Patent EP0819960A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0819960A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Universal optical fiber connectors and basic plugs thereof
Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1997-07-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-07-15
Abstract
Abstract An optical fiber connector (10) for general purpose applications and its basic plug (20), wherein the optical fiber connector (10) have some common elements for their connector functions to permit an installation of an optical fiber into one of the different type of connectors e.g. SC,FL,ST) for establishing their connection more easily and to facilitate tuning operation with a positioning key maintaining the same direction between the eccentricity of the fiber core and the key. The basic plug (20) has a ferrule (21), a spring element (25), and a cylindrical tube (22). The spring element (25) is positioned between a ferrule (21) and a cylindrical tube (24), so that it exerts forces on them in an exial direction. A rubber or elastomer forcing element may be used for axially biasing in place of the spring element. The ferrule (21) is a common dimensional structure for securing an optical fiber (99) and has a shape enabling the connection to any one of various kinds of housing members (30). Thus, the basic plug (20) connects separate optical fibers together through the housing member (30), which may also be an adapter housing member.
Inventors
- 👤 Masahiro Nakajima
- 👤 Hiroyuki Tokita
- 👤 Junji Taira
- 👤 Kouji Mimami
- 👤 Tatsuo Koshigoe
- 👤 Nobuo Suzuki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 14:03
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/36; G02B6/38; G02B6/3807; G02B6/381; G02B6/3826; G02B6/3831; G02B6/3869; G02B6/3887; G02B6/38875; G02B6/3888; G02B6/3818; G02B6/3821; G02B6/3833; G02B6/3851; G02B6/3866; G02B6/389; G02B6/3891; G02B6/3893; G02B6/3894
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
120 words
A basic plug (20) for connecting separate optical fibers together through a housing member (30), characterised by comprising: a ferrule (21) having at least one common dimensional structure for securing an optical fiber; a spring element (25) being held so as to exert force against said ferrule in an axial direction; and a cylindrical tube (24) having a function of securing an optical fiber cable (1) in which said optical fiber is embedded and a function of holding said spring element by sandwiching said spring element between said cylindrical tube and said ferrule, wherein said basic plug has a shape that enables to engage said housing member and to connect said optical fiber to another optical fiber through said housing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
129 words
A basic plug an claimed in Claim 1, further comprising an engaging member (22) that includes: a mating portion having a flange (22A) on at least a part of a periphery thereof, in which a rear end portion of said ferrule is fitted; a long-sized cylinder portion (22B) coaxially arranged on said rear end portion of said ferrule, on which said spring element is held; and an engaging portion (22C) to be engaged to said cylindrical tube formed on a rear end portion of said long-sized cylinder portion, wherein said spring element is held between said flange of said mating portion and said cylindrical tube by engaging said engaging portion to said cylindrical tube in addition to holding said engaging portion on a periphery of said continuous cylinder portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
69 words
A basic plug as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said engaging portion is continuously formed on said long-sized cylinder portion and is provided as an engaging protrusion that protrudes outward and is inwardly deformable in a radial direction, and said engaging protrusion and said long-sized cylinder portion are able to be inserted into said cylindrical tube where an engaging hole in which said engaging protrusion is able to engage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A basic plug as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, wherein an insert-restricting portion for restricting an amount of inserting said long-sized cylinder portion to said cylindrical tube is mounted on an outer peripheral surface of said long-sized cylinder portion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
A basic plug as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said insert-restricting portion is a protrusion or short-sized cylindrical tube having an outside shape thereof which is a slightly larger than an inner diameter of said cylindrical tube.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A universal optical fiber connector, comprising: a basic plug as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 5, and a housing member (30) to be fitted on said basic plug.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
60 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said housing member incorporates a sleeve (31) to be fitted on said ferrule, and also said housing member has an engaging portion (34) on its tip portion on a side thereof opposite to a side of said basic plug, where said engaging portion conforms to various kinds of connector forms.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said plug housing connects to a plug that conforms to various kinds of connector forms through an adapter (60) that conforms to various kinds of connector forms to allow an optical connection between an optical fiber fixed in said ferrule and an optical fiber fixed in a ferrule in said plug.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
109 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said housing member is an adapter housing having an engaging portion (61) on its tip portion on a side thereof opposite to a side of said basic plug, and said engaging portion is for engaging to another basic plug that conforms to various kinds of connector forms, wherein at a time of engaging another basic plug in said engaging portion of said adapter housing , a ferrule of another basic plug is fitted into said sleeve to allow an optical connection between an optical fiber in said ferrule and said optical fiber in said ferrule of said basic plug.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
93 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 9, wherein said adapter housing comprises: a key member (33) for an alignment in a diagonal direction around an axis of said ferrule; and a plurality of engaging holes (35), and said cylindrical tube of said basic plug has at least one elastic engaging piece (27B), wherein said elastic engaging piece is able to engage in a predetermined engaging hole selected from said plurality of said engaging holes at a time of inserting said cylindrical tube into said adapter housing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
103 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in Claim 9 or 10, wherein on a side of said tip portion of said adapter housing, there is a key member (33) for an alignment in a diagonal direction around an axis of said ferrule of another basic plug; and a plurality of engaging holes (35), and a cylindrical tube of another basic plug has at least one elastic engaging piece (27B), wherein said elastic engaging piece is able to engage in a predetermined engaging hole selected from said plurality of said engaging holes at a time of inserting said cylindrical tube into said adapter housing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in one of Claims 9 to 11, wherein said adapter housing is able to engage to a plurality of said basic plugs, and a tip portion of said adapter housing has a plurality of engaging portion to be engaged to another basic plug.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
107 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said housing member is a jack housing (230) having an engaging portion on its tip portion on a side thereof opposite to a side of said basic plug, and said engaging portion is for engaging to a plug that conforms to various kinds of connector forms, where at a time of engaging another basic plug in said engaging portion of said jack housing, a ferrule of another basic plug is fitted into said sleeve to allow an optical connection between an optical fiber in said ferrule and said optical fiber in said ferrule of said basic plug.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in Claim 13, wherein said plug is a plug that conforms to an optical fiber connector in a type of one selected from a group of FC, SC, and ST.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
139 words
A jack housing for a general purpose optical fiber connector to be used for fitting to a basic plug as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 5 to allow a connection between said basic plug and a plug that conforms to various kinds of connector forms, comprising: a sleeve integrated therein to be fitted to said ferrule; an engaging portion formed on one side thereof to be engaged to said basic plug; and an engaging portion formed on the other side thereof to be engaged to said plug that conforms to various kinds of connector forms, wherein a ferrule of said plug is fitted in said sleeve when said plug is engaged to said engaging portion, allowing an optical connection between an optical fiber of said ferrule and said optical fiber in said ferrule of said basic plug.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
91 words
A jack housing as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 15, wherein said jack housing comprises: a key member (33) for an alignment in a diagonal direction around an axis of said ferrule; and a plurality of engaging holes (35), and said cylindrical tube of said basic plug has at least one elastic engaging piece, wherein said elastic engaging piece is able to engage in a predetermined engaging hole selected from said plurality of said engaging holes at a time of inserting said cylindrical tube into said jack housing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
A jack housing as claimed in Claims 15 or 16, wherein said plug is a plug that conforms to an optical fiber connector in a type of one selected from a group of FC, SC, and ST
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
60 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said housing member has one end portion provided as a plug housing that conforms to various kinds of connector forms, wherein a flange portion (238) is formed on at least one part of an outer peripheral portion of said plug housing, for fixing said plug housing on a fixing member.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
88 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in Claim 18, wherein said plug housing comprises: a key member (33) for an alignment in a diagonal direction around an axis of said ferrule; and a plurality of engaging holes (35), and said cylindrical tube of said basic plug has at least one elastic engaging piece (27B), wherein said elastic engaging piece is able to engage in a predetermined engaging hole selected from said plurality of said engaging holes at a time of inserting said cylindrical tube into said plug housing.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
63 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in Claim 18 or 19, wherein said plug housing connects to a plug that conforms to various kinds of connector forms through an adapter (60) that conforms to various kinds of connector forms to allow an optical connection between an optical fiber fixed in said ferrule and an optical fiber fixed in a ferrule in said plug.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in one of Claims 18 to 20, wherein said flange portion of said plug housing has a hole for tightening with a thread member.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
117 words
A universal optical fiber connector, comprising: a basic plug as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 5; an engaging ring for connecting an optical code tensile strength body to an outer peripheral portion of said basic plug; a plug housing for covering said ferrule and said basic plug; a hood having a securing hole for securing an optical code, where said hood fits on an outer peripheral portion of said plug housing and covers a connected portion of said optical code tensile strength body, said optical fiber connector further comprising: a reinforcing pipe having one end portion to be fitted on an outside of said plug housing and the other end portion surrounding said engaging ring.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
A universal optical fiber connector as claimed in Claim 22, wherein said reinforcing pipe is placed on an inner peripheral portion of said hood.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
92 words
A universal optical fiber connector, characterised by comprising: a ferrule (21) having at least one common dimensional structure for securing an optical fiber (1); a forcing element (25) made of rubber or elastomer, being held so as to exert force against said ferrule in an axial direction; and a securing member (24) for securing said forcing member for sandwiching said forcing element between said securing member and said ferrule; and a connecting member for incorporating said securing member and for connecting to a plug or adapter of various kinds of connector forms.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
33 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in Claim 24, wherein said connecting member is a plug housing which is able to connect to an adapter that conforms to various kinds of connector forms.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
33 words
An optical fiber connector as claimed in Claim 24, wherein said connecting member is an adapter housing which is able to connect to an adapter that conforms to various kinds of connector forms.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
65 words
A ferrule holding member comprising: a ferrule (21) having at least one common dimensional structure for securing an optical fiber; a forcing element (25) made of rubber or elastomer, being held so as to exert force against said ferrule in an axial direction; and a securing member (24) for securing said forcing member for sandwiching said forcing element between said securing member and said ferrule.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
34 words
A ferrule holding member as claimed in Claim 27, wherein said securing member is a cylindrical tube having a function of securing an optical fiber cable (1) in which said optical fiber is integrated.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
A ferrule holding member as claimed in Claim 27 or 28, wherein said forcing member is shaped so as to hold a plurality of ferrules in parallel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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