CN116256849A - Fiber optic connectors, fiber optic adapters and fiber optic connection systems - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses an optical fiber connector, an optical fiber adapter and an optical fiber connection system. The fiber optic connector includes an outer housing, an inner housing, a ferrule, a rear post, and a connector gasket. The outer housing is received within the inner housing, the ferrule is disposed within the inner housing, the rear cylinder is connected to the inner housing, and the connector gasket is disposed between the inner housing and the rear cylinder. The inner housing includes a receiving portion to receive the catch element of the adapter. The fiber optic adapter includes an adapter housing, at least one first seal, and at least one catch element. The adapter housing includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, with a passage extending between the first and second ends and divided by a dividing wall into a first passage and a second passage in communication. The first seal and the catch element are both disposed in at least one of the first passageway and the second passageway. The first sealing member is abutted against the partition wall by the clamping hook element, and the clamping hook element comprises a containing space for containing the connector and a side arm for clamping the connector.

Description

Fiber optic connectors, fiber optic adapters and fiber optic connection systems

technical field

The present invention generally relates to the technical field of optical fiber connectors, in particular to an optical fiber connector, an optical fiber adapter and an optical fiber connection system.

Background technique

Current fiber optic connectors and adapters are not waterproof, and moisture can enter the device through the fiber optic connector or adapter, causing damage to the device.

Therefore, what is needed is a fiber optic connector, adapter and connection system that at least partially address the above-mentioned problems.

Contents of the invention

A series of concepts in simplified form are introduced in the Summary of the Invention, which will be further detailed in the Detailed Description. The summary of the invention in the present invention does not mean to limit the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor does it mean to try to determine the protection scope of the claimed technical solution.

In order to at least partly solve the problems in the background technology, the first aspect of the present invention provides an optical fiber connector, which includes:

outer shell;

The inner housing is accommodated in the outer housing, and the inner housing includes a receiving portion to receive the hook element of the docked adapter;

a hoop disposed within the inner shell;

a rear post connected to the inner housing; and

a connector gasket disposed between the inner housing and the rear post,

According to the optical fiber connector of the present invention, the waterproof function is realized by setting the connector gasket, which can prevent moisture from entering the interior of the device through the connector.

Optionally, the outer housing is configured to be movable relative to the inner housing.

According to the optical fiber connector of the present invention, there are two shells inside and outside, and the two shells can move relative to each other.

Optionally, the outer housing includes at least one flexible arm, and the fiber optic connector is configured to move under the bias of the at least one flexible arm.

According to the optical fiber connector of the present invention, the outer housing can move back and forth in the axial direction relative to the inner housing, so that the outer housing can cover or expose the receiving portion of the inner housing.

Optionally, the receiving portion includes a slope to facilitate mating of the fiber optic connector to the adapter.

According to the optical fiber connector of the present invention, during the docking process with the adapter, a slope structure is used to make the corresponding part of the adapter enter into the receiving part or escape from the receiving part.

Optionally, the rear cylinder is screwed to the inner housing.

According to the optical fiber connector of the present invention, the connection between the rear cylinder and the inner housing is simple and easy to implement.

Optionally, the optical fiber connector further includes a spring and a stopper, wherein the spring and the stopper are arranged in the inner housing, and the spring is located between the ferrule and the stopper In the middle, the ferrule is exposed from the front end of the inner housing, and the stopper abuts against the connector gasket at the rear end of the inner housing.

According to the optical fiber connector of the present invention, the ferrule is exposed from the front end of the inner housing by using the spring and the stopper.

Optionally, the rear cylinder includes a rear cylinder head end and a rear cylinder tail end, and the rear cylinder head end is screwed to the inner casing,

The optical fiber connector further includes a clasp connected to the rear end of the rear cylinder, the clasp including fixing teeth to fix the sheath of the optical fiber core to the rear end of the rear cylinder.

According to the optical fiber connector of the present invention, the sheath of the optical fiber core is fixed to the rear cylinder by a snap ring having fixed teeth.

Optionally, the connector gasket is configured to include steps.

According to the optical fiber connector of the present invention, the connector gasket is configured in the form of steps, and the thickness of the middle part of the connector gasket is greater than the thickness of the edge part of the connector gasket, which can effectively improve the waterproof performance of the connector gasket.

Optionally, the optical fiber connector includes an MPO connector.

A second aspect of the present invention provides an optical fiber adapter, comprising:

an adapter housing comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end and defining a channel extending between the first end and the second end, the A partition wall is provided in the passage, and the partition wall divides the passage into a first passage and a second passage, and the first passage communicates with the second passage;

at least one first seal disposed in at least one of the first passage and the second passage and engaged to the dividing wall; and

at least one hook element disposed in at least one of the first passage and the second passage and abutting the first seal against the partition wall, the hook The element includes a housing space for accommodating a connector,

Wherein, the hook element includes a side arm configured to lock the connector when the connector is inserted into the adapter.

According to the optical fiber adapter of the present invention, by providing the first sealing member in the adapter, moisture can be prevented from entering the inside of the device.

Optionally, the hook element includes a locking portion to connect the hook element to the adapter housing.

According to the optical fiber adapter of the present invention, the hook element is fixed to the adapter housing by the locking portion.

Optionally, the fiber optic adapter further includes a second seal disposed between the first end and the second end.

According to the optical fiber adapter of the present invention, the waterproof performance is further improved by the second sealing member.

Optionally, the adapter housing further includes a seal groove for receiving the second seal,

Wherein, the fiber optic adapter is configured such that when the fiber optic adapter is mounted to a device, the second seal is located between the adapter housing and an outer surface of the device.

According to the optical fiber adapter of the present invention, the second sealing member is used to be closely attached to the outer surface of the device, so that the opening of the outer surface of the device can be waterproofed.

Optionally, the side arm is provided with a hook.

According to the optical fiber adapter of the present invention, the hook portion of the side arm of the hook element is used to lock the connector.

Optionally, the first sealing member is configured in the form of steps.

According to the optical fiber adapter of the present invention, the first sealing member is configured in the form of steps, and the thickness of the middle portion of the first sealing member is greater than the thickness of the edge portion of the first sealing member, which can effectively improve the waterproof performance of the first sealing member.

Optionally, the hook element contacts an edge portion of the first seal, thereby abutting the first seal against the partition wall.

According to the optical fiber adapter of the present invention, the first sealing member is firmly fixed in the adapter housing by the hook element.

Optionally, the fiber optic adapter includes an MPO type adapter.

The third aspect of the present invention provides an optical fiber connection system, which is characterized in that it includes the above-mentioned optical fiber connector according to the present invention and the above-mentioned optical fiber adapter according to the present invention, wherein the inner housing is configured to hold the optical fiber When the connector is docked with the optical fiber adapter, the inner housing presses the at least one first sealing member, thereby forming an environmental seal and preventing moisture and impurities from entering.

According to the optical fiber connection system of the present invention, by providing waterproof components in the connector and the adapter respectively,

When the connector is connected to the adapter, the inner housing of the connector abuts against the waterproof parts at the front and rear ends respectively, so that the connection opening between the device and the external environment is sealed by the waterproof part, effectively preventing moisture from entering the inside of the device.

Optionally, the first sealing member is configured in the form of a step, the thickness of the middle portion of the first sealing member is greater than the thickness of the edge portion of the first sealing member,

The optical fiber connection system is configured such that when the optical fiber connector is inserted into the optical fiber adapter, the front end of the inner housing abuts against the middle part of the first sealing member.

According to the optical fiber connection system of the present invention, the middle part of the first sealing part of the adapter is arranged to protrude toward the connector, so as to better contact the connector.

Optionally, the optical fiber connector further includes an outer housing, the outer housing is arranged around the inner housing and is movable relative to the inner housing, and the optical fiber connection system is configured as follows:

when the fiber optic connector is inserted into the fiber optic adapter, the side arm pushes the outer housing toward the rear end of the inner housing; and/or

After the optical fiber connector is inserted into the optical fiber adapter, the outer shell extends into the channel and is located outside the hook element.

According to the optical fiber connection system of the present invention, when the optical fiber connector is inserted into the optical fiber adapter, the adapter can push the outer housing backward, thereby exposing the receiving portion on the inner housing, so that the adapter and the connector can be latched. After the optical fiber connector is inserted into the optical fiber adapter, the hook element of the adapter is clamped between the two shells of the connector, so that the connector and the adapter are firmly connected.

Description of drawings

The following drawings of the invention are hereby included as part of the invention for understanding the invention. The specific embodiments of the present invention and their description are shown in the drawings to explain the principle of the present invention.

In the attached picture:

1 is a perspective view of an optical fiber connector according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a perspective view of an optical fiber adapter according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a perspective view of an optical fiber connection system according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the optical fiber connector shown in Fig. 1;

5 is a perspective view of an outer housing of an optical fiber connector according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a perspective view of an inner housing of an optical fiber connector according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 7 is an axial sectional view after connecting the outer shell shown in Fig. 5 and the inner shell shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an axial sectional view of the optical fiber connector shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of an optical fiber adapter according to the present invention;

10 is a perspective view of an adapter housing of an optical fiber adapter according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

11 is an axial cross-sectional view of an optical fiber adapter according to the present invention;

12 is a perspective view of a first sealing member of an optical fiber adapter according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

13 is a perspective view of a hook element of an optical fiber adapter according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

14 to 16 show the connection of the fiber optic connector and the fiber optic adapter.

Explanation of reference signs:

10: Fiber optic connection system

11: Fiber optic connector

12: Optical fiber adapter

13: first end

14: second end

20: Outer shell

21: Interior space

22: protrusion

23: Slot

25: Flexible Arm

30: Inner shell

31: Accommodating space

32: key part

33: External thread part

35: Receiving Department

35a: Locking groove

35b: Inclined part

37: blocking department

38: front end

39: Backend

40: ferrule

45: spring

46: stop piece

49: Connector gasket

50: rear column

53: internal thread

55: optical cable

58: Rear cylinder head end

59: Rear cylinder end

60: snap ring

62: fixed teeth

65: tail sleeve

70: Adapter housing

71: Channel

71a: First access

71b: Second access

73: partition wall

74: Partition wall through hole

76: Installation Department

78: Mating window

79: Seal groove

80: First Seal

82: Middle part of the first seal

83: First seal edge portion

84: Second seal

87: Bolt

88: Bolt washer

90: hook element

92: Accommodating space

93: Sidearm

94: Lock Department

95: Hook

96: Hook element body

Detailed ways

In the following description, numerous specific details are given in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without one or more of these details. In other examples, some technical features known in the art are not described in order to avoid confusion with the embodiments of the present invention.

In order to thoroughly understand the embodiments of the present invention, detailed procedures will be introduced in the following description. It is evident that practice of the embodiments of the invention is not limited to specific details familiar to those skilled in the art.

In order to solve the technical problems raised in the background art, the present invention provides an optical fiber connector, an optical fiber adapter and an optical fiber connection system. Wherein, the optical fiber connector and the optical fiber adapter according to the present invention constitute the optical fiber connection system according to the present invention.

In the present invention, the axial direction is a direction parallel to the direction in which the optical fiber extends, the axial direction is also referred to as the front-rear direction, and the cross-section is a cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction.

In FIG. 1 , the fiber optic connector 11 includes an outer housing 20 , an inner housing 30 , a rear post 50 and a boot 65 . The outer shell 20 may be disposed around the inner shell 30 , and the ferrule 40 is disposed inside the inner shell 30 and exposed from one end of the inner shell 30 . Ferrule 40 includes a plurality of optical fibers.

In FIG. 2 the fiber optic adapter 12 according to the invention comprises a first end 13 and a second end 14 . The first end 13 and the second end 14 are respectively connected with optical fiber connectors, as shown in FIG. 3 .

In FIG. 4 , the optical fiber connector 11 further includes a spring 45 , one end of the spring 45 abuts against the ferrule 40 , and the other end abuts against the stopper 46 , so that the ferrule 40 can move inside the inner housing 30 after being pressed. And return to the original position after the pressure is removed. The connector gasket 49 is arranged between the inner housing 30 and the rear cylinder 50, the inner housing 30 and the rear cylinder 50 can be screwed together, and the connector gasket 49 is squeezed during the connection, thereby preventing moisture and impurities from entering inside the connector. The optical cable 55 is connected to the rear cylinder 50 through a snap ring 60 . The tail sleeve 65 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the optical cable 55 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , the outer casing 20 includes an inner space 21 for accommodating the inner casing 30 . An axially extending slot 23 is disposed in the inner space 21 , and the slot 23 can guide the insertion of the inner casing 30 into the outer casing 20 . The groove 23 includes a protrusion 22 that may limit the outer case 20 at a predetermined position and prevent the outer case 20 from being separated from the inner case 30 . The inner shell 30 protrudes from one end of the outer shell 20 , and the opposite end of the outer shell 20 is provided with a flexible arm 25 . The flexible arm 25 can extend outward from the main body of the outer casing 20 and has an elastic recovery force. As shown in the figure, the outer casing 20 includes two flexible arms 25 extending in different directions.

In FIG. 6 , the inner housing 30 includes an accommodation space 31 , and a ferrule 40 is disposed in and protrudes from the accommodation space 31 . The inner housing 30 includes a front end 38 and a rear end 39 . The inner housing 30 is provided with a key 32 near a front end 38 . The rear end 39 includes an external threaded portion 33 and is also provided with a blocking portion 37 against which the flexible arm 25 can abut, thereby preventing the inner housing 30 from being separated from the outer housing 20 . The inner case 30 includes receiving portions 35 on both sides, and the receiving portions 35 include locking grooves 35a and inclined portions 35b.

FIG. 7 shows the connected state of the inner case 30 and the outer case 20 . The front end 38 of the inner housing 30 protrudes from the outer housing 20, and the key 32 is received in the groove of the outer housing 20 and abuts against the protrusion 22, thereby restricting the movement of the outer housing 20 relative to the inner housing 30 toward the front end 38, The outer case 20 is prevented from coming off the inner case 30 . The receiving portion 35 is covered by the outer case 20 . The flexible arm 25 abuts against the blocking portion 37 , the flexible arm 25 is in an initial state, and at this time, the outer shell 20 is in the first position. When the outer shell 20 is subjected to a backward external force (described in detail below), the outer shell 20 moves toward the rear end 39 relative to the inner shell 30 and the flexible arm 25 is squeezed, that is, the outer shell 20 is in the second position. When the external force is removed, under the action of the elastic restoring force of the flexible arm 25 , the outer shell 20 moves toward the front end 38 relative to the inner shell 30 , and is restricted by the key portion 32 , thereby returning to the first position.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the rear cylinder 50 is connected to the inner casing 30 through threads. Specifically, the rear cylinder 50 includes a rear cylinder head end 58 and a rear cylinder tail end 59 . The rear cylinder head 58 includes internal threads 53 so that the rear cylinder 50 can be threadedly connected to the external threaded portion 33 of the inner housing 30 . The stopper 46 is disposed in the inner housing 30 . One end of the spring 45 is received in the stop member 46 , under the elastic force of the spring 45 , the ferrule 40 can be exposed from the front end 38 of the inner housing 30 and move back and forth relative to the inner housing 30 . When the optical fiber connector 11 is connected to the adapter 12 , the ferrule 40 can use the elasticity of the spring 45 to move back and forth in the axial direction, so as to achieve a tight connection with the mated connector and eliminate the gap.

The connector gasket 49 may be configured in the form of a step such that, for example, the thickness of the middle portion of the connector gasket 49 is greater than the thickness of the edge portion of the connector gasket 49 . The inner housing 30 contacts the connector gasket 49 at an edge portion of the connector gasket 49 , and the stopper 46 contacts the connector gasket 49 at a middle portion of the connector gasket 49 .

A fiber optic cable 55 is connected to a rear cylinder tail 59 as is well known to those skilled in the art. The snap ring 60 is sleeved on the outside of the optical cable 55 and also connected to the tail end 59 of the rear cylinder. As shown in FIG. 8 , the snap ring 60 includes fixing teeth 62 , which protrude toward the inside of the snap ring 60 , and fix the sheath of the optical cable 55 to the tail end 59 of the rear cylinder in a pressing manner. The tail sleeve 65 is sleeved on the outer surface of the snap ring 60 at the rear end.

In FIG. 9 , the fiber optic adapter 12 includes an adapter housing 70 , a first seal 80 , a hook member 90 and a second seal 84 . The first seal 80 and the hook element 90 are received in the adapter housing 70 , and the adapter housing 70 is mountable to the device by bolts 87 and bolt washers 88 .

In FIG. 10 , the first end portion 13 and the second end portion 14 are separated by a mounting portion 76 . The mounting portion 76 may include a seal groove 79 to receive the second seal 84 . Since the second seal 84 is disposed between the first end 13 and the second end 14, when the fiber optic adapter 12 is mounted to the device, the second seal 84 is located between the adapter housing 70 and the outer surface of the device, preventing Water enters the interior of the device through openings in the device housing.

In FIG. 11 , the fiber optic adapter 12 includes a channel 71 extending from the first end 13 to the second end 14 to establish an optical communication channel inside the adapter 12 . A partition wall 73 is provided in the channel 71 to divide the channel 71 into a first passage 71 a and a second passage 71 b , the first passage 71 a is located at the first end 13 , and the second passage 71 b is located at the second end 14 . A partition wall through hole 74 is provided in the middle of the partition wall 73 so that the first passage 71a communicates with the second passage 71b. The first seal 80 is disposed in at least one of the first passage 71 a and the second passage 71 b and is disposed against the partition wall 73 . The first sealing member 80 is abutted against the partition wall 73 by the hook member 90, thereby preventing moisture or humidity from entering the passage 71a or 71b. The fiber optic adapter 12 includes hook elements 90, and the hook elements 90 are respectively disposed on the first passage 71a and the second passage 71b.

As shown in FIG. 12 , the thickness of the middle portion 82 of the first sealing member 80 is greater than the thickness of the edge portion 83 thereof, so that the first sealing member 80 is configured in the form of a step. When the first seal 80 is installed in the first passage 71 a, one side of the plane of the first seal 80 faces the partition wall 73 .

As shown in FIG. 13 , the hook element 90 includes a hook element body 96 and a side arm 93 . Wherein, the hook element body 96 includes an accommodating space 92 for accommodating the connector. Side arms 93 extend from hook member body 96 . The end of the side arm 93 is provided with a hook portion 95, and the hook portion 95 is used for latching with the optical fiber connector. Preferably, the hook element 90 includes two symmetrically arranged side arms 93 .

The adapter housing 70 includes a locking portion, and the hook element 90 includes a locking portion. When the hook element 90 is installed in the passage 71a or 71b, the locking portion cooperates with the locking portion, so that the hook element 90 is locked in the passage 71a In or 71b , the hook element 90 is connected to the adapter housing 70 while the hook element 90 presses the first seal 80 against the partition wall 73 . Specifically, the adapter housing 70 includes a fitting window 78 , and the hook element 90 includes a locking portion 94 . As shown in FIG. 11 , when the hook element 90 is installed in the first passage 71 a, the locking portion 94 is locked in the matching window 78 , so that the hook element 90 is engaged with the adapter housing 70 .

As shown in FIG. 14 , the optical fiber connector 11 is inserted into the optical fiber adapter 12 , that is, the first channel 71 a, and the hook portion 95 of the hook element 90 contacts the inclined portion 35 b of the inner housing 30 . The outer shell 20 contacts the hook element 90 , and as the fiber optic connector 11 moves toward the fiber optic adapter 12 , the outer shell 20 is blocked by the hook element 90 and moves in a direction opposite to the insertion direction.

In FIG. 15, when the hook portion 95 moves along the slope of the inclined portion 35b, along with the further insertion of the optical fiber connector 11, the outer housing 20 is continuously pushed in the direction opposite to the insertion direction, that is, the outer housing 20 is moved toward the second position (inner The rear end 39) of the housing 30 is pushed to expose the locking groove 35a.

Continuing to insert the fiber optic connector 11 , the hook portion 95 moves through the inclined portion 35 b to be received in the locking groove 35 a while the inner housing 30 presses the first seal 80 . The end of the inner housing 30 can be chamfered so as to contact with the first sealing member 80 and squeeze the middle part 82 so that the optical fiber connector 11 enters the position of the optical fiber adapter 12 , as shown in FIG. 16 . When the optical fiber connector 11 stops moving, the outer housing 20 returns to the first position under the action of the flexible arm 25 to cover the side arm 93 . A portion of the housing 20 is accessible into the fiber optic adapter 12 and is located outside the hook element 90 .

For the purpose of illustration, the optical fiber connector in the present application is an MPO connector, and correspondingly, the optical fiber adapter is a matching MPO type adapter. Those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solution of the present application can also be applied to other types of connectors, which is not limited in the present application.

According to the optical fiber connector and the optical fiber adapter of the present invention, waterproof gaskets are respectively arranged inside. When the optical fiber connector according to the present invention is connected to the optical fiber adapter according to the present invention, a plurality of waterproof gaskets are respectively located at the openings where the equipment communicates with the outside world, which can effectively Prevent water from entering the interior of the device through multiple openings.

Unless defined otherwise, technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the technical field of the invention. The terminology used herein is only for the purpose of describing a specific implementation, and is not intended to limit the present invention.

The present invention has been described through the above-mentioned embodiments, but it should be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments are only for the purpose of illustration and description, and are not intended to limit the present invention within the scope of the described embodiments. Those skilled in the art can understand that more variations and modifications can be made according to the teaching of the present invention, and these variations and modifications all fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims (20)

1. An optical fiber connector, comprising:

an outer housing;

an inner housing received within the outer housing, the inner housing including a receiving portion to receive a catch element of a docked adapter;

a ferrule disposed within the inner housing;

a rear column connected to the inner housing; and

and a connector gasket disposed between the inner case and the rear cylinder.

2. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein the outer housing is configured to be movable relative to the inner housing.

3. The fiber optic connector of claim 2, wherein the outer housing includes at least one flexible arm, the fiber optic connector configured to move under the bias of the at least one flexible arm.

4. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein the receiving portion includes a ramp to facilitate docking of the fiber optic connector to an adapter.

5. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein the rear post is threadably connected to the inner housing.

6. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, further comprising a spring and an abutment member, wherein the spring and the abutment member are disposed in the inner housing, the spring being intermediate the ferrule and the abutment member such that the ferrule is exposed from a front end of the inner housing and the abutment member abuts the connector gasket at a rear end of the inner housing.

7. The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein,

the rear column body comprises a rear column body head end and a rear column body tail end, the rear column body head end is connected with the inner shell in a threaded manner,

the fiber optic connector also includes a snap ring connected to the rear cylinder end, the snap ring including securing teeth to secure the jacket of the fiber optic core to the rear cylinder end.

8. The fiber optic connector of any of claims 1-7, wherein the connector gasket is configured to include a stepped form.

9. The fiber optic connector of any of claims 1-7, wherein the fiber optic connector comprises an MPO connector.

10. A fiber optic adapter, comprising:

an adapter housing including a first end and a second end opposite the first end and defining a channel extending between the first end and the second end, the channel having a dividing wall disposed therein dividing the channel into a first passageway and a second passageway, the first passageway in communication with the second passageway;

at least one first seal provided in at least one of the first passage and the second passage and joined to the partition wall; and

at least one catch element provided in at least one of the first and second passages and abutting the first seal against the partition wall, the catch element comprising a receiving space for receiving a connector,

wherein the catch element comprises a side arm configured to latch a connector when the connector is inserted into the adapter.

11. The fiber optic adapter of claim 10, wherein the catch element includes a locking portion to connect the catch element to the adapter housing.

12. The fiber optic adapter of claim 10, further comprising a second seal disposed between the first end and the second end.

13. The fiber optic adapter of claim 12, wherein,

the adapter housing further includes a seal groove that receives the second seal,

wherein the fiber optic adapter is configured such that the second seal is located between the adapter housing and an outer surface of the device when the fiber optic adapter is mounted to the device.

14. The fiber optic adapter of claim 10, wherein the side arms are provided with hooks.

15. The fiber optic adapter of any of claims 10-14, wherein the first seal is configured in the form of a step.

16. The fiber optic adapter of claim 15, wherein the catch element contacts an edge portion of the first seal to thereby abut the first seal to the dividing wall.

17. The fiber optic adapter of any of claims 10-14, wherein the fiber optic adapter comprises an MPO-type adapter.

18. An optical fiber connection system comprising the optical fiber connector of any of claims 1-9 and the optical fiber adapter of any of claims 10-17, wherein the inner housing is configured to compress the at least one first seal when the optical fiber connector is docked with the optical fiber adapter, thereby forming an environmental seal that prevents ingress of moisture and contaminants.

19. The fiber optic connection system of claim 18, wherein,

the first sealing member is configured in the form of a step, a thickness of a middle portion of the first sealing member is greater than a thickness of an edge portion of the first sealing member,

the fiber optic connection system is configured such that, upon insertion of the fiber optic connector into the fiber optic adapter, a front end of the inner housing abuts a middle portion of the first seal.

20. The fiber optic connection system of claims 18 or 19, wherein the fiber optic connector further comprises an outer housing disposed about and movable relative to the inner housing, the fiber optic connection system configured to:

the side arms pushing the outer housing toward the rear end of the inner housing when the fiber optic connector is inserted into the fiber optic adapter; and/or

When the fiber optic connector is inserted into the fiber optic adapter, the outer housing extends into the channel and is positioned outside of the catch element.

Images