초록 ▼

An optical communication connector having a connector housing that includes opposite mating and loading sides and a housing cavity that extends therebetween. The optical communication connector also includes an optical module that is positioned within the housing cavity and a biasing element that is

An optical communication connector having a connector housing that includes opposite mating and loading sides and a housing cavity that extends therebetween. The optical communication connector also includes an optical module that is positioned within the housing cavity and a biasing element that is positioned between the optical module and the loading side in the housing cavity. The biasing element has a module end, a back end, and a resilient spring portion that extends between the module and back ends. The spring portion includes an elongated body having a plurality of flexible bend segments that wrap back-and-forth within a spring plane. The spring portion is compressible between first and second states during a mating operation between the optical module and an optical connector.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An optical communication connector comprising: a connector housing including opposite mating and loading sides and a housing cavity that extends therebetween;an optical module positioned within the housing cavity, the optical module having a mating face that faces an exterior of the connector hou

1. An optical communication connector comprising: a connector housing including opposite mating and loading sides and a housing cavity that extends therebetween;an optical module positioned within the housing cavity, the optical module having a mating face that faces an exterior of the connector housing along the mating side and is configured to engage an optical connector during a mating operation; anda biasing element positioned between the optical module and the loading side in the housing cavity, the biasing element having a module end, a back end, and a resilient spring portion that extends between the module and back ends, the spring portion including an elongated body having a plurality of flexible bend segments that wrap back-and-forth within a spring plane, wherein the spring portion is compressible between first and second states during the mating operation between the optical module and the optical connector, the spring portion permitting the optical module to slide toward the loading side during the mating operation wherein the mating face includes an array of apertures, each aperture including an optical fiber therein or configured to receive an optical fiber during the mating operation, the spring plane extending through the array of apertures. 2. The optical communication connector of claim 1, wherein the biasing element includes biasing components that are stacked directly side-by-side and coupled together so that the stacked biasing components move with each other between the first and second states. 3. The optical communication connector of claim 1, wherein the elongated body extends along a path, the path curving more than 180° through at least one of the bend segments. 4. The optical communication connector of claim 1, wherein the biasing element has a longitudinal axis that extends between the module and back ends, the spring portion including at least seven flexible bend segments, each of the flexible bend segments including adjacent arms and a linking portion, the adjacent arms extending transverse to the longitudinal axis. 5. The optical communication connector of claim 1, wherein the biasing element is stamped from sheet material. 6. The optical communication connector of claim 1, wherein the module and back ends extend within the spring plane. 7. The optical communication connector of claim 1, wherein the optical communication connector includes a plurality of said optical modules and a plurality of said biasing elements, the biasing elements positioned between respective optical modules and the loading side. 8. The optical communication connector of claim 7, wherein at least two of the optical modules are stacked adjacent to each other such that (a) an empty space exists between the adjacent optical modules or (b) the adjacent optical modules directly contact each other, the adjacent optical modules being slidable alongside each other. 9. An optical communication connector comprising: a connector housing including opposite mating and loading sides and a mating axis that extends therebetween, the connector housing having a housing cavity, the connector housing including a pair of opposing walls that define the housing cavity therebetween;a plurality of optical modules positioned within the housing cavity, at least two of the optical modules being stacked adjacent to each other such that the adjacent optical modules directly contact each other, the adjacent optical modules being slidable alongside each other, the walls holding the adjacent optical modules therebetween within the housing cavity; anda plurality of biasing elements positioned between respective optical modules and the loading side in the housing cavity, each of the biasing elements including a coil-less spring portion that is compressible between first and second states during a mating operation thereby permitting the optical modules to slide toward the loading side, the optical modules sliding along the walls during the mating operation. 10. The optical communication connector of claim 9, wherein said at least two optical modules have respective mating faces, the mating faces having first and second dimensions that extend perpendicular to the mating axis, the first dimension being at least five times the second dimension. 11. The optical communication connector of claim 9, wherein at least one of the biasing elements includes biasing components that are stacked side-by-side and coupled together so that the stacked biasing components move with each other between the first and second states. 12. The optical communication connector of claim 9, wherein said at least two optical modules are engaged with different respective biasing elements and movable within different operational envelopes of the housing cavity that are adjacent to each other, each of the respective biasing elements being located within and moving along the corresponding operational envelope without intersecting the other adjacent operational envelope. 13. The optical communication connector of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of biasing elements has a module end and a back end, the spring portion extending between the module and back ends and including an elongated body having a plurality of flexible bend segments that wrap back-and-forth within a spring plane. 14. An optical communication connector comprising: a connector housing including opposite mating and loading sides and a mating axis that extends therebetween, the connector housing having a housing cavity, the connector housing including a pair of opposing walls that define the housing cavity therebetween;an optical module positioned within the housing cavity, the optical module having a mating face that faces an exterior of the connector housing along the mating side and is configured to engage an optical connector during a mating operation, the optical module being movable along the mating axis, the walls holding the optical module therebetween within the housing cavity; anda biasing element positioned between the optical module and the loading side in the housing cavity, the biasing element including a module end, a back end, and a coil-less spring portion that extends between the module end and the back end, the module end directly engaging the optical module, wherein the coil-less spring portion is compressible between first and second states during the mating operation between the optical module and the optical connector to permit movement of the optical module toward the loading side, the optical module sliding along the walls during the mating operation. 15. The optical communication connector of claim 14, wherein the biasing element includes biasing components that are stacked side-by-side and coupled together so that the stacked biasing components move with each other between the first and second states. 16. The optical communication connector of claim 14, wherein the optical communication connector includes a plurality of said optical modules and a plurality of said biasing elements, the biasing elements positioned between respective optical modules and the loading side, wherein at least two of the optical modules are adjacent to each other, such that (a) an empty space exists between the adjacent optical modules or (b) the adjacent optical modules directly contact each other, the adjacent optical modules being slidable alongside each other. 17. The optical communication connector of claim 1, wherein the mating face is positioned proximate to the mating side of the connector housing. 18. The optical communication connector of claim 17, wherein the connector housing includes a positive stop that is located proximate to the mating side, the optical module engaging the positive stop when the spring portion is in the first state, wherein the positive stop and the spring portion in the first state hold the optical module in a designated position for engaging the optical connector. 19. The optical communication connector of claim 1, wherein the optical module includes at least one alignment pin, at least one alignment bore, or a combination thereof along the mating face. 20. The optical communication connector of claim 9, wherein each of the spring portions includes an elongated body having a plurality of flexible bend segments that wrap back-and-forth within a spring plane, and wherein each of the optical modules has a mating face that includes an array of apertures in which each aperture includes an optical fiber therein or is configured to receive an optical fiber during the mating operation, the spring plane extending through the array of apertures of the corresponding optical module.