GB2126368A

GB2126368A - Coupling device for optical waveguide

Info

Publication number: GB2126368A
Application number: GB08319553A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Herbert Haag; Manfred Illg; Thomas Kessler
Original assignee: Deutsche ITT Industries GmbH; ITT Industries Inc
Current assignee: TDK Micronas GmbH; ITT Inc
Priority date: 1982-08-28
Filing date: 1983-07-20
Publication date: 1984-03-21
Also published as: CH660238A5; AU1835983A; DE3232125C2; GB2126368B; DE3232125A1; GB8319553D0

Abstract

In a coupling device for optical waveguides in the form of a plug and a socket member, the fibre ends of the fibre optic cables (5, 5') held inside the connecting sleeves (4, 13) are pressed against each other with their end faces in the coupled state of the device, by the action of compression springs (17). For locking the two halves of the coupling device there is used a quick-acting lock which comprises a snap-lock mechanism (29) in which balls (27) of the plug member engaging into a groove (7) of the socket member, are either arrested or released with the aid of a sliding sleeve (15) arranged on the plug member. In the respective positions corresponding to either the locked or the unlocked snap-lock mechanism (28), the sliding sleeve (15) is retained with the aid of a click-stop device (14). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Coupling device for optical waveguides The invention relates to a coupling device of the kind comprising a plug and a socket member, for connecting the ends of optical waveguides which are respectively fixed in a connecting sleeve and resiliently supported in the axial direction within a guide sleeve.

One such coupling device is known from European Printed Patent Specification No. 0002089. In cases where one of the coupling halves is mounted, for example, to a plug-in unit and the other one is mounted in an associated rack designed for receiving the plug-in unit, the coupling device itself does not require any locking device. In cases, however, where one or both halves of the coupling device are only connected to the fibre-optic cable, and the mated coupling halves are to be reliably prevented from being accidentally separated, these halves are usually locked with the aid of a bayonet catch or joint. A coupling device employing such a bayonet catch is known, for example, from DE-OS 27 43 626.

It is an object of the invention to provide a coupling device of the kind referred to with a quick-acting lock which, in opposition to a pressure force causing the connecting sleeves to come into a mutual contact engagement, permits a quick, functionally reliable locking and unlocking of the cou pling halves-thereof.

According to the invention in its broadest aspect, a coupling device of the kind referred to is characterised in that with one coupling half, on the guide sleeve, there is arranged a sliding sleeve which is connected to the guide sleeve by means of a click-stop device, and that the guide sleeves of both coupling halves, when being coupled, are capable of being connected to one another via a snap-lock mechanism which is capable of being locked and unlocked with the aid of the sliding sleeve.

The joining and separating of the coupling halves is extremely simple and, therefore, can also be carried out easily under unfavourable room and visibility conditions. Owing to the use of several identical basic parts and inexpensive bought-in parts, such as the balls for the snap-lock mechanism, the coupling device with the usual manufacturing tolerances, can be fabricated in a cost-effective manner. Both the diameter and the length dimension of the coupling device permit the socket member to be used for two different kinds of locking.

The complementary plug members are so designed that merely the active locking parts differ from one another.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the socket member of the coupling device in a perspective representation; Figure 2 shows the plug member of the coupling device with a quick-acting lock, in a perspective representation; Figure 2a shows a plug member of the coupling device with a bayonet joint in a perspective repre sensation; Figure 3 shows the halves of the coupling device latched with the aid of the quick-acting lock, partly shown in sectional elevation, in a sideview; Figure 4 shows part of the coupling device as shown in Figure 3, with an unlocked snap-lock mechanism, and Figure 4a shows part of the coupling device accord ing to Figure 3, with a locked snap-lock mechanism.

In Figure 1, the socket member of the lockable coupling device is generally indicated by the reference numeral 1. It consists essentialiy of a guide sleeve 2 with a centering cage 3 arranged in the interior thereof, and a connecting sleeve 4 (Figure 3) is inserted in the rearward portion of the centering cage, in which the cable 5 with the optical waveguide is fixed in position.

In this embodiment the guide sleeve 2 simultaneously serves as the housing which is provided with a mounting flange 6. The socket member 1 can, in two ways, be mated with and locked to the complementary plug members (Figures 2 and 2a).

The first is with the aid of a quick-acting lock which only requires an axial movement. For this purpose, there is provided an annular groove 7 cut into the guide sleeve 2 in front of the mounting flange 6 when looked at from the plug-in side. The second is with the aid of a bayonet joint, for which the guide sleeve 2, between the mounting flange 6 and the annular groove 7, is provided with at least two bayonet catch pins 8 arranged at equally spaced relations.

The plug member 9 as shown in Figure 2, is designed to be used with the quick-acting lock type of connection, the mode of operation of which is described in greater detail hereinafter. The coupling half acting as the plug member 9 consists essentially of a guide sleeve 10 from the rearward end of which projects the cable pull-relief member 11 of a holder 12, and which again contains a connecting sleeve 13 which is in connection with a fibre-optic cables.

Moreover, on the guide sleeve 10 there is arranged a sliding sleeve 15 which is in connection with the guide sleeve 10 by means of a click-stop device 14.

Furthermore, the plug member 9 is provided at its free end with a snap-lock mechanism 28 cooperating with the socket member 1. Figure 3 also showS that between a collar 16 of the holder 12 and the rearward end of the guide sleeve 10 having a reduced diameter, there is provided a compression spring 17 for retaining the holder 12 and the connecting sleeve 13 in the advanced position, when the two coupling halves are connected, by exerting a force up to 50 N.

Figure 2a show a plug member 18 designed for use with the bayonet joint type of connection, which requires no sliding sleeve, but comprises bayonet twist-lock slots 20 provided in the front part of the guide sleeve 19. Otherwise, for economical manufacturing reasons, there are used in this case the same basic parts as with the socket member 1 and the previously described type of plug member 9 for effecting the quick locking; in other words, the connecting sleeves 4, 13, the holder 12 and the cable pull-relief members 11, 11', 11" are identical.

Moreover, with both types of plug members 9, 18, there is provided an anti-twist tongue 21 (Figure 3), fixed, for example, to the collar 16 of the holder 12, which runs along the inside wall of the guide sleeve 10,19 and, when the two coupling halves are mated, is taken up by a longitudinal groove 22 of the guide sleeve 2 of the socket member 1, extending in the plug-in direction.

The click-stop device 14, as can be recognised in particular from Figures 3, 4 and 4a, consists for example, of a longitudinally slotted ring 23 having outwardly direction spring members 24. This ring 23 is seated in a recessed portion 25 of the guide sleeve 10, and the spring ends thereof, when the coupling halves are unlocked, engage into the first one, when looked at from the plug-in side, of two annular detent grooves 26 arranged behind each other, in the sliding sleeve 15 arranged thereon. In this particular initial position which is retraced with respect to the guide sleeve 10, the front end of the sliding sleeve 15 grips over at least two balls 27 of the snap-lock mechanism 28 each lying in a funnel-shaped bore provided in the guide sleeve 10.

As shown in Figure 4, the balls 27, when connecting the halves of the coupling device, are at first completely pushed back by the guide sleeve 2 of the socket member 1 from the interior space of the guide sleeve 10 of the plug member 9. When the plug member 9 as seized by the sliding sleeve 15, is further pushed against the socket member 1,the end faces of the two connecting sleeves 4,13 are mutually applied to one another shortly before reaching the end position.By exerting pressure in opposition to the resistance offered by the springloaded connecting sleeves 4, 13, there is simultaneously also overcome the resistance offered by the click-stop device 14, and the plug member 9 is advanced to such an extent that the balls 27 thereof, by the pressure exerted by the sliding sleeve 15, engage into the annular groove 7 of the socket member 1. In the course of this operation, a diameter construction 29 of the sliding sleeve 15 is completely pushed over the balls 27. Since in the course of this movement, the spring members of the click-stop device 14 also snap into the second detent groove 26 of the sliding sleeve 15, the balls 27 are reliably arrested in the annular groove 7 of the socket member 1. In this way, and with the aid of the click-stop device 14, the snap-lock mechanism 28 is prevented from being unintentionally unlocked.

In the case of an intended unlocking of the coupling device, the sliding sleeve 15 is pulled back in opposition to the resistance offered by the click-stop device 14, until the spring members 24 thereof snap into the other detent groove 26, thus releasing the balls 27, so that the socket and the plug member 1,9 can now be easily separated from one another.

Claims

1. A coupling device of the kind comprising a plug and a socket member, for connecting the ends of optical waveguides which are respectively fixed in a connecting sleeve and resilientty supported in the axial direction within a guide sleeve, characterised in that with one coupling half, on the guide sleeve (10), there is arranged a sliding sleeve (15) which is connected to the guide sleeve (10) by means of a click-stop device (14), and that the guide sleeves (2, 10) of both coupling halves, when being coupled, are capable of being connected to one another via a snap-lock mechanism (28) which is capable of being locked and unlocked with the aid of the sliding sleeve (15).

2. A coupling device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the click-stop device (14) comprises springs (24) mounted to the guide sleeve (10) of the plug member (9), with the springs (24) engaging into one of two detent grooves (26) provided for on the sliding sleeve (15), depending on a position of the plug member (9) corresponding to either the locked or unlocked snap-locking mechanism (28).

3. A coupling device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the springs (24) of the click-stop device (14) form part of a ring (23) seated in a recessed portion of the guide sleeve (10) of the plug member (9).

4. A coupling device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the snap-lock mechanism (28) comprises at least two balls (27) retained in the guide sleeve (10) of the plug member (9), with the balls (27) being capable of engaging into a groove (7) provided for on the socket member (1) for the purpose of locking the coupling halves by means of the sliding sleeve (15).

5. A coupling device as claimed in claim 1,2 or 4, characterised in that the sliding sleeve (15), for the purpose of holding down said balls (27) in said groove (7), is provided with a diameter constriction (29) which is capable of being pushed over said balls (27).

6. A coupling device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the guide sleeve (2) of the socket member (1), behind the cut-in annular groove (7), when looked at from the plug-in side, and for the quick locking of the coupling halves which is capable of being carried out with the aid of the snap-lock mechanism (28), is provided with at least two bayonet catch pins (8) for locking a guide sleeve (19) of the plug member (18) provided with bayonet twist-lock slots (20).

7. A coupling device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the plug member (9, 18) is provided with an anti-rotation tongue (21) which, prior to the mating of the two coupling halves, is capable of being inserted into a corresponding longitudinal groove (22) provided in the socket member (1).

8. A coupling device substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.