Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

James Edward Novacoski

Can Trong Nguyen

Michael Santos Finona

Peter Joseph Hyzin

Charles Linsday Bates, Iii

Jay Brian Betker

Terry Lee Adams

Each optical fiber terminus () of a connector has an indexing device () that indicates and fixes the rotational position of the terminus in its housing passage (), the indexing device being in the form of a sleeve that is easily applied when an optimum position is determined. The indexing sleeve is fixed directly to the stripped optic fiber cable () at a location immediately rearward of the terminus body (), so a rear end of the indexing sleeve lies at the rear end of the housing. The indexing sleeve rear end has a radial projection () that projects into a slot () formed in the rear surface () of the connector.

Optic fiber terminus indexer

An optic fiber connector includes a self-contained optical fiber cartridge (), that can be easily inserted into a passageway () of a connector housing (), and easily removed and replaced, without exposing the coil spring () that urges the terminus forwardly. The cartridge includes a frame () that completely encircles the spring in all terminus positions and that also surrounds much of the terminus.

Optic fiber connector with spring in a self-contained cartridge

First and second connector housings ( ) each hold a corresponding set ( ) of numerous fibers, that are coupled when their tips ( ) abut, in a low-cost and rugged arrangement. The housings are identical and each has numerous bores ( ) extending to a mating face ( ). Each fiber is fixed in position in one of the bores, by potting material ( ). The diameters of the bores are only slightly greater than the diameters of the fibers, so the potting material helps center the fiber in the end of the bore that lies adjacent to the mating face.

Multi-fiber interconnect system

An optic fiber connector includes a housing ( ) with a through passageway ( ) and an optic fiber terminus assembly ( ) lying in the passageway, the connector having a simple retainer assembly means prevents inadvertent rearward pullout of the terminus assembly from the passageway but which enables simple removal of the terminus assembly when desired. The housing has a rear portion with a groove ( ) that extends circumferentially about the housing to weaken it at the groove, the groove lying forward of a retainer part formed by a pair of housing projections ( ). A rear part ( ) of the housing can be broken off from the main part ( ) of the housing at the groove, to thereby remove the retainer part on the housing and allow the terminus assembly to be removed from the housing and inserted into a new housing. The rear part of the housing is broken when the cable is pulled partially rearward and at perhaps 45&deg; to the housing axis ( ).

Field repairable, breakaway housing for optical fiber connector

An optical fiber connector ( ) has a terminus ( ) lying in a housing passage ( ) and biased forwardly by a spring ( ), which enables removal of the terminus while the spring remains in the passage, in a compact arrangement. The terminus body has a groove ( ) that forms a rearwardly-facing shoulder ( ). A retainer ( ) includes a clip ( ) with tines ( ) that engage the shoulder to push the terminus forwardly, the clip being pushed forwardly by a front end ( ) of the spring. The retainer includes a sleeve member ( ) which is slideable in the terminus passage and has a rear end ( ) that abuts the front end of the spring to push the sleeve forwardly, the spring having a forwardly-facing shoulder ( ) that abuts the rear end of the clip to push it forwardly. Each of two mating connectors ( ) has a spring that biases its terminus toward the other terminus to enable installation of a replacement terminus.

Releasable terminus retention

A break-away apparatus for electrical and optical connectors ( ) includes front and rear fittings ( ) with peripheries that have pairs of aligned fastener-receiving holes, and a plurality of fasteners ( ) that each lies in a pair of holes and holds the peripheries of the fittings together. Each fastener is a screw with a shank having a threaded front end that engages threads in the hole of the front fitting, and includes a screw head ( ) at the rear of the shank which lies against a rearwardly-facing shoulder ( ) on the rear fitting, to thereby prevent fitting separation. A bore ( ) extends along the axis of the shank, and a rear end portion of the shank has a groove ( ), resulting in a break-away portion of the fastener that has a ring-shaped cross-section. The ring-shaped coss-section permits tightening of the screw but results in the screw breaking when a predetermined force is applied to allow separation of the fittings.

Break-away device

An optical fiber terminus body has a helical spring ( ) trapped between front and rear shoulders, with the rear shoulder formed by a thin flange ( ) that facilitates mounting of the spring on a one-piece body ( ). The thin flange has front and rear surfaces that are angled by no more than about 30&deg; from a radial direction, and the base of the flange has an axial length substantially no greater than the radial length of the flange, to facilitate installation of the spring by turning the spring to thread it past the flange.

Terminus body with trapped spring

An optical fiber connector is provided with a frame mount ( ) having a passage ( ) and a terminus ( ) which extends through the passage to position an optical fiber ( ) that extends through bores in the terminus, which enables the adjustment of terminus position for optimal coupling of the fiber tip ( ) to the tip ( ) of a fiber of a mating connector. The terminus has a pair of projections ( ) and the walls of the passage have a plurality of recesses to fix the rotational position of the terminus at any of a plurality of rotational positions. The terminus is accurately oriented so its axis extends in a desired direction, by forming a largely forwardly-facing conical surface ( ) in the terminus and a corresponding rearwardly-facing conical surface ( ) in the walls of the passage, the conical surfaces serving to accurately position the terminus.

Optic fiber retaining system

An optical fiber terminus and a connector containing such terminus are provided, with a relatively simple unit (,) that includes the terminus body (,), a helical spring (,) lying around a shaft (,) of the terminus body, and with a retention sleeve device (,) that retains the spring on the shaft prior to mounting the terminus assembly and which thereafter slideably mounts the terminus in a connector housing so the terminus body can slide rearwardly. The shaft is provided with a recess (,) that forms a forwardly-facing shoulder (,). The retention sleeve device lies around the shaft and has at least one tine (,) that extends rearward and at least partially radially inward and against the shaft shoulder, with the tine being biased radially inward.

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Yucaipa, CA, United States of America

James Edward Novacoski