JP2012230159A - Optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical connector capable of highly accurately positioning a collimator lens and an optical fiber without the need of a troublesome assembling process.SOLUTION: The optical connector comprises: a metal holding member (11) including a storage part for storing a collimator lens (12) formed at one end and an insertion hole in which an optical fiber (13) is inserted, formed at the other end; and a resin joint (14) comprising a through-hole that includes a first insertion hole (14a) in which the holding member (11) is inserted, formed at one end, a second insertion hole in which the optical fiber (13) is inserted, formed at the other end, and an optica fiber holding area formed at a part of the through-hole. At least one of the collimater lens (12) and the end face of the optical fiber (13) is brought into contat with a sunken part formed near the storage part of the holding member (11) to be positioned. An optical fiber fixing part (14c) for storing an optical fiber fixing member (15) is formed on the optical fiber holding area in the resin joint (14).

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector using an optical collimator.

  When an optical fiber and various optical devices are coupled using an optical connector, a technique for improving coupling efficiency using a lens is proposed, and an optical collimator that couples one or a plurality of optical fibers is applied.

  In such an optical collimator, it is necessary to position the end face of the optical fiber and the collimator lens. Conventionally, as a method of positioning the end face of the optical fiber and the collimator lens, a method of inserting a separate spacer into the holding member is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Further, as a method for assembling an optical connector, a method using a wedge member necessary for inserting an optical fiber into a ferrule is known (for example, see Patent Document 2).

JP 2007-244104 A JP-A-11-133270

  Optical connectors used for applications that combine optical fibers with various optical devices have small dimensions on the shape surface, and maintain the positional relationship between the optical fiber and the collimator lens even if the device is repeatedly inserted and removed. Is required.

  However, when a separate part is used for positioning the end face of the optical fiber and the collimator lens as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the number of parts increases and the assembly process becomes complicated. Further, the operation of inserting another part into the holding member becomes more difficult as the size of the optical connector becomes smaller, and there is a problem that the cost required for the operation increases.

  In addition, as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, when another part such as a wedge member is used when assembling an optical connector, the number of parts further increases and the assembly process becomes more complicated. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector capable of aligning a collimator lens and an optical fiber with high accuracy without requiring a complicated assembly process.

  The optical connector of the present invention has a metal holding member in which a receiving portion for receiving a collimator lens is formed at one end, an insertion hole into which an optical fiber is inserted is formed at the other end, and the holding member is inserted at one end. A first insertion hole is formed, a second insertion hole is formed at the other end of the optical fiber, and an optical fiber gripping region is formed in a part of the through hole. An optical connector including a resin joint, wherein the collimator lens and at least one of the end faces of the optical fiber are brought into contact with a depressed portion formed in the vicinity of the holding portion of the holding member, and positioning is performed. An optical fiber fixing portion for accommodating an optical fiber fixing member is formed on the optical fiber gripping region of the resin joint.

  According to the above optical connector, since at least one of the collimator lens and the optical fiber is positioned in contact with the depressed portion provided in the holding member, the collimator lens and / or the optical fiber is used with the depressed portion as a reference. Since the positioning can be performed, the working efficiency can be improved as compared with the case where another part is inserted into the holding member as in the prior art, and the increase in cost is suppressed, and the collimator lens and the optical fiber can be easily connected. Positioning can be performed. Moreover, since the optical fiber fixing part for accommodating the optical fiber fixing member is formed on the optical fiber holding region in the resin joint, the optical fiber positioned with a small number of parts can be firmly fixed. As a result, the collimator lens and the optical fiber can be aligned with high accuracy without requiring a complicated assembly process.

  For example, in the optical connector, a part of the optical fiber holding region is opened to the optical fiber fixing unit side, and a part of the optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber holding region is at the bottom of the optical fiber fixing unit. It is possible to be exposed. In this case, since the optical fiber is pressed from above by the bottom surface of the optical fiber fixing member accommodated in the optical fiber fixing portion, the positioned optical fiber can be firmly fixed.

  Moreover, the said optical connector WHEREIN: The said optical fiber fixing member may have a convex part accommodated in the said optical fiber fixing | fixed part, and a plane part arrange | positioned at the upper surface of the said resin coupling. In this case, since the optical fiber fixing member has a simple structure, it is possible to reduce the cost required for manufacturing the optical fiber fixing member.

  Furthermore, in the optical connector, the optical fiber fixing member is exposed from a fixing portion having a substantially U-shaped cross section housed in the optical fiber fixing portion, a part of the resin joint, and the second insertion hole. A bundling portion that binds a part of the optical fiber. In this case, since the binding portion in the optical fiber fixing member binds a part of the resin joint and a part of the optical fiber exposed from the second insertion hole, the connection strength can be further increased. Moreover, since the fixing portion and the bundling portion are an optical fiber fixing member, the number of components can be reduced.

  Further, in the optical connector, a plurality of the first insertion holes may be provided in parallel. In this case, even an optical connector loaded with a plurality of optical fibers can be obtained with a simple assembly process.

  Further, in the optical connector, a fitting portion that fits with the fitting portion on the device side when connected to a device may be provided on the outer periphery of the resin joint. In this case, since the misalignment of the optical connector inserted in the device can be prevented by the fitted portion provided in a part of the resin joint, it is possible to improve the connection between the optical connector and the device. Become.

  Furthermore, in the optical connector, the optical fiber may be a plastic optical fiber. In this case, since the material is flexible, it can be suppressed from above by the optical fiber fixing member, and the number of parts can be suppressed.

  According to the present invention, the collimator lens and the optical fiber can be aligned with high accuracy without requiring a complicated assembly process.

It is a sectional side view which shows typically the state which connected the optical connector which concerns on this invention to the device. 1 is an external perspective view of an optical connector according to a first embodiment. It is a sectional side view of the optical connector which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the resin joint in the first embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a side sectional view of the resin joint in the first embodiment. It is a side view of the optical collimator in a 1st embodiment. It is sectional drawing in AA shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view within a two-dot chain line B shown in FIG. 6. It is explanatory drawing which shows the assembly process of the optical connector which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the assembly process of the optical connector which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the assembly process of the optical connector which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is an external appearance perspective view of the optical connector which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a sectional side view of the optical connector which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First, a state where the optical connector according to the present invention is connected to a device will be described. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view schematically showing a state in which an optical connector according to the present invention is connected to a device. In FIG. 1, for convenience of explanation, a device including a light receiving / light emitting element will be described. However, the configuration of the device is not limited to this and can be appropriately changed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a device 100 to which an optical connector 10 according to the present invention is connected has a light receiving / light emitting element 101 disposed inside a case 102 and is not shown on the optical axis of the light receiving / light emitting element 101. The condensing lens 103 and the oblique polishing surface 104 supported by the supporting means are arranged. An opening 105 for inserting the optical connector 10 is provided on the side surface of the case 102 in the device 100.

  In the device 100, the laser light emitted from the light emitting element 101 is reflected by the oblique polishing surface 104 via the condenser lens 103 and guided to the opening 105. The light reflected by the oblique polishing surface 104 is collected by the collimator lens 12 of the optical connector 10 and enters the optical fiber 13. Then, the incident light propagates through the optical fiber 13. In FIG. 1, the optical path of the laser light emitted from the light emitting element 101 is indicated by a dotted line.

  In the device 100, light propagating through the optical fiber 13 is collimated by passing through the collimator lens 12. The laser light emitted from the optical fiber 13 is reflected by the oblique polishing surface 104 and guided to the light receiving element 101 via the condenser lens 103. In FIG. 1, the optical path of the laser beam emitted from the optical fiber 13 is indicated by a dotted line.

  In the device 100 according to the present embodiment, when the optical connector 10 is inserted to a predetermined position in the case 102, the laser light transmitted between the light receiving / light emitting element 101 and the optical fiber 13 is reflected by the condenser lens 103 and the oblique direction. It is designed so that it can enter and exit appropriately through the polishing surface 104. Hereinafter, the configuration of the optical connector 10 according to the present invention connected to such a device 100 will be described.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the optical connector 10 is held by a plurality of (two in the present embodiment) holders 11 as holding members having a generally cylindrical shape, and one end of each holder 11. A collimator lens 12, a plurality of (two in the present embodiment) optical fibers 13 inserted from insertion holes 11 a provided at the other end of each holder 11, and each holder 11 and each optical fiber 13 are held. The resin coupling 14 to be fixed, the fixed binding member 15 for fixing and binding each optical fiber 13, and the jacket 16 for covering each optical fiber 13 are configured. In the optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment, a plastic optical fiber is preferably inserted as the optical fiber 13.

  The holder 11, the collimator lens 12, and the optical fiber 13 constitute an optical collimator 10a. Details of the optical collimator 10a will be described later.

  4A is a perspective view of the resin joint 14, and FIG. 4B is a side sectional view of the resin joint 14. As shown in FIG. 4A, the resin joint 14 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a through hole is provided along the longitudinal direction thereof. An insertion hole 14a into which the holder 11 is inserted is provided at one end of the through hole, and an opening 14b into which the optical fiber 13 is inserted is provided at the other end. Near the center of the resin joint 14, an optical fiber fixing portion 14c having a shape in which a part of the outer periphery of the resin joint 14 is cut into a substantially rectangular cross section is formed. Hereinafter, the portion of the resin joint 14 on the front side of the front end portion of the optical fiber fixing portion 14c is referred to as a front end portion 14d, and the portion of the resin joint 14 on the rear side of the rear end portion of the optical fiber fixing portion 14c is referred to as a rear end portion 14e. . On the outer peripheral upper surface of the distal end portion 14d, a recessed groove-shaped fitted portion 14f having a substantially right-angled cross section is formed.

  The through hole of the resin joint 14 has a holder insertion region 14g at the front end 14d, a jacket insertion region 14h on the rear end opening 14b side, and an optical fiber gripping region 14i between the holder insertion region 14g and the jacket insertion region 14h. Is provided. A plurality (two in this embodiment) of holder insertion regions 14g and optical fiber gripping regions 14i are provided corresponding to the number of optical fibers 13 to be fixed to the optical connector 10. A positioning portion 14j is provided at the boundary between the holder insertion region 14g and the optical fiber gripping region 14i. The inner diameter of the holder insertion region 14g is configured to be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the holder 11. The inner diameter of the jacket insertion region 14 h is configured to be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the jacket 16. The inner diameter of the optical fiber gripping region 14 i is configured to be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the optical fiber 13. Further, a part of the optical fiber gripping area 14i is open to the optical fiber fixing portion 14c side.

  The optical connector inserted into the device 100 by fitting the fitted portion 14f of the resin joint 14 with a convex fitting portion 105a provided on the inner periphery of the opening 105 in the device 100 (see FIG. 1). 10 is provided in order to prevent misalignment of the optical connector 10 and to improve the connection between the optical connector 10 and the device 100. Further, the optical connector 10 can be always positioned at a predetermined position in the case 102 by inserting the optical connector 10 into the device 100 until the fitted portion 14f and the fitting portion 105a are fitted. .

  The fixed binding member 15 has a substantially U-shaped cross section in the longitudinal direction, that is, a fixed portion 15a having a substantially U shape when viewed from the side of the fixed binding member 15, and a substantially U-shaped cross section in the short direction. That is, it is composed of binding portions 15b and 15c that are substantially U-shaped when viewed from the front-rear direction of the fixed binding member 15. The fixed portion 15 a is disposed on the optical fiber fixing portion 14 c of the resin joint 14. The binding portion 15 b covers a part of the upper surface, side surface, and bottom surface of the rear end portion 14 e of the resin joint 14. The binding portion 15 c covers a part of the optical fiber 13 (jacket 16) exposed from the opening 14 b of the resin joint 14. The upper surfaces of the binding portion 15b and the binding portion 15c are connected.

  The jacket 16 is formed of, for example, an elastic member or a tensile fiber, and covers all of the optical fibers 13 along the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber 13 exposed in the jacket insertion region 14h of the resin joint 14 or from the opening 14b. The jacket 16 and the optical fiber 13 are not in close contact with each other and are mounted with a gap. Therefore, even if the jacket 16 is pulled, no force is applied to the optical fiber 13, and disconnection of the optical fiber 13 can be prevented.

  Next, the optical collimator 10a composed of the holder 11, the collimator lens 12, and the optical fiber 13 used for the optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a side view of the optical collimator 10a according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG.

  The holder 11 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, for example. In particular, from the viewpoint of workability, the holder 11 is preferably formed of austenitic stainless steel. As shown in FIG. 6, an opening 11 b is provided at the end of the holder 11 on the collimator lens 12 side. A housing portion 11c for housing the collimator lens 12 is provided inside the opening portion 11b. In order to prevent damage to the surface of the collimator lens 12, the accommodating portion 11c is provided with a size that allows the entire collimator lens 12 to be accommodated therein, and the collimator lens 12 can be press-fitted. In addition, a through hole 11 d having a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the optical fiber 13 is provided inside the holder 11. The through hole 11d communicates with the insertion hole 11a and is provided in communication with the accommodating portion 11c. Furthermore, the holder 11 is provided with a plurality of depressions 11e formed by pressing from the outer peripheral portion with a tool or the like. These depressed portions 11e are provided between the accommodating portion 11c and the through hole 11d, and are used for positioning the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 as will be described in detail later.

  The collimator lens 12 is formed of, for example, a glass material and is configured by a ball lens having a spherical shape. As shown in FIG. 6, the collimator lens 12 is disposed so as to face the distal end portion of the optical fiber 13 inserted into the through hole 11 d in the state of being accommodated in the accommodating portion 11 c of the holder 11.

  The optical fiber 13 includes a core 13a provided through the center thereof, a clad 13b that covers the core 13a, and a reinforcing layer 13c that covers and reinforces the clad 13b. On the end face of the optical fiber 13 facing the collimator lens 12, the core 13a, the clad 13b and the reinforcing layer 13c are arranged on the same plane. That is, the core 13a, the clad 13b, and the reinforcing layer 13c are arranged on the end face facing the collimator lens 12.

  Further, the optical fiber 13 is inserted into the through hole 11d through the insertion hole 11a, and is fixed in a state where the tip portion is disposed in the vicinity of the collimator lens 12 so as to face the spherical surface.

  In the optical collimator 10a according to the first embodiment, the optical fiber 13 is composed of, for example, a graded index (GI) optical fiber so that the refractive index continuously changes in a cross section perpendicular to the fiber axis. It is configured. The core 13a and the clad 13b are made of, for example, an all-fluorine-substituted optical resin in which H of C—H bond is substituted with F. Thus, high-speed and large-capacity communication can be realized by configuring the optical fiber 13 with a perfluorinated optical resin and a GI-type optical fiber.

  In the optical collimator 10a according to the first embodiment having such a configuration, the holder 11 is provided to easily position the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 while suppressing an increase in cost. The depressed portion 11e is used. Specifically, by positioning the collimator lens 12 and part of the optical fiber 13 in contact with the depressed portion 11e provided in the holder 11, the configuration of these positioning spacers and the like is unnecessary, and the cost is reduced. It is possible to easily position the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 while suppressing the rise of the above.

  Here, the positioning method of the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 in the holder 11 of the optical collimator 10a according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram within the two-dot chain line B shown in FIG. FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, a part of the collimator lens 12 abuts against a portion of the depressed portion 11 e that faces the collimator lens 12, while an optical fiber 13 is configured at a portion that faces the optical fiber 13. The clad 13b or the reinforcing layer 13c other than the core 13a, or a part of the clad 13b and the reinforcing layer 13c abut. The collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 are each positioned at a predetermined position of the holder 11 in such a state of contact.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the depressed portion 11e is a plane perpendicular to the insertion direction of the optical fiber 13 (for example, a plane C that is arranged in parallel with the end surface of the optical fiber 13 shown in FIG. 7 and passes through the center of the depressed portion 11e. ), The angle of the portion facing the collimator lens 12 and the angle of the portion facing the optical fiber 13 are different from each other. Such a depressed portion 11e is provided by, for example, pressing using a tapered tool having a different tip shape. By pressing with such a tool, the depressed portion 11e is different from the angle of the portion facing the collimator lens 12 and the angle of the portion facing the optical fiber 13 with reference to the central axis at the time of pressing. By setting the angle, it is possible to effectively position the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 having different shapes.

  Further, in the optical collimator 10a according to the first embodiment, a plurality (three in the present embodiment) of such depressed portions 11e are provided on the same circumference of the holder 11. The formation of the depressed portion 11e on the same circumference can be considered, for example, by simultaneously pressing the outer circumference of the holder 11 with the tool having the different tip shape described above. By providing the plurality of depressions 11e on the same circumference as described above, the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 can be brought into contact with each other at a plurality of positions, so that the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 can be more accurately arranged. Positioning can be performed.

Portion facing the collimator lens 12 in the recess 11e constitutes an inclined surface 11e _1. The inclined surface 11e ₁ is a plane orthogonal to the insertion direction of the optical fiber 13 indicated by an arrow in FIG. 7 (for example, is disposed in parallel with the end surface of the optical fiber 13 shown in FIG. 7, and passes through the proximal end portion of the depressed portion 11e. angle theta ₁ with respect to the plane D) which is provided so as to be 0 ° to 45 °. Thus, by setting the angle θ ₁ of the inclined surface 11e ₁ on the collimator lens 12 side to 0 ° or more and 45 ° or less with respect to the plane D orthogonal to the insertion direction of the optical fiber 13, the optical fiber 13 in the collimator lens 12 is set. Since it can position in the state which supported a part of side, the positional accuracy of the collimator lens 12 can be improved.

Meanwhile, the portion facing the optical fiber 13 in the recess 11e constitutes an inclined surface 11e _2. The inclined surface 11e ₂ has an angle θ ₂ with respect to a plane orthogonal to the insertion direction of the optical fiber 13 (for example, a plane E arranged parallel to the end face of the optical fiber 13 shown in FIG. 7) of 0 ° or more and 20 ° or less. It is provided as follows. Thus, by providing the angle of the inclined surface 11e ₂ to 0 ° or more and 20 ° or less with respect to the plane E, the optical fiber 13 has the core 13a, the clad 13b, and the reinforcing layer 13c on the same plane as described above. In the case where the optical fiber 13 is arranged, the end face of the optical fiber 13 is brought into contact with the depressed portion 11e, so that the positional accuracy can be easily ensured.

  As described above, in the optical collimator 10a according to the first embodiment, a part of the collimator lens 12 and a part of the optical fiber 13 are brought into contact with the depressed portion 11e provided in the holder 11 for positioning. As a result, the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 can be positioned with reference to the depressed portion 11e, so that the working efficiency can be improved as compared with the case where another part is inserted into the holder 11 as in the prior art. It is possible to easily position the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 while suppressing an increase in cost.

  Then, the assembly process of the optical connector 10 which concerns on 1st Embodiment is demonstrated based on FIGS. 8-10 is explanatory drawing which shows the assembly process of the optical connector 10 in order. The assembly process of the optical connector 10 includes a step (a) for press-fitting the holder 11 into the resin joint 14, a step (b) for inserting the optical fiber 13, a step (c) for attaching the jacket 16, and a fixed binding member 15. (D). Hereinafter, each step will be described in detail.

[Step (a)]
First, as shown in FIG. 8, the holder 11 is press-fitted from the insertion hole 14 a of the resin joint 14. The collimator lens 12 is positioned and accommodated in the accommodating portion 11c of the holder 11 while being in contact with the depressed portion 11e. The holder 11 press-fitted from the insertion hole 14a stops when the insertion hole 11a of the holder 11 comes into contact with the positioning portion 14j. At this time, the holder 11 is positioned at a predetermined position.

[Step (b)]
Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the optical fiber 13 is inserted from the opening 14 b of the resin joint 14. The optical fiber 13 is guided by the inner diameter of the resin joint 14 and reaches the insertion hole 11a of the holder 11, and is guided by the inner diameter of the holder 11 and reaches the depressed portion 11e. The insertion operation ends when the optical fiber 13 comes into contact with the depressed portion 11e. At this time, the optical fiber 13 is positioned at a predetermined position. When the optical fiber 13 is loaded in the optical fiber gripping region 14i, the optical fiber 13 is disposed so that a part of the optical fiber 13 is exposed at the bottom of the optical fiber fixing portion 14c.

[Step (c)]
Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the jacket 16 is mounted so as to cover the entire optical fiber 13 along the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber 13 exposed in the jacket insertion region 14 h of the resin joint 14 or from the opening 14 b. However, in FIG. 10, a part of the jacket 16 is omitted.

  In the case of using the optical fiber 13 covered with the jacket 16 in advance, before the step (b) of inserting the optical fiber 13, the portion of the jacket 16 loaded in the holder 11 and the optical fiber gripping region 14 i is peeled off. The optical fiber 13 is exposed. As shown in FIG. 10, the optical fiber 13 with the jacket 16 with the end exposed in this way is inserted from the opening 14b of the resin joint 14 as in the case of the steps (b) and (c). The state can be obtained.

[Step (d)]
Finally, the fixed portion 15a of the fixed binding member 15 is disposed in the optical fiber fixing portion 14c of the resin joint 14, and the binding portion 15b and the binding portion 15c are exposed from the rear end portion 14e and the opening portion 14b of the resin joint 14. The optical connector 10 shown in FIG. 3 is obtained by covering a part of the optical fiber 13 (jacket 16). The fixing portion 15a fixes the optical fiber 13 by being pressed from above the optical fiber fixing portion 14c. That is, the plurality of optical fibers 13 loaded in the optical fiber gripping region 14i and arranged so that the head protrudes from the bottom of the optical fiber fixing portion 14c is pressed from above by the fixing portion 15a and fixed at a time. . Further, the bundling portion 15b and the bundling portion 15c are caulked to fix the resin joint 14 and the jacket 16 by pressing both side surfaces thereof. With this configuration, the connection strength between the resin joint 14 and the optical fiber 13 can be further increased.

  As described above, in the optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment, at least one of the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 is brought into contact with the depressed portion 11e provided in the holder 11 for positioning. Therefore, the collimator lens 12 and / or the optical fiber 13 can be positioned with reference to the depressed portion 11e, so that the working efficiency can be improved as compared with the case where another part is inserted into the holding member as in the prior art. Thus, it is possible to easily position the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 while suppressing an increase in cost. Further, the optical fiber 13 positioned is firmly fixed on the optical fiber gripping region 14 i of the resin joint 14 by forming the optical fiber fixing portion 14 c for accommodating the fixing portion 15 a of the fixed binding member 15. Therefore, it is possible to easily assemble with a small number of parts.

  For example, in an optical connector used for performing large-capacity communication between devices or within devices using an optical fiber, a partition wall (spacer portion) is formed for positioning the optical fiber and a collimator lens as in the conventional art. In some cases, it is necessary to perform processing such as cutting on a holding member (holder) made of a metal material or the like. However, since the dimension of the optical connector holding member used in the above-mentioned application is reduced, the machining accuracy of the cutting process is lowered, and the cost associated with the machining process (for example, the cost due to the occurrence of a defective product). The increase is significant. In contrast, in the holder 11 of the optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment, the partition 11 (spacer portion) is not formed by cutting the holder 11 that is the holding member, but plastic processing is performed. Thus, since the depressed portion 11e is formed, the cost associated with the processing can be significantly reduced.

  In the optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment, the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 are positioned by the recessed portion 11e formed in the holder 11, while the optical fiber grip formed in the resin joint 14 is used. The optical fiber 13 is fixed by the fixing portion 15a of the fixed bundling member 15 accommodated in the region 14i and the optical fiber fixing portion 14c. In this case, the optical fiber 13 is firmly fixed in a positioned state. For this reason, the positional relationship between the optical fiber 13 and the collimator lens 12 is maintained even when the insertion / removal is repeatedly performed in an application for performing large-capacity communication between devices or within the device using the optical fiber 13. be able to.

  In the above description, a case where the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 are positioned by bringing a part of the collimator lens 12 and a part of the optical fiber 13 into contact with the depressed portion 11e provided in the holder 11 will be described. doing. However, the positioning method of the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 is not limited to this, and can be appropriately changed. For example, both the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 are not brought into contact with the depressed portion 11e, but one of the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 is brought into contact with the other, and the holder 11 other than the depressed portion 11e is brought into contact with the other. Positioning may be performed at the part. However, in this case, it is assumed that the portion for positioning the other is designed in a fixed positional relationship with the depressed portion 11e. That is, the optical connector 10 according to the present invention includes an idea of bringing one of the collimator lens 12 or the optical fiber 13 into contact with the depressed portion 11e.

(Second Embodiment)
An optical connector 20 having a structure different from that of the optical connector 10 shown in the first embodiment will be described. The optical connector 20 is different from the optical connector 10 in the structure of a member that fixes the optical fiber 13 in the optical fiber fixing portion 14 c of the resin joint 14. Hereinafter, the optical connector 20 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 is an external perspective view of the optical connector 20 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a side sectional view of the optical connector 20 according to the second embodiment. In addition, in 2nd Embodiment, about the structure which is common in the optical connector 10 which concerns on 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is provided and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the fixing member 25 includes a rectangular flat surface portion 25 a disposed on the upper surface of the resin joint 14 and a substantially rectangular parallelepiped convex portion disposed in the optical fiber fixing portion 14 c. 25b. Thus, since the fixing member 25 has a simple structure, it can be manufactured at low cost.

  Subsequently, an assembly process of the optical connector 20 according to the second embodiment will be described. The process of assembling the optical connector 20 is the same as the process of assembling the optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment, and the steps (a) to (c) are common, and the step (d) is different.

[Step (d)]
Finally, the convex portion 25 b of the fixing member 25 is disposed in the optical fiber fixing portion 14 c of the resin joint 14. The fixing member 25 fixes the optical fiber 13 by pressing the flat portion 25a from above. That is, the plurality of optical fibers 13 loaded in the optical fiber gripping region 14i and arranged so that a part thereof is exposed at the bottom of the optical fiber fixing portion 14c is pressed from above by the convex portion 25b of the fixing member 25. Fixed at once.

  In the optical connector 20 according to the second embodiment, the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 are positioned by the recessed portion 11e formed in the holder 11, while the optical fiber grip formed in the resin joint 14 is used. The optical fiber 13 is fixed by the convex portion 25b of the fixing member 25 accommodated in the region 14i and the optical fiber fixing portion 14c. In this case, the optical fiber 13 is firmly fixed in a positioned state. For this reason, the positional relationship between the optical fiber 13 and the collimator lens 12 is maintained even when the insertion / removal is repeatedly performed in an application for performing large-capacity communication between devices or within the device using the optical fiber 13. be able to.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can implement variously. In the above-described embodiment, the size, shape, and the like illustrated in the accompanying drawings are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately changed within a range in which the effect of the present invention is exhibited. In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention.

  In the said embodiment, although the plastic optical fiber was demonstrated as an example of the optical fiber 13, the optical fiber 13 applied with the optical connector 10 (20) which concerns on the said embodiment is limited to a plastic optical fiber. Is not to be done. For example, glass fiber can be applied.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Optical connector 10a Optical collimator 11 Holder 11a Insertion hole 11b Opening part 11c Storage part 11d Through-hole 11e Depression part 12 Collimator lens 13 Optical fiber 13a Core 13b Cladding 13c Reinforcement layer 14 Resin joint 14a Insertion hole (1st insertion hole)
14b Opening (second insertion hole)
14c Optical fiber fixing part 14d Front end part 14e Rear end part 14f Mated part 14g Holder insertion area 14h Jacket insertion area 14i Optical fiber gripping area 14j Positioning part 15 Fixed bundling member 15a Fixed part 15b, 15c Bundling part 16 Jacket 20 Optical connector 25 Fixing member 25a Plane portion 25b Convex portion 100 Device 101 Light receiving / light emitting element 102 Case 103 Condensing lens 104 Diagonal polishing surface 105 Opening portion 105a Fitting portion

Claims (7)

A metal holding member in which an accommodating portion for accommodating a collimator lens is formed at one end and an insertion hole into which an optical fiber is inserted is formed at the other end,
A first insertion hole into which the holding member is inserted is formed at one end, and a second insertion hole into which the optical fiber is inserted is formed at the other end. A resin joint in which an optical fiber gripping region is formed;
An optical connector comprising:
Positioning by bringing at least one of the collimator lens and the end face of the optical fiber into contact with the depressed portion formed in the vicinity of the holding portion of the holding member,
An optical connector, wherein an optical fiber fixing portion for accommodating an optical fiber fixing member is formed on the optical fiber gripping region of the resin joint.   A part of the optical fiber holding region is opened to the optical fiber fixing part side, and a part of the optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber holding part is exposed at the bottom of the optical fiber fixing part. The optical connector according to claim 1.   3. The light according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber fixing member has a convex portion accommodated in the optical fiber fixing portion and a flat portion disposed on an upper surface of the resin joint. connector.   The optical fiber fixing member binds a substantially U-shaped fixing part housed in the optical fiber fixing part and a part of the optical fiber exposed from a part of the resin joint and the second insertion hole. The optical connector according to claim 1, further comprising: a bundling portion that performs binding.   The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of the first insertion holes are provided in parallel.   The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a fitting portion that fits with a fitting portion on the device side when connected to a device is provided on an outer periphery of the resin joint. .   The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is a plastic optical fiber.

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