Interlockable fiber optic connector adaptors

Interlockable fiber optic connector adapter

INTERLOCKABLE FIBER OPTIC CONNECTOR ADAPTORS

The present invention relates to an interlockable optical fiber connector adapter.

Background of the invention

Optical fiber connector adapters, which may include internal alignment sleeves or surfaces, etc., are often used to facilitate the mating of one or more optical fiber connectors with related optical fiber cables. In this regard, a pair of optical fiber connectors can be inserted into the opposite ends of an optical fiber connector adapter, and the adapter will align the optical fiber connectors to a certain degree, so that the optical fibers are connected The optical fiber installed by the device is properly aligned. The optical fiber connector adapter can be installed in a patch panel in a cover or the like to align a pair of optical fiber connectors inserted into the opposite ends of the optical fiber connector adapter. A metal or plastic plate or surface of the wiring board can include openings, etc., which can be installed with these adapters, and the adapters can be designed to be positioned and held by screws or other fasteners In these openings.

Many optical fiber connector adapters can be arranged together in a horizontal row or a line, so that the two abutting surfaces of two or more adjacent adapters are in contact with each other. In other words, the adapters are arranged in a one-dimensional or unidirectional array. These adapters can be fixed or interlocked to form an interlocking horizontal or straight Columns, which can be installed as a unit in a corresponding hole in a wiring board. However, in this device, at least the adapters on both sides of the row or row will be joined to the metal or plastic panel or shelf, which is used to fix the adapters in one of the wiring boards. Stack position. Therefore, the wiring board will have some minimum distance or space left between a one-way row or row of adapters and another one-way row or row of the same adapter, or in other words, in adjacent rows or rows. Between adapters in adjacent rows.

As the use of optical fibers is increasing at a very rapid rate, there is a gradual increase in the number of optical fibers in any installation. The point is, there is a need to maximize the density of fiber interconnection points at an interconnection point.

Summary of the invention

The density of optical fiber interconnection points can be maximized as follows, that is, the adapters are constructed so that they can be connected to each other basically from either side, allowing the adapters to be in a two-dimensional orientation. Or a bidirectional array to be arranged and interconnected. Each adapter can be interlocked with all other adjacent adapters. In this embodiment, the adapters of adjacent rows and columns will abut, and the wasted wiring board space between adjacent rows or columns can be eliminated.

In one embodiment, an optical fiber adapter can provide a connection between at least two optical fiber connectors, may include at least first and second cavities for the optical fiber connector to be accommodated therein, and the connecting member may be configured to The first and second directions of a two-way array directly interconnect the adapter and at least two additional adapters to provide an interconnected two-way array of adapters that has an interconnection in each of the two directions. contact.

In one embodiment, a bidirectional array of optical fiber adapters used to provide interconnection between optical fiber connectors may include adapters, etc., which have connection elements that can connect each adapter in two directions of the array. It is releasably coupled to the adjacent adapter.

<p>10Wall box shell</p><p>20Top wall</p><p>22, 54 side wall</p><p>24, 210a, 310aFirst end</p><p>26,210b,310bSecond end</p><p>28Bottom wall</p><p>30Back Wall</p><p>32Wiring panel wall</p><p>32aFirst entry surface</p><p>32bSecond out of the surface</p><p>34Enter the chamber</p><p>36Leaving the chamber</p><p>38,40,42,44Porosity</p><p>46First cover</p><p>48Second cover</p><p>50lock</p><p>52Handle</p><p>56Front wall</p><p>58Mounting slot</p><p>60,122Connector</p><p>106Spool</p><p>108, 116Fiber optic cable</p><p>110, 111 bracket</p><p>120Removable cover</p><p>124,126Guide plate</p><p>132,134Binder</p><p>200, 300Adapter array</p><p>202, 204, 206, 302, 304, 308Adapter</p><p>203a, 205a, 207a, 303a, 305a, 309atop outer surface</p><p>203b, 205b, 207b, 303b, 305b, 309bBottom outer surface</p><p>203c, d, 205c, d, 207c, d, 303c, d, 305c, d, 309c, d side outer surface</p><p>208,306Vertical axis</p><p>212, 312Longitudinal passage</p><p>215,315a,bProtrusion</p><p>216, 316 holes</p><p>220,320Key track</p><p>230Clip</p><p>232Main body</p><p>233Clamping convex body</p><p>233a Inclined surface</p><p>233bConnecting surface</p><p>235, 285, 335, 385 slot</p><p>235aInternal space</p><p>240, 340 convex body</p><p>245, 345 groove</p><p>250a,b,290a,b,350a,bholding arm</p><p>251, 225, 274, 277, 325, 351, 374Keyway</p><p>252a,b,292a,b,352a,bLegs</p><p>255, 257, 355, 357Width</p><p>270buckle sleeve</p><p>275,375Slot</p><p>276Protrusion</p><p>278a,b,378a,bOpposite</p><p>280Fastener</p><p>400Dust cover</p>

Figures 1 and 2 show a representative junction box for optical fiber cable connection according to an embodiment.

3A and 3B show a representative optical fiber connector adapter array according to an embodiment.

Figures 4A-4E show perspective views of a 90° adapter according to an embodiment.

Figures 5A-5C show perspective views of a 45° adapter according to an embodiment.

Fig. 6 shows a connecting clip according to an embodiment.

Figure 7 shows a cut-away view of an adapter fixed together by connecting clips.

Figures 8 and 9 show cross-sectional views of the 90° adapter of Figure 4B according to an embodiment.

10A and 10B show an adapter sleeve for an adapter according to an embodiment.

11A and 11B show cross-sectional views of 90° adapters and the adapters provided in the adapters according to an embodiment.

Figures 12 and 13 show cross-sectional views of the 45° adapter of Figure 5B according to an embodiment.

14A and 14B show a 45° adaptor according to an embodiment and Cross-sectional views of the adapters provided in these adapters.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an optical fiber wall box housing 10 may have a side wall 22 connected to a bottom wall 28 at a first end 24 and a top wall 20 at a second end 26. A rear wall 30 may be substantially perpendicular to the edges of the top wall 20, the side wall 22 and the bottom wall 28, so that the side wall, the bottom wall, the top wall and the rear wall form a substantially rectangular enclosure. The rear wall 30 may include mounting features, for example, the keyhole mounting slot 58 is configured to allow the case 10 to be fastened to a wall surface.

The box shell can also have a splice tray wall 32 in the box shell for connecting optical fiber cables (108, 116 in FIG. 2). The wiring board wall 32 can extend between the top wall 20 and the bottom wall 28 and is substantially parallel to the side wall 22. The wiring board wall 32 can divide the inside of the box casing 10 into an entrance chamber 34 and an exit chamber 36, thereby creating two surfaces, a first entrance surface 32a and a second exit surface 32b. The casing 10 may have a distributed aperture 38, 40, 42, 44, etc. in the top wall 20 and the bottom wall 28 for guiding the fiber optic cable into the inlet chamber 34 and out of the chamber 36. The incoming fiber optic cable 108 from a cable source can enter the entry chamber 34 through the aperture 38 and be terminated on the entry surface 32a. In a similar manner, the fiber optic cable 116 that terminates on the exit surface 32b can be led out of the enclosure 10 through the aperture 44 to actuate a device outside the box 10, such as a server.

The box 10 can also be provided with a pair of tension management spools 106, which can be used to wind a large number of incoming cables 108 while maintaining the minimum bending radius of one of the cables. In addition, the tension release brackets 110, 111 can be provided to tie the knots Objects 132, 134 are anchored to the box shell to bundle optical fiber cables 108, 116 entering and leaving each chamber. It is also possible to arrange other parts of the case 10, such as cable slots and wiring board walls.

The optical fiber wall box housing 10 may also include a lockable first cover 46 and a second cover 48 to cover the entry chamber 34 and the exit chamber 36 respectively. The first cover 46 can be hinged to the side wall 22 so that the first cover 46 is perpendicular to the side wall 22 and substantially closes the access chamber 34. The second cover 48 can be hinged to the rear wall 30, and when closed, a second side wall 54 opposite to the side wall 22 will be formed, and an exit from the front wall 56 will be connected with a closed first cover when closed. 46 flush. When fully opened, the second cover 48 can allow unobstructed access to the exit and exit chamber 36 from the front and side surfaces of the case 10. The first cover 46 and the second cover 48 may also include a key lock 50 and a handle 52, preferably located at the outer edge of each cover, to provide security and access to the respective chambers 34 and 36, respectively. sex. In a variant embodiment, each cover can be hingeless, but can be completely removed, and is detachably fixed to the box shell 10 by a buckle, a clip or the like. Other settings are also possible.

The wiring board wall 32 may include a number of removable covers 120 that cover the openings in the wall that provide passages between the chambers 34 and 36. When the appropriate number of cover plates 120 are removed, an array 200 of interlocking connector adapters 202, 204, 206 (shown in FIG. 3A and described in more detail later) can be mounted on the wall 32 . As further explained later, the surfaces 32a, 32b of the wiring board wall 32 can be configured to accept the direct installation of the adapter arrays 200. The patch panel wall 32 can be configured to fit the adapter array 200 in a variety of orientations. For example, in the representative embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, there are two 3×6 The array of adapters 200 is shown secured to the wall 32. Figures 4A and 4B show 3x5 and 3x3 arrays, respectively. As will be described in more detail in the latter, these connector adapters can be used in a variety of configurations, for example: as individual connector adapters; interlocking and multi-purpose single-row connector adapters; interlocking And most single-row connector adapters; or multi-row and multi-row connector adapter arrays; or any combination thereof.

The optical fiber connector adapter array 200 can be used as the termination point of the incoming fiber optic cable 108, which is terminated by the connector 122, and the termination point of the outgoing fiber optic cable 116, which is terminated by the connector 60. To help separate and guide the cables, guide plates 124, 126 can also be provided on the wall 32. Although the embodiments in the drawings and the following description are related to connector adapters for MPO-type optical fiber connectors, these interlockable connector adapters can be configured to be used in any type Optical fiber connectors, such as but not limited to LC, FC, SC, SF, or MTP type optical fiber connectors. In addition, each adapter in an array 200 can be configured to accept the same type of connector, or each individual adapter in an array can be configured to individually accept different types of connectors .

In making the splice tray wall 32 with the optical fiber connector adapter 200 allowing a simplified array 108, 116 of the fiber optic cable and then unloaded from the attachment. For example, if a server is to be connected to another cable, only one connection change is required. On the entry surface 32a, a connector 122 with a first cable can be removed and replaced with a connector 122 with a second cable. Unlike a permanent connection, the use of an optical fiber cable with a connector and an optical fiber connector adapter on the wall of the patch panel can simplify the procedure of causing the connection to change.

Figure 3A shows an embodiment of a 3×5 array 200 of connector adapters 202, 204, 206 (shown in more detail in Figures 4A to 4C), configured to be attached to a wiring board wall 32 It can provide a connection orientation of approximately 90° relative to the wall. FIG. 3B shows a 3×3 array 300 of one of the connector adapters 302, 304, 308 (shown in more detail in FIGS. 5A to 5C), which is configured to provide an array when attached to a wiring board wall 32 A connection orientation of approximately 45° relative to the wall. The connector adapters 202, 204, 206, 302, 304, and 308 can be configured to have substantially any angle configuration, and can provide substantially any connection orientation angle with respect to the wiring board wall 32. The angular configuration can be configured as a function of the configuration of the casing 10, the position of the casing, and/or the accessibility inside the casing. For example, the adapters can be configured to provide about 20°, about 25°, about 30°, about 35°, about 40°, about 45°, about 50°, about 50°, about 20°, about 25°, about 30°, about 35°, about 40°, about 45°, about 50°, about 55°, about 60°, about 65°, about 70°, about 75°, about 80°, about 85°, about 90°, or any angle of connection orientation between any of the angles shown.

As shown in the representative embodiments of Figures 1 to 3, the density of the optical fiber interconnection points can be achieved by constructing the adapters 200 into a two-dimensional or bidirectional array that can be arranged side by side. And be maximized. In this way, the adapters will abut another adapter in the adjacent row and adjacent row, and essentially provide a largest connection adapter 200 for the available open space in the wall of the wiring board. The density.

For the 90° connection adapter, there can be at least two types of adapters, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 4A-4C, the tab adapter 202 and the stacking adapters 204, 206. The tab adapter 202, as shown in FIG. 4A, may have a rectangular cross-section with a top outer surface 203a, a bottom outer surface 203b, and two sides The outer surfaces 203c and 203d connect the top surface to the bottom surface. The top surface 203a may have a tab 215 for attaching the tab adapter to a wiring board wall 32 (FIGS. 1, 2). In one embodiment, the tab 215 may have a hole 216 for receiving a fastening object, such as a bolt or screw passing through it to fasten the tab to the wall of the wiring board. In addition to the tab adapter 202, the adapter can also be configured as a stacking adapter 204, 206, as shown in Figures 4B and 4C, which can be combined with the tab adapter 202 or other The stacking adapters are interconnected. In one embodiment, there may be at least two stacking adapters, namely, the single-connector adapter 204 can be configured to provide a single cable connection, or the multi-connector adapter 206 can be configured to provide Provide at least two cable connections. In other embodiments, the multi-connector adapter 206 can be configured to provide more than two cable connections, and can be configured to provide three-wire connection, four-wire connection, five-wire connection, and six-wire connection. , Seven-wire connection, eight-wire connection, nine-wire connection, ten-wire connection, or multi-wire connection depends on the size of the case 10, the size of the openings into which the connectors are inserted, and/or the case The number of connections required in the file, etc.

In a similar manner as described with reference to the stacking adapters, although not shown, the tab adapters 202 can also be configured as multi-connector adapters to provide at least two cable connections.

The stacking adapter 204 may have a rectangular cross-section with a top outer surface 205a, a bottom outer surface 205b, and two side outer surfaces 205c and 205d connecting the top surface to the bottom surface. Similarly, the stacking adapter 206 may have a rectangular cross-section with a top outer surface 207a, a bottom outer surface 207b, and two outer surfaces 207c and 207d connecting the top surface to the bottom surface.

In an embodiment, the top surface 205a of the adapter 204 may be Like the top surface 207a of the adapter 206, and the bottom surface 205b of the adapter 204 may be like the bottom surface 207b of the adapter 206. In addition, with regard to the stacking adapters 204 and 206, the respective top and bottom surfaces 205a, 205b and 207a, 207b can be substantially symmetrical, and their side surfaces can be symmetrically the same. When the connecting member rotates along a longitudinal axis 208, the top and bottom are interchangeable, and the left and right sides can also be interchanged.

4D and 4E show a variant embodiment of an adapter array 200, in which all the adapters are constructed and arranged so that the keyway 251 (more detailed later) in the adapters is the same The direction is aligned. For all of these adapters, the optical fiber connectors will only be sleeved in the adapters in a certain direction. For this purpose, the internal configuration of the adapters can be appropriately configured so that when interconnected, all the keyways 251 will be properly aligned. For example, for the adapter 202 of FIG. 4A, the key groove 251 is provided under the surface 203a having the protruding piece 215. Figure 4D shows a modified tab adapter 202A, in which the keyway 251 is provided on the opposite side, under the surface 203b, so when arranged in an array as shown in Figure 4E, the keyway will be properly aligned allow. In a similar manner, the internal arrangement of the adapters 204, 206 can also be configured as needed to provide a desired alignment of the keyway 251.

In order to buckle the adapters 202, 204, 206 together in an array 200 as shown in FIG. 3A, the adapters can be interconnected top to bottom to provide an in-line array of interconnected adapters, Either side-to-side interconnected to provide a horizontal row of interconnected adapters, or top-to-bottom and side-to-side interconnected to provide a fully interlocked adapter array. In one embodiment, the adapters 202, 204, 206 can be used by the key rail 220 and the corresponding key groove 225 on the corresponding surface to be mated. Interconnect. The adapters 202, 204, and 206 can be interlocked together by aligning the rail 220 and channel 225 of one adapter with the rail and channel of another adapter end-to-end, And along a longitudinal direction (a direction corresponding to the axis 208), the corresponding rails and grooves are slidingly connected together.

Although not limited to the following, the rails 220 and the channels 225 may have the same cross-sectional configuration (perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C. Wherein, the part of the rails 220 outwardly away from the surface may have a width dimension that is larger than the part adjacent to the surface; and in the same way, the channels 225 extend inward from the surface The part may have a width which is greater than the width of the rail on the surface. The rails 220 and the channels 225 can have substantially any cross-sectional configuration, which can provide an interlocking connection in a direction perpendicular to the sliding longitudinal direction.

Although the adapters 202, 204, and 206 shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C have the rails 220 and channels 225 shown on the top and bottom surfaces 203b, 205a, 205b, 207a, 207b, these The adapter can also have similar rails/channels on its sides 203c, 203d, 205c, 205d, 207c, 207d, so that the sliding connection can be top-to-bottom and side-to-side to interlock the adapter and Adjacent adapters. By providing sliding interlocking connections in two directions, any of the adapters 202, 204, 206 can be individually removed from an adapter array 200 without substantially disturbing any other adapters. As another example, for an adapter array 200 that is fastened together and installed in a patch panel 10 (FIG. 1), if it becomes necessary to replace one or more of these adapters 202, 204, 206, the adapter that needs to be replaced can be slid out of the array and removed, and one or more new adapters can be inserted without having to disassemble all The optical fiber cable connectors 122, 60 and the array are removed from the patch panel.

In a variant embodiment, the adapters 202, 204, 206 may be interlocked with adjacent adapters with alternative fastening devices. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a securing device may be a clip 230 which may be configured to secure two adjacent adapters together. In the illustrated embodiment, the mating side surfaces 203c, 203d, 205c, 205d, 207c, and 207d may have matching slots 235 to receive the clip 230 therein. The clamping member 230 may have a main body 232, and the clamping protrusion 233 may be configured to engage in the slot 235 and hold the clamping member in the slot 235. The clamping protrusion 233 may have an inclined surface 233a so that the clamping member 230 is easily inserted into the slot 235, and an engagement surface 233b will engage with a surface 235b in the slot.

The clip 230 may be composed of a variety of materials. In one embodiment, the clips 230 may be made of a material with at least some elasticity, so that when inserted into the slots 235, the protrusions 233 can be deformed to fit through the slots, and when When entering an internal space 235a through the slot, it will return to its original shape to provide a connection between the surfaces 233b and 235b to hold the clip in the slot. In addition, an elastic material also allows the adapter to be detached after an adapter is interlocked with an adjacent adapter by a clip 230. By applying a sufficient amount of force to pull an adjacent adapter apart from another, the clip 230 and the protrusion 233 can be deformed by a certain amount, which allows an adapter to be separated from a clip. The elasticity or deformability of a clip 230 changes the ability of a clip to be removed by a slot 235 after assembly. In the case that a clip 270 may not necessarily need to be removable, the clip may be made of a rigid material, such as a metal or hard plastic. If this rigid clamp is not sufficient Sufficient force and may damage an adapter, and cannot be removed by an adapter in essence; and a softer polymer, such as a rubber material clip, can be removed by applying an appropriate force. The connection of an adapter is separated, but the adapter will not be damaged.

In a modified embodiment, instead of the rail 220 and the channel 225 as described above, the top and bottom surfaces 203b, 205a, 205b, 207a, and 207b of the adapters can also be configured to have slots 235. It is provided for interconnection by the clip 230.

In one embodiment, when the adapters 202, 204, 206 are configured to be slidably connected by the rail 220 and the channel 225, the adapters may also include a mechanism to ensure the The adapters are correctly aligned and/or can provide impedance to keep the adapters in a correct alignment. As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the adapters 202, 204, and 206 may have a protrusion 240 on at least one of the top surfaces 205a, 207a and bottom surfaces 203b, 205b, 207b, and a The corresponding groove 245 is on at least the other of the top and bottom surfaces, so when two adapters are slid together, the convex body of one adapter can be connected to the adjacent adapter. A groove engages and engages to indicate that the correct registration has been achieved. As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, each of the top and bottom surfaces can have a groove 245 and a convex body 240, so that the convex body of a first adapter can fit into another adjacent In the groove of the adapter, and the convex body of the other adapter can be sleeved in the groove of the first adapter.

As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C and FIG. 8, the adapters 202, 204, and 206 may have a first end 210a and a second end 210b, and may define a longitudinal channel 212 extending from the first end to the second end. Two ends. FIG. 8 shows a representative cross-sectional view of an adapter 204 taken along the section line VIII-VIII in FIG. 4B, and FIG. 9 shows A representative cross-sectional view of an adapter taken along the section line IX-IX in FIG. 4B. As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C and 8 and 9, in one embodiment, the internal structures in the adapters may be different at the two ends 210a, 210b. In a modified embodiment, the internal structures in the distributors may be the same at the two ends 210a, 210b.

In the embodiment where the internal structure of each end 210a, 210b is the same, and if the adapters 202, 204, 206 are interlocked from side to side and from top to bottom by the clip 230 The adapters 204, 206 can be configured to be 180° rotationally symmetrical about all three main axes of them. In a similar manner, the tab adapter 202 can be configured to be 180° rotationally symmetrical about one of its main axes (a central axis parallel to the IX-IX line in FIG. 4B), and one around the other A 180° rotation of the two main axes (axis 208 and a central axis parallel to the line VIII-VIII in Figure 4B) will cause a 180° displacement of a tab, and all other features will remain symmetrically the same. .

In one embodiment, the first end 210a can be configured to directly receive an optical fiber connector (not shown for brevity). In one embodiment, the first end 210a may be provided with a key groove 251, as shown in FIGS. 4B and 9, to allow an optical fiber connector with a corresponding lug for engagement, which can be paired only once. It should be inserted into the end 210a. In a modified configuration, if a keyed alignment is better or required, a channel 251 can be provided on each opposite side, or there can be no card slots on each side at all to correspond to a keyless Type connector.

The first end 210a may include a fastening device for fixing the optical fiber connector in the end when the connector is inserted into the end. In the same way In the illustrated embodiment, the buckle device may include two oppositely arranged biased buckle arms 250a and 250b. The buckling arms 250a, 250b can be connected to the adapter at one of their distal ends to allow the arms to make a pivotal movement, and can have protruding lugs 252a, 252b adjacent to the first One end 210a. The internal width 255 between the lug portions 252a and 252b may be smaller than the internal width 257 in the adapter. An optical fiber connector having a width approximately the same as the width 257 can be inserted into the opening 210a, and the lug portions 252a, 252b are displaced to move out of each other to pass through the clamping arms 250a, 250b between. The optical fiber connector can be configured to have a buckle groove, groove or one end, etc., so that the arms 250a, 250b and the lugs 252a, 252b will substantially return to In its original position, the lugs can hold the connector in the adapter.

In an embodiment (not shown), the internal structure of the end 210b can be constructed in the same manner as the internal structure of the other end 210a described above.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C and 8 to 10, the internal structure of the adapters at the end 210b may be different from that of the first end 210a. The ends 210b of the adapters 202, 204, 206 may be configured to accommodate an adapter sleeve 270 as shown in Figures 10A and 10B. The buckle 270 can be inserted into the end 210b to transform the end to receive and hold an optical fiber connector therein. The internal cavity in the end 210b can be configured to have at least one keyway 274 to determine the orientation of the clasp 270 to fit into the end. The buckle sleeve 270 can correspondingly have a keying protrusion 276 that will fit into the key groove 274 to orient the buckle sleeve in the opening. The keying protrusion 276 of the buckle sleeve 270 can also define an internal keyway 277 (similar to the aforementioned keyway 251) to determine a The optical fiber connector will fit into the orientation of the buckle sleeve. With this configuration, an array of adapters 202, 204, 206 can be combined in an appropriate bonding orientation, and can be fastened in a wiring panel box if necessary. Then, a buckle 270 can be inserted into the adapter end 210b according to the bonding orientation. Alternatively, the buckle 270 can be inserted into the adapters before the array assembly.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10B, each of the opposite faces 278a, 278b in the end 210b can be configured to have a keyway 274, allowing a buckle 270 to be inserted into the connector in any orientation In the container, as shown in FIG. 10, the two buckle sleeves 270 on the left have the bonding protrusions 276 oriented to the left, and the three buckle sleeves on the right have the bonding protrusions oriented to the right. In this embodiment, the adapters 202, 204, 206 can be combined into an array 200, and the desired orientation of the buckle can be determined at a later time.

The buckle 270 may have a displaceable fastener 280, etc., which will be buckled in the slot 285 of the adapter to buckle the buckle in the adapter. When the clasp 270 is being inserted into the end of the adapter, the clasps 280 can be displaced inwardly, and when the clasp is fully sleeved, the clasps can be configured to act as they When entering the slot 285, it will substantially return to its original position. 11A and 11B provide a cross-sectional view of a modified example in which the clasp 270 is installed in the adapters 202, 204, and 206.

In an embodiment as shown, the clasp 270 may include two oppositely arranged biased clasp arms 290a and 290b, similar to the aforementioned arms 250a and 250b. The buckling arms 290a and 290b may be connected to the buckle sleeve at one of their distal ends, and may have protruding lugs 292a, 292b adjacent to the proximal ends of the arms. The inner width between the lugs 292a, 292b can be smaller than the buckle And an optical fiber connector can be inserted into the opening, and the lugs 292a, 292b are displaced outward to move away from each other, so as to pass between the buckling arms 292a, 292b. The adapter end 210b can be configured to have a channel 275 or the like (Figure 9) to allow each arm 290a, 290b to be displaced outward when the buckle 270 is in the adapter. When the connector body part enters the buckle sleeve, each of the lug portions 292a, 292b can return to its original position and fix the connector in the buckle sleeve and the adapter.

In another embodiment, the internal structure of the end portion 210a can be configured to be used in an adapter sleeve 270 in the same manner as the internal structure of the aforementioned end portion 210b.

As previously described with reference to FIG. 3B, the connector adapters can also be configured to provide an angled fiber optic cable orientation with respect to a patch panel wall. Figures 5A to 5C show an embodiment of the angled adapters 302, 304, 308, etc., which are configured to provide an orientation of approximately 45° with respect to a wiring board wall, such as the wall 32 of Figures 1 and 2. The adapters 302, 304, and 308 can have many features similar to those described for 90° adapters. Therefore, most of the aforementioned adapters, buckles and their structures can also be It is applied to the angled adapter, except for the exception caused by the angular positioning of the tab 315.

As shown in FIGS. 3B and 5A-5C, there may be at least three configurations of angled adapters, the first tab adapter 302, the stacking adapter 304, and the second tab adapter 308. In a modified embodiment, for example, if the internal structures at the ends 310a, 310b are the same, and if the clip 230 and the channel 335 are used to interconnect these adapters from top to bottom and from side to side, You may only need a tab-type bevel adapter.

The tab adapter 302, as shown in FIG. 5A, may have a rectangular cross-section with a top outer surface 303a, a bottom outer surface 303b, and two outer surfaces 303c and 303d connecting the top surface to the bottom surface. The top surface 303a may have a beveled tab 315a for attaching the tab adapter to a wiring board wall 32 (FIGS. 1, 2), wherein the tab is arranged relative to the end 310b or The surface 303a is at an angle of about 45°. In one embodiment, the protruding piece 315a has a hole 316 for receiving a fastening object, such as a bolt or screw passing through to fasten the protruding piece to the wall of the wiring board. Alternatively, other types of fastening devices can also be used.

The tab adapter 308, as shown in FIG. 5C, may have a rectangular cross-section with a top outer surface 309a, a bottom outer surface 309b, and two outer surfaces 309c and 309d connecting the top surface to the bottom surface. The bottom surface 309b may have a tab 315b for attaching the tab adapter to a wiring board wall 32 (FIGS. 1, 2), wherein the tab is set at a 45° angle relative to the end 310a Horn. In one embodiment, the protruding piece 315b may have a hole 316 to receive a fastening object, such as a bolt or screw passing through to fasten the protruding piece to the wall of the wiring board.

In addition to the tab bevel adapters 302, 308, the bevel adapter can also be configured as a stacking adapter 304, as shown in FIG. 5B, which can be combined with the tab adapters 302 , 308 or other such superimposed adapters are interconnected. Although only one connector overlay adapter configured to provide a single-cable connection is shown, a multi-connector adapter can be configured (in the manner previously described for adapter 206) Can provide at least two cable connections. In other embodiments, the multi-connector adapter can also be configured to provide more than two cable connections, and can be configured to provide three-wire connection, four-wire connection, and five-wire connection. Six-wire connection, seven-wire connection, eight-wire connection, nine-wire connection, ten-wire connection, or more wire connection depends on the size of the case 10, the size of the openings into which the connectors are inserted, and / Or the number of connections needed in the enclosure, etc.

The stacking adapter 304 may have a rectangular cross-section, with a top outer surface 305a, a bottom outer surface 305b, and two outer surfaces 305c and 305d connecting the top surface to the bottom surface.

To buckle the adapters 302, 304, 308 together, the adapters can be interconnected top-to-bottom to provide an interconnected adapter in-line, or side-to-side interconnected Provide a horizontal row of interconnected adapters, or interconnect top-to-bottom and side-to-side to provide a fully interlocked adapter array. In one embodiment, the adapters 302, 304, and 308 can be interconnected by means of the key track 320 and the corresponding key groove 325 provided on the corresponding surface to be mated. The adapters 302, 304, and 308 can be interlocked together by aligning the rail 320 and channel 325 of one adapter with the rail and channel of another adapter end-to-end , And slide the corresponding rails and channels in a longitudinal direction (a direction corresponding to the axis 306) to fit them together.

Although not limited to the following, the rails 320 and the channels 325 may have a similar cross-sectional configuration (perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) and be in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C. In this way, the protruding parts of the rails 320 from the surface can have a width dimension which is larger than the flat part adjacent to the surface; and in a similar manner, the channels 325 are separated from the The concave portion of the surface may have a width which is greater than the width of the rail at the surface. The rails 320 and the channels 325 can have substantially any cross-sectional configuration, which will provide an interlocking connection in the vertical direction of the sliding longitudinal direction.

Although the adapter shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C has the rails 320 and channels 325 shown on its top and bottom surfaces 303b, 305a, 305b, and 309a, the adapters may also have Similar rails/channels are on its sides 303c, 303d, 305c, 305d, 309c, 309d, so that the sliding joint can be top-to-bottom and side-to-side to interlock these adapters with adjacent adapters . By providing sliding interlocking connections in two directions, any of the adapters 302, 304, and 308 can be individually removed from an adapter array 300 without substantially disturbing any other adapters. As an example, for an adapter array 300 that is fastened together and installed in a patch panel 10 (FIG. 1), if it becomes necessary to replace one or more of these adapters 302, 304, At 308, the adapters that must be replaced can be slid out of the array and removed, and one or more new adapters can be inserted without disassembling all the fiber optic cable connectors 122 , 60, and remove the array from the wiring board.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the adapters 302, 304, and 308 overlap each other by approximately half their length. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 5A-5C, the rails 320 and channels 325 may extend only along half of the length. However, full-length rails 320 and channels 325 can also be provided because they can provide full-length sliding connections, especially for adapters with sliding interlocking connections on all sides, as described above .

In a modified embodiment, the adapters 302, 304, 308, etc. can be interlocked with adjacent adapters by alternative fastening devices, such as the aforementioned clip 230. In the illustrated embodiment, the sides 303c, 303d, 305c, 305d, 309c, and 309d of the adapters may have corresponding slots 335 (substantially the same as the aforementioned slot 235) for the clip 230 contained therein.

In a modified embodiment, instead of the rail 220 and the channel 225 as described above, the top and bottom surfaces 303b, 305a, 305b, and 309a of the adapters can also be configured to have slots. The clips 230 are connected to each other.

In one embodiment, the adapters 302, 304, and 308 are configured to be slidably connected by the rail 320 and the channel 325. The adapters may also include a mechanism to ensure the adapters Correct alignment and/or provide impedance to keep the adapters in a correct alignment. For this purpose, the protrusions and recesses can be constructed in the same way as described above for 90° adapters (240 and 245 in Figures 4A to 4C). Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the adapters 302, 304, and 308 may have at least one protrusion 340 on one of the top surface or the bottom surface, and a corresponding groove in the Equal to at least the other of the top or bottom surface. In FIGS. 5A to 5C, the surfaces 303b and 305b have a convex body 340, and the surfaces 305a and 309a have a groove 345, and they can be interchanged so that the surfaces 303b and 305b have a groove, and the surfaces 305a and 309a have A convex body.

The adapters 302, 304, 308, etc. may have a first end 310a and a second end 310b, and may define a longitudinal channel 312 extending from the first end to the second end. FIG. 12 shows a representative cross-sectional view of an adapter 304 taken along the XII-XII section of FIG. 5B, and FIG. 13 shows a representative cross-section of an adapter taken along the XIII-XIII section of FIG. 5B picture. As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, 12 and 13, in one embodiment, the internal structures of the adapters may be different in the two ends 310a, 310b. In a modified embodiment, the internal structures of the adapters may be the same in the two ends 310a and 310b.

In the embodiment where the internal structures of the two ends 310a and 310b are the same, and if the adapters 302, 304, and 308 are aligned from the side by the clip 230 When interlocking side and top to bottom, the adapters 304 can be configured to be 180° rotationally symmetrical about all three main axes. In a similar manner, the tab adapters 302 and 308 can be replaced with each other, as previously described.

In one embodiment, the first end 310a can be configured to directly receive an optical fiber connector (not shown for brevity). In one embodiment, the first end 310a may be provided with a key groove 351, as shown in FIG. 13, which may allow an optical fiber connector with a corresponding protrusion for a ferrule to be aligned only once. To insert into the end 310a. In a modified configuration, if a bonding alignment is not preferable or necessary, a key groove 351 can be provided on each opposite side, or it can be completely free of grooves on either side to correspond to a keyless connector .

The first end 310a may include a holding device for holding an optical fiber connector in the end when the connector is inserted into the end. In an embodiment shown, the buckle device may include two oppositely arranged biased buckle arms 350a and 350b. The buckling arms 350a, 350b can be connected to the adapter at one of their distal ends to allow one of the arms to pivotally move, and can have protruding lugs 352a, 352b, etc. adjacent to the first One end 310a. The inner width 355 between the lug portions 352a and 352b may be smaller than the inner width 357 in the adapter. An optical fiber connector with a width approximately the same as the width 357 can be inserted into the opening 310a, and the lugs 352a, 352b are displaced to separate them outwards, so as to pass the buckling arms 350a, 350b between. The optical fiber connector can be configured to have a buckle groove, a groove or one end, etc., so when placed in the adapter, the arms 350a, 350b and the lugs 352a, 352b will substantially return To its original position, and the lugs can be Hold the connector in the adapter.

In an embodiment (not shown), the internal structure of the end 310b may be constructed in the same manner as the internal structure of the aforementioned end 310a.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, 12, and 13, the internal structure of the adapters at the end 310b may be different from that of the first end 310a. The end 310b of the adapters 302, 304, 308 can be configured to accommodate the aforementioned adapter sleeve 270 (FIG. 10A). The internal cavity in the end 310b can be configured to have a slot 385, so that the buckle sleeve 270 can be fastened in the adapter by the fasteners 280. The internal cavity of the end 310b can be configured to have at least one key groove 374 (shown in more detail in FIG. 5B) for determining the orientation of the buckle 270 to be inserted into the end. The buckle sleeve 270 may correspondingly have a keying protrusion 276 that will fit into the key groove 374 to orient the buckle sleeve in the opening. The keying protrusion 276 of the buckle sleeve 270 can similarly define an internal key groove 277 (similar to the aforementioned key groove 351) for determining the orientation of an optical fiber connector to be inserted into the buckle sleeve. With this configuration, an array of adapters 302, 304, 308, etc. can be composed in an appropriate bonding orientation, and can be fastened in a junction box if necessary. Then, a buckle 270 can be embedded in the adapter end 310b according to the bonding orientations. Alternatively, the buckle 270 may be embedded in the adapters before the array assembly.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the opposing faces 378a, 378b in the end 310b can be configured to have a key groove 374, allowing a buckle 270 to be inserted into the adapters in any orientation (Similar to that shown in FIG. 10B, where the two buckle sleeves 270 on the left have keying protrusions 276 oriented to the left, and the three buckle sleeves on the right have keying protrusions oriented to the right). With this In one embodiment, the adapters 302, 304, and 308 can be combined into an array 300, and the desired orientation of the buckle can be determined at a later time. 14A and 14B provide cross-sectional views of modified examples of the clasp 270 installed in the adapters 302, 304, and 308. The adapter end 310b can be configured to have a channel 375 (Figures 12, 13) to allow the arms 290a, 290b of the buckle 270 to be displaced outwardly when the buckle is in the adapter.

In another embodiment, the internal structure of the end portion 310a can be configured to be used in an adapter sleeve 270 in the same manner as the internal structure of the aforementioned end portion 310b.

As shown in Figures 11B and 14B, a plug cap can be provided, which will also fit into the ends of the adapters. In the illustrated embodiment, when the ends are configured to directly receive a connector in them (ends 210a, 210b in FIGS. 4A~4C, 5A~5C), a dust cover 400 can be directly Sleeve into the ends, and can be positioned and held in the opening by the arms 250a, 250b, 350a, 350b and the lugs 252a, 252b, 352a, 352b, and the lugs can be clamped against the opening. Cover one of the grooves. In addition, when the ends are configured to accommodate the buckle 270 (ends 210b and 310b in FIGS. 4A to 4C and 5A to 5C), the dust cover 400 can be configured to fit into the In the buckle sleeve 270, the arms 290a, 290b and the lugs 292a, 292b are positioned and held in the end portions 210b, 310b, and the lugs can be snapped into a groove of the cover. As shown in FIGS. 11B and 14B, the configuration of a dust cover 400 can be nested in two types of ends.

The present disclosure is not limited to the specific systems, devices, and methods described, as they can be changed. The terminology used in this description is only It is provided for the purpose of describing a particular form or embodiment, and is not intended to limit its scope.

In the above detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification. In the drawings, similar symbols typically indicate similar components, unless there are different instructions in the text. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and scope of patent application are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used, and other changes may be made without going beyond the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. It should be easy to understand, summarized here, and shown in the schema. The various aspects of the original disclosure can be arranged, replaced, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. All of them are understood. Consider this.

The present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described in this application, and they are intended to be examples of various aspects. Many modifications and changes can be made without going beyond its spirit and scope, as those who are acquainted with the technology can easily know. In addition to those listed here, the functionally equivalent methods and devices within the scope of the present disclosure will be easily understood by those skilled in the technology from the above description. These amendments and changes are intended to fall within the scope of the attached patent application. This disclosure is to be limited only by the items in the scope of the attached patent application and all equivalent scopes defined by the claims. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to specific methods, reagents, compounds, components or biological systems, etc., which can of course be changed. Please also understand that the terminology used herein is only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and is not intended as a limitation.

As used in this document, the singular forms of "a", "an" and "the" include plural meanings, unless the text clearly indicates differently. Unless there are different definitions, all the technical and scientific The language has the same meaning as generally understood by those who are accustomed to the technology. No statement in this disclosure will be construed as an acknowledgment, which means that the embodiments described in this disclosure cannot be regarded as the first on the date of this disclosure due to previous inventions. As used in this document, the word "including" means "including, but not limited to".

Although various compositions, methods and devices are described as "comprising" various ingredients or steps (interpreted as meaning "including, but not limited to"), these compositions, methods and devices may also be "mainly composed of the various components or steps". Ingredients and steps are made" or "consisting of the various ingredients and steps", and this term should be interpreted as defining a group of basically necessary closed structures.

As for essentially any plural and/or singular terms used here, those skilled in the technique can convert the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural, if it is appropriate for the content and/or purpose . These different singular/plural transformations can be stated clearly for more clarity.

Professionals should understand that, generally, the terms used here, and especially those in the scope of the attached patent application (such as the main body of each patent application), are generally used as "open" terms (for example, "including" should be Interpreted as "including but not limited to", the "having" shall be interpreted as "at least having", and the "containing" shall be interpreted as "including but not limited to" etc.). Professionals will also understand that if the content of a quoted request is intended to have a specific number, then this intent will be clearly stated in the request, and if there is no such description, no such intent will be presented. For example, to facilitate understanding, the scope of the following appended patent applications may include the use of the introduction phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce the requested content. However, the use of these phrases should not be construed as implying that the content of a request is introduced by the indefinite articles "one" or "one", which will The specific claim containing the requested content to be introduced is limited to only one embodiment of the stated content, even when the same claim contains the introductory phrase "one or more" or "at least one" , And when not restricting articles such as "a" or "an" (for example, "a" and/or "an" should be construed to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); used to introduce the requested content The use of the finite article of the thing is also the same. In addition, even if a specific number of the requested content of an introduction is clearly stated, those skilled in the technology will understand that the stated content should be interpreted as meaning that there is at least the stated number (e.g. The clear description of "two said things" without other modified words means at least two said things, or two or more said things). In addition, when an idiom similar to "at least one of A, B, C, etc." is used, this structure is usually intended to indicate that a person who is proficient in the technology should understand the idiom (for example "A system with at least one of A, B and C" will include but not limited to: only A, only B, only C, A plus B, A plus C, B plus C, and/or A plus B plus C System). In a case where an idiom similar to "at least one of A, B, C, etc." is used, this structure is usually intended to indicate that a person who is proficient in the technology should understand the idiom (for example, "a The system has at least one of A, C or C" will include but not limited to: only A, only B, only C, A plus B, A plus C, B plus C, and/or A plus B plus C, etc. system). Professionals also understand that, in fact, any optional words and/or phrases that indicate two or more optional items, whether in the detailed description, the scope of the patent application, or the drawings, should be understood and included Either one of the items, or either of the two items, or the possibility of the two items. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A plus B."

In addition, if the features or aspects of the present disclosure are described in the Markush group, those skilled in the technology will understand that the present disclosure is also described in the Markush group. Any individual component or component is described in a subgroup way.

As a person skilled in the art knows, for any and all purposes, such as providing a written description, the full range disclosed also includes any and all possible sub-ranges, and combinations of sub-ranges, etc. Any range listed can be easily considered to be fully described, and the range can be divided into at least equal two halves, one-third, one-quarter, one-fifth, one-tenth, etc. As a non-limiting example, each of the ranges can be easily divided into a lower third, middle third, and upper third, etc. As a person acquainted with this technique knows, all terms such as "at most", "at least" and similar terms, etc., include the stated number, and show that certain ranges can be divided into sub-ranges, etc., such as As mentioned earlier. Finally, as a person skilled in the technology understands, a range encompasses each individual component. So, for example, a group with 1 to 3 cells refers to a group with 1, 2 or 3 cells. Similarly, a group with 1 to 5 cells refers to a group with 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 cells, and so on.

The various embodiments disclosed above and other features and functions, or variations thereof, can be combined in other different systems or applications. Various currently unknown or unpredictable alternatives, amendments, changes or improvements may be made by those skilled in the technology in the future, and each of them is expected to be covered by the disclosed embodiments.