Patent EA-002871-B1 (EA)
Title: Fiber connector and adapter
Inventor: LU LIANG-JU
IPC: G02B6/38
Filed: 1999-09-01
Abstract: 1. A fiberoptic connector and adapter assembly comprising: a. a fiberoptic connector having: an outer connector housing having a longitudinal connector axis; an optical fiber disposed within said connector housing and having a terminal end exposed through an opening in a leading end of said connector housing; a cover carried on said connector housing and pivotally connected thereto to pivot between a cover open and a cover closed position, said cover in said cover closed position covering said opening, said cover in said cover open position exposing said opening; a spring biasing said cover toward said cover closed position; said connector housing including a longitudinal connector guide aligned with said longitudinal connector axis; said cover including a cam pin receiving slot; b. an adapter having: an adapter housing having a longitudinal adapter axis and having walls defining an interior and an open end sized to receive said leading end with said longitudinal connector axis aligned with said longitudinal adapter axis; a fiber coupling mechanism contained within said interior to couple with said optical fiber when said connector housing is inserted into said adapter housing to a fully inserted position; a longitudinal adapter guide disposed to cooperate with said longitudinal connector guide to direct said connector opening into axial alignment with said fiber coupling mechanism as said connector housing is inserted into said adapter housing to said fully inserted position; a cam pin disposed within said interior to be received within said cam pin receiving slot and urge said cover from said cover closed position to said cover open position as said connector housing is inserted into said adapter housing to said fully inserted position. 2. An assembly according to Claim 1 wherein said spring has an overcenter position, wherein said spring biases said cover toward said cover open position after said cover is rotated by said cam pin past said overcenter position as said connector housing is inserted into said adapter housing toward said fully inserted position. 3. An assembly according to Claim 1 wherein said spring is pivotally mounted to said outer connector housing. 4. An assembly according to Claim 3 wherein said spring is a helical coil spring mounted under compression. 5. An assembly according to Claim 1 wherein said cam pin is further disposed to urge said cover from said cover open position to said cover closed position as said connector housing is removed from said adapter housing. 6. An assembly according to Claim 1 wherein: said adapter housing includes an internal door disposed within said interior and movable between a door open position and a door closed position, in said door open position said fiber coupling mechanism exposed through said adapter open end, in said door closed position said door covering said fiber coupling mechanism; a cam surface carried on said connector housing and positioned to urge said door from said door closed to said door open position as said connector housing is inserted into said adapter housing to said fully inserted position. 7. An assembly according to Claim 1 wherein: said adapter housing has a substantially rectangular cross-section perpendicular to said adapter longitudinal axis, said cross-section including a major transverse axis and a minor transverse axis; said adapter housing including an internal wall extending parallel to said minor transverse axis and dividing said interior into first and second connector receiving chambers each sized to receive individual ones of said connector housings and each having respective ones of said fiber coupling mechanism, said longitudinal adapter guide and said cam pin. 8. An assembly according to Claim 7 wherein: said connector housing has a connector transverse axis perpendicular to both said connector longitudinal axis and a pivot axis of said cover; said connector guide and said cam pin receiving slot disposed to align with said adapter guide and said cam pin when said connector housing is inserted into one of said chambers with said connector transverse axis parallel with said minor transverse axis. 9. An assembly according to Claim 1 wherein: said connector housing includes a retaining clip carried thereon for releasably connecting with said adapter housing; said retaining clip including a movable end and a clip body having a fixed end secured to said connector housing, said clip body spaced from said connector housing to define a volume; said retaining clip disposed for said movable end to be positioned between said connector opening and said fixed end. 10. An assembly according to Claim 9 wherein said movable end is spaced from opposing surfaces of said connector housing by a distance less than a thickness of a fiberoptic cable secured to said connector housing. 11. An assembly according to Claim 1 wherein both of said adapter and said connector include O-ring seals for sealing mating elements when said connector is inserted into said adapter. 12. A fiberoptic connector for mating with an adapter having an adapter housing having a longitudinal adapter axis and having walls defining an interior and an open end, a fiber coupling mechanism contained within said interior to couple with an aligned optical fiber, a longitudinal adapter guide aligned with said longitudinal adapter axis, a cam pin disposed within said interior, said connector comprising: an outer connector housing having a longitudinal connector axis and sized for a leading end of said connector housing to be received within said adapter open end and with said longitudinal connector axis aligned with said longitudinal adapter axis; an optical fiber disposed within said connector housing and having terminal ends exposed through a connector opening in a leading end of said connector housing, said fiber disposed for said terminal end to be coupled with said fiber coupling mechanism when said connector housing is inserted into said adapter housing to a fully inserted position; a cover carried on said connector housing and pivotally connected thereto to pivot between a cover open and a cover closed position, said cover in said cover closed position covering said opening, said cover in said cover open position exposing said opening; a longitudinal connector guide disposed to cooperate with said longitudinal adapter guide to direct said connector opening into axial alignment with said fiber coupling mechanism as said connector housing is inserted into said adapter housing to said fully inserted position; a cam pin receiving slot on said cover and disposed to receive said cam pin for said cam pin to urge said cover from said cover closed position to said cover open position as said connector housing is inserted into said adapter housing to said fully inserted position; and a spring biasing said cover toward said cover closed position. 13. A fiberoptic connector according to Claim 12 wherein said spring has an overcenter position, wherein said spring biases said cover toward said cover open position after said cover is rotated by said cam pin past said overcenter position as said connector housing is inserted into said adapter housing toward said fully inserted position. 14. A fiberoptic connector according to Claim 12 wherein said spring is pivotally mounted to said outer connector housing. 15. A fiberoptic connector according to Claim 14 wherein said spring is a helical coil spring mounted under compression. 16. A fiberoptic connector according to Claim 12 wherein said adapter housing includes an internal door disposed within said interior and movable between a door open position and a door closed position, in said door open position said fiber coupling mechanism exposed through said adapter open end, in said door closed position said door covering said fiber coupling mechanism, said fiberoptic connector further comprising: a cam surface carried on said connector housing and positioned to urge said door from said door closed to said door open position as said connector housing is inserted into said adapter housing to said fully inserted position. 17. A fiberoptic connector according to Claim 12 wherein: said connector housing includes a retaining clip carried thereon for releasably connecting with said adapter housing; said retaining clip including a movable end and a clip body having a fixed end secured to said connector housing, said clip body spaced from said connector housing to define a volume; said retaining clip disposed for said movable end to be positioned between said connector opening and said fixed end. 18. A fiberoptic connector according to Claim 17 wherein said movable end is spaced from opposing surfaces of said connector housing by a distance less than a thickness of a fiberoptic cable secured to said connector housing. 19. A fiberoptic connector according to Claim 12 wherein said connector housing contains a sealing ring disposed to seal against opposing surfaces of said fiber coupling mechanism when said connector is inserted into said adapter. 20. A fiberoptic connector according to Claim 12 wherein a terminal end of said fiber is at a non-orthogonal angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of said fiber. 21. A fiberoptic connector according to Claim 20 wherein said connector housing includes an internal cavity sized to accommodate flexing of said fiber. 22. A fiberoptic connector and adapter assembly comprising: a) a fiberoptic connector having: an outer connector housing having a longitudinal connector axis; an optical fiber disposed within said connector housing and having a terminal end exposed through an opening in a leading end of said connector housing; a cover carried on said connector housing and pivotally connected thereto to pivot between a cover open and a cover closed position, said cover in said cover closed position covering said opening, said cover in said cover open position exposing said opening, said cover including a ca