At&t Bell Laboratories

N R Lampert

Ray R Cammons

A Wallace Carlisle

A cylindrical ferrule type optical fiber connector (20) includes an attenuator arrangement which includes an element (70) that is capable of movement during the assembly of the connector. The connector includes a cylindrically shaped sleeve (60) which has a longitudinally extending slot (61) formed through the wall thereof and which is adapted to receive a cylindrical plug (40) in each end thereof, each plug being spring-biased outwardly from a cap (45) and terminating an optical fiber (21). The attenuator element has a disc-shaped portion (74) which is disposed within the sleeve. A neck portion (76) which extends through the slot of the sleeve connects the disc-like portion to a supporting head portion (72) which engages an outer surface of the sleeve. As a first one plug is inserted into the sleeve, it engages the attenuator element and causes it to be moved along the slot in the sleeve. The insertion of a second plug causes it to engage an opposite side of the element and to move it and the spring-loaded first plug in an opposite direction to a rest position.

Growing community of inventors

Norcross, GA, United States of America

N R Lampert