Optical Communications Connectors

Abstract

In accordance with the following description, an optical communication connector includes a ferrule having retractable alignment pins that are actuable between an extended position and a retracted position. For example, the connector may include an inner housing assembly having optical fibers and an outer housing positioned over the inner housing assembly. The outer housing is shaped to be removable from the inner housing assembly, which has a movable pin clamp mechanically coupled to alignment pins for aligning the connector with another connector. The pin clamp may be slid from a first position (corresponding to a male gender) to a second position (corresponding to a female gender). Separately or in combination with changing gender, the polarity of a communication connector may be changed due to its inclusion of an asymmetric polarity-changing feature that is actuable by an installer to change a polarity of the communication connector. Such a feature may actuated by being moved from a first position to a second position relative to the communication connector.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An optical communications connector, comprising:
 an outer housing; and   a polarity key located on the outer housing of the connector, the polarity key having a configuration that can be altered to change a polarity of the connector by rotating the polarity key in relation to the connector,   wherein the outer housing is rotatable around an axial length of the connector to effect the change in polarity.   
     
     
         2 . The optical communications connector of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a ferrule having retractable alignment pins that are actuable between an extended position and a retracted position.   
     
     
         3 . The optical communications connector of  claim 1 , wherein the polarity key is integrated into the outer housing. 
     
     
         4 . The optical communications connector of  claim 1 , wherein the polarity key is formed separately from the outer housing and attached to the outer housing. 
     
     
         5 . The optical communications connector of  claim 1 , comprising:
 an inner housing, the inner housing comprising recessed features that are shaped to accept the polarity key when the outer housing is installed over the inner housing.   
     
     
         6 . An optical communications patch cord, comprising:
 a first optical communications connector at a first end of the patch cord, the first optical communications connector comprising a polarity key having a configuration that can be altered to change a polarity of the first optical communications connector by rotating the polarity key in relation to the first optical communications connector; and   a second optical communications connector at a second end of the patch cord opposite the first end, the second optical communications connector comprising a ferrule having alignment pins that are slideable between a female position, where the alignment pins are retracted into alignment pin cavities in the second optical communications connector, and a male position, where the alignment pins extend out of the alignment pin cavities.   
     
     
         7 . The optical communications patch cord of  claim 6 , wherein the polarity key is rotated 180 degrees to change the polarity of the first optical communications connector from a first polarity to a second polarity. 
     
     
         8 . The optical communications patch cord of  claim 6 , wherein the polarity key comprises:
 a polarity key tab on a first side of an outer housing of the first optical communications connector; and   a blank tab on a second side of the outer housing opposite the first side.   
     
     
         9 . The optical communications patch cord of  claim 7 , wherein the outer housing of the first optical communications connector is removed from the first optical communications connector, rotated 180 degrees relative to the first optical communications connector, and reattached to the first optical communications connector to change the polarity of the first optical communications connector. 
     
     
         10 . The optical communications patch cord of  claim 6 , wherein the second optical communications connector comprises:
 a pin clamp coupled to the alignment pins, the pin clamp including a post that may be engaged by a fingertip to effect sliding of the alignment pins between the female position and the male position.   
     
     
         11 . The optical communications patch cord of  claim 10 , wherein the pin clamp may be slid to a first position associated with the female position of the alignment pins and a second position associated with the male position of the alignment pins when the fingertip engages the post. 
     
     
         12 . An optical communications connector, comprising:
 an inner housing assembly and an outer housing assembly that slides over the inner housing assembly;   the inner housing assembly including a pin clamp slideable between a first position corresponding to a male gender of the connector and a second position corresponding to a female gender of the connector; and   the pin clamp including two tabs, the pin clamp being slideable between the first position and the second position when the two tabs are deflected inward toward each other.   
     
     
         13 . The optical communications connector of  claim 12 , wherein the two tabs are deflected inward toward each other by engaging a hole in each tab with a tool. 
     
     
         14 . The optical communications connector of  claim 13 , wherein the pin clamp is locked in place when the tool releases the two tabs. 
     
     
         15 . The optical communications connector of  claim 13 , wherein the tool can engage the hole on each tab when the outer housing assembly is removed from the inner housing assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The optical communications connector of  claim 12 , wherein the pin clamp is slideable between the first position and the second position in a direction orthogonal to a front face of a ferrule of the connector.