Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO 2022/215060
PCT/IB2022/053398
1
OPTICAL FIBER CONNECTOR
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present disclosure relates to optical fiber connectors, for example
SC
fiber optic connectors, and to a mcthod of forming and using such connectors.
[0002] The mechanical tolerances involved in terminating single mode optical
fiber
are much tighter than those for multimode optical fiber. Therefore, while it
is quite common
for multimode optical fiber be terminated at the point of use, for example, at
a user's premises
or at an outside junction box, in most product applications, single mode
optical fiber is not
terminated in the field. When single mode fiber must be terminated in the
field, then it can
take a skilled tcchnician bctwccn about 15 to 20 minutcs to splice fibers
togcthcr cithcr by
using a V-groove clamp or expensive fusion welding equipment.
[0003] Single mode fiber is therefore often provided in a range of different
lengths,
pre-terminated at both ends with a connector plug ready to plug into a
matching receptacle.
Commonly, eight or twelve single mode optical fibers may be bundled together
in an optical
fiber cable having an outer protective tube inside of which the optical fibers
run.
[0004] An example of such a connector is the "Subscriber Connector," or SC
connector, originally developed by NTT . SC connectors have convenient
push/pull style
mating, and are approximately square in cross-section and with a 2.5 mm
diameter ferule at
the termination of the optical fiber, surrounded by a plastic housing for
protection. SC
connectors are available in single or duplex configurations. The SC connector
latches into a
matching socket in a simple push motion. The push-pull design includes a
spring against
which the ferrule slides within a plastic inner housing. This arrangement
provides a reliable
contact pressure at the ferrule end and resists fiber end face contact damage
of the optical
fiber during connection. The connector can he quickly disconnected by first
pulling hack an
outer housing, which is slidable relative to the inner housing, to disengage a
latch inside
socket between the socket and the inner housing, before pulling the optical
fiber connector
from thc sockct. Until thc latch is thus discngagcd, the latch prevents
withdrawal of the
connector when the optical fiber cable is pulled in a direction away from the
socket.
[0005] It is important to avoid bending optical fiber around curves having too
sharp
a bend radius, as this will increase optical losses and can permanently damage
the optical
fiber. Optical fiber cables are therefore often routed inside a protective
outer tube or conduit,
which can have minimum bend-limiting properties. Protective bend limiting
conduits
normally have an outer diameter of 8 mm or 10 mm tubes. The cross-section of a
standard
CA 03214685 2023- 10-5
WO 2022/215060
PCT/IB2022/053398
2
SC connector has dimensions of about 7 mm x 9 mm, and even a small form factor
SC
conncctor is too large to fit insidc thc inncr diamctcr of a typical
protective conduit.
[0006] Conventional optical fiber connectors comprise a rigid pushable
structure to
allow for limited movement of the connector parts while being pushed down
stretches of duct.
However, duc to their rigid structurc, conventional optical fiber connectors
suffer from signal
degradation when weight is added to the cable and the connector while the
connector is
transmitting a signal..
[0007] It may be desirable to provide an optical fiber connector with improved
signal transmission capability when a load or force is applied to the cable,
the boot, or a rear
end of the connector. It may be desirable to provide an optical fiber
connector that
mechanically isolates thc ferrule from thc fiber optic cable to improve signal
transmission. It
may be desirable to provide an optical fiber connector that prevents the
ferrule and the fiber
optic cable from rotating relative to one another. It may be desirable to
provide a connector
having a shortened length to reduce a load on the ferrule when a load or force
is applied to
the cable, the boot, or a rear end of the connector.
SUMMARY
[0008] In accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure, an optical
fiber
connector sub-assembly includes a ferrule configured to hold an optical fiber
therein along an
axis of an optical fiber connector, a ferrule holder configured to hold the
ferrule at a front
portion of the connector, a ferrule housing including a front portion
configured to slidingly
receive the ferrule holder and a rear portion configured to be crimped onto an
end of a fiber
optic cable that includes the optical fiber, an inner housing configured to be
fixedly coupled
with the ferrule housing, and a spring having a first end configured to be
press fit onto a
radially outer surface of the ferrule holder and a second end configured to be
press fit into a
radially inner surface of the ferrule housing. The ferrule holder, the ferrule
housing, and the
inner housing are configured to be rotatably fixed to one another, the ferrule
holder is
configured to slide axially relative to the inner housing, and the ferrule
holder and the ferrule
housing arc configurcd to move axially relative to onc another along thc
conncctor axis
between limits defined by an interaction between the ferrule housing, the
spring, and the
ferrule holder. The spring is configured to prevent the ferrule from rotating
relative to the
end of the fiber optic cable while permitting the ferrule holder to slide
axially relative to the
ferrule housing, and the spring is configured to reduce a load on the ferrule
when a load is
applied to the fiber optic cable so as to prevent degradation of a signal
being transmitted by
the fiber.
CA 03214685 2023- 10-5
WO 2022/215060
PCT/IB2022/053398
3
[0009] In some aspects, the spring is configured to bias the ferrule away from
the
ferrule housing along thc connector axis.
[0010] In various aspects, a Subscriber Connection (SC) optical fiber
connector
includes the aforementioned optical fiber connector sub-assembly and an outer
housing. The
inner housing is configured to define a receptacle that is configured to
receive a socket that is
configured to receive a projecting portion of the ferrule, and the spring is
configured such that
the projecting portion of the ferrule is spring biased along the connector
axis towards the
receptacle of the inner housing. The inner housing is configured to be engaged
within the
outer housing, and the inner housing and the outer housing are configured to
move relative to
each other along the connector axis between limits defined by an interaction
between the
inncr housing and thc outcr housing in ordcr to provide SC push/pull
engagement/disengagement with a mating optical fiber socket.
[0011] According to various aspects of the connector, the ferrule is
configured to be
rotationally fixed with respect to the ferrule holder about the connector
axis, the ferrule
holder is configured to be rotationally aligned with respect to the outer
housing so that the
rotational orientation of the fen-ule with respect to the outer housing can be
set during
assembly of the connector at one of one or more predefined rotational
orientations, and a
rotational key is provided between the ferrule housing and the inner housing.
[0012] In accordance with various embodiment of the disclosure, an optical
fiber
connector sub-assembly includes a ferrule configured to hold an optical fiber
therein along an
axis of an optical fiber connector, a ferrule holder configured to hold the
ferrule at a front
portion of the connector, a ferrule housing including a front portion
configured to slidingly
receive the ferrule holder and a rear portion configured to terminate an end
of a fiber optic
cable that includes the optical fiber, and a spring having a first end
configured to be
nonrotatahly coupled with the ferrule holder and a second end configured to he
nonrotatably
coupled with the ferrule housing. The spring is configured to prevent the
ferrule from
rotating relative to the end of the fiber optic cable while permitting the
ferrule holder to slide
axially relative to thc ferrule housing, and the spring is configured to
rcducc a load on the
ferrule when a load is applied to the fiber optic cable so as to prevent
degradation of a signal
being transmitted by the fiber.
[0013] According to some aspects, the spring is configured to bias the ferrule
away
from the ferrule housing along the connector axis.
CA 03214685 2023- 10-5
WO 2022/215060
PCT/IB2022/053398
4
[0014] In some aspects, the ferrule holder and the ferrule housing are
configured to
move axially relative to onc another along the conncctor axis between limits
defined by an
interaction between the ferrule housing, the spring, and the ferrule holder.
[0015] In various aspects, the optical fiber connector sub-assembly further
includes
an inner housing configured to be fixedly coupled with the ferrule housing.
According to
various aspects, the ferrule holder, the ferrule housing, and the inner
housing are configured
to be rotatably fixed to one another. In some aspects, the ferrule holder is
configured to slide
axially relative to the inner housing.
[0016] According to various aspects, a Subscriber Connection (SC) optical
fiber
connector includes the aforementioned optical fiber connector sub-assembly and
an outer
housing. Thc inncr housing is configured to define a receptacle that is
configured to receive a
socket that is configured to receive a projecting portion of the ferrule, the
spring is configured
such that the projecting portion of the ferrule is spring biased along the
connector axis
towards the receptacle of the inner housing, and the inner housing is
configured to be
engaged within the outer housing, the inner housing and the outer housing
being configured
to move relative to each other along the connector axis between limits defined
by an
interaction between the inner housing and the outer housing in order to
provide SC push/pull
engagement/disengagement with a mating optical fiber socket.
[0017] In some aspects of the connector, the ferrule is configured to be
rotationally
fixed with respect to the ferrule holder about the connector axis, the ferrule
holder is
configured to be rotationally aligned with respect to the outer housing so
that the rotational
orientation of the ferrule with respect to the outer housing can be set during
assembly of the
connector at one of one or more predefined rotational orientations, and a
rotational key is
provided between the ferrule housing and the inner housing.
[0018] According to various embodiments of the disclosure, an optical fiber
connector sub-assembly includes a ferrule holder configured to hold a ferrule
at a front
portion of an optical fiber connector, a ferrule housing configured to
slidingly receive the
ferrule holder and configured to be crimped onto an cnd of a fiber optic cable
that includes an
optical fiber, and a spring configured to be nonrotatably coupled with the
ferrule holder and
the ferrule housing. The spring is configured to prevent the ferrule from
rotating relative to
the end of the fiber optic cable while permitting the ferrule holder to slide
axially relative to
the ferrule housing, and the spring is configured to reduce a load on the
ferrule when a load is
applied to the fiber optic cable so as to prevent degradation of a signal
being transmitted by
the fiber.
CA 03214685 2023- 10-5
WO 2022/215060
PCT/IB2022/053398
[0019] In some aspects, the spring is configured to bias the ferrule away from
the
fcrrulc housing along thc connector axis.
[0020] In various aspects, the ferrule holder and the ferrule housing are
configured
to move axially relative to one another along the connector axis between
limits defined by an
interaction between thc ferrule housing, the spring, and the ferrule holder.
[0021] According to some aspects, the optical fiber connector sub-assembly may
further comprise an inner housing configured to be fixedly coupled with the
ferrule housing.
According to various aspects, the ferrule holder, the ferrule housing, and the
inner housing
are configured to be rotatably fixed to one another. In some aspects, the
ferrule holder is
configured to slide axially relative to the inner housing.
[0022] According to various aspccts, a Subscribcr Conncction (SC) optical
fiber
connector may include the aforesaid optical fiber connector with an inner
housing and an
outer housing. The inner housing is configured to define a receptacle that is
configured to
receive a socket that is configured to receive a projecting portion of the
ferrule. The spring is
configured such that the projecting portion of the ferrule is spring biased
along the connector
axis towards the receptacle of the inner housing. The inner housing is
configured to be
engaged within the outer housing, the inner housing and the outer housing
being configured
to move relative to each other along the connector axis between limits defined
by an
interaction between the inner housing and the outer housing in order to
provide SC push/pull
engagement/disengagement with a mating optical fiber socket.
[0023] In some aspects of the connector, the ferrule is configured to be
rotationally
fixed with respect to the ferrule holder about the connector axis, the ferrule
holder is
configured to be rotationally aligned with respect to the outer housing so
that the rotational
orientation of the ferrule with respect to the outer housing can be set during
assembly of the
connector at one of one or more predefined rotational orientations, and a
rotational key is
provided between the ferrule housing and the inner housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] Embodimcnts of thc invention will now bc furthcr dcscribcd, by way of
example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0025] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary prior art SC
connector;
[0026] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the optical fiber connector sub-
assembly of
FIG. 1 when assembled;
CA 03214685 2023- 10-5
WO 2022/215060
PCT/IB2022/053398
6
[0027] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary SC connector in
accordancc with various aspccts of thc disclosure;
[0028] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the exemplary SC connector of FIG. 3;
[0029] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the exemplary SC connector of
FIG. 3; and
[0030] FIG. 6 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the optical fiber
connector
sub-assembly of the connector of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0031] FIGS. 1 and 2 show an exemplary prior art SC connector, such as the
connectors disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 15/887,925. The exemplary
SC
conncctor 100 includes an optical fiber cable 102, a ferrule housing sub-
assembly 104, and an
outer housing 140 to provide SC push/pull engagement/disengagement with a
mating optical
fiber socket (not shown).
[0032] The cable 102 holds an optical fiber 108, for example, a single strand
of
125 m diameter single mode optical fiber, protected by primary and secondary
buffering
layers 110, about 900 ti m in diameter, and an outer sheath 112, typically 3
mm to 5 mm in
diameter. The optical fiber 108 is terminated by a ferrule 114 in a manner
well-known to
those skilled in the art and defines a ferrule axis 105 that extends centrally
through the SC
connector 100.
[0033] The ferrule housing sub-assembly 104 includes the cylindrical ceramic
ferrule 114, a ferrule basket 116 in which the ferrule is seated, a helical
spring 117, a ferrule
housing 155, and an inner housing 120. The ferrule housing 155 includes a
cylindrical sleeve
portion 136 and a ferrule basket carrier portion 150. The ferrule basket
carrier portion 150
may include longitudinal slots 180 along the lengths of their outer surfaces
that are keyed to
projections (not shown) on an inner surface of the inner housing 120 to
prevent the ferrule
housing 155 from rotating relative to the inner housing 120.
[0034] The ferrule basket 116 has a base 115 and a cylindrical stem 122 which
cxtcnds from thc base 115 in an axial direction away from thc ferrule 114
towards thc
cylindrical sleeve portion 136, which is used to make a crimp connection
around the optical
fiber cable sheathing 112. The spring 117 is seated around the stem 122
between an annular
shoulder 124 on the ferrule basket 116 and an annular surface 152 within a
cylindrical recess
154 of the ferrule basket carrier portion 150. The stem 122 is slidably seated
in a bore of the
ferrule housing 155.
CA 03214685 2023- 10-5
WO 2022/215060
PCT/IB2022/053398
7
[0035] During assembly, the ferrule basket 116 and seated ferrule 114 are
inserted
axially into thc rcccss 154 of thc ferrule basket carricr portion 150. The
ferrule basket carrier
portion 150 has a pair of arms 156 that extend axially forwards of the stem
122 on opposite
sides of the ferrule basket 116. Two pairs of curved fingers 158 are provided,
each pair
extending in oppositc circumferential directions at the end of each arm 156.
The fingers 158
extend transversely to the length of the arms 156 partially around the
circumference of a
portion of the ferrule 114 nearest a base 115.
[0036] The ferrule base 115 has four cycles of crenellations 162 spaced
symmetrically around the circumference of the base and which provide four
corresponding
channels that extend parallel to the optical fiber axis 105. These
crenellations 162 are in the
form of alternating radially high 165 and low 166 cylindrically shaped regions
with the
circumferential and axial extent of each of the high 165 and low 166 regions
being the same.
The high 165 and low 166 regions are separated by steps 167 that extend in a
radial direction.
The arms 156 are seated in opposite radially low regions 166 in a sliding fit
with the adjacent
high regions 165 and reach axially forward of the base 115 and crenellations
162 so that the
fingers 158 engage with the intervening radially high regions 165 on a side
161 of the base
115 opposite the annular surface 124 against which the spring 117 is engaged.
[0037] The aforementioned arrangement permits a degree axial movement of the
ferrule basket carrier portion 150, with movement being therefore limited in
one direction by
the compression of the spring 117 between the two annular surfaces 124, 152
and in the other
axial direction by the contact of the fingers 158 with the radially high
regions 165 of the
crenellations 162 on the base 115 of the ferrule basket 116. As can be seen
from the
drawings, the ferrule holder base 115 and ferrule basket carrier portion 150
also have a
common cylindrical outer envelope.
[0038] The inner housing 120 has a forward portion 130 that coaxi ally extends
around the axially projecting ferrule 114 to define a receptacle 132 for a
socket (not shown)
to receive a projecting portion of the ferrule 114.
[0039] The ferrule basket 116 is free to move backwards inside the ferrule
basket
carrier portion 150 and the inner housing 120 when an end face 134 of the
ferrule 114 comes
into contact with a similar end face (not shown) of another optical fiber
ferrule when making
an optical connection.
[0040] The ferrule basket carrier portion 150 has a central aperture (not
shown)
through which the optical fiber 108 and buffering 110 pass and has in a rear-
most portion the
sleeve 136 configured to receive and be crimped to the cable sheathing 112. In
some aspects,
CA 03214685 2023- 10-5
WO 2022/215060
PCT/IB2022/053398
8
a strain-relief sleeve (not shown), for example, a boot, may be provided
around the junction
of thc optical fiber cable 102 and thc ferrule housing sub-assembly 104.
[0041] An outer housing 140 is press-fitted axially over the assembled ferrule
housing sub-assembly 104. Once the inner housing 120 and outer housing 140 are
engaged
together, the inner and outer housings are relatively moveable with respect to
each other
along the ferrule axis 105 between limits defined by an interaction between
the inner housing
120 and the outer housing 140 provided by projections 142 on a pair of
opposite sides of the
inner housing 120 and a pair of apertures 144 in the outer housing. The
projections 142 and
apertures 144 interact with sprung features inside a matching socket (not
shown) to provide
SC push/pull engagement/disengagement configured to mate with an optical fiber
socket.
[0042] The rotational orientation of the ferrule basket carrier portion 150
may be set
at one of four orientations relative to the ferrule 114 in the ferrule basket
116 owing to the
seating of the arms 156 in the crenellations. In this way, a first rotational
key is provided
between the ferrule basket 116 and the ferrule basket carrier portion 150 such
that the ferrule
basket 116 and the ferrule basket carrier portion 150 are rotatably fixed to
one another (i.e.,
are not rotatable relative to one another).
[0043] The optical fiber 108 is therefore terminated in a sub-assembly
referred to
herein as an optical fiber connector sub-assembly 160, as illustrated in FIG.
2. During
assembly of the optical fiber connector sub-assembly 160, the arms 156 and the
fingers 158,
which each have a chamfered taper 164 on an inner forward surface, flex
outwardly over the
base 115 of the ferrule holder 114 until the fingers 158 snap radially inwards
into engagement
with the forwards surface 161 of the ferrule basket base 115.
[0044] In both cases, the resulting optical fiber connector sub-assembly 160
is
therefore mechanically whole or integral, both as regards the components
forming the sub-
assembly and as regards the mechanical connection of the sub-assembly to the
optical fiber
cable 102. The sub-assembly cannot come apart without first prizing the
fingers 158 back
over the ferule basket base 115. The ferrule basket carrier portion 150 has an
outer diameter
which is preferably no more than that of the widest portion of the ferrule
basket 116, i.e., the
ferrule basket base 115.
[0045] After the insertion has been performed, the assembly of the SC optical
fiber
connector 100 is completed as follows. The inner housing 120 is inserted in an
axial
direction over the projecting ferrule 114 and surrounding ferrule basket
carrier portion 150.
The external shape of the inner housing 120 where this interacts with the
outer housing 140 is
the same as with conventional connectors. The outer housing 140 therefore is
snap-fitted
CA 03214685 2023- 10-5
WO 2022/215060
PCT/IB2022/053398
9
over the inner housing 120, after which the SC connector 100 is fully
compatible with
conventional conncctors and conventional optical fiber sockets.
[0046] Refen-ing now to FIGS. 3-6, an exemplary optical fiber connector 400,
for
example, an SC connector, in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure
is illustrated
and described. Thc connector 400 includes an optical fiber cable 102, a
ferrule housing sub-
assembly 404, and an outer housing 440 to provide SC push/pull
engagement/disengagement
with a mating optical fiber socket (not shown).
[0047] The ferrule housing sub-assembly 404 includes a cylindrical ceramic
ferrule
414, a ferrule basket 416 in which the ferrule 414 is seated, a helical spring
417, a ferrule
housing 455, and an inner housing 420. The ferrule housing 455 includes a
front tube portion
450 connected with a rcar tubc portion 436 via a press-fit connection 437. At
the press-fit
connection 437, the rear tube portion 436 has a smaller outside diameter than
the front tube
portion 450 such that the rear tube portion 436 is received in the front tube
portion 450. The
overlap of the front tube portion 450 relative to the rear tube portion 450 is
limited by a
flange 451 extending radially outward from an outer surface of the rear tube
portion 450. At
a rearward side of the flange 451 (i.e., on an opposite side of flange 451
relative to the front
tube portion 450), the outer surface of the rear tube portion 450 may include
an annular
groove 453.
[0048] The ferrule basket 416 has a base 415 and a cylindrical stem 422 that
extends from the base 415 in an axial direction away from the ferrule 414
towards the rear
tube portion 436, which is used to make a crimp connection around the optical
fiber cable
sheathing 112. As shown in FIG. 6, crimping of the rear tube portion 436
creates a
mushroom portion 113 at the front of the cable sheathing 112 to aid with cable
retention. The
spring 417 is pressed onto an outer surface of a portion of the stem 422 and
into an inner
surface of a forward portion of the rear tube portion 436. The spring is held
between an
annular shoulder 424 on the stem 422 and an annular surface 452 within a
cylindrical recess
454 defined by an inwardly extending wall 459 of the flange 451 at a rearward
end of the
front tube portion 450. Thc stcm 422 slidably extends through an opening 439
at a forward
end of the rear tube portion 436. A rearward end of the stein 422 is spaced
radially inward
from the inwardly extending wall 459, thereby permitting a degree of pivoting
movement
between the ferrule basket 416 and the ferrule housing 455.
[0049] The ferrule basket 416 is configured to be axially slidable in a recess
454 of
the front tube portion 450. A forward end of the ferrule basket 416 includes a
sloped surface
426, and a rearward directed wall at a forward end of the front tube portion
450 includes a
CA 03214685 2023- 10-5
WO 2022/215060
PCT/IB2022/053398
similar sloped wall 456. The sloped wall 456 of the front tube portion 450 is
sized and
configured to relative to the sloped surface 426 of thc ferrule basket 416 to
prevent the ferrule
basket 416 from exiting through the forward end of the front tube portion. The
aforementioned arrangement provides the ferrule 414 and ferrule basket 416
with freedom to
pivot and float relative to the ferrule housing 455 and permits a degree of
axial movement of
the ferrule basket 416 and ferrule 414 relative to the front tube portion 450
of the ferrule
housing 455. Such axial movement is limited in one direction by the
compression of the
spring 417 between the two annular surfaces 424, 452 and in the other axial
direction by the
contact of the sloped surface 426 and the sloped wall 456.
[0050] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the inner housing 420 has a forward portion
430
that coaxially extends around the axially projecting ferrule 414 to define a
receptacle 432 for
a socket (not shown) configured to receive a projecting portion of the ferrule
414. The
ferrule basket 416 is free to move backwards inside the front tube portion 450
and the inner
housing 420 when an end face 434 of the ferrule 414 comes into contact with a
similar end
face (not shown) of another optical fiber ferrule when making an optical
connection.
[0051] The front tube portion 450 of the ferrule housing 455 may include a
keyed
outer surface 470 at its front end. The keyed outer surface 470 is configured
to match a
keyed inner surface of the inner housing 420 to prevent the ferrule housing
455 from rotating
relative to the inner housing 420. For example, the keyed outer surface 470
may include four
flattened region spaced equidistantly about an outer periphery at the front
end of the front
tube portion 450, and the inner housing 420 may include a square receptacle
configured to
receive the keyed outer surface 470. As a result of the aforementioned
structures of the
keyed outer surface 470 and inner housing 420, the inner housing 420 and the
ferrule housing
455 are rotatably coupled to one another.
[0052] The inner housing 420 may also include at least projection 428
projecting
inwardly toward the ferrule axis 405. The at least one projection 428 is
configured such that,
as the inner housing 420 is slipped over the ferrule housing 455, the at least
one projection
428 is aligned with the and received by the annular groove 453 to secure the
inner housing
420 with the ferrule housing 455 to prevent relative axial movement. As shown
in FIG. 5, in
some embodiments, the inner housing may include two projections 428.
[0053] The ferrule housing 455 has a central aperture 457 through which the
optical
fiber 108 and buffering 110 pass and has in a rear-most portion the rear tube
portion 436
configured to receive and be crimped to the cable sheathing 112. A boot 490 is
provided
around the junction of the optical fiber cable 102 and the ferrule housing sub-
assembly 404
CA 03214685 2023- 10-5
WO 2022/215060
PCT/IB2022/053398
11
and includes at least one projection 492 extending radially outward and
configured to be
rccciving in an opcning 441 in an outcr housing 440 to interlock thc boot 490
with thc outcr
housing 440. Compared with conventional SC connectors, where a strain relief
boot is
configured to be coupled with barbs that are spaced rearward from the rear end
of the outer
housing, in the present embodiment, a forward portion of the boot 490 is
configured to be
received by a rear end of the outer housing 440 such that the outer housing
440 overlaps the
forward portion of the boot 490, which includes the at least one projection.
As a result, the
outer housing 440 and the boot 490 are configured to shorten an overall length
of the
connector 400, thereby reducing a load transferred to the ferrule 416 when a
load is applied to
the cable 102 and/or the boot 490 and/or a rear end of the connector 400, for
example, in a
dircction transverse to thc conncctor axis, as would bc undcrstood by persons
of ordinary
skill in the art.
[0054] Once the inner housing 420 and outer housing 440 are engaged together,
the
inner and outer housings are relatively moveable with respect to each other
along the ferrule
axis 405 between limits defined by an interaction between the inner housing
420 and the
outer housing 440 provided by projections 442 on a pair of opposite sides of
the inner
housing 420 and a pair of apertures 444 in the outer housing. The projections
442 and
apertures 444 interact with spring features inside a matching socket (not
shown) to provide
SC push/pull engagement/disengagement configured to mate with an optical fiber
socket.
[0055] The ferrule housing 455 and the ferrule basket 416 are rotatably fixed
to one
another (i.e., are not rotatable relative to one another) by the spring 417
being press fitted
onto the ferrule basket 416 and into the rear tube portion 436 of the ferrule
housing 455. The
optical fiber 108 is therefore terminated in a sub-assembly referred to herein
as an optical
fiber connector sub-assembly 460. The resulting optical fiber connector sub-
assembly 460 is
therefore mechanically whole or integral, both as regards the components
forming the sub-
assembly and as regards the mechanical connection of the sub-assembly to the
optical fiber
cable 102.
[0056] Aftcr thc inscrtion has been performcd, thc assembly of the SC optical
fibcr
connector 400 is completed as follows. The inner housing 420 is slid in an
axial direction
over the projecting ferrule 414 and surrounding front tube portion 450. The
inner housing
420 includes one or more projections 428 configured to deflect outwardly and
when the
annular groove 453 of the ferrule housing 455 reaches the projections 428, the
projections
428 move inwardly toward the annular groove 453 to a position in the annular
groove 453,
thereby fixing the position of the ferrule housing 455 relative to the inner
housing 420. The
CA 03214685 2023- 10-5
WO 2022/215060
PCT/IB2022/053398
12
external shape of the inner housing 420 where this interacts with the outer
housing 440 is the
samc as or similar to conventional conncctors. Thc outcr housing 440 is thcn
slid over the
inner housing 420 and until the projection 492 of the boot 490 is snap-fitted
into the opening
441 in the outer housing 440, after which the SC connector 400 is fully
compatible with
conventional connectors and conventional optical fiber sockets.
[0057] Additional embodiments include any one of the embodiments described
above, where one or more of its components, functionalities or structures is
interchanged with,
replaced by or augmented by one or more of the components, functionalities, or
structures of
a different embodiment described above.
[0058] It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the
cmbodimcnts dcscribcd herein will be apparcnt to thosc skilled in thc art.
Such changcs and
modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
present
disclosure and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore
intended that such
changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
[0059] Although several embodiments of the disclosure have been disclosed in
the
foregoing specification, it is understood by those skilled in the art that
many modifications
and other embodiments of the disclosure will come to mind to which the
disclosure pertains,
having the benefit of the teaching presented in the foregoing description and
associated
drawings. It is thus understood that the disclosure is not limited to the
specific embodiments
disclosed herein above, and that many modifications and other embodiments are
intended to
be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although
specific terms are
employed herein, as well as in the claims which follow, they are used only in
a generic and
descriptive sense, and not for the purposes of limiting the present
disclosure, nor the claims
which follow.
CA 03214685 2023- 10-5
