CN102854572B - Optical fiber connector, manufacturing method thereof and cable assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a fiber optic connector comprising a mechanical splice assembly, a cam for enabling the mechanical splice assembly, a mechanical splice assembly bracket for receiving and retaining the rear of the mechanical splice assembly, a clamping bracket, A connector housing and shroud for housing the front of the mechanical splice assembly. Compared with the prior art, the optical fiber connector of the present invention has the following advantages: the mechanical splicing assembly is installed on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket without using adhesive; the optical fiber guiding mechanism is used to connect the optical fiber cable; Mechanisms to connect fiber optic cables; use the same fiber optic connector to connect fiber optic cables of different types and/or sizes; and enable/reactivate fiber optic connectors during field installation without the use of special tools.

Description

Fiber optic connector, cable assembly and method of manufacture

technical field

The present invention generally relates to fiber optic connectors, cable assemblies and methods of manufacture. More particularly, the present invention relates to fiber optic connectors, cable assemblies, and methods of connecting fiber optic cables to connectors.

Background technique

Optical fiber communication network is widely used to transmit voice, video, data and other signals. As known to those skilled in the art, in optical fiber communication networks, optical fiber cables are the main carrier of signals. Fiber optic cables need to be connected when used, because fiber optic cables are made in predetermined lengths, and fiber optic communication networks need to be branched. Fiber optic connectors are commonly used to connect the ends of two fiber optic cables to facilitate changes in fiber optic cable routing configurations. Furthermore, the optical fibers in the cable must be terminated when they reach the active transaction equipment connected to the cable. To terminate the fiber optic cable, fiber optic connectors are also used as the interface between the fiber optic cable and the active processing device.

With the rapid development of optical fiber communication networks, more and more optical fiber connectors are required to guide the optical fiber cables to end users when installing optical fiber communication networks. Although existing mechanical splice connectors can meet the requirements of on-site installation, they have some disadvantages as follows. First, in existing mechanical splice connectors, some parts are connected by adhesive. Such a bonding process is difficult to handle and time-consuming during installation. Moreover, the structure of the existing mechanical splicing connector is not suitable for making the optical fiber connector ineffective (deactivating) and re-activating (re-activating) during field installation, because if the components of the optical fiber connector and the optical fiber cable are not damaged, Deactivating and reactivating the fiber optic connector can be very inconvenient and time consuming. Additionally, field installation of existing fiber optic connectors is inconvenient and highly skilled. Additionally, special tools are required to field install existing fiber optic connectors. Finally, different types of fiber optic connectors are required to connect different types and/or sizes of fiber optic cables.

Therefore, there is a need to provide an improved fiber optic connector that overcomes the deficiencies of existing fiber optic connectors and has better performance in field installation.

Contents of the invention

The invention provides an optical fiber connector which overcomes the disadvantages in the prior art.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides an optical fiber connector, as follows:

An optical fiber connector, comprising: a mechanical splice assembly; and a mechanical splice assembly holder, which includes a body section and a cable retention section, the The cable gripping portion includes a pair of cable retention arms extending from the body portion; wherein: the cable gripping portion includes a guide slot extending from the body portion out and between the pair of cable gripping arms.

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein: the mechanical splice assembly includes: a mechanical splice assembly house (mechanical splice assembly house), which has a first end, a second end and a splice assembly passing through the first end. and a tubular cavity at a second end, and a ferrule having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the ferrule is inserted into the machine from the first end of the machine splicing assembly housing. Connection assembly housing.

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein: the mechanical splice housing has a lead-in tube at its second end, and the lead-in tube has a front opening.

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein: the main part of the mechanical splice assembly bracket includes a tubular cavity extending through it, and the second end of the mechanical splice assembly housing is inserted into the mechanical splice assembly bracket In the tubular cavity of the main body part of the mechanical splicing assembly, the front opening of the introduction pipe on the mechanical splicing assembly housing is aligned with the guide groove on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket.

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein: the guide groove includes two groove side walls and a groove bottom; and the two groove side walls are separated from the two cable clamping arms to form a peninsula shaped groove.

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein: the guide groove extends to a part of the length of the two cable clamping arms.

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein: the guide groove includes a tongue extending toward the end of the cable clamping arm.

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein: the main part of the mechanical splice assembly bracket and the cable clamping part are manufactured in one body (or a unit).

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the bottom of the groove includes a surface gradually raised toward the front opening of the introduction tube, so as to facilitate the insertion of the optical fiber in the optical fiber cable into the front opening of the introduction tube.

According to the optical fiber connector of the first aspect of the present invention, wherein: the two groove side walls form a funnel-shaped channel open toward the front end of the introduction tube, so as to insert the optical fiber in the optical fiber cable into the front end of the introduction tube In the mouth.

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein: the opening at the front end of the introduction tube is funnel-shaped.

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein: the ferrule has an optical fiber ferrule extending from the first end of the ferrule; and the optical fiber connector is used for connecting a An optical fiber cable, the optical fiber is inserted into the introduction tube under the guidance of the guide groove, so as to touch/contact the optical fiber ferrule.

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, further comprising: a clamping bracket for receiving and accommodating the cable clamping portion of the mechanical splice bracket after the optical fiber cable is inserted into the cable clamping portion.

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention further comprises: a connector housing for receiving and accommodating the mechanical splice assembly.

The fiber optic connector according to the first aspect of the present invention further includes: a shroud for receiving and accommodating the connector housing, the mechanical splice assembly bracket and the clamping bracket.

The fiber optic connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, further comprising: cam means for activating and deactivating said mechanical splice assembly.

The fiber optic connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein: the cam means includes a handle; and the shroud includes a slot for receiving the handle on the cam means.

The fiber optic connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, further comprising: a spring for biasing/biasing the mechanical splice assembly forward.

The optical fiber connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein: the optical fiber connector is a part of an optical fiber cable assembly for connecting an optical fiber cable with an optical fiber.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the invention provides a method of manufacturing an optical fiber cable assembly as follows:

A method of manufacturing a fiber optic cable assembly comprising the steps of: providing a fiber optic cable having optical fibers; providing a mechanical splice assembly; providing a mechanical splice assembly bracket comprising a main body portion and a cable gripping portion, the cable gripping portion including a a pair of cable gripping arms extending from the body portion, wherein the cable gripping portion includes a guide slot extending from the body portion and positioned between the pair of cable gripping arms inserting the optical fiber into the mechanical splicing assembly through the guide groove; and fixing the optical fiber of the optical fiber cable in the mechanical splicing assembly.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein said step of providing a mechanical splice assembly further comprises the step of: providing a mechanical splice assembly housing having a first end, a second end and passing through said first end and a tubular cavity at the second end, and providing a sleeve having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the sleeve is inserted into the mechanical splice housing from the first end of the mechanical splice housing body.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein: the mechanical splice housing has an inlet tube at its second end, and the inlet tube has a front opening.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein: the main body portion of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket includes a tubular cavity extending therethrough, and the second end of the mechanical splicing assembly housing is inserted into the main body of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket Part of the tubular cavity, so that the front opening of the introduction pipe of the mechanical splicing assembly housing is aligned with the guide groove of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein: said guide groove comprises two groove side walls and a groove bottom; and said two groove side walls are separated from said two cable clamping arms to form a peninsular groove.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein said guide groove extends for part of the length of said two cable gripping arms.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein said guide groove comprises a tongue extending towards the end of said cable gripping arm.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein: the main body portion and the cable clamping portion of the mechanical splice bracket are manufactured in one piece (or as a unit).

A method according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein: said groove bottom comprises a gradually rising (slope) surface open towards the front end of said introduction tube, so as to facilitate insertion of an optical fiber in a fiber optic cable into the front end of said introduction tube In the mouth.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein: the two groove side walls form a funnel-shaped channel towards the front opening of the introduction tube, so as to insert the optical fiber in the optical fiber cable into the front opening of the introduction tube .

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein: the opening at the front end of the introduction pipe is funnel-shaped.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein: the ferrule has a fiber optic ferrule extending from a first end of the ferrule; and the fiber optic connector is for connecting a fiber optic cable with exposed optical fibers , the optical fiber is inserted into the introduction tube under the guidance of the guide groove, so as to touch the optical fiber ferrule.

A method according to the second aspect of the present invention, further comprising the step of providing a clamping bracket for receiving and accommodating the cable clamping portion of the mechanical splice assembly bracket after the fiber optic cable is inserted into said cable clamping portion .

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention further comprises the step of providing a connector housing for receiving and containing said mechanical splice assembly.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention further comprises the step of providing a shroud for receiving and accommodating said connector housing, said mechanical splice bracket and said clamping bracket.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention further comprises the step of providing cam means for activating and deactivating said mechanical splice assembly.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein: the cam means includes a shank; and the shroud includes a slot for receiving the shank on the cam means.

The method according to the second aspect of the present invention further comprises the step of providing a spring for biasing the mechanical splice assembly forward.

The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned defects of the existing optical fiber connectors by providing the components in the above-mentioned optical fiber connector and the steps in the above-mentioned method for forming a cable assembly using the optical fiber connector.

Description of drawings

The present invention will be described below in conjunction with accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary cable assembly 10 to illustrate the concepts of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a partial exploded view of the fiber optic connector 20 of the present invention;

Figure 3 shows the mechanical splicing assembly 2 in Figure 2 in more detail;

4A-C show various enlarged views of the mechanical splice housing 5 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5A shows an enlarged top perspective view of the mechanical splice bracket 6 in FIG. 2;

Figure 5B shows the front view of Figure 5A;

Figure 5C shows an enlarged bottom perspective view of the mechanical splice assembly bracket 6 of Figure 2 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5D shows an enlarged bottom perspective view of the mechanical splice bracket 6 of Figure 2 according to another illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

6A-B and 7A-B are explanatory diagrams of the connection of the housing 5 of the mechanical splicing assembly to the bracket 6 of the mechanical splicing assembly;

Figures 8A-C illustrate three types of fiber optic cables;

Figures 9A-B show the slot 65 in Figure 5A in more detail;

Figures 10A-C show the clamping bracket 7 in Figure 1 in more detail;

Figures 11A-B show two perspective views of the shield 9 in Figure 2 in more detail;

FIG. 12A shows the steps of connecting reinforcing material 104 to fiber optic connector 20 during an installation operation;

Figure 12B shows the cable assembly 10 without the shield 9 installed;

Figures 13A-C show two perspective views and a side view of the cam 3 in Figure 2, respectively;

Fig. 14 shows a perspective view of the cam 3, the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6, the clamping bracket 7, and the connector housing 8 in their assembled positions;

Figures 15A-C show three perspective views of the connector housing 8 in Figure 2;

Figure 16 shows a cross-sectional view of the fiber optic cable assembly 10 of Figure 1; and

FIG. 17 shows an alternative embodiment of the shroud 9 .

detailed description

Reference will now be made to examples of embodiments which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the detailed description of the embodiments, directional terms such as "top", "bottom", "front", "rear", "side", "left", "right", "forward", "rear" etc. Used with reference to the orientation in the drawings to be described. Since various components in embodiments of the present invention can be placed in a variety of different orientations, the directional terms are used for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to be limiting. Wherever possible, the same or similar reference numerals and symbols are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a perspective view of an exemplary cable assembly 10 is shown to illustrate the concepts of the present invention. The cable assembly 10 has therein a fiber optic connector 20 best shown in FIG. 2 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the cable assembly 10 includes a cam 3 , a clamping bracket 7 and a shroud 9 which have been assembled into a unit to connect an optical fiber cable 100 to an optical fiber connector 20 .

Referring to FIG. 2 , a partially exploded view of the fiber optic connector 20 is shown. As shown in Figure 2, the optical fiber connector 20 includes a mechanical splicing assembly 2, a cam 3 for activating the mechanical splicing assembly 2, a mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 for accommodating and maintaining the rear end of the mechanical splicing assembly 2 , a clamping bracket 7 , a connector housing 8 for accommodating the front end of the mechanical splicing assembly 2 , a spring 10 for biasing the mechanical splicing assembly 2 forward, and a shield 9 .

FIG. 3 shows the mechanical splice assembly 2 of FIG. 2 in more detail. As shown in FIG. 3 , the mechanical splicing assembly 2 includes a ferrule 4 , a mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 and a pair of splicing parts 25 a and 25 b . The ferrule 4 has an optical fiber ferrule 24 extending from its rear end. It should be noted that other suitable mechanical splice assemblies may have fewer or more components than the illustrated embodiment. The end face of the ferrule 4 (the end face with the fiber ferrule) has been formed before leaving the factory, thereby reducing the finishing/polishing steps for technicians. Likewise, the free end of the fiber optic ferrule 24 is prefabricated at the factory to a desired length using any suitable method (eg, laser machining, etc.). Therefore, a technician can form a mechanical splice assembly 2 in the field by simply forming a mechanical splice connection between the fiber optic ferrule 24 and the optical fiber 102 (see FIG. 16 ) in the fiber optic cable 100, thereby allowing in-field connection between the fibers. Reliable connection.

After the assembly is completed, a pair of connecting parts 25a and 25b of the mechanical splicing assembly 2 in FIG. . And, the optical fiber ferrule 24 is provided between a pair of connection parts 25a and 25b. Thus, optical fibers in the cable can be inserted into the rear end of the mechanical splice assembly housing 5 and guided between the pair of splices 25 a and 25 b to abut the fiber optic ferrule 24 . After the fibers are abutted, they can be held in place between the splices, thereby forming a mechanical splice between the fibers.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , a rib 36 is provided on the top surface of the connection portion 25 a, and an elongated window 34 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 5 of the mechanical connection assembly. The mechanical splice housing 5 and the pair of splices 25a, 25b are arranged so that when the pair of splices 25a, 25b are placed in the mechanical splice housing 5, the rib 36 extends through the elongated window 34, which makes The cam 3 is capable of biasing the splices 25a and 25b together to hold (or clamp) the ferrule 4 and fiber optic cable 100 between the splices 25a and 25b when the cam 3 is rotated to the active position.

4A-C show various enlarged views of the mechanical splice housing 5 of FIG. 3 . As shown in FIG. 4A, the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 has a partly cylindrical body having two pairs of fan-shaped projections 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b (used as first Engagement device), so that when the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 is inserted into the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6, the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 can retain (retain) the mechanical splicing assembly 2 . As shown in Figure 4B (which is the rear view of Figure 4A) and 4C (which is the side view of Figure 4A viewed from the S direction), two pairs of fan-shaped protrusions 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b symmetrically surround the mechanical splice assembly shell The outer surface of the cylindrical main part of the body 5 is provided, however, according to the solution disclosed here, asymmetrical deformations are also possible. Thus, a pair of fan-shaped recesses 39a and 39b are formed adjacent to the two pairs of fan-shaped protrusions 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b, which are also symmetrically formed around the outer surface of the cylindrical main body portion of the mechanical splice housing 5. . As shown in FIG. 4C, two pairs of sector-shaped protrusions 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b are arranged to form a rotation gap (rotation channel) 40, which is located between the two pairs of sector-shaped protrusions 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b. According to one illustrative embodiment, the rotational gap 40 has a width of 2 millimeters, although other dimensions are possible.

Referring to FIG. 5A , an enlarged top perspective view of the mechanical splice bracket 6 of FIG. 2 is shown. As shown in FIG. 5A , the mechanical splice bracket 6 includes a main body portion 50 and a cable gripping portion 51 . The main body portion 50 has a front portion 50f and a rear portion 50r. The front part 50f has a cavity 52 for accommodating the cam 3 and the housing 5 of the mechanical splice assembly. In the front, the cavity 52 includes a front opening 53 to allow the mechanical splice housing 5 to be inserted into the main body part 50 . A pair of scalloped protrusions 54a, 54b (serving as second engagement means) are arranged symmetrically on the inner circumference of the opening 53, but asymmetrical deformations are also possible according to the concepts disclosed here.

Referring to FIG. 5B, it is a front view of FIG. 5A viewed from direction A, which shows that a pair of fan-shaped recesses 55a, 55b are symmetrically formed on the inner circumference of the opening 53 adjacent to a pair of fan-shaped protrusions 54a, 54b. . As shown, the contours of a pair of fan-shaped protrusions 54a, 54b and a pair of fan-shaped recesses 55a, 55b on the mechanical splice assembly bracket 6 are respectively in line with a pair of fan-shaped recesses 39a, 39b and The profiles of the two pairs of sector-shaped protrusions 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b are opposite (ie complementary). And, in order to keep (retain) the housing 5 of the mechanical splicing assembly, the wall thickness T of the fan-shaped protrusions 54a, 54b matches the rotation gap 40 between the two pairs of fan-shaped protrusions 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b, so that the mechanical splicing assembly The fan-shaped protrusions 54a, 54b on the bracket 6 can slide into the rotation gap 40 on the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 to fix the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 . Of course, other complementary profiles and/or geometries can also be used between the mechanical splice bracket 6 and the mechanical splice housing 5 .

6A-B and 7A-B show illustrations of the connection of the mechanical splice housing 5 to the mechanical splice bracket 6 . As shown in Figure 6A, when the two pairs of fan-shaped protrusions 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b on the mechanical splice assembly housing 5 are aligned with the pair of fan-shaped recesses 55a, 55b on the mechanical splice assembly bracket 6, the mechanical splice assembly housing The body 5 is inserted into the main body portion 50 of the mechanical splice bracket 6 . FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6A along line 6B-6B. As shown in FIG. 6B , the mechanical splice assembly housing 5 is inserted into the main body portion 50 of the mechanical splice assembly bracket 6 .

As shown in FIGS. 7A-B , when the pair of fan-shaped protrusions 54a, 54b on the opening 53 are approximately in the middle of the rotation gap 40, the fan-shaped protrusions 54a, 54b can be slid into the rotation by rotating the housing 5 of the mechanical splice assembly. Gap 40. After the fan-shaped projections 54a, 54b move into the rotation clearance 40 on the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5, the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 is held (retain) (or fixed) on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6, for example through this Rotational motion between two parts. 7B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 7A along line 7B-7B. As shown in FIG. 7B , a pair of fan-shaped protrusions 54a, 54b on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 are located in the rotation gap 40 on the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 . Other suitable geometries may also be suitable for mechanically securing the mechanical splice housing 5 and the mechanical splice bracket 6 together.

In a traditional mechanical splicing optical fiber connector, the splicing component housing and the mechanical splicing component bracket are connected to each other by bonding. By providing two pairs of scalloped projections 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b on the mechanical splice assembly housing 5 and a pair of scalloped projections 54a, 54b on the mechanical splice assembly bracket 6, the fiber optic connector 20 does not use adhesives. Connect the mechanical splice housing 5 to the mechanical splice bracket 6 . Compared with conventional mechanical splice fiber optic connectors, the fiber optic connectors disclosed herein are capable of withstanding a wider range of off-axis rocking motion and/or greater radial rocking forces without damaging the mechanical splice assembly 2. This is because when the scallops 54a, 54b are held in the rotational gap 40 between the two pairs of scallops 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b, the mechanical splice housing 5 can still move relative to the mechanical splice bracket 6. There is a certain degree of movement in the radial direction. Because of this advantage, the fiber optic connectors disclosed herein are stronger in field installation and more durable in use.

Referring again to FIG. 5A , as an illustrative embodiment, the main body portion 50 and the cable gripping portion 51 of the mechanical splice bracket 6 are fabricated as one piece (i.e., a monolithic structure), wherein the cable gripping portion 51 separates from the main body portion 50 stretch out. Since the cross-section of the front portion 50f of the body portion 50 is greater than the cross-section of the rear portion 50r, a shoulder 59 is formed at the junction of the front portion 50f and the rear portion 50r. The shoulder 59 serves to stop the clamping bracket 7 when the mechanical splice bracket 6 is inserted into the clamping bracket 7, but other configurations are possible. Of course, non-monolithic structures are also possible. However, the integral structure of the main body portion 50 and the cable clamping portion 51 enables the fiber optic connector to have some advantages, such as more compact size, easier manufacture, easier assembly, and stronger field installation.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the cavity 52 of the mechanical splice bracket 6 may further include a side slot 56 for use in the cam 3 if a cam handle 86 is used (see FIGS. 13A-C ). Cam 3 accommodates cam handle 86 when rotated to the active position (see FIG. 1 ). On the top surface of the rear portion 50r, an opening 57a is formed in the shoulder portion 59, and a locking piece 58a is formed in front of or in the opening 57a. Symmetrically, on the bottom surface of the rear portion 50r, an opening 57b is formed on the shoulder 59, and a locking block 58b is formed before or in the opening 57b, as shown in FIGS. 5C-D (FIG. 5C-D is Enlarged bottom perspective view of mechanical splice bracket 6 in FIG. 2). Two openings 57a and 57b are used to receive latching ears 72a and 72b on the clamping bracket 7 (as shown in FIG. 10A ). In order to fix the clamping bracket 7 better, each locking block 58a, 58b has a rising slope. It should be noted by those skilled in the art that other structures for fixing the clamping bracket 7 on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 are also possible, for example, a locking block is formed on the clamping bracket, and a locking block is formed on the mechanical splicing assembly. An opening or window is formed in the bracket 6 .

Still referring to FIG. 5A , the cable gripping portion 51 on the mechanical splice assembly bracket 6 has a pair of gripping arms 60 a and 60 b with grips for different sizes and/or types of fiber optic cables. At least two sets of gripping points. That is, the mechanical splice bracket 6 is capable of receiving a variety of different cables to provide termination flexibility to the technician. In the illustrative embodiment shown, the pair of clamping arms 60a and 60b have three sets of clamping points for three different types of fiber optic cables as shown in Figures 8A-C. Furthermore, the concept of clamping arms having at least two sets of clamping points for different sizes and/or types of fiber optic cables is independent of other features of the illustrated connectors and may be used with any suitable mechanically spliced fiber optic connector.

Referring to Figures 8A-C, for illustration, three types of fiber optic cables are shown, including: 0.9 mm round cable (i.e., buffered optical fiber) without an outer jacket; 3.0 mm outer jacket Sheathed round cables with cable sheath and aramid fibers, e.g. And a 2.0x3.0mm flat-shaped cable (or bow-shaped cable). As shown in FIG. 8A, a 0.9mm round cable includes an optical fiber and a buffer layer surrounding the optical fiber. Since the diameter of a 0.9mm round cable without an outer sheath is very small, to grip the 0.9mm round cable, the gripping arms 60a and 60b have a first set of gripping points 61a and 61b, the pair of gripping points having A pair of flat surfaces (best shown in Figure 5A).

As shown in FIG. 8B, a 3.0 mm sheathed round cable includes an optical fiber, a buffer layer surrounding the optical fiber, a reinforcing material layer (such as or reinforcing cord), and a sheath surrounding the layer of reinforcing material. Since the diameter of a 3.0mm sheathed round cable is larger than that of a 0.9mm round cable, the gripping arms 60a and 60b have a second set of gripping points 62a and 62b, which have a pair of gripping points. A large semi-circular surface to form a larger circular enclosure (see Figure 5A) to hold the 3.0mm round cable.

The fiber optic connectors disclosed herein are also suitable for connecting a rugged cable having a rigid reinforcement material to a terminal, thereby making the cable suitable for outdoor applications. As shown in Figure 8C, a 2.0x3.0mm flat cable includes an optical fiber, a pair of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP) reinforcing materials arranged on both sides of the optical fiber, and a roughly flat flame-retardant non-corrosive material arranged around the optical fiber and the GRP reinforcing material. (FRNC) sheath. According to one embodiment, there is also a third set of clamping points 63a and 63b for securing the 2.0x3.0mm flat cable (see Figure 5A). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5A, a pair of arms 70a and 70b are provided at upper edges of the third set of clamping points 63a and 63b to form a flat shape profile suitable for securing the flat cable.

It should be noted by those skilled in the art that in the present disclosure, the clamping diameters or widths of the three sets of clamping points are set to gradually increase along the two clamping arms 60a and 60b toward their ends (or distal ends), so that A pair of gripping points for one type of fiber optic cable does not negatively affect another pair of gripping points for another type of fiber optic cable. It should also be noted that the principles and spirit of the present invention are equally applicable to configurations in which the clamping arms 60a and 60b have one or two sets of clamping points or more than three sets of clamping points.

It is also worth noting to those skilled in the art that the multiple gripping point features of the present invention are also applicable to other types and/or sizes of fiber optic cables than those shown in Figures 8A-C, e.g., 1.9/1.6mm Sheathed round cables and 2.9/2.4mm sheathed round cables.

Referring again to FIG. 5A , the cable gripping portion 51 has a groove 65 for guiding the optical fiber in the fiber optic cable into the mechanical splice housing 5 . As shown in FIG. 5A, a slot 65 extends from the main body portion 50 of the mechanical splice bracket 6 and has a pair of slot side walls 66a and 66b, and a slot bottom 67 (see FIGS. 6A-B and 9A-B).

Referring to Figures 6A-B and 9A-B, the slot 65 of Figure 5A is shown in more detail. As shown in FIGS. 6A-B (FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view along line B-B of FIG. 6A), the mechanical splice housing 5 has an introduction tube 98 at its rear end. When the mechanical splice housing 5 is installed in the mechanical splice bracket 6 , the slot 65 in the mechanical splice bracket 6 is aligned with the opening of the lead-in tube 98 in the mechanical splice housing 5 .

FIG. 9A is a top view of the mechanical splice bracket 6 in FIG. 5A , showing two groove side walls 66 a and 66 b configured to have an opening towards the lead-in tube 98 between the inner sides of the two groove side walls 66 a and 66 b funnel-shaped channel. 9B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 9A along line 9B-9B. As shown more clearly in FIG. 9B , the upper surface of the groove bottom 67 gradually rises toward the opening of the guide tube 98 . Therefore, under the guidance of the two groove side walls 66 a and 66 b and the groove bottom 67 , the optical fiber in the optical fiber cable can be easily guided into the opening of the introduction pipe 98 of the mechanical splice housing 5 after being inserted into the groove 65 . Additionally, as shown in FIG. 6B , each slot side wall 66 a and 66 b is separated from the corresponding clamping arm 60 a or 60 b to form a peninsular slot 65 . This peninsula-shaped slot 65 does not negatively affect the flexibility of the movement of the two clamping arms 60a and 60b towards each other. This flexibility of movement enhances the gripping of fiber optic cables.

FIG. 5C shows an enlarged bottom perspective view of the mechanical splice bracket 6 of FIG. 2 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 5C , on the bottom surface of the mechanical splice bracket 6 , an opening 57 b is provided on the shoulder 59 , and a locking block 58 b is provided at a position before or in the opening 57 b. In order to better guide the optical fiber in the fiber optic cable, there is a tongue 110 extending from the groove bottom 67 towards (or to) the end of the cable gripping arms 60a, 60b.

FIG. 5D shows an enlarged bottom perspective view of the mechanical splice bracket 6 of FIG. 2 according to another illustrative embodiment of the invention. As shown in Figure 5D, the tongue 110' extends out from the slot bottom 67 and towards (or to) the end of the cable retaining arms 60a, 60b. Compared to the embodiment in Figure 5C, the tongue 110' is narrower than the groove bottom 67. Since the tongue 110 (or 110') is separate from the clamping arm 60a or 60b, it does not negatively affect the flexibility of the two clamping arms 60a and 60b to move towards each other.

Still referring to FIG. 5A, two reinforcing material grooves 68a and 68b are provided on the top surfaces of the two clamping arms 60a and 60b, respectively, for receiving and accommodating the reinforcing material ( or rope). The side arms of the two clamping arms 60a and 60b are also provided with two reinforcing material notches 69a and 69b respectively communicating with the two reinforcing material grooves 68a and 68b, so that when the optical fiber cable is inserted into the two clamping arms Between 60a and 60b, the strengthening material of the fiber optic cable can pass along the groove 68a or 68b and extend through the strengthening material notch 69a or 69b to the outside of the groove 68a or 68b.

Figures 10A-C show the clamping bracket 7 of Figure 1 in more detail. As shown in Figure 10A, the clamping bracket 7 has two front edges 74a, 74b and two latching ears 72a and 72b. Two front edges 74a, 74b and two latching ears 72a and 72b are symmetrically arranged opposite each other around the main body of the clamping bracket 7 . Two locking mechanisms 73a and 73b (such as holes or windows) are respectively provided on the locking ears 72a and 72b for fixing the clamping bracket 7 .

Referring to FIG. 10B , a side view of the clamping bracket 7 in FIG. 10A is shown. As shown in Figure 10B, the two latching ears 72a and 72b on the clamping bracket 7 extend beyond the two front edges 74a and 74b.

Referring to FIG. 10C , a cross-sectional view of FIG. 10B along line 10C- 10C is shown. As shown in FIG. 10C , the clamping bracket 7 includes a cavity 75 , and the cavity 75 has a channel whose size gradually decreases, which is used for inserting the cable clamping portion 51 on the mechanical splice bracket 6 into the clamping bracket 7 . The clamping arms 60a and 60b are squeezed together while in the cavity 75 of the clamping arm. The cavity 75 is arranged such that the cable can be loosely located between the two clamping arms 60a and 60b when they first enter the passage of the cavity. As the two clamping arms 60a and 60b are moved progressively deeper into the channel, the cavity 73 is gradually reduced thereby squeezing the clamping arms 60a and 60b together to clamp the fiber optic cable therein. When the front edge of the clamping bracket 7 reaches the shoulder 59 of the mechanical splice bracket 6, the movement of the clamping arm stops.

Referring to Figures 11A-B, two perspective views of the shroud 9 in Figure 2 are shown in more detail. As shown in Figure 11A, the shield 9 includes: an opening 81 at its rear end for receiving the connector housing 8; a U-shaped window 82 for accommodating the cam 3; and a slide groove 83 located at the opening of the U-shaped window 82 edge, so that when the cam 3 is in the locking position, the cam handle 86 (as shown in FIG. 13 ) can slide back and forth along the slide groove 83 . The shroud 9 also includes two reinforcing material notches 84 a and 84 b that can be aligned with the two reinforcing material notches 69 a and 69 b on the mechanical splice bracket 6 .

Figure 12A illustrates the steps involved in attaching reinforcement material 104 to fiber optic connector 20 during an installation operation. As shown in FIG. 12A , before connecting the reinforcing material 104 to the fiber optic connector 20, the rear end of the mechanical splice assembly 2 is inserted into the mechanical splice assembly bracket 6 and the front end of the mechanical splice assembly 2 is inserted into the connector housing 8 , the connector housing 8 is inserted into the shield 9 . After inserting the fastening material 104 between the two clamping arms 60a and 60b through the passage in the cavity 75 of the clamping bracket 7, the fastening material 104 enters one of the two clamping arms 60a and 60b slot 68a or 68b, and passes through one of the two fastening material notches 69a and 69. The reinforcement material 104 also passes through one of the reinforcement material notches 84 a or 84 b on the shield 9 to reach the side wall of the shield 9 . The two clamping arms 60a and 60b then enter the channels of the cavity 75 of the clamping bracket 7 so that one of the two edges 74a and 74b of the clamping bracket 7 pushes the reinforcement material 104 into the shroud 9 and makes it It is located between the inner wall of the cavity 75 of the clamping bracket 7 and the outer wall of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 . Thus, the reinforcing material 104 is clamped between the inner wall of the cavity 75 of the retaining bracket 7 and the outer wall of the rear portion 50r of the main body portion 50 of the mechanical splice module bracket 6 after the fiber optic connector 20 is installed.

FIG. 12B shows the cable assembly 10 without the shroud 9 installed. As shown in FIG. 12B , the head of the reinforcement material 104 extends out of the clamping bracket 7 after all other components are assembled except the shroud 9 . After the fiber optic cable 100 is released from the mechanical splice bracket 6 in the process of deactivating the connector, the reinforcing material 104 can be easily and conveniently removed from one of the reinforcing material recesses of the mechanical splice bracket 6 69a or 69b out.

It is worth noting that the reinforcement material 104 of the fiber optic cable 100 remains outside the shroud 9 in FIG. 1 after the fiber optic cable 100 is connected to the fiber optic connector 20 during installation operations. Such an arrangement allows the technician to easily observe whether the fiber optic cable 100 and the reinforcing material 104 are properly installed, and facilitates the technician when connecting the fiber optic cable 100 to the fiber optic connector 20, or when removing the fiber optic cable 100 from the fiber optic connector. 20 to hold the reinforcing material 104 when releasing or reconnecting the fiber optic cable 100 to the fiber optic connector 20.

It is also worth noting that the present application provides the skilled person with a mechanical means to conveniently secure the reinforcing material 104 in the connector during the operation of activating or re-activating the connector. On the fiber optic connector 20, the reinforcement material 104 can also be easily released from the fiber optic connector 20 during the operation of deactivating the connector without damaging the reinforcement material 104.

Referring to Figures 13A-C, which show two perspective views and one side view of the cam 3 in Figure 2, respectively. The cam 3 has a handle 86 and a body 87 as shown in FIGS. 13A-C . The cam handle 86 has a notch 90 for receiving the locking ear 72a on the clamping bracket 7 when the mechanical splice bracket 6 is inserted into the clamping bracket 7 . The cam body 87 also includes a through hole 88 with an eccentric circumference and a pair of symmetrically arranged protrusions 89a and 89b. The through hole 88 is used to receive and accommodate the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5, and the protrusions 89a and 89b are used to lift and clamp Two locking ears 72a and 72b on the bracket 7. In order to accurately lift the locking ear 72a on the clamping bracket 7, the protrusion 89a is arranged below or near the notch 90 on the cam handle 86, so that when the mechanical splice bracket 6 is inserted into the clamping bracket 7 and When the cam 3 is in the release position, the locking ear 72a on the clamping bracket 7 is located above the protrusion 89a on the cam 3 . During installation, in order to install the cam 3 on the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 , the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 is inserted into the through hole 88 of the cam 3 . When the cam 3 is in the released position, the mechanical splice housing 5 is loosely located in the through hole 88 . And when the cam 3 was rotated to the locked position, the eccentric portion of the through hole 88 pressed the rib 36 on the top surface of the connecting portion 25a, so that the connecting portions 25a and 25b can connect the optical fiber 102 and the optical fiber ferrule in the optical fiber cable 100 24 clamped therein.

Referring to FIG. 14 , it shows a perspective view of the assembled position of the cam 3 , the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 , the clamping bracket 7 and the connector housing 8 when the cam 3 is in the release position. As shown in Figure 14, since the locking ear 72a on the clamping bracket 7 passes through the opening 57a on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6, and the left edge of the locking ear 72a is inserted into the notch 90 on the cam handle 86, the locking The locking mechanism 73a on the ear portion 72a is aligned with the locking block 58a on the mechanical splice bracket 6 . However, since the locking ear 72a on the clamping bracket 7 is located above the protrusion 89a of the cam 3, the locking mechanism 73a on the locking ear 72a is lifted above the locking block 58a on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6, This prevents the locking piece 58a from snapping/clamping into the locking mechanism 73a. Due to its symmetrical arrangement, the locking ear 72b on the clamping bracket 7 also passes through the opening 57b on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6, which makes the locking mechanism 73b on the locking ear 72b compatible with the opening 57b on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6. The latch blocks 58b are aligned. However, since the locking ear 72b on the clamping bracket 7 is located above the protrusion 89b of the cam 3, the locking mechanism 73b on the locking ear 72b is lifted above the locking block 58b on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6, This prevents the locking piece 58b from snapping/clamping into the locking mechanism 73b. Thus, in FIG. 14 , the cam 3 is in the released position, wherein the mechanical splice bracket 6 can be freely inserted into or pulled out of the holding bracket 7 .

In the operation of making the connector work, when the cam 3 is rotated from the release position shown in FIG. 14 to the locked position shown in FIG. The latching mechanisms 73 a and 73 b on the bracket 7 engage/clamp, thereby connecting the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 to the clamping bracket 7 . More specifically, as the cam handle 86 is rotated across the latch ear 72a from its left edge to its right edge, the two projections 89a and 89b on the cam body 87 move away from the latch of the clamp bracket 7. Ears 72a and 72b. When the cam handle 86 reaches the sliding groove 83 on the shield 9, the two protrusions 89a and 89b on the cam body 87 are moved out of the locking ears 72a and 72b of the clamping bracket 7. Thus, the two locking blocks 58a and 58b on the mechanical splice bracket 6 engage/clamp with the two locking mechanisms 73a and 73b on the clamp bracket 7, thereby connecting the mechanical splice bracket 6 to the clamp bracket7.

In the operation of deactivating the connector, when the cam 3 is rotated from the locked position to the released position, the two locking mechanisms 73a and 73b on the clamping bracket 7 are lifted away from the mechanical splice bracket 6. The two locking blocks 58a and 58b, thereby releasing the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 from the clamping bracket 7. More specifically, when the cam handle 86 is rotated across the latch ear 72a from its right edge to its left edge, the two projections 89a and 89b on the cam body 87 are directed towards the latch of the clamp bracket 7. The ears 72a and 72b move. When the cam handle 86 reaches the left edge of the locking ear 72a, the two protrusions 89a and 89b on the cam body 87 move below the locking ears 72a and 72b of the clamping bracket 7 . Accordingly, the two latching mechanisms 73a and 73b on the clamping bracket 7 are lifted away from the two latching blocks 58a and 58b on the mechanical splice bracket 6, thereby releasing the mechanical splice bracket 6 from the clamping bracket. 7 release.

Notably, the fiber optic connector 20 disclosed herein provides a connector enable/disable mechanism that is easy to operate and does not require any tool and will not damage any parts. It is also worth noting that if the technician pulls the holding bracket 7 unintentionally, the fiber optic cable connected to the fiber optic connector 20 can withstand a large pulling force, because the pulling force is provided by the mechanical splice assembly bracket 6 at this time. The two locking blocks 58a and 58b and the two locking ears 72a and 72b on the clamping bracket 7 are borne, rather than being borne by the optical fiber cable. Therefore, the fiber optic connector 20 is reversible without damaging or destroying the fiber optic connector 20 and still providing a secure connector. It is also worth noting that the strengthening material of the fiber optic cable will not be damaged in the reverse operation of disabling/activating the connector.

15A-C show three perspective views of the connector housing 8 in FIG. 2 . 15A is a top perspective view from the front of the connector housing 8, as shown in FIG. 15A, the connector housing 8 has a front opening 93 for receiving an adapter (not shown) when installed in the field. Figure 15B is a top perspective view from the rear end of the connector housing 8 showing the rear opening 105 for receiving the rear end of the ferrule 4 (see Figure 3). 15C is a bottom perspective view from the rear end of the connector housing 8. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 15B-C , when viewed from the bottom of the connector housing 8 , the rear opening 105 and the middle opening 106 are provided at both ends of the cavity 92 . Since the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 needs to pass through the rear opening 105 (fitly), the inner circumference of the rear opening 105 of the connector housing 8 is connected to the front opening 53 on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 by rotating 90 degrees (see Fig. 5A) have the same geometry. That is to say, if the rear opening 105 of the connector housing 8 rotates 90 degrees with respect to the front opening 53 of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6, the inner circumference of the rear opening 105 of the connector housing 8 and the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 The inner circumferences of the front openings 53 overlap. It is worth noting that, due to having the same geometry through 90 rotations, when the mechanical splice housing 5 is in two different rotational positions, the rear opening 105 of the connector housing 8 and the front opening 105 of the mechanical splice bracket 6 The opening 53 is able to interact with the two pairs of sector-shaped projections 7a, 37b and 38a, 38b on the mechanical splice housing 5 at two different moments. This configuration enables the rear opening 105 of the connector housing 8 to prevent rotational movement of the mechanical splice housing 5 after the mechanical splice housing 5 is held on the mechanical splice bracket 6 and the fiber optic connector 20 is assembled.

Referring to FIG. 16 , a cross-sectional view of the fiber optic cable assembly 10 of FIG. 1 is shown. As shown in FIG. 16, the optical fiber cable 100 is inserted into the cable clamping portion 51 of the mechanical splice assembly bracket 6, and is clamped by the cable clamping portion 51. At the same time, the optical fiber ferrule 24 is inserted between the splices 25a and 25b, And it is sandwiched by the connection parts 25a and 25b. The optical fiber 102 in the optical fiber cable 100 is inserted between the splices 25a and 25b under the guidance of the groove 65, where the optical fiber 102 adjoins the fiber ferrule 24 and is held between the splices 25a and 25b. The mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 is inserted into and held by the main body portion 50 of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 , and the cam 3 is mounted on the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 . After putting the spring 10 into the connector housing 8 , the end of the mechanical splice 2 is inserted into the connector housing 8 so that the spring 10 is mounted on the end of the mechanical splice housing 5 . After the optical fiber 102 in the fiber optic cable 100 is placed between the splices 25a and 25b, the cable clamping portion 51 of the mechanical splice assembly bracket 6 is inserted into the clamping bracket 7 so that the two arms of the cable clamping portion 51 Squeeze together. As shown in FIG. 16 , the shield 9 is used to accommodate the main body portion 50 of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 , the mechanical splicing assembly 2 , the connector housing 8 and the spring 10 . As shown in Figure 1 IB, the opening 107 of the shroud 9 is adapted to receive an adapter (not shown) when installed in the field. As shown in FIG. 16 , the connector housing 8 provides a connection function according to the SC standard, and the spring 10 provides a biasing force between the connector housing 5 and the connector housing 8 .

Referring to the attached drawings, a technician can perform the connector assembly operation by following the illustrative steps below:

As shown in FIG. 3 , the technician inserts the two connecting parts 25a and 25b into the housing 5 of the mechanical splicing assembly, and inserts the optical fiber ferrule 24 on the sleeve 4 between the two connecting parts 25a and 25b;

The technician then puts the spring 10 into the cavity 92 of the connector housing 8 as shown in Figure 15C;

Subsequently, the technician inserts the connector housing 8 and the mechanical splice bracket 6 sequentially through the rear opening 81 of the shroud 9 into the shroud 9 to a position where the cavity of the mechanical splice bracket 6 Body 52 (shown in FIG. 5A ) is aligned with window 82 (shown in FIG. 11A ) on shield 9;

Thereafter, the technician puts the cam 3 into the cavity 52 of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 through the window 82 on the shield 9 in its release position;

After properly aligning the two pairs of fan-shaped protrusions 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b on the mechanical splice assembly housing 5 with the rear opening 105 of the connector housing 8, the technician further inserts the rear end of the mechanical splice assembly housing 5 The front opening 93 of the connector housing 8 passes through the spring 10 and the rear opening 105 of the connector housing 8 (as shown in FIG. 15B ), and connects the connector housing 8 and the mechanical splice assembly housing 5 Separate a gap of 2 mm, then rotate the mechanical splicing housing 5 counterclockwise by 90 degrees to properly align the two pairs of fan-shaped protrusions 37a, 37b and 38a, 38b with the front opening 53 of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6, and then Continue to insert the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 so that it passes through the front opening 53 of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 (as shown in 5A); and

Finally, the technician rotates the housing 5 of the mechanical splicing assembly 90 degrees clockwise to move the protrusions 54a and 54b on the bracket 6 of the mechanical splicing assembly into the rotation clearance 40 of the housing 5 of the mechanical splicing assembly, thereby mechanically splicing The module housing 5 is retained on a mechanically spliced module bracket 6 .

Referring to the accompanying drawings, technicians can use the connector of this application to perform on-site cable terminal connection operations through the following steps:

The technician inserts the optical fiber cable 100 through the channel 75 of the clamping bracket 7, and pushes the optical fiber 102 in the optical fiber cable 100 into the guide groove 65 of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6, and then further enters the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5. into the tube 98;

The (optional) technician will Or the rope is put into one of the two reinforcing material grooves 68a and 68b of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 and passes through one of the two reinforcing material notches 69a and 69b, and then passes through the two grooves on the shield 9. one of the reinforcement material notches 84a and 84b;

The technician then inserts the mechanical splice assembly bracket 6 into the clamping bracket 7 so that the fiber optic cable 100 is clamped by one of the three sets of clamping points; and

Finally, the technician rotates the cam 3 from the release position to the lock position, so that the mechanical splice assembly bracket 6 is fixed on the clamping bracket 7, and the optical fiber 102 in the optical fiber cable 100 and the optical fiber ferrule in the ferrule 4 24 is clamped between the two splices 25a and 25b.

Referring to Figure 17, an alternative embodiment of the shroud 9 is shown. As shown in Figure 17, the shield 9 has a groove 109 provided in the upper right corner of its main body, which extends through the entire body of the shield 9 so that when the cam 3 is in its locked position, the handle 86 on the cam 3 engages with the The slots 109 are aligned. During installation, when all the components in the cable assembly 10 except the shield 9 are assembled together (as shown in FIG. 12B ), the cable assembly 10 can be inserted into the shield 9 because the groove 109 allows the cam 3 to The handle 86 passes through the shroud 9 to the desired position in the shroud 9, thereby making field assembly easier. When the cam 3 reaches the window 82 on the shield 9, the cam 3 can be rotated between a locked position and a released position.

To facilitate assembly and maintenance, all or part of the optical fiber connector 20 can be made of transparent materials. For example, some of the cams 3 and/or the follow-up parts may be transparent.

Notably, the structures disclosed herein enable more compact designs for fiber optic connectors. In particular, if the fiber optic connector is designed to be used for only one kind of round cable, the structure disclosed here can reduce the length of the existing fiber optic connector from 52mm to 45mm, or even to 37mm, at least because The following three reasons: (1) the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5 is inserted into the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 and held on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6, (2) the cam 3 is arranged in the cavity of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 body 52 and is installed on the mechanical splicing assembly housing 5, and (3) the mechanical splicing assembly bracket 6 is inserted into the clamping bracket 7. That is to say, these parts partially overlap in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber connector, which makes the optical fiber connector of the present invention more compact than the existing optical fiber connector.

Notably, the fiber optic connectors described in this application include at least five novel and inventive features, including: mounting a mechanical splice assembly to a splice assembly carrier without the use of adhesives; providing a An optical fiber cable connector with an optical fiber guiding mechanism; an optical fiber cable connector with a strain relief mechanism of a reinforcing material; a cable clamping mechanism suitable for different types of optical fiber cables; and, a A fiber optic cable connector with a cam mechanism that does not require special tools for field installation. It should be noted that the specification and drawings in this application are used for the purpose of illustration, in order to explain the principle of the present invention to those skilled in the art so that they can realize the present invention. Therefore, any one of the above five features is independent/generic from the other features. For example, no matter whether there is a reinforcement material tension relief mechanism or not, the other four technical features are novel and inventive in themselves. Likewise, an optical fiber cable connector with a reinforcement material tension relief mechanism is novel and inventive in itself, whether or not it has any of the other four features.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter claimed herein. Thus, it is intended that the description of the present application cover the modifications and variations of the various embodiments disclosed herein if such modifications and variations come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (35)

1. A fiber optic connector, comprising: a mechanical splice assembly (2) comprising a mechanical splice assembly housing (5) having a first end, a second end, and a tubular cavity passing through the first and second ends, and A sleeve (4) having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the sleeve (4) is inserted into the mechanical splice assembly housing (5) from the first end of the mechanical splice assembly housing ( 5); and A mechanical splice assembly bracket (6) for accommodating and holding the rear portion of a mechanical splice assembly housing (5), said mechanical splice assembly bracket (6) comprising a main body portion (50) and a cable gripping portion (51 ), the cable clamping portion (51) includes a pair of cable clamping arms (60a, 60b) extending from the main body portion (50) for clamping optical fiber cables; Wherein, the cable clamping part (51) includes a guide groove (65), and the guide groove (65) is used to guide the optical fiber in the optical fiber cable into the housing (5) of the mechanical splice assembly, wherein the cable clamp A gripping portion (51) extends from the body portion (50) and is located between the pair of cable gripping arms (60a, 60b); A cam (3) for actuating said mechanical splice assembly (2), said cam (3) being arranged in a cavity (52) of the main body portion (50) of the mechanical splice assembly bracket (6) , and set on the housing (5) of the mechanical splicing assembly; a connector housing (8) for receiving and accommodating the front of said mechanical splice housing (5), and A spring (10), which is placed in the connector housing (8) and installed at the end of the mechanical splicing assembly housing (5), wherein the spring (10) is connected between the mechanical splicing assembly housing (5) and the A biasing force is provided between the housing (8). 2. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein: The mechanical splicing assembly housing (5) has an introduction tube (98) at its second end, and the introduction tube (98) has a front end opening. 3. The fiber optic connector of claim 2, wherein: The main body part (50) of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket (6) includes a through tubular cavity, and the second end of the mechanical splicing assembly housing (5) is inserted into the main body of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket (6) part (50) of the tubular cavity, so that the front opening of the introduction pipe (98) on the mechanical splicing assembly housing (5) is aligned with the guide groove (65) on the mechanical splicing assembly bracket (6) align. 4. The fiber optic connector of claim 3, wherein: The guide groove (65) comprises two groove side walls (66a, 66b) and a groove bottom (67); and The two slot side walls are separated from the two cable gripping arms (60a, 60b). 5. The fiber optic connector of claim 4, wherein: The guide slot (65) extends for a part of the length of the two cable gripping arms (60a, 60b). 6. The fiber optic connector of claim 5, wherein: The guide slot (65) includes a tongue (110, 110') extending from the slot bottom (67) towards the end of the cable gripping arm (60a, 60b) to Better guidance of optical fibers in fiber optic cables. 7. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein: The main part (50) and the cable clamping part (51) of the mechanical splice bracket (6) are manufactured in one piece. 8. The fiber optic connector of claim 4, wherein: The groove bottom (67) includes a surface gradually raised toward the front opening of the introduction tube (98) to facilitate insertion of optical fibers in the fiber optic cable into the front opening of the introduction tube (98). 9. The fiber optic connector of claim 8, wherein: The two groove side walls (66a, 66b) form a funnel-shaped passage toward the front opening of the introduction tube (98) for inserting optical fibers in the optical fiber cable into the front opening of the introduction tube (98). 10. The fiber optic connector of claim 2, wherein: The front opening of the introduction pipe (98) is funnel-shaped. 11. The fiber optic connector of claim 4, wherein: The ferrule (4) has a fiber optic ferrule (24) extending from a first end of the ferrule (4); and The optical fiber connector is used to connect an optical fiber cable (100) with an exposed optical fiber (102), and the optical fiber (102) is inserted into the introduction tube (98) under the guidance of the guide groove (65) to contact the The fiber optic ferrule (24). 12. The fiber optic connector of claim 11, further comprising: A clamping bracket (7) for receiving and accommodating the cable clamping portion (51) of the mechanical splice bracket (6) after the fiber optic cable (100) is inserted into said cable clamping portion (51). 13. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, further comprising: The connector housing (8) is configured to receive and house the mechanical splice assembly (2). 14. The fiber optic connector of claim 13, further comprising: The shield (9) is used for receiving and accommodating the connector housing (8), the mechanical splicing assembly bracket (6) and the clamping bracket (7). 15. The fiber optic connector of claim 14, further comprising: The cam (3) is configured to activate and deactivate the mechanical splice assembly (2). 16. The fiber optic connector of claim 15, wherein: said cam (3) includes a handle (86); and Said shroud (9) includes a slot (109) for receiving a shank (86) on the cam (3). 17. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, further comprising: The spring (10) is configured to bias the mechanical splice assembly (2) forwards. 18. The fiber optic connector according to any one of claims 1-17, wherein: The fiber optic connector is part of a fiber optic cable assembly (10) for connecting a fiber optic cable (100) having an optical fiber (102). 19. A method of manufacturing a fiber optic cable assembly comprising the steps of: providing a fiber optic cable (100) having an optical fiber (102); providing a mechanical splice assembly (2) comprising a mechanical splice assembly housing (5) having a first end, a second end and a tubular cavity passing through said first end and second end, And a sleeve (4) having a first end and a second end, the first end of the sleeve (4) is inserted into the mechanical splice assembly housing (5) from the first end of the mechanical splice assembly housing ( 5) in; A mechanical splice assembly bracket (6) is provided comprising a main body portion (50) and a cable gripping portion (51) including a pair of cable gripping arms (60a, 60b) extending from The main body part (50) extends out, wherein the cable clamping part (51) includes a guide groove (65), and the guide groove (65) extends out from the main body part (50) and is located at the between the pair of cable clamping arms (60a, 60b); providing a cam (3) for enabling said mechanical splicing assembly (2); Insert the front part of the mechanical splicing assembly housing (5) into the connector housing (8), wherein the spring (10) is placed inside the connector housing (8) and mounted on the mechanical splicing assembly housing (5) and further wherein said spring (10) provides a biasing force between the mechanical splice housing (5) and the connector housing (8); accommodating and retaining the rear portion of said mechanical splicing assembly housing (5) in a mechanical splicing assembly bracket (6); The cam (3) is arranged in the cavity (52) of the main body part (50) of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket (6), and the cam (3) is sleeved on the mechanical splicing assembly housing (5); inserting the optical fiber (102) into the mechanical splice assembly (2) via the guide groove (65); and An optical fiber (102) of a fiber optic cable (100) is secured in a mechanical splice assembly (2). 20. The method of claim 19, wherein: The mechanical splicing assembly housing (5) has an introduction tube (98) at its second end, and the introduction tube (98) has a front end opening. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein: The main body part (50) of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket (6) includes a through tubular cavity, and the second end of the mechanical splicing assembly housing (5) is inserted into the main body of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket (6) part (50) of the tubular cavity, so that the front opening of the introduction pipe (98) of the mechanical splicing assembly housing (5) is aligned with the guide groove (65) of the mechanical splicing assembly bracket (6). 22. The method of claim 21, wherein: The guide groove (65) comprises two groove side walls (66a, 66b) and a groove bottom (67); and The two slot side walls are separated from the two cable gripping arms (60a, 60b) to form a peninsula-shaped slot. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein: The guide slot (65) extends for a part of the length of the two cable gripping arms (60a, 60b). 24. The method of claim 23, wherein: The guide slot (65) includes a tongue (110, 110') extending towards the end of the cable gripping arm (60a, 60b). 25. The method of claim 19, wherein: The main part (50) and the cable clamping part (51) of the mechanical splice bracket (6) are manufactured in one piece. 26. The method of claim 22, wherein: The groove bottom (67) includes a gradually raised surface towards the front opening of the introduction tube (98) to facilitate insertion of optical fibers in the fiber optic cable into the front opening of the introduction tube (98). 27. The method of claim 26, wherein: The two groove side walls (66a, 66b) form a funnel-shaped passage toward the front opening of the introduction tube (98) for inserting optical fibers in the optical fiber cable into the front opening of the introduction tube (98). 28. The method of claim 20, wherein: The front opening of the introduction pipe (98) is funnel-shaped. 29. The method of claim 22, wherein: The ferrule (4) has a fiber optic ferrule (24) extending from a first end of the ferrule (4); and The optical fiber connector is used to connect an optical fiber cable (100) with an exposed optical fiber (102), and the optical fiber (102) is inserted into the introduction tube (98) under the guidance of the guide groove (65) to touch the The fiber optic ferrule (24). 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of: A clamping bracket (7) is provided for receiving and accommodating the cable clamping portion (51) of the mechanical splice bracket (6) after the fiber optic cable (100) has been inserted into said cable clamping portion (51) . 31. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of: Wherein the connector housing (8) is configured for receiving and accommodating the mechanical splicing assembly (2). 32. The method of claim 31 , further comprising the step of: A shroud (9) is provided for receiving and accommodating said connector housing (8), said mechanical splice bracket (6) and said clamping bracket (7). 33. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of: Wherein the cam (3) is configured to enable and disable the mechanical connection assembly (2). 34. The method of claim 32, wherein: said cam (3) includes a handle (86); and Said shroud (9) includes a slot (109) for receiving a shank (86) on the cam (3). 35. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of: Wherein the spring (10) is configured to bias the mechanical splicing assembly (2) forward.