Patent ID: 6394661
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: B41J,C09D,G02B

Abstract:
A fiber optic cable connector for optically coupling a first set of optical conductors to a second set of optical conductors, the connector comprising:a receptacle housing having a first end, a second end and an interior passage, and said interior passage extending from said first end to said second end of said receptacle housing and defining a central axis and an interior periphery of said receptacle housing; said interior periphery of said receptacle housing including a recess which extends into said receptacle housing from said first end of said receptacle housing and on one side of said interior passage in a radial direction with respect to said central axis of said receptacle housing, and parallel to said central axis; a receptacle insert secured within said interior passage of said receptacle housing and having receptacle termini bores for receiving termini secured to respective ones of the first set of optical conductors which pass through said second end and into said interior passage of said receptacle housing, said receptacle termini bores being angularly spaced apart around said central axis of said receptacle housing; a plug housing having a forward end, a rearward end and a tubular body, said tubular body defining a longitudinal axis of said plug housing; a plug insert secured to a forward end of said plug housing and having plug termini bores which are angularly spaced apart around and aligned parallel to said longitudinal axis of said plug housing which are configured for registering in alignment with said receptacle termini bores for receiving end portions of said termini secured to respective ones of the second set of optical conductors which extend through a rearward end of said plug housing, and an insert cap having insert cap bores which have alignment sleeves enclosed therein and which are configured in an angularly spaced apart alignment for registering with said receptacle termini bores and said plug termini bores for receiving into opposite ends of said alignment sleeves end portions of said termini which are disposed in respective ones of said receptacle termini bores and said plug termini bores; said insert cap being nonrotatably secured to a first one of said receptacle insert and said plug insert, angularly aligned for receiving said end portion of respective termini from said first one of said receptacle insert and said plug insert; one of said insert cap and said first one of said receptacle insert and said plug insert to which said insert cap is secured having a first exterior periphery which includes a first protuberance extending radially outward therefrom and configured for being slidably received within said recess of said interior periphery of said interior passage of said receptacle housing for angularly aligning said insert cap and said first one of said receptacle insert of said plug insert with said receptacle housing; a second one of said receptacle housing and said plug housing having a second protuberance extending radially outward therefrom and configured for being slidably received within said recess of said interior periphery of said interior passage of said receptacle housing for angularly aligning said second one of said receptacle insert and said plug insert with said receptacle housing with end portions of respective ones of said termini aligned for being received within said alignment sleeves enclosed within said insert cap; and a coupling sleeve extending exteriorly around one of said receptacle housing and said plug housing for coupling to the other of said receptacle housing and said plug housing.