Optical fiber connector, optical fiber adapter, and assembly therewith

[0001] 1. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to an optical fiber assembly, and particularly to an optical fiber connector, an optical fiber adapter, and a waterproof optical fiber assembly using the optical fiber connector and the optical fiber adapter.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] As the fiber to the home (FTTH) becomes more and more used in the communications field, many waterproof optical fiber assemblies are used for connecting optical fiber cables in an outdoor environment where dust, moisture/humidity or other contaminants exist. A typical waterproof optical fiber connector includes a waterproof case. The waterproof case makes the optical fiber connector to be difficult to assemble and disassemble on an optical fiber adapter.

[0005] Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

[0015] FIGS. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of a waterproof optical fiber assembly 100. The waterproof optical fiber assembly 100 includes an optical fiber connector 10 and an optical fiber adapter 30 mating with the optical fiber connector 10.

[0016] FIGS. 4 to 6 show an exemplary embodiment of the optical fiber connector 10. The optical fiber connector 10 includes a fiber joining head 11, a sleeve 12, a housing 13, a frame 14, a cover 15, and a boot 16. The sleeve 12, the housing 13, and the boot 16 together form a housing assembly 50. The fiber joining head 11 is firmly sleeved in a first end of the sleeve 12. The housing 13 and the frame 14 are fitted around the sleeve 12. The cover 15 is positioned on a distal end of the housing 13 opposite to the frame 14. The boot 16 is sleeved on a second end of the sleeve 12 and extends out of the cover 15.

[0017] The fiber joining head 11 includes a main body 112, and a core 113 received in an end of the main body 112. Two diametrically opposed latching arms 1122 are formed at the end of the main body 112 adjacent to the core 113.

[0018] The sleeve 12 includes a cylindrical portion 122 and a fixing portion 124 fitted around the cylindrical portion 122. The cylindrical portion 122 includes a first end 1222 and a second end 1224 opposite to the first end 1222. The first end 1222 defines two latching holes 1226 and an annular groove 1228 (as shown in FIG. 6) above the two latching holes 1226. In the illustrated embodiment, the sleeve 12 further includes a sealing member 126 received in the annular groove 1228.

[0019] The fixing portion 124 includes two stoppers 127 formed on opposite side surfaces thereof and two latching portions 128 formed on the other two opposite side surfaces. Each of the two stoppers 127 includes two stopping pieces 1271 parallel to the central axis of the optical fiber connector 10. Each of the two stopping pieces 1271 defines a first groove 1272 adjacent to the first end 1222 and a second groove 1273 away from the first end 1222. A chamfer (not labeled) is formed in an inner surface of each second groove 1273 adjacent to the first groove 1272. Each of the two latching portions 128 forms three latching protrusions 1282 parallel to the central axis of the optical fiber connector 10. In alternative embodiments, the number of the stopping pieces 1271 can be one, three, or more, and the number of the latching protrusions 1282 can be one or two or more.

[0020] The housing 13 defines two receiving grooves 132 in opposite sidewalls adjacent to an end of the housing 13, and the housing 13 further defines two latching grooves 134 in the other two opposite sidewalls of the housing 13 adjacent to the other end of the housing 13. The housing 13 further defines two unlocking grooves 138 in an end of the housing 13 opposite to the two latching grooves 134. A stepping portion 1322 is formed in each receiving groove 132. Each of the two unlocking grooves 138 defines a stepped groove 1382.

[0021] The frame 14 includes a base portion 142, and a pair of extending plates 144 extending from the base portion 142. Each extending plate 144 has a latching projection 1442 protruding out from the inner surface thereof away from the base portion 142. One of the pair of extending plates 144 forms a guiding portion 1444 parallel to the central axis of the optical fiber connector 10, and protruding out from the outer surface of the extending plate 144 away from the base portion 142. Each of the pair of extending plates 144 defines a rectangular through hole 1446 and a locking arm 1447 is formed in the through hole 1446. The locking arm 1447 forms a locking portion 1448 bending towards the interior of the frame 14. The locking portion 1448 has two resisting portions 1449 extending out from opposite sides thereof.

[0022] The cover 15 is fitted on an end of the housing 13 adjacent to the two latching grooves 134, for increasing the structural strength of the housing 13. Two latching blocks 152 are formed on opposite inner surfaces of the cover 15 corresponding to the two latching grooves 134 of the housing 13.

[0023] The boot 16 is sleeved on the second end 1224 of the sleeve 12. The boot 16 is conical and hollow, the larger diameter end of the boot 16 is firmly fastened to the sleeve 12 by adhesive, and a smaller diameter end of the boot 16 is firmly fastened to a cable sleeved in the optical fiber connector 10 by adhesive, to form a waterproof structure.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 6, in assembly of the optical fiber connector 10, the fiber joining head 11 is received in the first end 1222 of the sleeve 12 with the two latching arms 1122 latching in the two latching holes 1226. The sealing member 126 is received in the annular groove 1228. The boot 16 is firmly sleeved on the second end 1224 of the sleeve 12. The housing 13 is fitted around the sleeve 12 with the two stoppers 127 facing the two receiving grooves 132, and the two unlocking grooves 138 facing the two latching portions 128. The frame 14 is positioned from the first end 1222 of the sleeve 12, with each locking portion 1448 latching with one first groove 1272. The cover 15 is positioned on an end of the housing 13 away from the frame 14.

[0025] As the two locking portions 1448 of the frame 14 are latched in the two first grooves 1272 of the sleeve 12, any axial movement of the frame 14 towards the second end 1224 of the sleeve 12 is prevented. When the optical fiber connector 10 is dropped, jarred, or struck by another object, the pair of extending plates 144 of the frame 14 prevents the core 113 from being damaged.

[0026] The cover 15 is used for increasing the structural strength of the housing 13. In an alternative embodiment, the cover 15 can be omitted.

[0027] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the optical fiber adapter 30. The optical fiber adapter 30 includes an assembling seat 32 and an outer housing 34 fitted around the assembling seat 32. The assembling seat 32 includes a base board 322, a barrel 324 protruding from a central area of the base board 322, and two elastic arms 326 protruding from the base board 322 and positioned at opposite sides of the barrel 324. Two protrusions 3242 protrude from opposite ends of the outer surface of the barrel 324. The outer housing 34 defines a guiding groove 342 corresponding to the guiding portion 1444 of the frame 14.

[0028] FIGS. 6 and 8 show the optical fiber connector 10 being assembled to the optical fiber adapter 30 in line with the central axis of the optical fiber connector 10. The guiding portion 1444 of the frame 14 is inserted into the guiding groove 342 of the optical fiber adapter 30 (as shown in FIG. 1) until the pair of latching projections 1442 latch with the two protrusions 3242. The housing 13 is pushed towards the optical fiber adapter 30. The resisting of the two stepping portions 1322 of the housing 13 against the two resisting portions 1449 of the frame 144 bends the two locking arms 1447 elastically away from the sleeve 12, to unlock each locking portion 1448 and one first groove 1272. Each locking portion 1448 slides to latch with one second groove 1273. In addition, the optical fiber connector 10 is pushed towards the optical fiber adapter 30 until the two elastic arms 326 latch with the two latching portions 128.

[0029] When the optical fiber connector 10 needs to be disassembled from the optical fiber adapter 30, the housing 13 is pulled away from the optical fiber adapter 30. The resisting of the bottom of each of the two stepped grooves 1382 against the two elastic arms 326 bends the two elastic arms 326 elastically away from the sleeve 12, to unlock the two elastic arms 326 and the two latching portions 128. Continuing to pull on the housing 13, the two locking portions 1448 slide along the chamfer of the second groove 1273, with the help of the two elastic arms 326 latching the two latching portions 128. The frame 14 is then returned to its original state (as shown in FIG. 6). Assembly and disassembly of the waterproof optical fiber assembly 100 is very easy.

[0030] Due to the guiding portion 1444 mating with the guiding groove 342, the optical fiber connector 10 can be easily assembled on the optical fiber adapter 30 without the possibility of error. In alternative embodiments, the outer housing 34 can be omitted, and the guiding portion 1444 of the frame 14 can be omitted accordingly.

[0031] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to particular embodiments, the description is merely illustrative of the disclosure and is not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. Therefore, various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure, as defined by the appended claims.