately from the plug, the first and second parts being non-engaging when the plug is seated in the sleeve means and in the absence of axial forces to the plug, and being in engagement in the presence of axial forces sufficient to cause the plug seated in the sleeve means to move a second distance which second distance is less that the first distance.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
276 words
A connector (20) for connecting an optical fiber (34) to optical means (34), said connector comprising a plug assembly (23) to provide a termination for the fiber, the plug assembly having a plug (26) for receiving and supporting co-axially the fiber, said plug having a frusto conical end portion (30) to be positioned to provide optical communication between the fiber and the said optical means, a support arrangement (46) for the plug, and resilient means (44) for urging the said end portion towards the said optical means, the connector further comprising sleeve means (66) with a conically shaped cavity (70) for receiving the conically shaped portion of said plug therein and being adapted to have said optical means disposed adjacent to and urged in a direction toward said cavity to establish an optical connection with the optical fiber such that upon the transmission of axial forces to said plug, said sleeve means together with said plug seated therein and the optical means are capable of movement through a first distance prior to the occurrence of relative movement between said plug and said sleeve means; CHARACTERISED IN THAT the plug assembly further comprises plug retaining means (42, 80) having a first part (42) connected to the plug and a second part (80) fixed separately from the plug, the first and second parts being non-engaging when the plug is seated in the sleeve means and in the absence of axial forces to the plug, and being in engagement in the presence of axial forces sufficient to cause the plug seated in the sleeve means to move a second distance which second distance is less that the first distance.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
A connector according to claim 1, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the said first part (42) engages another part (48) also fixed separately from the plug and serving to provide a second retaining means to retain the plug within the housing when the plug and sleeve are disengaged.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A connector according to claim 1 or 2, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the said second part is a retaining member fixed adjacent to the end of the plug support arrangement.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
71 words
A connector according to claim 1, 2 or 3, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the connector serves to connect the said optical fiber to another optical fiber in another plug assembly, in that the sleeve has two aligned conically shaped cavities (Fig. 3) for receiving the conical portions of the two plug assemblies, and in that the sleeve is located in a housing (57) connected to and co-axial with the plug support arrangements.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
A connector according to claim 4, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the sleeve (66) is suspended within the housing (57) by a coupling arrangement (62,74) which permits the sleeve with the plugs therein to be moved through the said first distance prior to the occurrence of relative movement of the plugs.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A connector according to claim 3 or any claim appendant thereto, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the internal dimension of the said retaining member is selected to minimize the effect of lateral movement of the fiber(s).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
78 words
A connector according to claim 4, or 5, CHARACTERISED IN THAT said housing includes an internally threaded portion at each end thereof for receiving an externally threaded portion of each plug support arrangement, and in that the latter of each plug assembly includes at least one opening adjacent to the optical fiber entrance end thereof and the end retainer includes at least one tab extending radially therefrom with said at least one tab being received in said opening.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
222 words
A connector according to claim 7, wherein said plug of each plug assembly includes the truncated conically shaped end portion and a cylindrical portion connected thereto, said truncated conically shaped portion extending beyond an end of the support assembly, said cylindrical portion having a compression spring forming the resilient means and disposed thereabout to bias said plug into said sleeve with each end of said spring engaging a washer which is disposed about said plug with one of the washers engaging an annular inwardly projecting lip of the associated support assembly, in that a first retaining ring is fixedly disposed about said cylindrically shaped portion adjacent to said truncated conically shaped portion and in engagement with the other one of the washers, in that said annular means is a second retaining ring secured to said cylindrical portion of said plug, said second retaining ring engaging said annular lip when said plug is not seated in one of the cavities of said sleeve, and in that said second retaining ring is attached to said plug so that when portions of said plugs are in optical engagement with each other, said retaining ring is spaced from said end retainer the second distance which is less than that which said sleeve must be moved to seat in engagement with an internal surface of said housing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
A connector according to claim 8, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the difference between the diameter of each end retainer and each plug is less than the difference between said annular lip and each plug so that upon the application of lateral forces to a plug, said plug will engage said end retainer prior to engaging said lip.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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