Patent ID: 8636425

Claim:
A fiber optic connector and cable assembly comprising: a fiber optic connector including a connector housing having a distal housing portion that connects to a proximal housing portion, the distal housing portion defining a distal end of the connector housing and the proximal housing portion defining a proximal end of the connector housing; the fiber optic connector including a ferrule assembly having a ferrule, a ferrule hub and a ferrule spring, the ferrule having a distal end face that is accessible at the distal end of the connector housing, the ferrule hub and the ferrule spring being captured between the distal housing portion and the proximal housing portion, the ferrule spring biasing the ferrule in a distal direction relative to the connector housing, the ferrule being movable in a proximal direction relative to the connector housing from a distal position to a proximal position, the distal and proximal positions being separated by an axial displacement distance, the proximal movement of the ferrule being against the bias of the ferrule spring; the fiber optic connector including an insertion cap that fits inside the proximal end of the connector housing; a fiber optic cable including an optical fiber contained within a cable jacket, the fiber optic cable also including a strength layer positioned between the optical fiber and the cable jacket, the strength layer being anchored to the connector housing adjacent the proximal end of the connector housing, the optical fiber extending through a fiber passage of the fiber optic connector from the proximal end of the connector housing to the ferrule, the optical fiber having a distal portion potted within the ferrule; and the fiber passage of the fiber optic connector having a fiber take-up region through which the optical fiber extends, the fiber take-up region being configured to take-up an excess length of the optical fiber that corresponds to the axial displacement distance of the ferrule, the fiber take-up region having an intermediate section positioned between a distal section and a proximal section, the intermediate section defining an intermediate transverse cross-sectional area, the distal section defining a distal transverse cross-sectional area, the proximal section defining a proximal transverse cross-sectional area, the distal transverse cross-sectional area and the proximal transverse cross-sectional area each being smaller than the intermediate transverse cross-sectional area, the proximal transverse cross-sectional area being defined within an interior of the insertion cap.