MECHANICAL TRANSFER FERRULE RETENTION MECHANISM

1 . A ferrule retention assembly comprising:

a housing with a front end, the front end having an opening configured to receive a fiber optic ferrule,

a clamp movable between an open position and an engaged position,

wherein the ferrule can be inserted into the opening when the clamp is in the open position, and the clamp is configured to engage a rear surface of the ferrule to secure the ferrule in the opening when the clamp is in the engaged position.

2 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clamp is rotatably and slidably connected to the housing.

3 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clamp comprises an engagement plate having a first arm that extends out of a first end of the engagement plate and a second arm that engages out of a second end of the engagement plate such that the clamp is substantially U-shaped, the engagement plate being configured to engage the rear surface of the ferrule.

4 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 3 , wherein a first pin extends inward from a distal end of the first arm to slidably and rotatably engage a slot in a first side of the housing and a second pin extends inward from a distal end of the second arm to slidably and rotatably engage another slot in a second side of the housing.

5 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a biasing member in at least one biasing hole that extends into the front end of the housing, the biasing member being held in the biasing hole by a set screw, the biasing member engaging the set screw at a first end and the first or second pin at the second end, wherein the biasing member is configured to create a biasing force that biases the clamp toward the housing.

6 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 5 , wherein the biasing force is adjustable by rotating the set screw into or out of the biasing hole.

7 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 3 , wherein the engagement plate has at least one alignment hole that is configured to receive at least one alignment pin extending out of the front end of the housing, wherein the clamp is prevented from moving to the engaged position if the at least one alignment hole is not aligned with the alignment pin.

8 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 3 , the housing further comprising a rotation stop that extends outward from a side of the housing and is configured to engage a channel on the first arm or a channel on the second arm when the engagement plate is aligned with the front end of the housing.

9 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 4 , the clamp further comprising at least one notch at a distal end of an arm of the clamp configured to engage the housing to prevent rotation of the clamp past the open position and to hold the arm in the open position.

10 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a card edge of a printed circuit board extending from a rear end of the housing.

11 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 1 , the housing further comprising an optical engine disposed within the housing, the optical engine configured to engage the ferrule.

12 . A ferrule retention assembly comprising:

a housing with a front end, the front end having an opening configured to receive a fiber optic ferrule,

a clamp that is rotatably and slidably connected to the housing, the clamp being movable between an open position and an engaged position,

wherein the ferrule can be inserted into the opening when the clamp is in the open position, and an engagement plate of the clamp engages a back surface of the ferrule and secures the ferrule in the housing when the clamp is in the engaged position.

13 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 12 , further comprising at least one fastener received within the front end of the housing, the at least one fastener being configured to engage the clamp to secure the clamp in the engaged position when the fastener is tightened.

14 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 13 , the clamp further comprising at least one slot extending through an engagement plate of the clamp, the at least one slot being positioned to receive the fastener and the at least one slot configured to allow the clamp to be moved from the open position to the engaged position without removing the fastener.

15 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 14 , wherein the at least one slot in the engagement plate retains the fastener in the housing when the clamp is in the open position.

16 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a biasing member between the front end of the housing and the engagement plate of the clamp.

17 . The ferrule retention assembly of claim 1 , the housing further comprising an optical engine configured to engage the ferrule.

18 . A method for securing a fiber optic ferrule within a ferrule retention assembly, the method comprising:

pulling a clamp away from a housing, the clamp being rotatably and slidably connected to the housing and biased toward the housing by a biasing member, the biasing member being captured within the housing;

rotating the clamp to an aligned position where an engagement plate of the clamp is aligned with a front of the housing; and

releasing the clamp,

wherein releasing the clamp allows the biasing member to move the clamp to an engaged position where engagement plate moves toward the housing and engages a fiber optic ferrule placed in an opening in the front of the housing.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the biasing member is a spring.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the biasing member is captured in the housing with a set screw threadably coupled to the front end of the housing, the biasing member creating a biasing force that is adjustable by rotating the set screw in to or out of the front of the housing.