Patent Publication Number: US-2022214504-A1

Title: Clip

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/131,598 filed on Dec. 29, 2020 entitled “Fiber Optic Connector with Removable Clip”, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/249,240 filed on Sep. 28, 2021 entitled “Clip”, the disclosures of which are incorporated hereby by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to clip configured to secure a pair of fiber optic connectors to be inserted into the receptacle and withdrawn from the receptacle together. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The prevalence of the Internet has led to unprecedented growth in communication networks. Consumer demand for service and increased competition has caused network providers to continuously find ways to improve quality of service while reducing cost. 
     Certain solutions have included deployment of high-density interconnect panels. High-density interconnect panels may be designed to consolidate the increasing volume of interconnections necessary to support the fast-growing networks into a compacted form factor, thereby increasing quality of service and decreasing costs such as floor space and support overhead. However, room for improvement in the area of data centers, specifically as it relates to fiber optic connects, still exists. For example, manufacturers of connectors and adapters are always looking to reduce the size of the devices, while increasing ease of deployment, robustness, and modifiability after deployment. In particular, more optical connectors may need to be accommodated in the same footprint previously used for a smaller number of connectors in order to provide backward compatibility with existing data center equipment. For example, one current footprint is known as the small form-factor pluggable transceiver footprint (SFP). This footprint currently accommodates two LC-type ferrule optical connections. However, it may be desirable to accommodate four optical connections (two duplex connections of transmit/receive) within the same footprint. Another current footprint is the quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) transceiver footprint. This footprint currently accommodates four LC-type ferrule optical connections. However, it may be desirable to accommodate eight optical connections of LC-type ferrules (four duplex connections of transmit/receive) within the same footprint. 
     In communication networks, such as data centers and switching networks, numerous interconnections between mating connectors may be compacted into high-density panels. Panel and connector producers may optimize for such high densities by shrinking the connector size and/or the spacing between adjacent connectors on the panel. While both approaches may be effective to increase the panel connector density, shrinking the connector size and/or spacing may also increase the support cost and diminish the quality of service. 
     As the size of the connector becomes smaller, its operability may be impacted. To accommodate more connectors within the same space makes the connection difficult and time consuming. Therefore, it is appreciated by those skilled in the art to have more connectors inserted or removed from the receptacle at the same time. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect of the present invention, the clip for securing at least two fiber optic connectors may include a first engagement member having a top surface and a length; a second engagement member spaced apart from the first engagement member; and a linkage member extending between the first and second engagement members and connecting the first engagement member and the second engagement member. A space is defined between the first and second engagement members to house the connectors. The linkage member is configured to separate the at least two fiber optic connectors when the connectors are sandwiched between the first and second engagement members. 
     The clip according to the present disclosure may further include a handle that extends upwards or in the length direction. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings, which are given by illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present disclosure, and wherein: 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  are perspective views of a pair of fiber optic connectors plugged into a receptacle; 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  are perspective views of a clip in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the clip with an alternative handle; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are perspective views of the clip with another alternative handle; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are perspective views of the pair of fiber optic connectors secured by the clip in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of the clip of  FIGS. 5A and 5B ,  FIG. 6B  is an exploded view of the clip, and  FIGS. 6C and 6D  are top views of the clip; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a fiber optic connector; and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a pair of fiber optic connectors plugged into a transceiver. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     This disclosure is not limited to any particular system, device and method described, as these may vary. The terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the versions or embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope. 
     The following terms shall have, for the purposes of this application, the respective meanings set forth below. A connector, as used herein, refers to a device and/or components thereof that connects a first module or cable to a second module or cable. The connector may be configured for fiber optic transmission or electrical signal transmission. A fiber optic connector or connector may be any suitable type now known or later developed, such as, for example, a ferrule connector (FC), a fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) connector, an LC connector, a mechanical transfer (MT) connector, a square connector (SC) connector, an SC duplex connector, an MPO connector, a CS connector, or a straight tip (ST) connector. The connector may generally be defined by a connector housing body. In some embodiments, the housing body may incorporate any or all the components described herein. 
       FIG. 1A  depicts a pair of fiber optic connectors  7  inserted into a receptacle  5 . The pair of fiber optic connectors  7  include fiber optic connectors  71 ,  72  which are held by a clip  10  to move together as a group. The fiber optic connectors  71  and  72  are identical connectors. The clip  10  is configured to secure the fiber optic connectors  71 ,  72  to allow the user to manipulate both fiber optic connectors  71 ,  72  at the same time. By using the clip  10 , the connectors  71 ,  72  are inserted into the receptacle  5  together. 
     To remove the clip  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1B , the user may simply lift the clip  10  and remove the clip  10  from the connectors  71 ,  72  without interference with the connection of the connectors and the receptacle. 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the clip  10  may include a first engagement member  110 , a second engagement member  120 , and linkage member  130 . The first engagement member  110  and second engagement member  120  extend in a length direction and are spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction perpendicular to the length direction. The first engagement member  110  includes a front end  118  and an opposing rear end  119  in the length direction. In the description, the front end is the proximate end to the receptacle when the connectors secured by the clip are inserted into the receptacle. The linkage member  130  is configured to extend between the first engagement member  110  and second engagement member  120  and connect them. The first engagement member  110  and second engagement member  120  may offset a distance in the length direction. In this example, the linkage member  130  may obliquely extend between the first engagement member  110  and second engagement member  120 . 
     The first engagement member  110  includes a top surface  111  which is substantially flat to avoid the interference with the handle  810  of the transceiver  8  (as shown in  FIG. 8 ). The first engagement member  110  also includes two arms  113  adjacent to the rear end  119 , extending downwards from the top surface  111 . Each arm  113  is provided on the lateral side of the first engagement member  110  and configured to clamp the connector  71  or  72 . In detail, each arm  113  include a protrusion  114  that snaps to the respective connector. The protrusion  114  is configured to form a tight fit between the clip and the connectors to prevent the detachment of the connectors from the clip. 
     To prevent the connectors&#39; movement in the length direction, the first engagement member  110  includes two catches  115  adjacent to the front end  118 . Each catch  115  is configured to cooperate with the connector to secure the connector and prevent the detachment of connector from the clip. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the fiber optic connector  71  may include a connector body  711  and a push pull tab  713 . The fiber optic connector  71  or  72  is a CS connector and its detailed description will be omitted to make a concise description. The connector body  711  may include at least two ferrules, e.g., LC type ferrules. The push pull tab  713  includes two sockets  715  to receive the catches  115  of the clip  10 . Each socket  715  may include a ramp to facilitate the catch  115  move in and out of the socket  715 . 
     Returning back to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the second engagement member  120  includes an accommodation portion  121  which is configured to accommodate at least part of the peripheral of the fiber optic connectors  7 . The accommodation portion  121  may include two wings  121   a  divided by a raised portion  123 . Each wing  121   a  is configured to embrace a respective fiber optical connector  71  or  72  and shaped to have a curve surface. The curve surface is sized and configured to conform to the shape of the peripheral surface of the connector, e.g., the shape of connector boot. The raised portion  123  may extend in the length direction and connect with the linkage member  130  to separate the two fiber optic connectors  71 ,  72  to ensure the alignment of each connector with the corresponding channel of the receptacle  5 . 
     The linkage member  130  is arranged between the first engagement member  110  and second engagement member  120 , and may extend in a direction that deviates from the vertical direction. The linage member  130  is configured to have a height such that a space defined between the first engagement member  110  and second engagement member  120  is sufficient to house at least part of the pair of fiber optic connectors  7  such that the connectors  7  are sandwiched between the first and second engagement members  110 ,  120 . 
     The first engagement member  110  is also provided with a handle  117  at the rear end  119  to ease the grip of the clip  10 . In this example, the handle  117  extends a certain distance in the length direction. The handle  117  may be formed of other configurations, which will be explained below. 
     When removing the clip  10 , the user may first grasp the handle  117  to lift the clip and disengage the catches  115  from the respective connectors. Then, the clip  10  may be removed from the connectors while the connectors are plugged into the receptacle. 
     In  FIG. 3 , the clip  30  has a similar structure of clip  10  shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . in detail, the clip  30  includes a first engagement member  310 , second engagement member  320  and a linkage member  330  connecting them. The clip  30  also includes a handle  317 . The handle  317  may include an elongated body  318  extending in the length direction and a grip  319  at the end of the body  318 . The elongated handle  317  may facilitate the use of the clip  30  and insertion and removal of the fiber optic connectors  7 . 
     In  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the clip  40  has a similar structure of the clip  10  in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , and includes the first engagement member  410 , second engagement member  420  and linkage member  430 . The clip  40  also includes a clip  417  extending in the length direction. To ease the grip of the clip, the clip  417  further extends upwards from the top surface  411  and have a certain height. 
     The clip may be formed as an integral part, for example, first engagement member, second engagement member and the linkage member may be integrated as a unit, or the first engagement member or the second engagement member may be removable connected to the remainder parts of the clip. As shown in  FIG. 5A , the two fiber optic connectors  71 ,  72  are held by the clip  60 . In  FIG. 5B , the clip  60  includes first engagement member  610  and second engagement member  620 . the first engagement  610  and second engagement member  620  are attached to the side-by-side fiber optic connectors  71 ,  72  from different orientations, i.e., from top and bottom, respectively. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6A , the clip  60  includes the linkage member  630  connecting the first engagement member  610  and second engagement member  620 . The first engagement member  610  is removably attached to the linkage member  630 , as shown in  FIG. 6B . The first engagement member  610  and second engagement member  620  are arranged to be offset a certain distance in the length direction. The first engagement member  610  also includes a top surface  611  which is substantially flat. The top surface  611  is provided with a slot  612  in the middle, which extends a distance L 1  in the length direction. The slot  612  also includes a front end and rear end and has a width. The first engagement member  610  also includes a handle  617  to ease the grip of the clip  60 . 
     The second engagement member  620  includes the accommodation portion  621  which may include two wings  621   a  divided by the raised portion  623 . Each wing  621   a  is configured to have a curve surface conforming to the peripheral surface of the connector to embrace the connector. The raised portion  623  may extend in the length direction and connect to the linkage member  630  to separate the two fiber optic connectors  71 ,  72  to ensure the alignment of the connector with the corresponding channel within the receptacle. 
     The connection of the first engagement member  610  and the linkage member  630  is shown in  FIGS. 6B-6D . The linkage member  630  includes a top which is provided with two joints  632 , i.e., a front and rear joint. The two joints  632  may extend upwards from the top and space apart from each other a distance L 2 . The distance L 2  is configured to be smaller than the distance L 1 , such that the joints  632  may move back and forth within the slot  612  when receive within the slot  612 . Each joint  632  may have a dimension that is slightly larger than the width of the slot  612 . The slot  612  may be slightly deformed to receive the joints  632  when attaching the first engagement member  610  to the linkage member  630 . In  FIG. 6C , the joints  632  are received in the slot  612  where the front joint  632  resides at the front end of the slot  612 . In this example, each joint  632  may have a round shape or have a similar spherical shape. However, those skilled in the art shall understand that the joint may have other smooth shape to facilitate the entry into the slot. The slot  612  may further include a retention position  614  provided at its rear end. The right joint  632  then moves in a direction A as shown in  FIG. 6A  to the rear end of the slot  512 , it resides in the retention position  614  which may restrict its return movement, as shown in  FIG. 6D . To detach the first engagement member  610  and the linkage member  630 , the user may move the linkage member  630  in the opposite direction of direction A and lift the first engagement  610  to separate the joints  632  from the slot  612 . 
     Those skilled in the art may understand that the receptacle shall include both adapter and transceiver. The adapter or transceiver may include one or more channels. For example, the adapter may include two channels or four channels. The clip according to the present disclosure may be used with different types of connectors. For example, the clip is compatible with connector including LC or MT ferrules. 
     In the above detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the Figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated herein. 
     The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particular embodiments described in this application, which are intended as illustrations of various aspects. Many modifications and variations can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods and apparatuses within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular methods, reagents, compounds, compositions or biological systems, which can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. 
     It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (for example, bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (for example, the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” et cetera). While various compositions, methods, and devices are described in terms of “comprising” various components or steps (interpreted as meaning “including, but not limited to”), the compositions, methods, and devices can also “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the various components and steps, and such terminology should be interpreted as defining essentially closed-member groups. It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (for example, “a” and/or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (for example, the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, et cetera” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (for example, “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, et cetera). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, et cetera” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (for example, “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, et cetera).