JP2013218103A - Optical connector plug - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical connector plug which requires a coupling force continuously till the completion of insertion when being connected to an optical connector adapter.SOLUTION: Urging means 90 which urges a slide member 22 forward in an axial direction relative to a plug frame 30 is installed in a housing 20, and an urging means receiving member 95 which is connected to the plug frame 30 via a stop ring 50 having a front end part engaged with a rear end part of the plug frame 30 is disposed at the rear of the urging means 90 in the axial direction. When the optical connector plug and the optical connector adapter are connected, urging force of the urging means 90 is kept stronger than a coupling force in a process where the slide member 22 is moved from an expanded state to a reduced state.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector plug that holds the tip of an optical fiber and optically connects the optical fibers.

  Conventionally, optical connection between optical fibers used for optical communication has been performed using an optical connector. The optical connector is formed of an optical connector plug that holds the tip of the optical fiber, and an optical connector adapter that fixes the optical connector plugs and optically connects the optical fibers.

  As such an optical connector, an SC-type optical connector (same as Japanese Industrial Standard F04 type) for optical connection using a ferrule cylindrical body (outer diameter 2.5 mm) holding an optical fiber, or an optical fiber There is a MU-type optical connector (same as Japanese Industrial Standard F14 type) and the like that are miniaturized by using a ferrule tubular body (outer diameter 1.25 mm) that holds the same.

  In recent years, FTTH (Fiber To The Home) has been widely used in which an access network connecting a subscriber line from a telephone station to each home is made into an optical fiber to construct a high-speed communication environment. Infrared laser light having a wavelength of 1.3 to 1.55 μm is generally used as communication light for optical fiber communication, and its optical output tends to increase.

  If the communication light with high output is emitted from the tip of the optical fiber, it may cause adverse effects if it hits a local area such as the human body, especially the eyes, and when the optical connector plug is inserted into the adapter, Since there is a risk that the optical connector adapter will stay in the optical connector adapter in a half-inserted state (insertion is stopped for some reason) without being completely coupled with the optical connector adapter. The optical connector plug that is drawn into the optical connector plug is considered to increase the chances that ordinary people other than a professional construction contractor will come into contact with the optical connector, and particularly high safety is required.

JP-A-62-78507 JP 2011-103871 A Japanese Patent No. 4215577 JP 2008-176297 A

  A problem in inserting and removing a conventional optical connector plug into and from an optical connector adapter will be described with reference to Patent Document 2.

  In order to insert / remove the conventional optical connector plug 10 into / from the optical connector adapter 110, first, the optical connector plug knob member 21 is held and inserted into the through-hole 141 of the optical connector adapter 110. Then, the optical connector adapter 110 comes into contact with the first flange portion 134. When the optical connector plug is further pushed in, the plug frame 30 enters the center portion of the optical connector adapter 110 while increasing the distance between the coupling claws 135 facing each other, and the ferrule 40 is inserted into the optical connection sleeve 120.

  Then, the locking claw 135 of the optical connector adapter 110 is coupled to the coupling recess 35 of the optical connector plug. Thereby, the optical connector plug 10 is connected to the optical connector adapter 110. Although not shown, another optical connector plug 10 is similarly connected from the other side of the optical connector adapter 110 so that the optical connector plugs 10 are optically connected to each other via the optical connector adapter 110. .

  However, since there is a state where the coupling force or detachment force is reduced during coupling or detachment, the operator misunderstands the state when it is connected, and the insertion / extraction operation is terminated midway. A state in which the two are not completely joined (half-insertion) occurs.

  Therefore, in order to avoid this half-inserted state, it is described in the work procedure manual that it is pushed in to the end or until it clicks, a line indicating that it is completely connected is indicated on the connector housing, This was done by changing the shape of the optical connector plug side so that it would not happen.

  Although such measures may be effective, it is difficult to completely eliminate the half-inserted state when working in poor conditions such as in narrow spaces, in the dark, or when there is noise in the surroundings. .

  Furthermore, with the spread of FTTH in recent years, the number of cases where unskilled workers and ordinary people handle optical connectors has increased, and the need to prevent this half-inserted state has increased.

  The premise of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems includes a plug frame 30 holding a ferrule 40 having at least one optical fiber 15 extending in the axial direction, and a housing 20 holding the plug frame 30 inside, The housing 20 is formed of a knob member 21 and a slide member 22 that can move relative to the housing 20 in the axial direction, and the slide member 22 slides a predetermined amount relative to the knob member 21 in the axial direction. The knob 20 is movable and has an extended state in which the knob member 21 has moved in the axial direction rearward direction of the slide member 22 and a reduced state in which the knob member 21 has moved in the axial direction forward of the slide member 22. It has a shape that couples to the optical connector adapter 110 in the reduced state, and is provided on the outer periphery of the plug frame 30 on the tip side. Was bound recess 35 is an optical connector plug to be connected state bound to the binding claw 135 of the optical connector adapter 110.

  The feature of the optical connector plug of the present invention based on the above premise is that an urging means 90 for urging the slide member 22 axially forward with respect to the plug frame 30 is installed inside the housing 20, An urging means receiving member 95 connected to the plug frame 30 via a stop ring 50 that engages with the rear end of the plug frame 30 is disposed rearward in the axial direction of the urging means 90, and the optical connector plug and the optical connector adapter 110 are arranged. In the process of moving the slide member 22 from the extended state to the contracted state, the urging force of the urging means 90 is kept stronger than the coupling force.

  As an example of the optical connector plug according to the present invention, inside the slide member 22, a distal end portion 71 positioned forward in the axial direction of the slide member 22 and a proximal end portion 72 positioned axially rearward and held by the slide member 22. Is provided.

  As an example of the optical connector plug according to the present invention, engagement vibration is generated when the optical connector plug is engaged with the optical connector adapter 110.

  According to the optical connector plug of the present invention, when the optical connector adapter 110 is connected, the biasing force of the optical connector plug urging means 90 is greater than the coupling force between the optical connector plug and the optical connector adapter until the coupling is completely completed. By adopting a mechanism that increases, it is possible to prevent misunderstanding that the operator has joined in the middle, and so-called half-insertion can be prevented.

  That is, when the worker finishes the work in the middle of the coupling, the optical connector plug is pushed back by the urging force of the urging means 90, so that the half inserted state is not achieved.

  Further, in the disconnected state of the optical connector plug, the extended state in which the knob member is moved rearward in the axial direction of the slide member 22 is maintained by the urging means, so that the extended state of the knob member in the disconnected state is changed to the reduced state. Inadvertent movement can be prevented.

It is a perspective view of the optical connector plug which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is the front view and principal part sectional drawing of the optical connector plug which concern on the Example of this invention. It is the front view and principal part sectional drawing of the optical connector plug which concern on the Example of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the optical connector plug which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is the disassembled perspective view which notched a part of optical connector adapter concerning the Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the coupling | bonding operation | movement of the optical connector plug and optical connector adapter which concern on the Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the coupling | bonding operation | movement of the optical connector plug and optical connector adapter which concern on the Example of this invention. It is the front view and principal part sectional drawing of the optical connector plug which concern on the Example of this invention. It is the front view and principal part sectional drawing of the optical connector plug which concern on the Example of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the optical connector plug which concerns on the Example of this invention.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical connector plug 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2 and 3 are a front view of the optical connector plug 10, a sectional view taken along line AA ′, and a sectional view taken along line BB. It is a cross-sectional view. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector plug 10.

  The optical connector plug 10 of this embodiment has a shape that can be coupled to an SC-type optical connector adapter described later, as shown in FIGS. The optical connector plug 10 holds a housing 20, a plug frame 30 held in the housing 20 so as to be movable in the axial direction (forward in the axial direction and rearward in the axial direction), an optical fiber 15 for optical connection, and a plug. A ferrule 40 inserted from the rear of the frame 30, a stop ring 50 whose front end engages with a rear end of the plug frame 30, and is held between the ferrule 40 and the stop ring 50 so that the ferrule 40 is axially forward And a spring 60 biased toward the.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the ferrule 40 includes a ferrule tubular body 41 having an outer diameter of 2.499 mm, and a flange member 42 fitted to one end of the ferrule tubular body 41. ing.

  The ferrule tubular body 41 has a substantially cylindrical shape. An optical fiber insertion hole 41 a that penetrates in the axial direction and inserts and holds the optical fiber 15 is provided in the ferrule tubular body 41. A tapered portion 41b whose inner diameter gradually increases toward the opening side is provided at the rear end portion of the optical fiber insertion hole 41a. By providing the tapered portion 41b, when the optical fiber 15 is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole 41a, the tip of the optical fiber 15 is prevented from being broken or broken due to contact with the end surface of the ferrule tubular body 41. can do.

  Examples of the material of the ferrule tubular body 41 include ceramic materials such as zirconia, plastic materials, and glass materials such as crystallized glass, borosilicate glass, and quartz. In this embodiment, the ferrule tube state 41 is formed of zirconia. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the ferrule tubular body 41 is 2.499 mm.

  An optical fiber core insertion hole for inserting and holding the optical fiber core 16 coated on the outer periphery of the optical fiber 15 in the axial direction is provided in the collar member 42 fitted to the rear end portion of the ferrule tubular body 41. 42a and a flange portion 43 provided so as to protrude a predetermined amount in the radial direction over the circumferential direction of the outer periphery.

  As shown in FIG. 4, two or four key grooves 44 are provided on the outer periphery of the collar portion 43 at intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. The key groove 44 has an equal width over the axial direction. In the ferrule 40, the key groove 44 is engaged with the key groove protrusion 32 a of the plug frame 30, so that the movement in the rotational direction about the axis with respect to the plug frame 30 is restricted.

  Note that the number, position, depth, shape, and the like of the key grooves 44 are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately determined according to the plug frame 30 that positions the ferrule 40.

  Moreover, there is no limitation in particular in the material of the collar member 42, For example, metal materials, such as stainless steel, brass, and iron, resin materials, such as a plastic, etc. can be used. In this embodiment, the collar member 42 is formed of stainless steel.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the plug frame 30 has a hollow quadrangular prism shape. The plug frame 30 is provided with a ferrule insertion hole 31 into which a ferrule 40 penetrating in the axial direction and a spring 60 can be inserted. The ferrule insertion hole 31 is provided with a ferrule projection hole 32 so that only the tip of the ferrule tubular body 41 projects. The ferrule protruding hole 32 has an inner diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the ferrule tubular body 41 and smaller than the collar portion 43.

  In the ferrule insertion hole 31, two key groove protrusions 32a that engage with the key groove 44 of the ferrule 40 are provided so as to protrude inward in the radial direction. The ferrule 40 engages with the key groove 44 of the ferrule 40 by the key groove protrusion 32a, so that the movement of the plug frame 30 in the rotational direction about the axis is restricted and the movement is possible in the axial direction. Is held in.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, engagement holes 33 communicating with the ferrule insertion hole 31 and opening to the outer periphery are formed on the two opposing surfaces of the outer periphery of the plug frame 30, respectively. Yes. The plug frame 30 and the stop ring 50 are engaged with each other by the engagement protrusions 54 provided on the outer periphery of the stop ring 50 engaging with the engagement holes 33.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 4, notches that are notched in a predetermined length from the rear end portion in the axial direction are formed on two surfaces that intersect with the surface on which the engagement hole 33 of the plug frame 30 is provided. A portion 34 is provided. The notch 34 facilitates elastic deformation so that the plug frame 30 is opened outward when the stop ring 50 is engaged with the rear end of the plug frame 30.

  Furthermore, a pair of coupling recesses 35 that are recessed radially inward from the outer surface of the plug frame 30 are provided at the axial center of the two opposing surfaces of the outer periphery of the plug frame 30. The coupling recess 35 of the plug frame 30 couples the optical connector adapter 110 and the optical connector plug 10 by coupling with a locking claw 135 a provided at the tip of the coupling claw 135 of the optical connector adapter 110.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the stop ring 50 engaged with the rear end portion of the plug frame 30 is a cylindrical metal material having an optical fiber core wire insertion hole 51 through which the optical fiber core wire can be inserted. Alternatively, it is made of a resin material such as plastic. A communication hole 52 into which the spring 60 can be inserted is provided on the distal end side of the optical fiber core wire insertion hole 51. A step portion 53 is provided by the difference in inner diameter between the optical fiber core wire insertion hole 51 and the communication hole 52.

  A spring 60 is held in the communication hole 52, and the rear end side of the collar member 42 of the ferrule 40 is inserted into the held spring 60. Then, one end of the spring 60 is in contact with the rear end surface of the collar portion 43 and the other end is in contact with the stepped portion 53 of the stop ring 50, whereby the ferrule 40 is urged forward with respect to the plug frame 30. Held in. At this time, the ferrule 40 is biased and held in a state in which the forward movement is restricted by the front end surface of the collar portion 43 coming into contact with the ferrule protrusion hole 32.

  Further, as described above, the ferrule 40 is restricted from moving in the rotational direction around the axis by the key groove 44 of the collar portion 43 engaging the key groove protrusion 32a of the ferrule insertion hole 31. At the same time, it is held so as to be movable in the axial direction. For this reason, the ferrule 40 is urged and held so as to be movable backward with respect to the plug frame 30 in a state where movement in the rotational direction is restricted.

  On the front outer periphery of the stop ring 50, two engagement protrusions 54 that protrude into the engagement holes 33 of the plug frame 30 are provided at positions facing each other. The engagement protrusion 54 has a tapered outer peripheral surface whose outer diameter gradually decreases toward the tip. When the stop ring 50 is inserted from the rear of the plug frame 30, the engagement protrusion 54 pushes the rear end portion of the plug frame 30 outward and engages with the engagement hole 33 of the plug frame 30.

  Further, a caulking ring 57 is fixed to the rear end side of the stop ring 50. The caulking ring 57 is pressure-bonded to the rear end portion of the stop ring 50 with the strength member 17 of the optical fiber cord 19 sandwiched between the stop ring 50 and the caulking ring 57. The strength member 17 is generally disposed on the outer periphery of the optical fiber core wire 16 in which the outer periphery of the optical fiber 15 is coated and in the space inside the jacket 18.

  A ring 58 is fixed to the rear end portion of the caulking ring 57. The ring 58 is fixed by being crimped to the rear end portion of the caulking ring 57 between the caulking ring 57 and the ring 58 with the jacket 18 of the optical fiber cord 19 sandwiched therebetween. The optical fiber cord 19 is fixed to the optical connector plug 10 by a stop ring 50, a caulking ring 57, and a ring 58.

  Further, behind the stop ring 50, a boot 59 including a caulking ring 57 and a ring 58 is fitted. An optical fiber cord 19 is inserted into the boot 59. The boot 59 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer, or a resin material such as plastic.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the housing 20 has a knob member 21 having a hollow quadrangular prism shape, and a hollow quadrangular prism shape accommodated in the knob member 21 so as to be movable in the axial direction. It consists of a slide member 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 20 has a reduced state in which the slide member 22 is housed in the knob member 21, and an extended state in which the slide member 22 protrudes forward as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the knob member 21 is provided with a holding hole 23 in which the biasing means receiving member 95 is held. The urging means receiving member 95 is engaged and held in the holding hole 23 so as to be movable by a predetermined amount with respect to the knob member 21. More specifically, an engagement window 24 is provided on the rear end side of the holding hole 23 to engage with an engagement convex portion 96 provided on the outer periphery of the urging means receiving member 95. The urging means receiving member The rearward movement of the biasing means receiving member 95 is restricted by the rear surface of the 95 engaging projections 96 coming into contact with the rear surface of the engagement window 24. Further, the abutting surface 97 of the urging means receiving member 95 abuts against the abutting step 23 a on the inner surface of the holding hole 23, so that the forward movement of the urging means receiving member 95 is restricted. The biasing means receiving member 95 is connected to the plug frame 30 via the stop ring 50. The back-and-forth movement amount that the plug frame 30 is allowed with respect to the knob member 21 is the same amount as the back-and-forth movement amount that the biasing means receiving member 95 is allowed with respect to the knob member 21.

  The biasing means receiving member 95 has a predetermined length and extends substantially in the axial direction, and is positioned outward in the circumferential direction of the biasing means first support part 154. And an urging means second support portion 155 extending in the axial direction. In the urging means receiving member 95, the urging means first support portion 154 and the urging means second support portion 155 are inserted into the holding holes 23 of the knob member 21. A front end portion of the boot 59 is detachably inserted into the urging means first support portion 154.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the biasing means 90 is provided between the biasing means receiving member 95 and the slide member 22 inside the knob member 21. The urging means 90 urges the slide member 22 in a direction to push it forward. The urging means 90 is constituted by a coil spring extending in the axial direction made of a metal material such as stainless steel or piano wire.
In this embodiment, a coil spring made of stainless steel was used. The urging force (spring force) by which the urging means 90 pushes the slide member 22 forward is large enough to reliably push the slide member 22 into the extended state of the housing 20, and the optical connector adapter 110. The urging force (spring force) is larger than the coupling force. Specifically, the range is 4 to 20N. Here, the coupling force is a force necessary for coupling the optical connector plug and the optical connector adapter. Specifically, the optical connector plug is inserted into the optical connector adapter, and the coupling of the optical connector adapter is performed. This is the force required for the coupling between the claw and the coupling recess of the optical connector plug, and conforms to Japanese Industrial Standard JIS5961 8.13.

  As a result, when the optical connector adapter 110 is coupled to the optical connector adapter 110, when the insertion is temporarily stopped halfway and the coupling convex portion 35 and the coupling claw 135 are not completely coupled, the optical connector The plug can be pushed back from the optical connector adapter 110.

  The coil spring which is the urging means 90 is located outside the outer peripheral surface of the urging means first support portion 154 of the urging means receiving member 95 and inside the inner peripheral surface of the urging means second support portion 155. positioned. In other words, the coil spring is supported by the biasing means receiving member 95 in a state of being sandwiched between the biasing means first support portion 154 and the biasing means second support portion 155. Thereby, inadvertent dropping of the coil spring from the holding hole 23 of the knob member 21 can be prevented. The coil spring which is the urging means 90 has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the urging means first support portion 154.

  Further, the urging means 90 and the urging means receiving member 95 have inner diameters larger than the outer diameters of the caulking ring 57 and the optical fiber cord 19. The urging unit 90 and the urging unit receiving member 95 are disposed so as to overlap the outer periphery of the caulking ring 57. The biasing means 90 in this embodiment is a coil spring having a coil inner diameter of φ7.0 or more and φ7.4 or less.

  As a result, when assembling the optical connector plug 10, the crimping ring 57 is fixed by crimping the strength member 17 of the optical fiber cord 19 on the rear end side of the stop ring 50, and then on the rear optical fiber cord 19. The urging means 90 and the urging means receiving member 95 that have been passed through are moved forward to connect the urging means receiving member 95 to the stop ring 50 and to engage with the knob member 21.

  As shown in FIGS. 3B and 4, a first exposure hole 25 that exposes the coupling recess 35 to the outside is provided in a region of the knob member 21 that faces the coupling recess 35 of the plug frame 30. . A coupling release portion 25a that is inclined toward the rear end side of the knob member 21 is provided on the side surface on the side where the first exposure hole 25 opens to the outside. The coupling release portion 25a is moved from the state in which the coupling claw 135 of the optical connector adapter 110 and the coupling concave portion 35 of the plug frame 30 are coupled to each other by the rearward movement by the operation of pulling out the knob member 21. 135 is spread to release the coupling between the coupling claw 135 and the coupling recess 35.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the slide member 22 provided in the knob member 21 so as to be movable in the axial direction is provided with an insertion hole 22a through which the plug frame 30 is moved in the axial direction. Yes. On the outer peripheral surface on the rear end side of the slide member 22, a protruding drop prevention protrusion 22 b is provided. The pull-out preventing protrusion 22b is in contact with a stepped portion 105 provided on the inner surface of the knob member 21, thereby restricting movement in the pulling direction.
Note that the protrusion preventing protrusion 22 b is formed in a taper shape with a thickness gradually decreasing toward the rear of the slide member 22. When assembling the knob member 21 and the slide member 22, the slide member 22 is inserted into the knob member 21, so that the removal preventing projection 22 b gets over the stepped portion 105 of the knob member 21 and is stored. Prevents the knob member 21 from coming off.

  There is no particular limitation as long as the connection between the optical connector plug 10 and the optical connector adapter 110 can be removed. For example, when the SC-type optical connector adapter 110 is used, the plug frame 30 is axial with respect to the knob member 21. What is necessary is just to be able to move about 2 mm to the (front-back direction).

  On the distal end side of the slide member 22, when the housing 20 is in a contracted state, a second exposure that communicates with the first exposure hole 25 of the knob member 21 and exposes the coupling recess 35 of the plug frame 30 to the outside. A hole 29 is provided. That is, the housing 20 is in a contracted state in which the slide member 22 is housed in the knob member 21, the coupling recess 35 of the plug frame 30 is exposed by the first and second exposure holes 25 and 29, and the optical connector adapter 110 is coupled. It is designed to be coupled with the claw 135.

  A coupling claw passage portion 27 is formed on the distal end side of the slide member 22 so that the engagement claw 135 of the optical connector adapter 110 can pass through without being caught. As a result, when the optical connector plug 10 is inserted into the optical connector adapter 110, the slide member 22 can enter the central portion of the optical connector adapter 110 without contacting the coupling claw 135.

  Further, the slide member 22 may be provided with a shutter member 70 that is held on the one surface 22c of the insertion hole 22a via a base end portion 72 so as to be inclined or deformable.

The shutter member 70 is formed of a plate-like member having a shape that substantially closes the insertion hole 22a. The shutter member 70 has a base end portion 72 held on one surface 22c, which is one of two opposing surfaces where the second exposure hole 29 is not provided. The distal end portion 71 of the shutter member 70 is provided so as to be inclined or deformed toward the other surface 22d opposite to the one surface 22c on which the base end portion 72 is held. The distal end portion 71 of the shutter member 70 is provided so as to be positioned in front of the housing 20 relative to the proximal end portion 72 when moving toward the one surface 22c where the proximal end portion 72 is held. The shutter member 70 has such a length that the tip 71 comes into contact with the other surface 22d at a predetermined inclination angle when the tip 71 is inclined or deformed toward the other surface 22d.

  The shutter member 70 closes the insertion hole 22a when the tip end portion 71 abuts against the other surface 22d of the insertion hole 22a. The shutter member 70 allows the plug frame 30 to move by moving the distal end portion 71 toward the one surface 22c, and exposes the distal end surface of the ferrule 40 forward. The shutter member 70 is inclined or deformed between a shielding position that shields the tip surface of the ferrule 40 and a non-shielding position that exposes the tip surface of the ferrule 40 forward.

  The shutter member 70 is provided at a position where it does not interfere with the ferrule 40 and the plug frame 30 at the shielding position. Furthermore, when connecting the optical connector plug 10 to the optical connector adapter 110, a first holding part 132 (holding part), a second holding part 145 (holding part), a coupling claw 135, etc. The shutter member 70 is provided so as not to be deformed or destroyed in contact with the member.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the front end portion 71 of the shutter member 70 is provided in the non-shielding position coupled to the optical connector adapter 110 so as to be positioned rearward in the axial direction from the coupling recess 35 of the plug frame 30. This is because the holding portion 132 and the second holding portion 145 of the optical connector adapter 110 are closer to the center side of the optical connector adapter 110 (the front side in the axial direction of the optical connector plug 10) than the locking claw 135a of the coupling claw 135. By location.

  Thereby, even if the shutter member 70 is inclined or deformed between the shielding position and the non-shielding position in a state where the slide member 22 has entered the center of the optical connector adapter 110, the shutter member 70 is deformed or damaged. There is no.

  The material of the shutter member 70 is not particularly limited as long as it is a durable material, and examples thereof include a metal material such as stainless steel. In this embodiment, stainless steel having spring elasticity is used as the shutter member 70. In the present embodiment, when the plug frame 30 moves rearward in the axial direction and the housing 20 is in the extended state, the distal end portion 71 is biased toward the other surface 22d by the spring elasticity of the shutter member 70 itself, Move to unshielded position.

  The shutter member 70 may be configured by means for shielding the front end surface of the ferrule 40 and means for urging the front end portion 71 toward the other surface 22d. For example, the base end portion 72 is held on the one surface 22c so as to be inclined and rotatable, and a shutter plate that can be inclined until the front end portion 71 comes into contact with the other surface 22d, and the front end portion of the shutter plate 70 provided on the one surface 22c. You may comprise 71 to the torsion spring which urges | biass toward the other surface 22d.

  In the present embodiment, when the shutter member 70 is in the non-shielding position, the accommodating portion 22e that accommodates the shutter member 70 slides so that the shutter member 70 does not contact the plug frame 30 and restrict the movement of the plug frame 30. It is provided on one surface 22 c of the insertion hole 22 a of the member 22.

In the optical connector plug 10 having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, the shutter member 70 is inclined or deformed to the shielding position when the housing 20 is extended. Thereby, the shutter member 70 shields the front end surface of the ferrule 40 so that light is not emitted from the front end of the optical connector plug 10.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, when the housing 20 is in a contracted state, the distal end edge 39 of the plug frame 30 causes the shutter member 70 to fall down, and the shutter member 70 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 22e and is not shielded. Tilt or deform to position. Thereby, the shutter member 70 is in a state in which the optical fibers 15 can be optically connected without shielding the front end surface of the ferrule 40. The expanded state and the contracted state of the housing 20 can be changed by attaching and detaching the optical connector adapter 110 with the knob member 21.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10C, the optical connector plug 10 is connected to the optical connector adapter 110 on the outer periphery on one side of the opposing surface of the knob member 21 where the first exposure hole 25 is not provided. At this time, a protruding key 26 for positioning the optical connector adapter 110 in the rotational direction about the axis may be provided. A display portion 28 may be provided on the surface of the knob member 21 on the outer periphery of the slide member 22 in the same direction as the key 26 in order to easily recognize that the surface is in the same direction as the surface on which the key 26 is provided.

  Here, the optical connector adapter 110 to which the optical connector plug 10 of this embodiment is connected will be described. 5 is an exploded perspective view in which a part of the optical connector adapter 110 is cut away.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the optical connector adapter 110 to which the optical connector plug 10 is connected to the present invention is SC type, and includes an optical connection sleeve 120 and a holding member 150. The holding member 150 is formed of a sleeve holder 130 that holds the optical connection sleeve 120 inside and an outer member 140.

The optical connection sleeve 120 has a cylindrical shape formed of metal or ceramic, and is provided with a slit 121 penetrating in the axial direction. The optical connection sleeve 120 has an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the ferrule tubular body 41 of the optical connector plug 10 that holds the optical fiber. The optical connection sleeve 120 is elastically deformed by the slit 121 so that the ferrule tubular body 41 is held in close contact with the inner surface and is connected oppositely. In this embodiment, since the ferrule tubular body 41 is 2.499 mm, for example, the inner diameter of the optical connection sleeve 120 is φ2.495, and the outer diameter is φ3.0 to 3.2 mm.

  A sleeve holder 130 that is a holding member 150 that holds the optical connection sleeve 120 includes a first holding portion 132 having a cylindrical shape provided with a first through hole 131 that holds one end of the optical connection sleeve 120. It has. A first stopper protrusion 133 that locks one end of the optical connection sleeve 120 is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the first holding portion 132 so as to protrude radially inward.

  A rectangular first flange portion 134 is provided on the outer periphery of the other end portion of the first holding portion 132 opposite to the first stopper protrusion 133.

A pair of locking claws 135 are provided on both short sides of the first flange portion 134 so as to sandwich the first holding portion 132 as the center, and a second holding portion of the outer member 140 described later. Another pair of coupling claws 135 is provided so as to sandwich 145 at the center. A pair of locking claws 135a are provided at the front ends of the coupling claws 135 so as to face each other. The coupling claws 135 are coupled to the coupling recess 35 of the plug frame 30 of the optical connector plug 10 to couple the optical connector plug 10 and the optical connector adapter 110. In addition, a pair of locking protrusions 137 are provided on the short side end of the first flange portion 134, respectively.

On the other hand, the outer member 140 of the holding member 150 has a through portion 141 that is a through hole for holding the sleeve holder 130 therein. On both short sides of the penetrating portion 141, a groove portion 143 that fits with the end portion of the first flange portion 134 of the sleeve holder 130 is provided. Further, on the opposite side of the insertion direction of the first flange portion 134 from the axial center portion in the through portion 141, a second flange portion 144 that makes the first flange portion 134 abut the surface, and a cylinder A second holding portion 145 having a shape is provided. The second holding portion 145 extends in the axial direction from the second flange portion 144 and communicates with the first through hole 131. The second holding portion 145 is provided with a second through hole 142 that holds the other end side of the optical connection sleeve 120.
A second stopper projection 146 that locks the end of the optical connection sleeve 120 is provided at the end of the second holding portion 145 so as to protrude radially inward.

  On the other hand, a fixing flange 148 is provided in the axially central portion of the outer peripheral surface of both short sides of the outer shell 140. The fixing flange 148 is provided with a fixing groove 148a for fixing the housing 140 to a panel or the like (not shown) with screws. Further, plate recesses 149 that are continuous with each other are formed on the side surfaces of the housing 140 in the axial direction on the short sides facing each other and the surface between them. A U-shaped plate 153 having a metal engagement claw 152 is fitted into the plate recess 149.

  The procedure for assembling the optical connector adapter 110 of this embodiment described above is as follows. The optical connection sleeve 120 is sandwiched between the first holding portion 132 and the second holding portion 145, the sleeve holder 130 is inserted into the outer member 140, and the locking pin 151 is attached to the outer member 140 by the arm portion 151a. By inserting the sleeve holder 130 so as to engage with the locking protrusion 137, the sleeve holder 130 and the housing 140 can be engaged, and the optical connection sleeve 120 can be held inside.

  Hereinafter, the operation of connecting the optical connector plug 10 to such an optical connector adapter 110 will be described in detail. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views showing the connection operation of the optical connector, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC 'in FIG. 6A. FIG.7 (b) is CC 'sectional drawing of Fig.7 (a).

  In FIG. 6, when the slide member 22 is engaged with the holding portion 132 protruding in the axial direction of the optical connector adapter 110 in the extended state of the housing 20, the tip 157 of the holding portion 132 and the tip portion 71 of the shutter member 70 are Are spaced apart in the axial direction. In other words, the base end portion 72 of the shutter member 70 is fixed to the rear in the axial direction of the slide member 22, and the distal end portion 71 of the shutter member 70 is located at the center in the axial direction of the slide member 22. As shown in FIG. 6, the optical connector plug 10 holds the knob member 21 from the state where the housing 20 is in the extended state and the shutter member 70 is in the shielding position where the front end surface of the ferrule 40 is shielded. It is inserted into the through-hole 141 of 110. Then, the coupling claw 135 passes through the coupling claw passage portion 27, the slide member 22 enters the center of the optical connector adapter 110 without coming into contact with the coupling claw 135, and the front end surface 22f of the slide member 22 is the first end surface 22f. It contacts the flange portion 134.

  Further, as the optical connector plug 10 is inserted, the slide member 22 pushes and shrinks the urging means 90, and at the same time, the tip edge 39 of the plug frame 30 that moves axially forward together with the knob member 21 is the shutter member. By moving 70 down, the shutter member 70 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 22e. That is, only by inserting the optical connector plug 10 into the optical connector adapter 110, the housing 20 is gradually reduced from the extended state to the reduced state, and the shutter member 70 is inclined or deformed from the shielding position to the non-shielding position. In the optical connector plug 10, the slide member 22 is engaged with the holding portions 132 and 145 protruding in the axial direction of the optical connector adapter 110, and the tip of the shutter member 70 is moved in the process of moving the knob member 21 from the extended state to the reduced state. The portion 71 is opposed to the distal ends 157 of the holding portions 132 and 145 in the axial direction.

  Further, at the same time as the housing 20 is gradually reduced, the plug frame 30 enters the center of the optical connector adapter 110 while increasing the distance between the opposing coupling claws 135, and the coupling recess 35 of the plug frame 30 forms the housing. The first and second exposure holes 25 and 29 are exposed to the outside. At the same time, the ferrule 40 is inserted into the optical connection sleeve 120.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the locking claw 135 a of the optical connector adapter 110 is coupled to the coupling recess 35 via the first and second exposure holes 25 and 29. Thereby, the optical connector plug 10 is connected to the optical connector adapter 110. Although not shown, another optical connector plug 10 is similarly connected from the other side of the optical connector adapter 110 so that the optical connector plugs 10 are optically connected to each other via the optical connector adapter 110. .

  In this way, the housing 20 is contracted only by inserting the optical connector plug 10 into the optical connector adapter 110, and the shutter member 70 moves to the non-shielding position. Further, the ferrule 40 is not exposed to the outside of the housing 20 in a series of operations until the optical connector plug 10 is inserted into the optical connector adapter 110 and connected. Therefore, communication light does not leak to the outside of the optical connector plug 10, and the optical connector plug 10 has high safety.

  On the other hand, when the optical connector plug 10 is pulled out from the optical connector adapter 110 with the knob member 21, the knob member 21 is retracted with respect to the plug frame 30, and the coupling release portion 25 a spreads the coupling claw 135 to expand the coupling. The coupling engagement between the locking claw 135a of the claw 135 and the coupling recess 35 is released. As a result, the plug frame 30 moves backward, and at the same time, the slide member 22 is pushed forward by the urging means 90, and the housing 20 gradually expands from the contracted state to the extended state.

  Thereby, the shutter member 70 accommodated in the accommodating portion 22c by the plug frame 30 starts to be inclined or deformed toward the shielding position. The optical connector plug 10 is removed from the optical connector adapter 110, the housing 20 is extended, the shutter member 70 is inclined or deformed to the shielding position, and the distal end portion 71 of the shutter member 70 contacts the inner surface of the insertion hole 22a. Thus, the shutter member 70 is positioned at the shielding position and shields the front end surface of the ferrule 40.

  The optical connector plug 10 of the present embodiment is interlocked with the operation of being inserted into or withdrawn from the optical connector adapter 110, and the distal end portion 71 of the shutter member 70 moves to the shielding position and the non-shielding position. Can be easily connected.

  Since there is no possibility that the shutter member 70 interferes (contacts or collides) with the optical connector adapter 110 in all states in which the distal end portion 71 of the shutter member 70 moves between the shielding position and the non-shielding position, the shutter member 70 70 does not deform or break. Therefore, when the elastic force of the coupling claw 135 of the optical connector adapter 110 is weak, or when the distance between the coupling claws 135 is wider than the standard, the optical connector plug 10 is erroneously inserted into the optical connector adapter 110 by holding the slide member 22. In such a case, the optical connector plug 10 can be inserted or pulled out.

  When the optical connector plug 10 is connected to a measuring instrument such as an optical power measuring instrument or a ferrule end face shape measuring instrument, or inserted into a ferrule end face cleaning tool or the like, the coupling claw 135 of the optical connector adapter 110 is used. Even when it is inserted into a counterpart that does not have a shape corresponding to the above, the shutter member 70 can be attached and detached without being damaged, and it is highly convenient.

  Even if the optical connector plug 10 is not connected to the optical connector adapter 110, the biasing means 90 (coil spring) biases the housing 20 to be always in the extended state, so that the optical connector plug 10 is accidentally contracted. Thus, the shutter member 70 can be prevented from remaining in the non-shielding position, and safety can be improved.

  The optical connector plug 10 is provided with an urging means receiving member 95 so that the urging means 90 (coil spring) and the urging means receiving member 95 are arranged on the outer periphery of the caulking ring 57 without making it difficult to assemble the optical connector plug. The total length of the optical connector plug 10 can be kept short.

  8 and 9 are a front view, an AA ′ sectional view, and a BB ′ sectional view of an optical connector plug 10 shown as another example. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector plug 10. The appearance of the optical connector plug 10 is the same as that shown in FIG.

The optical connector plug 10 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 differs from that shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 in that a biasing means receiving member 156 with a boot in which a biasing means receiving member 95 and a boot 59 are integrated is employed. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the optical connector plug 10 of FIG. 1, the same reference numerals as those of FIGS. 2 to 4 are attached, and the description of the optical connector plug 10 of FIGS. Thus, the description of other configurations in the optical connector plug 10 of FIGS. 8 to 10 is omitted.

  The urging means receiving member 156 with a boot is formed of an urging means receiving member 96 and a boot 59, and the urging means receiving member 95 and the boot 59 are integrally formed to be connected. The urging means receiving member 156 with a boot is made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer and is elastically deformable. Like the boot 59 of the optical connector plug 10 of FIGS. 2 to 4, the urging means receiving member 156 with boot encloses the caulking ring 57 and the ring 58 therein and holds the optical fiber cord 19.

The urging means receiving member 95 of the urging means receiving member 156 with a boot is engaged and held in the holding hole 23 of the knob member 21. An engagement window 24 is provided on the rear end side in the holding hole 23 to engage with an engagement convex portion 96 provided on the outer periphery of the urging means receiving member 95. The rearward movement of the urging means receiving member 156 with the boot is restricted by the rear surface of the projection 96 contacting the rear surface of the engagement window 24. Further, the abutment surface 97 of the urging means receiving member 95 abuts against the abutting step 23 a on the inner surface of the holding hole 23, so that the forward movement of the urging means receiving member 156 with the boot is restricted. The urging means receiving member 156 with boot is connected to the plug frame 30 via the stop ring 50.
The amount of back-and-forth movement allowed for the plug frame 30 relative to the knob member 21 is equivalent to the amount of back-and-forth movement allowed for the biasing means receiving member 156 with the boot relative to the knob member 21.

  The biasing means receiving member 95 has a predetermined length and extends substantially in the axial direction, and is positioned outward in the circumferential direction of the biasing means first support part 154. And an urging means second support portion 155 extending in the axial direction. The biasing means first support portion 154 and the biasing means second support portion 155 are inserted into the holding holes 23 of the knob member 21.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a biasing means 90 is provided between the biasing means receiving member 59 and the slide member 22 inside the knob member 21. The urging means 90 urges the slide member 22 in a direction to push it forward. The urging means 90 is constituted by a coil spring extending in the axial direction made of a metal material such as stainless steel or piano wire. The biasing force (spring force) by which the biasing means 90 pushes the slide member 22 forward is suppressed to a size that does not hinder the insertion of the optical connector plug 10 into the optical connector adapter 110, and the slide member 22 is reliably pushed out to housing. 20 is made large enough to make it extend. Specifically, the range is 4 to 20N.

  The coil spring which is the urging means 90 is located outside the outer peripheral surface of the urging means first support portion 154 of the urging means receiving member 95 and inside the inner peripheral surface of the urging means second support portion 155. positioned. In other words, the coil spring is supported by the biasing means receiving member 95 in a state of being sandwiched between the biasing means first support portion 154 and the biasing means second support portion 155. Thereby, inadvertent dropping of the coil spring from the holding hole 23 of the knob member 21 can be prevented. The coil spring which is the urging means 90 has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the urging means first support portion 154.

  Further, the urging means 90 and the urging means receiving member 95 have inner diameters larger than the outer diameters of the caulking ring 57 and the optical fiber cord 19. The urging unit 90 and the urging unit receiving member 95 are disposed so as to overlap the outer periphery of the caulking ring 57. The biasing means 90 in this embodiment is a coil spring having a coil inner diameter of φ7.0 or more and φ7.4 or less.

  As a result, when assembling the optical connector plug 10, the crimping ring 57 is fixed by crimping the strength member 17 of the optical fiber cord 19 on the rear end side of the stop ring 50, and then on the rear optical fiber cord 19. The urging means 90 and the urging means receiving member 156 with boots moved forward to connect the urging means receiving member 156 with boots to the stop ring 50 and engage with the knob member 21. it can.

  The operation of connecting the optical connector plug 10 shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 to the optical connector adapter 110 is the same as that of the optical connector plug 10 of FIGS. 2 to 4, and FIGS. By using the description of 7, the description is omitted.

  The optical connector plug 10 shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 is urged so that the urging means 90 (coil spring) always keeps the housing 20 extended even when it is not connected to the optical connector adapter 110. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the shutter member 70 from being accidentally reduced and remain in the non-shielding position, thereby improving safety.

  The optical connector plug 10 shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 is provided with a biasing means receiving member 95 so that the biasing means 90 (coil spring) is provided on the outer periphery of the caulking ring 57 without making it difficult to assemble the optical connector plug. Further, the biasing means receiving member 95 can be disposed, and the total length of the optical connector plug 10 can be suppressed to be short.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Optical connector plug 15 Optical fiber 20 Housing 21 Knob member 22 Shutter holding member 30 Plug frame 35 Connection recessed part 40 Ferrule 41 Ferrule cylindrical body 50 Stop ring 57 Caulking 58 Ring 59 Boot 60 Spring 70 Shutter member 71 Tip part 72 Base End 90 urging means 95 urging means receiving member 110 optical connector adapter 120 optical connection sleeve 130 sleeve holder 135 coupling claw 140 outer member 150 holding member 151 locking pin 153 plate 154 urging means first support portion 155 urging Means second support portion 156 Energizing means receiver with boot

Claims (3)

A plug frame (30) holding a ferrule (40) having at least one optical fiber (15) extending in the axial direction;
A housing (20) holding the plug frame (30) inside,
The housing (20) is formed of a knob member (21) and a slide member (22) capable of relative movement in the axial direction with respect to the housing (20),
The slide member (22) is slidable by a predetermined amount in the axial direction relative to the knob member (21),
And the extended state where the said knob member (21) moved to the axial direction back of the said slide member (22),
The knob member (21) has a reduced state in which the slide member (22) has moved forward in the axial direction,
The housing (20) has a shape that couples to the optical connector adapter (110) in the contracted state;
An optical connector plug in which a coupling recess (35) provided on the outer periphery on the tip end side of the plug frame (30) is coupled to a coupling claw (135) of the optical connector adapter (110). ,
A biasing means (90) for biasing the slide member (22) axially forward with respect to the plug frame (30) is installed inside the housing (20),
An urging means receiving member (95), the urging means receiving member (95) connected to the plug frame (30) via a stop ring (50) engaged with the rear end of the plug frame (30), is provided with the urging means. (90) axially rearward,
In the process of moving the slide member 22 from the extended state to the contracted state when the optical connector plug and the optical connector adapter (110) are connected,
An optical connector plug characterized in that the urging force of the urging means (90) is maintained in a state stronger than the coupling force.   Inside the slide member (22), a distal end portion (71) positioned axially forward of the slide member (22) and a proximal end portion (72) positioned axially rearward and held by the slide member (22) The optical connector plug according to claim 1, further comprising: a shutter member having a shutter member.   3. The optical connector plug according to claim 1, wherein engagement vibration is generated when the optical connector adapter is engaged with the optical connector adapter.

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