BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an illustration of an existing configuration of a transceiver, a first fiber optic cable, a female coupler, a male coupler, a second fiber optic cable, and a connector.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a transceiver, a fiber optic cable terminating at an MT plug, and a connector assembly.
FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of a connector assembly including a rear locking MT connector insert.
FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a connector assembly including a rear locking MT connector insert.
FIG. 5 is an illustration of a connector assembly mounted on a chassis of an electronic package.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Methods and apparatus for connecting fiber optic cables are described. In one embodiment, the methods and apparatus provide a locking, environmentally sealed connection between fiber optic cables.
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an existing configuration of a transceiver 20, a first fiber optic cable 22, a female coupler 24 including an MT connector, a male coupler 26 including an MT connector, a second fiber optic cable 28, and a connector 30. Connector 30 includes a connector shell 32, an MT connector insert 34, and is manufactured with second fiber optic cable 28 extending from a rear of connector 30. In order for information from transceiver 20 to reach connector 30, first fiber optic cable 22 and second fiber optic cable 28 are mated using couplers 24 and 26. It would be advantageous to find a method of mating a transceiver to a connector, such as connector 30, without the size and weight issues that are encountered when using couplers 24 and 26.
FIG. 2 shows a transceiver 40, a fiber optic cable 42 terminating at an MT plug 44, and a connector assembly 46. Connector assembly 46 includes a connector body 47 into which a rear locking MT connector 48 is placed. Connector body 47 is mounted within a connector shell 50. Connector body 47 of connector assembly 46 also includes an MT connector insert 52 that extends from a front of connector body 47. In a preferred embodiment, connector shell 50 is a MIL-C-38999 connector shell, commercially available from Amphenol Aerospace of Sidney, N.Y., and commonly used across the aerospace industry and in military applications when a sealed interface is desired within an electronic system. MT connector insert 52 includes a front MT connector 53, rear locking MT connector 48, and a plurality of optical fibers (not shown) communicatively coupling front MT connector 53 and rear locking MT connector 48. Since connector assembly 46 includes an integrated rear locking MT connector 48, communicatively coupled to front MT connector 53, there is no need for couplers 24 and 26 as shown in FIG. 1, and further described below.
FIG. 3 shows a rear perspective view of connector assembly 46 including rear locking MT connector 48. Connector assembly 46 also includes connector shell 50, front MT connector 53, and a mounting flange 54. Connector assembly 46 includes coupling fibers 56, within connector body 47, that communicatively couple MT connector inserts 48 and 52. Connector body 47 is not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 for clarity, though, as described above, MT connector inserts 48 and 52 and coupling fibers 56 are embedded within connector body 47. In the illustrated embodiment, three coupling fibers 56 communicatively couple MT connector insert 48 to corresponding positions within MT connector insert 52. In another known embodiment (not shown), twelve fiber optic fibers communicatively couple MT connector insert 48 to corresponding positions within MT connector insert 52.
FIG. 4 shows a front perspective view of connector assembly 46 including rear locking MT connector insert 48, front MT connector insert 52 and fiber optics 56 extending between the two, as shown in FIG. 3, and where like components are referenced with like reference numerals.
FIG. 5 shows two embodiments of connector assembly 46 mounted on a chassis 58 (e.g. a housing) of an electronic package. As described above, connector shell 50 includes a mounting flange 54. There are two common types of MIL-C-38999 connector shells, panel mount style and jam-nut style. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a panel mount style of connector shell 50 having a plurality of openings 60 therethrough. To mount a panel mount style of connector shell 50 to chassis 58, openings 60 are aligned with a like pattern of bores through chassis 58. FIGS. 3 and 4 show a jam-nut style of connector shell 50. A jam-nut style of connector shell 50 includes mounting flange 54 and a nut 62. To mount a jam-nut style of connector shell 50 to chassis 58, nut 62 is removed from connector shell 50, connector shell 50 is aligned with a properly sized opening within chassis 58, and nut 62 is reapplied to connector shell 50, such that chassis 58 is between mounting flange 54 and nut 62, holding connector shell 50 to chassis 58.
When connector shell 50 is on chassis 58, the rear of connector assembly 46 is environmentally sealed within chassis 58. However, the front of connector shell 50, which includes front MT connector 53, is outside of sealed chassis 58. Connector shell 50 and the corresponding connector that attaches to connector shell 50, in combination with chassis 58, provide an environmental seal surrounding MT connectors 48 and 53, and the interconnections therebetween 56.
By eliminating the need for couplers 24 and 26 and integrating rear locking MT connector insert 52 within connector shell 50, the space needed inside chassis 58 is reduced as compared to known fiber optic interconnections. Another benefit is increased signal integrity caused by the elimination of one extra connection. Also, product life is increased since 40%-70% of all electronic failures occur at interconnections. Furthermore, assembly time is reduced since there is one less connection to be made.
While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.
Patent Application
20080008425
