Optical fiber connector

Abstract

An optical fiber connector includes an optical fiber ferrule and a single-piece housing in which the ferrule is received. The housing can be installed in an adapter to make an optical connection. A rotational locking mechanism has a rotor mounted on the housing for rotation with respect the housing about a rotational axis. The rotor can be rotated between a locked position and an unlocked position. The rotational locking mechanism is configured to inhibit the housing from being withdrawn from the adapter in the locked position of the rotor and to permit the housing to be withdrawn from the adapter in the unlocked position, and further comprising a guide pin, wherein the housing comprises an integral guide pin retainer configured to hold the guide pin in place on the housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An optical fiber connector comprising:
 an optical fiber ferrule;   a single-piece housing, the ferrule being received inside the housing and supported by the housing, the single-piece housing including a guide pin retainer formed as one piece of material with the single-piece housing, the single-piece housing being configured to be installed in an adapter to make an optical connection;   a guide pin received in the guide pin retainer of the single-piece housing so that the guide pin is supported by the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the guide pin retainer constitutes a first guide pin retainer and wherein the single-piece housing further includes a second guide pin retainer formed as one piece of material with the single-piece housing. 
     
     
         3 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the guide pin constitutes a first guide pin, the optical fiber connector further comprising a second guide pin received in the second guide pin retainer of the single-piece housing so that the second guide pin is supported by the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the single-piece housing further comprises a latch formed as one piece of material with the single-piece housing, the latch being configured for movement relative to the single-piece housing to latch and unlatch the fiber optic connector from a fiber optic connector receptacle. 
     
     
         5 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein guide pin retainer comprises a top brace and a bottom brace and wherein the guide pin is received between top and bottom braces and urges the top brace and the bottom brace apart from one another. 
     
     
         6 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the single-piece housing further comprises a latch formed as one piece of material with the single-piece housing, the latch being configured for movement relative to the single-piece housing to latch and unlatch the fiber optic connector from a fiber optic connector receptacle. 
     
     
         7 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising a rotor mounted on the single-piece housing for rotation relative to the single-piece housing about a rotational axis, the rotor being rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position. 
     
     
         8 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 7 , further comprising a protrusion on one of the single-piece housing and the rotor configured to engage the other of the single-piece housing and the rotor to provide a restraint against rotation of the rotor about the axis away from the locked position. 
     
     
         9 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 8  wherein the protrusion is on the rotor. 
     
     
         10 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the single-piece housing has a distal end portion and a proximal end portion that are spaced apart along the rotational axis, wherein the protrusion is configured to engage the proximal end portion of the single-piece housing when the rotor is in the locked configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the proximal end portion of the single-piece housing defines a recess that is configured to receive the protrusion therein when the rotor is in the locked configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the rotor comprises a handle tab extending from the rotor and configured to provide a grip for manually rotating the rotor with respect to the single-piece housing. 
     
     
         13 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the handle tab extends from an opposite end of the rotor body along the axis away from the single-piece housing. 
     
     
         14 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the handle tab comprises a first handle tab and the rotor further comprises a second handle tab that is circumferentially spaced apart. 
     
     
         15 . The optical fiber connector as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the single-piece housing further comprises a shaft having a lip and the rotor is configured to clear the lip as the rotor is pressed onto the shaft, wherein the shaft is configured to resiliently rebound after the rotor clears the lip whereby the lip holds the rotor on the housing. 
     
     
         16 . An optical fiber connector comprising:
 an optical fiber ferrule;   a housing, the ferrule being received inside the housing, the housing being configured to be installed in an adapter to make an optical connection, the housing having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, the proximal end portion of the housing comprising a shaft having an axis, the shaft comprising first and second shaft members, the first and second shaft members being spaced apart from each other; and   a rotor configured to be mounted on the shaft for rotation with respect the shaft about the axis, the rotor being rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the rotor being configured to inhibit the housing from being withdrawn from the adapter in the locked position of the rotor and to permit the housing to be withdrawn from the adapter in the unlocked position, the rotor comprising a rotor body mounted on the first and second shaft members, the rotor body holding the first and second shaft members in a deflected position so that the first and second shaft members bear radially outwardly against the rotor body.   
     
     
         17 . The fiber optic connector as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the rotor body includes an opening in which the first and second shaft members are received, free ends of the first and second shaft members and the rotor body adjacent to the opening being configured to facilitate press on mounting of the rotor body on the first and second shaft members. 
     
     
         18 . The fiber optic connector as set forth in  claim 17  wherein the rotor body includes a chamfered edge around the opening, the chamfered edge being configured to engage the first and second shaft members to drive them radially inwardly as the rotor body is pressed on to the first and second shaft members. 
     
     
         19 . The fiber optic connector as set forth in  claim 18  wherein the free end of each of the first and second shaft members includes a lip arranged to prevent removal of the rotor body from the first and second shaft members. 
     
     
         20 . The fiber optic connector as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the rotor further comprises handle tabs at opposite sides of the rotor configured to facilitate grasping of the rotor for turning the rotor on the shaft.