Active device mount with push-pull optical fiber connector receptacle

An active device mount 1 comprises a base 2 having a forward face with a connecting means 3 for attaching an optical fiber connector. The connector has an alignment ferrule and an optical fiber extending therethrough. The mount 1 has a rearward face with securing means 4 for an active device. The connecting means 3 comprises a front socket 17 extending therefrom the active device mount base 2 and has a longitudinal axis and axial bore 18. The connecting means 3 further comprises at least two resilient catch pieces 20 of cantilever form extending from the base 2 parallel to and on opposing sides of the longitudinal axis of the front socket 17. The resilient catch pieces 20 terminate in protrusions 22 and lip structures 23. The securing means 4 of the active device mount base 2 comprises a resilient, four sided, rhombic-shaped structure extending from the base 2 and encompassing the can 8 of the active device. The structure 4 secures the can 8 by press fit at four contact points 16 between the four inner surfaces 15 of the sides of the structure 4 and the surface of the can 8.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Warner et al, identified above, discloses an active device mount assembly 
comprising an active device base and an active device mounted thereto and 
interface mount for attaching a fiber optic connector, the connector 
having an alignment ferrule and optical fiber extending therethrough. The 
interface mount comprises a base with the front socket extending 
therefrom. The base has a longitudinal axis and an axial bore. Further, 
the interface mount includes at least two resilient catch pieces extending 
from the base. The catch pieces are in cantilever form extending parallel 
to and on opposing sides of the longitudinal axis of the front socket. The 
catch pieces terminate in protrusions and lip structures. 
While Schaffer et al. teaches an active device mount (ADM) secured within a 
housing and combined with an interface mount for connection to push-pull 
type of fiber optic connectors, by the present invention, is provided a 
mount which itself is modified for connection to push-pull type of fiber 
optic connectors. 
Push-pull connectors are known, such as that disclosed by Umeki et al, 
Japanese Showa 60-218932. This connector includes an adapter equipped 
with an alignment sleeve and resilient catch pieces. The pieces are in 
cantilever form with protrusions and a claw attached to the tip of the 
form. The connector also includes a frame that contains an integrated 
ferrule and a through passageway from the rear to the front of the 
ferrule. The frame has protruding parts that are caught by claws of the 
resilient catch pieces of the adapter. A resilient inner tube shaped in 
the form of a round tube has an inside diameter almost equal to the 
outside diameter of the optical fiber cable and an outside diameter almost 
equal to the hole in the rear portion of the plug frame. A cord tube has a 
flexible part at its front end which, when inserted into the hole in the 
rear of the plug frame, is secured to the frame by the bending of the 
flexible part. The plug frame also has a finger grip mounted on its 
outside with raised parts. When the ferrule of the plug frame is inserted 
into or pulled from the alignment sleeve, the raised parts of the plug 
frame contact the protrusions of the cantilever form and push the 
resilient claws to the outside allowing the protrusions to pass. The plug 
frame may have a finger grip housing which is able to slide forward and 
backward with respect to the plug frame and, additionally, which has 
raised parts which release the catch of claws on the protruding parts of 
the plug frame when the finger grip housing is moved backward. 
The present invention relates to an ADM for disconnect connection of an 
active device to an optical fiber of the push-pull coupling type of 
connector such as disclosed by Umeki et al, Japanese Showa 60-218932; 
Iwasa et al, Japanese Showa 62-26141; Kaihara et al, U.S. Pat. No. 
4,762,389; and Myers et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,736. Particularly, the 
invention relates to an ADM for the push-pull coupling type of connector 
disclosed by Mulholland et al, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 491,755, 
filed Mar. 9, 1990 still pending. 
With ADM assemblies, optical emission from, for example a diode, or an 
optical signal to a detector, as the case may be, is transmitted 
successively through different transparent materials having different 
indices of optical refraction. A difficulty associated with conventional 
connector assemblies is that the light signal is scattered at the boundary 
between transparent materials of different indices Another difficulty is 
that the light signal may reflect from surfaces of the materials or from a 
junction of one of the materials with an air gap. Particularly, if the 
active device is a laser diode, and the emission is reflected backward at 
low angles of incidence to the reflecting surface, such backward 
reflection can enter the laser diode and cause instability. 
An advantage of the present invention resides in an ADM with a resilient 
rhombic structure that permits simple press fit of the active device into 
the mount with resulting fit that addresses the stringent requirements of 
mounting and connecting active devices. Particularly, the present 
invention is an ADM which may be mounted in a variety of orientations on 
the surface of a housing. Finally, the ADM of the present invention 
permits connection to optical fiber connectors of the push-pull type. The 
present invention provides a disconnect coupling for a push-pull coupling 
type optical fiber connector to an active device with the same accuracy of 
alignment as the coupling of an optical fiber to an optical fiber while 
eliminating backward reflection and unnecessary loss. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an active device mount comprising a base 
having a forward face with a connecting means for attaching an optical 
fiber connector. The connector has an alignment ferrule and an optical 
fiber extending therethrough. The mount has a rearward face with securing 
means for an active device. The connecting means comprises a front socket 
extending therefrom the active device mount base and having a longitudinal 
axis and axial bore. The connecting means further comprises at least two 
resilient catch pieces of cantilever form extending from the base parallel 
to and on opposing sides of the longitudinal axis of the front socket. The 
resilient catch pieces terminate in protrusions and lip structures. The 
active device securing means comprises a resilient, four sided, 
rhombic-shaped structure extending from the base and encompassing the can 
of an active device. The structure secures the can by press fit at four 
contact points between the four inner surfaces of the sides of the 
structure and the surface of the can. 
The active device mount further may include an optical focusing element 
encompassed within the axial bore of the socket. The longitudinal axis of 
the focusing element will be aligned with the longitudinal axis of the 
axial bore of the socket. Further, the active device mount assembly may 
include a coupler element aligned with the focusing element and inserted 
to a precise depth into the socket of the assembly mount. Further, the 
coupler element may abut the alignment ferrule of the fiber optic 
connector with the optical fiber aligned to the center axis of the coupler 
element. The connecting means further includes an alignment sleeve 
encompassed by the front socket of the assembly mount. The longitudinal 
axis of the alignment sleeve extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of 
the socket. The two resilient catch pieces extend from the base and have 
cantilever arms. The cantilever arms extend parallel to and on opposing 
sides of the longitudinal axis of the alignment sleeves. 
The ADM, in one embodiment, is for attaching an active device to a optical 
fiber connector where the connector comprises an optical fiber plug 
assembly. The plug assembly includes a plug housing with spacing through 
its body at a surface of a forward section. The plug assembly has defined 
exterior profile at a rearward section. A connector assembly is 
accommodated by and substantially within the plug housing. The connector 
assembly has, disposed at one exterior surface thereof, ridge, slot and 
tab. The ridge, slot tab are exposed through spacing at the surface of the 
forward section of the plug housing. Further included is a ferrule for 
fixing an optical fiber on a center axis thereof and accommodated within 
the connector assembly. 
With this later embodiment, the optical fiber connector attaches to the ADM 
by insertion of the plug assembly into the connecting means so that each 
beveled leading edge face of the assembly contacts a respective leading 
edge of each lip of each resilient catch piece. This causes the catch 
piece to rise along the bevel of each face, over each ridge and to seat 
within each of the slots of the front shell portion, with the alignment 
ferrule of the fiber optic connector received within the alignment sleeve 
of the attaching means. This permits precise end face to end face 
alignment of the optical fiber of the fiber optic connector to the coupler 
element of the active device mount assembly within the socket of the 
interface mount.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Generally shown in all of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, is an ADM 1 
comprising a base 2 having a connecting means 3 for attaching a fiber 
optic connector. The fiber optic connector described hereinafter is that 
disclosed by Mulholland et al, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 491,755, 
filed Mar. 9, 1990. Shown also is securing means 4 for securing an active 
device 5, and PCB 6, to which the ADM 1 is mounted. Electrical leads 12 of 
the circuitry project from a rear of the active device 5 for connection to 
a PCB. The active device 5 has a cylindrical package, called a can 8, 
enclosing a semi-conductor. In the embodiment shown, the active device 5 
is a laser diode. However, within the scope of the present invention is 
any active device such as any light emitting diode or a photo detector or 
photo diode or the like. 
The base 2 of the ADM 1 has double walled brackets 9 with mounting notches 
10. Securing means 4 is supported by braces 13 between the double walls 11 
of the bracket 9. Securing means 4 is a resilient, four sided, 
rhombic-shaped structure 4 extending from rear face of the base. The 
structure 4 has a rhombic-shaped compartment 14 with four inner walls 15. 
The can 8 of the active device 5 is encompassed by the compartment 14 and 
secured therein by press fit at four contact points 15 between the inner 
surfaces of the walls 15 and the surface of the can 8. 
The connecting means 3 of the ADM 1 is for connecting the ADM 1 to a fiber 
optic connector of the push-pull coupling type. The connecting means 3 of 
the ADM 1 includes front socket 17 having axial bore 18 and beveled 
leading end 19. Further included are resilient catch pieces 20. The 
connecting means 3 may also include an alignment sleeve, not shown. The 
resilient catch pieces 20 extend from base 2 and are in the form of 
cantilever arms extending parallel to and on opposing sides of the 
longitudinal axis of front socket 17. The cantilever-shaped pieces 20 have 
tab sections 21, protrusions 22, and lip structures 23. In the embodiment 
shown, a single surface 24 of lip 23 is beveled. However in another 
embodiment lip 23 would have side bevels to facilitate lead-in to the 
spacing of the plug housing of a push-pull connector. 
The ADM assembly 1 is constructed by inserting the can 8 into the 
rhombic-shaped compartment 14 of the securing means 4. The resilient 
rhombus shape deflects and the can 8 is inserted until fully seated within 
the means 4 with inner surfaces 15 of the sides of the rhombic structure 
14 firmly press fit at 4 points around the circumference of the can 8. 
Leads 12 are inserted through PCB 6 and are soldered to the appropriate 
circuits of the PCB. The ADM 1, including the active device 5, is secured 
to the cover by connecting means such as a bolt through the mounting 
notches 10 and the holes 25 of the PCB cover 6 (See FIG. 5 and 6). 
Polarizing recesses 26 and nubs 27 (See FIGS. 2, 4 and 5) are provided for 
oriented attachment to other elements such as a receptacle housing 28 (see 
FIGS. 6 and 7) for the partial enclosing and protection of the catch 
pieces 20. The ADM 1 may be mounted to the push-pull connector by the 
procedure disclosed by Schaffer et al. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 
07/541,675, filed Jun. 21, 1990. referenced above. 
While what has been described constitutes a presently preferred embodiment 
or embodiments of the invention, it should be recognized that the ADM 1 
may take numerous other forms and may be utilized in other embodiments as 
well so long as the ADM includes a forward face with a connecting means 
for attaching an optical fiber connector and a rearward face with securing 
means for an active device, wherein the connecting means comprises a front 
socket extending therefrom the active device mount base and having a 
longitudinal axis and axial bore. Further, so long as the connecting means 
comprises at least two resilient catch pieces of cantilever form extending 
from the base parallel to and on opposing sides of the longitudinal axis 
of the front socket. The resilient catch pieces terminate in protrusions 
and lip structures. And further so long as the securing means of the 
active device mount base comprises a resilient, four sided, rhombic-shaped 
structure extending from the base and encompassing the can of an active 
device Accordingly, it should be understood that the invention is to be 
limited only insofar as required by the scope of the following claims.