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:
Oct. 22, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 17, 2000
John Carberry, Jefferson City, TN (US);
Michael L. Smith, Jefferson City, TN (US);
Richard Racinskas, Coppell, TX (US);
Neptec Optical Solutions, Inc., Jefferson City, TN (US);
Abstract
An apparatus which does not require the opening of a box in order to remove an adapter for fiber optic connectors. In one embodiment comprising a removable optical adapter and receptor, the adapter has a flange extending outwardly from an adapter body. The receptor is a mounting plate with a through-opening, which is slightly larger than the adapter flange, and a slot disposed parallel to a front surface. The receptor is foxed to a box, which contains at least one fiber optic connector. The adapter flange is inserted into the through-opening until it seats on a lip or shoulder adjacent to the slot. When the adapter is rotated, the adapter flange engages the slot. Another embodiment utilizes tabs on a removable adapter plate which are received by notches in a through-opening in the receptor. The removable adapter plate has a shoulder which prevents the plate from passing completely through the receptor. Once inserted, the plate is rotated and locked in place. The removable adapter plate receives a standard fiber optic adapter. The receptor has a front and back surface which can be parallel, in which case the adapter, when inserted into the receptor, is perpendicular to the box face, or it can have a front and back surface which form the shape of a wedge, in which case the adapter forms an angle defined by the long axis of the adapter body and the plane of the box face.