JP2012068462A - Optical connector assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical connector assembly capable of achieving optical connector connection.SOLUTION: An optical connector assembly C10 capable of being installed in a narrow space includes an optical sub assembly 12, a holder 44 for holding the optical sub assembly, and a connector housing 42 at its tip side. The optical sub assembly includes a sleeve 12s. The sleeve is a cylindrical shape extending in a first direction to accommodate a ferrule attached at the tip of an optical fiber in the inner hole. The sleeve has a built-in stub holding the optical fiber. Through physical contact of the ferrule with the stub in the sleeve, the optical fiber and the optical element of the optical assembly are coupled optically.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector assembly, and more particularly to an optical connector assembly for coupling a ferrule in an optical transceiver and a sleeve of an optical subassembly.

  As an optical transceiver, an optical transceiver described in Non-Patent Document 1 below is known. The optical transceiver includes an optical transmission subassembly, an optical reception subassembly, and an optical receptacle. An optical connector plug from the outside is inserted into the optical receptacle. The optical connector plug is optically coupled to the optical transmission subassembly and the optical reception subassembly.

"CFP MSA Draft 1.0", [Online], March 23, 2009, [August 27, 2010 search], Internet <http://www.cfp-msa.org/Documents/CFP-MSA- DRAFT-rev-1-0.pdf>

  An attempt has been made to provide a plurality of optical transmission subassemblies and a plurality of optical reception subassemblies in the optical transceiver as described above so that a high-speed optical signal can be handled by the wavelength division multiplexing technique. In this attempt, the optical transceiver includes an optical multiplexer and an optical demultiplexer between the optical receptacle and the plurality of optical transmission subassemblies and the plurality of optical reception subassemblies.

  In such an optical transceiver, it is conceivable to use an optical fiber for optical coupling between the optical multiplexer and the optical transmission subassembly, and optical coupling between the optical demultiplexer and the optical reception subassembly. In the case of using an optical fiber, it is conceivable to perform optical coupling between the optical multiplexer and the optical transmission subassembly and optical coupling between the optical demultiplexer and the optical reception subassembly by optical connector connection.

  However, in an optical transceiver equipped with a plurality of optical transmission and reception subassemblies, a large number of parts need to be accommodated in the optical transceiver housing, so that the space that can be secured for connecting optical connectors is limited. Yes.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector assembly that can achieve an optical connector connection even in a limited space.

  An optical connector assembly according to one aspect of the present invention includes a ferrule, an optical subassembly, a holder, a spring, and a connector housing. The ferrule holds the optical fiber and includes a flange. The optical subassembly is for transmitting or receiving light. The optical subassembly has a sleeve. The sleeve defines an inner hole extending in the first direction and receives the ferrule in the inner hole. The holder is a component that houses the sleeve. The holder has a pair of first arms extending in the first direction. The pair of first arms are provided on both sides of the sleeve in a second direction that intersects the first direction. The spring has one end that contacts the flange and biases the ferrule against the sleeve. The connector housing has a base that provides a surface against which the other end of the spring abuts, and a pair of second arms that extend in the first direction and engage with the pair of first arms. This optical connector assembly can be mounted in a narrow space. In addition, the nail | claw may be provided in the 1st arm and the opening which a nail | claw engages may be provided in the 2nd arm.

  In one embodiment, the pair of first arms is located between the pair of second arms, the pair of second arms are separated from each other, and one end of each of the pair of second arms is a base. It may be supported by. According to this aspect, the distance between the free ends of the pair of second arms is increased by the first arm until the first arm is engaged with the second arm.

  In one embodiment, the pair of second arms may include a portion facing the pair of first arms in the first direction and a third direction orthogonal to the second direction. According to this aspect, the movement of the first arm can be restricted in the third direction.

  In one embodiment, the optical connector assembly may further comprise a ferrule stopper. In this embodiment, the ferrule stopper is attached to the connector housing and faces the surface of the flange opposite to the surface with which one end of the spring abuts. According to this aspect, it is possible to prevent the ferrule from dropping from the connector housing.

  In one embodiment, the optical connector assembly may comprise a plurality of optical subassemblies. The holder may define a plurality of slots for accommodating sleeves of the plurality of optical subassemblies, and the holder may have a pair of first arms for each of the plurality of slots.

  In one embodiment, the connector housing may be made of plastic. In one embodiment, the ferrule stopper may be made of sheet metal.

  In one embodiment, the sleeve has a cylindrical shape, and may include a small-diameter portion having a smaller diameter than a portion of the sleeve adjacent in the first direction. The holder may have a holding portion that defines a space through which the small diameter portion passes. The holding portion may be in contact with the portion of the sleeve adjacent to the small diameter portion. The space defined by the holding portion is closed on one side in the third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, is open on the other side, and is one side in the third direction. The width of the space in the second direction may be smaller than the diameter of the small diameter portion at a position away from the radius of the small diameter portion. According to this embodiment, the sleeve can be reliably held by the holding portion.

  As described above, according to the present invention, an optical connector assembly that can achieve an optical connector connection even in a limited space is provided.

It is a perspective view of the optical transceiver concerning one embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the optical transceiver shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the 2nd housing part and the front cover from the optical transceiver shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the 1st housing part concerning one embodiment. It is a perspective view showing an optical connector assembly concerning one embodiment. It is a perspective view of the holder which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a top view at the time of seeing the holder concerning one embodiment from back. It is a perspective view of the assembly containing a ferrule, a connector housing, a ferrule stopper, and a spring. It is a disassembled perspective view of the assembly shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the connector housing of one embodiment. It is sectional drawing which follows the XI-XI line of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the optical connector assembly which concerns on another embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the following description, an example in which the optical connector assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied to an optical transceiver will be described. However, the optical connector assembly is not limited to an optical transceiver and can be used in various optical communication modules.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical transceiver according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the optical transceiver shown in FIG. In the following description, the term “front” is used as a term indicating the direction, and the term “rear” is used as a term indicating the opposite direction. . Further, the front-rear direction may be referred to as a first direction. Further, “second direction” or “width direction” is used as a term indicating a direction intersecting the front-rear direction (first direction) and in which the optical transmission sub-assemblies or the optical reception sub-assemblies are arranged. In addition, “third direction” or “vertical direction” is used as a word indicating a direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction.

  The optical transceiver 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may include an optical connector assembly C10. The optical trisaver 10 includes, as its constituent elements, an optical transmission subassembly (TOSA) 12T, an optical reception subassembly (ROSA) 12R, a circuit board 16, a housing 20, an optical receptacle assembly 18, a shield sheet 22, a front cover 24, optical A multiplexer 26, an optical demultiplexer 28, a plug connector 30, a pair of plug holders 32, a front tray 38, a rear tray 40, a connector housing 42, a holder 44, and a screw 46 may be provided. In the following description, the optical transmission subassembly and the optical reception subassembly may be collectively referred to as an optical subassembly 12.

  The optical transceiver 10 is used by connecting the electrical connector portion 30a of the plug connector 30 to the electrical connector socket of the host system. The optical transceiver 10 is fixed to the host system by screwing screws 46 into the host system.

  The optical transceiver 10 includes four TOSA 12Ts. The TOSA 12T converts an electrical signal from the circuit board 16 into an optical signal. The TOSA 12T may comprise a semiconductor laser. In addition, the optical transceiver 10 may include a ROSA 12R. The ROSA 12R converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal and outputs the electrical signal to the circuit board. ROSA 12R may comprise a photodiode.

  In the optical transceiver 10, the TOSA 12T is arranged in the second direction on one side (ie, the transmitting side) in the second direction (Y direction), and the ROSA 12R is arranged on the other side (ie, the receiving side). , Arranged in the second direction. The optical transceiver 10 generates four optical signals having different wavelengths by the four TOSA 12Ts, and the multiplexed optical signal generated by multiplexing these four optical signals is sent to an optical connector plug from the outside. Can be provided. In addition, the optical transceiver 10 can separate the multiplexed optical signal from the optical connector plug into four optical signals and provide the four optical signals to the four ROSA 12R.

  The TOSA 12T and the ROSA 12R are electrically connected to the circuit board 16. More specifically, the TOSA 12T and the ROSA 12R can be connected to the front end of the circuit board 16. The circuit board 16 may have a card edge connector 16a at the rear end. The card edge connector 16 a is inserted into the socket portion 30 b of the plug connector 30 and is electrically connected to the electrical connector portion 30 a of the plug connector 30. The electrical connector portion 30a of the plug connector 30 is connected to an electrical connector socket of the host system. The plug connector 30 is fixed to the housing 20 via a pair of plug holders 32.

  The housing 20 is provided so as to cover components of the optical transceiver such as the TOSA 12T, the ROSA 12R, and the circuit board 16. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 20 includes a first housing part 48 and a second housing part 50. The housing 20 is configured by combining a first housing part 48 and a second housing part 50 with each other. The first housing part 48 and the second housing part 50 are separable from each other in the vertical direction (third direction, Z direction). The first housing part 48 is provided so as to cover the circuit board 16 from the one board surface side, and the second housing part 50 is provided so as to cover the circuit board 16 from the other board surface side. The first housing part 48 and the second housing part 50 are metal members. The first housing part 48 and the second housing part 50 may be, for example, aluminum members plated with Ni.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state where the second housing portion and the front cover are removed from the optical transceiver shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first housing portion according to the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first housing portion 48 defines a first region R1, a second region R2, and a third region R3 in order from the front to the rear. The first region R1 includes an optical receptacle mounting region R4 for mounting an optical receptacle in the central portion in the second direction (width direction, Y direction). The third region R3 is used as a circuit board mounting region for mounting the circuit board 16. Further, the rear tray 40 is mounted between the circuit board 16 and the first housing portion 48 in the third region R3.

  As shown in FIG. 3, an optical multiplexer 26 and an optical demultiplexer 28 are mounted on both sides of the optical receptacle mounting region R4 in the first region R1, respectively. More specifically, the optical multiplexer 26 is mounted on the transmitting side with respect to the optical receptacle mounting region R4, and the optical demultiplexer 28 is mounted on the receiving side with respect to the optical receptacle mounting region R4.

  In the second region R2, a front tray 38, a connector housing 42, and a holder 44 are mounted in order from the front side in the first direction (X direction). The front tray 38 and the holder 44 can be fixed to the first housing portion 48 with screws or the like.

  The optical multiplexer 26 is a component that multiplexes optical signals from the four TOSA 12Ts. The optical multiplexer 26 includes four first optical fibers F1 that connect the optical multiplexer 26 and the four TOSA 12T, and a second optical fiber F2 that connects between the optical multiplexer 26 and the optical receptacle. (See FIG. 2). A sleeve is provided at the tip of the second optical fiber F2.

  The first optical fiber F1 passes through the groove GF1 formed in the bottom surface on the transmission side of the first housing portion 48, and is directed to the reception side by being guided by the rear tray 40 in the third region R3. It goes to the front, is further guided by the front tray 38, goes to the transmission side, goes further to the back, and is wired to the corresponding connector housing 42. The first optical fiber F <b> 1 is held at its tip by the connector housing 42.

  The second optical fiber F2 passes through the groove GF1 and is guided by the rear tray 40 in the third region R3 to go to the reception side, and then to the front side, and then to the bottom side on the transmission side of the first housing portion 48. Wiring is made to the optical receptacle mounting region R4 through the groove GF2 or the groove GF3 formed in (1).

  The first optical fiber F1 and the second optical fiber F2 guided by the groove GF1 and the rear tray 40, and the groove GF3 or GF2, the front tray 38, the connector housing 42, the holder 44, and the circuit board 16 and the first optical fiber F1. It is located between the housing part 48. Accordingly, the first optical fiber F1 and the second optical fiber F2 are prevented from being lifted from the first housing portion 48.

  The optical demultiplexer 28 is a component that separates the multiplexed optical signal from the optical connector plug into a plurality of optical signals and provides the plurality of optical signals to the corresponding ROSA 12R. The optical demultiplexer 28 includes four third optical fibers F3 that connect the optical demultiplexer 28 and the four ROSA 12R, and a fourth optical fiber F4 that connects between the demultiplexer 28 and the optical receptacle. And have.

  The third optical fiber F3 passes through the groove GF4 formed in the bottom surface on the receiving side of the first housing portion 48, and is directed to the transmitting side by being guided by the rear tray 40 in the third region R3. It goes to the front side, is further guided by the front tray 38, goes to the receiving side, goes back further, and is wired to the corresponding connector housing 42. The distal end of the third optical fiber F3 is held by the connector housing 42.

  Further, the fourth optical fiber F4 passes through the groove GF4 and is guided by the rear tray 40 in the third region R3 to go to the transmission side, and then to the front side, and further to the bottom surface of the first housing portion 48. Is routed to the optical receptacle mounting region R4 through the groove GF5 or the groove GF6.

  The groove GF4 and the rear tray 40, and the third optical fiber F3 and the fourth optical fiber F4 guided by the groove GF5 or GF6 are connected to the front tray 38, the connector housing 42, the holder 44, and the circuit board 16 and the first optical fiber F4. It is located between the housing part 48. Therefore, the third optical fiber and the fourth optical fiber are prevented from being lifted from the first housing portion 48.

  In the optical transceiver 10, the connector housing 42 is engaged with the front tray 38 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The TOSA 12T and the ROSA 12R are held by a holder 44. In this optical transceiver 10, when the connector housing 42 moves rearward and the connector housing 42 engages with the holder 44, the first optical fiber F1 and the TOSA 12T are optically coupled, and the third optical fiber F3. And ROSA 12R are optically coupled. Details of the optical connector connection will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first housing portion 48 includes a first wall W1 that defines an optical receptacle mounting region R4. The first wall W1 extends along a plane that intersects the first direction, and defines an optical receptacle mounting region R4 from the rear side.

  A pair of first grooves GS1 and a pair of second grooves GS2 are formed in the first wall W1. The pitch between the first grooves GS1 is substantially the same as the pitch between the grooves GF2 and GF5. One of the first grooves GS1 and the groove GF2 are provided along a straight line extending in the first direction. The other of the first grooves GS2 and the groove GF5 are provided along another straight line extending in the first direction.

  Furthermore, the pitch between the second grooves GS2 is substantially the same as the pitch between the grooves GF3 and GF6. Further, one of the second grooves GS2 and the groove GF3 are provided along a straight line extending in the first direction. The other of the second grooves GS2 and the groove GF6 are provided along another straight line extending in the first direction.

  In one embodiment, the first housing portion 48 may further include a pair of second walls W2 that define the optical receptacle mounting region R4 from both sides in the second direction. A groove GR is formed in each of the second walls W2.

  As described above, the optical receptacle is mounted in the optical receptacle mounting region R4 defined by the first wall W1 and the second wall W2. As shown in FIG. 2, the optical receptacle assembly 18 includes an optical receptacle 52, a shield sheet 22, and a sleeve 54.

  The sleeve 54 is a member provided at the tips of the optical fibers F2 and F4. The sleeve 54 is made of metal, for example. The sleeve 54 has a cylindrical shape extending in the first direction. The sleeve 54 has a stub that holds the ends of the optical fibers F2 and F4 in its inner hole. The sleeve 54 optically couples the optical connector plug from the outside with the TOSA 12T and the ROSA 12R. More specifically, when the ferrule of the optical connector plug from the outside is received in the inner hole of the sleeve, the optical fiber held by the ferrule and the optical fiber F2 or F4 are optically coupled. As a result, the optical connector plug is optically coupled to the TOSA 12T and ROSA 12R.

  The optical receptacle 52 is a resin part. The optical receptacle 52 defines two spaces for coupling the optical connector plug and the sleeve 54. The optical receptacle 52 has a plurality of walls that define these spaces.

  The shield sheet 22 is sandwiched between the rear wall portion of the optical receptacle 52 and the first wall W 1 of the first housing portion 48. The shield sheet 22 may be a conductive nonwoven fabric, for example.

  The thus configured optical receptacle assembly 18 is mounted in the optical receptacle mounting region R4. More specifically, a part of the sleeve 54 passes through the groove GS1, and the optical receptacle 52 is mounted in the optical receptacle mounting region R4. The optical receptacle 52 in this example is an SC type optical receptacle capable of latching an SC type optical connector plug. In one embodiment, an LC-type optical receptacle may be mounted as the optical receptacle 52 in the optical receptacle mounting region R4. In the case of the LC type optical receptacle 52, a part of the sleeve 54 passes through the groove GS2.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front cover 24 is attached to the front end wall of the first housing portion 48 using screws 60. The front cover 24 is attached to the front end wall of the first housing portion 48 so that the open end of the optical receptacle 52 is exposed. The front cover 24 presses the optical receptacle 52 toward the first wall W1. Thereby, the shield sheet 22 is sandwiched between the rear wall portion of the optical receptacle 52 and the first wall W1 of the first housing portion 48.

  Hereinafter, the optical connector connection employed in the optical transceiver 10, that is, the optical connector assembly C10 will be described. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an optical connector assembly according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the optical connector assembly C10 includes an optical subassembly 12, a connector housing 42, a holder 44, a spring 72, and a ferrule (not shown in FIG. 4). Further, the optical connector assembly C10 may include a ferrule stopper 70.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the optical subassembly 12 has an optical element inside a package 12p. This optical element can be a semiconductor laser in the case of TOSA 12T and a photodiode in the case of ROSA 12R.

  The optical subassembly 12 has a sleeve 12s attached to the package 12p. The sleeve 12s has a cylindrical shape extending in the first direction. The sleeve 12s receives the ferrule attached to the tips of the optical fibers F1 and F3 in its inner hole. A stub holding an optical fiber is built in the sleeve 12s. The optical coupling between the optical fibers F1 and F3 and the optical elements of the optical subassembly 12 is achieved by the physical contact between the ferrule and the stub inside the sleeve 12s.

  The sleeve 12s includes a front part 12d, a flange 12e, a small diameter part 12f, a flange 12g, and a rear part 12h. The flange 12e, the small diameter portion 12f, and the flange 12g are provided between the front portion 12d and the rear portion 12h in the first direction. The front portion 12 d is accommodated in the slot of the holder 44. The small diameter portion 12f is provided between the flange 12e and the flange 12g. The small diameter portion 12f has a smaller diameter than the adjacent flanges 12e and 12g.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a holder according to an embodiment. The holder 44 has four slots 44a corresponding to the number of optical subassemblies 12 (the number of each of the TOSA 12T and the ROSA 12R). A pair of arms (first arms) 44b are provided on both sides of each slot in the second direction. The pair of arms 44b extends in the first direction.

  A protrusion 44g that engages with the connector housing 42 is provided on the outer surface of the arm 44b, that is, the outer surface of the corresponding slot 44a. The protrusion 44g is engaged with the opening 42g of the connector housing 42, whereby the connector housing 42 and the holder 44 are coupled.

  A slit 44 e is formed in the rear portion of the holder 44. The slit 44e is defined by a main portion 44m that defines a slot 44a and a rear wall 44h. A flange 12e is disposed in the slit 44e. The flange 12e contacts the rear wall 44h when the holder 44 and the connector housing 42 are engaged.

  The rear wall 44h is formed with a space 44i through which the small diameter portion 12f is passed. That is, the rear wall 44h has a function as a holding portion that defines the space 44i. Drawing 7 is a top view at the time of seeing the holder concerning one embodiment from back. As shown in FIG. 7, the space 44i defined by the rear wall 44h is closed on the lower side and opened on the upper side.

  Further, the outline of the space 44i has a horseshoe shape. That is, the space 44i has a width W smaller than the diameter of the small diameter portion 12f at a position away from the radius of the small diameter portion 12f from the bottom. By passing the small diameter portion 12f through the space 44i having such a shape, the optical subassembly 12 can be held by the holder 44.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an assembly including a ferrule, a connector housing, a ferrule stopper, and a spring. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a connector housing according to an embodiment.

  The connector housing 42 shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 is a member for holding the tip of the optical fiber F1 or F3. The connector housing 42 can be made of plastic, for example. The connector housing 42 has a base 42a and a pair of arms (second arms) 42b.

  The base 42a defines a space 42c through which the optical fiber F1 or F3 passes. The pair of arms 42b define a space 42d in which a ferrule 74 attached to the tip of the optical fiber F1 or F3 is disposed.

  The pair of arms 42b extends in the first direction from both edges of the base portion 42a in the second direction. The pair of arms 42b are provided at intervals at which the corresponding pair of arms 44b are positioned between the pair of arms 42b when the connector housing 42 and the holder 44 are engaged. An opening 42g is formed in the pair of arms 42b. A protrusion 44g of the holder 44 is engaged with the opening 42g. The pair of arms 42b are separated from each other, and their base ends are supported by the base 42a. During the operation of engaging the connector housing 42 and the holder 44, the free ends of the pair of arms 42b are moved by the pair of arms 44b until the projection 44g of the arm 44b is engaged with the opening 42g of the arm 42b. Is spread outward in the direction of. Thereby, the workability | operativity of the coupling | bonding in the narrow space of the connector housing 42 and the holder 44 is improved.

  Further, the pair of arms 42b has a protruding portion 42f. The projecting portion 42f extends in the second direction from the upper and lower edges of the pair of arms 42b. The protrusion 42f faces the edge extending in the first direction of the arm 44b of the holder 44 from above and below. Thereby, the workability | operativity of the coupling | bonding in the narrow space of the connector housing 42 and the holder 44 is improved. Further, the movement of the arm 44b within the space 42d of the connector housing 42 is restricted.

  The ferrule 74 holds the tip of the optical fiber in its inner hole. The ferrule 74 is provided with a flange 74f having a larger diameter than other portions in the first direction of the ferrule. A spring 72 is attached to the ferrule 74. In this example, the spring 72 is a coil spring, and the ferrule 74 passes through the internal space defined by the spring 72. One end of the spring 72 is in contact with one surface of the flange 74f. The other end of the spring 72 is in contact with the surface 42e of the base 42a. The surface 42e is provided along the boundary between the space 42c and the space 42d.

  The ferrule stopper 70 is a member that prevents the ferrule 74 from falling off the connector housing 42. Ferrule stopper 70 may be a sheet metal member. The ferrule stopper 70 includes a first portion 70a and a pair of second portions 70b.

  The first portion 70a faces the surface 42e of the base portion 42a. A hole 70d through which the tip of the ferrule 74 can pass is formed in the first portion 70a. The diameter of the hole 70d is smaller than the diameter of the flange 74f. The second portion 70 b is a portion extending from a pair of edges (upper and lower edges) of the first portion 70 a toward the base portion 42 a of the connector housing 42. A claw 70c is provided at the tip of the second portion 70b. The base portion 42a is formed with an engaging portion 42q with which the claw 70c of the ferrule stopper 70 is engaged.

  When the tip of the ferrule 74 attached to the connector housing 42 is passed through the hole 70d of the ferrule stopper 70 and the ferrule stopper 70 is engaged with the connector housing 42, the other surface of the flange 74f of the ferrule 74 is the ferrule stopper. The ferrule 74 is prevented from coming off from the connector housing 42 by abutting against the first portion 70 a of the 70.

  Further, grooves 42h extending in the first direction are formed on both side surfaces of the base portion 42a of the connector housing 42. The fingers of the front tray 38 are disposed in the groove 42h. Thereby, the connector housing 42 can move in the front-rear direction.

  In the base portion 42a, a groove 42m and a groove 42n are formed on the wall surface defining the groove 42h. The groove 42n is provided at a position closer to the front tray 38 than the groove 42m. In this example, the groove 42n and the groove 42m are defined by protrusions provided with protrusions on the wall surface that defines the groove 42h.

  When the connector housing 42 is moved with respect to the front tray 38 and the hook at the front end of the finger of the front tray 38 is engaged with the groove 42m, the connector housing 42 approaches the front tray 38, and the optical subassembly 12 and the holder 44 are moved. Move to a position where there is no interference. Thereby, the efficiency of the operation | work which mounts the optical subassembly 12 in a narrow space is improved.

  On the other hand, when the hook at the front end of the finger of the front tray 38 is engaged with the groove 42n, the connector housing 42 is engaged with the holder 44, and the position of the front end surface of the ferrule 74 is the same as that when engaged with the optical subassembly 12. Move to position.

  11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, when the connector housing 42 and the holder 44 are engaged, the tip of the ferrule 74 is inserted into the inner hole of the sleeve 12s, and the tip of the ferrule 74 and the tip of the stub 12u in the sleeve 12s are physically connected. Touch. At this time, the other end of the spring 72 is in contact with the surface 42e of the connector housing 42, and one end of the spring 72 is in contact with the flange 74f to urge the ferrule 74 toward the optical subassembly 12. Thereby, a reliable optical connector connection between the optical fibers F1 and F3 and the optical subassembly 12 is established even in a narrow space.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an optical connector assembly C10A according to another embodiment. The optical connector assembly C10A differs from the optical connector assembly C10 in that only one protrusion is provided in the groove 42h of the connector housing 42A. For example, when the size of the optical subassembly 12 is increased in order to handle a higher-speed optical signal, there may be no space for moving the connector housing 42 back and forth. In such a case, the optical connector assembly C10A can be employed. In the optical connector assembly C10A, when the connector housing 42 and the holder 44 are engaged, the hook at the tip of the finger of the front tray 38 is engaged with the protrusion of the groove 42h.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Optical transceiver, 12 ... Optical subassembly, 12T ... Optical transmission subassembly (TOSA), 12R ... Optical reception subassembly (ROSA), 12d ... Front part, 12e ... Flange, 12f ... Small diameter part, 12g ... Flange, 12h ... rear part, 12p ... package, 12s ... sleeve, 12u ... stub, 16 ... circuit board, 18 ... optical receptacle assembly, 20 ... housing, 22 ... shield sheet, 24 ... front cover, 26 ... optical multiplexer, 28 ... optical device Multiplexer, 30 ... plug connector, 30a ... electrical connector, 30b ... socket, 32 ... plug holder, 38 ... front tray, 40 ... rear tray, 42 ... connector housing, 42a ... base, 42b ... arm (second arm) 42e ... surface, 42f ... projecting portion, 42g ... opening 42q ... engaging portion, 44 ... holder, 44a ... slot, 44b ... arm, 44e ... slit, 44g ... projection, 44h ... rear wall, 44i ... space, 44m ... main part, 48 ... first housing part, 50 ... 2nd housing part, 52 ... Optical receptacle, 54 ... Sleeve, 70 Ferrule stopper, 72 ... Spring, 74 ... Ferrule, 74f ... Flange, C10 ... Optical connector assembly.

Claims (8)

A ferrule that holds an optical fiber and includes a flange;
An optical subassembly for transmitting or receiving light, the optical subassembly including a sleeve defining an inner bore extending in a first direction for receiving the ferrule;
A holder for housing the sleeve, the holder having a pair of first arms extending in the first direction on both sides of the sleeve in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
A spring having one end in contact with the flange and biasing the ferrule against the sleeve;
A base that provides a surface against which the other end of the spring abuts; a connector housing having a pair of second arms extending in the first direction and engaged with the pair of first arms;
An optical connector assembly comprising: The pair of first arms is located between the pair of second arms,
The pair of second arms are separated from each other, and one end of each of the pair of second arms is supported by the base.
The optical connector assembly according to claim 1.   The pair of second arms includes a portion facing the pair of first arms in the first direction and a third direction orthogonal to the second direction. Optical connector assembly.   The ferrule stopper attached to the connector housing is further provided to face the surface of the flange opposite to the surface of the flange with which the one end of the spring abuts. An optical connector assembly as described. With multiple optical subassemblies,
The holder defines a plurality of slots for receiving sleeves of the plurality of optical subassemblies;
The holder has the pair of first arms for each of the plurality of slots.
The optical connector assembly as described in any one of Claims 1-4.   The optical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connector housing is made of plastic.   The optical connector assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ferrule stopper is made of sheet metal. The sleeve has a cylindrical shape and includes a small-diameter portion having a smaller diameter than an adjacent portion in the first direction;
The holder has a holding portion that defines a space through which the small diameter portion passes,
The holding portion is in contact with the portion adjacent to the small diameter portion,
The space defined by the holding portion is closed on one side in the third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and is open on the other side,
In the third direction, the width of the space in the second direction is smaller than the diameter of the small diameter portion at a position away from the radius of the small diameter portion from the bottom on the one side.
The optical connector assembly as described in any one of Claims 1-7.

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