JP3005082B2 - Optical connector holder - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical connector holder for holding a pair of optical connectors optically coupled via guide pins.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When holding a pair of optical connectors optically coupled via guide pins, a clip has conventionally been used as an optical connector holder. The width of this clip was smaller than the width of the optical connector, and a folded portion was provided at the rear end of the clip ("B-636 SM optical fiber connector capable of high-speed switching", IEICE Spring National Convention ( 1989), p.4-12).

[0003]

However, since the conventional optical connector holder has a structure in which a pair of optical connectors are integrally held, if the specification and mounting position of the clip are deviated, the optical connector is moved in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin. It is energized from a different direction. As a result, there is a problem that the biasing force is biased, the coupling end faces of the optical connector are not completely engaged, and the connection loss of the optical connector increases.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector holder which strictly urges the optical connector in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin and optically couples the optical connector with low loss.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an optical connector holder for holding a pair of optical connectors coupled via guide pins, wherein the pair of optical connectors are connected in the longitudinal direction of the guide pins. A holding member that holds the pair of optical connectors from both sides in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin, and a point contact with the pair of supporting members to urge the supporting members toward the optical connector. A pair of urging means.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the degree of freedom of the optical connector in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide pin is limited by the holding member. The support member has a structure for supporting the optical connector from the longitudinal direction of the guide pin. Since the biasing force to the support member is transmitted by point contact, the biasing direction to the optical connector is strictly the longitudinal direction of the guide pin. Stipulated.

[0007]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, the same elements will be denoted by the same reference symbols, without redundant description. FIG. 1 shows an optical connector holder according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1A is a plan view seen from a direction orthogonal to a plane on which the tape-shaped optical fiber core wires connected to the optical connector are arranged, and FIG. 1B is a line AA ′ in FIG. It is sectional drawing cut | disconnected from FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an optical connector that can be used in this embodiment.

This optical connector holder includes a pivot housing (holding member) 1, a U-shaped member (supporting member) 2, a guide wall 3, and a coil spring 4 (biasing means). Also, the left half of FIG. 3A shows a state in which the cover 10 is removed for easy understanding of the internal structure.

The pivot housing 1 has at least U
A flat portion on which the letter-shaped member 2 and the optical connector 5 are placed;
The bottom and side surfaces of the optical connector 5 are held. The upper surface of the optical connector 5 is held by a cover 10 fixed to the pivot housing 1 with screws. In addition, the U-shaped member 2 supports the paired optical connectors 5 from both sides in the optical axis direction,
A steel ball 5b is held at an end of the optical connector 5 with which the U-shaped member 2 comes into contact via a metal holder 5a. Therefore, U
The optical connector 5 is supported by the point-shaped member 2 by point contact.

The guide wall 3 extends in a direction perpendicular to the coupling end face of the optical connector 5, and defines a supporting direction of the U-shaped member 2 in a direction perpendicular to the coupling end face. Further, the coil spring 4 is housed in a guide groove 1a formed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the coupling end face of the optical connector 5, and presses the U-shaped member 2 with a steel ball 4b via a metal holder 4a. I have. Therefore, the U-shaped member 2 is coupled to the coil spring 4 by point contact, and the U-shaped member 2 is urged in a direction perpendicular to the coupling end face of the optical connector 5, that is, in a longitudinal direction of the guide pin 9.

FIG. 2 shows a horizontal arrangement type 40 usable in this embodiment.
2 shows an optical connector for collective cores. FIG. 1A is a front view of the optical connector as viewed from the coupling end face, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the optical connector. In this optical connector, eight tape-shaped optical fiber core wires 6 are connected in a horizontal line, and guide pin insertion holes 5c are formed on both sides thereof. A pair of optical connectors are provided with guide pins (not shown) in the guide pin insertion holes 5c.
Is inserted, the alignment in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis with respect to the optical fiber core can be performed.

However, there is play between the guide pin 9 and the guide pin insertion hole 5c, and if the coupling end faces are pressed and do not engage with each other, the coupling end faces of the optical connector are separated or inclined to increase connection loss. I do. In the present embodiment, the aforementioned U
Since the optical connector 5 is pressed toward the coupling end face from a desired direction by using the letter-shaped member 2, the above-described increase in loss is prevented.

Next, an optical connector holder according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the optical connector holder according to the second embodiment viewed from a direction orthogonal to a plane on which tape-shaped optical fiber core wires connected to the optical connector are arranged.
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the shaft member 7, the guide member 8, and the coil spring 4 that can be used in the optical connector holder according to the second embodiment. In order to clearly show the inside, in FIG. 3, the upper part from the center line has a sectional structure excluding the optical connector, and the upper half from the center line is shown with the flat cover 10 removed.

The optical connector holder according to this embodiment uses a pair of shaft members 7 as supporting members, and the first embodiment is different from the optical connector holder in that a steel ball 7b is held by the shaft member 7 instead of the optical connector. Different from the example. Steps are formed at both ends of the shaft-shaped member 7, and the shaft diameters at both ends are smaller than those at the center. A sleeve 7a is press-fitted into the optical connector 5 at the end, and a steel ball 7b is held in the sleeve 7a with a part thereof being exposed. The other end of the shaft member 7 is held by a guide member 8 having a pair of guide holes 8a. The guide hole 8a is provided in a state where the guide member 8 is held by the pivot housing 1,
It coincides with the longitudinal direction of the guide pin 9. The support direction of the pair of shaft members 7 is defined by the guide member 8 in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin 9. Further, the guide member 8
A coil spring 4 supported by the pivot housing 1 is disposed at the rear of the optical connector 5 and presses the pair of shaft members 7 toward the coupling end surface of the optical connector 5 via the guide member 8.
A steel ball 4b is held at the tip of the coil spring 4 via a metal holder 4a. The steel ball 4b is in contact with a substantially intermediate portion between the two guide holes 8a formed in the guide member 8, and applies a substantially uniform urging force to the shaft-like member 7.

As described above, the optical connector 5 includes the guide pin 9
Are movable in the longitudinal direction of the coil spring 4,
Since the shaft member 7 and the optical connector 5 are connected to each other by point contact, the optical connector 5 is pressed in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin 9 even if the biasing direction of the coil spring 4 is slightly out of order. Optical connector 5 is engaged in surface contact.

As described above, in this embodiment, the optical connector is supported by the pivot bearing structure using the pair of mechanisms (pivot housing, U-shaped member or shaft member, coil spring) that do not interlock with each other. The degree of deviation and the dependence on the mounting state of parts are small, and the optical connector can be brought into surface contact with high accuracy.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. In this embodiment, as an example of a support member,
Although a U-shaped member or a shaft-shaped member is shown, the present invention is not limited to these structures. What is important is that the optical connector is urged in a direction perpendicular to the optical coupling surface by using a pair of pivot bearing structures that do not interlock with each other. Also, the present invention is an oblique polished optical connector useful for reflection measures,
It can be applied to a rooftop optical connector.

[0018]

Since the optical connector holder according to the present invention is configured as described above, the optical connector can be accurately biased in the optical axis direction, and the optical connector is optically coupled with low loss. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing an optical connector holder according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an optical connector that can be used in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing an optical connector holder according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a shaft-like member, a guide member, and a coil spring that can be used in an optical connector holder according to a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Pivot housing, 2 ... U-shaped member, 3 ... Guide wall, 4 ... Coil spring, 5 ... Optical connector, 6 ... Tape-shaped optical fiber core wire, 7 ... Shaft-shaped member, 8 ... Guide member, 9 ... Guide pin , 10 ... cover.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Tadashi Haibara, Inventor Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, 1-6, Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (56) Hei 1-57705 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02B 6/36 G02B 6/38 G02B 6/40

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An optical connector holder for holding a pair of optical connectors optically coupled via guide pins, comprising: a holding member for holding the pair of optical connectors from a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the guide pins; A pair of support members for supporting the pair of optical connectors from both sides in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin, and a pair of biasing means for making point contact with the pair of support members and biasing the support member toward the optical connector. Optical connector holder. 2. The optical connector holder according to claim 1, wherein the support member supports the optical connector by point contact.