JP2011247995A - Optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical connector having a fitting display function of easily confirming a fitting state.SOLUTION: An optical connector 1 includes: a ferrule 11 for fixing an optical fiber by interpolation; a connector body 17 for internally storing the ferrule 11; an operation part 5 mounted on an outer periphery of the connector body 17; and a slide sleeve part 3 which is mounted on the outer periphery of the connector body 17 and slid in a lengthwise direction of the connector body 17 so as to pass between the connector body 17 and the operation part 5 when retracted. The slide sleeve part 3 includes fitting display parts 31 to be projected from a rear end 50 of the operation part 5 when retracted in the lengthwise direction of the connector body 17.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector capable of displaying a fitting state with respect to another optical connector such as an adapter.

  Conventionally, a mark made of different colors or unevenness is provided on the outside of the plug housing, and when the optical connector plug is fitted to the adapter, the mark is hidden inside the adapter, indicating that the optical connector plug is fitted to the adapter. (For example, see paragraph 0019 of Patent Document 1 and “port” described in FIG. 7).

  In Patent Document 2, the display pin protrudes from the outer surface of the locking claw member of the adapter, and when the optical connector plug and the locking claw member are disengaged, the display pin appears outside through the pin hole of the adapter. There is described an optical connector which can confirm an abnormality in a fitting state.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a rear knob having a portion operated by a finger and a front knob that comes into contact with a locking elastic nail of the adapter in order to automatically close the shutter in front of the ferrule when the optical connector plug is removed from the adapter. An optical connector is described in which a spring for urging the front knob is arranged in the space between the stop ring and the rear knob so that the front knob can protrude forward of the ferrule even when the rear knob is picked. Yes.

  In Patent Literature 4, an inner member that covers the outside of the plug body and is provided to be movable back and forth with respect to the plug body, and an outer member that is provided to be movable back and forth with respect to the inner member outside the inner member; A shutter provided on the outer member is provided, and the main body side cylindrical portion formed on the lower surface portion of the plug main body is inserted into the member side cylindrical portion formed to extend rearward on the lower surface portion of the outer member. An optical connector is described in which a spring for biasing the outer member forward is housed between these cylindrical portions.

  In Patent Document 5, an elastic claw for locking is expanded at the time of fitting in order to prevent the operator from misunderstanding that the optical connector is locked with a click feeling even when the optical connector is fitted. An expansion side wall having a taper portion to be opened is formed on the side wall surface of the plug frame, and is not engaged with the elastic locking claw at the time of fitting and moves backward at the time of detachment to release the lock of the locking elastic claw. An optical connector is provided in which the expansion jig part is housed in the space between the expansion side walls, and the expansion side wall and the removal jig part are separately expanded at the time of fitting and detaching. Are listed.

Japanese Patent No. 2837608 Japanese Patent No. 2953437 Japanese Patent No. 4304213 JP 2009-015236 A JP 2008-176297 A

With the conventional mating display mark, when there is an abnormality in the mating state, the insertion of the optical connector plug into the adapter becomes shallow (so-called half-insertion state), and the mark is not hidden in the adapter. Can be confirmed. However, in such a mechanism, the position of the opening edge of the adapter is constant with respect to a mechanical reference surface (see, for example, JIS C 5973) where the plug frame and the adapter mechanically contact when fitted. It is assumed that the outer surface of the optical connector plug can be visually confirmed outside the opening edge.
Therefore, depending on the mark for fitting indication, an adapter having a different length from the mechanical reference plane to the position of the opening edge of the adapter may be used, or the outer surface of the optical connector plug may be covered around the adapter. If a simple structure is installed, the mark cannot be seen even if there is an abnormality in the fitting state, and the fitting display becomes inaccurate.

  Since the optical connector of Patent Document 2 has a pin hole in the adapter housing, dust or the like enters from the pin hole to contaminate the inside of the adapter, and the dust adheres to the ferrule or the like when the optical connector is attached or detached. There's a problem. Also, in order to be able to see the display pins protruding from the pin holes, it is necessary to widen the periphery of the adapter. Therefore, a large number of optical connectors can be installed vertically and horizontally, or the pin holes around the adapter. If a structure that covers the screen is installed, there is a problem that the operator cannot confirm the display pin.

  In the optical connector of Patent Document 3, the concave portions formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the front knob in FIG. 4A of Patent Document 3 are used as fitting display marks similar to the port of Patent Document 1. In addition, Patent Document 3 does not find any special device regarding the fitting display for visually confirming the fitting state.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 of Patent Document 4, the optical connector disclosed in Patent Document 4 is formed on the main body side cylindrical portion formed on the lower surface portion of the plug main body and the lower surface portion of the outer member in the connected state. Since the positions of the rear ends of the member-side cylindrical portions coincide with each other, it is considered that the fitting state can be confirmed from the movement of these cylindrical portions.
However, the optical connector of Patent Document 4 is provided with a knob in a normal SC type optical connector as a part of the plug body, and an inner member and an outer member are overlapped and attached to the outer side of this knob. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 of Patent Document 4, the inner member and the outer member cannot enter the inside of the adapter. In addition, it is essential that the length from the mechanical reference plane to the position of the opening edge of the adapter is constant.
Therefore, the optical connector of Patent Document 4 cannot cope with adapters having different lengths from the mechanical reference plane to the position of the opening edge of the adapter.

  The optical connector of Patent Document 5 is the same as the conventional optical connector in that the fitting is confirmed by a click feeling when the locking elastic claws are closed during fitting. In addition, no special device is found regarding the fitting display for visually confirming the fitting state.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said situation, and makes it a subject to provide the optical connector provided with the fitting display function which can confirm a fitting state easily.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a ferrule for inserting and fixing an optical fiber, a connector main body that accommodates the ferrule therein, an operation unit that is mounted on the outer periphery of the connector main body, and an outer periphery of the connector main body. And a sliding sleeve portion that passes between the connector main body and the operation portion when sliding backward in the connector main body length direction, and the sliding sleeve portion Provides a fitting display part that protrudes from the rear end of the operation part when retracted in the connector body length direction.
It is preferable that the sliding sleeve portion incorporates a shutter capable of covering the front of the ferrule, and the shutter opens with the retraction of the sliding sleeve portion when connected to another optical connector.
The color of the fitting display portion is preferably different from at least the color near the rear end of the operation portion.

Further, the present invention provides a ferrule for inserting and fixing an optical fiber, a connector main body that accommodates the ferrule therein, an operation unit that is mounted on the outer periphery of the connector main body, and an outer periphery of the connector main body, An optical connector comprising: a sliding sleeve portion that passes between the connector main body and the operation portion when sliding backward in the connector main body length direction, and the sliding sleeve portion is the connector main body Provided is an optical connector having a fitting display mark that is visible from a window provided in the operation portion when retracted in the length direction.
It is preferable that the sliding sleeve portion incorporates a shutter capable of covering the front of the ferrule, and the shutter opens with the retraction of the sliding sleeve portion when connected to another optical connector.
It is preferable that the color of the fitting display mark is different from at least the color around the window of the operation unit.

  According to the present invention, the sliding sleeve portion and the operation portion can be moved back and forth independently of each other with respect to the connector body, and the tip end portion of the sliding sleeve portion acts even while holding the operation portion in the hand at the time of connection. Retreat is possible. And the fitting display part provided in the rear end part of the sliding sleeve part protrudes from the rear end of the operation part, or the fitting display mark provided on the side surface of the sliding sleeve part or the like is from the hole provided in the operation part. Since it comprised so that visual recognition was possible, the fitting display function which can confirm the fitting state of an optical connector easily is realizable.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of the optical connector plug which concerns on the 1st form example of this invention. (A) is a top view of the optical connector plug of FIG. 1, (B) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view. (A) is the perspective view seen from the front of the sliding sleeve part in the optical connector plug of FIG. 1, (B) is the perspective view seen from the back lower side. (A) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3 (A), (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3 (A), and (C) is a front view of the sliding sleeve portion. is there. (A) is a perspective view of a shutter in the optical connector plug of FIG. 1, (B) is a side view thereof, and (C) is a plan view thereof. It is a perspective view of the state which combined the sliding sleeve part and shutter in the optical connector plug of FIG. (A) is a side view of a spring in the optical connector plug of FIG. 1, (B) is a side view of the pin, and (C) is a front view of the pin. It is a perspective view of the stop ring in the optical connector plug of FIG. (A) is a left side view of a plug frame in the optical connector plug of FIG. 1, (B) is a plan view thereof, (C) is a front view thereof, (D) is a rear view thereof, and (E) is a right side view thereof. (F) is sectional drawing which follows the CC line of (E), (G) is sectional drawing which follows the DD line of (F). (A) is the perspective view seen from the front of the operation part in the optical connector plug of FIG. 1, (B) is the perspective view seen from the back. 10A is a plan view of the operation unit shown in FIG. 10 in one side cross-section, FIG. 10B is a side view thereof, FIG. 10C is a rear view thereof, FIG. 10D is a vertical cross-sectional view thereof, and FIG. is there. (A) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state before fitting of the optical connector plug of FIG. 1, (B) is the side surface sectional drawing. (A) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the optical connector plug of FIG. 1 in the middle of fitting, (B) is the side cross-sectional view. (A) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state after fitting of the optical connector plug of FIG. 1, (B) is the side surface sectional drawing. (A) is a side view of the optical connector plug in FIG. 1 before fitting, and (B) is a side view of the optical connector plug after fitting. (A) is a side view of the state before fitting of the optical connector plug which concerns on the modification of this invention, (B) is a side view of the state after the fitting. (A) is the perspective view seen from the front of the sliding sleeve part in the optical connector plug of FIG. 16, (B) is the perspective view seen from the back lower side. (A) is a top view of the state before fitting of the optical connector plug which concerns on the 2nd example of this invention, (B) is a top view of the state after the fitting.

The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings.
1 to 15 show an optical connector plug 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the schematic configuration of the optical connector plug 1 according to the present embodiment includes a ferrule 11 into which an optical fiber exposed at the tip of an optical fiber cable 7 is inserted and fixed, and the ferrule 11. Connector main body 17 accommodated in the inside, operation portion 5 mounted on the outer periphery of the connector main body 17, and a sliding sleeve mounted on the outer periphery of the connector main body 17 and slidable in the length direction of the connector main body 17 Part 3.
In the case of this embodiment, the connector main body 17 includes a plug frame 10 that contains the ferrule 11 and a spring 12 that biases the ferrule 11 forward in the axial direction (left side in FIG. 2B). And a stop ring 9 sandwiched between the two.

As the ferrule 11, here, a ferrule (SC: Single fiber Coupling) of an SC type optical connector defined in JIS C 5973 or the like is used.
Here, the optical fiber cable 7 is an optical fiber cord in which a tensile strength body such as an aramid fiber is vertically attached to the outer periphery of the optical fiber core wire 7a and accommodated in the outer sheath. The bare optical fiber from which the resin coating has been removed is exposed and fixed in the ferrule 11 at the tip of the optical fiber core wire 7a.
The tensile body is fixed between the rear portion 9a of the stop ring 9 and the cylindrical caulking ring 8 by caulking. Further, the optical fiber cable 7 having the outer cover is enclosed and protected by the boot 6 at the rear end portion of the optical connector plug 1.
The optical fiber with which the optical connector plug of the present invention is assembled at the tip is not particularly limited, such as an optical fiber core, an optical fiber cord, and an optical fiber cable. As the optical fiber, an optical fiber having a protective tube made of an elastomer or the like on the outer periphery of an optical fiber can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the front portion 9c of the stop ring 9 is accommodated in the rear portion 10a of the plug frame 10, and is integrated so that the plug frame 10 and the stop ring 9 do not come off due to fitting or locking. Has been. The spring 12 accommodated between the ferrule 11 and the stop ring 9 takes a reaction force on the stop ring 9 to urge the ferrule 11 forward, and when the ferrule 11 is brought into contact with another ferrule, the ferrule is interposed between the joint end faces. Apply pressing force.

FIG. 9 shows the plug frame 10. As shown in FIGS. 9 (F) and 9 (G), the plug frame 10 is formed in a sleeve shape (more specifically, a rectangular tube shape), and is a rear portion attached to the front portion 9c of the stop ring 9 shown in FIG. 10a and the front-end | tip part 10b which has the fitting recessed part 10g fitted to an adapter inside.
Inside the plug frame 10 is formed a step portion 10c that contacts the flange portion of the ferrule 11 and prevents the ferrule 11 from slipping out to the tip side (left side of FIG. 2B). A ferrule 11 having an optical fiber 7a attached to the step portion 10c of the internal space of the plug frame 10 is attached from the rear. The protrusion 10d in the stepped portion 10c is fitted into the recess on the ferrule 11 side to prevent rotation. Further, the locking protrusion 10e on the outer peripheral portion is for locking the elastic claw 15a for locking when fitted to the adapter 15 shown in FIG. A retaining projection 10f that prevents the sliding sleeve portion 3 from being pulled forward is provided behind the locking projection 10e.

3 and 4 show the sliding sleeve portion 3 used for the optical connector plug 1. The sliding sleeve portion 3 is a rectangular tube made of synthetic resin, and slides with respect to the plug frame 10 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction.
In order to attach the sliding sleeve portion 3 to the plug frame 10, the tip portion 10b of the plug frame 10 is disposed between the side walls 3h, 3i of the sliding sleeve portion 3, and the sliding sleeve portion 3 is moved backward (or plugged). The frame 10 is moved to the front), and the retaining projection 10f passes through between the side walls 3h and 3i and is further pushed in until it is located in front of it.

As shown in FIG. 3A, a guide projection 3e is formed at the upper center of the sliding sleeve portion 3 to prevent erroneous insertion when the sliding sleeve portion 3 is fitted with a receiving side optical connector such as an adapter.
A rear projection 3g shown in FIG. 3 (B) is a projection that is received in the forward direction when the sliding sleeve portion 3 is fitted to the operation portion 5. Similarly, on the rear side, The front end surfaces of the side walls 3h, 3i are locked to the elastic locking pieces 5a, 5b of the operation unit 5 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG.10 and FIG.11, the operation part 5 is a square tube body made from a synthetic resin provided with a pair of elastic locking pieces 5a and 5b on the front side. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit 5 is attached to the central portion 9 b of the stop ring 9.
When the operation portion 5 is pulled backward (to the right in FIG. 14A) and operated, the elastic locking pieces 5a and 5b are locked to the side walls 3h and 3i, and the sliding sleeve portion 3 is moved back together with the operation portion 5. Can be moved to. Behind the elastic locking pieces 5a and 5b, side wall storage grooves 5h for storing the side walls 3h and 3i on the rear side of the sliding sleeve portion 3 are provided.

  A guide recess 5 f that guides the guide protrusion 3 e of the sliding sleeve portion 3 is formed in the rectangular protrusion 5 c at the top of the operation portion 5. Further, on both the left and right sides of the guide recess 5f, fitting display portion storage grooves 51 for storing the fitting display portion 31 extended from the rear end of the sliding sleeve portion 3 are formed.

  The concave groove 5 d formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lower part of the operation portion 5 is a groove in which the rear protrusion 3 g of the lower end surface of the sliding sleeve portion 3 is accommodated. When the sliding sleeve portion 3 is fitted to the operation portion 5, the front end portion 5e of the groove 5d is engaged with the protrusion 3g to prevent the slide sleeve portion 3 from coming off.

On the inner peripheral surface of the operation portion 5, rib-shaped convex portions 5 g are formed on at least a part of the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 2B, the convex portion 5g can contact a flange portion 9d (see FIG. 9) formed on the outer periphery of the stop ring 9. Thereby, as shown in FIG.12 and FIG.13, the stop ring 9 and the plug frame 10 can be pushed in, grasping the operation part 5 at the time of a connection. In addition, when pulling out the operation part 5 in order to remove the optical connector plug 1 from the fitting state shown in FIG. 14, the convex part 5g can leave | separate from the flange part 9d.
As shown in FIG. 5 (E), the operation portion 5 has a through hole 52 at a position where the fitting display portion accommodation groove 51 and the convex portion 5g intersect. Within the through hole 52, the entire circumference of the fitting display portion 31 is held by the peripheral edge of the through hole 52.

In this embodiment, the receiving side optical connector 15 is an adapter (optical connector adapter) that positions and optically connects the optical connector plugs 1 to each other. The adapter 15 is an SC type optical connector adapter defined in JIS C 5973 or the like.
The optical connector plug 1 of this embodiment can be used in the same manner even when the receiving side optical connector 15 is a receptacle, but in the following description, the case where the receiving side optical connector is an adapter will be described. .

  As shown in FIGS. 12-14, the adapter 15 is provided with the opening part 15b in which the front-end | tip part of the optical connector plug 1 is inserted in the both sides of a connection direction. Inside the adapter 15, a sleeve holder 15c in which a split sleeve 16 for positioning the ferrule 11 is accommodated, and locking elastic claws 15a disposed on both sides of the sleeve holder 15c are provided from the back to the opening side inside the adapter. Projected toward.

The adapter 15 fits the sleeve holder 15c into the fitting recess 10g of the plug frame 10 and engages the locking protrusions 10e of the plug frame 10 with the pair of locking elastic claws 15a. The plug frame 10 can be held. At this time, the tip of the ferrule 11 is inserted into the split sleeve 16.
The adapter 15 can position and abut each ferrule 11 by inserting the ferrule 11 of the optical connector plug 1 from both sides of the split sleeve 16 and accommodating it.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the trapezoidal protrusions 3 j provided on both sides of the opening 3 a on the front side of the sliding sleeve portion 3 are the lock elastic claws 15 a of the adapter 15 and the locking protrusions 10 e of the plug frame 10. It is the lock release means for releasing the lock at the time of fitting by. In the fitted state shown in FIG. 14A, the tip of the locking elastic claw 15a gets over the protrusion 3j and is accommodated in the position of the recess 3k at the rear. To release the lock, if the operating portion 5 is operated backward, the sliding sleeve portion 3 is pulled out together with the operating portion 5, and the trapezoidal protrusion 3j enters between the lock elastic claw 15a and the locking protrusion 10e, and the lock The elastic claw 15a is expanded to release the coupling with the locking projection 10e.

  The marks 30 provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the sliding sleeve portion 3 are the same as the conventional fitting display marks, and are configured as concave portions or portions having different colors. When the optical connector plug 1 is fitted to an adapter having a general size, the mark 30 is hidden inside the opening edge 15d of the adapter 15, and when the fitting is incomplete, the mark 30 is exposed outside the adapter 15. By doing so, the fitting state is displayed.

  However, an adapter having a different length from the position of the sleeve holder 15 c serving as the mechanical reference surface to the position of the opening edge 15 d of the adapter 15 is used, or the outer surface of the optical connector plug 1 is covered around the adapter 15. When a simple structure is installed, the fitting display based on the positional relationship between the mark 30 and the opening edge 15d of the adapter 15 is insufficient.

  For this reason, the optical connector plug 1 of the present embodiment has a fitting display portion 31 extended on the cantilever at the rear end portion of the sliding sleeve portion 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the fitting display portion 31 is housed inside the operation portion 5 (specifically, the fitting display portion housing groove 51 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) when not fitted. Further, the fitting display part 31 can protrude from the rear end 50 of the operation part 5 when the sliding sleeve part 3 is retracted in the connector body length direction.

At the time of fitting, when the elastic claw 15a (see FIG. 12) for locking the adapter 15 is brought into contact with the sliding sleeve portion 3 and opened, the sliding sleeve portion 3 is prevented from moving forward. When the stop ring 9 and the plug frame 10 are pushed toward the adapter 15 through the convex portion 5g on the peripheral surface, the sliding sleeve portion 3 is relatively retracted relative to the operation portion 5 (in terms of appearance, it slides). The sleeve portion 3 stops and the operation portion 5 moves forward). When sliding for a specific distance, as shown in FIGS. 14B and 15B, the end portion of the fitting display portion 31 protrudes rearward from the operation portion 5.
This specific distance is set so that the fitting display part 31 protrudes from the rear end 50 of the operation part 5 at the fitting completion position. Since the fitting display part 31 does not protrude from the rear end 50 of the operation part 5 before or during fitting, the completion of fitting can be recognized by confirming the protrusion of the fitting display part 31. .

  As a result, even when a structure that covers the outer surface of the optical connector plug 1 is installed around the adapter 15, the fitting display unit 31 protrudes rearward from the operation unit 5, so that the fitting is performed. The combined state can be easily confirmed visually. The operation of the fitting display portion 31 is started when the sliding sleeve portion 3 comes into contact with the locking elastic claw 15a coupled to the locking projection 10e of the plug frame 10, so that the locking elastic claw at the time of fitting. The distance from 15a to the fitting display part 31 is constant. That is, even when the adapter 15 having a different position of the opening edge 15d is used, the fitting display unit 31 protrudes rearward from the operation unit 5 at the same timing as usual, and an accurate fitting display function can be realized.

When the sliding sleeve portion 3 is a color different from that of the operation portion 5, the fitting display portion 31 may be the same color as the other portions of the sliding sleeve portion 3. In this case, at least the color near the rear end of the operation unit 5 only needs to be different from the color of the fitting display unit 31.
In addition, in order to make the fitting display clearer, a mark (not shown) configured as a recessed portion or a portion having a different color is provided on the fitting display portion 31, and whether or not this mark appears outside the operation unit 5. You may enable it to confirm a fitting state by.

In the case of the optical connector plug 1 of this embodiment, the sliding sleeve portion 3 incorporates a shutter 4 that covers the front of the ferrule 11 accommodated in the plug frame 10, and the shutter 4 moves backward together with the sliding sleeve portion 3 when connected. By doing so, the shutter 4 is configured to open.
Specifically, as shown in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 4A and 4B, shutter housing grooves 3b and 3c having appropriate lengths are formed from the front opening 3a to the inside. The pair of storage grooves 3 b and 3 c are provided to face the upper and lower inner wall surfaces of the sliding sleeve portion 3. Further, a locking projection 3d is provided on the back side of the storage grooves 3b, 3c.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the shutter 4 housed in the shutter housing grooves 3b and 3c of the sliding sleeve portion 3 is a thin plate having a thickness of 0.01 to 0.1 mm made of a metal having elasticity as a whole. In a normal state (when not fitted), the curved portion 4f located between the front portion 4c and the rear portion 4d is curved with a desired radius R by its elastic force, and the front portion 4c becomes the shaft core. It stands up in the direction (vertical direction) orthogonal. The rear portion 4d is in a flat state, and a locking hole 4e is provided substantially at the center thereof. The shutter 4 is held by locking the locking hole 4 e to the protrusion 3 d of the sliding sleeve portion 3.

  There are groove fitting ears 4h and 4i on both sides of the rear portion 4d of the shutter 4, and the groove fitting ears 4h and 4i have a width of the rear portion 4d wider than that of the front portion 4c and the curved portion 4f. Are fitted and engaged with the shutter housing grooves 3b and 3c of the sliding sleeve portion 3 in full width, and are sandwiched between both wall portions forming the shutter housing grooves 3b and 3c. Since the width of the curved portion 4f is narrower than the width to the groove portions at both ends of the shutter housing grooves 3b and 3c, the front end portion 4g of the shutter 4 advances into the internal space of the sliding sleeve portion 3 and the front of the ferrule 11 The curved portion 4f is curved so as to cover.

  In this embodiment, in order to attach the shutter 4 to the sliding sleeve portion 3, the shutter housing grooves 3b and 3c for fitting the groove fitting ear portions 4h and 4i to the inner wall surface of the sliding sleeve portion 3, and the locking However, the present invention is not limited to this example, but is simply provided with a recess, and the rear portion 4d of the shutter 4 is connected to the inner wall surface of the sliding sleeve portion 3 by a known means such as an adhesive or a press-fitting means. It may be fixed to.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the shutter 4 having the same shape or substantially the same shape is composed of a pair of shutters 4a and 4b. In some cases, a single shutter 4 may be used. In this case, light can be more reliably shielded by making the length of the shutter 4 up to the tip 4g slightly longer than that shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the shutters 4 a and 4 b are housed in the shutter housing grooves 3 b and 3 c of the sliding sleeve portion 3. The front portions 4c of the pair of shutters 4a and 4b are arranged so that the front end portions 4g of the front portions 4c overlap each other so as to reliably block light from the end face of the optical fiber fixed to the ferrule 11 in the unfitted state. As shown in FIG. 4B, the position from the end surface of the opening 3a to the back end surface of the shutter housing grooves 3b and 3c, that is, the locking position of the rear portion 4d of the shutter is shifted by α in the front-rear direction. . As a result, in the closed state of the shutters 4a and 4b, the front end portions 4g do not contact each other incompletely, but are completely superimposed as shown in FIG. Become.

  The light shielding component 2 includes a sliding sleeve portion 3 that is slidable in the front-rear direction, a pair of shutters 4a and 4b that move integrally therewith, a spring 13 that biases the sliding sleeve portion 3, and a rod-like pin. 14.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the pin 14 is inserted into the coil of the spring 13 in order to guide the spring 13 and prevent buckling.
The front end side of the spring 13 is housed in a recess 3f formed from the rear part to the center of the guide protrusion 3e of the sliding sleeve part 3. Further, the rear end side of the spring 13 is disposed in a space between the stop ring 9 and the operation unit 5.
Since the rear portion of the sliding sleeve portion 3 is also housed in the space between the stop ring 9 and the operation portion 5, there is no possibility that a part of the light shielding component 2 protrudes outside the optical connector plug 1. No obstacles such as injury to the operator occur.

  Since the shutter 4 itself is formed of a metal elastic member, the front portion 4c of the shutter 4 is bent and stands up by the elastic force when not fitted, and the light contained in the ferrule 11 Light from the fiber end face is blocked. Further, at the time of fitting, the sliding sleeve portion 3 is retracted integrally, and the front portion 4c of the shutter 4 is brought into contact with the tip portion 10b of the plug frame 10 so that the curved portion 4f is forcibly flat against the elastic force. Are stored in the storage grooves 3b and 3c of the sliding sleeve portion 3, and the light shielding action is released.

  In addition, the spring 13 has an elastic force (for example, 0. 0) smaller than a resistance force when the lock elastic claw 15a (see FIG. 12) of the adapter 15 is brought into contact with the sliding sleeve portion 3 and is opened. 1N-3N). Further, when the optical connector plug 1 is removed from the adapter 15, the sliding sleeve portion 3 that has been retracted at the time of connection is automatically advanced by the elastic force of 0.1N to 3N and returned to the original position. As a result, the front portion 4c of the shutter 4 rises immediately after removal, and the light from the end face of the optical fiber contained in the ferrule 11 is blocked as in the case of non-fitting.

A method of using the optical connector plug 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 12 shows a state before the optical connector plug 1 is fitted. At this time, as shown in FIG. 12 (B), the sliding sleeve portion 3 is urged forward from the operation portion 5 by the spring 13, and the shutters 4a and 4b are located at the end portions 4g at the front position of the ferrule 11. It is obstructed by overlapping.

  A state in the middle of fitting of the optical connector plug 1 is shown in FIG. When the sliding sleeve portion 3 of the optical connector plug 1 is inserted toward the opening portion 15b of the adapter 15 with the operation portion 5, the tip end portion of the sliding sleeve portion 3 enters inside from the opening portion 15b. Then, it abuts against the end of the lock elastic claw 15a of the adapter 15.

  If the optical connector plug 1 is further inserted from the state shown in FIG. 13, the elastic force for keeping the locking elastic claws 15a closed is stronger than the urging force of the spring 13, so that the spring 13 loses force and slides. The moving sleeve portion 3 is pushed backward. Then, since the pair of shutters 4a and 4b has the locking holes 4e locked to the projections 3d of the sliding sleeve portion 3, the pair of shutters 4a and 4b are moved backward together with the sliding sleeve portion 3 that is moved backward, and the plug frame 10, the curved portion 4f is forcibly flattened against the elastic force into a flat plate shape, and is pressed against the inner wall surface of the sliding sleeve portion 3 to receive the storage groove 3b, It falls within the range of the thickness in the vertical direction of 3c.

  The sliding sleeve portion 3 is further retracted, and the distal end portion of the ferrule 11 protrudes from the front opening 3 a (see FIGS. 3 and 15B) of the sliding sleeve portion 3, and the ferrule 11 is the split sleeve 16 of the adapter 15. Furthermore, when the fitting recess 10g of the plug frame 10 is fitted into the sleeve holder 15c of the adapter 15, respectively, the optical connector plug 1 is brought into a state as shown in FIG. At this time, as shown in FIG. 14A, the lock elastic claw 15 a on the adapter 15 side is locked to the locking protrusion 10 e on the side surface of the plug frame 10. Further, the guide projection 3e of the sliding sleeve portion 3 is slidably brought into contact with the guide concave portion 5f (see FIG. 10) of the operation portion 5 to be retracted. The shutters 4a and 4b are entirely flat in the shutter housing grooves 3b and 3c. As a result, the light shielding action of the light shielding component 2 is released, so that optical communication of the optical fiber cable 7 becomes possible.

  In the optical connector plug 1 of the present embodiment, after the fitting to the adapter 15, as shown in FIG. 14 (B), the fitting display portion 31 formed at the rear end of the sliding sleeve portion 3 has an operation portion. 5 protrudes backward through the inside. At the time of connection, the position of the sliding sleeve portion 3 in the optical axis direction (left and right direction in FIG. 14) is determined by the engagement concave portion 3k on the side surface engaging with the locking elastic claw 15a of the adapter 15, and the operation portion 5 This position is determined by the contact of the convex portion 5g of the inner peripheral surface with the flange portion 9d of the stop ring 9 integrated with the plug frame 10. Therefore, whether or not the fitting display part 31 protrudes from the rear of the operation part 5 is determined by the relationship with the structure such as the lock elastic claw 15a and the sleeve holder 15c provided inside the adapter 15, and the opening edge 15d. Therefore, there is a structure that uses an adapter with a different length from the mechanical reference plane to the position of the opening edge of the adapter, or covers the outer surface of the optical connector plug around the adapter. Even when the optical connector plug is installed, it is possible to realize a fitting display function capable of easily confirming the fitting state of the optical connector plug.

  When the optical connector plug 1 is removed from the adapter 15, when the operation portion 5 is operated backward, the sliding sleeve portion 3 is pulled out together with the operation portion 5, and the trapezoidal protrusion 3 j becomes the locking elastic claw 15 a and the locking protrusion. 10e, the elastic claw 15a for locking is expanded and the coupling with the locking projection 10e is released, and the optical connector plug 1 can be pulled out. When the optical connector plug 1 is further pulled out and the sliding sleeve portion 3 comes out of the adapter 15, the sliding sleeve portion 3 is pushed forward by the biasing force of the spring 13 in the reverse procedure from FIG. Thus, the fitting display unit 31 is hidden inside the operation unit 5. At the same time, the shutters 4a and 4b also advance forward, and are released from the pressing action of the distal end portion 10b of the plug frame 10, and the bending portion 4f is bent to its original state by its elastic force, so that the sliding sleeve portion 3 The light enters the space portion, and the tip portions 4g are overlapped with each other to block the optical fiber.

As mentioned above, although this invention has been demonstrated based on suitable embodiment, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned example, Various modifications are possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.
FIG. 16 shows an optical connector plug 1A according to a modification, and FIG. 17 shows a sliding sleeve portion 3A. The optical connector plug 1A includes a fitting display portion 32 extending from the side wall 3h, 3i on the rear side of the sliding sleeve portion 3A and a fitting display portion 33 extending rearward from the projection 3g on the rear end of the lower end surface. Prepare. The fitting display part 32 extended from the side walls 3h and 3i protrudes rearward from the operation part 5 through the side wall storage groove 5h of the operation part 5 when connected. Further, the fitting display portion 33 extending rearward from the protrusion 3g protrudes rearward from the operation portion 5 along the concave groove 5d on the lower side of the operation portion 5 at the time of connection. The fitting state can be confirmed by visually observing any of the fitting display portions 32 and 33.

Although not particularly illustrated, the fitting display portion can be extended from the four corners of the rear end surface of the sliding sleeve portion. In this case, by opening a hole through which the fitting display portion passes in the convex portion 5g on the inner peripheral surface of the operation portion 5, it can be protruded rearward from the operation portion 5 at the time of connection.
In addition, the position at which the fitting display portion extends from the rear end portion of the sliding sleeve portion is not particularly limited, and the fitting display portion can be provided at an arbitrary position. The number of fitting display portions is not limited, and may be one or two or more.

These fitting display portions may have the same color as other portions of the sliding sleeve portion when the sliding sleeve portion has a different color from the operation portion. In this case, at least the color in the vicinity of the rear end of the operation unit may be different from the color of the fitting display unit.
In addition, in order to make the fitting display clearer, the fitting display part is provided with a mark configured as a concave part or a part with a different color, and the fitting state is determined depending on whether or not this mark appears outside the rear end of the operation part. May be confirmed.

  FIG. 18 shows an optical connector plug 1B according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The structure of the optical connector of the present embodiment is such that the sliding sleeve portion 3B has a fitting display mark 34 instead of the fitting display portions 31, 32, 33, and the operation portion 5B has a window 53. Since it can be configured in the same manner as the optical connector according to the first embodiment, the configuration of the fitting display mark 34 and the window 53 will be particularly described here.

  This optical connector plug 1B has a fitting display mark 34 on the side surface of the sliding sleeve portion 3B, and the fitting display mark 34 can be visually recognized on the side surface of the operation portion 5B when the sliding sleeve portion 3B is retracted. A window 53 is provided. As shown in FIG. 18A, in the state before fitting, the fitting display mark 34 is hidden in the operation portion 5B and is not visible. Further, as shown in FIG. 18B, the fitting display mark 34 is visible from the window 53 in the post-fitting state. The window 53 may be a simple through hole or a structure closed with a transparent material.

The positions of the fitting display mark 34 and the window 53 are set so that the fitting display mark 34 is exposed from the window 53 at the position where the fitting is completed. Since the fitting display mark 34 cannot be visually observed on the window 53 before the fitting is started or during the fitting, the completion of the fitting can be recognized by visually checking the fitting display mark 34.
That is, according to the optical connector plug 1 </ b> B of the present embodiment, it is possible to confirm the fitting state by viewing the fitting display mark 34 through the window 53. In addition, the position where the window 53 and the fitting display mark 34 are provided is not limited to the surface on which the guide protrusion 3e is formed as illustrated, but may be provided on another surface.
When the color of the fitting display mark 34 is different from at least the color around the window 53 of the operation unit 5B, it is preferable because the visual recognition becomes easier.

  The optical connector plug 1B having the fitting display mark 34 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is similar to the optical connector plugs 1 and 1A of the first embodiment, and the sliding sleeve portion 3B is provided in front of the ferrule 11 described above. Shutters 4, 4 a, 4 b (see FIG. 5, FIG. 6, etc.) capable of covering the above can be incorporated. The shutters 4, 4 a, 4 b can also be configured to open with the retraction of the sliding sleeve portion 3 </ b> B when connected to the adapter 15 or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1A ... Optical connector plug, 2 ... Light-shielding component, 3, 3A, 3B ... Sliding sleeve part (front knob), 3b, 3c ... Shutter storage groove, 3j ... Lock release means (trapezoid protrusion), 4, 4a , 4b ... shutter, 5, 5B ... operation part (rear knob), 10 ... plug frame, 10b ... tip end of the plug frame, 10e ... locking projection (joining part), 10g ... fitting recess, 11 ... ferrule, 15 ... Receiving side optical connector (adapter), 15a ... elastic claw for locking, 15b ... opening, 15c ... sleeve holder (fitting part), 15d ... opening edge, 31, 32, 33 ... fitting display part, 34 ... fitting Display mark, 51... Fitting display portion storage groove, 53.

Claims (6)

A ferrule (11) for interpolating and fixing an optical fiber (7a);
A connector body (17) for accommodating the ferrule therein;
An operation unit (5) mounted on the outer periphery of the connector body;
A sliding sleeve portion (3, 3A) that is mounted on the outer periphery of the connector body and passes between the connector body and the operation portion when sliding in the connector body length direction and retracting;
An optical connector (1, 1A) comprising:
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the sliding sleeve portion includes a fitting display portion (31, 32, 33) that protrudes from a rear end of the operation portion when retracted in the connector body length direction.   The sliding sleeve portion incorporates a shutter (4, 4a, 4b) that can cover the front of the ferrule, and the shutter opens when the sliding sleeve portion moves backward when connected to another optical connector. The optical connector according to claim 1.   3. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein a color of the fitting display portion is different from at least a color near a rear end of the operation portion. A ferrule (11) for interpolating and fixing an optical fiber (7a);
A connector body (17) for accommodating the ferrule therein;
An operation unit (5B) mounted on the outer periphery of the connector body;
A sliding sleeve portion (3B) that is attached to the outer periphery of the connector body and passes between the connector body and the operation portion when sliding in the connector body length direction and retracting;
An optical connector (1B) comprising:
The optical connector is characterized in that the sliding sleeve portion has a fitting display mark (34) visible from a window (53) provided in the operation portion when retracted in the connector main body length direction.   The sliding sleeve portion incorporates a shutter (4, 4a, 4b) that can cover the front of the ferrule, and the shutter opens when the sliding sleeve portion moves backward when connected to another optical connector. The optical connector according to claim 4.   The optical connector according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a color of the fitting display mark is different from at least a color around the window of the operation unit.

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