Patent Description:
Optical fiber data transfer systems are continuously increasing all over the world.

These systems provide for data transmission using coherent light signals transmitted through optical fiber cables, which include a central optical fiber in glass or plastic material, suitable for transmitting the light signal, an internal protective nylon sheath, Kevlar fibers in order to reinforce the cable, increasing its tensile strength and an outer sheath in plastic or rubber.

The connections between terminations of optical fiber cables are to be made with great precision to allow the passage of the light signal from one optical fiber to another with the least possible dispersion.

In normal use, optical fiber cables are provided at the terminal ends with standard male connectors, so that two cables can be mutually joined by means of a female to female connection element. These connectors put into direct contact the ends of two fibers by exerting a force, which tends to keep said ends mutually joined.

Optical fibers can be of different types, generally single-mode or multi-mode, depending on the signal bandwidth to be transmitted and the length of the optical connection.

Optical fiber connectors can also be of different types, for example SC or LC or FC or ST or MU or others, depending on the application in which they are to be used.

Each of these types of connectors has its own specific mechanical interface, both for connecting the male optical connector to its female adaptor, and for assembling the female adaptor, or female to female adaptor, on a mechanical support system (for example on a socket box, on a permutation panel, frame, front panel, wall stud or similar).

The SC and LC connectors, in particular, use female to female adaptors that lock onto the relative supports, or through lateral lugs that fit into appropriate compartments, or through screws that screw into specific holes, or through elastic metal tabs that fit together in special compartments.

The type of FC connectors, on the other hand, can alternatively provide an external thread and an abutment on the body of the female to female adaptor, a body which, after passing through a hole in the attachment wall, locks to it by means of a threaded nut.

The known type adaptor devices are generally suitable for use in technical and professional fields, with workers that are experienced in the field and in the specific use, with systems normally carried out in technical environments on specific professional supports. With the diffusion of fiber optic systems in the consumer and non-professional market, the access and use of these systems has expanded to non-technical users, which are not specifically prepared for proper management and maintenance. This leads to an increase in the possibility of malfunctions or damage to devices and to users themselves, due to incorrect use of optical equipment.

Furthermore, even the installation of such systems is often carried out in non-professional and non-specialized environments, where usually the supports typically used in professional premises are not used, but wall boxes, support frames and socket boxes commonly used in civil series on the market are used.

An example of domestic installation, and fiber diffusion in houses and offices, is based on FTTH (Fiber To The Home) technology, where SC type connectors are generally used. In particular, in this case at least one network socket, or wall socket module, is provided in the reference environment of the end user, with a female to female adaptor, and a connectorized fiber optic cable.

Known type female to female adaptors are inserted inside the network socket, or the socket module, by means of coupling elements configured to allow a shape coupling and / or a locking of the female to female adaptor inside the socket housing or wall socket module. In particular, the coupling elements are positioned, during assembly, on the external casing of the female to female adaptor to modify the external geometry of the adaptor and make it dimensionally compatible with the dimensions of the housing provided on the socket or socket module wall.

Once the female to female adaptor and the respective coupling element have been assembled, the respective preconnectorized fiber optic cables can be inserted in the housing of the socket or socket module, and in particular the preconnectorized cable on the user side can be conveniently connected and disconnected.

A disadvantage of the known female to female adaptors is that, in order to be inserted into the pre-existing studs or wall modules, they require suitably shaped coupling elements.

Furthermore, the positioning of the coupling elements requires the intervention of skilled workers, resulting in high times and costs.

An incorrect assembly, in fact, can lead to a misalignment between the fibers, the lack of optical connection between the fibers, or in the worst cases an incorrect interference between the components in contact, which can cause the breakage of the components, mainly made of plastic material.

Furthermore, the fact that the optical connections will often be installed in residential houses means that for aesthetic reasons there will be a tendency not to use studs or external wall boxes, but to use sockets compatible with the series of civil sockets, typically recessed, used in the specific house. In this case, the female to female adaptor must be assembled in a socket box in a substantially orthogonal position to the wall where the wall box is fixed. In this case, the considerable encumbrance generated by the length of the adaptor and the optical connectors, both input and output, inserted into it creates a problem in many installations.

The encumbrance problem is important both on the system side, inside the wall box, which is generally not very deep and therefore does not have sufficient space for an optimal bending of the optical fiber, and on the user side, when to the wall on which the optical socket is installed, furniture or furnishing accessories, which could damage both the optical connector and the optical fiber on the user side, must be juxtaposed.

Documents <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> are representative of the available art.

Therefore, the technical problem posed and solved by the present invention is that of providing a female to female adaptor device compatible with one of the various optical standards currently in use (for example SC, LC, FC), which allows to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks with reference to the prior art.

This problem is solved by an adaptor device according to claim <NUM>.

Preferred features of the present invention are present in the dependent claims.

The present invention provides some relevant advantages.

In particular, the characteristic of providing a specific casing I for the optical sleeve, configured to constrain it with respect to the socket box, and a release locking tab, to retain the device in the socket box in a releasable way, allows to eliminate the use of additional coupling elements for mounting the female to female adaptor into the socket box and thus facilitate the mounting of the adaptor device.

Furthermore, advantageously, the user does not need specific skills during the assembly phase.

The female to female adaptor according to the present invention can in fact be inserted inside the wall socket box in a univocal way, making it possible to assemble it even by unskilled workers.

A further advantage is that the female to female adaptor device according to the present invention allows protection for the optical cable on the user side, preventing undesirable warping or bending of the fiber, in particular in the connection area with the wall socket box.

Other advantages, characteristics and methods of use of the present invention will become evident from the following detailed description of some embodiments, presented as of non-limiting example.

Reference will be made to the figures of the attached drawings, in which:.

In the different figures, similar parts will be indicated with the same numerical references.

With reference to the figures, a female to female adaptor device for optical fiber connections according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention is generally denoted with <NUM>.

The female to female adaptor device <NUM> of the present example is configured to be mounted in a socket box P, in particular a wall socket box P.

As shown in <FIG>, the adaptor device <NUM> comprises an optical sleeve <NUM> having an outer casing I, in particular substantially box-like, defining a housing for at least two optical connectors.

The optical sleeve is configured, for example as an oblong element, parallelepidic shaped in the case of standard type SC, LC or MU, or tubular in the case of standard FC, in such a way as to allow an optical connection between the two connectors along an axis substantially parallel to a main extension axis X of the sleeve.

In the example described, the optical sleeve <NUM> is an SC type adaptor.

As shown in <FIG>, the device <NUM> comprises interference means <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> configured to constrain the optical sleeve <NUM> with respect to the socket box P, when the device <NUM> is inserted into the socket box P, and to allow a movement of the optical sleeve <NUM> with respect to the socket box P, during the inserting or disconnecting phases of the adaptor device <NUM> in/from the socket box P. Advantageously, the optical sleeve <NUM> has a release locking tab <NUM>, made on an external surface of the casing I configured to releasably retain the device <NUM> in the socket box P.

In particular, in the preferred embodiments of the described invention, the release locking tab <NUM> is made on an upper face of the casing I.

Preferably, the adaptor device <NUM> has a protuberance <NUM> at a lower face of the casing I.

As shown in <FIG>, the protuberance <NUM> has a base surface <NUM>, substantially planar, shaped to be abutting positioned, or positionable, with respect to a supporting base B of the socket box P.

In the first embodiment, the device <NUM> according to the present invention has a base surface <NUM> substantially coplanar with the lower face of the casing I.

Advantageously, therefore, the insertion of the device <NUM> inside a wall socket box P can be done easily and without the use of any additional element to be positioned during the assembly phase.

In order to facilitate its disengagement from the housing of the socket box P, the device <NUM> comprises a track <NUM>, made on an upper surface of the release locking tab <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. In particular, the track <NUM> works as a guide for an unlocking tool.

A socket box P of the known type, in particular a socket box of the Keystone type, is shown in the attached figures as an example of a possible housing for the female to female adaptor device according to the present invention.

The positioning and sizing of the interference means of the adaptor device according to the invention are meant as related to the specific type of socket box P to which the device itself must be connected.

In this example, the device <NUM> has an upper abutment edge <NUM>, made at the release locking tab <NUM>, configured to abut on an upper portion S of the housing provided in the socket box P.

Advantageously, the device <NUM> also has at least one lateral abutment tooth <NUM>, made at a lateral wall of the casing I and/or of the protuberance <NUM>, configured to abut against a lateral portion L of the housing provided in the socket box P.

In addition, the device <NUM> comprises a lower abutment edge <NUM>, made at the base surface <NUM> of the protuberance <NUM>, configured to abut on a portion of the supporting base B of the housing provided in the socket box P.

Advantageously, therefore, once inserted in the socket box P, the device <NUM> is constrained, with respect to the box itself, both laterally and longitudinally.

The female to female adaptor device according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention is generally denoted with <NUM> and is shown in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG>, the device <NUM> comprises interference means <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> configured to constrain the optical sleeve <NUM> with respect to the socket box P, when the device <NUM> is inserted into the socket box P, and to allow a movement of the optical sleeve <NUM> with respect to the socket box P, during the inserting or disconnecting phases of the adaptor device <NUM> in/from the socket box P.

Advantageously, in the second embodiment, the optical sleeve <NUM> has a release locking tab <NUM>, made on an external surface of the casing I configured to releasably retain the device <NUM> in the socket box P.

In particular, the release locking tab <NUM> is made on an upper face of the casing I.

As shown in <FIG>, the protuberance <NUM> has a base surface <NUM>, substantially planar, shaped to be positioned or abutting-positionable to a supporting base B of the socket box P.

Advantageously, the base surface <NUM> is substantially sloping with respect to the lower face of the casing I. As shown in <FIG>, the inclination of the base surface <NUM> with respect to the lower face of the casing I is equal to an angle α.

Preferably, the angle α is between <NUM>°-<NUM>°. In particular, a good compromise between the convenience of the user for inserting/ disconnecting the network cable in/from the socket box, and reducing the encumbrance on the user side, is achieved at an inclination angle α equal to <NUM>°.

As shown in <FIG>, the device <NUM> has an upper abutment edge <NUM> made at the release locking tab <NUM> configured to abut against an upper portion S of the housing provided in the socket box P.

Advantageously, the device <NUM> also has at least one lateral abutment tooth <NUM>, made at a lateral wall of the casing I and / or the protuberance <NUM>, configured to abut against a lateral portion L of the housing provided in the socket box P (portion shown in <FIG>).

In addition, the device <NUM> comprises a lower abutment edge <NUM>, made at the base surface <NUM> of the protuberance <NUM>, configured to abut against a portion of the supporting base B of the housing provided in the socket box P.

Advantageously, therefore, once inserted into the socket box P, the device <NUM> is constrained, with respect to the box, both laterally and longitudinally.

In the preferred embodiments here described, the optical module <NUM> comprises a longitudinal reference slot A at an insertion portion of the male connector.

In particular, the slot A is sized to guide a coaxial insertion of the male connector into the sleeve <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in an insertion configuration in the socket box P, the device <NUM> allows a connection of a network cable on the user side according to an inclination angle α, which reduces the encumbrance and avoids the possibility of unwanted warping or bending of the fiber, in particular in the connection area with the wall socket box.

Alternative embodiments of the device according to the present invention can provide different conformations of the optical sleeve, in particular about the conformation of the user-side receiving housing.

For example, <FIG> shows a female to female adaptor device <NUM>, according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the optical sleeve <NUM> comprises controlled release locking means <NUM>, at an insertion portion of the male connector, configured to constrain a longitudinal sliding of the male connector with respect to the sleeve <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a female to female adaptor device <NUM>, according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which the optical sleeve <NUM> comprises at least one tilting closing element <NUM> at an insertion portion of the male connector.

Advantageously, the object according to the present invention allows eliminating the use of additional coupling elements for the assembly of the female to female adaptor in the socket box, facilitating its assembly and making it possible even for unskilled workers.

Claim 1:
Female to female adaptor device (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) for a fiber optic connection, configured to be set into a socket box (P), the adaptor device (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) comprising:
- an optical sleeve (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>), having an outer casing (I) defining a housing for at least two optical connectors, configured to allow an optical connection between the two connectors along an axis substantially parallel to a main extension axis (X) of the sleeve,
- interference means (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) configured to constrain said optical sleeve (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) with respect to the socket box (P), when the device (<NUM> ; <NUM>; <NUM>) is inserted into the socket box (P), and to allow a handling of the optical sleeve (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) with respect to the socket box (P), during the insertion or removal steps of the adaptor device (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) in/from the socket box (P),
wherein said optical sleeve (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) has a release locking tab (<NUM>), made on an outer surface of said casing (I) configured to releasably retain said device (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) into the socket box (P), said adaptor device (<NUM>; <NUM>; <NUM>) wherein said interference means comprises
a protrusion (<NUM>) at a lower face of said casing (I), said protrusion (<NUM>) having a base surface (<NUM>), substantially planar, shaped to be positioned or positionable in abutment with respect to a supporting base (B) of the socket box (P), wherein said base surface (<NUM>) is substantially sloping with respect to said lower face of said casing (I), said slope being equal to an angle (α); characterized by
an upper abutment edge (<NUM>), made at said release locking tab (<NUM>), configured to abut against an upper portion (S) of the housing provided into the socket box (P).