Fiber optic adapter including removable mount

Abstract

A fiber optic adapter or adapter assembly including a pair of clip arms extending from opposite sides. The clip arms include an angled outer surface and sides of a housing of the adapter include opposing flanges, the clips arms and the flanges cooperating to releasably hold the adapter to a mounting location. The clip arms each including an angled outer surface which engages sides at the mounting location to hold the adapter at the mounting location. Pulling on a first end of the adapter to remove it from the mounting location causes the sides to engage the angled outer surface of the clip arms and permit the adapter to be removed from the mounting location toward the first end.

1 . A fiber optic adapter comprising: 
 a body defining first and second openings at opposing first and second ends, the first opening sized for receiving a first fiber optic connector, the second opening sized for receiving a second fiber optic connector;    a flange extending from the body and positioned between the first and second ends;    a flexible tab extending from the body with a first ramp facing the first end and a second ramp facing the second end.    
   
   
       2 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 1 , further comprising a second flexible tab extending from the body, the second flexible tab including a first ramp facing the first end and a second ramp facing the second end.  
   
   
       3 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 2 , wherein a metal clip positioned about the body forms both the first and the second flexible tabs.  
   
   
       4 . A fiber optic adapter comprising: 
 a housing with a first end for receiving a first fiber optic connector and an opposing second end for receiving a second fiber optic connector, the housing including a pair of opposite sides each with an outwardly extending flange;    a spring arm extending outwardly from each side between the flange and the first end of the housing, the spring arm including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including an inner end adjacent the side and the second portion attached to an outer end of the first portion;    the first portion extending away from the housing at an angle with respect to the side of the housing, with the inner end positioned toward the first end of the housing and the outer end positioned toward the flange;    the second portion extending from the outer end of the first portion toward the flange and angled toward the housing with a distal end of the second portion extending to the side of the housing.    
   
   
       5 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 4 , wherein the spring arms are included as part of a retainer clip which extends along each side of the housing and a transverse portion extending between the sides, wherein the spring arms each extend from the retainer clip.  
   
   
       6 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 5 , wherein the spring arms are integral with the retainer clip.  
   
   
       7 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 4 , wherein the spring arms are made of a resilient material.  
   
   
       8 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 7 , wherein the spring arms are made of metal.  
   
   
       9 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 4 , wherein the first portion forms an angle of between about 9 degrees and about 11 degrees with respect to the side of the housing.  
   
   
       10 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 9 , wherein the first portion forms an angle of—about 10.3 degrees with respect to the side of the housing.  
   
   
       11 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 4 , wherein the second portion forms an angle of between about 19 degrees and about 22 degrees with respect to the side of the housing.  
   
   
       12 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 11 , wherein the second portion forms an angle of about 20 degrees with respect to the side of the housing.  
   
   
       13 . A fiber optic adapter comprising: 
 a housing with a first end for receiving a first fiber optic connector and an opposing second end for receiving a second fiber optic connector, the housing including a pair of opposite sides each with an outwardly extending flange;    a retainer clip extending at least partially about the housing at a point between the flange of the housing and the first end;    the retainer clip including two side pieces extending along the sides of the housing and a transverse piece connecting the side pieces, each side piece having an inner wall adjacent the housing and an outer wall;    each side piece including a spring arm with a first portion and a second portion, a first end of the first portion attached to the side piece and the second portion attached to an opposite second end of the first portion;    the first portion of the spring arm extending outwardly at an angle beyond the outer wall of the side piece forming a first ramp angled toward the first end;    the second portion of the spring arm extending from the second end of the first portion toward the flange and forming a second ramp angled toward the flange with a distal end of the second portion extending to the outer wall of the side piece.    
   
   
       14 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the first end of the housing is sized and configured to receive and mate with an LC connector.  
   
   
       15 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 14 , wherein the second end of the housing is sized and configured to receive and mate with an LC connector.  
   
   
       16 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 13 , further comprising a mounting position defining an opening sized to receive the housing, the opening including a pair of opposing sides between which the sides of the housing may pass, wherein the first end of the housing and the first portion of the spring arm are positioned on one side of the mounting position, the flange is positioned on an opposite side, and one of the sides of the opening is captured between one of the flanges and one of the second portions.  
   
   
       17 . The fiber optic adapter of  claim 16 , wherein the spring arms are configured to provide at least two pounds of resistance to removal of the housing from the mounting position by a force exerted on the second end of the housing generally along an axis of insertion for the second optical fiber connector.  
   
   
       18 . A method of accessing of a fiber optic adapter comprising: 
 providing a mounting location and a fiber optic adapter mounted at the mounting location, the fiber optic adapter including a pair of clip arms and a pair of opposing sides, one clip arm extending from each opposing side of the fiber optic adapter, the clip arms each including an angled outer surface which engages a side of the mounting location to releasably hold the fiber optic adapter at the mounting location;    pulling on an end of the fiber optic adapter opposite where the clip arms engage the sides of the mounting location, the sides of the mounting location engaging the angled outer surface of the clip arms;    deflecting the clip arms with the sides of the mounting location sufficiently to permit an outermost point of each clip arm to pass between the sides of the mounting location;    removing the fiber optic adapter from the mounting location after the outermost point of each of the clip arms has passed between the sides of the mounting location.