The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 07, 1992
Filed:
May. 14, 1991
Jerry M Anderson, Austell, GA (US);
Norman R Lampert, Norcross, GA (US);
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
An optical fiber connector (22) which is assembled to a coupling housing (90) by causing only relative linear motion between the connector and the housing and which also includes facilities for preventing optical disconnection from another connector having a portion disposed in the housing includes a cap (45) having two diametrically opposed slots (53--53) each having an enlarged portion (57). A barrel (42) is retained within the cap and has mounted thereto a ferrule (40) in which is terminated an end portion of an optical fiber (21) which is to be connected to another optical fiber. The connector is moved to cause the ferrule to enter a sleeve (92) of a housing of a coupling (35) and to cause locking pins (96--96) of the housing to enter and to be moved along the slots of the cap until each pin is received in an enlarged portion of a slot. A cap extender (60) is connected to an end of the cap and includes an annular detent (63). A shell (27 ) which is disposed about and is slidably movable on the cap is moved to cause the annular detent projecting radially from the cap extender to become locked to latching means (89) formed on an inner wall of the shell to lock the shell to the cap and prevent mechanical disconnection of the connector from the coupling mounted in a panel (37). An annular shoulder (70) on the cap extender limits the travel of the ferrule (40) to prevent optical decoupling from another ferrule (40') in the coupling housing when tensile forces are applied to a cable (30) the optical fiber of which is terminated by the ferrule.