Undersea wet-mateable fiber optic connector

Abstract

A wet-mateable fiber optic connector includes mateable and demateable plug and receptacle parts having opposite end housings. The housings mount inner sleeves which interfit with one another when the connector parts are assembled together. Guide and latch fingers attached to the receptacle part facilitate interfitting of the sleeves together and latching and retaining the connector parts in mated condition. A pair of elongated wand structures mounted at outer ends to the end housings receive and hold end portions of respective optical fibers. The wand structures are mounted at inner ends to centering and sealing members in the respective inner sleeves. When the parts are mated together, one of the centering and sealing members mounts in axially aligned and a butting relation respective inner ends of the wand structures and positions in axially aligned and optically coupled relation the respective ends of the optical fiber end portions extending through the wand structures. Pressure compensating bladders in the respective inner sleeves contain an index matching fluid about inner end portions of the wand structures and inner ends of the optical fibers for equalizing the pressure of the index matching fluid therein with that of a fluid of the environment in which the mated connector will be submerged.