Optical connectors with pullable housings and related methods

Abstract

An optical connector includes at least one connector subassembly, an inner housing holding a rear portion of the at least one connector subassembly, an outer housing over at least the rear portion of the inner housing, and a shield extending rearward from the outer housing. The outer housing is movable along a longitudinal axis of the connector and relative to the inner housing between a forward position and a rearward position, and the shield is axially coupled to the outer housing for also movement. The inner housing includes at least one stop feature configured to contact the outer housing when the outer housing is moved to the rear position to retain the outer housing on at least the rear portion of the inner housing.

Description

Priority application

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 537,294, filed September 8, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Background Technology

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to telecommunications cable assemblies, such as optical fiber assemblies. More specifically, this disclosure relates to optical connectors, optical interconnect assemblies including optical connectors and receptacles configured to receive optical connectors, and methods for reversing the polarity of optical connectors.

[0003] In telecommunications systems using fiber optics, there are typically many locations where fiber-optic cables need to be connected to equipment or other cables. Optical connectors are usually located at the ends of the cables to facilitate these connections. Connectors are designed as mating adapters that align the connector with other connectors or components, allowing data to be transmitted between the mated parts.

[0004] Some connectors include one or more latching arms extending outward from the connector body. Each latching arm is designed to engage the adapter in a manner that retains the connector within the adapter. To remove the connector from the adapter, each latching arm is first flexed toward the connector body to release the engagement with the adapter. Some connectors are designed with components that assist in this flexing / actuation of the latching arms and, in some cases, also assist in removing the connector from the adapter.

[0005] For example, LC connectors are widely used in data centers and other environments requiring high-density optical connections. Due to the bidirectional nature of data center networks, these types of connectors are typically configured in a full-duplex manner. Many LC full-duplex connector designs integrate two LC connector subassemblies with a common protective enclosure (“uniboot”) to terminate dual fiber optic cables or dual fiber fan-out feet for larger cables. Some of these designs include housings, pull tabs, or other components configured to assist in actuating the connector subassemblies. However, these designs can be relatively complex, perform poorly, have limited functionality, and / or require numerous specially designed components.

[0006] Similar challenges exist with other features of duplex connectors. For example, many LC duplex integrated shield connectors are configured to allow for reversal of connector polarity. The existence of polarity stems from the fact that one of the LC connector subassemblies transmits data in one direction (“A” direction), while the other transmits data in the opposite direction (“B” direction), allowing the duplex connector to have either an AB or BA configuration regarding its defined orientation. In the field, it may be necessary to change from one configuration to another, and many existing designs possess this feature. However, these designs may require complex components or processes to reverse the polarity.

[0007] It is understandable that designing duplex connectors with multiple features (especially LC duplex integrated shield connectors) can be challenging and there is still room for improvement compared to known designs. Summary of the Invention

[0008] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an optical connector includes: a first connector subassembly configured to terminate a first optical fiber; a second connector subassembly configured to terminate a second optical fiber; an inner housing holding a rear portion of the first connector subassembly and a rear portion of the second connector subassembly such that the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly extend forward from a front portion of the inner housing; an outer housing located above at least a rear portion of the inner housing; and a protective shield extending rearward from the outer housing. The outer housing is movable along a longitudinal axis of the optical connector and relative to the inner housing between a forward position and a rearward position, and the protective shield is axially coupled to the outer housing such that the protective shield is configured to move together with the outer housing along the longitudinal axis. The inner housing includes at least one stop feature configured to contact the outer housing when the outer housing is moved to the rearward position. The at least one stop feature is configured to retain the outer housing on at least the rear portion of the inner housing.

[0009] In some embodiments, when the outer housing is in the rear position, the outer housing can rotate relative to the inner housing about the longitudinal axis, but when the outer housing is in the forward position, the outer housing cannot rotate relative to the inner housing about the longitudinal axis. One example of how this is achieved is that the outer housing includes an inner wall defining a flange; and the rear portion of the inner housing includes a groove that extends at least partially about the longitudinal axis in the circumferential direction. The groove is configured to receive the flange when the outer housing is in the rear position and rotating about the longitudinal axis. In other words, in such an embodiment, the alignment between the flange and the groove allows the rotation.

[0010] On the other hand, some embodiments may be configured such that, at the rear position of the housing, the housing is rotatable 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis between a first orientation and a second orientation. In practice, embodiments where the housing is configured to rotate no more than approximately 180 degrees are possible. Furthermore, some embodiments may include an inner housing configured to allow the housing to rotate only in one direction from the first orientation to the second orientation, and only in the opposite direction from the second orientation to the first orientation. Another potentially advantageous optional feature is that the inner housing is configured to substantially prevent relative movement of the housing along the longitudinal axis when the housing rotates between the first and second orientations.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly each include a connector body having a main portion and a latching arm extending over the main portion. When the housing is in the forward position, the housing partially extends over the latching arms of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly. Additionally, the housing is configured to flex the latching arms toward the main portion of the respective connector body as the housing moves along the longitudinal axis from the forward position toward the rear position. Some embodiments may also be configured such that, in the rear position, the housing does not extend over the latching arms of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly.

[0012] In some embodiments, the rear portions of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly are held by the inner housing in a manner that allows the rear portions to rotate about the respective connector subassembly axis. Each rear portion may be defined by a connector body or another component of the first or second connector subassembly, such as a rear stop member rotatably and axially coupled to the connector body. Thus, in such an embodiment, the respective connector bodies of the first and second connector subassemblies are configured to rotate relative to the inner housing about the respective connector subassembly axis.

[0013] Another optional aspect of the embodiments according to the foregoing paragraphs is that the rear portion of each of the first and second connector subassemblies includes a plurality of rotational locking features arranged circumferentially around the axis of the respective connector subassembly. Additionally, the inner housing may include at least one complementary locking feature configured to releasably engage at least one of the rotational locking features, such that the respective connector subassembly can be rotated to different rotational positions around the axis of the respective connector subassembly. One example is that the rear portions of the first and second connector subassemblies each include a radial flange having a plurality of notches defining the plurality of rotational locking features, and the at least one complementary locking feature on the inner housing includes a flexible member that releasably engages at least one of the notches at each of the different rotational positions to which the respective connector subassembly can be rotated.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly each extend along a respective connector subassembly axis. The inner housing may also include an inner cavity extending from the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly toward the rear portion of the inner housing. In such an embodiment, in a cross-section extending through the axes of the inner housing and the connector subassemblies: (i) the inner cavity may include a first lateral side and a second lateral side, the first lateral side and the second lateral side causing the inner cavity to transition from a first width at a front region of the inner cavity to a second width at a rear region of the inner cavity, wherein the second width is less than the spacing between the axes of the connector subassemblies, and (ii) the first lateral side and the second lateral side may each have a profile defined by at least one arcuate segment extending from the rear region of the inner cavity toward the front region and curving outward to bulge relative to the inner cavity.

[0015] According to the embodiments described in the foregoing paragraphs, the contours defining each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side may have more than one arcuate segment. For example, in some embodiments, for each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side, a corresponding arcuate segment extending from the rear region of the cavity may be considered a second arcuate segment. The contours of the first lateral side and the second lateral side may each be further defined by a corresponding first arcuate segment extending from the front region of the cavity toward the rear region of the cavity. For each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side, the first arcuate segment extends a first length and curves inward to be recessed relative to the cavity. Some embodiments may include: for the associated first lateral side and the second lateral side, the first arcuate segment and the second arcuate segment are continuous and define an S-shaped curve.

[0016] In some embodiments, the optical connector according to any of the preceding paragraphs includes: a first connector subassembly and a second connector subassembly configured to mate with an LC receptacle having a mechanical reference plane and geometry according to the interoperability standard IEC 61754-20 (e.g., Revision 2012+AMD1:2022 and / or other revisions) or TIA / EIA 604-10 (e.g., Revision C:2021 and / or other revisions), such that the LC receptacle includes a front wall defining a front plane spaced apart from the mechanical reference plane of the LC receptacle by a first port distance. Thus, the components of the optical connector can have specific geometries to provide novel and advantageous features. As a first example, in some embodiments, the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly define a mechanical reference plane spaced apart from the front side of the inner housing by a first connector latch distance along the longitudinal axis of the optical connector. The first port distance is greater than the first connector latch distance, such that the inner housing is configured to extend into the port of the LC receptacle when the optical connector mates with the LC receptacle. This feature helps to distribute stress from lateral loads that the optical connector may experience when mating with the LC receptacle.

[0017] As a second example according to the foregoing paragraphs, individually or in combination with the first example, the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly define a mechanical reference plane spaced apart from the front side of the inner housing by a first connector latching distance along the longitudinal axis of the optical connector. The housing may include transverse sidewalls, each having a front side. The front side of each of the transverse sidewalls of the housing is spaced apart from the mechanical reference planes of the first and second connector subassemblies by at most a second connector latching distance along the longitudinal axis of the connector. The second connector latching distance may be less than 15% larger than the first port distance, such that when the optical connector mates with the LC receptacle, the front side of each of the transverse sidewalls of the housing can be configured to be less than 15% farther from the mechanical reference plane of the LC receptacle than the front wall of the LC receptacle. This feature helps to substantially conceal the connector subassemblies and the inner housing when the optical connector mates with the receptacle.

[0018] Various features of some embodiments of optical connectors mentioned above that are applicable to the first paragraph of the content section of this invention are also disclosed herein as applicable to optical connectors that may not necessarily be the first paragraph of the content section of this invention. Therefore, those skilled in the art of optical connectors will understand that some features provided in this disclosure may be complementary but not indivisibly linked. This will become apparent in the context of providing various features as a whole in this disclosure. As an example, this disclosure also provides an embodiment of an optical connector comprising: a first connector subassembly configured to terminate a first optical fiber and support the first optical fiber along an axis of the first connector subassembly; a second connector subassembly configured to terminate a second optical fiber and support the second optical fiber along an axis of the second connector subassembly; and a housing holding a rear portion of the first connector subassembly and a rear portion of the second connector subassembly such that the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly extend forward from a front portion of the housing, wherein the housing further includes an inner cavity extending from the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly toward a rear portion of the housing. In a cross-section extending through the housing and the axes of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly: (i) the cavity includes a first lateral side and a second lateral side, the first lateral side and the second lateral side causing the cavity to transition from a first width at a front region of the cavity to a second width at a rear region of the cavity, wherein the second width is less than the distance between the axes of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly, and (ii) the first lateral side and the second lateral side each have a profile defined by at least one arcuate segment extending from the rear region of the cavity toward the front region and curving outward to bulge relative to the cavity.

[0019] Embodiments according to the examples in the preceding paragraphs may have more than one arcuate segment defining the contours of the first lateral side and the second lateral side. For example, in some embodiments, for each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side, a corresponding arcuate segment extending from the rear region of the cavity may be considered a second arcuate segment. The contours of the first lateral side and the second lateral side may each be further defined by a corresponding first arcuate segment extending from the front region of the cavity toward the rear region of the cavity. For each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side, the first arcuate segment extends a first length and curves inward to be recessed relative to the cavity. Some embodiments may include: for the associated first lateral side and the second lateral side, the first arcuate segment and the second arcuate segment are continuous and define an S-shaped curve.

[0020] As another example, which is not necessarily the first paragraph of the content section of this invention, this disclosure also provides embodiments of an optical connector for mating with an LC receptacle, wherein the LC receptacle has a mechanical reference plane and geometry according to the interoperability standard IEC 61754-20 (e.g., Revision 2012+AMD1:2022 and / or other revisions) or TIA / EIA 604-10 (e.g., Revision C:2021 and / or other revisions), such that the LC receptacle includes a front wall defining a front plane spaced apart from the mechanical reference plane of the LC receptacle by a first port distance. Such an optical connector according to this disclosure includes: a first connector subassembly and a second connector subassembly, each comprising a respective connector body configured to be received in the LC receptacle; and a housing holding a rear portion of the first connector subassembly and a rear portion of the second connector subassembly. The first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly each extend from the front side of the housing and define a mechanical reference plane spaced apart from the front side of the housing by a first connector latching distance along the longitudinal axis of the optical connector. The first port distance is greater than the first connector latching distance, such that the inner housing is configured to extend into the port of the LC receptacle when the optical connector mates with the LC receptacle.

[0021] As yet another example, which is not necessarily the first paragraph of the content section of this invention, this disclosure also provides embodiments of optical connectors for mating with LC receptacles, wherein the LC receptacles have a mechanical reference plane and geometry of an advanced adapter or active device receptacle according to interoperability standards IEC 61754-20 (e.g., Revision 2012+AMD1:2022 and / or other revisions) or TIA / EIA 604-10 (e.g., Revision C:2021 and / or other revisions), such that the LC receptacles include a front wall that defines a front plane spaced apart from the mechanical reference plane of the LC receptacles by a first port distance. The optical connector according to this disclosure includes: a first connector subassembly and a second connector subassembly, each comprising a corresponding connector body configured to be received in the LC receptacle; an inner housing holding a rear portion of the first connector subassembly and a rear portion of the second connector subassembly such that the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly extend forward from a front portion of the inner housing; and an outer housing located above at least a rear portion of the inner housing. The front side of each of the lateral sidewalls of the outer housing is spaced along the longitudinal axis of the connector from the mechanical reference plane of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly by a multi-connector latching distance. The connector latching distance is less than 15% greater than the first port distance, such that when the optical connector mates with the LC receptacle, the front side of each of the lateral sidewalls of the outer housing is less than 15% farther from the mechanical reference plane of the LC receptacle than the front wall of the LC receptacle.

[0022] Another aspect of this disclosure is an optical interconnect assembly comprising at least one of the optical connectors described in this disclosure and at least one of the sockets described in this disclosure (e.g., LC sockets similar to those mentioned above).

[0023] Another aspect of this disclosure is an optical cable assembly that includes at least one of the optical connectors described in this disclosure. For example, one embodiment of an optical cable assembly is provided, comprising: a first optical fiber; a second optical fiber; and an optical connector according to any of the preceding paragraphs, wherein a first connector sub-assembly of the optical connector terminates the first optical fiber, and a second connector sub-assembly terminates the second optical fiber. The optical cable assembly may consist only of the first and second optical fibers, or it may include more optical fibers, which may or may not be terminated by other optical connectors according to this disclosure.

[0024] This disclosure also provides a method for changing the polarity of an optical connector. According to some embodiments, the method is used for an optical connector comprising: a first connector subassembly terminating a first optical fiber; a second connector subassembly terminating a second optical fiber; an inner housing holding a rear portion of the first connector subassembly and a rear portion of the second connector subassembly such that the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly extend forward from a front portion of the inner housing; an outer housing positioned above at least a rear portion of the inner housing; and a protective shield extending rearward from the outer housing. The method includes moving the outer housing along a longitudinal axis of the optical connector and relative to the inner housing from a forward position to a rear position, wherein the protective shield is axially coupled to the outer housing such that the protective shield moves together with the outer housing along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the inner housing includes at least one stop feature that contacts the outer housing when the outer housing is moved to the rear position, the at least one stop feature being configured to retain the outer housing on at least the rear portion of the inner housing. The method further includes: rotating the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly 180 degrees about their respective connector subassembly axes parallel to the longitudinal axis; rotating the housing body 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis such that the housing body rotates between a first orientation and a second orientation; and moving the housing body from the rear position to the forward position when the housing body is in the second orientation.

[0025] The order of steps in the method described in the preceding paragraphs can vary. For example, the step of rotating the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly by 180 degrees can be performed before or after the step of moving the housing along the longitudinal axis from the forward position to the rear position.

[0026] The methods mentioned above may also include features that facilitate various steps for the user. For example, in some embodiments, the step of rotating the housing by 180 degrees includes substantially restricting movement of the housing along the longitudinal axis while rotating the housing. As another example, in some embodiments, the protective cover is rotatably coupled to the housing such that the step of rotating the housing by 180 degrees includes rotating either the housing or the protective cover to rotate both the housing and the protective cover about the longitudinal axis. As yet another example, in some embodiments, the inner housing is configured to prevent the housing from rotating to the second orientation until the housing has moved to the rear position. As yet another example, in some embodiments, the inner housing is configured to allow the housing to rotate from the first orientation to the second orientation only in one direction and from the second orientation to the first orientation only in the opposite direction.

[0027] Additional features will be set forth in the following detailed description and will be apparent in part to those skilled in the art of optical connection technology. The advantages of the various features set forth in this disclosure may also be apparent to those skilled in the art. It should be understood that the foregoing general description, the following detailed description, and the accompanying drawings are merely exemplary and intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and characteristics of the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The accompanying drawings are included to provide further understanding and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operation of various embodiments. Features and attributes associated with any illustrated or described embodiment may be applied to other embodiments shown, described, or understood based on this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of one embodiment of an optical connector mating with an adapter according to the present disclosure, wherein the optical connector is part of a cable assembly.

[0030] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Exploded perspective view of the optical connector.

[0031] Figure 3A yes Figure 1 A side view of the optical connector, and Figure 3B yes Figure 3A A cross-sectional view of the circled area to show the relationship between certain components of the optical connector.

[0032] Figure 4 Is Figure 1 A cross-sectional side view of a connector sub-assembly used in an optical connector.

[0033] Figure 5 It is the end section of the optical cable and Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the various components of the optical connector (i.e., transition tube, crimping tape, and heat shrink tubing).

[0034] Figure 6 It shows that it is fixed to Figure 5 The components of the optical connector shown Figure 5 A perspective view of the end section of the optical cable.

[0035] Figure 7 It is installed in Figure 5 and 6 On the optical cable Figure 1 A perspective view of the optical connector, but not showing the various components of the optical connector, to better observe the inner housing and the first and second connector subassemblies having a rear stop received in the front portion of the inner housing, wherein... Figure 6 The components of the optical connector shown are received in the rear portion of the inner housing.

[0036] Figure 8 It is similar to Figure 7 The perspective view shows the cover of the inner housing separated from the base of the inner housing, in order to better observe how the components of the optical connector are received in the inner housing.

[0037] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of an example rear stop for the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly.

[0038] Figure 10 This is another perspective view of the inner housing and connector subassembly, showing the components from a different viewpoint to further illustrate how the front portion of the inner housing receives and interacts with the rear stop of the connector subassembly.

[0039] Figure 11 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional perspective view of the optical connector is provided to further illustrate: (i) how the base and cover of the inner housing are joined together in the illustrated embodiment, and (ii) how the inner housing interacts with the rear stop members of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly.

[0040] Figure 12 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the housing of the optical connector.

[0041] Figure 13 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of a protective cover for an optical connector, wherein the protective cover includes a substrate and a strain relief component.

[0042] Figure 14yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the optical connector, and showing Figure 12 outer shell and Figure 13 How can the protective shields interact and connect together?

[0043] Figure 15 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional perspective view of the housing of the optical connector.

[0044] Figure 16 yes Figure 1 An enlarged perspective view of the rear portion of the inner housing of the optical connector.

[0045] Figure 17 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the inner and outer housings of an optical connector, with a portion of the outer housing partially cut open to better observe the relationship between the inner and outer housings.

[0046] Figure 18 yes Figure 1 A front view of the cross-section of the optical connector, wherein the cross-sectional plane is chosen to further illustrate the relationship between the inner housing and the outer housing.

[0047] Figure 19 yes Figure 1 A side view of the optical connector and adapter, partially shown in cross-section.

[0048] Figure 20 It is similar to Figure 19 The side view shows the optical connector's protective cover and housing in a retracted position relative to the rest of the optical connector, and schematically illustrates how the housing is configured to press down the latch arms of the first and second connector subassemblies when moved to the retracted position.

[0049] Figure 21 It is similar to Figure 17 A perspective view, but showing the outer casing that has been axially moved to a rear position relative to the inner casing.

[0050] Figure 22 It shows when Figure 1 An enlarged perspective view of how the outer housing of the optical connector contacts a stop feature defined by the rear portion of the inner housing when the outer housing is axially moved to the rear position, with a portion of the outer housing cut open to better illustrate the interaction.

[0051] Figure 23 It shows that it is in the same position as Figure 22 Enlarged perspective views of the outer and inner shells at the same location, but Figure 23 The opposite sides of the components are shown.

[0052] Figure 24-31 It is shown in sequence for reversal Figure 1 A perspective view of the process of polarizing the optical connector.

[0053] Figure 32 This is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of an optical connector that includes an alternative protective shield design, specifically an alternative substrate design, wherein the outer housing of the optical connector is concealed to better visualize the arrangement of the substrate of the protective shield and the rear portion of the inner housing, and wherein the protective shield is in a rotated position indicating an unlocked position.

[0054] Figure 33 It is similar to Figure 32 Another enlarged perspective view, but showing the protective shield rotated to different rotational positions indicating the locking position.

[0055] Figure 34 This is an enlarged top view that further illustrates the relationship between the base plate of the protective cover and the rear portion of the inner housing when the protective cover is in the locked position.

[0056] Figure 35 It is connected to Figure 1 A perspective view of the protective cover of the optical connector housing, wherein the protective cover is shown in the locked position.

[0057] Figure 36 yes Figure 1 A side view of the optical connector and adapter, with annotations added for illustrative purposes.

[0058] Figure 37 yes Figure 1 An enlarged side view of a portion of the optical connector, with annotations added for illustrative purposes.

[0059] Figure 38 yes Figure 1 A schematic top view of a base that holds an inner housing of an optical connector, specifically a component of the connector subassembly, showing an optical fiber extending from the connector subassembly into the cavity of the inner housing.

[0060] Figure 39 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the inner cavity of the inner shell, with annotations added for clarity.

[0061] Figure 40 This is a schematic diagram illustrating how an optical fiber according to this disclosure can be extended through a component of an optical connector, and how the optical fiber can be deviated from its normal travel path to accommodate excess fiber length.

[0062] Figure 41This is a perspective view of the components of an optical connector according to an alternative embodiment, specifically a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the inner housing and the rear stop component.

[0063] Figure 42 It is similar to Figure 41 A perspective view, but in which the cover of the inner housing is separated from the base of the inner housing, so as to better observe how the rear stop is received in the front part of the inner housing. Detailed Implementation

[0064] Various embodiments will be further illustrated by examples in the following description. This specification generally relates to optical connectors and cable assemblies containing optical connectors. Figure 1 An example of an optical connector 10 (also referred to as "fiber optic connector 10," or simply "connector 10") that mates with adapter 210 is shown. Connector 10 terminates cable 12, thus representing part of cable assembly 14. Figure 1 As shown, connector 10 has a low profile and a relatively short length. This compact footprint / design facilitates installation in patch panels and other equipment with high-density adapters or receptacles, where the corresponding connector can be inserted into the end of the corresponding cable or cable leg. However, the compact design remains user-friendly; when connector 10 mates with adapter 210, only the connector housing 16 and the protective cover 18 are presented to the user, and these components work together to facilitate removal of connector 10 from adapter 210, as will be described in more detail below. Essentially, the user can pull any visible surface of connector 10 to remove it from adapter 210, thus avoiding any doubt or uncertainty regarding removal. Providing additional features on connector 10 also helps to avoid doubt, uncertainty, and / or errors when reversing the polarity of connector 10. These and other aspects will be described in further detail below after a general overview of connector 10 has been provided.

[0065] to this end, Figure 2 and 3AConnector 10 itself is shown. Connector 10 is shown in the form of an LC duplex connector (e.g., according to IEC 61754-20:2012+AMD1:2022 or TIA / EIA 604-10-C:2021), which has a first LC connector subassembly 20a and a second LC connector subassembly 20b. Since the first connector subassembly 20a and the second connector subassembly 20b have the same construction in the illustrated embodiment, for convenience, reference numeral 20 will be used generically to refer to the first connector subassembly 20a and the second connector subassembly 20b in the remainder of this detailed description. However, connector 10 is merely an example, and those skilled in the art of optical connections will understand that the features provided in this disclosure can be applied to other connector designs, including other types of duplex connectors, or even simplex connectors and multi-fiber connectors.

[0066] like Figure 2 and 3A As shown, connector 10 extends along a longitudinal axis A, which is generally centered among connector subassemblies 20 and extends along the length of connector 10. Each connector subassembly 20 extends along a corresponding longitudinal axis L, which is generally parallel to longitudinal axis A. In this disclosure, references to component rotation refer to rotation about one of longitudinal axis A or longitudinal axis L, which will be clear from the context. Each longitudinal axis L is referred to below as connector subassembly axis L for better distinction from longitudinal axis A. In a simplex connector embodiment (not shown), longitudinal axis A and connector subassembly axis L may be the same.

[0067] Additionally, as used in this disclosure, references to "axial movement," "axially moving," "in the axial direction," etc., refer to movement along or parallel to the longitudinal axis A. Furthermore, the terms "forward" (or "front") and "backward" (or "rearward" or "rear" or "back") are relative terms and are generally used with reference to the orientation of connector 10. For example, the front portion of connector 10 is defined by connector subassembly 20 (e.g., where connector subassembly 20 presents the end of an optical fiber for optical coupling to another connector or device), and the rear portion of connector 10 is defined at a position where the protective cover 18 of connector 10 stops extending on cable 12 ( Figure 1 Therefore, the forward direction is the direction along or parallel to the longitudinal axis A from the rear of the connector 10 toward the front of the connector 10. The backward or rearward direction is the direction along or parallel to the longitudinal axis A from the front of the connector 10 toward the rear of the connector 10. Various components are described in this disclosure as moving forward or backward relative to each other, and / or axially forward or axially backward.

[0068] like Figure 4As shown, each connector sub-assembly 20 includes a component configured to support an optical fiber 22. Figure 6 The connector body 28 (also referred to as "connector subassembly housing 28" or simply "housing 28") consists of a ferrule 24 and a portion surrounding the ferrule 24. The ferrule 24 extends from a ferrule retainer 26 held within the connector body 28. Specifically, the internal geometry of the connector body 28 prevents the ferrule retainer 26 from disengaging from the front of the connector body 28, and a rear stop 30 coupled to the connector body 28 prevents the ferrule retainer 26 from disengaging from the rear of the connector body 28. A spring 32 ( Figure 4 Not shown in the image, but see [link / reference]. Figure 3B The ferrule retainer 26 is biased forward within the connector body 28 away from the rear stop member 30, such that the front end of the ferrule 24 extends beyond the connector body 28. The front end of the ferrule 24 has an optical fiber 22 for connection to a mating device (e.g., another optical connector).

[0069] Each connector subassembly 20 also includes a latching arm 36 extending outwardly and rearwardly from the front portion of the connector body 28. Thus, the latching arm 36 has a proximal end portion 38 coupled to the front portion of the connector body 28, a distal end portion 40 spaced apart from the connector body 28, and a latching feature 42 between the proximal end portion 38 and the distal end portion 40. Figure 2 The latch arm 36 can be pressed down or otherwise flexed toward the connector subassembly axis L to release the latch feature 42 from the corresponding latch feature 212 of the adapter 210. Figure 19 The engagement of the latch arm 36 is described herein. Therefore, as used herein, references to pressing down or being pressed down on the latch arm 36 refer to the intentional movement of the latch arm 36 to assist or cause disengagement from the adapter or other receptacle. That is, in this disclosure, pressing down the latch arm 36 refers to actuation or movement for a desired purpose; this is not merely an accidental flexing or downward movement of the latch arm 36 that does not affect engagement with the adapter or otherwise cause movement of the latch feature 42. In the illustrated embodiment, the latch arm 36 is integrally formed with the connector body 28 such that the latch arm 36 is configured to flex toward a major portion of the connector body 28. In alternative embodiments, the latch arm 36 may be a different component coupled to the connector body 28 or another component. As will be described in more detail below, in the illustrated embodiment, the distal end portion 40 of the latch arm 36 defines a ramp or actuating surface 44 to assist in removing the connector 10 from the receptacle (e.g., adapter 210).

[0070] Figure 2 and 3AThe diagram illustrates how connector 10 further includes an inner housing 50 that holds the rear portion of each connector subassembly 20. In the illustrated embodiment, this rear portion is defined by a rear stop member 30. In alternative embodiments, the rear portion of connector subassembly 20 may be defined by connector body 28 or some other structure. Connector 10 also includes a housing 16 that extends over the inner housing 50 and the distal end portion 40 of the latch arm 36. A protective shield 18 is coupled to the housing 16 and includes a base plate 56 and a strain relief member 58, and may therefore also be referred to as a "strain relief assembly". In alternative embodiments, the protective shield 18 may be formed from a single component. Embodiments in which the protective shield 18 and housing 16 are integrally formed components are also possible. Figure 2 The connector 10 is also shown to further include a transition tube 60 and a crimping strip 62, which are used to attach the cable 12 ( Figure 1 ) Attached to the inner shell 50.

[0071] Specifically, Figure 5 The transition tube 60 and crimping tape 62 adjacent to the heat shrink tubing 66 and cable 12 are shown. The dashed lines surrounding the heat shrink tubing 66 schematically represent the initial unshrink configuration that the heat shrink tubing 66 can have. The cable 12 is schematically shown as an outer cable sheath 68 having two optical fibers 22 and a strength member 70, which can be in the form of aramid yarn. The cable sheath 68 can be cut differently than shown, such that a longer length of the optical fibers 22 extends beyond the end of the cable sheath 68. The strength member 70 can also be cut such that the strength member 70 extends beyond the required length of the cable sheath 68.

[0072] To assemble the components, the heat shrink tubing 66 and crimping tape 62 can be slid onto the cable 12 and moved away from the end of the cable sheath 68. Then, the transition tube 60 can be advanced over the optical fiber 22 to adjacent to the end of the cable sheath 68, at which point the strength member 70 opens over the rear portion of the transition tube 60. Next, the previously placed crimping tape 62 is slid forward from the cable sheath 68 to extend over the rear portion of the transition tube 60 and the opened strength member 70, at which point the crimping tape 62 is crimped onto the transition tube 60, thereby securing the strength member 70 (and thus the cable 12) to the transition tube 60. Finally, the previously placed heat shrink tubing 66 is slid forward over at least a portion of the crimping tape 62 and the end portion of the cable sheath 68. The heat shrink tubing 66 is then activated (i.e., heated) to contract downward over the interface between the cable 12 and the connector components, thereby creating… Figure 6 The arrangement is shown. Finally, the coating material 72 can be stripped from the end section of the optical fiber 22 to the desired length, such that the end section includes a "bare glass" or "exposed glass" section 74. The order in which the various steps mentioned above occur may vary depending on the specific embodiment / application.

[0073] First and second connector sub-assemblies 20 ( Figure 2 and 4 The cable 12 can be installed on the optical fiber 22 after it has been prepared as described above. Then, the first and second connector sub-assemblies 20 and the transition tube 60 can both be assembled with the inner housing 50. For example, Figure 7 and 8 The diagram illustrates how a transition tube 60 can be coupled to an inner housing 50, which in turn connects cable 12 to connector 10. The inner housing 50 in the illustrated embodiment has a two-piece construction, comprising a base 78 and a cover 80 (also referred to as a shroud) joined together. The rear portion of the base 78 receives the transition tube 60 and a portion of the crimping tape 62. The transition tube 60 in the illustrated embodiment is typically cylindrical, defining a flange 82 at one end. The flange 82 is received in a cutout or slot 84 defined in the base 78 to retain the transition tube 60 within the rear portion of the inner housing 50. The cover 80 of the inner housing 50 may also have a cutout or slot to receive the flange 82 when the cover 80 is coupled to the base 78. The coupling between the base 78 and the cover 80 can be achieved using any technique, including but not limited to snap-fit, interference fit, and / or adhesives.

[0074] Still referencing Figure 7 and 8 The front portion of the base 78 holds the rear stop 30 of the first and second connector subassemblies 20. The inner housing 50 includes an inner cavity 86, which is primarily defined by the base 78 and allows the optical fiber 22 (not shown in the figures) to pass through. Figure 8 (As shown in the diagram) Extends between the transition tube 60 and the first and second connector subassemblies 20. One optical fiber 22 extends to the first connector subassembly 20, and another optical fiber 22 extends to the second connector subassembly 20. The rear stop members 30 of each connector subassembly 20 each include a radial flange 88 that allows the inner housing 50 to retain the rear stop member 30 therein. In other words, when the inner housing 50 is assembled, the rear stop member 30 cannot be pulled axially out of the inner housing 50. However, the base 78 and cover 80 are shaped to still allow the rear stop member 30 to rotate relative to the inner housing 50, which in turn allows the entire connector subassembly 20 to rotate relative to the inner housing 50. Therefore, each connector subassembly 20 can rotate about its respective connector subassembly axis L without being removed from the inner housing 50. Optionally, features may be provided to assist in guiding this rotation. (See further reference) Figure 9 and 10 This will help you understand this better.

[0075] Figure 9The illustration shows how, in the illustrated embodiment, the radial flange 88 of the rear stop 30 is generally circular and located on the cylindrical portion of the rear stop 30. The radial flange 88 includes rotational locking features in the form of notches 90 at different circumferential locations around the connector subassembly axis L. For each rear stop 30, the inner housing 50 includes complementary locking features defined by the base 78 and / or cover 80. More specifically, and additionally refer to... Figure 10 and 11 (The latter also shows the housing 16), in the illustrated embodiment, the base 78 includes two flexible extension members in the form of arms or tabs 92, one for each rear stop member 30. The flexible tabs 92 are designed to engage one of the recesses 90 when the rear stop member 30 is rotated, such that a snap-fit ​​engagement exists between the rear stop member 30 and the inner housing 50. In other words, the flexible tab 92 is configured to be received in one of the recesses 90, and there is an interference between the flexible tab 92 and the rear stop member 30 that must be overcome to allow the recess 90 to rotate away from the flexible tab 92. Each rear stop member 30 can be rotated to overcome the snap-fit ​​engagement, but ultimately the rotation causes the different recesses 90 to engage with the corresponding flexible tabs 92. The rear stop member 30 is then held in the rotated position unless additional force is applied to overcome the snap-fit ​​engagement again. It is understood that different circumferential positions of the recesses 90 correspond to different rotational positions to which the rear stop member 30 can be rotated and releasably held by the inner housing 50. This type of rotation is typically applied to connector subassemblies 20, as they are designed to rotate as corresponding units. That is, when one of the rear stop members 30 rotates about the corresponding connector subassembly axis L, the other components of the connector subassembly 20 also rotate about the connector subassembly axis L. In alternative embodiments, only some of the other components of the connector subassembly 20 may rotate with the rear stop member 30. Embodiments in which the rear stop member 30 is not configured to rotate relative to the inner housing 50, while the connector body 28 is still configured to rotate about the corresponding connector subassembly axis L, are also possible.

[0076] Although the illustrated embodiment shows each rear stop member 30 as having four notches 90 on the radial flange 88, with the notches 90 spaced approximately 90 degrees apart from each other about the respective connector subassembly axis L, in alternative embodiments, fewer or more notches 90 may be present. For reasons discussed below, having two notches 90 spaced 180 degrees apart from each other about the connector subassembly axis L has particular advantages, even with additional notches 90. In alternative embodiments, the radial flange 88 may also have a non-circular configuration, such as a hexagonal or square configuration. Similarly, although the illustrated embodiment shows only the base 78 as including flexible tabs 92 for engaging the notches 90, in some embodiments, the cover 80 may also include flexible extension members to provide additional or alternative engagement with the notches 90. Embodiments using different types of complementary locking features are also possible, providing a releasable engagement to hold the connector subassembly 20 in different rotational positions about the connector subassembly axis L. The notch 90 and the flexible tab 92 are merely one example of complementary locking features, and this disclosure should not be limited to this structure, as alternatives will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0077] Figure 11 The diagram further illustrates how the base 78 and the cover 80 can be joined together, as briefly described above. Specifically, Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating how the cover 80 may include an internal protrusion 96 terminated in a snap fastener 98. In this embodiment, the base 78 defines a receiving area or internal slot 100 for the protrusion 96, wherein the slot 100 has a bottom opening through which the snap fastener 98 passes. It is understood that when the protrusion 96 is inserted into the slot 100, the snap fastener 98 may be forced through the bottom opening, which is configured to temporarily expand to allow such passage. Then, when the snap fastener 98 has passed through, the bottom opening returns to its non-expanded state, and the shape of the snap fastener 98 is designed to help prevent reverse movement. This arrangement is merely one example of how the base 78 and the cover 80 may be joined together. As mentioned above, other arrangements are possible for different embodiments.

[0078] Return to reference Figure 1 and 2 The only other components, not described in more detail, are the housing 16 and the protective shield 18. Typically, both the housing 16 and the protective shield 18 can be positioned above the cable 12 before the inner housing 50 is assembled. Once the inner housing 50 is assembled, the housing 16 can be moved forward to extend over the inner housing 50 and the distal end portion 40 of the latch arm 36. The protective shield 18 is coupled to the housing 16 in such a way that the protective shield 18 is configured to move together with the housing 16 along the longitudinal axis A. That is, the protective shield 18 is axially coupled to the housing 16. Figure 12-14This aspect is shown in more detail.

[0079] Specifically, Figure 12 and 13 The housing 16 and the protective shield 18 are shown separately. The housing 16 includes a rear wall or side 104 that defines an opening 106 for receiving a portion of the protective shield 18. Figure 13 In the diagram, the protective cover 18 is shown having a substrate 56 and a strain relief component 58 joined together. The substrate 56 and the strain relief component 58 can be formed of respective first and second materials, wherein the second material is less rigid than the first material. For example, in some embodiments, the second material can be an elastomer, such as thermoplastic polyurethane, and the first material can be a material having a higher elastic modulus and / or shear modulus, such as polycarbonate or metal. The strain relief component 58 can be overmolded onto a portion of the substrate 56 or coupled to a portion of the substrate 56 by friction / interference fit, such that the substrate 56 and the strain relief component 58 together serve as an assembly unit. Similar two-piece strain relief component designs and associated advantages are disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 9,551,842 and 10,261,268, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0080] The substrate 56 is shaped such that a circumferential channel 108 is defined between a portion of the substrate 56 and the end of the strain relief member 58. For example... Figure 14 As shown, the protective cover 18 can be assembled with the housing 16 such that the rear wall 104 of the housing 16 is located in the channel 108. Specifically, an end portion of the substrate 56 extends through the opening 106 in the rear wall 104 of the housing 16 and defines a flange 110. When the components are joined together, the portion of the rear wall 104 defining the opening 106 is sandwiched between the flange 110 of the substrate 56 and the end of the strain relief member 58. This arrangement prevents or substantially restricts relative axial movement between the protective cover 18 and the housing 16. Therefore, the protective cover 18 and the housing 16 are axially connected (“axially coupled”).

[0081] Return to reference Figure 12 and 13 In the illustrated embodiment, the end portion of the substrate 56 is defined by several arcuate segments 114. This segmented arrangement facilitates insertion of the end portion of the substrate 56 through the opening 106 in the housing 16, because the segments 114 can bend radially inward upon encountering interference from the opening 106, and then bend back outward when the interference is cleared. Figure 12As shown, the shape of the opening 106 can be designed to allow limited relative rotation between the substrate 56 and the housing 16. For example, the shield 18 can rotate relative to the housing 16 about a longitudinal axis A until one of the arcuate segments 114 of the substrate 56 contacts a flat portion 116 in the housing 16 (e.g., the flat portion 116 may be partially or completely defined in the opening 106). Further rotation of the shield 18 in the same direction will then cause the housing 16 to rotate together with the shield 18 in said direction. In an alternative embodiment, the opening 106 can be designed to prevent or substantially limit all relative rotation between the shield 18 and the housing 16. In other words, the shield 18 may not be able to rotate relative to the housing 16 about a longitudinal axis A. In such an embodiment, the shield 18 and the housing 16 may alternatively be designed to always rotate together.

[0082] As described above, the outer casing 16 and the protective cover 18 can be placed on the cable 12 before assembling the inner casing 50, and then moved forward after assembling the inner casing 50. Figure 15 This illustrates an example of how the internal structure of the outer casing 16 can be configured to interact with the rear portion of the inner casing 50, which in turn... Figure 16 As shown in the image. Figure 15 As shown, the outer casing 16 includes a receiving area 120 adjacent to an opening 106 in the rear wall 104, wherein the receiving area 120 consists of a bottom wall 122 and two arcuate inner sidewalls 124 (due to the cross-section, in Figure 15 The receiving area 120 is defined by only one visible portion (the middle portion) and an inner top wall 126. The shape of the receiving area 120 generally corresponds to the contour of the rear portion of the inner housing 50. For example, the bottom wall 122 is shaped to correspond to the bottom of the inner housing 50 defined by the base 78. The arcuate inner sidewall 124 is shaped to correspond to the arcuate sides of the base 78 and the cover 80. In addition, the inner top wall 126 is shaped to extend above the top of the inner housing 50 defined by the cover 80. The inner top wall 126 extends axially inward from the opening 106 and terminates at a radial flange 128, the purpose of which will be described below in conjunction with the use / operation of the connector 10.

[0083] like Figure 16As shown, the rear portion of the inner housing 50 is generally cylindrical, but has truncated tops and bottoms because this rear portion has a smaller radial profile / coverage area at its top and bottom compared to its arcuate sides. The top and bottom remain curved like the arcuate sides, but with a smaller radius from the longitudinal axis A. However, in alternative embodiments, the top and bottom of the rear portion of the inner housing 50 may be generally flat, or may include flat portions between the arcuate sides. Regardless of the exact configuration of the top and bottom of the inner housing 50, the cover 80 is shaped to define an axially extending ridge 134 between the top and arcuate sides of the inner housing 50. The ridge 134 terminates at or near the rear flange 136 or rear stop feature 140 of the inner housing 50. More specifically, one of the ridges 134 terminates at a circumferentially extending recess 138 defined in one of the arcuate sides of the rear portion of the inner housing 50, adjacent to the rear flange 136 and a first rear stop feature 140 that may be a continuation of the rear flange 136 (but the first rear stop feature 302 has a different shape than the adjacent portion of the rear flange 136). Both the cover 80 and the base 78 are configured to define corresponding portions of the recess 138 and the rear flange 136. Another ridge 134 ( Figure 16 The second rear stop feature 140 (located on the far side of the view in the diagram) is circumferentially aligned with the first rear stop feature 140; in the illustrated embodiment, no groove 138 is provided on the other arcuate side of the rear portion of the inner housing 50. Although Figure 16 Only the cover 80 is shown as including the ridge 134, but the base 78 has a similar configuration on the opposite side of the inner housing 50. Thus, the base 78 includes a similar ridge 134 adjacent to the bottom of the rear portion of the inner housing 50. In an alternative embodiment, the top and bottom of the rear portion of the inner housing 50 may each include only a single ridge 134 (e.g., the ridge 134 at the terminating recess 138).

[0084] The first and second stop features 140 each have a ramp-like configuration starting from the rear end of the inner housing 50. This can facilitate the assembly of the outer housing 16 relative to the inner housing 50. In this respect, and commonly referred to... Figure 15 and 16The rear portion of the inner housing 50 is configured to reside within the receiving region 120 of the outer housing 16. During assembly, as the outer housing 16 moves forward over the rear portion of the inner housing 50, the rear portion of the inner housing 50 lies between the arcuate inner sidewalls 124 of the receiving region 120. However, a radial flange 128 on the inner top wall 126 contacts the first and second stop features 140 due to interference inherent in the component design. The ramped configuration of the stop features 140 facilitates radial outward deflection of the inner top wall 126, allowing the radial flange 128 to travel over the stop features 140. Ultimately, the radial flange 128 passes over the stop features 140, and the outer housing 16 can continue to advance axially, allowing the rear portion of the inner housing 50 to further enter the receiving region 120. During this advance of the outer housing 16, the radial flange 128 encounters a resistance feature 142, which in the illustrated embodiment is a protrusion on the top of the rear portion of the inner housing 50. However, by applying sufficient force to the housing 16, the radial flange 128 can travel over the drag feature 142, similar to how the radial flange 128 is configured to travel over the stop feature 140.

[0085] Figure 17 The outer housing 16 and inner housing 50 are shown when these components are fully assembled. It can be understood that these components are designed to limit how far the outer housing 16 can advance above the inner housing 50. In the illustrated embodiment, the arcuate inner sidewall 124 ( Figure 15 The inner top wall 126 eventually contacts the front portion of the inner housing 50, but other configurations for limiting the movement of the outer housing 16 are also possible. For example... Figure 18 As shown, a radial flange 128 on the inner top wall 126 is disposed on or near the top of the rear portion of the inner housing 50. The inner top wall 126 is also shaped to have side edges 146, each side edge facing a corresponding one of the ridges 134 on the rear portion of the inner housing 50. This arrangement restricts relative rotation between the components. Essentially, the ridges 134 serve as anti-rotation features, preventing rotation of the radial flange 128, and thus generally preventing rotation of the inner top wall 126 and the outer housing 16. In the illustrated embodiment, both the ridges 134 and the side edges 146 extend in the radial direction, and particularly in a radial plane extending through the longitudinal axis A. Figure 1 and 2 This results in a zero contact angle between the ridge 134 and the side edge 146, thus maximizing the contact force generated by the torque (attempted rotation) applied to the housing 16. Therefore, this arrangement can more effectively prevent relative rotation compared to a configuration where the ridge 134 and / or the side edge 146 extend at an angle relative to a radial plane passing through the longitudinal axis A, because in this embodiment, the contact force from the same amount of torque will be smaller. However, such later embodiments are still possible and are within the scope of this disclosure.

[0086] Figure 3A and 3B A fully assembled connector 10 is shown, with the housing 16 extending over the inner housing 50 and the distal end portion 40 of the latch arm 36. The assembly process may include a user pressing down the latch arm 36 as the housing 16 is moved forward, allowing the housing 16 to travel over the distal end portion 40 of the latch arm 36. However, this is only for the assembly of the connector 10, allowing the latch arm 36 to return to an unflexed state once the housing 16 has reached its forward-mounted position.

[0087] The overall layout of connector 10 has now been described and can be referred to. Figure 19 and 20 To understand the various aspects of how connector 10 operates. Specifically, Figure 19 and 20 The diagram illustrates how to remove connector 10 from adapter 210 using protective cover 18 and housing 16. Adapter 210 is referred to as an advanced adapter and is merely one example of a socket into which connector 10 can be inserted. Those skilled in the art of optical connections will understand that other devices, such as transceivers and other equipment, may define similar socket interfaces; therefore, the following discussion can be directed to both types of sockets used for connector 10 (advanced adapter and active device socket). In fact, the geometric aspects associated with the illustrated embodiment are the same for advanced adapter interfaces and active device socket interfaces in standards IEC 61754-20 and TIA / EIA 604-10. Figure 19 In the diagram, connector 10 is shown mating with adapter 210. The latching feature 42 of connector subassembly 20 (…) Figure 2 and 3A The corresponding latching feature 212 of the engaging adapter 210 is used to secure the connector 10 to the adapter 210. The distal end portion 40 of the latching arm 36 is covered by an extension member 150 of the housing 16. The extension member 150 extends into a port 214 of the adapter 210, which receives the connector subassembly 20 to extend over the distal end portion 40. Each extension member 150 includes an opening 152 that receives the distal end portion 40 of the latching arm 36, such that the inner wall 154 of the opening 152 ( Figure 3B It is located in front of the actuating surface 44 of the corresponding latch arm 36 and is axially aligned with it.

[0088] Figure 20The connector 10 is shown after the protective cover 18 and the housing 16 have been moved rearward together. As described above, the user can pull either the protective cover 18 or the housing 16. Pulling either component causes the protective cover 18 and the housing 16 to move axially relative to the rest of the connector 10. This movement causes the extension member 150 of the housing 16 to move along the actuating surface 44 of the latch arm 36, and more specifically, causes the inner wall 154 of the opening 152 ( Figure 3B The extension member 150 contacts and slides along the actuating surface 44. As the extension member 150 travels along the actuating surface 44, the latch arm 36 moves toward the axis L of the corresponding connector subassembly. Figure 4 The latch arm 36 is deflected, causing it to be pressed down (i.e., pressed downwards). Before the opening 152 of the extension member 150 passes the actuating surface 44, the latch arm 36 moves sufficiently downwards, causing the latching feature 42 of the latch arm 36 to... Figure 2 and 3A The latch feature 212 of the adapter 210 is no longer engaged. Therefore, the latch / coupling mechanism between the connector 10 and the adapter 210 is released. If the user continues to pull the protective cover 18 or the housing 16 backward, the friction between the actuating surface 44 and the extension member 150 may still be sufficient to hold the extension member 150 on the distal end portion 40 of the latch arm 36. Alternatively or additionally, the resistance feature 142 on the inner housing 50 ( Figure 16 The extension member 150 can be positioned to interfere with the rearward movement of the housing 16, which would otherwise cause the extension member 150 to travel continuously over the distal end portion 40 of the latch arm 36. Thus, the housing 16 can remain extended over the distal end portion 40 of the latch arm 36, and the connector 10 can move as a unit away from the adapter 210.

[0089] Removing connector 10 from adapter 210 allows latch arm 36 to flex rearward away from connector body 28. For example, the internal spring force of latch arm 36 can be greater than the friction between extension member 150 and actuation surface 44. As connector 10 moves rearward relative to adapter 210, once the latching feature 42 of latch arm 36 passes the latching feature 212 of adapter 210, the internal spring force returns latch arm 36 to its unflexed state, which in turn causes extension member 150 to slide back along actuation surface 44. Therefore, housing 16 and shield 18 can move slightly forward relative to the rest of connector 10 to have a similar position to... Figure 3A The configuration shown. In other embodiments, after the connector 10 is removed from the adapter 210, the latch arm 36 can remain pressed down by the extension member 150.

[0090] Figure 19 and 20The inner housing 50 extends into port 214 of adapter 210 when connector 10 mates with adapter 210. Figure 36 This aspect is also illustrated. The inner housing 50 extends beyond the adapter front wall 220 defining the front plane of the adapter 210 (labeled "adapter front plane") and into the port 214, such that a short length of the front portion of the inner housing 50 extends adjacent to the side wall of the adapter 210. If the connector 10 is subjected to lateral loads when mating with the adapter 210, the stress is distributed between the inner housing 50 (and specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the base 78 and the cover 80) and the rear stop 30 (or, in an alternative embodiment, any structure defining the rear portion of the connector subassembly 20). The stress distribution differs from conventional designs, which do not include an inner housing configured to extend into the port of the adapter to retain the connector subassembly, and thus may cause stress from lateral loads to concentrate on the rear stop 30 adjacent to the adapter front wall 220. After first describing other aspects of this disclosure, the compact nature of the connector subassembly 20 and the geometry between the components of the adapter 210 and the connector 10 will be further discussed below to provide the illustrated arrangement.

[0091] One of the other aspects involves reversing polarity. When connector 10 is not mated with an adapter or other receptacle, the polarity of connector 10 can be reversed to switch which connector subassembly 20 is associated with which side of connector 10 (e.g., from an AB configuration to a BA configuration). The process of reversing polarity involves rotating connector subassembly 20 about its respective connector subassembly axis L. During normal use of connector 10, housing 16 prevents this rotation. In other words, even though connector subassembly 20 can be held in the front portion of inner housing 50 in a manner that still allows connector subassembly 20 to rotate relative to inner housing 50 about its respective connector subassembly axis L, housing 16 can prevent this rotation by engaging the distal end portion 40 of latch arm 36 with extension member 150. In some embodiments, a user can further press the latch arm 36 of the respective connector subassembly 20 toward the main portion of connector body 28 to release engagement with the respective extension member 150, and then rotate connector subassembly 20 relative to inner housing 50 while continuing to press the latch arm 36 downward. However, given the size of the optical connector (including connector 10), these steps may be challenging for users.

[0092] A more user-friendly method to achieve rotation of the connector subassembly 20 is to alternatively move the housing 16 backward away from the connector subassembly 20, for example, by moving the housing 16 such that the extension member 150 slides completely over the actuating surface 44 and eventually completely moves away from the distal end portion 40 of the latch arm 36. Various connector 10 designs are known in which the housing 16 is moved backward from the rest of the connector 10 to assist in reversing polarity. These designs involve pushing the housing back onto the cable, rotating the housing 180 degrees around the cable, and then moving the housing back onto the connector. This design still presents challenges, such as the housing sliding backward away from the user onto the cable. Retrieving the housing can then be difficult or cumbersome for the user, especially if the cable is installed in an environment with many other cables. The user may also be unsure whether he or she has correctly rotated the housing before attempting to move it back onto the rest of the connector. Incorrect rotational orientation of the housing without the user's knowledge can lead to frustration, where the user (unintentionally) fails to move the housing relative to the rest of the connector to the proper forward position. Users may have to try moving the shell multiple times, adjusting its rotational orientation slightly each time, until the desired forward movement is achieved.

[0093] Designs that incorporate a removable housing or clip instead of a retractable housing are also known. In this design, polarity reversal requires removing the clip from one side of the connector and then attaching it to the opposite side. However, when a user removes the clip, there is a possibility of dropping or misplacing it, and the user may not be certain when to reattach the clip to the connector during polarity reversal.

[0094] Advantageously, this disclosure provides features that overcome the shortcomings of known designs, including moving the housing or clip away from the connector subassembly during the polarity reversal process. These features relate to the interaction between the rear portion of the inner housing 50 and the housing 16 when the housing 16 moves rearward. Return to Reference Figure 15-18 As described above, the radial flange 128 of the inner top wall 126 of the housing 16 includes a side edge 146 facing the ridge 134 on the inner housing 50. If the housing 16 moves rearward relative to the inner housing 50, the radial flange 128 may initially encounter interference from the drag feature 142. However, the drag feature 142 is shaped to still allow the interference to be overcome by slightly increasing the pulling force applied to the housing 16. In other words, as with the case of mounting the housing 16, the radial flange 128 is able to move above the drag feature 142 when sufficient force is applied. The drag feature 142 provides tactile feedback to the user to ensure that the movement is intentional. In other words, the drag feature 142 helps prevent the housing 16 from unintentionally moving to its rearward position.

[0095] After the radial flange 128 has moved above the stop feature 142, the continued rearward movement of the outer casing 16 will eventually cause the radial flange 128 to contact the stop feature 140 of the inner casing 50. This arrangement in Figure 21-23 As shown in the figure, Figure 22 and 23 This is a view of the opposite sides of connector 10, where a portion of the housing 16 is cut open to show the interaction between the radial flange 128 and the rear portion of the inner housing 50. The stop feature 140, which can be considered a portion of the rear flange 136, is also shown. Figure 16 The stop feature 140 prevents the radial flange 128 from moving further rearward relative to the inner housing 50. Unlike the resistance feature 142, the stop feature 140 is shaped to prevent the radial flange 128 from moving above the stop feature during the intended use of the connector 10. Therefore, the housing 16 remains on the inner housing 50 even when the housing 16 is moved back from the connector subassembly 20. Figure 21-23 The location of the outer casing 16 shown is referred to in this disclosure as the “rear position” of the outer casing 16. In this rear position, the radial flange 128 is aligned with the recess 138 of the inner casing 50, for reasons that will be discussed below.

[0096] When connector 10 is used for normal mating, for example Figure 3A and 19 The position of the housing 16 shown in this disclosure is referred to as the "forward position" of the housing 16. Therefore, the housing 16 can be moved from this forward position to the aforementioned rear position along the longitudinal axis A. The housing 16 can also be moved from the rear position to the forward position in a reverse manner. Figure 3B and 4 The diagram illustrates how the distal end portion 40 of the latch arm 36 includes a rearward-facing inclined surface 144 to facilitate this reversing movement. As the housing 16 moves toward its forward position, the inclined surface 144 contacts the extension member 150 of the housing 16. Continued forward movement of the housing 16 causes the extension member 150 to move along the inclined surface 144, with each latch arm 36 flexing toward its associated connector subassembly axis L to accommodate this movement. Ultimately, the extension member 150 extends all the way above the inclined surface 144 and begins to slide along the actuating surface 44 until the housing 16 reaches its forward position.

[0097] Therefore, the outer casing 16 can move along the longitudinal axis A between its forward and rearward positions. Because the protective cover 18 is axially coupled to the outer casing 16, the protective cover 18 can move together with the outer casing 16 between two corresponding positions. With this in mind, reference will now be made to… Figure 24-31An example process for reversing the polarity of connector 10 is described. As mentioned above, housing 16 generally prevents each connector subassembly 20 from rotating by any significant amount about its associated connector subassembly axis L. This is Figure 24 The arrangement shown has the housing 16 in its forward position, and the extension member 150 positioned above the distal end portion 40 of the latch arm 36. Because the connector 10 is not inserted into the socket, the user can hold the connector body 28 with one hand and pull the protective cover 18 and / or the housing 16 axially with the other hand. The housing 16 then moves away from the latch arm 36 of the connector subassembly 20 in the manner described above. Rearward movement of the housing 16 and the protective cover 18 can continue until the housing 16 reaches its rear position, which is... Figure 25 As shown in the diagram. In this position, the stop feature 140 of the inner housing 50 prevents further relative movement of the outer housing 16 along the longitudinal axis A, as described above.

[0098] Figure 26 and 27 The diagram illustrates how the housing 16 and the protective shield 18 can then be rotated 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis A to the opposite side of the connector 10. Rotation is possible because of the radial flange 128 of the housing 16 (…). Figure 21-23 The outer casing 16 is aligned with a circumferentially extending groove 138 in the rear portion of the inner casing 50. Advantageously, the rear portion of the inner casing 50 is configured to prevent rotation of the outer casing 16 in other axial positions. Instead, the user needs to move the outer casing 16 to its rear position before such rotation may occur, which helps to avoid doubt or confusion about when it is acceptable to perform this rotation step during polarity reversal. Furthermore, by having a circumferentially extending groove 138 only on one side of the inner casing 50, the outer casing 16 can be rotated about the longitudinal axis A in only one direction. The user effectively has only one option to complete the rotation, further eliminating any doubt or confusion about the process.

[0099] While it is advantageous to limit the rotation of the housing 16 until it is in its rearward position, alternative embodiments without this feature are also possible. For example, the housing 16 is considered to have an axial travel length between its forward and rearward positions. In some embodiments, the inner housing 50 may be configured to limit the rotation of the housing 16 only at a certain percentage of its axial travel length, such as 75%, 50%, etc. A recess 138 that is much wider in the axial direction is an example of achieving this. Embodiments in which the inner housing 50 is not configured at all to limit the rotation of the housing 16 in one or both directions along its axial travel length, but is still configured to hold the housing 16 on at least the rearward portion of the inner housing 50, are also possible. However, in such embodiments, the additional advantage of limiting rotation described above will not be present.

[0100] Return to connector 10 and now refer to Figure 28 and 29 The process for reversing polarity further includes rotating the connector subassembly 20 180 degrees about its respective longitudinal axis L. As described above, the inner housing 50 holds the rear stop 30 in a manner that allows this rotation without requiring removal of the rear stop 30 from the inner housing 50. Instead, the rotation occurs in place, i.e., the connector subassembly 20 remains axially coupled to the inner housing 50. To initiate the rotation of each connector subassembly 20, and in conjunction with the above... Figure 9-11 As discussed, the user must first apply sufficient force to overcome the engagement between one of the notches 90 on the corresponding rear stop 30 and the corresponding flexible tab 92 on the base 78. As the different notches 90 become radially aligned with the flexible tab 92, the engagement created between these complementary locking features provides new resistance that must be overcome to continue rotation. Therefore, the notches 90 can be used to assist in guiding the connector subassembly 20 to the desired rotational position relative to the inner housing 50. Due to the releasable engagement discussed above, the connector subassembly 20 is essentially snapped into place at different rotational positions (i.e., rotated to different rotational positions).

[0101] When in Figure 28 When the connector subassembly 20 is rotated in the direction shown, the user can feel when the next notch 90 on the corresponding rear stop 30 is engaged by the corresponding flexible tab 92. This occurs when the connector subassembly 20 is rotated 90 degrees about its corresponding connector subassembly axis L. The user can clearly see that this is merely the midpoint between the opposing top and bottom sides of the connector 10, and sufficient force can be applied to overcome the engagement and rotate the connector subassembly 20 to its next indexed position. This occurs when the connector subassembly 20 has already rotated an additional 90 degrees about its corresponding connector subassembly axis L, thus creating a... Figure 24-27 The initial position shown represents a total rotation of 180 degrees. In this rotated position, the engagement between the notch 90 and the flexible tab 92 provides the user with tactile feedback indicating that the position has been rotated. In some embodiments, audible feedback may also be present when the flexible tab 92 snaps into the notch 90. It is understood that by having two notches 90 spaced 180 degrees apart from each other in the rear stop member 30, the connector subassembly 20 has a 180-degree-spaced rotational position. This allows the user to easily know when the connector subassembly 20 has been correctly rotated to the opposite top or bottom side of the connector 10.

[0102] although Figure 28 and 29The diagram shows a rotating connector subassembly 20 to orient the latch arm 36 on opposite sides of the connector 10 after rotating the housing 16 180 degrees; however, these steps can occur in a different order. For example, if desired, the housing 16 can be moved rearward so that it no longer extends above the latch arm 36. Figure 25 Following the steps shown, the connector subassembly 20 can be rotated 180 degrees in the manner described above before rotating the housing 16 about the longitudinal axis A by 180 degrees. Embodiments where the housing 16 is configured to allow the connector subassembly 20 to rotate 180 degrees about the corresponding connector subassembly axis L when the housing 16 is in the forward position are also possible. In other words, some embodiments may not require moving the housing 16 away from its forward position before rotating the connector subassembly 20.

[0103] Regardless of the order of component rotation, after the housing 16 has moved to its rear position and both the housing 16 and the connector subassembly 20 have rotated 180 degrees, the housing 16 can then move back to its forward position relative to the inner housing 50. Before doing so, and as... Figure 30 As shown, the user can flip the entire cable assembly 14 so that the connector 10 is not inverted. The portion previously considered the bottom side of the connector 10 becomes the top side, and the portion previously considered the top side of the connector 10 becomes the bottom side. For this purpose, the inner housing 50 is now oriented such that the base 78 is on the top side of the connector 10, and the cover 80 is on the bottom side of the connector 10. Then, Figure 31 The outer casing 16 is shown after it has been moved back to its forward position. Figure 30 and 31 The order of these two related steps is not important, because the final result is still as follows. Figure 31 As shown, it is similar to Figure 3A The arrangement shown is different except that the positions of the base 78 and the cover 80 of the inner housing 50 are reversed. The base 78 is now on the same side of the connector 10 as the latch arm 36 and the extension member 150.

[0104] In some embodiments, connector 10 may include features that axially lock housing 16 and shield 18 so that they cannot be pulled backward relative to the rest of connector 10 (including inner housing 50) (particularly when housing 16 is in its forward position). This feature may be desirable to help prevent accidental actuation of latch arm 36, thereby helping to maintain engagement of latch feature 212 of connector 10 with adapter 210. For example, Figures 32-34 A connector 10 with a protective shield 18 is shown, the shield having an improved substrate 56' to provide this type of locking feature / function. Substrate 56' and substrate 56 ( Figure 2 and 13The inner housing 50 is similar to the outer housing 50, but differs in that it also includes a locking arm 162 that extends above the rear portion of the inner housing 50 when the outer housing 16 is in the forward position. The locking arm 162 has a hook-like configuration to define a latch 166, which may also be referred to as a bolt. The latch 166 is an overhanging or lateral / circumferential extension of the locking arm 162, and... Figure 33 and 34 The latch 166 is shown to be located in the space in front of the second stop feature 140 and adjacent to the ridge 134 on the same side of the inner housing 50.

[0105] In this embodiment, the protective cover 18 can rotate relative to the outer casing 16 about the longitudinal axis A by a finite amount. This was discussed above when the substrate 56 was first considered in conjunction with... Figure 12-14 The possibility of such limited relative rotation is mentioned. The same principle applies to the modified substrate 56'. Figure 33 and 34 The position of the protective cover 18 relative to the outer housing 16 and the inner housing 50 (where the latch 166 is in front of the second stop feature 140) is referred to herein as the first rotational position or “locked” position. Because the second stop feature 140 blocks the latch 166, it prevents the protective cover 18 from being pulled back axially. In some embodiments, there may be a minimal axial movement from the foremost position of the protective cover 18 before the latch 166 contacts the second stop feature 140, but this movement is insufficient to cause the outer housing 16 to press down the latch arm 36 of the connector subassembly 20 in a manner that would disengage the connector 10 from the socket (e.g., adapter 210). Figure 33 (Not shown in the image).

[0106] Figure 35 The outer housing 16 and the protective cover 18 are also shown in the locked position. In the illustrated embodiment, the protective cover 18 is designed such that when the protective cover 18 is in the locked position, the profile of the strain relief member 58 does not match the profile of the rear wall 104 of the housing 16, but when the protective cover is in the unlocked position, the profile of the strain relief member matches the profile of the rear wall of the housing (see, for example...). Figure 1 and 3A This mismatch provides users with an easy way to identify which rotational position exists, i.e., whether the protective cover 18 is in the locked or unlocked position.

[0107] like Figure 32As shown, the outer housing 16 is omitted for better visualization. The protective cover 18 can rotate about the longitudinal axis A to a second rotational position, also referred to herein as the "unlocked" position. This rotation occurs relative to the outer housing 16 and relative to the inner housing 50, such that the latch 166 of the locking arm 162 is no longer axially aligned with the second stop feature 140. In other words, the rotation causes the latch 166 to move away from the space in front of the second stop feature 140. The protective cover 18 can then move freely rearward, i.e., the user can pull the protective cover 18 rearward relative to the inner housing 50. As described above, the outer housing 16 moves axially together with the protective cover 18 to ultimately press down the latch arm 36 of the connector subassembly 20. Furthermore, the protective cover 18 can be pulled back far enough that when the outer housing 16 moves to its rear position, the locking arm 162 does not extend over the rear portion of the inner housing 50. This allows the protective cover 18 to rotate together with the outer housing 16 to the opposite side of the connector 10 when the polarity is reversed in the manner described above.

[0108] In some embodiments, the housing 16 and the protective shield 18 may be designed to have complementary snap-fit ​​features configured to releasably engage with each other when the protective shield 18 is in a locked and unlocked rotational position. For example, Figures 32-34 At least some arcuate segments 114 of substrate 56' are shown to be received in the opening 106 of housing 16 of substrate 60'. Figure 12 The portion of ) includes radial bumps / protrusions 170. For example... Figure 12 As shown, opening 106 may include one or more recesses or depressions 172 that align with radial protrusions 170 when the shield 18 is moved to its first and second rotational positions. These components may be designed to provide a slight interference fit, such that the radial protrusions 170 snap into or otherwise remain within the recesses 172. This releasable engagement helps prevent the shield 18 from accidentally rotating out of the locked and unlocked rotational positions.

[0109] The different aspects and some optional features of connector 10 have already been described; the above references will now be discussed again. Figure 19 and 20 The compact nature of the connector 10 is discussed. Specifically, as described above, the front portion of the inner housing 50 is configured to extend into the port 214 of the adapter 210 when the connector 10 mates with the adapter 210. The advantages of this arrangement have also been mentioned above and will not be repeated here. Instead, reference will be made to... Figure 19 , 20 Sections 36 and 37 describe the geometric relationships between the various components in more detail.

[0110] like Figure 19 , 36As noted in note 37, adapter 210 and connector 10 are respectively defined with latch feature 212 ( Figure 19 ) and latching feature 42 ( Figure 3A The corresponding mechanical reference plane is associated with the connector 10 and adapter 210. The mechanical reference plane is the geometric reference point on which other dimensions related to the interoperability of connector 10 and adapter 210 are based. Interoperability specifications for connectors and adapters are well-known in the field of optical connections. Interoperability specifications define the required geometric features for connectors and sockets of the same type (e.g., adapters) to ensure that connectors of the same type from different manufacturers can properly mate with sockets of the same type from different manufacturers. Many interoperability specifications are adopted in one or more industry standards. For example, connector 10 and adapter 210 mentioned above are LC type connectors and adapters. Interoperability standards for LC connectors and sockets include IEC 61754-20 and TIA / EIA 604-10. Both standards use the corresponding mechanical reference plane as a reference point for various dimensions, defining the minimum geometry required for LC connectors and adapters in a similar manner.

[0111] exist Figure 19 , 20 In configurations 36 and 37, the adapter front wall 220 and the associated adapter front plane are axially spaced from the mechanical reference plane of the adapter 210 by a certain distance. This distance will be referred to herein as the "first port distance". The connector 10 is configured such that the front side of the inner housing 50 is axially spaced from the mechanical reference plane of the connector 10 by another distance. This latter distance is referred to herein as the "connector latch distance". The first port distance is greater than the first connector latch distance. Therefore, when the connector 10 mates with the adapter 210, this aligns the respective mechanical reference planes, with the front side of the inner housing 50 located within port 214, recessed from the adapter front wall 220. The front portion of the inner housing 50 extends a certain length within port 214 before extending beyond the adapter front wall 220 to accommodate the difference between the larger first port distance and the smaller first connector latch distance.

[0112] In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 16 is shaped to surround the inner housing 50 and has lateral sidewalls positioned very close to the front wall 220 of the adapter when the connector 10 mates with the adapter 210. For example, the lateral sidewalls of the housing 16 define the front plane of the portion of the housing 16 closest to the front wall 220 of the adapter (this plane is in... Figure 36 and 37(This is labeled "connector housing front plane"). In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom wall of housing 16 also extends to the front plane. The front plane of housing 16 is considered to be located at a "second connector latching distance" from the mechanical reference plane of connector 10. The second connector latching distance can be close to the first port distance, for example, less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, etc., such that when connector 10 mates with adapter 210, the aforementioned connector housing front plane is close to the adapter front wall 220. In addition, the top side of housing 16 is configured to extend beyond the adapter front plane, wherein at least the extension member 150 of housing 16 extends into port 214. When connector 10 mates with adapter 210, this configuration allows housing 16 to substantially or completely conceal inner housing 50.

[0113] Return to reference Figure 1 This allows for a better understanding of the hidden properties of the outer shell 16. For example... Figure 1 As shown, when connector 10 mates with adapter 210, only housing 16 and protective cover 18 are presented to the user. Because housing 16 and protective cover 18 can both move together along longitudinal axis A as described above, the user can pull any one or both of these components to remove connector 10 from adapter 210. The user also does not need to worry about where to grip any of these components. Therefore, the user can pull on connector 10 from virtually any location, making connector 10 a “pull-anywhere” configuration. The other components of connector 10 are essentially invisible to the user, or at least cannot be gripped / pulled by the user. Besides the advantage of avoiding user confusion or uncertainty, the pull-anywhere configuration also offers the advantage of providing an aesthetically pleasing design.

[0114] The concealment property of housing 16 can still be applied even when the front side of the lateral sidewall of housing 16 is not completely flat. The concealment property of the design remains as long as the front side of the lateral sidewall (i.e., all locations on the front side) is within a connector latching distance close to the first port distance (e.g., less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, etc.). As a specific example, for an LC socket serving as an interface for an advanced adapter or active device, the distance from the optical reference plane of the LC socket to the mechanical reference plane can be approximately 10 mm, and the distance from the optical reference plane to the front plane of the adapter can be approximately 14.5 mm, resulting in an adapter port distance of approximately 4.5 mm. The front side of the lateral sidewall can be spaced apart from the mechanical reference plane of connector 10 by approximately 5 mm or less. In practice, the front sides of the top wall, lateral sidewall, and bottom wall of housing 16 can all be spaced apart from the mechanical reference plane of connector 10 by approximately 5 mm or less. Therefore, when connector 10 mates with LC socket (e.g., adapter 210) such that their respective mechanical reference faces are aligned, for this particular example, the distance between the front side of housing 16 and the front wall 220 of adapter will never exceed about 0.5 mm.

[0115] refer to Figure 1 and 36 The low profile of the housing 16 relative to the adapter 210 complements the concealed design of the housing 16. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the housing 16 has a width smaller than the width of the adapter front wall 220. Additionally, the housing 16 has a height approximately the same as the height of the adapter 210. Specifically, Figure 36 This illustrates how the top side of the housing 16 remains below plane P1, which aligns with the top of the adapter 210, when the connector 10 mates with the adapter 210. Additionally, the bottom side of the housing 16 lies only slightly below plane P2, which aligns with the bottom side of the adapter 210. As a result of this configuration, the connector 10 has a small profile / occupancy in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis A and can be used when the adapter 210 or similar receptacles are close together and positioned together, such as in patch panels, transceiver interfaces, etc. Specifically, the small occupancy of the connector 10 in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis A means that in such a densely connected environment, one connector 10 is unlikely to prevent or otherwise interfere with the insertion of another connector 10 into an adjacent receptacle.

[0116] Figure 1 and 36It is also shown how connector 10 can also be compact in the axial direction, thus not taking up too much space in front of the adapter 210 or other components to which connector 10 can mate. A compact axial design is aided by how connector 10 is designed to influence the potential bending of the optical fiber that may occur in connector 10 and / or cable 12 during use. This potential bending can have several causes. For example, as described above, the ferrule 24 terminating the optical fiber 22 is spring-biased by a spring 32 acting on the ferrule retainer 26. When connector 10 is mated with the ferrule within the port of another connector or transceiver or other device, physical contact can be established before connector 10 is fully mated. The ferrule 24 then compresses the spring 32 and retracts relative to connector body 28 to allow connector 10 to reach its fully mated position. Because optical fiber 22 is secured to ferrule 24, retraction also causes optical fiber 22 to be pushed back. To accommodate excess length, optical fiber 22 can be bent more than normal to take a longer travel path through other connector components (e.g., inner housing 50) and / or cable 12.

[0117] As another example, the cable assembly 14, including connector 10, may experience a range of different environmental conditions in the field, including temperature fluctuations. The materials used in the configuration of cable sheath 68 may cause cable sheath 68 to shrink slightly in length during some changes in environmental conditions. In this case, due to the different material properties of optical fiber 22, the length of the optical fiber does not shrink accordingly, and therefore there may be excess length of optical fiber 22 that needs to be accommodated in cable assembly 14. Similarly, optical fiber 22 may be bent more than normal to take a longer travel path through connector components and / or cable 12.

[0118] The applicant has discovered that by designing the cavity 86 of the inner housing 50 in a specific manner, the increased bending of the optical fiber 22 can be guided in a preferred manner. More specifically, and referring to... Figure 38 and 39The inner cavity 86 includes a first lateral side 182 and a second lateral side 184, each having a profile defined by a first arcuate segment 186 and a second arcuate segment 188. The first arcuate segment 186 extends a first length from a front region of the inner cavity 86 toward a rear region of the inner cavity 86 and curves inward while extending concavely relative to the inner cavity 86. Thus, the first arcuate segment 186 can be characterized as having a first radius of curvature R1. The second arcuate segment 188 extends a second length from a rear region of the inner cavity 86 toward a front region of the inner cavity 86 and curves outward while extending convexly relative to the inner cavity 86. Thus, the second arcuate segment 188 can be characterized as having a second radius of curvature R2. The terms "front region" and "rear region" are used in this disclosure to refer, respectively, to regions relatively close to the front and rear of the inner cavity 86 (the latter adjacent to the transition tube 60), for example, encompassing the front 15% or rear 15% of the axial length of the inner cavity 86. This is merely to explain a slight variation from the illustrated embodiment, which includes a first arcuate segment 186 and a second arcuate segment 188 extending substantially from the front and rear of the cavity 86.

[0119] In the illustrated embodiment, the first arcuate segment 186 and the second arcuate segment 188 are continuous to define an S-shaped curve, thereby creating associated lateral sides 182, 184 with an S-shaped profile. The S-shaped first lateral side 182 and the second lateral side 184 cause the cavity 86 to transition from a first width W1 at the front of the cavity 86 to a smaller second width W2 at the rear of the cavity 86. The position where the first arcuate segment 186 engages with the second arcuate segment 188 can vary based on a specific design. In the illustrated example, the first arcuate segment 186 and the second arcuate segment 188 are formed at a middle width of the cavity 86, wherein the middle width is closer to the spacing PD between the connector sub-assembly axes L than the first width W1.

[0120] Figure 38 and 39 The illustrated optical fiber 22 has a representative travel path from the connector subassembly 20 to the rear of the cavity 86. The exact travel path may vary depending on the mounting / assembly method of the connector 10, but the general concept is that the optical fiber 22 extends through the cavity 86 and, while extending, transitions from the connector subassembly (which itself is located at the pitch PD) to a narrower second width W2 that fits at the rear of the cavity 86. If excess length of the optical fiber 22 needs to be accommodated in the cable assembly 14 (e.g., for one of the reasons mentioned above), the optical fiber may be bent toward the first lateral side 182 and / or the second lateral side 184 of the cavity.

[0121] to this end, Figure 40This is a schematic diagram illustrating how an optical fiber 22 bends from a first travel path (solid line) to a second travel path (dashed line) when excess optical fiber length needs to be accommodated within the cable assembly 14 (e.g., for one of the reasons mentioned above). It can be understood that the optical fiber 22 can bend from the first travel path and contact the lateral side 182, specifically the second arcuate segment 186. The convex bending nature of the second arcuate segment 188 helps guide the forces experienced by the optical fiber 22 in the axial direction. The applicant has found that this effectively allows the optical fiber 22 to bend / bend more along its travel path through the cable 12 compared to conventional designs. In other words, by providing the convex second arcuate segment 188 instead of a segment with a straight profile, the greater bending / bending that the optical fiber 22 might undergo to accommodate excess optical fiber length can be guided into the cable 12. The inner housing 50 and the connector assembly behind it can then maintain a relatively short length because the excess optical fiber length of the connector 10 is better guided into the cable 12 compared to conventional designs.

[0122] The applicant has found that the above features are particularly effective when R2 is approximately twice that of R1, for example, when R2 is in the range of 1.75 to 2.35 times that of R1. To provide an example of how compact the inner housing 50 can be, representative values ​​for the axial distance between the front and rear portions of the cavity 86, and representative values ​​for R1 and R2, will now be mentioned. In some embodiments, the axial length of the cavity 86 (i.e., the axial travel distance between the first lateral side 182 and the second lateral side 184) can be between 7.5 mm and 9.5 mm, specifically, about 8.5 mm. In some embodiments, the first radius of curvature R1 can be less than 5 mm, for example, between 3 mm and 5 mm. A specific example is a first radius of curvature R1 of about 4 mm. While the first radius of curvature R1 is constant along the first arcuate segment 186, embodiments in which the first radius of curvature R1 varies as the first arcuate segment 186 extends along its first length are also possible. Similarly, in some embodiments, the second radius of curvature R2 can be less than 10 mm, for example, between 8 mm and 10 mm. A specific example is a second radius of curvature R2 of approximately 9 mm. Although the second radius of curvature R2 is constant along the second arc segment, embodiments in which the second radius of curvature R2 varies as the second arc segment 188 extends along its second length are also possible.

[0123] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art of optical connections that various modifications and variations can be made based on this disclosure. For example, although the housing 16 is described as substantially or completely concealing the inner housing 50 and connector subassembly 20 when the connector 10 mates with the adapter 210, other configurations are possible where this is not the case. Many of the features provided in this disclosure can also be applied to connectors without the aforementioned “pull-in-anywhere” configuration and / or connectors where the housing does not completely surround the inner housing. Thus, the housing 16 can be more generally considered as an external body, as the nature of the portion of the component that houses / covers the inner housing 50 and connector subassembly 20 may differ in other embodiments.

[0124] As another example, in the above description of the inner housing 50 holding the rear portion of the connector subassembly 20, it was mentioned that alternative embodiments may include a cover 80 with a flexible extension member to provide additional or alternative engagement with the connector subassembly 20. Figure 40 and 41 An example of this alternative is shown. Specifically, Figure 40 and 41 An inner housing 250 is shown, which provides similar functionality to inner housing 50 but with a different configuration. Inner housing 250 includes a cover 252 having a flexible extension member in the form of an arm 254 configured to engage a notch 90 on a rear stop member 30. The arm 254 engages with the flexible tab 92 (… Figure 10 and 11 It works in essentially the same way to rotate the rear stop 30 (and typically the connector subassembly 20) to different rotational positions about the axis L of the respective connector subassembly. Therefore, the base 256 of the inner housing 250 does not need to include a locking feature for engaging the notch 90.

[0125] As yet another example of a variation within the scope of this disclosure, and as mentioned at the beginning of this detailed description, although the connector 10 shown above and in the figures is in the form of an LC duplex integrated shield connector, the various features disclosed can be applied to different connector configurations and different connector subassembly designs. This includes simplex configurations of LC connectors, as well as simplex and duplex configurations of different (i.e., non-LC) connector designs. In fact, in the appended claims, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the use of “a” or “an” in conjunction with elements (e.g., connector subassemblies) refers to “one or more” of the elements.

[0126] Furthermore, those skilled in the art of optical connectivity will understand in the appended claims and this disclosure that references to interoperability / interface standards need not include the exact year / revision of these standards, as the dimensional relationships relevant to this disclosure are applicable to all past and future revisions. The applicant has referenced the aforementioned specific revisions, namely IEC 61754-20:2012+AMD1:2022 and TIA / EIA 604-10-C:2021 for LC-type optical interfaces, only as examples applicable up to the date of filing of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An optical connector, comprising: A first connector sub-assembly, configured to terminate a first optical fiber; A second connector sub-assembly, configured to terminate a second optical fiber; An inner housing that holds the rear portion of the first connector subassembly and the rear portion of the second connector subassembly, such that the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly extend forward from the front portion of the inner housing; An outer casing, the outer casing being located above at least the rear portion of the inner casing; as well as A protective cover that extends rearward from the outer casing; in: The outer housing is movable along the longitudinal axis of the optical connector and relative to the inner housing between a forward position and a rearward position. The protective shield is axially coupled to the outer housing such that the protective shield is configured to move together with the outer housing along the longitudinal axis. The inner housing includes at least one stop feature configured to contact the outer housing when the outer housing is moved to the rear position, the at least one stop feature being configured to hold the outer housing on at least the rear portion of the inner housing.

2. The optical connector of claim 1, wherein when the outer housing is in the rear position, the outer housing is rotatable relative to the inner housing about the longitudinal axis, but when the outer housing is in the forward position, the outer housing is not rotatable relative to the inner housing about the longitudinal axis.

3. The optical connector of claim 2, wherein the housing has an axial travel length between the forward position and the rear position, and wherein the inner housing is configured to prevent the housing from rotating relative to the inner housing about the longitudinal axis by at least 50% of the axial travel length.

4. The optical connector of claim 3, wherein the inner housing is configured to prevent the outer housing from rotating about the longitudinal axis by at least 75% of the travel length relative to the inner housing.

5. The optical connector according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein: The outer casing includes an inner wall defining a flange; and The rear portion of the inner housing includes a groove that extends at least partially in the circumferential direction about the longitudinal axis and is configured to receive the flange when the outer housing is in the rear position and rotates about the longitudinal axis.

6. The optical connector according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein in the rear position, the housing is rotatable 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis between a first orientation and a second orientation.

7. The optical connector of claim 6, wherein the inner housing is configured to allow the outer housing to rotate from the first orientation to the second orientation in only one direction and from the second orientation to the first orientation in only the opposite direction.

8. The optical connector of claim 6 or 7, wherein the inner housing is configured to substantially prevent relative movement of the outer housing along the longitudinal axis when the outer housing rotates between the first orientation and the second orientation.

9. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly each comprise a connector body having a main portion and a latching arm extending over said main portion, and further wherein: When the housing is in the forward position, the housing partially extends above the latch arms of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly; and The housing is configured such that when the housing moves along the longitudinal axis from the forward position toward the rear position, the latch arm flexes toward the main portion of the corresponding connector body.

10. The optical connector of claim 9, wherein at the rear position of the housing, the housing does not extend above the latch arms of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly.

11. The optical connector of claim 9 or 10, wherein the connector body of the first connector subassembly and the connector body of the second connector subassembly are configured to rotate relative to the inner housing about the respective connector subassembly axis.

12. The optical connector according to claim 11, wherein: The first connector sub-assembly and the second connector sub-assembly each further include a collar configured to support at least one optical fiber; At least a portion of the ferrule is surrounded by the corresponding connector body; and The collar and the connector body are configured to rotate together about the axis of the respective connector sub-assembly.

13. The optical connector of claim 12, wherein the rear portions of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly are held by the inner housing in a manner that allows the rear portions to rotate about the axis of the respective connector subassembly.

14. The optical connector of claim 13, wherein each of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly includes a rear stop member rotatably and axially coupled to the respective connector body, the rear stop member defining the rear portion of the respective first connector subassembly or second connector subassembly.

15. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the rear portions of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly are held by the inner housing in a manner that allows the rear portions to rotate about the axis of the respective connector subassembly.

16. The optical connector according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein for each of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly: Its rear portion includes a plurality of rotational locking features arranged circumferentially around the axis of the respective connector sub-assembly; and The inner housing includes at least one complementary locking feature configured to releasably engage at least one of the rotational locking features, such that the respective connector subassembly can be rotated to different rotational positions about the axis of the respective connector subassembly.

17. The optical connector of claim 16, wherein for each of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly: Its rear portion includes a radial flange having a plurality of notches defining the plurality of rotational locking features; and The at least one complementary locking feature on the inner housing includes a flexible member that releasably engages at least one of the recesses at each of the different rotational positions to which the respective connector subassembly can be rotated.

18. The optical connector of claim 16 or 17, wherein the plurality of rotation locking features comprises two locking features arranged circumferentially spaced 180 degrees apart from each other around the axis of the respective connector subassembly.

19. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the inner housing is configured to extend into a port of the receptacle when the optical connector mates with the receptacle.

20. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein: The protective cover includes a substrate formed of a first material and a strain relief component formed of a second material, wherein the rigidity of the second material is less than that of the first material; The strain relief component is received above a portion of the substrate; The substrate extends through an opening in the rear wall of the housing and defines a flange; and The rear wall of the housing is located between the flange of the substrate and the strain relief component.

21. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein: The protective cover is capable of rotating relative to the outer shell around the longitudinal axis between a first rotational position and a second rotational position; In the first rotational position, the protective shield and the inner housing are configured to restrict relative axial movement to substantially prevent the outer housing from moving away from the forward position; and In the second rotational position, the protective cover and the inner housing are configured to allow relative axial movement, such that when the protective cover moves to the rear position, the outer housing can move rearward together with the protective cover.

22. The optical connector according to claim 21, wherein: The protective cover includes a locking arm, which has a latch; In the first rotational position of the protective cover, the latch is configured to contact at least one stop feature of the inner housing to restrict relative movement between the protective cover and the inner housing along the longitudinal axis, thereby also restricting relative movement between the outer housing and the inner housing along the longitudinal axis; and In the second rotational position of the protective cover, the latch is not configured to contact the at least one stop feature of the inner housing to allow relative movement between the protective cover and the inner housing along the longitudinal axis.

23. The optical connector of claim 21 or 22, wherein the protective shield and the housing include complementary locking features configured to releasably engage with each other in the first rotational position and the second rotational position of the protective shield.

24. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein: The first connector sub-assembly and the second connector sub-assembly each extend along the axis of their respective connector sub-assemblies; The inner housing also includes an inner cavity extending from the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly toward the rear portion of the housing; and In a cross-section extending through the axis of the inner housing and the connector subassembly: The cavity includes a first lateral side and a second lateral side, the first lateral side and the second lateral side causing the cavity to transition from a first width at a front region of the cavity to a second width at a rear region of the cavity, wherein the second width is less than the spacing between the axes of the connector subassemblies, and The first lateral side and the second lateral side each have a profile defined by at least one arcuate segment that extends from the rear region of the cavity toward the front region and curves outward to bulge relative to the cavity.

25. The optical connector of claim 24, wherein for each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side, a corresponding arcuate segment extending from the rear region of the cavity has a radius of curvature of less than 10 mm along the length of the arcuate segment.

26. The optical connector of claim 24, wherein for each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side, a corresponding arcuate segment extending from the rear region of the cavity has a radius of curvature between 8 mm and 10 mm along the length of the arcuate segment.

27. The optical connector according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein: For each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side, the corresponding arcuate segment extending from the rear region of the cavity is a second arcuate segment; The contours of the first lateral side and the second lateral side are each further defined by a corresponding first arcuate segment extending from the front region of the cavity toward the rear region of the cavity; and The first arc-shaped segment extends a first length and bends inward to be recessed relative to the inner cavity.

28. The optical connector of claim 27, wherein each of the first arcuate segments has a first radius of curvature of less than 5 mm along its respective first length.

29. The optical connector of claim 27 or 28, wherein the first radius of curvature of each of the first arcuate segments is between 3 mm and 5 mm.

30. The optical connector according to any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein the first radius of curvature of each of the first arcuate segments is about 4 mm.

31. The optical connector according to any one of claims 27 to 30, wherein for each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side, the first arcuate segment and the second arcuate segment are continuous and define an S-shaped curve.

32. The optical connector according to any one of claims 24 to 31, wherein the second width is less than one-quarter of the first width.

33. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 32, wherein the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly each comprise an LC connector according to IEC 61754-20 or TIA / EIA 604-10.

34. An optical connector, comprising: A first connector sub-assembly, configured to terminate a first optical fiber and support the first optical fiber along the axis of the first connector sub-assembly; A second connector subassembly, configured to terminate a second optical fiber and support the second optical fiber along the axis of the second connector subassembly; as well as A housing that holds a rear portion of the first connector subassembly and a rear portion of the second connector subassembly such that the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly extend forward from a front portion of the housing, wherein the housing further includes an inner cavity extending from the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly toward a rear portion of the housing; In the cross-section extending through the housing and the axes of the first connector sub-assembly and the second connector sub-assembly: The cavity includes a first lateral side and a second lateral side, the first lateral side and the second lateral side causing the cavity to transition from a first width at a front region of the cavity to a second width at a rear region of the cavity, wherein the second width is less than the distance between the axis of the first connector subassembly and the axis of the second connector subassembly. The first lateral side and the second lateral side each have a profile defined by at least one arcuate segment that extends from the rear region of the cavity toward the front region and curves outward to bulge relative to the cavity.

35. The optical connector according to claim 34, wherein: For each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side, the corresponding arcuate segment extending from the rear region of the cavity is the second arcuate segment; The contours of the first lateral side and the second lateral side are each further defined by a corresponding first arcuate segment extending from the front region of the cavity toward the rear region of the cavity; and The first arc-shaped segment extends a first length and bends inward to be recessed relative to the inner cavity.

36. The optical connector of claim 35, wherein for each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side, the first arcuate segment and the second arcuate segment are continuous and define an S-shaped curve.

37. An optical connector for mating with an LC receptacle, wherein the LC receptacle has a mechanical reference surface and geometry according to the interoperability standard IEC 61754-20 or TIA / EIA 604-10 for an advanced adapter or active device receptacle, such that the LC receptacle includes a front wall defining a front plane spaced apart from the mechanical reference surface of the LC receptacle by a first port distance, the optical connector comprising: A first connector subassembly and a second connector subassembly, each comprising a corresponding connector body configured to be received in the LC socket; as well as A housing that holds the rear portion of the first connector subassembly and the rear portion of the second connector subassembly; in: The first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly each extend from the front side of the housing and define a mechanical reference plane, which is spaced apart from the front side of the housing by a first connector latching distance along the longitudinal axis of the optical connector; and The first port distance is greater than the first connector latch distance, such that the inner housing is configured to extend into the port of the LC socket when the optical connector mates with the LC socket.

38. An optical connector for mating with an LC receptacle, wherein the LC receptacle has a mechanical reference surface and geometry according to the interoperability standard IEC 61754-20 or TIA / EIA 604-10 for an advanced adapter or active device receptacle, such that the LC receptacle includes a front wall defining a front plane spaced apart from the mechanical reference surface of the LC receptacle by a first port distance, the optical connector comprising: A first connector subassembly and a second connector subassembly, each comprising a corresponding connector body configured to be received in the LC socket; An inner housing that holds the rear portion of the first connector subassembly and the rear portion of the second connector subassembly, such that the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly extend forward from the front portion of the inner housing; as well as An outer casing, the outer casing being located above at least the rear portion of the inner casing; in: The front side of each of the transverse sidewalls of the housing is spaced apart from the mechanical reference planes of the first and second connector subassemblies along the longitudinal axis of the connector by a multi-connector latching distance; and The connector latching distance is less than 15% greater than the first port distance, such that when the optical connector mates with the LC socket, the front side of each of the transverse sidewalls of the housing is less than 15% farther from the mechanical reference plane of the LC socket than the front wall of the LC socket.

39. An optical cable assembly, comprising: First optical fiber; Second optical fiber; as well as The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 38, wherein the first connector subassembly of the optical connector is terminated to the first optical fiber, and the second connector subassembly is terminated to the second optical fiber.

40. A method for reversing the polarity of an optical connector according to any one of claims 9 to 14, or according to any one of claims 15 to 33 when dependent on any one of claims 9 to 14, the method comprising: The outer shell is moved from the forward position to the rear position, wherein when the outer shell is moved to the rear position, at least one stop feature of the inner shell contacts the outer shell and holds the outer shell on at least the rear portion of the inner shell; Rotate the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly 180 degrees to orient the latch arms of the respective connector bodies on opposite sides of the optical connector; The outer casing is rotated 180 degrees around the longitudinal axis, such that the outer casing rotates between a first orientation and a second orientation; as well as When the housing is in the second orientation and when the latch arm of the corresponding connector body is on the opposite side of the optical connector, the housing is moved from the rear position to the forward position.

41. A method for changing the polarity of an optical connector, the optical connector comprising a first connector subassembly, the first connector subassembly being terminated with a first optical fiber; The second connector sub-assembly is terminated with the second optical fiber; An inner housing that holds the rear portion of the first connector subassembly and the rear portion of the second connector subassembly, such that the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly extend forward from the front portion of the inner housing; An outer casing, the outer casing being located above at least the rear portion of the inner casing; and a protective shield extending rearward from the outer casing, the method comprising: The housing is moved from a forward position to a rear position along the longitudinal axis of the optical connector and relative to the inner housing, wherein the protective cover is axially coupled to the housing such that the protective cover moves together with the housing along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the inner housing includes at least one stop feature that contacts the housing when the housing is moved to the rear position, the at least one stop feature being configured to hold the housing on at least the rear portion of the inner housing; Rotate the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly 180 degrees about their respective connector subassembly axes that are parallel to the longitudinal axis; Rotate the outer casing 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis, such that the outer casing rotates between a first orientation and a second orientation; and When the outer casing is in the second orientation, the outer casing is moved from the rear position to the forward position.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the step of rotating the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly by 180 degrees is performed after the step of moving the housing along the longitudinal axis from the forward position to the rear position.

43. The method of claim 41 or 42, wherein the step of rotating the housing by 180 degrees includes substantially restricting the movement of the housing along the longitudinal axis while rotating the housing.

44. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 43, wherein the protective cover is rotatably coupled to the housing such that the step of rotating the housing by 180 degrees includes rotating the housing or the protective cover such that both the housing and the protective cover rotate about the longitudinal axis.

45. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 44, wherein the inner housing is configured to prevent the outer housing from rotating to the second orientation until the outer housing moves to the rear position.

46. ​​The method of any one of claims 41 to 45, wherein the inner housing is configured to allow the outer housing to rotate from the first orientation to the second orientation in only one direction and from the second orientation to the first orientation in only the opposite direction.

47. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 46, wherein: The first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly each include a connector body having a main portion and a latching arm extending above the main portion; When the housing is in the forward position, the housing extends partially over the latch arm of the first connector subassembly and the latch arm of the second connector subassembly; and As the housing moves along the longitudinal axis from the forward position toward the rear position, the housing causes the latch arm to flex toward the main portion of the corresponding connector body.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of moving the housing from the forward position to the rear position causes the housing to no longer extend partially over the latch arms of the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly.

49. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 48, wherein: The first connector sub-assembly and the second connector sub-assembly each further include a collar configured to support at least one optical fiber; At least a portion of the ferrule is surrounded by the corresponding connector body; and The step of rotating the first connector subassembly and the second connector subassembly by 180 degrees includes rotating the corresponding collar and the corresponding connector body together about the axis of the corresponding connector subassembly.

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