CN110941054A - On-site assembled optical fiber connector - Google Patents
On-site assembled optical fiber connector Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CN110941054A CN110941054A CN201811112967.3A CN201811112967A CN110941054A CN 110941054 A CN110941054 A CN 110941054A CN 201811112967 A CN201811112967 A CN 201811112967A CN 110941054 A CN110941054 A CN 110941054A
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- China
- Prior art keywords
- optical fiber
- connector
- connector body
- fiber
- clamp
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
- G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
- G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
- G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
- G02B6/3833—Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture
- G02B6/3834—Means for centering or aligning the light guide within the ferrule
- G02B6/3838—Means for centering or aligning the light guide within the ferrule using grooves for light guides
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
- G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
- G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
- G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
- G02B6/3833—Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture
- G02B6/3855—Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture characterised by the method of anchoring or fixing the fibre within the ferrule
- G02B6/3858—Clamping, i.e. with only elastic deformation
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a field-assemblable fiber optic connector, comprising: a connector main body having a hole penetrating both end portions and a first insertion port penetrating a lower portion thereof; a splicing unit inserted into the hole of the connector body, holding the first core, and aligning the first optical fiber or the second optical fiber disposed outside and elastically pressing the first or second optical fiber in a state where the first optical fiber contacts the second optical fiber; a clamp coupled to the connector body through the first insertion port to release the compression of the splice unit; a holder unit coupled to the connector body to elastically support one end of the splice unit and provide a passage for the second optical fiber, the other end of the splice unit being supported by the connector body; a universal tube formed of an elastic material and surrounding an outer surface of the outer sheath or the coating layer of the second optical fiber and inserted into the holder unit; and a boot coupled to the holder unit to secure the universal tube.
Description
Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an optical fiber connector, and more particularly, to a field-assemblable optical fiber connector that can be simply assembled in the field to connect optical fibers.
Background
A fiber optic connector is a device for splicing two optical fibers together. In view of the complexity of the connection process, most processes are typically performed within a manufacturing facility, which includes aligning the cores of the optical fibers using ferrules, polishing and epoxy bonding the ends of the optical fibers to minimize optical losses, attaching connectors to both ends of the optical fibers to form so-called "patch cords" that are distributed and used for optical line installation. For example, LC, ST, FC, and SC fiber optic connectors are currently used.
Since patch cords are manufactured in manufacturing facilities in the form of manufactured products having a certain length according to prescribed parameters, such patch cords have a disadvantage of having a fixed length between the optical distribution board, the optical termination box and the optical intermediate distribution box when the optical cable is deployed.
Thus, field-installable fiber optic connectors have been developed and used. Field-assemblable fiber optic connectors allow an operator to modify a patch cord into an assemblable connector so that the operator can easily assemble a desired length of patch cord.
Korean patent No.10-1114289 discloses a field-assemblable optical fiber connector, which includes: a ferrule having an optical fiber disposed at a center thereof; a connector housing; a plug having a receiving portion of which one side is inserted and coupled to the connector housing; and a tip opening shoe integrally formed with the plug and having a threaded part formed at an outer circumference of one side of the receiving part to press and fix the optical fiber; an optical connection member inserted and fixed to the plug to connect the optical fiber inserted into the ferrule in the front end side thereof and the optical fiber inserted into the optical cable on the rear end side; a boot cover having a threaded portion formed at an outer circumference thereof to correspond to the threaded portion, and pivotally fastened to the plug vertically at the boot side to open/close an open topside of the boot and fix the optical cable together with the boot; and a screw cap engaged with the boot and the boot cover to fix the optical cable inserted into the boot and the boot cover. The optical connection member includes: a ferrule insertion portion formed at the front side; an optical fiber insertion portion formed at the rear side; an optical connection housing integrally formed between the ferrule insertion portion and the optical insertion portion and including an open-top optical fiber connection portion having an optical fiber connection groove in which an optical fiber of the ferrule and an optical fiber of the optical cable are connected to each other; a fiber housing cover fastened to the fiber connecting part at an upper side to cover the fiber connecting part and pressing the optical fibers connected to each other within the fiber connecting groove; and an optical connection housing holder secured to the optical connection housing and configured to compress the optical connection housing cap such that the optical connection housing and the optical connection housing cap are surrounded by an inner circumference of the holder. The optical connection housing has a stopper formed at an outer circumference of the optical fiber insertion portion to be forcibly pressed to limit a movement range during insertion of the ferrule into the ferrule insertion portion.
Although the optical fiber connector disclosed in this document can be assembled in the field, the optical fiber connector may have disadvantages in that the connectivity of the optical fiber may be relatively weak and the coupling of the optical fiber may be incompletely performed because of their structure that the optical fiber housing cover clamps the optical fiber due to a difference in thickness of the optical fiber housing cover when the housing holder closing the optical fiber housing cover is moved.
Disclosure of Invention
The present disclosure provides a field-assemblable optical fiber connector that can be simply assembled in the field to easily connect optical fibers and can enhance the connectivity of the optical fibers.
Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present exemplary embodiments.
According to an exemplary embodiment, an optical fiber connector includes: a connector main body having a hole penetrating both end portions and a first insertion port penetrating a lower portion thereof; a splicing unit inserted into the hole of the connector body, holding the first core, and configured to align a first optical fiber or a second optical fiber disposed outside and elastically press the first optical fiber or the second optical fiber in a state where the first optical fiber contacts the second optical fiber; a clamp configured to be coupled to the connector body through the first insertion port to release the compression of the splice unit; a holder unit configured to be coupled to the connector body to elastically support one end of the splice unit and provide a passage for the second optical fiber provided to the splice unit, the other end of the splice unit being supported by the connector body; a common tube formed of an elastic material and configured to surround an outer surface of a coating layer or an outer sheath of the second optical fiber and to be inserted into the holder unit; and a boot configured to be coupled to the holder unit to secure the universal tube.
The splicing unit may include: a ferrule configured to secure the first optical fiber; an optical fiber mounting portion having an open upper portion and configured to align a second optical fiber disposed outside through the holder unit with a first optical fiber fixed by the ferrule; a cover disposed in an open upper portion of the optical fiber mounting portion to press the first optical fiber or the second optical fiber aligned in the optical fiber mounting portion; and an elastic portion disposed between a top surface of the hood and an inner surface of the connector body to elastically support the hood such that the hood presses the first optical fiber or the second optical fiber.
The optical fiber mounting portion may be formed with a fitting opening penetrating the optical fiber mounting portion and aligned with the first insertion opening.
The optical fiber mounting portion may be formed with a V-groove adapted to seat the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber. The optical fiber mounting portion may include an extension portion formed with a core insertion opening passing through the extension portion and extending from the V-groove to receive the second optical fiber core.
The core insertion port may have a diameter of 1mm to 1.5mm suitable for accommodating a coating layer or an outer jacket of the second optical fiber.
The resilient portion may be a Z-spring.
The cover may include: a cover body adapted to be inserted into an open upper portion of the optical fiber mounting portion to press the first optical fiber or the second optical fiber; and a fitting leg extending downward from the cover main body and adapted to be inserted into a fitting opening formed in the optical fiber mounting portion.
The jig may include: a clamp body detachably coupled to a lower portion of the connector body; and a clamp leg extending upward from the clamp body and adapted to be inserted through the first insertion opening of the connector body to a fitting opening formed in the optical fiber mounting portion when the clamp body is coupled to the connector body. The clamp legs lift the mating legs of the shroud to release compression of the shroud on the first or second optical fiber when the clamp body is coupled to the connector body.
The jig may further include: a guide leg extending upwardly from the clip body to partially surround a side of the connector body when the clip is coupled to the connector body.
The optical fiber connector may further include: a housing at least partially enclosing the connector body to protect the connector body and formed with an engagement recess formed on a lateral face thereof. The guide leg may have an engagement hook protruding inward so that the engagement hook fits into an engagement recess in the housing when the clamp leg is fully coupled to the connector body.
The optical fiber connector may further include: a housing configured to be coupled to the connector main body and to support the ferrule in a partially outwardly exposed state, and formed with a second insertion opening positioned corresponding to the first insertion opening of the connector main body.
The field-assemblable optical fiber connector according to the present disclosure enhances the connectivity of optical fibers because the boot elastically presses the first and second optical fibers disposed on the optical fiber mounting portion due to the elastic portion.
Further, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, since the first and second optical fibers can be aligned with each other after the clamp simply lifts the cover while removing the clamp and elastically pressing the first and second optical fibers through the cover after the alignment is completed, a process of coupling the first and second optical fibers is greatly simplified.
Further, the optical fiber connector according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is simple in structure because the clamping mechanism is configured based on the hood that presses the first and second optical fibers and the Z-shaped elastic portion that exerts the elastic force on the hood.
Drawings
For a better understanding of the present disclosure, various forms thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
fig. 1 is a perspective view of an optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
fig. 2 is an exploded view of an optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connector body of an optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the perspective view having a partially cut-away illustration;
FIG. 4 is an exploded view, with a partial cutaway illustration, of a splice unit of an optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 with the clip separated from the connector body; and
fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in fig. 1 with the clip attached to the connector body.
[ description of reference numerals ]
1 first optical fiber
2 second optical fiber
10 connector body
11 holes
12 first insertion opening
20 splicing unit
21 ferrule
22 optical fiber mounting portion
22a V shaped groove
22b assembly opening
23 cover
23a cover body
23b assembly leg
24 elastic part
24a first support part
24b second support part
24c third support part
25 extension part
25a core insertion opening
25b core guide part
30 clamp
31 clamp body
32 clamp leg
33 guide leg
33a engagement hook
40 holder unit
41 jaw
50 casing
51 second insertion opening
52 engaging recess
60 boot part
70 general purpose pipe
100 field-assemblable optical fiber connector
Detailed Description
In the following description, only parts necessary for understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described, and descriptions of other parts may be omitted so as not to obscure the subject matter of the present disclosure.
The terms and expressions used in the following description and appended claims are not necessarily to be construed in a generic or dictionary sense and may be defined appropriately herein to serve as terms describing the present disclosure in the best possible manner. These terms and expressions should be construed as having meanings and concepts consistent with the technical idea of the present disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, and various equivalents and modifications may be made according to the illustrated embodiments.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and fig. 2 is an exploded view of an optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a field-assemblable optical fiber connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may connect two optical fibers 1 and 2 so that the optical fibers 1 and 2 can transmit signals to each other. In this specification including the claims, for the sake of simplicity, one optical fiber having one end held in the optical fiber connector 100 is referred to as "first optical fiber 1", and the other optical fiber pulled into the optical fiber connector 100 to be connected to the first optical fiber 1 is referred to as "second optical fiber 2".
The second optical fiber 2 may be protected by a coating layer and an outer jacket 4. For example, the fiber optic cable including the second optical fiber 2, the coating layer, and the outer jacket 4 may be a loose tube cable or a tight buffered cable.
In loose tube cables, the coated optical fibers are placed within the outer jacket 4 as a loose tube, so that only the outer jacket 4 can be removed, while the coating layer is left to protect the second optical fibers 2. The second optical fiber 2 is less likely to be broken due to the coating layer. In contrast, in the tight-jacketed cable, the outer jacket 4 is tightly bound to the coating layer, and thus it is difficult to separate the outer jacket 4 from the coating layer. Thus, only the second optical fiber 2 can be inserted into the optical fiber connector, and the second optical fiber 2 is more easily broken.
In view of this problem, the present disclosure discloses a field-assemblable fiber optic connector suitable for both types of cables.
The construction of the optical fiber connector 100 according to the current embodiment will now be described in detail.
The optical fiber connector 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a connector body 10, a splice unit 20, a jig 30, a holder unit 40, a universal tube 70, a boot 60, and a housing 50.
Meanwhile, fig. 3 is a perspective view of the connector body 10 of the optical fiber connector 100 according to the current embodiment, the perspective view having a partially cut-away illustration; and fig. 4 is an exploded view, with a partial cutaway illustration, of the splice unit 20 of the fiber optic connector 100 according to the current embodiment.
Referring to fig. 1 to 4, the connector body 10 may be used as a base structure for constructing the optical fiber connector 100. The connector body 10 has an axial bore 11 extending through the connector body 10 between the two ends. The axial hole 11 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the splice unit 20 so as to receive the splice unit 20 therein. That is, the portion of the inner surface of the axial hole 11 contacting the optical fiber mounting portion 22 of the splice unit 20 may be curved so as to correspond to the optical fiber mounting portion 22 of the splice unit 20, and the upper portion of the inner surface of the axial hole 11 contacting the elastic portion 24 of the splice unit 20 may be formed as a flat surface. In addition, an inwardly protruding support protrusion 13 may be formed on an inner surface at one side of the axial hole 11 to support one side of the optical fiber mounting portion 22 of the splice unit 20, thereby preventing the optical fiber mounting portion 22 from escaping to the outside. The support protrusion 13 may be formed such that one end of the ferrule 21 coupled to the fiber mounting portion 22 is exposed to the outside of the connector body 10.
In the lower portion of the connector body 10, a first insertion port 12 is formed to penetrate the lower portion of the connector body 10 from the hole 11 to the outside. The first insertion opening 12 is aligned with a fitting opening 22b formed in the optical fiber mounting portion 22 of the splice unit 20 to guide a clamp leg 32 of a clamp 30 described below so that the clamp leg 32 can be inserted into the fitting opening 22b in the optical fiber mounting portion 22. The splice unit 20 is inserted into the axial hole 11 of the connector body 10 and fixes the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 by elastically pressing the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 in a state where the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 provided in the splice unit 20 are aligned and contacted with each other.
The splice unit 20 can include a ferrule 21, a fiber mounting portion 22, a boot 23, and a resilient portion 24.
The ferrule 21 supports and fixes the first optical fiber 1. The first optical fiber 1 supported by the ferrule 21 is held in contact with the second optical fiber 2 received from the outside by the fiber mounting portion 22, the cover 23, and the elastic portion 24, thereby optically connecting the first optical fiber 1 to the second optical fiber 2. Thus, the signal transmitted through the second optical fiber 2 can be transmitted to a terminal closure or a connector coupled to the first optical fiber 1, and the signal transmitted through the first optical fiber 1 can be transmitted to another terminal closure or a connector coupled to the second optical fiber 2. The first optical fiber 1 supported by the ferrule 21 may be seated on the fiber mounting portion 22.
The optical fiber mounting portion 22 is open on an upper portion thereof and has a flat raised bottom surface on which a V-shaped groove 22a is formed to seat cores of the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2. The V-shaped groove 22a has a V-shaped cross section in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. It is preferable that the width of the upper side of the V-groove 22a is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 so that the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 can be seated on the V-groove 22 a. The optical fiber mounting portion 22 has an extension portion 25 formed at one end portion where the second optical fiber 2 is inserted. The extension portion 25 is formed with a core insertion port 25a communicating with the V-groove 22 a. The core insertion port 25a may have a diameter of 1 to 1.5 millimeters (mm) and can accommodate the coating layer or the outer sheath 4.
Preferably, the entrance of the core insertion port 25a formed in the extension portion 25 is formed with a funnel-shaped core guide portion 25b to allow the second optical fiber 2 to be smoothly inserted into the core insertion port 25 a. Further, it is preferable that an inlet side of the V-groove 22a facing the inner end of the core insertion port 25a is funnel-shaped to smoothly guide the second optical fiber 2 toward the first optical fiber 1 on the V-groove 22 a.
Meanwhile, fitting ports 22b are symmetrically formed near both sides of the V-shaped groove 22a to be aligned with the first insertion port 12 of the connector body 10. The fitting leg 23b of the cover 23 can be inserted into the fitting opening 22b from the upper side downward direction. Further, the clip legs 32 of the clip 30 may be inserted into the fitting opening 22b from the lower side in the upward direction. When the clip legs 32 of the clip 30 are inserted into the fitting opening 22b from the lower side in the upward direction, the clip legs 32 push the fitting legs 23b of the cover 23 upward and lift the cover 23 upward.
A cover 23 is provided in the open upper portion of the optical fiber mounting portion 22 to fixedly splice the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 to each other. The cover 23 has a cover main body 23a and a fitting leg 23 b. The cover main body 23a has a bottom surface of a planar shape parallel to the raised bottom surface of the optical fiber mounting portion 22 (although the present disclosure is not limited thereto) so that the bottom surface can press the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 supported by the V-groove 22 a. The fitting leg 23b is formed corresponding to the fitting opening 22b of the optical fiber mounting portion 22, and extends downward from a side edge or a bottom surface of the cover main body 23 a. The fitting leg 23b is formed smaller than the fitting opening 22b so as to be insertable into the fitting opening 22b, and can be raised or lowered in a state of being inserted into the fitting opening 22 b.
The elastic portion 24 is disposed on the upper surface of the cover 23. The elastic portion 24 may be formed in a Z-shape when viewed from the side. That is, the elastic portion 24 may include: a first support portion 24a contacting the upper surface of the cover main body 23 a; a second support portion 24b extending obliquely upward from one end of the first support portion 24 a; and a third support portion 24c extending substantially horizontally from one end of the second support portion 24b to be parallel to the first support portion 24 a. The elastic portion 24 can be inserted into a space left in the open upper portion of the optical fiber mounting portion 22 after the cover 23 is disposed on the optical fiber mounting portion 22. Here, the open upper portion of the optical fiber mounting portion 22 is formed to have a size corresponding to the elastic portion 24, thereby preventing the elastic portion 24 from rattling in the optical fiber mounting portion 22 in a state of being inserted into the optical fiber mounting portion 22. Further, the third supporting portion 24c of the elastic portion 24 may be formed to be inclined so that the third supporting portion 24c contacting the connector body 10 in a state of being disposed on the splice unit 20 may be smoothly inserted into the connector body 10.
A clamp 30 may be attached to a lower portion of the connector body 10 to release clamping of the splice unit 20 in which the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 are spliced. The clamp 30 may include a clamp body 31 and clamp legs 32.
The jig main body 31 contacting the lower surface of the connector main body 10 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the lower surface of the connector main body 10. In the present embodiment, the jig main body 31 may be formed in a planar shape, for example. The clamp legs 32 extend upward from the upper surface of the clamp body 31. When the clip 30 is attached to the connector main body 10, the clip legs 32 are inserted into the fitting opening 22b of the optical fiber mounting portion 22 through the first insertion opening 12 of the connector main body 10. At this time, the clamp leg 32 pushes up and lifts the fitting leg 23b of the cover 23 to release the clamping of the cover 23 of the splice unit 20 to fix the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2.
Thus, in the current embodiment, the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 may be aligned and spliced by: attaching a jig to the connector main body 10 to lift the cover 23; disposing the core of the second optical fiber 2 in the V-groove 22a of the optical fiber mounting portion 22; aligning the second optical fiber 2 with the first optical fiber 1; and then the jig 30 is removed from the connector body 10.
Further, the jig main body 31 may be provided with guide legs 33, the guide legs 33 extending upward from both sides of the jig main body 31 to be coupled to the connector main body 10 and partially surrounding the sides of the optical fiber connector 100. As a result, the jig 30 is coupled to the connector body 10 by the jig legs 32, and is coupled to the housing 50 by the guide legs 33. Each guide leg 33 has an engagement hook 33a projecting inward from the tip of the guide leg 33. When the clip legs 32 are completely coupled to the connector main body 10 and the housing 50, the engagement hooks 33a can be fitted into the engagement recesses 52 formed on the lateral faces of the housing 50. In other words, the guide legs 33 can stably ensure the coupling between the jig 30 and the connector body 10 in addition to guiding the jig 30 to be coupled to the connector body 10, so that the jig legs 32 are not separated from the connector body 10 by the elastic portions 24.
The housing 50 is coupled to the connector body 10 to protect the connector body 10, and supports the ferrule 21 of the splice unit 20 in a state where the ferrule 21 is partially exposed to the outside through one end of the splice unit 20. The portion of the ferrule 21 exposed outside the housing 50 may be protected by a protective cap (not shown). In the lower portion of the housing 50, a second insertion opening 51 is formed at a position corresponding to the position of the first insertion opening 12 of the connector main body 10, thereby allowing the clip legs 32 of the clip 30 to pass through. Further, the housing 50 has engaging recesses 52 on both sides to receive the engaging hooks 33a of the guide legs 33 of the jig 30.
The spring 41 is disposed on the outer surface of the extension portion 25 of the optical fiber mounting portion 22. One end of the spring 41 is supported by the holder unit 40. The holder unit 40 is coupled to the connector body 10 by the interposition of the splice unit 20 and the spring 41, and elastically biases the splice unit 20 mounted with the ferrule 21 in a direction in which the ferrule 21 is partially exposed due to the elasticity of the compression spring 41. Further, in the through hole formed in the holder unit 40, there are provided jaws (not shown) extending in a rearward direction, i.e., in a direction opposite to the connector body 10, and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. These jaws have a semicircular cross section so as to stably hold the outer sheath 4 of the second optical fiber 2 when the holder unit 40 is clamped by the shoe 60.
The common tube 70, which may be formed of an elastomeric material, surrounds the outer surface of the outer jacket 4 or coating layer that protects the second optical fiber 2. The universal pipe 70 may be provided in plurality. In this case, the plurality of universal tubes 70 may have the same outer diameter but different inner diameters. The universal tube 70 may be fixed by the shoe 60 in a state of being coupled to the coating layer or the outer sheath 4 and inserted into the holder unit 40.
Generally, the holder unit 40 and the boot 60 may be manufactured in various sizes and shapes to match the diameter of the fiber optic cable. However, the optical fiber connector 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be adapted to fiber optic cables of various diameters by using the common tube 70 of the same outer diameter but different inner diameters.
The boot 60 is coupled to the holder unit 40 to secure the coupling of the universal tube 70 with the coating layer or outer jacket 4 of the second optical fiber 2.
A process of connecting optical fibers in the field using the optical fiber connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to fig. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fiber optic connector 100 taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 with the clamp 30 separated from the connector body 10; and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the fiber optic connector taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1 with the clamp 30 attached to the connector body 10.
Referring to fig. 1 to 6, when optical fibers are to be connected using the optical fiber connector 100 according to the current embodiment, a fiber optic cable including a second optical fiber 2, a coating layer, and an outer jacket 4 is passed through a boot 60, then a portion of the outer jacket 4 is removed, and the coating layer 3 is peeled off to leave the second optical fiber 2. Next, the end of the core of the second optical fiber 2 is cut off so as to match a portion of the core of the pre-installed first optical fiber 1. At this time, the common tube 70 may be disposed on the second optical fiber 2 to cover the outer jacket 4 of the second optical fiber 2.
Since the second optical fiber 2, the end of which has been cut off, can be mechanically coupled to the first optical fiber 1 by the splicing unit 20, it is not necessary to polish the end face of the second optical fiber 2. The boot 60 may slide over the second optical fiber 2 for future use.
Subsequently, the connector body 10, the splice unit 20, and the holder unit 40 are assembled. First, the cover 23 of the splice unit 20 is seated on the optical fiber mounting portion 22, and the elastic portion 24 is disposed on the cover 23. Then, the splice unit 20 is inserted into the axial hole 11 of the connector body 10 in a state where the elastic portion 24 seated on the hood 23 is sufficiently suppressed to be inserted into the connector body 10. At this time, the elastic portion 24 can be easily inserted into the connector body 10 because the third supporting portion 24c of the elastic portion 24 is inclined at the contact portion with the connector body 10. Then, the splice unit 20, which has one end inserted into the connector body 10 and supported by the connector body 10, can be completely fixed by coupling the holder unit 40 to the connector body 10. At the same time, the housing 50 is coupled to the connector body 10.
Thereafter, the clamp 30 is attached to the bottom of the housing 50. If the clamp 30 is attached to the housing 50 as shown in FIG. 6, the cover 23 pressing down the fiber mounting portion 22 can be lifted. When the cover 23 pressing down the optical fiber mounting portion 22 is lifted up, a gap is formed on the optical fiber mounting portion 22, thereby allowing the core of the second optical fiber 2 passing through the holder unit 40 to move along the V-groove 22 a.
In this state, the core of the second optical fiber 2 is inserted through the holder unit 40 and aligned with the core of the first optical fiber 1 located on the V-groove 22a of the optical fiber mounting portion 22. While the second optical fiber 2 is inserted through the holder unit 40, it is checked whether the second optical fiber 2 is bent, which indicates whether the cores of the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 are in close contact with each other.
The jig 30 is removed from the housing 50 in a state in which the core of the second optical fiber 2 is precisely aligned with the core of the first optical fiber 1, so that the boot 23 and the elastic part 24 elastically press the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 to fix the coupling of the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 in the splice unit 20. Thus, the connection of the first optical fiber 1 and the second optical fiber 2 is completed.
Finally, the second optical fiber 2 is pulled back to be straightened, and the boot 60 is screwed on the holder unit 40.
The optical fiber connector 100 according to the current embodiment can be used to connect optical fibers in the field in a short time, and thus is suitable for various network devices.
After the optical fiber connector 100 is assembled as described above, when maintenance work is to be performed on the optical fiber connector 100 or the optical fibers 1 and 2 according to the current embodiment, the jig 30 is attached to the housing 50 to lift the hood 23, thereby forming a clearance on the fiber mounting portion 22 that allows the core of the second optical fiber 2 to move along the V-groove 22 a.
In this state, the operator can separate the second optical fiber 2 to assemble or replace a new optical fiber again.
The field-assemblable optical fiber connector according to the embodiment of the present disclosure enhances the connectivity of the optical fibers because the cap 23 elastically presses the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 seated on the optical fiber mounting portion 22 due to the elastic portion 24.
Further, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the process of coupling the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 is greatly simplified because the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 can be aligned with each other after the clamp 30 simply lifts the cover 23 while removing the clamp 30, and the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 are elastically pressed by the cover 23 after the alignment is completed.
Further, the optical fiber connector 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is simple in structure because the clamping mechanism is configured based on the cover 23 pressing the first and second optical fibers 1 and 2 and the Z-shaped elastic part 24 applying an elastic force on the cover 23.
The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
Claims (11)
1. An optical fiber connector, comprising:
a connector main body having a hole penetrating both end portions and a first insertion port penetrating a lower portion thereof;
a splicing unit inserted into the hole of the connector body, holding the first core, and configured to align a first optical fiber or a second optical fiber disposed outside and elastically press the first optical fiber or the second optical fiber in a state where the first optical fiber contacts the second optical fiber;
a clamp configured to be coupled to the connector body through the first insertion port to release the compression of the splice unit;
a holder unit configured to be coupled to the connector body to elastically support one end of the splice unit and provide a passage for the second optical fiber provided to the splice unit, the other end of the splice unit being supported by the connector body;
a common tube formed of an elastic material and configured to surround an outer surface of a coating layer or an outer sheath of the second optical fiber and to be inserted into the holder unit; and
a boot configured to be coupled to the retainer unit to secure the universal tube.
2. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein the splice unit comprises:
a ferrule configured to secure the first optical fiber;
an optical fiber mounting portion having an open upper portion and configured to align a second optical fiber disposed outside through the holder unit with the first optical fiber fixed by the ferrule;
a cover disposed in the open upper portion of the optical fiber mounting portion to press the first optical fiber or the second optical fiber aligned in the optical fiber mounting portion; and
an elastic portion disposed between a top surface of the hood and an inner surface of the connector body to elastically support the hood such that the hood presses the first optical fiber or the second optical fiber.
3. The fiber optic connector of claim 2, wherein the fiber mounting portion is formed with a mounting port extending therethrough and aligned with the first insertion port.
4. The fiber optic connector of claim 2, wherein the fiber mounting portion is formed with a V-shaped groove adapted to seat the first and second optical fibers, wherein the fiber mounting portion includes an extension portion formed with a core insertion opening therethrough and extending from the V-shaped groove to receive the second fiber core.
5. The fiber optic connector of claim 4, wherein the core insertion opening has a diameter of 1mm to 1.5mm suitable for receiving a coating layer or outer jacket of the second optical fiber.
6. The fiber optic connector of claim 2, wherein the resilient portion is a Z-spring.
7. The fiber optic connector of claim 6, wherein the boot comprises:
a cover body adapted to be inserted into the open upper portion of the optical fiber mounting portion to press the first optical fiber or the second optical fiber; and
a mounting leg extending downwardly from the shroud body and adapted to be inserted into the mounting aperture formed in the fiber mounting portion.
8. The fiber optic connector of claim 7, wherein the clamp comprises:
a clamp body detachably coupled to a lower portion of the connector body; and
a clamp leg extending upward from the clamp body and adapted to be inserted through the first insertion opening of the connector body to the fitting opening formed in the optical fiber mounting portion when the clamp body is coupled to the connector body,
wherein the clamp legs lift the fitting legs of the shroud to release compression of the shroud on the first or second optical fiber when the clamp body is coupled to the connector body.
9. The fiber optic connector of claim 8, wherein the clamp further comprises:
a guide leg extending upwardly from the clip body to partially surround a side of the connector body when the clip is coupled to the connector body.
10. The fiber optic connector of claim 9, further comprising:
a housing at least partially enclosing the connector body to protect the connector body and formed with an engagement recess formed on a lateral face thereof;
wherein the guide leg has an engagement hook protruding inward so that the engagement hook fits into the engagement recess in the housing when the clamp leg is fully coupled to the connector body.
11. The fiber optic connector of claim 2, further comprising:
a housing configured to be coupled to the connector main body and to support the ferrule in a partially outwardly exposed state, and formed with a second insertion opening positioned corresponding to the first insertion opening of the connector main body.
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| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN201811112967.3A CN110941054B (en) | 2018-09-25 | 2018-09-25 | On-site assembled optical fiber connector |
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| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN201811112967.3A CN110941054B (en) | 2018-09-25 | 2018-09-25 | On-site assembled optical fiber connector |
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| CN110941054A true CN110941054A (en) | 2020-03-31 |
| CN110941054B CN110941054B (en) | 2022-05-31 |
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|---|---|
| CN110941054B (en) | 2022-05-31 |
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