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:
Nov. 30, 2004
Filed:
Feb. 19, 2003
Robert C. Sloan, Georgetown, TX (US);
Mark S. Manley, Leander, TX (US);
Roy A. Rachui, Georgetown, TX (US);
Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US);
Abstract
Connector tips for paired fiber optic strands are protected from damage by a tip protector held in position with one or more flexible members that are disposed to cover the connector tips with the tip protector in an unflexed position and to flex to expose the connector tips by moving the tip protector. The flexible members, such as a pair of extension springs, are coupled to the paired fiber optic strands with a clamp that holds the flexible members on opposing sides of and parallel with the fiber optic strands to provide structural support to the fiber optic strands. Bending of the flexible members from parallel alignment with the fiber optic strands removes the connector tips from a recess of the tip protector. The flexible members are biased to return to the parallel alignment so that the tip protector is biased to return to a position that covers the connector tips.