JP2018106128A - Optical fiber connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an optical fiber connector capable of suppressing misalignment of an optical fiber even when the height of the connector is lowered and the size is reduced. An optical fiber connector 1 of the present invention includes an optical fiber insertion portion 31 having a curved portion 32 that directs the direction of a multi-core POF 4 in a direction different from the insertion direction, and a sleeve 5 that covers the multi-core POF 4. The optical fiber insertion portion 31 has an insertion port side small diameter portion 33 on the insertion port 31a side of the curved portion 32, and an outlet side small diameter portion 34 on the outlet side of the curved portion 32. The sleeve 5 has an insertion port side covering portion 51 and an outlet side covering portion 52 connected to each other by the deformed portion 53. In the multi-core POF4, the misalignment toward the insertion direction is limited by the small diameter portion 33 on the insertion port side, and the misalignment toward the opposite side is limited by the small diameter portion 34 on the outlet side. [Selection diagram] FIG. 7

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector for connecting optical fibers, for example.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for an optical fiber connector, in which the tip of the optical fiber is inserted into the connector portion, and the direction of the tip of the optical fiber is bent by 90 ° with respect to the insertion direction. . Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for suppressing positional deviation by pressing an optical fiber with a connector.

JP 2010-250106 A JP 2008-52028 A

  According to the technique of Patent Document 1, the height of the connector can be reduced, but when used in an environment where a force pulled by the optical fiber itself is applied, such as when installed inside a robot, the optical fiber in the connector is pulled by the pulling force. May change, and it may be difficult to perform communication using an optical fiber with high accuracy.

  In the case of the technique of Patent Document 2, the connector becomes large in the optical fiber insertion direction in order to give a force for pressing the optical fiber. Therefore, when the height of the connector is reduced and the size is reduced, it may be difficult to suppress the displacement of the optical fiber.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the object of the present invention is to suppress the displacement of the optical fiber even when the height of the connector is low and the size is reduced. It is to obtain an optical fiber connector that can be used.

The optical fiber connector of the present invention that solves the above problems is as follows.
An optical fiber connector having an optical fiber insertion portion having a diameter larger than that of an optical fiber into which the optical fiber is inserted, the optical fiber insertion portion having a curved portion that directs the direction of the inserted optical fiber in a direction different from the insertion direction. There,
The optical fiber insertion portion includes an insertion port side small diameter portion whose diameter is smaller than the insertion port on the insertion port side than the bending portion, and an outlet side small diameter portion whose diameter is smaller than the outlet on the outlet side than the bending portion. And having
Furthermore, in a state where the optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber insertion portion, comprising a sleeve that covers the optical fiber,
The sleeve includes an insertion port side covering portion having a diameter larger than that of the insertion port side small diameter portion in a state where the optical fiber is covered, and an outlet side covering portion having a diameter larger than that of the outlet side small diameter portion,
The insertion port side covering portion and the outlet side covering portion are connected by a deforming portion that changes with a shape change of the optical fiber,
The positional deviation of the optical fiber in the insertion direction is limited by the insertion port side small diameter portion, and the positional deviation in the direction opposite to the insertion direction is limited by the outlet side small diameter portion.

  According to the present invention, displacement of the sleeve is regulated by the insertion port side small diameter portion and the outlet side small diameter portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sleeve from being displaced in the optical fiber insertion portion. Therefore, fixing the sleeve and the optical fiber can suppress the positional deviation of the optical fiber with respect to the optical fiber connector. Therefore, the height of the optical fiber connector can be lowered and the length in the insertion direction can be shortened. As described above, even when the height of the connector is reduced and the connector is downsized, the positional deviation of the optical fiber can be suppressed.

The exploded perspective view explaining the whole optical fiber connector composition. Sectional drawing of a plug. Exploded view of plug and optical fiber. The enlarged view of the plug shown in FIG. The figure explaining the fixing method of a sleeve. The figure explaining the structure of a sleeve. The figure explaining the method of attaching an optical fiber to a plug.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the overall configuration of the optical fiber connector.
The optical fiber connector 1 of this embodiment is an optical connection connector for a coated multi-core type plastic optical fiber (hereinafter simply referred to as multi-core POF), and includes a receptacle 2 and a plug 3. The receptacle 2 is mounted on an optical communication element FOT (fiber optic transceiver) provided on the mounting surface of the substrate 6, and the FOT and the multi-core POF 4 are optically connected by inserting and fitting the plug 3. It has a structure to connect.

  The receptacle 2 is provided with a fitting hole 22 into which the plug 3 can be inserted and fitted on the side surface of the main body 21. An engagement hole 23 is provided on the upper surface of the main body 21 to receive the plug lock claw 48 a of the lock lever 48 of the plug 3. The plug 3 is fitted on the lower surface of the main body 21. A POF tip escape groove 24 is provided between the tips of the multi-core POF 4 to ensure a predetermined clearance when inserted into the hole 22.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the plug. The plug 3 includes an optical fiber insertion portion 31 having a larger diameter than the multi-core POF 4 into which the multi-core POF 4 is inserted. The optical fiber insertion portion 31 has a bending portion 32 that directs the inserted multi-core POF 4 in a direction different from the insertion direction. The optical fiber insertion portion 31 is smaller in diameter than the insertion port 31a on the insertion port 31a side than the bending portion 32 and smaller in diameter than the outlet 31b on the outlet 31b side than the bending portion 32. The outlet side small diameter portion 34 is provided.

  Furthermore, a sleeve 5 that covers the multi-core POF 4 in a state where the multi-core POF 4 is inserted into the optical fiber insertion portion 31 is provided. The sleeve 5 includes an insertion port side covering portion 51 having a projection 51a having a diameter larger than that of the insertion port side small diameter portion 33 in a state where the multi-core POF 4 is covered, and an outlet side covering portion 52 having a diameter larger than that of the outlet side small diameter portion 34. It has. The insertion port side covering portion 51 and the outlet side covering portion 52 are connected by a deforming portion 53 that changes with the shape change of the multi-core POF 4, and the misalignment of the multi-core POF 4 toward the insertion direction A 33, and the displacement in the pulling direction B opposite to the insertion direction is limited by the outlet-side small-diameter portion 34.

  FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the plug and the optical fiber, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the plug shown in FIG. The plug 3 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material, and includes a plug main body 41 into which the multi-core POF 4 is inserted, and a plug lid 46 attached to the distal end portion of the plug main body 41. The plug body 41 and the plug lid 46 are connected to each other by a hinge portion 45 formed by reducing the thickness between the plug body 41 and the plug lid 46, and the plug lid 46 is rotated with respect to the plug body 41. As a result, the tip of the plug body 41 can be opened and closed. An engaging hole 46a (see FIG. 1) for locking the plug lid 46 by engaging the lid locking claw 44 of the plug body 41 when the plug lid 46 is closed is provided on the side surface of the plug lid 46. Is provided.

  The plug body 41 is provided with an insertion hole 42. The insertion hole 42 constitutes a part of the optical fiber insertion portion 31 and is formed to penetrate from the proximal end portion of the plug body 41 to the distal end portion with a constant diameter. A concave groove 42 a is provided in the upper part of the insertion hole 42 along the axial direction of the insertion hole 42. The concave groove 42 a is formed so as to extend from the proximal end portion of the plug main body 41 to the middle position of the insertion hole 42.

  A guide groove 43 that guides the direction of the multi-core POF 4 protruding from the insertion hole 42 in a direction bent by 90 ° with respect to the insertion direction A is provided at the distal end portion of the plug body 41. The guide groove 43 includes a curved surface portion 43a that is curved with a constant radius from the insertion hole 42 toward the plug bottom surface, and a linear portion 43b that extends continuously from the curved surface portion 43a to the plug bottom surface.

  The plug lid 46 is provided with a guide groove 47 that guides the direction of the multi-core POF 4 in cooperation with the guide groove 43 of the plug body 41 with the plug lid 46 attached to the plug body 41. The guide groove 47 is formed on a facing surface facing the tip of the plug body 41, and is formed between the curved surface portion 47a and the curved surface portion 47a curved so as to hold the multi-core POF 4 along the curved surface portion 43a of the plug body. And a linear portion 47b having a diameter increased through a step 47c.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method for fixing the sleeve, and FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of the sleeve. FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a disassembled state of the sleeve and the multi-core POF, and FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sleeve is fixed to the multi-core POF. 6A is a front view of the sleeve, FIG. 6B is a side view of the sleeve, and FIG. 6C is a bottom view of the sleeve.

  The sleeve 5 has a two-stage sleeve configuration in which two tubular members are connected in series with a predetermined distance therebetween. The sleeve 5 is made of metal, and includes an outlet side covering portion 52 that is one tubular member, an insertion port side covering portion 51 that is the other tubular member, and a space between the outlet side covering portion 52 and the insertion port side covering portion 51. Are integrally formed with a deformable portion 53 for connecting the two.

  The outlet side covering portion 52 is compressed by a dedicated tool while being passed through the multi-core POF 4 and fixed to the multi-core POF 4. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, the cross section is compressed so as to be a regular octagon. In the multi-core POF 4, the outer skin 62 covering the periphery of the fiber 61 has a regular octagonal cross section due to the compression of the outlet side covering portion 52.

  The insertion port side covering portion 51 regulates the fiber insertion position and the fiber insertion amount of the multi-core POF 4 with respect to the plug 3. The insertion port side covering portion 51 is provided with a projection 51a. When the sleeve 5 is inserted into the insertion hole 42 of the plug body 41, the insertion portion 42 is inserted into the concave groove 42a of the insertion hole 42, and the sleeve 5 rotates. Regulates the insertion position and fiber insertion amount.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a method of attaching a multi-core POF to a plug.
First, the multi-core POF 4 to which the sleeve 5 is fixed by pressure is inserted into the insertion hole 42 of the plug body 41 (S1). Then, the protruding portion 51a provided on the insertion port side covering portion 51 of the sleeve 5 is inserted into the concave groove 42a provided in the insertion hole 42 of the plug body 41, and at a position where it abuts against the end of the concave groove 42a. Deploy. Thereby, the fiber insertion position and fiber insertion amount of the multi-core POF 4 with respect to the plug 3 are regulated.

  Next, the plug lid 46 is rotated in a direction to close the distal end portion of the plug main body 41 so as to contact the multi-core POF 4, and the multi-core POF 4 is bent toward the bottom of the plug (S2). The portion protruding from the insertion hole 42 of the multi-core POF 4 is urged in the direction of pressing down against the guide groove 47 of the plug lid 46, and is bent along the guide groove 43 of the plug body 41.

  By disposing the plug lid 46 at a position where the tip of the plug body 41 is closed, the lid locking claw portion 44 of the plug body 41 is engaged in the engagement hole 46a and locked in the closed position. The multi-core POF 4 is sandwiched between the guide groove 43 of the plug body 41 and the guide groove 47 of the plug lid 46, and the multi-core POF 4 is held in a direction bent by 90 ° with respect to the insertion direction A. In such a state, the outlet side covering portion 52 abuts on the step 47c of the guide groove 47, and movement in the direction in which the multi-core POF 4 comes out is restricted. Then, the surplus portion 4a protruding from the plug bottom surface of the multi-core POF 4 is cut (S3).

  According to the configuration of the plug 3 described above, when a force in the insertion direction A is applied to the multi-core POF 4, the protrusion 51 a of the insertion port side covering portion 51 of the sleeve 5 is formed in the insertion hole 42 of the plug body 41. In the concave groove 42a, it strikes the end of the concave groove 42a, and the movement in the insertion direction A is suppressed. Then, when a force in the pulling direction B is applied to the multi-core POF 4, the outlet side covering portion 52 of the sleeve 5 moves in the direction B in contact with the step 47 c in the guide groove 47 of the plug lid 46. Is suppressed. Therefore, the position shift of the multi-core POF 4 can be suppressed.

  The insertion hole 42 of the plug body 41 constitutes a part of the optical fiber insertion portion 31, and is on the distal end side where the concave groove 42a is not provided, rather than the proximal end portion where the concave groove 42a is provided. The diameter of this portion is smaller by the amount of the concave groove 42a. Therefore, the portion on the distal end side where the concave groove 42 a of the insertion hole 42 is not provided corresponds to the insertion port side small diameter portion 33 having a diameter smaller than that of the insertion port 31 a on the insertion port 31 a side than the bending portion 32.

  Further, the guide groove 43 of the plug main body 41 and the guide groove 47 of the plug lid 46 constitute the remaining part of the optical fiber insertion portion 31 in cooperation with each other, and are constituted by the straight portions 43b and 47b. Has a small diameter at the step 47c. Accordingly, the step 47 c corresponds to the outlet-side small-diameter portion 34 having a diameter smaller than that of the outlet 31 b on the outlet 31 b side of the curved portion 32. The insertion port side covering portion 51 of the sleeve 5 has a larger diameter at the portion where the projection 51a is provided than at the tip side where the concave groove 42a of the insertion hole 42 is not provided. 5 has a diameter larger than that of the step 47c.

  Accordingly, the displacement of the multi-core POF 4 in the insertion direction A is limited by the tip side portion (insertion port side small diameter portion 33) where the concave groove 42a of the insertion hole 42 is not provided, and the direction opposite to the insertion direction. The displacement toward B is limited by the step 47c (exit-side small diameter portion 34).

  According to the optical fiber connector 1 of the present embodiment, the sleeve 5 can be easily mounted and positioned on the plug 3 by crimping the sleeve 5 to the multi-core POF 4, and then the multi-core can be achieved with one action by simply tightening and locking the plug lid 46. It is possible to prevent the POF 4 from being bent by 90 ° and coming off. Therefore, the workability at the site is excellent, and it is possible to realize a small size and low cost equivalent to a small electrical connector. Further, since the plug can be horizontally fitted to the board, it can be used even when access from the stacked board or component mounting surface is limited.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various designs can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention described in the claims. It can be changed.

1 Optical fiber connector 2 Receptacle 3 Plug 4 Multi-core POF
5 Sleeve 6 Substrate 31 Optical fiber insertion portion 31a Insertion port 32 Bending portion 33 Insertion port side small diameter portion 34 Outlet side small diameter portion 51 Insertion port side covering portion 52 Outlet side covering portion 53 Deformation portion

Claims (1)

An optical fiber connector having an optical fiber insertion portion having a diameter larger than that of an optical fiber into which the optical fiber is inserted, the optical fiber insertion portion having a curved portion that directs the direction of the inserted optical fiber in a direction different from the insertion direction. There,
The optical fiber insertion portion includes an insertion port side small diameter portion whose diameter is smaller than the insertion port on the insertion port side than the bending portion, and an outlet side small diameter portion whose diameter is smaller than the outlet on the outlet side than the bending portion. And having
Furthermore, in a state where the optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber insertion portion, comprising a sleeve that covers the optical fiber,
The sleeve includes an insertion port side covering portion having a diameter larger than that of the insertion port side small diameter portion in a state where the optical fiber is covered, and an outlet side covering portion having a diameter larger than that of the outlet side small diameter portion,
The insertion port side covering portion and the outlet side covering portion are connected by a deforming portion that changes with a shape change of the optical fiber,
The optical fiber connector is characterized in that the displacement of the optical fiber toward the insertion direction is limited by the insertion port side small diameter portion, and the displacement of the optical fiber toward the side opposite to the insertion direction is limited by the exit side small diameter portion. .

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