1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fiber optic connector ports. More particularly, the present invention relates to a shutter assembly which can be mounted into a port module above and below fiber optic ports, which shutter assembly has plural shutters for covering fiber optic connector ports mounted in the port module.
2. Description of the Related Art
One type of fiber optic organization component, such as a fiber tray, shelf, rack or panel, receives a trunk cable made up of a plurality of optical fibers. These fibers are fanned out at the organization component and individually connected to backsides of a plurality of fiber optic connector ports, e.g., receptacles. Male connectors can be plugged into the receptacles to form a connection between a fiber optic cable attached to the male connector and one of the fibers of the trunk cable.
When a male connector is plugged into a given receptacle, the close fit between the connector and the receptacle helps prevent dust from entering the receptacle. When a given receptacle is not in use, it may be desirable to cover the empty receptacle in some manner to keep out dust which can later interfere with the proper functioning of the receptacle. A shutter also prevents laser light from exiting the empty receptacle, which can damage a person's eyesight.
Fiber optic components other than organization components (such passive or active devices, like amplifiers, splitters, attenuators, and multiplexers) may also include one or more receptacles for receiving male connectors and may also benefit from a shutter mechanism for reducing the amount of dust entering an empty receptacle and light exiting an empty receptacle.
Dust can be kept out of a fiber optic receptacle in various ways. One approach is the use of removable plugs shaped like the ends of the male connectors that can be inserted in the receptacles. Such plugs, while effective, may be dropped and lost when being inserted or removed and may not be readily available when needed.
Various designs of spring-loaded covers and covers having living hinges for covering unused receptacles are also known in the existing art. Such covers are typically integrally connected or securely connected to features of the receptacle, and hence such shutters cannot be retroactively added to existing receptacles since such unshuttered receptacles do not have the needed features for retention, and/or space to accommodate the add-on shutter.
Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 8,348,517 entitled “SHUTTER FOR A FIBER OPTIC COMPONENT AND A FIBER OPTIC COMPONENT INCLUDING THE SHUTTER,” which is herein incorporated by reference, addressed some of these concerns. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,348,517, shutter components 22 were mounted into openings 20 which existed between a first row 16 of receptacles 14 and a second row 18 of receptacles 14. More particularly,
Plugging a male connector into one of the receptacles 14 establishes an optical communication pathway between an optical fiber inside the fiber optic adapter module 10 and a fiber optic cable connected to the male connector in a conventional manner. The fiber optic adapter module 10 may be used in a variety of conventional environments—in various rack systems, for example, or as part of a fan-out adapter in which multiple optic fibers from a trunk cable are separated and fanned out to a plurality of receptacles such as receptacles 14.
Also illustrated in
First and second shutters 38, which may be referred to as “upper” and “lower” shutters, based on the orientation of shutter components 22 in
Shutter base 24 is configured to fit snugly within opening 20 in fiber optic adapter module 10, and tab 36 engages a slot (not illustrated) at an inner portion of opening 20 to secure shutter component 22 in opening 20. Other arrangements for mechanically or adhesively connecting shutter base 24 to fiber optic adapter module 10 could also be used. The dimensions of the shutter base 24 and the opening 20 are selected such that, when shutter base 24 is fully inserted in opening 20, the front wall 34 of the shutter base 24 is generally aligned with the front wall 12 of the fiber optic adapter module 10 leaving flexible hinge members 44 and shutters 38 extending outwardly from the fiber optic adapter module 10. The first and second shutters 38 are shiftable between first and second positions—a first position illustrated in
The shutter assembly of
The Applicant has appreciated that it would be desirable to provide a shutter closure for a fiber optic receptacle in a fiber optic component that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, fits into the same space 20 between the rows 16 and 18 of receptacles 14, and that opens and closes automatically with the insertion and removal of the plug, respectively.
These and other aspects of the present invention are met by a shutter assembly which can fit into the same opening between the first row and the second row of ports. The shutter assembly includes shutters, which reside inside of the ports and which are spring biased to a position closing the ports. The shutter assembly opens inwardly into the port, rather than outwardly from the port (as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,348,517). By such an arrangement, the user need only insert the connector plug into the port to open the shutter and remove the connector plug from the port to close the shutter. The steps of manually opening and manually closing the shutters are eliminated, as compared to U.S. Pat. No. 8,348,517.
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.
As shown in
A shutter assembly 57, as shown in various view of
The frame 65 also includes first and second hinge plates 69 and 71. A first panel 73 is pivotably mounted to the frame 65 on a first side of the frame 65. A second panel 75 is pivotably mounted to the frame 65 on an opposite, second side of the frame 65. The first panel 73 forms a first shutter 77 and a second shutter 79 for interacting with first and second adjacent ports 14 in the first row 16. The first panel 73 is pivotable, along a pivot axis 74, between a first position (
The second panel 75 forms a third shutter 81 and a fourth shutter 83 for interacting with third and fourth adjacent ports 14 in the second row 18. The second panel 75 is pivotable, along a pivot axis 76, between a third position (
As best seen in
The first and second shutters 77 and 79 include first and second recessed regions 93 and 95, on respective surfaces of the first and second shutters 77 and 79, which face away from the frame 65. Likewise, the third and fourth shutters 81 and 83 include third and fourth recessed regions 97 and 99, on respective surfaces of the third and fourth shutters 81 and 83, which face away from the frame 65. The first and second recessed regions 93 and 95 accommodate ferrules 101 of connectors 103 being pressed against the first and second shutters 77 and 79, so that the ferrules 101 do not make physical contact with first and second shutters 77 and 79 as other portions of the connectors 103 move the first panel 73 from its first position to its second position (See
As shown in
The third shutter 81 resides in front of a third port 14C in the second row 18 of ports 14. The third shutter 81 is movable between a third position substantially covering the third port 14C and a fourth position wherein the third shutter 81 has pivoted into the third port 14C to a position closer to a side within the third port 14C adjacent the opening 20 and the frame 65, which allows connector access to the third port 14C. When the third shutter 81 is in the fourth position, the third shutter 81 forms the roof of the third port 14C. The fourth shutter 83 interacts with a fourth and adjacent port 14D in the second row 18 of ports 14 and moves in unison with the third shutter 81 because the third and fourth shutters 81 and 83 are formed as extensions of the second panel 75.
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. 61/945,046, filed Feb. 26, 2014, which is herein incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61945046 | Feb 2014 | US |