JPH0426808A - Optical connector switching and connecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the positioning accuracy of optical connectors and to stabilize coupling by providing the 1st optical connector which has a fiber connecting member provided with 1st guide holes, a 1st member which has 2nd guide holes and connects optical fibers and the 2nd optical connector which has springs mounted between the 1st member and the 2nd member. CONSTITUTION:This device is constituted by including the 1st optical connector 9 which has the fiber connecting member 1 having a pair of the 1st guide holes to be inserted with coupling pins and the 2nd optical connector 10 which is held by a holding member 11. The 2nd optical connector 10 is constituted by having the 1st member 1 which has a pair of the 2nd guide holes formed at nearly the same intervals as the intervals of the 1st guide holes and is connected with optical fibers, the 2nd member 5 which is held by the holding member and further, springs 3, 4 mounted between the 1st member 1 and the 2nd member 5. The improvement in the positioning accuracy and the stabilization of the coupling are compatibly attained in this way.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an optical connector switching and connecting device that includes a first optical connector and a second optical connector that are held by a holding member and coupled via a coupling pin.

[Conventional technology]

In order to configure a switching connection system for subscriber optical fiber cables, a connector capable of high-speed switching is essential.

As a switching connection system that switches and connects multi-fiber optical connectors, an optical connector switching and connection device that selects one tape from 1000 tape fibers and connects it to a master tape fiber is known (Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, Spring National Conference). (1989) C-449, “10 cores-bracket 1×100
0 optical scan switch (p. 4-238). This switching connection system (optical scan switch) has a coupling pin fixed to the mask side connector, and connects to any specified access side connector on the table. The Y-movement stage moves, and an actuator on the stage pushes down the mask-side connector to make it fit.

This optical connector switching and connecting device obtains pressure in the connection direction (Z direction) by passing a spring through the optical fiber, and is also movable in the X-Y direction with some play in the gap between it and the outer housing. It was in a state.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, the conventional optical connector switching and connecting device has a drawback that it does not follow the tilting of the connector connection sufficiently.

Furthermore, since the position of the connector is always in a movable state within the range of play, there is a drawback that the initial axis misalignment tolerance of the access side optical connector is small. In particular, the latter drawback has been a problem in improving maintainability by freely replacing the access-side optical connector.

Regarding centering, which keeps the initial position of the connector constant on the Since density packaging is required, there is a problem in that there is not enough space to install a taper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve positioning accuracy in an optical connector and stabilize coupling.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an optical connector switching and connecting device comprising a first optical connector and a second optical connector held by a holding member and coupled via a coupling bin, wherein the coupling bin is inserted. a first optical connector having a fiber connection member having a pair of first guide holes;
Consists of an optical connector. Here, the second optical connector includes a pair of second guide holes formed at substantially the same spacing as the first guide holes, a first member to which the optical fiber is connected, and a second member held by the holding member. ,moreover,
and a second optical connector having a spring attached between the first member and the second member.

[Effect]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the axis misalignment when connecting the first optical connector and the second optical connector,
Pressure, tilt, and centering are relieved by the action of a spring attached to the second optical connector.

〔Example〕

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An optical connector switching and connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

FIG. 1 shows the structure of a mask-side optical connector (second optical connector) used in an optical connector switching and connection device according to an embodiment. This mask-side optical connector basically includes a fiber connecting member (first member), a leaf spring, and a guide member (second member), and includes a pair of guides into which the coupling bottle is inserted. It is switched and connected to an access side optical connector (first optical connector) in which a hole (first guide hole) is formed.

A fiber connecting member (first member) 1 has a mask-side optical fiber 2 attached to its end face 1a to be connected to the access-side optical fiber attached to the end face of the access-side optical connector (not shown). . A guide hole (second guide hole) lb into which a coupling bottle is fitted is formed on both sides of the mask-side optical fiber 2 mounting section. A plate spring (
A spring) 3.4 is attached along the mask-side optical fiber 2. The leaf spring 4 is connected to the leaf spring 3 by a connecting member 3b fixed to the leaf spring 3. The leaf spring 3 is attached to substantially an extension of the left and right surfaces 1c of the fiber connecting member 1, and the leaf spring 4 is attached to substantially an extension of the upper and lower surfaces 1d of the fiber connecting member 1. Since curved portions 3 a s 4 a are formed in the central portions of the leaf springs 3.4, the pressing force acting in the optical axis direction can be alleviated. A mask-side optical fiber 2 is installed inside the guide member 5.
is inserted, and a centering reinforcement structure is incorporated.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a centering reinforcement structure incorporated inside the guide member (second member) 5. As shown in FIG. This centering reinforcement structure is constructed by combining a centering shaft 6 and a centering bush 7. One end of the centering shaft 6 is fixed to the fiber connecting member 1, and the other end is a sphere 6a. The centering bush 7 is formed of a hollow cylindrical elastic body having a spherical space 7a in the center.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the arrangement of the access-side optical connector and the mask-side optical connector used in the optical connector switching and connection device according to the embodiment of the present invention. The access board 8 includes a number of access optical connectors (first optical connectors) 9 to which access optical fibers (not shown) are connected.
are arranged in two dimensions. A mask-side optical connector (second optical connector) 10 to which a coupling bin is fitted is arranged at a position facing the access-side board 8 .

The guide member of the mask-side optical connector 10 includes an arm (holding member) 11 that can move in the plane on which the access-side optical connector 9 is arranged (the plane formed by the X direction and the Y direction) and in the direction perpendicular thereto (the X direction). Fixed.

FIG. 4 is a process diagram showing the operation of the mask-side optical connector used in the optical connector switching and connecting device according to the above embodiment. 1A is a top plan view of the optical connector shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the optical connector seen from the right side. It is assumed that the arrangement direction of the leaf springs 3 is the X-axis direction, and the arrangement direction of the leaf springs 4 is assumed to be the Y-axis direction. If the direction of misalignment between the axes of the mask-side optical connector and the access-side optical connector is in the X-axis direction, the fiber connection member 1 moves in the X-axis direction with respect to the guide member 5 due to the displacement of the leaf spring 3. See a)) Axis misalignment is absorbed. Furthermore, if the misalignment direction of the axes between the mask side optical connector and the access side optical connector is in the Y-axis direction, the fiber connection member 1 moves in the Y-axis direction with respect to the guide member 5 due to the displacement of the leaf spring 4. (See figure (b)) Axis misalignment is absorbed. Note that if the mask side optical connector and the access side optical connector are axially misaligned in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, the centering shaft 6 and the sphere 6a
When the spheres contact the centering bush 7, rotate (tilt), and are directly pushed by the centering shaft 6, each of the spheres contacts the centering bush 7, so a weak but reliable return force to the initial position is applied. do. Furthermore, when applying pressure to one optical connector in the connection direction when connecting the connectors, the fiber connecting member 1 and the guide The distance between the member 5 changes slightly and a stable state can be maintained, and even if there is an angular deviation between the access side optical connector and the mask side optical connector, one leaf spring is compressed. By simultaneously stretching the other leaf spring, a stable state can be maintained.

Next, experimental results of the optical connector switching and connecting device (see FIGS. 1 and 3) according to the present invention will be explained.

The plate spring 3.4 of the mask side optical connector 10 has a thickness of 0.
．． 5 mm beryllium copper was used. When we measured the displacement of the leaf spring, the axial deviation was ±0.5mm, and the angular deviation was ±0.5mm.
It was possible to tolerate pressures of up to 0 and 3 degrees and up to 2 kg, respectively. Furthermore, when the centering shaft and centering bush were attached and the centering accuracy was measured, it was found to be ±0.06 mm in each direction. Furthermore, when we measured the connection characteristics and repeated connection/detachment reproducibility of this optical connector switching connection device using single mode fibers of 1.3 μm each, we found that the connection characteristics were 0.7 dB or less, and the repeatability of connection and disconnection was 0.05 dB. We were able to obtain stable values.

Note that this invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the optical connector connection switching device according to the embodiment, an optical connector having the structure shown in FIG. 1 is used as the mask-side optical connector, but even if this optical connector is used as the access-side optical connector, good.

Further, in the above embodiment, a plate spring is used as the spring stretched between the fiber connecting member and the guide member, but the spring is not limited to a plate spring. For example, it may be a coil spring.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Since this invention is configured as explained above,
It is possible to both improve positioning accuracy and stabilize coupling. Therefore, displacement and rotation in the XSY, Z-axis directions (
tilt), and the initial position can be kept constant. By using this optical connector switching and connecting device, it is possible to realize high-density packaging of optical connectors with excellent connection characteristics.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the structure of an optical connector used in an optical connector switching and connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the structure of an optical connector used in an optical connector switching and connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the arrangement of optical connectors used in an optical connector switching and connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a centering reinforcement structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of such an optical connector switching and connecting device. 1... Fiber connection member (first member), 2... Mask side optical fiber, 3.4... Leaf spring (spring),
5... Guide member (second member), 6... Centering shaft, 7... Centering bush, 8...
Access side board, 9...Access side optical connector (first optical connector), 10...Mask side optical connector (second
optical connector), 11... arm (holding member).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An optical connector switching and connecting device comprising a first optical connector and a second optical connector held by a holding member and coupled via a coupling pin, the first optical connector of the pair into which the coupling pin is inserted. a first optical connector having a fiber connection member having one guide hole; a first member having a pair of second guide holes formed at substantially the same spacing as the first guide holes to which an optical fiber is connected;
An optical connector comprising: a second member held by the holding member; and a second optical connector having a spring attached between the first member and the second member. Switching connection device.