JP2008275950A - Optoelectric connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optoelectric connector that can materialize space-saving in connecting with equipment and that excels in waterproofness and dustproofness. <P>SOLUTION: In the optoelectric connector 1, there are stored in a housing 8 a subassembly 10 that has an optoelectric converting part 5 optically connected to an optical fiber 3 drawn from an optical cable 2, and an electrode terminal 7 that is connected to a connector on the receiving end. The housing 8 is provided with a storing part 11 that stores the subassembly 10 and an engaging connecting part 12 that can be engaged with the connector on the receiving end. The electrode terminal 7 is fixedly inserted in the subassembly 10 and formed extendedly into the engaging connecting part 12. The engaging connecting part 12 is formed projectingly to the side of the storing part 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an optoelectric connector that is suitably used, for example, when connecting inside or between devices with an optical cable such as a photoelectric composite cable.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an optoelectric connector having a photoelectric conversion unit and an electrode terminal electrically connected thereto has been widely used for connecting the inside of a device or between devices with an optical cable such as a photoelectric composite cable.
The optoelectric connector can convert an optical signal transmitted by an optical fiber into an electrical signal by a photoelectric conversion unit and input it to the device, or convert an electrical signal from the device into an optical signal and send it to the optical fiber. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-191555 A

However, since this type of optoelectric connector has a photoelectric conversion portion and increases in size, a large wiring space is required. For this reason, the space saving when connecting with an apparatus was requested | required.
Further, in the optical / electrical connector, since the optical fiber and the photoelectric conversion unit are optically connected, there is a possibility that problems such as connection loss may occur when water or dust enters the inside, and waterproofness and dustproofness are important. .
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a photoelectric connector that can realize space saving when connected to a device and is excellent in waterproofness and dustproofness.

An optoelectric connector according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a subassembly having a photoelectric conversion unit optically connected to an optical fiber drawn from an optical cable, and electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion unit and connected to a receiving connector. The electrode terminal is an optoelectric connector housed in a housing, the housing having a housing portion for housing the subassembly and a fitting connection portion that can be fitted to the receiving connector. The electrode terminal is formed by being inserted into and fixed to the subassembly and extending into the fitting connection portion, and the housing portion is formed along a connection direction of the optical cable to the housing. The connecting portion is formed to protrude to the side of the housing portion.
The optoelectric connector according to claim 2 of the present invention is characterized in that, in claim 1, the electrode terminal can be inserted and fixed to the subassembly in the housing portion from the outside through the fitting connection portion.
An optoelectric connector according to claim 3 of the present invention is the photoelectric connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the subassembly has a substrate portion connected to the photoelectric conversion portion, and the electrode terminal is inserted and fixed to the substrate portion. And connected to the photoelectric conversion unit through the substrate unit.
An optoelectric connector according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the optical electrical connector according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein at least the housing portion and the fitting connection portion are integrally formed. Features.
An optical / electrical connector according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the optical electrical connector according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the optical cable is fixed to the housing by a caulking fixing portion, and the caulking fixing portion is located outside the optical cable. A caulking ring for gripping the tip portion and a caulking seat having an insertion hole through which a tension member led out from the optical cable is inserted, and the caulking connection portion of the housing between the caulking seat and the caulking seat by the caulking. And the tension member is fastened and fixed by the caulking seat.
An optical / electrical connector according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the optical / electrical connector according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the optical cable is a photoelectric composite cable having a metal wiring and the optical fiber, and the metal wiring is The optical cable is drawn out and connected to the subassembly.

The optoelectric connector according to the present invention is formed when the fitting connection portion protrudes to the side of the housing portion, and therefore when the fitting connection portion is connected to the device as compared with the fitting connection portion formed in the distal direction of the housing portion. In addition, the projecting dimension with respect to this device can be reduced.
For this reason, although it is an optoelectric connector which has a photoelectric conversion part, the space required for wiring of an optical cable can be made small.

Further, in the L-shaped connector with the fitting connection portion protruding to the side of the main body, when the electrode terminal extends into the fitting connection portion, if the housing is integrated, the internal assembly is placed in the housing. Since it becomes difficult to arrange, it is a technical common sense that the housing has to adopt a split structure that is inferior in waterproofness.
In order to solve this problem, the present invention employs a structure in which the electrode terminal is inserted and fixed in the subassembly. With this structure, the optoelectric connector of the present invention can be assembled by inserting only the sub-assembly into the accommodating portion, and then inserting the electrode terminal into the fitting connection portion from the outside, and inserting and fixing it into the sub-assembly.
Therefore, a housing with an integrated structure that is superior in waterproofness and dustproofness compared to a split structure can be adopted, and the waterproof and dustproof performance can be enhanced.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of an optoelectric connector 1 which is an embodiment of the optoelectric connector of the present invention. 2A to 2D are a cross-sectional view, a front cross-sectional view, a side cross-sectional view, and a front view, respectively, of the optoelectric connector 1. FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of the optoelectric connector 1.
In the following description, as shown in FIG. 1, the front end direction of the optical cable 2 connected to the optoelectric connector 1 may be referred to as the front, and the opposite direction may be referred to as the rear.

As shown in FIG. 1, this optoelectric connector 1 includes a housing 8 in which a subassembly 10 to which an optical fiber 3 drawn from an optical cable 2 is connected and an electrode terminal 7 formed in the subassembly 10 are accommodated. Has been configured.
The subassembly 10 includes an optical fiber holding unit 4 that holds the tip of the optical fiber 3, a photoelectric conversion unit 5 that is optically connected to the optical fiber 3, and a substrate unit 6 that is electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion unit 5. And.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the optical cable 2 includes a tension member 21, an optical fiber 3 and a metal wire 22 vertically attached thereto, and a jacket 23 covering them. The optical fiber 3 is, for example, an optical fiber core wire, and the metal wire 22 is, for example, a coated copper wire.
In the illustrated example, one optical fiber 3 and one metal wire 22 are wired on one side of the tension member 21, and two metal wires 22 are wired on the other side of the tension member 21 (FIG. 9). And see FIG.
The optical cable 2 in this example is an optical / electrical composite cable having the metal wire 22 and the optical fiber 3, but an optical cable not provided with a metal wire can also be used in the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the optical fiber holding portion 4 holds the optical fiber 3, and a flange portion 4b is formed at the rear end portion of a ferrule 4a made of ceramic such as zirconia or glass. Yes.
The ferrule 4a is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape, and the optical fiber 3 is inserted through the optical fiber insertion hole 4d along the axial direction.
The ferrule 4a exposes the tip surface of the optical fiber 3 to the tip surface 4c, and the tip surface of the optical fiber 3 is attached to the photoelectric conversion unit 5 by being fitted into the fitting hole 5a of the photoelectric conversion unit 5. It is positioned so that optical connection is possible. In the illustrated example, the tip surface of the optical fiber 3 is directed forward.

The photoelectric conversion unit 5 converts an electric signal input via the electrode terminal 7 into an optical signal and sends it to the optical fiber 3 or converts an optical signal input via the optical fiber 3 into an electric signal. It has a function of delivering to the electrode terminal 7.
Specifically, for example, a light receiving / emitting part (not shown) made of a light receiving element or a light emitting element is provided so as to be optically connectable to the distal end surface of the optical fiber 3. A signal processing circuit (not shown) between them converts an optical signal and an electric signal.
A photodiode (PD) is used as the light receiving element, and a semiconductor laser such as a laser diode (LD) is used as the light emitting element.

The substrate unit 6 is, for example, a circuit substrate having wiring that configures a predetermined circuit, and is provided to extend forward from the photoelectric conversion unit 5. The board portion 6 is formed with a fitting hole 6a into which the electrode terminal 7 is inserted and fitted and fixed. The fitting hole 6 a is formed at a position corresponding to the fitting connection portion 12.
The fitting hole 6 a is formed so that the electrode terminal 7 is electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion unit 5 through the wiring of the substrate unit 6 by inserting and fitting the electrode terminal 7. .
If the fitting hole 6a has a shape conforming to the electrode terminal 7, the electrode terminal 7 can be fixed to the board portion 6 by being press-fitted into the fitting hole 6a.
The structure in which the electrode terminal 7 is fixed to the substrate part 6 may be a structure in which the electrode terminal 7 inserted from the side of the substrate part 6 is fixed, and is not limited to the fitting hole 6a. For example, the electrode terminal 7 and the substrate part 6 may be fixed via a connection member having a structure for fixing the electrode terminal 7.

The substrate unit 6 can be mounted with a driving IC that drives the light emitting and receiving unit of the photoelectric conversion unit 5.
As shown in FIG. 2B, a metal wire 22 drawn from the optical cable 2 is connected to the substrate unit 6. The metal wire 22 can be used, for example, for an application for supplying power to a device to which the optoelectric connector 1 is connected.

As shown in FIG. 3, the electrode terminal 7 is an elongated plate-like terminal made of a copper alloy or the like, and is fixed to the substrate portion 6 in a state of being fitted in the fitting hole 6 a of the substrate portion 6.
The electrode terminal 7 can be formed so as to protrude perpendicular to the front-rear direction, which is the extending direction of the subassembly 10. In the illustrated example, the electrode terminal 7 protrudes substantially perpendicular to the substrate portion 6 and extends into a fitting connection portion 12 of the housing 8 described later.
The electrode terminal 7 is preferably formed with a retaining protrusion 7 a that can be locked to the partition wall 11 c of the housing body 9. The retaining protrusion 7a shown in FIG. 3 is a protruding piece formed by bending a part of a metal plate constituting the electrode terminal 7. The protruding protrusion 7a protrudes obliquely downward in the drawing, and is elastically deformed. It can be made to appear and disappear from the side.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the housing 8 includes a housing body 9 and a lid portion 13 attached to the housing body 9.
The housing body 9 includes a rectangular parallelepiped housing portion 11 provided along the front-rear direction and a fitting connection portion 12 formed at the front end of the housing portion 11.
The accommodating part 11 is provided with the longitudinal direction directed in the front-rear direction, and the subassembly 10 is accommodated in the internal space 11b.
The accommodating part 11 is formed with a partition wall 11c at a position where the fitting connection part 12 is formed, and the accommodating part 11 and the fitting connection part 12 are partitioned by the partition wall 11c. The partition wall 11c is formed with an insertion hole 11d through which the electrode terminal 7 is inserted.

The fitting connection part 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a substantially rectangular cross section and protrudes to the side of the housing part 11. In the illustrated example, it is formed so as to protrude from the front end portion of the accommodating portion 11 substantially perpendicularly to the extending direction (front-rear direction) of the accommodating portion 11.
The fitting connection portion 12 is formed so as to protrude in the same direction as the extending direction of the electrode terminal 7. The fitting connection portion 12 is fitted into a fitting hole (not shown) of the receiving connector, and the electrode terminal 7 is connected to the receiving connector. Are to be connected.
In addition, the protrusion direction of the fitting connection part 12 should just be a direction which inclines with respect to the accommodating part 11, and is not limited to a perpendicular direction.

The housing body 9 is preferably formed integrally. Thereby, the waterproofness and dustproofness of the photoelectric connector 1 can be enhanced.
In order to integrally form the housing body 9, a known resin molding method (such as injection molding) can be employed.

The lid portion 13 closes the rear opening 11a of the accommodating portion 11, and has a block-like lid main body 14 that closes the rear opening 11a and a caulking connection portion 15 that protrudes rearward from the lid main body 14. .
The lid main body 14 has a shape conforming to the internal shape of the rear opening 11a and is formed so as to be fitted into the rear opening 11a. A groove portion 14a is formed on the outer periphery of the lid main body 14, and an annular packing 16 is provided in the groove portion 14a to enhance the waterproofness of this portion.
The lid body 14 is formed with an introduction hole 14b penetrating in the front-rear direction, and the optical fiber 3 and the metal wire 22 can be introduced into the housing body 9 through the introduction hole 14b.
The caulking connection portion 15 includes a plurality of protruding pieces 15 a that protrude rearward from the rear surface of the lid main body 14. The protruding piece 15a in the illustrated example has an arc shape in cross section, and is disposed so as to be substantially annular as a whole (see FIG. 4). The plurality of projecting pieces 15a are preferably formed at intervals in the circumferential direction, and are preferably elastically deformable so that the rear end can move in the reduced diameter and enlarged diameter directions.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a support portion 30 that supports the subassembly 10 is formed on the front surface side of the lid portion main body 14. The support unit 30 sandwiches and supports the support plate unit 31 formed to extend forward from the front surface of the lid main body 14, the plate spring locking unit 33 that the plate spring 32 locks, and the photoelectric conversion unit 5. A pair of arm portions 34.

The leaf spring locking portion 33 is formed so as to protrude from the upper surface of the support plate portion 31, and a slit 33a is formed along a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction (see FIG. 4).
The leaf spring 32 has a base portion 32a that presses the rear surface of the optical fiber holding portion 4 while urging it forward, and a pair of leg portions 32b extending from the lower end thereof, and the leg portion 32b is inserted into the slit 33a. By doing so, it locks to the support plate portion 31 (see FIGS. 6 and 7).
The front end of the support plate portion 31 is formed with a fitting recess 35 into which the substrate portion 6 is fitted. In the illustrated example, the substrate portion 6 is fitted into the fitting recess 35 in a state perpendicular to the support plate portion 31. (See FIG. 7).

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8 to 10, the optical cable 2 is fixed to the housing 8 by a caulking fixing portion 25.
The caulking fixing portion 25 includes a caulking ring 26 that grips the distal end portion of the outer cover 23 of the optical cable 2, and a caulking seat 27 that is attached to the tension member 21 that is led out from the optical cable 2.

  The caulking ring 26 includes a cylindrical caulking seat fixing portion 26a attached to the outer peripheral surface of the caulking connecting portion 15, and a cylindrical cable fixing portion 26b extending to the rear of the caulking seat fixing portion 26a. The cable fixing portion 26b is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the optical cable 2, and is locked to the outer cover 23 by the claw portion 26c.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the caulking seat 27 is a wiring in which the optical fiber 3 and the metal wire 22 are wired on one and the other side surfaces of a cylindrical body having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the caulking connection portion 15. The recess 27a has a shape, and an insertion hole 27b through which the tension member 21 is inserted is formed at the center. The caulking seat 27 is formed with a cut 27c that reaches the insertion hole 27b from the outer peripheral surface.
The caulking seat 27 is preferably made of a resin material.

Next, an example of a method for assembling the optoelectric connector 1 at the tip of the optical cable 2 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a caulking seat 27 is attached to the tension member 21 led out from the optical cable 2. The tension member 21 is inserted into the insertion hole 27b, and the optical fiber 3 and the metal wire 22 are wired in the wiring recess 27a.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the optical fiber holding part 4 attached to the tip of the optical fiber 3 is inserted into the fitting hole 5 a of the photoelectric conversion part 5.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the leaf spring 32 is locked to the slit 33 a in a state where the optical fiber holding portion 4 is pressed. The photoelectric conversion unit 5 is held by the arm unit 34. The substrate unit 6 is fixed to the support plate unit 31 or the photoelectric conversion unit 5 in a state of being fitted in the fitting recess 35. As a result, the subassembly 10 is mounted on the support 30.
As shown in FIG. 9, in this state, the notch 27 c of the crimping seat 27 is widened, and the crimping seat 27 is loosely attached to the tension member 21.
The metal wire 22 drawn out from the optical cable 2 is connected to the substrate unit 6.

As shown in FIG. 6, the caulking seat 27 is inserted into the caulking connection portion 15.
Next, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the caulking seat fixing portion 26 a of the caulking ring 26 is attached to the outer periphery of the caulking connection portion 15. The caulking seat fixing portion 26 a presses the caulking connection portion 15 inward, and sandwiches and fixes the caulking connection portion 15 between the caulking seat 27.
When the caulking connection portion 15 is pressed inward, the caulking seat 27 is pressed inward.
As shown in FIG. 10, in this state, the notch 27 c is closed, and the tension member 21 is fastened and fixed by the crimping seat 27.
At this time, since the optical fiber 3 is wired in the wiring recess 27 a, the tightening force does not reach the optical fiber 3.
As shown in FIG. 8, with the caulking seat fixing portion 26a attached to the caulking connection portion 15, the claw portion 26c is displaced inward and locked to the outer cover 23, whereby the cable fixing portion 26b is fixed to the outer cover 23. Secure to. As a result, the optical cable 2 is fixed to the housing 8.

As described above, the caulking ring 26 is sandwiched between the caulking seat 27 and the caulking connecting portion 15 is sandwiched between the caulking ring 26 and the tension member 21 is fastened and fixed. In addition to fixing, the tension member 21 can also be fixed to the caulking connection portion 15.
Therefore, the optical cable 2 can be firmly held and the strength of fixing the optical cable 2 to the housing 8 can be increased compared to a structure in which only the outer cover is fixed to the housing.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the subassembly 10 supported by the support portion 30 is inserted into the accommodating portion 11 from the rear opening 11 a, and the rear opening 11 a is closed by the lid portion 13. The fitting hole 6 a of the substrate part 6 is arranged at a position corresponding to the fitting connection part 12.

Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the electrode terminal 7 is inserted into the fitting connection portion 12 through the tip opening 12a. In the illustrated example, the electrode terminal 7 is fixed in a state of being inserted into the fitting hole 6a of the substrate portion 6 through the insertion hole 11d formed in the partition wall 11c.
As shown in FIG. 13, when the retaining protrusion 7a of the electrode terminal 7 is engaged with the partition wall 11c, the electrode terminal 7 is prevented from falling off. Specifically, the retaining protrusion 7a passes through the insertion hole 11d while being elastically deformed in a direction in which the protruding dimension is reduced, and is restored to the stage where it passes through the insertion hole 11d, thereby being locked to the partition wall 11c.
Since the electrode terminal 7 is inserted into the insertion hole 11d of the partition wall 11c and the fitting hole 6a of the substrate portion 6 at a position away from the partition wall 11c, no inclination occurs.
Through the above steps, the optoelectric connector 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is assembled to the tip of the optical cable 2.

By fitting the fitting connection portion 12 of the housing 8 of the photoelectric connector 1 to a receiving connector (not shown) provided in a device (not shown) and electrically connecting the electrode terminal 7 to the device, A signal can be transmitted between the device and the optical fiber 3.
That is, an optical signal transmitted through the optical fiber 3 is converted into an electric signal by the photoelectric conversion unit 5 and output from the electrode terminal 7, or an electric signal input from the electrode terminal 7 is converted into an optical signal by the photoelectric conversion unit 5. Then, it can be transmitted to the optical fiber 3.

The optoelectric connector 1 is formed so that the fitting connection portion 12 protrudes to the side of the housing portion 11, and therefore, when the fitting connection portion is connected to the device as compared with the fitting connection portion formed in the distal direction of the housing portion. In addition, the projecting dimension with respect to this device can be reduced.
For this reason, although it is the optoelectric connector 1 which has the photoelectric conversion part 5, the space required for the wiring of the optical cable 2 can be made small.

In the L-shaped connector in which the fitting connection portion protrudes to the side of the main body, when the electrode terminal extends into the fitting connection portion, the internal assembly is arranged in the housing when the housing is integrated. Therefore, it is a technical common sense that the housing must adopt a split structure that is inferior in waterproofness.
In order to solve this problem, the optoelectric connector 1 according to the present invention employs a structure in which the electrode terminal 7 is inserted and fixed in the subassembly 10. Assembly can be performed by inserting the electrode terminal 7 into the fitting connection portion 12 and inserting and fixing it into the subassembly 10.
Therefore, a housing with an integrated structure that is superior in waterproofness and dustproofness compared to a split structure can be adopted, and the waterproof and dustproof performance can be enhanced. Therefore, connection loss in optical connection between the optical fiber 3 and the photoelectric conversion unit 5 can be prevented.

It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of one Embodiment of the optoelectric connector which concerns on this invention. (A)-(d) is a cross-sectional view, a front sectional view, a side sectional view, and a front view, respectively, of the optoelectric connector shown in FIG. It is a sectional side view of the optoelectric connector shown in FIG. It is process drawing which shows the assembly process of the optoelectric connector shown in FIG. It is process drawing which shows the assembly process of the optoelectric connector shown in FIG. It is process drawing which shows the assembly process of the optoelectric connector shown in FIG. It is process drawing which shows the assembly process of the optoelectric connector shown in FIG. It is process drawing which shows the assembly process of the optoelectric connector shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the crimping seat of the state which is not fixed by the crimping | fixing part, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view. It is a figure which shows the crimping seat of the state currently fixed by the crimping | fixing part, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view. It is process drawing which shows the assembly process of the optoelectric connector shown in FIG. It is process drawing which shows the assembly process of the optoelectric connector shown in FIG. It is process drawing which shows the assembly process of the optoelectric connector shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Photoelectric connector, 2 ... Optical cable, 3 ... Optical fiber, 4 ... Optical fiber holding part, 5 ... Photoelectric conversion part, 6 ... Substrate part, 7 ... Electrode Terminals, 8 ... Housing, 10 ... Subassembly, 11 ... Housing, 12 ... Fitting connection, 15 ... Caulking connection, 21 ... Tension member, 22 ... Metal wire, 23 ... jacket, 25 ... caulking fixing part, 26 ... caulking ring, 27 ... caulking seat.

Claims (6)

A subassembly (10) having a photoelectric conversion part (5) optically connected to an optical fiber (3) drawn from an optical cable (2), electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion part, and connected to a receiving connector The electrode terminal (7) is an optoelectric connector housed in the housing (8),
The housing has a housing part (11) for housing the subassembly, and a fitting connection part (12) that can be fitted to the receiving connector,
The electrode terminal is formed by being inserted into and fixed to the subassembly and extending into the fitting connection portion,
The accommodating portion is formed along a connection direction of the optical cable to the housing;
The optoelectric connector (1), wherein the fitting connection portion is formed so as to protrude to the side of the housing portion.   2. The optoelectric connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrode terminal can be inserted and fixed to the subassembly in the housing portion from the outside through the fitting connection portion. The subassembly has a substrate part (6) connected to the photoelectric conversion part,
The optoelectric connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrode terminal is inserted into and fixed to the substrate unit and connected to the photoelectric conversion unit via the substrate unit.   4. The optoelectric connector according to claim 1, wherein at least the housing portion and the fitting connection portion are integrally formed in the housing. The optical cable is fixed to the housing by a caulking fixing portion (25);
The caulking fixing part includes a caulking ring (26) that grips a distal end portion of the outer sheath (23) of the optical cable, and a caulking seat (27) having an insertion hole through which the tension member (21) led out from the optical cable is inserted. Have
The caulking connection part (15) of the housing is sandwiched between the caulking seats by the caulking ring, and the tension member is fastened and fixed by the caulking seats. The optoelectric connector according to item 1.   The optical cable is a photoelectric composite cable having a metal wiring (22) and the optical fiber, and the metal wiring is drawn out from the optical cable and connected to the subassembly. 5. The optoelectric connector according to claim 1.

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