EP0307518A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
High precision fiber optic connectors
Assignee: Whitaker LLC
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Filing: 1985-05-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-05-29
Abstract
Abstract A fiber optic cable connector (600) comprises two mating housing halves (601,604), provided with interlocking latch (166) and lug (168) means for interlocking to constitute a connector housing, said housing halves having external portions at first ends jointly to provide an external thread, and cooperating to provide a housing opening at their opposite ends; a strain relief (301,331) firmly attached to a first end of a fiber optic cable and having one end (311,332) shaped and sized to be grasped by said interlocked housing halves; a nut (146) threaded onto the threaded external portions positively to retain the strain relief; a ferrule terminating said fiber grasped firmly inside said interlocked housing halves such that the terminal end of said ferrule is directed forwardly and positioned within said opening; said housing halves (601,602) each having a straight longitudinal groove (603,604) on an exterior surface, said groove having an open end at the rim of said opening of said connector, and said exterior surface of each of said housing halves being reduced in dimensions on one side (605) of said groove so as to be slightly smaller than the interior of the unreduced portion (601,602) on the other side of said groove.
Inventors
- 👤 William Joseph Stape
- 👤 Robert Ney Weber
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 06:03
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/36; G02B6/38; G02B6/3807; G02B6/389; G02B6/3893; G02B6/381; G02B6/3825; G02B6/3833; G02B6/3847; G02B6/3849; G02B6/3867; G02B6/3869; G02B6/387; G02B6/3873; G02B6/3874; G02B6/3875; G02B6/3877; G02B6/3878; G02B6/3879; G02B6/3887; G02B6/38875; G02B6/44; G02B6/4439; G02B6/444; G02B6/44528; G02B6/4471; G02B6/4478; H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/56; H01R13/562; G02B6/3826; G02B6/3831
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
257 words
A fiber optic cable connector (600) for a fiber optic cable (607) containing an optical fiber, characterized by: two mating housing halves (601,604), each of which is provided with interlocking latch and lug means for interlocking with the other half to constitute a connector housing, said interlocked housing halves having external portions at their respective first ends to jointly provide an external thread thereat, and further cooperating to provide an opening of said connector housing at their opposite ends; a strain relief (301,331) firmly attached to a first end of said fiber optic cable, said strain relief having one end (311, 332) shaped and sized to be grasped by said interlocked housing halves within said externally threaded portions thereof; an internally threaded nut (146) threaded onto said external threaded portions of said interlocked housing halves to positively retain said strain relief therein; a ferrule terminating said optical fiber, shaped and sized to be grasped firmly inside said interlocked housing halves such that the terminal end of said ferrule terminating the fiber within is directed forwardly and positioned within said opening of said connector; said housing halves (601,602) each having a straight longitudinal groove (603, 604) on an exterior surface, said groove having an open end at the rim of said opening of said connector, and said exterior surface of each of said housing halves being reduced in dimensions on one side (605) of said groove so as to be slightly smaller than the interior of the unreduced portion (601, 602) on the other side of said groove.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
257 words
A fiber optic cable connector (600) for a fiber optic cable (607) containing an optical fiber, characterized by: two mating housing halves (601,604), each of which is provided with interlocking latch and lug means for interlocking with the other half to constitute a connector housing, said interlocked housing halves having external portions at their respective first ends to jointly provide an external thread thereat, and further cooperating to provide an opening of said connector housing at their opposite ends; a strain relief (301,331) firmly attached to a first end of said fiber optic cable, said strain relief having one end (311, 332) shaped and sized to be grasped by said interlocked housing halves within said externally threaded portions thereof; an internally threaded nut (146) threaded onto said external threaded portions of said interlocked housing halves to positively retain said strain relief therein; a ferrule terminating said optical fiber, shaped and sized to be grasped firmly inside said interlocked housing halves such that the terminal end of said ferrule terminating the fiber within is directed forwardly and positioned within said opening of said connector; said housing halves (601,602) each having a straight longitudinal groove (603, 604) on an exterior surface, said groove having an open end at the rim of said opening of said connector, and said exterior surface of each of said housing halves being reduced in dimensions on one side (605) of said groove so as to be slightly smaller than the interior of the unreduced portion (601, 602) on the other side of said groove.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
A fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that each said ferrule (128,174) has an axial through-bore opening centrally in a profiled nose (134), and a pair of integral, spaced, outwardly directed annular flanges (136,138) adapted to engage respective connector housings (112,116).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that a resilient O-ring (140) is mounted on each said ferrule (128,174) in such manner as to permit limited axial float of said ferrule in a respective connector.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
117 words
A connector as claimed in any preceding claim characterized in that the strain relief (301,331) comprises a generally tubular length of flexible material, provided with a cylindrical axial bore (304,328) sized for receiving said fiber optic cable (607) therewithin, profiled at a first end (311,332) to be anchored thereat to said connector (600) while clamping onto said fiber optic cable and formed to have narrow openings (305, 306, 333, 334), preferably distributed in staggered series and aligned normally with respect to the axis of said bore, with a predetermined number of said openings (304,305,333,334) each being provided on one side with a small bump (307,308,335,336) of predetermined shape and size not quite extending to the opposite side.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
A connector as claimed in claim 4 characterized in that the strain relief (301,331) includes flexible latch (312, 337) means at said first end (311,332) for latching said strain relief (301,331) to a portion of said fiber optic cable (607) therewithin, whereby said fiber optic cable is prevented from sliding in or out or twisting with respect to said strain relief (301,331).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A connector as claimed in any preceding claim characterized by a pair of latch arms (116,198) for latching engagement with a complementary housing (202) for releasably securing the connector to said housing (202).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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