1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to MPO connectors and ports. More particularly, the present invention relates to MPO connectors at the ends of MPO patch cords or cables, to attach one MPO cord to another MPO cord or port, and relates to MPO ports for accepting such connectors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cord and cables with multiple-fiber push-on/pull-off (MPO) connectors are generally known in the art. Such connectors relate to IEC-61754-7 and EIA/TIA 604-5 (FOCIS 5) standards, which are incorporated herein by reference. MPO patch cords have MPO connectors that typically exist in two genders—male with alignment pins or female without alignment pins.
In
Fiber ends 23 are located in a single row and are aligned between the first and second alignment pins 19 and 21. Although
In
Fiber ends 37 are located in a single row and are aligned between the third and fourth holes 29 and 31. Although
In accordance with the prior art, it can be seen that a female MPO connector 27 cannot be mated to another female MPO connector 27 or female MPO port accurately. Female MPO connectors 27 have only guidance holes 29 and 31. Alignment pins are not associated with female MPO connectors 27 or female MPO ports. Therefore, a precision alignment during mating could not be achieved.
Also in accordance with the prior art, it can be seen that a male MPO connector 11 cannot be mated to another male MPO connector 11. Male MPO connectors 11 have first and second alignment pins 19 and 21. No guidance holes are associated with male MPO connectors 11 or male MPO ports to receive the alignment pins 19 and 21. Therefore, a precision alignment during mating could not be achieved.
In the prior art, an MPO patch cord having a male MPO connector at each end is known. An MPO patch cord having a female MPO connector at each end is known. An MPO patch cord having a male MPO connector at one end and a female MPO connector at the other end is also known. These constitute the three known types of MPO-to-MPO patch cords.
The Applicants have appreciated drawbacks with the MPO patch cords, MPO connectors and MPO ports of the background art.
To be fully prepared, a technician must carry a plurality of MPO-to-MPO cords of the three known types to a job site in order to have patch cords for most potential interconnection situations. Most commonly, the technician only carries a plurality of MPO patch cords having female MPO connectors at both ends (e.g., a female-to-female MPO trunk cord), because a female-to-female MPO trunk cord is typically required in most situations where two components of equipment, each having a male MPO port, are to be connected. Therefore, if the female-to-female MPO cord is too short to reach between the two components, the technician has no way to solve the problem, since as discussed above, the technician cannot mate the female MPO connector of a first MPO cord to the female MPO connector of a second MPO cord in order to increase the connection length of the overall cordage to reach between the two components having male MPO ports. Rather, the project has to be put on hold while a female-to-male MPO cord is retrieved from a supply area or ordered from a supply house.
It is an object of the present invention to address this drawback associated with the MPO patch cords of the background art.
These and other objects are accomplished by an MPO patch cord comprising fiber optic cordage, and a genderless MPO connector disposed at one end of said cordage.
Further, these and other objects are accomplished by a genderless MPO connector comprising a housing, and a genderless MPO ferrule attached to said housing.
Moreover, these and other objects are accomplished by a genderless MPO port comprising a housing, and a genderless MPO ferrule attached to said housing.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limits of the present invention, and wherein:
The present invention now is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. In the figures, the thickness of certain lines, layers, components, elements or features may be exaggerated for clarity. Broken lines illustrate optional features or operations unless specified otherwise.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.
As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, phrases such as “between X and Y” and “between about X and Y” should be interpreted to include X and Y. As used herein, phrases such as “between about X and Y” mean “between about X and about Y.” As used herein, phrases such as “from about X to Y” mean “from about X to about Y.”
It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on”, “attached” to, “connected” to, “coupled” with, “contacting”, etc., another element, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with or contacting the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being, for example, “directly on”, “directly attached” to, “directly connected” to, “directly coupled” with or “directly contacting” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.
Spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper”, “lateral”, “left”, “right” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the descriptors of relative spatial relationships used herein interpreted accordingly.
Fiber ends 53 are located in a single row and are aligned between the first hole 43 and the first alignment pin 49. Although
The termination side or front face 47 of the first ferrule 48 is the side closest to the mating MPO connector or mating MPO port. The front face 47 presents a generally flat ferrule face. A side of the first ferrule 48 opposite to the front face 47 includes a strain relief boot 52. Fibers exiting from the first ferrule 48 on the side opposite to the front face 47 pass through the strain relief boot 52 before entering into fiber optic cordage 54 possessing a plurality of optical fibers 56.
There are several embodiments in the present invention of a genderless MPO patch cord having at least one genderless MPO connector 41, as illustrated in
In
In
In one embodiment of the present invention, optic fibers within the cordage 83 of the third patch cord 81 are twisted one hundred eighty degrees between the first genderless MPO connector 41 and the second genderless MPO connector 41′. This embodiment is referred to as a crossover cord. By this arrangement, the fiber end next to the alignment pin 49 on the front face 47 of the first genderless MPO connector 41 ends up next to the alignment pin 49′ on the front face 47′ of the second genderless MPO connector 41′.
As seen in
The ferrule face 109 is considered a termination side of the ferrule 103 for mating with the genderless MPO connector 41 as the genderless MPO connector 41 is docked into the genderless MPO port 100. The ferrule face 109 is configured as a generally flat surface. The alignment pin 105 extends away from the ferrule face 109, and the guide hole 107 extends into the ferrule face 109.
A plurality of fiber ends 113 (numbered one through twelve in
The plurality of fiber ends 113 are located in a single row and are aligned between the guide hole 107 and the alignment pin 105. Although
In
According to the present invention, a technician may carry MPO patch cords 81 with genderless MPO connectors 41, 41′ at each end, and may extend the length of a single patch cord 81 by simply mating a first genderless MPO connector 41 of a first patch cord 81 to a second genderless MPO connector 41′ of a second MPO patch cord 81′, as illustrated in
In order to have proper fiber orientation between first and second genderless MPO ports 100, the technician would need to daisy-chain MPO patch cords 81 (of the crossover type in
Alternative, it would be possible to provide a modified MPO patch cord, like the MPO patch cord 81 of
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/323,583, filed Apr. 13, 2010, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61323583 | Apr 2010 | US |