Claims
- 1. A connector comprising: at least one connector body with aligned optical fibers, a wall on the connector against which the connector body is seated to maintain the connector body stationary during alignment with a mating connector body, and a resilient member encircling the connector body, wherein, following unseating of the connector body by the application of pressure by the mating connector body, the connector body is attached by the resilient member in floating suspension against an interior of an opening through the wall so as to float in the opening in response to vibration, alignment ferrules are aligned along passages through the connector body, the alignment ferrules terminate respective optical fibers, environmental seals encircle respective alignment ferrules, resilient springs bias the environmental seals toward respective collars on the alignment ferrules, and the environmental seals compress against the collars and compress against interiors of the passages to seal the passages.
- 2. A connector as recited in claim 1, and further wherein, a projecting key aligns with the opening through the wall, and a recessed keyway in the connector body receives the key to prevent rotation of the connector body.
- 3. A connector as recited in claim 1, and further wherein, a keyed opening in the connector housing aligns with the opening through the wall of the connector housing, and the connector body and the keyed opening provide a combination of a projecting key aligned with a recessed keyway to prevent rotation of the connector body.
- 4. A connector as recited in claim 1, and further wherein, a projecting key aligns with the opening through the wall, and a recessed keyway in the connector body receives the key to prevent rotation of the connector body, the resilient member being adjacent to the key.
- 5. A connector as recited in claim 1, and further wherein, a projecting key aligns with the opening through the wall, a recessed keyway in the connector body receives the key to prevent rotation of the connector body, and the resilient member being slidable along the opening toward the key.
- 6. A connector as recited in claim 1, and further wherein, a resiliently deformable member biases the connector body, and the connector body unseats from the wall against a bias of the resiliently deformable member.
- 7. A connector as recited in claim 1 , and further wherein, the springs bias the alignment ferrules toward a mating end of the connector body.
- 8. A connector body to align optical fibers with a mating connector body, comprising: alignment ferrules terminating optical fibers, wherein the alignment ferrules are aligned along passages through the connector body, and further, wherein the passages are environmentally sealed, whereby, environmental seals encircle respective alignment ferrules, springs bias the environmental seals toward respective collars on the alignment ferrules, and the environmental seals compress against the collar and compress against interiors of the passageways to seal the passages.
- 9. A connector body as recited in claim 8 wherein, the springs bias the alignment ferrules toward a mating end of the connector body.
- 10. A connector body as recited in claim 8 wherein, a resilient member encircles the connector body and provides an environmental seal.
- 11. A connector body as recited in claim 8 wherein, a resilient member encircles the connector body, and the connector body is attached by the resilient member in floating suspension against an interior of an opening in a wall so as to float in response to vibration.
- 12. A connector body as recited in claim 10 wherein, the resilient member is in front of a forward facing shoulder on the connector body.
Parent Case Info
This application claims benefit of provisional Application No. 60/054,800, filed Jul. 31, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
61 217008 |
Sep 1986 |
JPX |
2 111 243 |
Jun 1983 |
GBX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Document Number vol. 013 No. 261 P885 Mar. 2, 1989, jpx. |