JP2019028336A - Multi-center optical connector with dust-proof shutter - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable covering the opening of an optical connector with an optical fiber on the light source side without any gap therebetween to avoid the phenomenon in which the light-shielding member is hit by the ferrule of the optical fiber on the light source side at the time of opening and closing.SOLUTION: A shutter having a size in which the aperture can be covered without any gap is realized by providing a first bent section in which a part of the shutter is bent backward and a second bent section in which another part of the shutter is bent in the opposite direction to the first bent section, by providing a shutter having a size that allows the opening to be covered without any gap, the shutter is made slidable in the fitting direction of the optical connector, and by providing an optical connector capable of arranging the shutter at a position where the shutter is not hit by the tip of the ferrule when opening and closing by providing the shutter at the opening of the slide member biased in the tip direction by a pressing spring.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a multi-fiber optical connector provided with a shell that is attached to the tip of each multi-fiber optical fiber and engages with each other. Specifically, in the present invention, when the multi-fiber optical connector on the plug side and the multi-fiber optical connector on the receptacle side are connected and each multi-fiber optical fiber is optically coupled to each other, The present invention relates to a multi-fiber optical connector provided with a dustproof shutter so that foreign substances such as the like do not enter. The present invention also provides a dust-proof shutter provided on the distal end side of the ferrule of the multi-core optical fiber when connecting the multi-fiber plug connector to the receptacle connector of the multi-core optical fiber. The present invention relates to a plug connector for a multi-core optical fiber that can prevent external radiation of light from the multi-fiber optical fiber in addition to preventing foreign matters such as dust from entering.

  As a conventional example of an optical connector provided with a shutter, an optical connector as described in Japanese Patent No. 5959332 (Patent Document 1) can be given. The optical connector includes an adapter (receptacle connector) and a plug (plug connector), and the adapter includes a light shielding member that is disposed in the vicinity of the emission end of the optical fiber held by the ferrule and shields light. The light shielding member is provided with a light absorbing member, and the light emitted from the optical fiber to the outside can be shielded by the light absorbing member.

  The light shielding member of the adapter has elasticity, and when the adapter and the plug are fitted, the guide pin provided on the distal end side of the plug ferrule and a part of the lower portion of the ferrule of the plug are brought into contact with the exit end. The optical fiber cable is installed so as to be folded from the side to the end (base end side) on the side where the optical fiber cable extends and retract from the optical path. In addition, a hole for receiving the guide pin of the plug is formed in the tip portion of the ferrule of the adapter when the adapter and the plug are fitted.

  When the adapter and plug are removed, the guide pin provided on the ferrule of the plug is removed from the hole formed in the ferrule of the adapter, and the light shielding member of the adapter returns to the optical path of light by elasticity. Is configured to do.

  With such a configuration, in the conventional example, when the plug is not fitted to the adapter, the light shielding member is always on the optical path from the optical fiber held by the ferrule of the adapter. External radiation and reflection of the irradiated light can be prevented, and damage to components such as plugs and adapter ferrules can be prevented.

  In the present invention, a connector corresponding to the conventional adapter is referred to as a receptacle connector or simply a receptacle, and a connector corresponding to the conventional plug is referred to as a plug connector or simply a plug.

Patent No. 5959332

  As described above, the light shielding member used in the optical connector including the plug and adapter (receptacle) of the conventional example is disposed in the vicinity of the emission end of the optical fiber on the light source side, and is irradiated from the emission end of the optical fiber. External radiation and reflection can be prevented before the light spreads. The light shielding member is arranged near the light emitting end of the optical fiber on the light source side, and needs to be small so that it can be folded from the light emitting end side to the base end side when the optical connectors (plug and adapter) are fitted together. There is.

  Therefore, if the size of the light shielding member is increased, the light shielding member hits the ferrule of the optical fiber on the light source side when opening and closing, and the light shielding member cannot be folded well from the emission end side to the base end side. That is, in the configuration of the conventional example, since the size of the light shielding member cannot be increased, the opening of the optical connector including the optical fiber on the light source side cannot be covered without a gap.

  As described above, in the optical connector of the conventional example, a gap is formed between the opening of the optical connector and the light shielding member. Therefore, when the optical connectors are fitted to each other, foreign matter such as dust or dust entering from the gap When entering the optical path of the optical fiber, there may be a problem that the transmission performance of the optical signal is remarkably deteriorated.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem in the prior art, and an opening that can receive an optical fiber ferrule of a counterpart optical connector (a receptacle connector in an embodiment according to the present invention). Is provided on the light source side optical connector (plug connector in one embodiment of the present invention) on the tip (outgoing end) side, and the opening of the slide member can be blocked without a gap. By providing a large-sized shutter, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as dust and dirt from entering through the opening, and to completely block light emitted from the tip of the optical connector on the light source side through the opening. An optical connector is provided.

  Further, the slide member provided with the shutter in the opening is configured to be slidable back and forth along the fitting direction of the optical connector on the light source side, and is further urged by an elastic body such as a spring to By configuring the slide member to move away from the tip of the ferrule, it is possible to place the shutter at a position that does not hit the tip of the ferrule when opening and closing, even if the shutter has a size that can block the opening without gaps. An optical connector is provided.

An optical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention includes:
A ferrule holding an optical fiber, and a slide member provided with a shutter, which is a plate-like member having an opening formed on the distal end side and shielding the opening;
A shell provided with the ferrule inside, and provided with the slide member on the tip side;
Including
The slide member is slidable back and forth along the fitting direction, and is urged in the distal direction by the first elastic body,
The shutter can be opened and closed by a rotating shaft, is urged in a closing direction by a second elastic body, is molded in accordance with the shape of the opening, and has a first bent portion,
The first bent portion is formed by bending a part of the shutter backward.
The shutter is configured to cover the opening in the closed state so as not to substantially leak light emitted from the optical fiber to the outside.

As a preferred embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention, a ferrule holding an optical fiber, a slide member provided with a shutter that is a plate-like member that is formed on the front end side and shields the opening;
A shell provided with the ferrule inside, and provided with the slide member on the tip side;
Including
The slide member is slidable back and forth along the fitting direction, and is urged in the distal direction by the first elastic body,
The shutter can be opened and closed by a rotating shaft, is urged in a closing direction by a second elastic body, is molded in accordance with the shape of the opening, and has a first bent portion and a second bent portion,
The first bent portion is formed by bending a part of the shutter backward.
The second bent portion is formed by bending another part of the shutter in a direction opposite to the first bent portion,
The shutter is configured to cover the opening in the closed state so as not to substantially leak light emitted from the optical fiber to the outside.

As a preferred embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention, the opening is shaped into a rectangular shape for receiving a ferrule of an optical fiber,
The shutter uses the shutter pin provided along one long side of the rectangular shape of the opening as the rotation axis.

As a preferred embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention, the slide member has a shielding wall along the one long side of the opening provided with the shutter pin,
The shutter pin is configured to be located behind the shielding wall.

As a preferred embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention, the slide member has a support wall along the other long side of the opening, in which the shutter pin is not provided,
In the state where the shutter is closed, the end of the shutter is configured to be pressed against the support wall.

As a preferred embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention, the first elastic body is a push spring provided so as to expand and contract along the fitting direction.
The slide member is pushed to the tip side by the push spring and is locked so as not to come off from the tip portion of the shell.

As a preferred embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention, the second elastic body is a torsion spring wound around the rotating shaft,
The torsion spring is configured to close the shutter by pressing an inner wall surface of the slide member and a rear surface of the shutter.

As a preferred embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention, the first bent portion is provided in the vicinity of the rotating shaft,
The second bent portion is provided in the vicinity of an end portion on the side opposite to the rotating shaft.

  As a preferred embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention, the plate-like portion between the first bent portion and the second bent portion of the shutter is in a state in which the shutter is closed with respect to the fitting direction. It is characterized by tilting diagonally rather than vertically.

  As a preferred embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention, the plate-like portion between the first bent portion and the second bent portion of the shutter is provided at the tip of the counterpart ferrule of the counterpart optical connector. The guide pin is provided at a position where it abuts, and is configured to abut against the guide pin obliquely rather than perpendicularly.

  As a preferred embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention, the first bent portion or the peripheral portion of the first bent portion is formed when the counterpart ferrule of the counterpart optical connector passes through the opening. It was provided in the position contact | abutted to an edge part.

  As a preferred embodiment of the optical connector according to the present invention, the shutter is in a fully open state when fitted with the counterpart optical connector, and is accommodated in a gap between the slide member and the ferrule. As described above, the shutter is bent at the first bent portion and the second bent portion.

An optical connector device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes:
The optical connector;
A mating optical connector that can be fitted with the optical connector,
The optical connector is a plug connector;
The counterpart optical connector is a receptacle connector.

  An optical connector according to the present invention includes a shutter provided in an opening of a slide member, a first bent portion obtained by bending a part of the shutter rearward, and another part of the shutter bent in a direction opposite to the first bent portion. By providing the second bent portion, a shutter having a size capable of blocking the opening of the slide member without a gap can be realized. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent foreign matters such as dust and dust from entering from the opening, and to completely block light emitted from the front end of the optical connector on the light source side through the opening.

  Also, the shutter provided in the optical connector itself is pushed and opened by the mating ferrule of the mating optical connector, and automatically released by the torsion spring provided in the shutter when the mating with the mating optical connector is released. Therefore, since the shutter is closed, it is not necessary to provide a removable light-shielding member such as a cap at the tip of the optical connector, and the labor of connecting the optical connector can be reduced.

  Further, the slide member provided with the shutter at the opening is configured to be slidable back and forth along the fitting direction of the optical connector on the light source side, and the slide member is moved by the push spring so as to be away from the tip of the ferrule of the optical fiber. By energizing the shutter, the shutter can be disposed at a position away from the tip of the ferrule during opening and closing. Therefore, as described above, it is possible to realize a shutter having a size capable of blocking the opening of the slide member without a gap. Since the optical connector is provided with a slide member that is slidable in the fitting direction, the fitting position with the counterpart optical connector can be adjusted flexibly, so that a commercially available MPO connector can be used as the counterpart optical connector. Can be used without modification.

1 is a perspective view showing an optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the other party optical connector fitted with the optical connector shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the invitation which installed the other party optical connector shown in FIG. 2 in housing | casing (panel), such as an apparatus. It is a front perspective view of the slide member with which the optical connector shown in FIG. 1 is provided. It is a back perspective view of the slide member with which the optical connector shown in FIG. 1 is provided. FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a shutter included in the slide member shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of a shutter included in the slide member shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the optical connector shown in FIG. 1 and the mating optical connector shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which inserted the optical connector in the other party optical connector from the state shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the optical connector is inserted from the state shown in FIG. 9 and the shutter is pushed and opened by the guide pin of the counterpart optical connector. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which inserted the optical connector in the back from the state shown in FIG. 10, and opened the shutter further. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which inserted the optical connector in the back from the state shown in FIG. 11, and the shutter opened completely. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which inserted the optical connector in the back from the state shown in FIG. 12, and was accommodated in the clearance gap between a slide member and a ferrule. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which inserted the optical connector completely from the state shown in FIG. 13, and was completely fitted with the other party optical connector.

  Hereinafter, an optical connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, specifically, a plug connector will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiment, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a mating optical connector fitted to the optical connector shown in FIG. A plug connector 100 which is an optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a slide member 110 and a cylindrical plug shell 130 provided with the slide member 110 on the distal end side. The plug shell 130 includes an optical fiber and a ferrule that holds the optical fiber. The slide member 110 includes an opening 114 (see FIG. 4) provided with a shutter 111 that is a plate-like member on the distal end side.

  The plug connector 100 includes a hook-shaped portion 132 on the surface of the plug shell 130. The hook-shaped portion 132 is configured to fit into a groove formed in the inner wall of the fitting portion of the receptacle shell 220 of the receptacle connector 200 that is the counterpart optical connector shown in FIG. 2, and the plug connector 100, the receptacle connector 200, and the like. During fitting, it is possible to prevent displacement between connectors and backlash during fitting. The plug connector 100 also includes a guide portion 133 on both sides of the tip portion of the plug shell 130 (that is, on the short side of the rectangular shutter 111). The guiding portion 133 can guide the optical fiber housing or ferrule included in the receptacle connector 200 into the plug shell 130 without rattling when the plug connector 100 and the receptacle connector 200 are fitted together. it can.

  Plug connector 100 includes a ring portion 131 behind a fitting portion with receptacle connector 200, that is, behind a hook-like portion 132 formed on the surface of plug shell 130. The ring part 131 is formed in a ring shape so as to surround the outer periphery of the plug shell 130, and includes a claw part 134 on the side to be fitted with the receptacle connector 200. When the plug connector 100 and the receptacle connector 200 are fitted together, the claw portion 134 is formed in a convex shape so as to be locked by a concave claw receiving portion 223 provided on the inner wall of the fitting portion 221 of the receptacle connector 200. The

  The plug connector 100 includes a coupling portion 135 for coupling an optical fiber cable 140 on the rear end side. The coupling part 135 can couple the cable 140 to the plug connector 100 by tightening the screw 136 and pressing the outer skin of the cable 140.

  A receptacle connector 200 that is a counterpart optical connector includes a ferrule 210 that is a counterpart ferrule, and a receptacle shell 220 that includes the ferrule 210 therein. The ferrule 210 includes a guide pin 211 at the tip. Two guide pins 211 can be provided on both sides of a multi-core optical fiber such as MT or MPO. The guide pin 211 is inserted into a hole (not shown) provided at the tip of a ferrule 150 (FIG. 8) provided inside the plug connector 100 when the plug connector 100 and the receptacle connector 200 are fitted together.

  The receptacle shell 220 includes a coating 224 that covers the housing 213 (see FIG. 8). The optical fiber cable 230 extends behind the receptacle connector 200 through the coating 224. Moreover, the receptacle shell 220 is provided with a cylindrical fitting portion 221 for receiving and fitting the plug shell 130 therein. The fitting portion 221 includes a thread 222 for fixing the receptacle connector 200 to a housing of the apparatus or the like with a nut or the like on the outer peripheral side surface, and a convex claw portion 134 provided on the ring portion 131 of the plug connector 100. A concave claw receiving portion 223 for locking is provided on the inner wall. In addition, the nail | claw part 134 can be formed in concave shape and the nail | claw receiving part 223 can also be formed in concave shape.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an invitation in which the counterpart optical connector shown in FIG. 2 is installed in a housing (panel) such as a device. Receptacle connector 200 is fixed to housing 300 using screw thread 222 and nut 310 so that fitting portion 221 is exposed to the outside from housing 300 such as an apparatus. The casing 300 shown in FIG. 3 is a part of the casing of the apparatus or the like, that is, only the peripheral part of the receptacle connector 200 is shown by a rectangle, and of course is not limited to a rectangular shape. Absent.

  4 is a front perspective view of a slide member provided in the optical connector shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the slide member provided in the optical connector shown in FIG. The slide member 110 includes a slider 112 configured to fit and slide in a groove formed in the inner wall of the plug shell 130 along the fitting direction on the upper and lower (longer side of the rectangular opening 114) side surfaces. . The slider 112 includes a columnar spring receiving portion 115 formed at the rear end portion so as to extend rearward along the fitting direction.

  In addition, the slide member 110 includes an opening 114 formed on the distal end side, and includes a shutter 111 that is a plate-like member for shielding the opening 114. The opening 114 is shaped in a rectangular shape to accept an optical fiber ferrule. The shutter 111 is formed in a rectangular shape in accordance with the shape of the opening 114, and covers the entire opening 114 in a closed state so that light emitted from the optical fiber is not substantially leaked to the outside. . An inclined surface is formed at the edge of the opening 114, and the inclined surface that comes into contact with the edge of the ferrule 210 (see FIG. 8) of the receptacle connector 200 that is the counterpart optical connector contacts the inclined surface. The ferrule 210 can be guided to the inside of the plug connector 100 by this inclination.

  The shutter 111 can be opened and closed with one long side of the opening 114 in the rectangular shape, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the shutter pin 113 provided along the upper long side as a rotation axis. When the front surface of the shutter 111 shown in FIG. 4 is the front surface and the front surface of the slide member 110 shown in FIG. 5 is the back surface, the shutter 111 is an elastic torsion spring. When the shutter 111 is urged in the closing direction by the 117, the end of the shutter 111 is provided along the other long side where the shutter pin 113 is not provided in the opening 114 of the slide member 110. It is pressed against the support wall 120 (see FIG. 8). That is, the torsion spring 117 is a spring wound around the shutter pin 113 and presses the inner wall surface of the upper part of the slide member 110 (the side on which the shutter pin 113 is provided) and the back surface of the shutter 111 to thereby release the shutter 111. Can be closed.

  The shielding wall 116 is formed along one long side of the opening 114 provided with the shutter pin 113. The shutter pin 113 is located behind the shielding wall 116, and the shielding wall 116 can prevent foreign matters such as dust and dust from entering through a gap between the shutter pin 113 and the slide member 110.

  6 and 7 are a front perspective view and a rear perspective view of a shutter included in the slide member shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The shutter 111 is a plate-like member that is formed according to the shape of the opening 114 of the slide member 110, and has at least a first bent portion 118. The first bent portion 118 is formed by bending a part of the shutter 118 backward. The first bent portion 118 is provided on the upper side of the shutter 111 having a hole through which the shutter pin 113 passes.

  The shutter 111 can include a second bent portion 119 in addition to the first bent portion 118. The second bent portion 119 has another portion near the end opposite to the upper side (that is, the lower side) having a hole through which the shutter pin 113 is passed, in the direction opposite to the first bent portion 118, that is, the front side. It is formed by bending it.

  8 to FIG. 14, the optical connector shown in FIG. 1 and the counterpart optical connector shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing showing the state up to this in steps. The plug connector 100 includes a ferrule 150 that holds an optical fiber 152 (for example, a multi-core optical fiber). The buffer spring 151, which is an elastic body, is provided behind the ferrule 150 and can be urged so as to push the ferrule 150 toward the distal end side of the plug connector 100.

  The receptacle connector 200 includes a ferrule 210 that holds an optical fiber 212 (for example, a multi-core optical fiber). The buffer spring 214, which is an elastic body, is provided behind the ferrule 210, and can be biased so as to push the ferrule 210 toward the distal end side of the receptacle connector 200. When the plug connector 100 and the receptacle connector 200 are fitted together, the guide pin 211 provided on the front surface of the ferrule 210 facing the ferrule 150 is inserted into a hole provided in the ferrule 150. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the receptacle connector 200 is fixed to a housing 300 (or a panel or the like) such as a device by tightening a nut 310. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 14, the plug connector 100 is inserted and fitted into the receptacle connector 200 fixed to the housing 300 as shown in FIGS.

  The plate-like shutter 111 formed in accordance with the rectangular shape of the opening 114 of the slide member 110 is provided with at least the first bent portion 118, so that the opening of the slide member 110 does not hit other members when opening and closing. It is possible to realize a shutter having a size capable of blocking 114 substantially without a gap. Further, the same effect can be obtained by providing the shutter 111 with the second bent portion 119 in addition to the first bent portion 118. With such a configuration, the optical connector according to the embodiment of the present invention can prevent foreign matters such as dust and dirt from entering the plug connector 100. To the extent that such a dustproof function is not lost, the shutter 111 only needs to cover the opening 114 in general, and does not need to cover it completely.

  The slide member 110 has a support wall 120 along the other long side of the opening 114 where the shutter pin 113 is not provided. When the end portion of the shutter 111 is closed, the end portion of the shutter 111 is urged toward the distal end side of the plug connector 100 by the torsion spring 117 and pressed against the support wall 120. Further, the slide member 110 is slidable back and forth along the fitting direction, and as shown in FIG. 8, the plug connector 100 is provided by a push spring 138 which is an elastic body provided to expand and contract in the fitting direction. It is urged | biased by the front-end | tip direction, and it latches so that it may not remove | deviate from the front-end | tip part of the plug shell 130.

  FIG. 9 shows a state in which the plug connector 100 is inserted into the fitting portion 221 of the receptacle connector 200. As shown in FIG. 9, the plate-like portion between the first bent portion 118 and the second bent portion 119 in the shutter 111 is not perpendicular to the fitting direction but oblique with the shutter 111 closed. Leaning on. The plate-like portion between the first bent portion 118 and the second bent portion 119 is perpendicular to the guide pin 211 provided at the tip of the ferrule 210 that is the mating fail of the receptacle connector 200 that is the mating optical connector. It is provided in the position which contacts diagonally without. In other words, the guide pin 211 provided at the tip of the ferrule 210 of the receptacle connector 200 contacts the plate-like portion between the first bent portion 118 and the second bent portion 119 in the shutter 111 obliquely instead of vertically. Touch.

FIG. 10 shows a state where the plug 111 is inserted deeper than the state shown in FIG. 9 and the shutter 111 is pushed and opened by the guide pin 211 of the receptacle connector 200. 11 shows a state in which the plug connector 100 is further inserted and the guide pins 211 of the receptacle connector 200 slide on the surface of the shutter 111 and reach the second bent portion 119 than the state shown in FIG. Show.
In the state shown in FIG. 11, the ferrule 210 of the receptacle connector 200 abuts on the first bent portion 118 or a peripheral portion adjacent to the first bent portion. That is, the first bent portion 118 of the shutter 111 or the peripheral portion of the first bent portion 118 contacts the edge of the ferrule 210 when the ferrule 210 of the receptacle connector 200 passes through the opening 114 of the slide member 110. In the position.

  FIG. 12 shows a state where the plug connector 100 is further inserted from the state shown in FIG. 11 and the shutter 111 is completely opened. The shutter 111 is pushed up by the edge of the ferrule 210 of the receptacle connector 200 to the inner wall on the side (upper side) where the shutter pin of the slide member 110 is provided. The slide member 110 is brought into contact with the front end surface of the housing 213 of the receptacle connector 200. It is pushed backwards. That is, the edge of the ferrule 210 hits the surface between the rotation axis of the shutter 111 and the first bent portion 118, and the tip of the shutter 111 is pushed up above the ferrule 150. At this time, the first bent portion 118 is positioned below the upper surfaces of the ferrule 150 and the ferrule 210.

  FIG. 13 shows a state where the plug connector 100 is further inserted from the state shown in FIG. 12 and the shutter 111 is housed in the gap between the slide member 110 and the ferrule 150. The slide member 110 is further pushed downward by the housing 213 of the receptacle connector 200, and a guide pin 211 provided on the ferrule 210 of the receptacle connector 200 is provided in a hole (not shown) provided in the ferrule 150 of the plug connector 100. The ferrule 210 and the ferrule 150 come into contact with each other. When the ferrule 210 and the ferrule 150 come into contact with each other, the fully opened shutter, that is, the folded shutter 111 is accommodated between the upper inner wall surface of the slide member 110 and the upper surface of the ferrule 150. That is, after the upper surface of the ferrule 150 is in contact with the surface between the first bent portion and the second bent portion, the shutter is pushed up until the first bent portion rides while sliding on the surface, Stored.

  FIG. 14 shows a state in which the plug connector 100 is completely inserted from the state shown in FIG. 13 and is completely fitted to the receptacle connector 200. When the slide member 110 is completely pushed downward by the housing 213 of the receptacle connector 200, the ferrule 150 of the plug connector 100 and the ferrule 210 of the receptacle connector 200 are pressed against each other, so that the regulation surface 139 and the regulation surface respectively. Go backwards from 225. Then, the ferrule 150 and the ferrule 210 are pressed against each other in the distal direction of each connector by the buffer spring 151 and the buffer spring 214 provided at the rear of each ferrule, and the optical coupling between the optical fiber 152 and the optical fiber 212 is performed. Is achieved.

  Further, the claw portion 134 provided on the distal end side of the ring portion 131 of the plug connector 100 is locked to the claw receiving portion 223 provided on the inner wall of the fitting portion 221 of the receptacle connector 200 so that the connectors are fitted to each other. The state can be maintained. As shown in FIG. 14, when the plug connector 100 and the receptacle connector 200 are fitted, the shutter 111 avoids obstructing the opening and closing by hitting the inner wall of the slide member 110 or the ferrule 150. The first bent portion 118 and the second bent portion 119 are bent so as to be accommodated in the gap between the ferrule 150.

  As described above, the shutter 111 provided on the plug connector 100 itself is opened by being pushed by the guide pin 211 of the ferrule 210 of the receptacle connector 200 and is released from the fitting with the receptacle connector 200. Since the shutter is automatically closed by the applied torsion spring 117, it is not necessary to provide a removable light-shielding member such as a cap at the tip of the plug connector 100, and the labor for connecting the plug connector 100 can be reduced. it can.

  The slide member 110 provided with the shutter 111 in the opening 114 is configured to be slidable back and forth along the fitting direction of the plug connector 100 on the light source side so as to move away from the tip of the ferrule 150 of the optical fiber 152. In addition, since the slide member 110 is urged by the push spring 138, the shutter 111 can be disposed at a position away from the tip of the ferrule 150 during opening and closing. Therefore, it is possible to realize the shutter 111 having a size capable of blocking the opening 114 of the slide member 110 without a gap. Since the plug member 100 is provided with the slide member 110 that is slidable in the fitting direction, the fitting position with the receptacle connector 200 can be adjusted flexibly, so that a commercially available MPO connector can be used as the receptacle connector 200. Can be used without modification.

  The present invention can be used for an optical connector for connecting and optically coupling a plug-side multi-fiber optical fiber and a receptacle-side multi-fiber optical fiber.

100 plug connector (optical connector)
110 Slide member 111 Shutter 112 Slider 113 Shutter pin 114 Opening portion 115 Spring receiving portion 116 Shielding wall 117 Torsion spring (first elastic body)
118 First bent portion 119 Second bent portion 120 Support wall 130 Plug shell (shell)
131 Ring part 132 Cage-like part 133 Guide part 134 Claw part 135 Coupling part 136 Screw 138 Press spring (second elastic body)
139 Regulating surface 140 Cable 150 Ferrule 151 Buffer spring 152 Optical fiber 200 Receptacle connector (mating side optical connector)
210 Ferrule (other party ferrule)
211 Guide pin 212 Optical fiber 213 Housing 214 Buffer spring 220 Receptacle shell (mating side shell)
221 Fitting part 222 Thread 223 Claw receiving part 224 Cover 225 Restricting surface 230 Cable 300 Housing (panel)
310 nut

Claims (13)

A ferrule holding an optical fiber, and a slide member provided with a shutter, which is a plate-like member having an opening formed on the distal end side and shielding the opening;
A shell provided with the ferrule inside, and provided with the slide member on the tip side;
Including
The slide member is slidable back and forth along the fitting direction, and is urged in the distal direction by the first elastic body,
The shutter can be opened and closed by a rotating shaft, is urged in a closing direction by a second elastic body, is molded in accordance with the shape of the opening, and has a first bent portion,
The first bent portion is formed by bending a part of the shutter backward.
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the shutter covers the opening in a closed state so that light emitted from the optical fiber is not substantially leaked to the outside. A ferrule holding an optical fiber, and a slide member provided with a shutter, which is a plate-like member having an opening formed on the distal end side and shielding the opening;
A shell provided with the ferrule inside, and provided with the slide member on the tip side;
Including
The slide member is slidable back and forth along the fitting direction, and is urged in the distal direction by the first elastic body,
The shutter can be opened and closed by a rotating shaft, is urged in a closing direction by a second elastic body, is molded in accordance with the shape of the opening, and has a first bent portion and a second bent portion,
The first bent portion is formed by bending a part of the shutter backward.
The second bent portion is formed by bending another part of the shutter in a direction opposite to the first bent portion,
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the shutter covers the opening in a closed state so that light emitted from the optical fiber is not substantially leaked to the outside. The opening is shaped into a rectangular shape to accept an optical fiber ferrule,
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the shutter uses a shutter pin provided along one long side of the rectangular shape of the opening as the rotation axis. The slide member has a shielding wall along the one long side of the opening provided with the shutter pin,
The optical connector according to claim 3, wherein the shutter pin is configured to be located behind the shielding wall. The slide member has a support wall along the other long side of the opening, where the shutter pin is not provided,
The optical connector according to claim 4, wherein an end portion of the shutter is pressed against the support wall when the shutter is closed. The first elastic body is a push spring provided to expand and contract along the fitting direction,
6. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the slide member is pushed toward the distal end side by the push spring and is locked so as not to come off from the distal end portion of the shell. The second elastic body is a torsion spring wound around the rotating shaft,
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the torsion spring is configured to close the shutter by pressing an inner wall surface of the slide member and a rear surface of the shutter. . The first bent portion is provided in the vicinity of the rotation shaft,
8. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the second bent portion is provided in the vicinity of an end portion on the side opposite to the rotating shaft. 9. A plate-like portion between the first bent portion and the second bent portion of the shutter is inclined obliquely, not perpendicularly to the fitting direction, with the shutter closed. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A plate-like portion between the first bent portion and the second bent portion of the shutter is provided at a position where a guide pin provided at the tip of the counterpart ferrule of the counterpart optical connector abuts. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the optical connector is configured to be in contact with the pin at an angle rather than perpendicularly. The first bent portion or a peripheral portion of the first bent portion is provided at a position where the other ferrule of the counterpart optical connector contacts the edge of the counterpart ferrule when passing through the opening. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The shutter is in a fully open state when mated with the counterpart optical connector, and is accommodated in a gap between the slide member and the ferrule, and the first bent portion and the second The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the shutter is bent at a bent portion. The optical connector according to claim 1,
A mating optical connector that can be fitted with the optical connector,
The optical connector is a plug connector;
The optical connector device according to claim 1, wherein the counterpart optical connector is a receptacle connector.

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