Glenair, Inc.

Gregory Bruce Noll

Monish J Doshi

Deniz K Armani

Jonathon M Smith

An expanded beam fiber optic connection system is disclosed which overcomes the problems associated with known expanded beam fiber optic connection systems. In particular, the expanded beam fiber optic connection system in accordance with the present invention includes a pair of mating fiber optic connectors. Each fiber optic connector includes a connector body and fiber optic termini. In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the fiber optic termini utilize expanded beam technology and are configured with virtually the same form factor as existing physical contact fiber optic termini. The configuration of the expanded beam termini provides several benefits. First, existing physical contact fiber optic connection systems can be updated in the field by simply replacing the existing physical contact fiber optic termini with the new expanded beam fiber optic termini in accordance with the present invention and re-using the existing connector body, thus significantly reducing cost of upgrading existing physical contact type fiber optic connection systems. Secondly, since the same connector bodies are used for both the physical contact termini and the expanded beam termini, the number of components for the two types of fiber optic connection systems is reduced, thus reducing manufacturing costs.

Expanded beam fiber optic connection system

A fiber-optic test probe and connector adapter for testing fiber-optic terminations, for example, in fiber optic connector assemblies. A single andmulti-channel connector adapter is provided that is adapted to be attached to the fiber-optic connector to be tested. In one embodiment of the invention, the connector adapter includes an alignment sleeve that enables the terminus of the fiber-optic connector to be tested to be axially aligned with the terminus of the test probe. In order to eliminate air gaps between the respective termini, the fiber-optic test probe and connector adapter are configured to provide axial compression forces between the mating termini in a test position in order to eliminate air gaps therebetween and thus reduce transmission losses. The test probe may be provided with strain relief and anti-bending boot, which prevents radial forces from misaligning the termini. The test probe includes a release sleeve that allows the test probe to be quickly released from its locked position. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the alignment sleeve may be formed as part of the test probe. A probe calibration adapter, or feed-through adapter, is also provided, which enables two test probes to be coupled together for purposes of calibration. The feed-through adapter is configured to provide precise alignment between the respective termini of the test probe termini, while providing axial compression forces therebetween, similar to the adapter to reduce transmission losses and thus improve performance while providing good repeatability of the test measurements.

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Burbank, CA, United States of America

Gregory Bruce Noll