Alignment Adapter and Alignment Design for a Connector Therefor

Abstract

An adapter with novel alignment features engages alignment features on a plug, providing general alignment of the ferrule holders and ferrules in the plug. After the plug engages the adapter, the ferrule holders engage a second set of alignment features in the adapter to provide fine alignment for the ferrules.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An adapter for holding fiber optic connectors, the adapter comprising:
 a main body having a width and a height and an opening extending longitudinally from a first side to an opposing second side, the main body comprising two opposing side walls spaced apart along the width and a first top wall and a first bottom wall spaced apart along the height, each of the first top wall and the first bottom wall extending widthwise between the two opposing side walls;   a central portion inside the main body located between the first side and the opposing second side, a first fiber optic connector from the first side mating with a second fiber optic connector from the opposing second side within the central portion,   a first internal groove of the first top wall extending from the first side toward the central portion; and   a second internal groove of the first bottom wall extending from the opposing second side toward the central portion,   wherein the first internal groove has a first width and the second internal groove has a second width, the first width is greater than the second width, wherein the adapter is free of internal walls outwardly of the central portion in a space between the opposing side walls along the width and between the first top wall and the first bottom wall along the height.   
     
     
         2 . The adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the central portion includes a wall extending across the opening in the adapter. 
     
     
         3 . The adapter of  claim 2 , wherein the wall divides the central portion in half. 
     
     
         4 . The adapter of  claim 2 , wherein the wall has passageways sized to allow respective ferrules from the first fiber optic connector and the second fiber optic connector to engage. 
     
     
         5 . The adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the first top wall has a dropped top portion and the first bottom wall has a raised bottom portion for mitigating electromagnetic interference (EMI). 
     
     
         6 . The adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the first top wall and the first bottom wall have a smooth plane structure in the central portion. 
     
     
         7 . The adapter of  claim 6 , further comprising a wall in the central portion extending across the opening in the adapter. 
     
     
         8 . The adapter of  claim 7 , wherein the wall has passageways sized to allow respective ferrules from the first fiber optic connector and the second fiber optic connector to engage. 
     
     
         9 . The adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the main body has a width to receive one fiber optic connector to four fiber optic connectors. 
     
     
         10 . An adapter for aligning fiber optic ferrules inserted from opposing sides comprising:
 a main body having an opening extending between a first side and a second side, the first side and the second side separated by a central portion; and   at least one groove in a top surface and a bottom surface of the main body extending longitudinally toward the central portion from each of the first side and the second side, wherein the adapter is configured such that a first fiber optic ferrule is received at the first side and a second fiber optic ferrule is received at the second side of the adapter for alignment by the at least one groove at the top surface and the bottom surface of the main body.   
     
     
         11 . The adapter of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one groove is sized differently on the top surface than on the bottom surface. 
     
     
         12 . The adapter of  claim 10 , wherein the first fiber optic ferrule is disposed partially inside a first ferrule holder, and
 wherein the at least one groove is sized to match a projection on an outside surface of the first ferrule holder for alignment.   
     
     
         13 . The adapter of  claim 10 , wherein the central portion includes a wall extending across the opening in the adapter. 
     
     
         14 . The adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the wall divides the central portion in half. 
     
     
         15 . An adapter for aligning a first fiber optic connector having a first fiber optic ferrule inserted from a first side and a second fiber optic connector having a second fiber optic ferrule inserted from a second side, comprising:
 a main body having an opening defined by two opposing side walls, a top surface and a bottom surface joining the two opposing side walls, the opening extending between the first side and the second side, the first side configured to receive the first fiber optic connector and the second side configured to receive the second fiber optic connector;   a central portion inside the main body located between the first side and the second side, the first fiber optic connector and the second fiber optic connector mating in a region of the central portion; and   a first groove disposed on the top surface and a second groove disposed on the bottom surface on each of the first side and the second side, each of the first groove and the second groove extending toward the central portion from each of the first side and the second side,   wherein the first groove has a dimension different from the second groove.   
     
     
         16 . The adapter of  claim 15 , wherein the first groove is wider than the second groove. 
     
     
         17 . The adapter of  claim 15 , wherein the dimension of the first groove matches a dimension of a projection of the first fiber optic connector for alignment. 
     
     
         18 . An adapter for holding fiber optic connectors, the adapter comprising:
 a main body having a width and a height and an opening extending longitudinally from a first side to an opposing second side, the main body comprising two opposing side walls spaced apart along the width and a first top wall and a first bottom wall spaced apart along the height, each of the first top wall and the first bottom wall extending widthwise between the two opposing side walls;   a central portion inside the main body located between the first side and the opposing second side, a first fiber optic connector from the first side mating with a second fiber optic connector from the opposing second side within the central portion; and   a plurality of internal grooves within a space of the adapter, the plurality of internal grooves configured to align the first fiber optic connector and the second fiber optic connector in the main body.   
     
     
         19 . The adapter of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of internal grooves are sized to receive a respective projection on each of the first fiber optic connector and the second fiber optic connector for alignment. 
     
     
         20 . The adapter of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of internal grooves extend longitudinally in a direction toward the central portion.