Fiber optic connector

Claim 2

A connector assembly for optically joining a pair of opposing light ways in a fiber optic system, which includes: a first plug having a polished surface oriented perpendicular to the axis of the connector assembly; a first light way having an end which is flushly embedded in the polished surface of said first plug; a second plug having a polished surface which is oriented perpendicularly to the axis of the connector assembly and which faces the polished surface of said first plug; a second light way having an end which is flushly embedded in the polished surface of said second plug; a pair of alignment pins which extend perpendicularly from said polished surface of the second plug into engagement with said first plug wherein at engagement the light way of the first plug is aligned with the light way of the second plug; and a flat spacer element disposed between said polished surface of the first plug and said polished surface of the second plug the spacer having a plurality of orifices which are located to axially separate the ends of the light ways.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1 which includes a plurality of said light ways.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 2 which has a central way of relatively large diameter disposed at the axis of the connector assembly and a plurality of circumferentially spaced ways which are positioned radially outward of said central way.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 1 wherein said spacer is a disk shaped element having an orifice in axial alignment with the light ways and wherein said orifice is of greater diameter than the diameter of the light ways.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 4 wherein said spacer has a thickness within the range of three thousandths (0.003) of an inch to eight thousandths (0.008) of an inch.

Claim 7

The invention according to claim 5 wherein said spacer has a thickness of four thousandths (0.004) of an inch.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 6 wherein said first plug is a cylindrically shaped element having a circumferentially extending, outwardly facing groove and wherein said second plug is a cylindrically shaped element having a circumferentially extending, outwardly facing groove and wherein said connector assembly further includes: a first "O" ring disposed in the groove of said first plug; a second "O" ring disposed within the groove of said second plug; and a cylindrical shell which has an inwardly facing cylindrical surface contacting said first and second "O" rings to hermetically seal the cavity defined by the polished surface of the first plug and the polished surface of the second plug.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 6 wherein said spacer is affixed to said first plug.

Claim 10

The invention according to claim 8 which further includes resilient means disposed within said connector assembly in operative relationship to said first and second plugs so as to urge the polished surface of said first plug and the polished surface of said second plug into abutting relationship with said spacer.

Claim 11

For a fiber optic system, a cable connector including: a first section comprising a housing having an inwardly facing cylindrical surface and having an axially oriented alignment key extending radially inwardly from the surface, a first plug which is contained within said housing and which has at one end thereof a polished surface perpendicularly oriented with respect to the axis of the connector, a central way comprising a multiplicity of individual fibers which terminate flushly at the polished surface of said plug, a plurality of spaced ways each comprising a multiplicity of individual fibers which terminate flushly at the polished surface of said plug, and a radially extending, first locator pin which penetrates said housing to engage said first plug thereby preventing relative rotation between said first plug and the housing; a second section comprising a shell having an outwardly facing cylindrical surface, a portion of which opposes the inwardly facing surface of said housing, an inwardly facing cylindrical surface, and an axially oriented alignment slot which is engaged by the alignment key of said housing, a second plug which is contained within said shell and which has at one end thereof a polished surface perpendicularly oriented with respect to the axis of the connector and in opposing spaced relationship to said polished surface of said first plug, a central way comprising a multiplicity of individual fibers which terminate flushly at the polished surface of said second plug, the central way being in optical alignment with said central way of said first section, a plurality of spaced ways each comprising a multiplicity of individual fibers which terminate flushly at the polished surface of said second plug, the spaced ways being in optical alignment with the said spaced ways of said first section; a radially oriented, second locator pin which penetrates said shell to engage said second plug thereby preventing relative rotation between said second plug and the shell; a disk shaped spacer which is disposed between said polished surface of the first section and said polished surface of the second section, the spacer having incorporated therein a plurality of orifices which are located in axial alignment with the opposing ways of the first and second sections; a pair of alignment pins which extend axially through said spacer and into engagement with said first plug and with said second plug to secure the corresponding ways in accurate alignment; and a coupling nut which engages the shell of the second section and affixes said shell to the housing of the first section.

Claim 12

For a fiber optic system, a cable connector including: a first section comprising a housing having an inwardly facing cylindrical surface and having an axially oriented alignment key extending radially inwardly from the surface, a first plug which is contained within said housing and which has at one end thereof a polished surface perpendicularly oriented with respect to the axis of the connector, a central way comprising a multiplicity of individual fibers which terminate flushly at the polished surface of said plug, a plurality of spaced ways each comprising a multiplicity of individual fibers which terminate flushly at the polished surface of said plug, and a radially extending, first locator pin which penetrates said housing to engage said first plug thereby preventing relative rotation between said first plug and the housing; a second section comprising a shell having an outwardly facing cylindrical surface, a portion of which opposes the inwardly facing surface of said housing, an inwardly facing cylindrical surface, and an axially oriented alignment slot which is engaged by the alignment key of said housing, a second plug which is contained within said shell and which has at one end thereof a polished surface perpendicularly oriented with respect to the axis of the connector and in opposing spaced relationship to said polished surface of said first plug, a central way comprising a multiplicity of individual fibers which terminate flushly at the polished surface of said second plug, the central way being in optical alignment with said central way of said first section, a plurality of spaced ways each comprising a multiplicity of individual fibers which terminate flushly at the polished surface of said second plug, the spaced ways being in optical alignment with the said spaced ways of said first section; a radially oriented, second locator pin which penetrates said shell to engage said second plug thereby preventing relative rotation between said second plug and the shell; a disk shaped spacer which is disposed between said polished surface of the first section and said polished surface of the second section, the spacer having incorporated therein a plurality of orifices which are located in axial alignment with the opposing ways of the first and second sections; a pair of alignment pins which extend axially through said spacer and into engagement with said first plug and with said second plug to secure the corresponding ways in accurate alignment; and a coupling nut which engages the shell of the second section and affixes said shell to the housing of the first section.

Claim 13

The invention according to claim 10 which further includes resilient means disposed in operative relationship with respect to said first and second plugs to urge said polished surface of the first plug and said polished surface of the second plug into abutting relationship with the spacer.

Claim 14

The invention according to claim 11 which further includes sealing means disposed between said first plug and said shell and sealing means disposed between said second plug and said shell to hermetically seal the space contained between the polished surfaces of the plugs.

Claim 15

The invention according to claim 12 wherein each of said sealing means comprises an "O" ring in sealing contact with the inwardly facing circumferential surface of the shell and the respective plug.