The Whitaker Corporation

Amp LLC

Ronald A Hileman

Lee Andrew Barkus

Wallace R Savitsky

Nancy Lebeis Miller

Walter A Egner

Vinod J Franklin

Gregory A Livingston

John L Raybuck

Fredrick Rovenolt

The invention relates to an improved strain relief adapted for mounting within a connector housing so as to protect a terminated cable assembled thereto from damage as a result of flexure of the cable relative to the housing. The strain relief including a sleeve having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a central lumen disposed therebetween. The sleeve being adapted to slidingly receive the cable within the central lumen. The distal portion of the strain relief includes a substantially rigid tube that has a pair of shoulders which project radially-outwardly from an external surface of the distal portion in diametrically-opposed relation to one another. An annular shoulder is positioned in spaced relation to the pair of shoulders and projects radially-outwardly from the external surface of the strain relief. A recess is defined between the pair of shoulders and the annular shoulder. The strain relief structure is adapted to be assembled to a correspondingly shaped receptacle portion of a connector housing.

Strain relief

Polishing machines, fixtures, and apparatus for setting up connectors of varying geometries on polishing fixtures. The setup plates have a plurality of axial holes disposed around the perimeter of the setup plate that will receive optical fibers. The setup plate further comprises a reference surface for providing interference with ferrules in the connectors so that the ferrules protrude uniformly through the polishing fixtures. Since the polishing machines described herein can polish connectors of varying geometries at one time, these machines operate efficiently and cost-effectively.

Universal polishing plate for polishing machine

A polarized connector comprises a connector body having an opening for receiving a polarization key. The key comprises a polarization member and slotted shaft rotatable in the opening about a longitudinal axis. The slotted shaft permits user access to the key to rotate the key within the opening in the connector. The polarized connectors described herein permits simple polarization changes with a single key element that is retained with the connector for all polarization configurations.

Rotatably polarizing keying element for a polarized connector

A dust cover for covering one or more fiber optic ferrules of an optical fiber connector. The dust cover comprises a base portion and at least one protruding portion extending therefrom, each of the at least one protruding portion having a cavity therein for receiving one of the one or more ferrules to cover the one or more ferrules when the dust cover is mounted to the connector. The dust cover is particularly designed for connectors having a plurality of ferrules for terminating a plurality of optical fibers, and is especially advantageous for connectors having a retractable body portion which normally surrounds the ferrules when the connector is not in use; and permits all of the plurality of ferrules of a connector to be individually covered substantially simultaneously in a single operation. The dust cover also includes a grasping portion to facilitate grasping and manipulation of the cover, and a lanyard to connect the dust cover to an optical fiber cable to which the connector is attached to prevent misplacement of the cover when it is not in use.

Dust cover for fiber optic ferrules of optical fiber connectors

An optical fiber connector (1) comprises, an alignment ferrule (11) for aligning an optical fiber (3) of an optical cable (2) and a molded, flexible, curved rubber boot (9) extending along a line having a radius of curvature to extend the line 90 degrees from the plane of connection between the ferrule (11) and the boot (9).

Growing community of inventors

Camp Hill, PA, United States of America

Ronald A Hileman