JP2015022266A - Optical connector and method for assembling optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical connector which can be assembled with simplified work by reducing the number of components thereof, and a method for assembling the optical connector.SOLUTION: A connector body 2 of an optical connector has constitution in which a main housing 13, an auxiliary housing 14, and a cover housing 15 are integrated. In a state in which the connector body 2 is not assembled yet, the auxiliary housing 14 is joined via a hinge to a rear end of the main housing 13, and the cover housing 15 is joined via a hinge to a rear end of the auxiliary housing 14. When the connector body 2 is assembled, the auxiliary housing 14 is folded forward relative to the main housing 13, so that the auxiliary housing 14 is accommodated in an auxiliary housing accommodation part 19 of the main housing 13. Then, the cover housing 15 is folded backward relative to the auxiliary housing 14, so that the cover housing 15 is closed relative to the auxiliary housing 14.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector used for connecting optical fibers and an optical connector assembling method.

  As a conventional optical connector, for example, one described in Patent Document 1 is known. An optical connector described in Patent Document 1 is a mechanical splice that positions and fixes a ferrule in which a short optical fiber is incorporated and an optical fiber that is disposed so as to cover the rear end of the ferrule and is connected to the short optical fiber. A stop ring for accommodating the mechanical splice, a front housing fixed to the stop ring so as to cover the front end side of the stop ring, a mechanical splice connecting member connected to the rear end portion of the mechanical splice, and the mechanical And a clamp member that is disposed on the rear side of the splice connecting member and fixes the cable jacket covering the optical fiber.

JP 2005-114770 A

  However, in the prior art described above, the number of components constituting the optical connector is large, such as a stop ring, a front housing, a mechanical splice connecting member, and a clamp member. This not only leads to an increase in cost, but also takes time to assemble the optical connector.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector and an optical connector assembling method capable of reducing the number of parts and simplifying assembling work.

  The present invention relates to an optical connector including a connector main body and an optical fiber connecting portion having a built-in fiber that is incorporated in the connector main body and connected to the optical fiber of the optical cable. A main housing having a connection accommodating portion, an auxiliary housing that is accommodated in a region behind the fiber connection accommodating portion in the main housing and that is provided with a cable fixing portion that fixes the optical cable integrally or detachably, and covers the auxiliary housing A cover housing, and at least two of the main housing, the auxiliary housing, and the cover housing are connected via a hinge before the connector main body is assembled, and the connector main body is connected to the auxiliary housing and the cover. Connected via hinges in the housing And it is characterized in that it is adapted to be assembled by folding the housing.

  When assembling such an optical connector of the present invention, the optical fiber connection portion is accommodated in the fiber connection accommodation portion of the main housing, and the auxiliary housing is accommodated in the area behind the fiber connection accommodation portion in the main housing. In this state, the connector body is assembled by covering the auxiliary housing with the cover housing. At this time, in a state before the connector main body is assembled, at least two of the main housing, the auxiliary housing, and the cover housing are connected via a hinge. For this reason, the number of parts constituting the connector main body is at most two. And the housing connected via the hinge among the auxiliary housing and the cover housing is folded, and the connector main body is assembled. Thereby, the number of parts of the optical connector can be reduced, and the assembly work of the optical connector can be simplified.

  Preferably, the main housing, the auxiliary housing, and the cover housing are connected via a hinge before the connector body is assembled, and the connector body is configured to be assembled by folding the auxiliary housing and the cover housing. Yes. In this case, since the connector main body is composed of one component, the number of components of the optical connector can be greatly reduced.

  At this time, preferably, the auxiliary housing is connected to the rear end portion of the main housing via a hinge before the connector main body is assembled, and the cover housing is auxiliary in the state before the connector main body is assembled. The connector is connected to the rear end of the housing via a hinge, and the connector main body is configured to be assembled by folding the auxiliary housing forward and folding the cover housing rearward. In this case, since the main housing, the auxiliary housing, and the cover housing are arranged so as to extend in a straight line before the connector body is assembled, the width dimension of the connector body can be reduced.

  The auxiliary housing is connected to one side of the main housing via a hinge before the connector body is assembled, and the cover housing is the front end of the auxiliary housing before the connector body is assembled. The connector main body may be configured to be assembled by folding the auxiliary housing to the side and folding the cover housing to the rear. In this case, since the auxiliary housing and the cover housing are arranged on one side of the main housing in a state before the connector body is assembled, without increasing the width dimension of the connector body more than necessary, The length of the connector body can be reduced.

  Further, the auxiliary housing is connected to one side of the main housing via a hinge before the connector body is assembled, and the cover housing is the other side of the main housing before the connector body is assembled. The connector body is configured to be assembled by folding the auxiliary housing sideways and the cover housing sideways. Also good. In this case, since the main housing, the auxiliary housing, and the cover housing are arranged side by side on the side of the main housing before the connector main body is assembled, the length of the connector main body should be reduced. Can do.

  Preferably, the apparatus further comprises means for locking the auxiliary housing to the main housing when the auxiliary housing is folded, and means for locking the cover housing to the main housing when the cover housing is folded. In this case, even if the hinge connecting the main housing and the auxiliary housing is broken after the auxiliary housing is locked to the main housing, there is no problem as a function of the optical connector. Even if the hinge connecting the main housing or the auxiliary housing and the cover housing is broken after the cover housing is locked to the main housing, there is no problem as a function of the optical connector.

  Further preferably, the apparatus further includes means for locking the optical fiber connection portion to the main housing or the auxiliary housing in a state where the connector main body is assembled. In this case, the optical fiber connection portion can be housed in a fixed state in the fiber connection housing portion.

  Further, the present invention provides an optical fiber assembling method comprising: a connector main body; and an optical fiber connecting portion having a built-in fiber connected to the optical fiber of the optical cable. A main housing having a fiber connection accommodating portion for accommodating the portion, and an auxiliary housing which is accommodated in a region on the rear side of the fiber connection accommodating portion in the main housing and in which a cable fixing portion for fixing the optical cable is provided integrally or detachably. A step of preparing a cover housing covering the auxiliary housing, wherein at least two of the main housing, the auxiliary housing and the cover housing are connected via a hinge; and a hinge of the auxiliary housing and the cover housing Fold the housing connected through Nde and is characterized in that it comprises a step of assembling the connector body.

  As described above, in the optical connector assembling method of the present invention, the housing connected through the hinges of the auxiliary housing and the cover housing is folded and the connector main body is assembled. The assembly work of the optical connector can be simplified.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the number of parts of an optical connector can be reduced and the assembly operation | work of an optical connector can be simplified. Thereby, it becomes possible to contribute to improvement of workability | operativity, aiming at cost reduction.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of one Embodiment of the optical connector which concerns on this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the optical connector shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before the connector main body is assembled in the optical connector shown in FIG. 2. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the state by which the optical fiber connection part shown in FIG. 3 is latched by the connector main body. It is the top view and back view which show the state before the connector main body shown in FIG. 2 is assembled. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state before the connector main body shown in FIG. 2 is assembled. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the auxiliary housing and the cover housing illustrated in FIG. 2 are folded. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that the connector main body shown in FIG. 2 is assembled. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the state in which the optical fiber connection part shown in FIG. 4 is latched by the connector main body. It is a perspective view which shows the state before the connector main body of other embodiment of the optical connector which concerns on this invention is assembled. It is a top view of the connector main body shown in FIG. It is a side view of the connector main body shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state before the connector main body of further another embodiment of the optical connector which concerns on this invention is assembled. It is a top view of the connector main body shown in FIG. It is a side view of the connector main body shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state before the connector main body of further another embodiment of the optical connector which concerns on this invention is assembled. FIG. 17 is a plan view of the connector main body shown in FIG. 16. It is a side view of the connector main body shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the connector main body shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that the other modification of the connector main body shown in FIG. 2 is assembled. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that an optical cable is fixed by the cable fixing member shown in FIG.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an optical connector and an optical connector assembling method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an embodiment of an optical connector according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector shown in FIG. 1A and 1B, an optical connector 1 according to the present embodiment includes a connector main body 2, an optical fiber connecting portion 3 incorporated in the connector main body 2, a spring 4 disposed in the connector main body 2, and a front portion of the connector main body 2. And a knob 5 for covering.

  The optical fiber connecting portion 3 has a mechanical splice 6 and a ferrule 7 attached to the front end portion of the mechanical splice 6. As shown in FIG. 3, the mechanical splice 6 includes a base portion 8 having a V groove 8 a for positioning and housing the optical fiber 74 (see FIG. 21) of the optical cable 70, and for pressing the optical fiber 74 against the base portion 8. It consists of a pressing part (not shown), and a clamp part 9 having a U-shaped cross section for mechanically fixing the optical fiber 74 by sandwiching the base part 8 and the pressing part. The ferrule 7 holds a short built-in fiber 10 connected to the optical fiber 74 fixed by the mechanical splice 6.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of locking projections 11 for locking the optical fiber connecting portion 3 to the connector main body 2 is provided at the central portion of the mechanical splice 6. A pair of locking projections 12 for locking the optical fiber connecting portion 3 to the connector main body 2 is provided at the rear end portion of the mechanical splice 6.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the connector main body 2 has a structure in which the main housing 13, the auxiliary housing 14, and the cover housing 15 are integrated before being assembled. The auxiliary housing 14 is foldable with respect to the main housing 13, and the cover housing 15 is foldable with respect to the auxiliary housing 14 (see FIG. 7). For this reason, the back side of the auxiliary housing 14 faces the upper side of the connector body 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, before the connector body 2 is assembled, the auxiliary housing 14 is connected to the rear end portion of the main housing 13 via a hinge 16, and the cover housing 15 is The rear end of the auxiliary housing 14 is connected via a hinge 17. That is, before the connector main body 2 is assembled, the main housing 13, the auxiliary housing 14, and the cover housing 15 are arranged so as to extend in a straight line. The hinge 16 is provided at the lower rear end of the main housing 13. The hinge 17 is provided at the lower rear end of the auxiliary housing 14.

  A fiber connection housing portion 18 having a substantially rectangular cross section for housing the optical fiber connection portion 3 is provided in the front portion of the main housing 13. An auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 that accommodates the auxiliary housing 14 is provided on the rear portion of the main housing 13.

  As shown in FIG. 4, locking windows 20 that engage with the locking projections 11 are formed on the upper wall 18 a and the lower wall 18 b of the fiber connection housing portion 18, respectively. A through hole 21 is formed in the rear wall 18c of the fiber connection housing portion 18 so as to penetrate the rear end portion of the optical fiber connection portion 3. As a result, the rear end portion of the optical fiber connecting portion 3 is located in the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19. At this time, the rear wall 18c of the fiber connection accommodating portion 18 engages with the locking protrusion 12 described above. In addition, a wedge insertion hole 22 through which a wedge (not shown) for opening a boundary portion between the base portion 8 and the pressing portion (not shown) in the mechanical splice 6 is passed through the lower wall 18b of the fiber connection accommodating portion 18. Is formed.

  The spring 4 is disposed between the locking projection 11 of the mechanical splice 6 and the rear wall 18 c of the fiber connection housing portion 18. Said knob 5 is attached to the fiber connection accommodating part 18 so that the fiber connection accommodating part 18 may be covered (refer FIG. 1).

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 has a U-shaped cross section with an open upper surface. Locking holes 23 for locking the auxiliary housing 14 to the main housing 13 are formed in the lower portions of the side walls 19a of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19, respectively. In addition, a locking hole 24 for locking the auxiliary housing 14 to the main housing 13 is formed in an inner lower portion of the both side walls 19a of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 behind the locking hole 23, respectively.

  Locking recesses 25 for locking the cover housing 15 to the main housing 13 are formed on the inner upper part of the front side of the locking holes 23 in the side walls 19a of the auxiliary housing accommodating part 19, respectively. Locking projections 26 and 27 for locking the cover housing 15 to the main housing 13 are provided on the front and rear sides of the lower portions of the side walls 19a of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19, respectively.

  The auxiliary housing 14 is integrally provided with a cable fixing portion 28 for fixing the optical cable 70 (see FIG. 21). The cable fixing portion 28 is provided on the front portion of the bottom surface of the auxiliary housing 14 before the connector main body 2 is assembled. Therefore, in a state where the auxiliary housing 14 is folded with respect to the main housing 13 and accommodated in the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13, the cable fixing portion 28 is positioned at the rear end portion of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19. Become. The cable fixing portion 28 has a plurality of blade portions (demons) 28 a that bite into the cable jacket 70 a of the optical cable 70.

  The auxiliary housing 14 is provided with a pair of latch portions 30 having locking claws 29 that engage with the respective locking holes 23 of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19. The latch portion 30 is provided on the rear portion of the bottom surface of the auxiliary housing 14 before the connector body 2 is assembled. Therefore, in a state where the auxiliary housing 14 is folded with respect to the main housing 13 and accommodated in the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13, the latch portion 30 is positioned at the front end portion of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19.

  Between the cable fixing portion 28 and the latch portion 30 in the auxiliary housing 14, a pair of locking projections 31 that protrude outside the auxiliary housing 14 and engage with the locking holes 24 of the auxiliary housing housing portion 19 are provided. Is provided. A pair of slits 32 extending in the front-rear direction of the auxiliary housing 14 is formed in a region including a portion corresponding to each locking projection 31 in the auxiliary housing 14. These slits 32 are formed so that the locking projections 31 can be elastically deformed in the width direction of the auxiliary housing 14.

  The cover housing 15 covers the auxiliary housing 14 accommodated in the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13. At the front end of the cover housing 15, a pair of columnar locking projections 33 that engage with the locking recesses 25 of the auxiliary housing housing 19 are provided. The axis of the locking projection 33 is located on the bending axis of the hinge 17. Therefore, the cover housing 15 is rotatably supported by the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 via the locking protrusions 33. Locking windows 34 and 35 that engage with the locking protrusions 26 and 27 of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 are formed on both side walls 15a of the cover housing 15 in the front-rear direction. A cutout portion 36 is formed in the rear wall 15b of the cover housing 15 for passing the optical cable 70 (see FIG. 21).

  As a material of the connector main body 2 including the main housing 13, the auxiliary housing 14, and the cover housing 15 as described above, for example, a relatively soft resin such as PP, POM, PBT, PE or the like, for example, PBT-GF (graphite). , PC-GF, modified PPE-GF, PEI (-GF), PES (-GF), PPS (-GF), LCP (-GF), ABS (-GF) and the like are used. .

  When assembling such a connector main body 2, the auxiliary housing 14 is folded forward with respect to the main housing 13 via the hinge 16 as shown in FIG. 8B from the state shown in FIG. Thus, the auxiliary housing 14 is accommodated in the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13. At this time, the latching claws 29 of the latch portions 30 of the auxiliary housing 14 are hooked into the latching holes 23 of the auxiliary housing housing portion 19, and the latching protrusions 31 of the auxiliary housing 14 are Hook into the locking hole 24. As a result, the auxiliary housing 14 is locked to the main housing 13.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8C, the locking protrusions 33 of the cover housing 15 are fitted into the locking recesses 25 of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19. In this state, the cover housing 15 is closed with respect to the auxiliary housing 14 by folding the cover housing 15 backward with respect to the auxiliary housing 14 via the hinge 17 as shown in FIG. At this time, the locking windows 34 and 35 of the cover housing 15 are hooked on the locking protrusions 26 and 27 of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19. As a result, the cover housing 15 is locked to the main housing 13.

  When assembling the optical connector 1 configured as described above, first, as shown in FIG. 3, the optical fiber connection portion 3 is inserted into the fiber connection accommodating portion 18 of the main housing 13 together with the spring 4 from the front side of the connector body 2. Then, the optical fiber connecting portion 3 is fixed to the main housing 13. In this state, the connector main body 2 is assembled as shown in FIG.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 8C, after the auxiliary housing 14 is accommodated in the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13, the cable jacket 70a (see FIG. 21) of the optical cable 70 is fixed to the cable fixing portion 28. To do. Then, in a state where a wedge (not shown) is inserted into the mechanical splice 6 from the wedge insertion hole 22 of the fiber connection accommodating portion 18 and the base portion 8 and the pressing portion (not shown) are opened, the optical fiber of the optical cable 70 is opened. 74 is connected to the built-in fiber 10 held by the ferrule 7 of the optical fiber connecting portion 3. Then, after the wedge (not shown) is pulled out from the mechanical splice 6 and the optical fiber 74 is mechanically fixed by the mechanical splice 6, the cover housing 15 is attached to the auxiliary housing 14 as shown in FIG. Close. Thereby, the optical connector 1 to which the optical cable 70 is assembled is obtained.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the connector body 2 is connected to the main housing 13, the auxiliary housing 14 connected to the main housing 13 via the hinge 16, and the auxiliary housing 14 to the hinge 17. The cover housing 15 is formed. The connector body 2 is assembled by folding the auxiliary housing 14 with respect to the main housing 13 and folding the cover housing 15 with respect to the auxiliary housing 14. Thereby, since the connector main body 2 needs only one component, the number of components of the optical connector 1 can be significantly reduced. As a result, the cost for the optical connector 1 can be suppressed.

  Further, when the connector main body 2 is assembled, it is only necessary to fold the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15, so that the optical connector 1 can be easily assembled and workability can be improved. In addition, it is possible to prevent the order of assembling the optical connector 1 from being mistaken or the direction in which the components constituting the optical connector 1 are arranged from being mistaken. Furthermore, no jig is required for assembling the optical connector 1.

  When the auxiliary housing 14 is folded with respect to the main housing 13, the auxiliary housing 14 is locked to the main housing 13, and when the cover housing 15 is folded with respect to the auxiliary housing 14, the cover housing Since 15 is locked to the main housing 13, the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15 are not detached from the main housing 13 even if the hinges 16 and 17 are folded after the connector body 2 is assembled. Therefore, the optical connector 1 has no particular functional problem.

  In the above embodiment, the optical fiber connection portion 3 is connected to the main housing by hooking the locking projections 11 and 12 of the mechanical splice 6 on the locking window 20 and the rear wall 18c of the fiber connection accommodating portion 18 of the main housing 13. However, only one of the locking projections 11 and 12 may be provided on the mechanical splice 6. When the locking projection 11 is not provided on the mechanical splice 6, the locking window 20 may not be formed in the main housing 13.

  In the above embodiment, the optical fiber connecting portion 3 is locked to the main housing 13, but the configuration is not particularly limited, and the optical fiber connecting portion 3 is engaged with the auxiliary housing 14 as shown in FIG. 9. You can stop it. In this case, after the auxiliary housing 14 is folded and accommodated in the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13, the optical fiber connection portion 3 is accommodated in the fiber connection accommodating portion 18 of the main housing 13 and is engaged with the auxiliary housing 14. Stop. At this time, the rear end portion of the optical fiber connection portion 3 is passed through a through hole 37 formed in the front wall 14a of the auxiliary housing 14, and each locking projection 12 of the optical fiber connection portion 3 is locked to the front wall 14a. Let

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state before the connector main body of another embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention is assembled. 11 is a plan view of the connector main body shown in FIG. 10, and FIG. 12 is a side view of the connector main body shown in FIG.

  In each figure, the optical connector 40 of this embodiment includes a connector main body 41. The connector main body 41 has a structure in which the main housing 13, the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15 are integrated in a state before being assembled, like the connector main body 2 in the above embodiment. The auxiliary housing 14 is foldable with respect to the main housing 13, and the cover housing 15 is foldable with respect to the auxiliary housing 14. For this reason, the back side of the auxiliary housing 14 faces the upper side of the connector main body 41.

  Before the connector main body 41 is assembled, the auxiliary housing 14 is connected to one side of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13 via a hinge 42, and the cover housing 15 is hinged to the front end portion of the auxiliary housing 13. It is connected via 43. That is, before the connector main body 41 is assembled, the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15 are disposed on one side of the main housing 13.

  Side walls 19a are not provided on the side of the main housing 13 on the side of the hinge 42 in the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 so that the auxiliary housing 14 can be folded. Further, a side wall 14 a that protrudes downward from the auxiliary housing 14 in a state before the connector main body 41 is assembled is provided on a side portion of the auxiliary housing 14 on the hinge 42 side.

  When assembling such a connector main body 41, first, the auxiliary housing 14 is folded laterally with respect to the main housing 13 via the hinge 42, so that the auxiliary housing 14 is accommodated in the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13. . The cover housing 15 is closed with respect to the auxiliary housing 14 by folding the cover housing 15 backward with respect to the auxiliary housing 14 via the hinge 43.

  Also in the present embodiment as described above, since the connector main body 41 needs only one component, the number of components of the optical connector 40 can be greatly reduced. Further, when assembling the connector main body 41, it is only necessary to fold the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15, so that the assembly work of the optical connector 40 can be simplified.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state before the connector main body of still another embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention is assembled. 14 is a plan view of the connector body shown in FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 is a side view of the connector body shown in FIG.

  In each drawing, the optical connector 50 of this embodiment includes a connector main body 51. The connector main body 51 has a structure in which the main housing 13, the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15 are integrated in a state before being assembled, like the connector main body 2 in the above embodiment. Both the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15 are foldable with respect to the main housing 13. For this reason, the back sides of the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15 are in a state of facing the upper side of the connector main body 51.

  In a state before the connector main body 51 is assembled, the auxiliary housing 14 is connected to one side of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13 via a hinge 52, and the cover housing 15 is the auxiliary housing accommodating portion of the main housing 13. It is connected to the other side of 19 via a hinge 53.

  Side walls 19a (see FIG. 2 and the like) are not provided on both sides of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13 so that the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15 can be folded. Further, a side wall 14 a that protrudes downward from the auxiliary housing 14 in a state before the connector main body 51 is assembled is provided on a side portion of the auxiliary housing 14 on the hinge 52 side.

  When assembling such a connector main body 51, first, the auxiliary housing 14 is folded laterally with respect to the main housing 13 via the hinge 52, so that the auxiliary housing 14 is accommodated in the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13. . Then, the cover housing 15 is closed with respect to the auxiliary housing 14 by folding the cover housing 15 laterally with respect to the main housing 13 via the hinge 53.

  Also in the present embodiment as described above, since the connector main body 51 needs only one component, the number of components of the optical connector 50 can be greatly reduced. Further, when the connector main body 51 is assembled, it is only necessary to fold the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15, so that the assembly work of the optical connector 50 can be simplified.

  FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a state before the connector main body of still another embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention is assembled. 17 is a plan view of the connector main body shown in FIG. 16, and FIG. 18 is a side view of the connector main body shown in FIG.

  In each figure, the optical connector 60 of this embodiment includes a connector main body 61. The connector main body 61 has a structure in which the main housing 13, the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15 are integrated in a state before being assembled, like the connector main body 2 in the above embodiment. The auxiliary housing 14 is foldable with respect to the main housing 13, and the cover housing 15 is foldable with respect to the auxiliary housing 14. For this reason, the back side of the auxiliary housing 14 faces the upper side of the connector main body 61.

  Before the connector main body 61 is assembled, the auxiliary housing 14 is connected to one side of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13 via a hinge 62, and the cover housing 15 is connected to the main housing 13 of the auxiliary housing 14. It is connected to the opposite side through a hinge 63.

  Side walls 19a (see FIG. 2 and the like) are not provided on both sides of the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13 so that the auxiliary housing 14 can be folded. Further, side walls 14 a that protrude downward from the auxiliary housing 14 in a state before the connector main body 61 is assembled are provided on both sides of the auxiliary housing 14.

  When assembling such a connector main body 61, first, the auxiliary housing 14 is folded laterally with respect to the main housing 13 via the hinge 62, so that the auxiliary housing 14 is accommodated in the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13. . The cover housing 15 is closed with respect to the auxiliary housing 14 by folding the cover housing 15 laterally with respect to the auxiliary housing 14 via the hinge 63.

  As described above, also in this embodiment, since the connector main body 61 is only one component, the number of components of the optical connector 60 can be greatly reduced. Further, when assembling the connector main body 61, it is only necessary to fold the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15, so that the assembly work of the optical connector 60 can be simplified.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the structure of the connector body in which the main housing 13, the auxiliary housing 14, and the cover housing 15 are integrated so as to be foldable can be variously modified in addition to the above embodiment.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the connector main body has the structure where the main housing 13, the auxiliary | assistant housing 14, and the cover housing 15 were integrated so that folding was possible, especially as a structure of a connector main body, it is not restricted to it. .

  For example, as shown in FIG. 19A, the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15 are connected via a hinge 17 (see FIG. 3), but the main housing 13 and the auxiliary housing 14 may be separated. good. Further, as shown in FIG. 19B, the main housing 13 and the auxiliary housing 14 are connected via a hinge 16 (see FIG. 3), but the auxiliary housing 14 and the cover housing 15 are separated. Also good. In short, it is sufficient that at least two of the main housing 13, the auxiliary housing 14, and the cover housing 15 are connected via a hinge so as to be foldable.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the cable fixing portion 28 for fixing the optical cable is integrally provided in the auxiliary housing 14, but is not particularly limited thereto, and as shown in FIG. 20, the cable fixing portion 28 is provided in the auxiliary housing 14. The cable fixing member 71 for fixing the optical cable 70 may be detachably provided on the auxiliary housing 14 without being provided integrally.

  As shown in FIG. 21, the cable fixing member 71 is rotated (opened / closed) with respect to a member main body 72 having a plurality of blade portions (demons) 72 a that bite into the cable jacket 70 a of the optical cable 70. It consists of a possible lid 73. Note that the tip portion of the optical cable 70 is in a state where the optical fiber 74 is exposed from the cable jacket 70a.

  When the cable fixing member 71 is attached to the auxiliary housing 14, first, as shown in FIG. 21, the optical cable 70 is inserted into the cable jacket 70 a of the optical cable 70 by the blade portions 72 a of the member main body 72. In this state, the lid 73 is closed with respect to the member main body 72.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 20, a cable in which the optical cable 70 is fixed in a state where the auxiliary housing 14 is accommodated in the auxiliary housing accommodating portion 19 of the main housing 13 by folding the auxiliary housing 14 forward with respect to the main housing 13. The fixing member 71 is attached to the auxiliary housing 14. At this time, although not particularly illustrated, the auxiliary housing 14 and the cable fixing member 71 are provided with a mechanism for locking them.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Optical connector, 2 ... Connector main body, 3 ... Optical fiber connection part, 10 ... Built-in fiber, 11, 12 ... Locking protrusion, 13 ... Main housing, 14 ... Auxiliary housing, 14a ... Front wall, 15 ... Cover housing , 16, 17 ... hinge, 18 ... fiber connection accommodating portion, 18c ... rear wall, 19 ... auxiliary housing accommodating portion, 20 ... locking window, 23 ... locking hole, 24 ... locking hole, 25 ... locking recess, 26, 27 ... locking projection, 28 ... cable fixing part, 29 ... locking claw, 31 ... locking projection, 33 ... locking projection, 34, 35 ... locking window, 40 ... optical connector, 41 ... Connector body, 42, 43 ... Hinge, 50 ... Optical connector, 51 ... Connector body, 52, 53 ... Hinge, 60 ... Optical connector, 61 ... Connector body, 62, 63 ... Hinge, 70 ... Optical cable, 71 ... Cable fixing member (cable Tough), 74 ... optical fiber.

Claims (8)

In an optical connector comprising a connector main body, and an optical fiber connecting portion having a built-in fiber that is incorporated in the connector main body and connected to an optical fiber of an optical cable,
The connector main body is housed in a main housing having a fiber connection housing portion for housing the optical fiber connection portion, and a cable fixing portion for securing the optical cable is housed in a region behind the fiber connection housing portion in the main housing. An auxiliary housing provided integrally or detachably, and a cover housing covering the auxiliary housing;
At least two of the main housing, the auxiliary housing, and the cover housing are connected via a hinge in a state before the connector body is assembled,
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector main body is configured to be assembled by folding a housing connected through the hinge among the auxiliary housing and the cover housing. The main housing, the auxiliary housing, and the cover housing are connected via the hinge in a state before the connector body is assembled,
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector main body is configured to be assembled by folding the auxiliary housing and the cover housing. The auxiliary housing is connected to the rear end portion of the main housing through the hinge in a state before the connector body is assembled.
The cover housing is connected to the rear end of the auxiliary housing via the hinge in a state before the connector body is assembled,
The optical connector according to claim 2, wherein the connector body is configured to be assembled by folding the auxiliary housing forward and folding the cover housing backward. The auxiliary housing is connected to one side of the main housing via the hinge in a state before the connector body is assembled,
The cover housing is connected to the front end portion of the auxiliary housing via the hinge in a state before the connector main body is assembled.
The optical connector according to claim 2, wherein the connector main body is configured to be assembled by folding the auxiliary housing to the side and folding the cover housing to the rear. The auxiliary housing is connected to one side of the main housing via the hinge in a state before the connector body is assembled,
In the state before the connector main body is assembled, the cover housing is connected to the other side of the main housing or the side of the auxiliary housing opposite to the main housing via the hinge.
The optical connector according to claim 2, wherein the connector main body is configured to be assembled by folding the auxiliary housing to the side and folding the cover housing to the side. Means for locking the auxiliary housing to the main housing when the auxiliary housing is folded;
The optical connector according to claim 1, further comprising means for locking the cover housing to the main housing when the cover housing is folded.   The optical connector according to claim 1, further comprising means for locking the optical fiber connection portion to the main housing or the auxiliary housing in a state where the connector main body is assembled. . In an optical connector assembly method comprising: a connector main body; and an optical fiber connection portion having a built-in fiber that is incorporated in the connector main body and connected to an optical fiber of an optical cable.
A main housing having a fiber connection accommodating portion for accommodating the optical fiber connecting portion as the connector main body, and a cable fixing portion that is accommodated in a region on the rear side of the fiber connection accommodating portion in the main housing and fixes the optical cable. An auxiliary housing provided integrally or detachably, and a cover housing covering the auxiliary housing, wherein at least two of the main housing, the auxiliary housing and the cover housing are connected via a hinge. The process of preparing what is
A method of assembling the optical connector, comprising: folding a housing connected through the hinges of the auxiliary housing and the cover housing and assembling the connector body.

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