JP2022179024A - optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an optical connector that improves a removal property from an external device.SOLUTION: An optical connector comprises: a ferrule that can hold an optical fiber; an outer housing that is positioned on a rear end side of the ferrule; and a latch that is coupled to the outer housing, and extends toward a front end along a first direction from a base end present in a coupling part to the outer housing, in which in a tip part of the latch, an engagement part is provided that is engageable with an external device. The latch is configured to allow the engagement part to be pushed down toward the ferrule. The engagement part of the latch has: an engagement body that extends along the first direction; and an engagement protrusion part that protrudes outward along a third direction intersecting both the first direction and second direction from the engagement body. Behind the engagement protrusion part, an engagement face is provided that is configured to engage with the external device and an end part of the engagement face is chamfered.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

The present disclosure relates to optical connectors.

Patent Literature 1 discloses an optical connector. This optical connector includes a housing body including a pair of ferrule housing portions each accommodating a ferrule, and a latch having a pair of engaging portions for engaging an external device such as an adapter.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0341069

The optical connector described in Patent Document 1 is attached to an external device by inserting a ferrule into an external device such as an adapter and engaging an engaging portion of a latch with an engaging portion inside the external device. When removing such an optical connector from an external device, the engaging portion of the latch is moved downward to release the engagement with the engaging portion of the external device. However, there are cases where the engaging portion of the optical connector is not properly disengaged from the engaging portion of the external device and is caught. In particular, when the engaging portion of the optical connector is made of resin and the external device is made of metal, the engaging portion of the optical connector may be caught by the engaging portion of the external device and cannot be removed. Therefore, there is a demand for an optical connector that can be easily removed from an external device such as an adapter.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an optical connector that can be easily removed from an external device.

The present disclosure provides an optical connector having a front end and a rear end opposite the front end in a first direction, and into which an optical fiber can be inserted from the rear end. This optical connector includes at least one ferrule capable of holding an optical fiber at its front end, an outer housing located on the rear end side of the ferrule, and a base end connected to the outer housing. a latch extending along one direction toward the front end. At least one engaging portion that can be engaged with an external device is provided at the tip portion of the latch. The latch is configured such that the engaging portion can be pushed down toward the ferrule in a second direction that intersects the first direction. The engaging part includes an engaging body extending along a first direction and at least one engaging body protruding outward from the engaging body along a third direction that intersects both the first direction and the second direction. and a projection. Behind the engaging projection is an engaging surface configured to engage an external device, the engaging surface having chamfered ends.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an optical connector with improved detachability from an external device.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an optical connector of one embodiment. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the optical connector shown in FIG. 1 is coupled with an adapter; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an outer housing with a latch, which is one component of the optical connector. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a tab, which is one component of the optical connector. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the tab shown in FIG. 5 as viewed from the opposite side. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a housing body forming part of the optical connector. FIG. 8 is a side view of the configuration of the optical connector shown in FIG. 1 with the tab removed. FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the optical connector, and is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of inserting the optical connector into the adapter. FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper portion of the optical connector. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the optical connector, and is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of removing the optical connector from the adapter. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing an enlarged engaging portion of the latch. FIG. 13 is a side view showing the case where the engaging portion of the latch is viewed from the side. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing an engagement state between the engaging portion of the latch and the engaging portion of the adapter when the optical connector is attached to the adapter, and is a perspective view with the upper portion cut away for explanation. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing an engagement state between the engaging portion of the latch and the engaging portion of the adapter when the optical connector is attached to the adapter, and is a perspective view with a side cut away for explanation. . FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing the state of engagement between the engaging portion of the latch and the engaging portion of the adapter when the optical connector is attached to the adapter, and is a sectional view taken along a plane extending in the vertical direction. be. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the engagement state between the engaging portion of the latch and the engaging portion of the adapter when the optical connector is attached to the adapter, and is a cross-sectional view cut along a plane extending in the horizontal direction. be.

[Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure]
First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. An optical connector according to one embodiment has a front end and a rear end opposite to the front end in a first direction, and is an optical connector into which an optical fiber can be inserted from the rear end. This optical connector includes at least one ferrule capable of holding an optical fiber at its front end, an outer housing located on the rear end side of the ferrule, and a base end connected to the outer housing. a latch extending along one direction toward the front end. At least one engaging portion that can be engaged with an external device is provided at the tip portion of the latch. The latch is configured such that the engaging portion can be pushed down toward the ferrule in a second direction that intersects the first direction. The engaging part includes an engaging body extending along a first direction and at least one engaging body protruding outward from the engaging body along a third direction that intersects both the first direction and the second direction. and a projection. Behind the engaging projection is an engaging surface configured to engage an external device, the engaging surface having chamfered ends.

In this optical connector, the end of the engaging surface of the engaging protrusion of the latch that engages with the external device is chamfered. In this case, when the latch is pushed down when the optical connector is pulled out from the external device, the engaging portion of the optical connector and the external device do not have corners because the end portion of the engaging surface is particularly likely to be caught by the engaging portion of the external device. The engagement with the engaging portion of is more reliably released. Thereby, according to this optical connector, it is possible to improve the detachability from the external device. The external device here can include at least an adapter for connecting optical connectors, an optical transceiver for connecting optical connectors, and the like.

In one embodiment, the chamfer dimension at the end of the engagement surface may be 0.4 mm or less. In this case, it is possible to ensure the engagement with the external device by the engaging surface, and also improve the ease of removal from the external device.

As one embodiment, the chamfer dimension of the end of the engaging surface may be less than or equal to half the projection length of the engaging portion along the second direction. In this case, it is possible to ensure the engagement with the external device by the engaging surface, and also improve the ease of removal from the external device.

In one embodiment, the chamfers at the ends of the engagement surfaces may be C chamfers or R chamfers. In this case, the chamfered shape of the end of the engaging surface can be produced more reliably.

As one embodiment, the engaging protrusion may include a curved surface continuing to the upper edge of the engaging surface opposite to the downward direction in the second direction. In this case, when the optical connector is removed from the external device, the removal operation of the optical connector after the engaging portion of the external device is disengaged from the engaging surface of the optical connector can be performed more smoothly. In addition, in this embodiment, part of the edge of the curved surface may be chamfered as described above.

As one embodiment, the chamfered surface may include a pair of straight lines and two curved lines connecting the pair of straight lines. In this case, more curved surfaces are provided in the engaging projection, and it is possible to further suppress the engagement of the engaging projection with an external device.

As one embodiment, the engaging body may have a first inclined surface located on the front end side and a second inclined surface connected to the first inclined surface and located on the rear end side of the first inclined surface. , the engaging protrusion may protrude outward along the third direction from the portion of the engaging body where the second inclined surface is located when viewed from the second direction. In this embodiment, the engaging protrusion may have a third inclined surface located on the front end side, and the inclination angle of the third inclined surface with respect to the first direction is the inclination angle of the first inclined surface with respect to the first direction. angle and greater than the inclination angle of the second inclined surface with respect to the first direction.

In one embodiment, the at least one engaging projection includes a first engaging projection projecting outward from the engaging body along the third direction, and a first engaging projection projecting outward from the engaging body along the third direction. and a second engaging projection projecting outward in a direction opposite to the projection. In this case, one latch member constituting the latch is provided with two engaging protrusions projecting in different directions. Better balance. As a result, according to this optical connector, deviation in the third direction is less likely to occur when engaged with and disengaged from an external device, and engagement and disengagement can be performed smoothly and disengaged. It is possible to further improve the removability when doing so.

In one embodiment, the latch includes a first latch member extending from a first proximal end in connection with the housing toward a forward end along a first direction, and a second proximal end in connection with the housing. and a second latch member extending from the first latch member toward the front end in parallel with the first latch member, and an engaging portion is provided at each tip portion of the first latch member and the second latch member. may

As one embodiment, the optical connector includes a housing body that accommodates the ferrule so that the tip of the ferrule is exposed to the outside at the front end and is connected to the outer housing, and the latch is arranged outside the latch so as to cover at least a part of the latch. and is connected to the outer housing so as to be movable along the first direction with respect to the outer housing, and engages the engaging portion of the latch according to movement in the first direction from the front end to the rear end. a tab configured to depress toward the housing body in a second direction. The tip portion of the latch may float apart from the housing body in the normal state. The inside of the tab is provided with a protrusion located on the front end side of the base end of the latch. The engaging portion may be configured to be pushed down toward the housing body with the fulcrum as a fulcrum.

In the optical connector according to the above-described embodiment, the tip portion provided with the engaging portion of the latch is normally separated from the housing body and floats. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the weight of the optical connector by reducing the area corresponding to the tip portion of the conventional latch. In addition to this, in this optical connector, a protrusion is provided inside the tab that is located closer to the front end of the optical connector than the proximal end of the latch, so that when the engaging portion of the latch is engaged with an external device, the inside of the latch is The engaging portion of the latch comes into contact with the protrusion and is pushed downward toward the housing body with the protrusion serving as a fulcrum. According to this configuration, when the engaging portion of the latch is engaged with the external device, the latch is positioned closer to the distal end of the optical fiber than the proximal end of the latch is deformed toward the housing body with the proximal end as a fulcrum. The latch can be deformed toward the housing body by using the protrusion that forms a fulcrum. As a result, since the distance from the fulcrum of deformation is shortened, the elastic force of the deformed latch (engagement portion) is strengthened, and the click feeling when the engagement portion of the latch is engaged with the external device can be improved. As described above, according to this optical connector, it is possible to reduce the weight of the member and to provide the user with a desired click feeling when the optical connector is attached to an external device. The "normal state" here means the state before the optical connector is attached to an external device such as an adapter, or the state after it is removed from the external device, and the state in which the latch is not engaged with the external device. means

[Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure]
Specific examples of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of equivalents to the scope of the claims. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an optical connector according to one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the optical connector 1 is a connector oblong in the longitudinal direction X (first direction) and has a front end 1a and a rear end 1b. The rear end 1b is located on the opposite side in the longitudinal direction X of the front end 1a. The optical cable K held by the optical connector 1 is inserted from the rear end 1b of the optical connector 1. As shown in FIG. A pair of optical fibers (not shown) included in the optical cable K are removed of the coating resin in the optical connector 1, and are housed and held in a pair of ferrules 14 and 15, respectively. The optical connector 1 is, for example, a duplex LC type optical connector or a uniboot type optical connector. The optical connector 1 may be an optical connector with other configurations.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the optical connector 1 is inserted into the adapter 100 (external device). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical connector 1 includes engaging portions 103 and 104 provided in an adapter 100, and engaging portions 43 and 44 (details will be described later) provided at the tip portion of a latch 40. , so that it is stored and locked in place on the adapter 100 (see FIG. 14). Another optical connector (not shown) is inserted into the mounting port 101 of the adapter 100 opposite to the optical connector 1 , and the optical connector 1 is optically coupled to the other optical connector by the adapter 100 . Note that the optical connector 1 may be configured to be inserted into a connecting portion such as an optical transceiver as an external device. In this case, the external device may be made of metal.

3 is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the optical connector 1 includes a pair of front housings 10 and 11, an inner housing 20, an outer housing 30, a latch 40, a tab 50, a boot 60, an elastic member 70, and a cable holding member 80. It has In this embodiment, a pair of front housings 10 and 11 and an inner housing 20 constitute a housing main body M (see FIG. 7). This housing main body M is accommodated in the outer housing 30 .

A pair of front housings 10, 11 have bodies 12, 13 and ferrules 14, 15 (see also FIG. 7). The main bodies 12 and 13 are made of synthetic resin and have a quadrangular prism shape with round holes 12a and 13a provided therein. Main bodies 12 and 13 accommodate ferrules 14 and 15 each capable of holding an optical fiber in circular holes 12a and 13a so that respective tips 14a and 15a are exposed to the outside at front end 1a of optical connector 1. . The tips of the held optical fibers are exposed from the tips 14a and 15a of the ferrules 14 and 15, respectively. The tips 14a, 15a of the ferrules 14, 15 may be surfaces parallel to the vertical direction (second direction) perpendicular to (crossing) the longitudinal direction, or may be inclined surfaces. Protrusions 12b and 13b are provided at the four corners of the rear ends of the main bodies 12 and 13, respectively. These protrusions 12b and 13b define the mutual positional relationship when the front housings 10 and 11 are connected to the front end of the inner housing 20. As shown in FIG. A pair of rectangular openings 16 are provided on both side surfaces of the front housing 10 , and a pair of rectangular openings 17 are provided on both side surfaces of the front housing 11 .

The inner housing 20 is a housing having a space formed therein for accommodating an optical fiber, and is made of synthetic resin. The inner housing 20 has a front end portion 21, a tapered portion 22, and a rear end portion 23, and is formed such that the internal spaces thereof gradually widen from the rear end to the front end. The inner housing 20 is a region for branching the pair of optical fibers contained in the optical cable K to the ferrules 14 and 15 and is connected to the rear ends of the pair of front housings 10 and 11 . A pair of latches 24 and a pair of latches 25 are provided at the front end portion 21 of the inner housing 20, and the pair of latches 24 are inserted into the pair of openings 16 of the front housing 10 from the inside to engage. Latches 25 are inserted into and engaged with the pair of openings 17 of front housing 11 from the inside. Thereby, the pair of front housings 10 and 11 are connected to the inner housing 20 . Further, the inner housing 20 is provided with a protrusion 26 near the center and slightly forward of each of the front surface 20a and the rear surface (see FIG. 7). When the inner housing 20 is accommodated in the outer housing 30, one of the protrusions 26 engages with a hole provided in the lower surface 30b of the outer housing 30, so that the inner housing 20 can be attached to and detached from the outer housing 30. Connected as possible. Each projection 26 has an inclined surface so as to be detachable.

The outer housing 30 is a housing that accommodates the inner housing 20 and is connected to the inner housing 20 . 4 is a perspective view showing the outer housing 30. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the outer housing 30 is made of synthetic resin so as to be integrated with a latch 40, which will be described later. Both may be connected by a predetermined means (adhesion, fitting, etc.). In FIG. 4, the latch 40 is connected to the outer housing 30 at the connecting portion A. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the outer housing 30 has a housing body 33 having openings 31 and 32 on the front and rear sides, respectively.

The upper surface 30a of the outer housing 30 is provided with a pair of wall portions 36 defining a portion 36a for housing the elastic member 70 therein, and a pair of guide projections 37 located outside the wall portions 36. As shown in FIG. The elastic member 70 housed in the portion 36a is arranged between the outer housing 30 and a later-described tab 50 (see FIG. 11). It functions to return the tab 50 to its normal position when moved. The elastic member 70 is, for example, a spring. Each guide protrusion 37 is positioned within the slits 55 and 56 of the tab 50 when the tab 50 is connected to the outer housing 30 and guides movement of the tab 50 along the longitudinal direction X. As shown in FIG. The outer housing 30 further includes a projecting portion 34 provided on the front side and connecting slits 35 provided below the guide projections 37 as a connection structure with the tab 50 . Further, the lower surface 30b of the outer housing 30 is provided with holes and openings. Any projection 26 of the inner housing 20 is inserted into this hole, whereby the inner housing 20 is detachably connected to the outer housing 30 .

The latch 40 is a member 41 provided outside the outer housing 30 and extending along the longitudinal direction X from a base end 40a (a first base end, a second base end) where the connecting portion A is located toward the front end 1a. 42 (latch member). The members 41 and 42 of the latch 40 are provided with engaging portions 43 and 44 that can be engaged with an external device such as the adapter 100 at their tip portions 40b. The engaging portions 43 and 44 are, for example, engaging bodies 45 and 46 extending along the longitudinal direction X and protruding outward from the respective engaging bodies 45 and 46 along the lateral direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. It is configured including a pair of engaging protrusions 47 and 48 . The optical connector 1 is attached to the adapter 100 by engaging the projections of the engaging portions 43 and 44 with the engaging portions 103 and 104 in the adapter 100 (see FIG. 14). The tip portion 40b of the latch 40, that is, the engaging portions 43 and 44, is in a state of being separated and floating from the front housings 10 and 11 in a normal state. More detailed configurations of the engaging portions 43, 44 and the engaging portions 103, 104 will be described later.

The members 41 and 42 of the latch 40 are provided with slanted surfaces 41a and 42a, slanted surfaces 41b and 42b, and recessed portions 41c and 42c near their centers (see also FIG. 8). The inclined surfaces 41 a and 42 a are provided inside the latch 40 . The inclined surfaces 41b, 42b are provided outside the latch 40 and form part of the recesses 41c, 42c. In addition, the members 41 and 42 of the latch 40 may be formed to have the same thickness as a whole, or the plate thickness of the proximal end 40a may be equal to the region where the inclined surfaces 41a and 42a or the inclined surfaces 41b and 42b are located. It may be thinner than the plate thickness at In this case, the vertical movement of the distal end portion 40b of the latch 40, that is, the engagement portions 43 and 44 with the proximal end 40a as a fulcrum becomes smoother. The plate thickness here means the thickness in the direction perpendicular to the surface at each location.

The tab 50 is arranged outside the latch 40 so as to cover the portion of the latch 40 excluding the engaging portions 43 and 44 at the tip portion 40b. 5 is a perspective view showing the tab 50 from one side, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the tab from the other side. 3, 4, 5 and 6, a protrusion 58 on the inside of front end 50a of tab 50 connects to protrusion 34 on top surface 30a of outer housing 30 and the inside of tab 50 A pair of left and right latches 59 are engaged with the left and right slits 35 of the upper surface 30a of the outer housing 30 from the inside. Thereby, the tab 50 is connected to the outer housing 30 so as to be movable along the longitudinal direction X with respect to the outer housing 30 . As the tab 50 moves along the longitudinal direction X from the front end 1a toward the rear end 1b, the engaging portions 43 and 44 of the latch 40 move in a vertical direction Z (second direction). More specifically, the front end 50a of the tab 50 is provided with protrusions 51 and 52 projecting downward. , which pushes the engaging portions 43, 44 of the latch 40 downward.

A pair of protrusions 53 and 54 are further provided inside the tab 50 . These projections 53 and 54 are provided at positions that do not slightly contact the inner side of the latch 40 in a normal state, but when the optical connector 1 is attached to the adapter 100, that is, the engaging portions 43 and 44 of the latch 40 are moved to the adapter. When the engaging portions 43 and 44 of the latch 40 move slightly downward when engaging with the engaging portion 100, they come into contact with the inside of the latch 40. As shown in FIG. The latch 40 is configured such that the engaging portions 43 and 44 are pushed down toward the front housings 10 and 11 with the points of contact with the projections 53 and 54 as fulcrums.

A pair of slits 55 and 56 are provided in the central portion of the tab 50 . The pair of guide protrusions 37 of the outer housing 30 described above are arranged in these slits 55 and 56 . Movement of the tab 50 along the longitudinal direction X is guided by the pair of guide protrusions 37 sliding in the slits 55 and 56 . A grip portion 57 is provided at the rear end 50 b of the tab 50 . When the optical connector 1 attached to the adapter 100 is removed from the adapter 100, the user grips the grip portion 57 and pulls it backward, so that the protrusions 51 and 52 perform the above-described operations, and the latch 40 is engaged. be released. The grip portion 57 in the present embodiment has a cylindrical shape that makes a round so that the user can grip it in both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. I wish I had. A boot 60, which will be described later, is accommodated inside the grip portion 57. As shown in FIG.

The boot 60 and the cable holding member 80 are members for introducing the optical cable K into the optical connector 1 and fixing the optical cable K at a predetermined position inside the optical connector 1 . A portion of the boot 60 and the cable holding member 80 are housed inside the outer housing 30 or the like.

Here, in the optical connector 1 having the configuration described above, the operation inside the connector when the optical connector 1 is attached to the adapter 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. FIG. 8 is a side view of the optical connector 1 with tabs removed. FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the optical connector 1, showing the internal operation when the optical connector 1 is inserted into the adapter 100. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the normal state before the optical connector 1 is attached to the adapter 100, the projections 53 and 54 provided inside the tab 50 are separated from the inclined surfaces 41a and 42a of the latch 40. located slightly apart. When the optical connector 1 is inserted into the adapter 100, the engaging portions 43 and 44 are pushed slightly downward in the direction of arrow S1 by the engaging portion of the adapter 100 first. At this time, the fulcrum of the operation of the latch 40 is located at the proximal end 40a. However, this action brings the inclined surfaces 41a and 42a of the latch 40 into contact with the projections 53 and 54, respectively.

After that, when the engaging portions 43 and 44 are pushed further downward (in the direction of arrow S1) by the engaging portions 103 and 104 (see FIGS. 14 and 16) of the adapter 100, the projections 53 and 54 are engaged with each other. The latch 40 (engagement portions 43 and 44) is pushed downward with the contact point as a fulcrum. In other words, the fulcrum has moved to a position closer to the point where the load is applied to the latch 40 . As a result, the latch 40 will deform around this near fulcrum, and the elastic force in the latch 40 will become stronger, which will be fed back to the user. As a result, it is possible to improve the click feeling when the optical connector 1 is inserted into the adapter 100 and the engagement portions are completely engaged with each other.

Next, the internal operation when removing the optical connector 1 having the above configuration from the adapter 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the optical connector 1, showing a state in which it is attached to the adapter 100 (the adapter is omitted). 11A and 11B are cross-sectional views showing the operation of removing the optical connector 1 from the adapter 100. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, when removing the optical connector 1 from the adapter 100, the user first grips the grip portion 57 of the tab 50 and pulls the tab 50 in the direction of arrow S2 (backward). By this action, the tab 50 moves backward, and the projections 51 and 52 at the tip of the tab 50 come into contact with the inclined surfaces 41b and 42b of the latch 40 and move backward along the inclined surfaces, thereby 44 is pushed downward, that is, in the direction of the front housings 10 and 11 (direction of arrow S3). Thereby, the optical connector 1 is removed from the adapter 100 . At this time, the latch 40 operates with the proximal end 40a as a fulcrum. Further, the tab 50 that has moved backward is automatically returned to the initial position, which is the normal state, by the spring that is the elastic member 70 arranged between the outer housing 30 and the tab 50 .

The optical connector 1 that can be inserted and removed in this manner has a latch 40 that has a configuration that allows smoother removal from the adapter 100 . Therefore, the configuration of the engaging portions 43 and 44 of the latch 40 of the optical connector 1 and the engagement configuration between the engaging portions 43 and 44 and the adapter 100 will be described in more detail. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing an enlarged engagement portion 43 of the latch 40. FIG. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a case where the engaging portion 43 of the latch 40 is viewed from the side.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, one engaging portion 43 of the latch 40 has an engaging body 45 and a pair of engaging projections 47. As shown in FIGS. The engaging body 45 is a portion that extends along the longitudinal direction X, has an inclined surface 45a (first inclined surface) on the front end 10a side, and has an inclined surface 45c connected to the inclined surface 45a via a curved surface 45b. (second inclined surface) is provided above the engaging portion 43 . The inclined surface 45c is positioned closer to the rear end 10b than the inclined surface 45a, and has a smaller (gentle) inclination than the inclined surface 45a with respect to the horizontal plane extending in the longitudinal direction X and the lateral direction Y. It's becoming

The pair of engaging projections 47 are portions for engaging with the engaging portion 103 of the adapter 100 to attach the optical connector 1 to the adapter 100 . Each engaging protrusion 47 is configured to protrude outward from the engaging main body 45 along the lateral direction Y in opposite directions. More specifically, each engaging protrusion 47 protrudes outward along the horizontal direction Y from a portion of the engaging body 45 where the inclined surface 45c is located. Each engaging protrusion 47 has an engaging surface 47a that comes into surface contact with the engaging surface 105 (see FIG. 14) of the engaging portion 103 of the adapter 100 when attached to the adapter 100, and an engaging surface 47a on the outside of the engaging surface 47a. It has a chamfer 47b provided at the end, a curved surface 47c connected to the upper end of the engaging surface 47a, and an inclined surface 47d (third inclined surface) connected to the curved surface 47c and inclined downward toward the front end 10a. ing. The engaging surface 47a is a surface extending in the horizontal direction Y and the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. The inclination angle of the inclined surface 47d with respect to the horizontal plane (the surface extending in the longitudinal direction X and the lateral direction Y) is smaller than the inclination angle of the inclined surface 45a of the engaging body 45 with respect to the horizontal plane, and the inclination angle of the inclined surface 45c with respect to the horizontal direction is It may be larger than the tilt angle.

The chamfer 47b provided at the end of the engaging surface 47a of the engaging projection 47 is, for example, set at a predetermined angle with respect to the spreading direction of the engaging surface 47a (a plane defined by the horizontal direction Y and the vertical direction Z). , for example, is a surface inclined at 30 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less (45 degrees as an example in this embodiment). The chamfer dimension of the chamfer 47b is not limited, but may be half or less of the projection width (for example, about 1 mm) of the engagement protrusion 47 from the engagement main body 45, for example, 0.4 mm or less. be able to. The chamfer dimension of the chamfer 47b may be 0.3 mm or less, 0.2 mm or less, or 0.1 mm or more. Such a chamfer 47b may be a surface defined by, for example, a pair of straight lines and two curves connecting the pair of straight lines, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the other engaging portion 44 of the latch 40 is aligned with the engaging portion 43 with a center line passing through the center of the optical connector 1 in the lateral direction Y and extending along the longitudinal direction X as a reference. It has an axisymmetric shape and has an engaging body 46 and a pair of engaging projections 48 . As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the engaging body 46 has an inclined surface 46a (first inclined surface B), a curved surface 46b, and an inclined surface 46c (second inclined surface), similarly to the engaging body 45. Consists of Each engaging projection 48 is configured to include an engaging surface 48a, a chamfered surface 48b, a curved surface 48c, and an inclined surface 48d (third inclined surface), similarly to the engaging projection 47. As shown in FIG. It should be noted that the latch 40 having such a configuration may be made of a resin material having good slidability. As the resin material, for example, PEI (polyetherimide), POM (polyoxymethylene or polyacetal), PES (polyethersulfone), or the like can be used.

Next, the configuration when the engaging portions 43 and 44 having the above configuration are engaged with the adapter 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14, 15, 16 and 17. FIG. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the state of engagement between the engaging portions 43 and 44 of the latch 40 and the engaging portions 103 and 104 of the adapter 100 when the optical connector 1 is attached to the adapter 100. FIG. It is the perspective view which notched the upper part. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the state of engagement between the engaging portion 43 of the latch 40 and the engaging portion 103 of the adapter 100 when the optical connector 1 is attached to the adapter 100, with the side cut away for explanation. Figure 3 is a cutaway perspective view; FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of engagement between the engaging portion 43 of the latch 40 and the engaging portion 103 of the adapter 100 when the optical connector 1 is attached to the adapter 100, along a plane extending in the vertical direction. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of engagement between the engaging portion 43 of the latch 40 and the engaging portion 103 of the adapter 100 when the optical connector 1 is attached to the adapter 100, along a plane extending in the horizontal direction. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section.

As shown in FIGS. 14 to 17, when the optical connector 1 is attached to the adapter 100, in the optical connector 1, the engaging portions 43 and 44 of the latch 40 engage the corresponding engaging portions 103 and 104 of the adapter 100, respectively. engage. The optical connector 1 is thereby fixed to the adapter 100 . In this engagement, as described above, the engaging portions 43 and 44 of the optical connector 1 pass from behind the engaging portions 103 and 104 of the adapter 100 to below them (below the lower surface 107 and the like), and float upward again. performed by In this engaged state, the engaging surfaces 105 of the engaging portion 103 of the adapter 100 come into contact with the engaging surfaces 47a of the engaging portion 43 of the latch 40 to restrict the rearward movement of the latch 40, thereby preventing the light from moving. The connector 1 is fixed to the adapter 100 so as not to move toward the rear end 10b. When removing the optical connector 1 in this engaged state from the adapter 100, as shown in FIG. Move by 50. Such movement as described above disengages. At this time, as shown in FIG. 17 and the like, in the optical connector 1, a chamfer 47b is provided at the end of the engaging surface 47a of each engaging projection 47, so that the corners that are likely to be caught by the engaging surface 105 or the like are removed. It has been removed and the contact area has also been reduced. Therefore, the engagement surface 47a and the like are less likely to be caught on the engagement surface 105 and the like of the adapter 100, and the downward movement of the engagement protrusion 47 can be performed smoothly. The operation of disengaging the engaging portion 44 of the latch 40 from the engaging surface 106 of the engaging portion 104 of the adapter 100 is the same as the disengaging operation of the engaging portion 43 .

As described above, in the optical connector 1 according to the present embodiment, the ends of the engaging surfaces 47a, 48a of the engaging projections 47, 48 of the latch 40 engaged with the adapter 100 are chamfered. Therefore, when the latch 40 is pushed down when the optical connector 1 is removed from the adapter 100, the end portions of the engaging surfaces 47a and 48a that are particularly likely to be caught by the engaging portions 103 and 104 of the adapter 100 do not have corners. The engagement between the engaging portions 43 and 44 of the connector 1 and the engaging portions 103 and 104 of the adapter 100 is more reliably released. Thereby, according to the optical connector 1, the detachability from the adapter 100 can be improved.

In the optical connector 1, the chamfer dimension of the ends of the engaging surfaces 47a and 48a may be 0.4 mm or less. In this case, the engagement with the adapter 100 by the engagement surfaces 47a and 48a can be reliably performed, and the detachability from the adapter 100 can also be improved.

In the optical connector 1, the chamfer dimension of the end portions of the engaging surfaces 47a and 48a may be half or less of the length of protrusion of the engaging portions 43 and 44 along the horizontal direction. In this case, the engagement with the adapter 100 by the engagement surfaces 47a and 48a can be reliably performed, and the detachability from the adapter 100 can also be improved.

In the optical connector 1, chamfering of the ends of the engaging surfaces 47a and 48a is C chamfering. As a result, the chamfered shape of the end portions of the engaging surfaces 47a and 48a can be produced more reliably.

In the optical connector 1, the engaging projections 47, 48 include curved surfaces 47c, 48c that extend from upper edges of the engaging surfaces 47a, 48a. Therefore, when the optical connector 1 is removed from the adapter 100, the optical connector 1 can be removed more smoothly after the engaging portions 103 and 104 of the adapter 100 are disengaged from the engaging surfaces 47a and 48a of the optical connector 1. becomes possible. In addition, in the optical connector 1, part of the edges of the curved surfaces 47c and 48c may be chamfered.

In the optical connector 1, the surfaces of the chamfers 47b and 48b may include a pair of straight lines and two curved lines connecting the pair of straight lines. In this case, the engaging projections 47 and 48 are provided with more curved surfaces, and the engagement of the engaging projections 47 and 48 with the adapter 100 can be further suppressed.

In the optical connector 1, the engaging bodies 45 and 46 have inclined surfaces 45a and 46a located on the front end side, and inclined surfaces 45c and 46c connected to the inclined surfaces 45a and 46a and located further to the rear end side than the inclined surfaces 45a and 46a. When viewed from above, the engaging projections 47 and 48 project outward along the lateral direction from the portions of the engaging bodies 45 and 46 where the inclined surfaces 45c and 46c are located. may The engaging protrusions 47 and 48 have inclined surfaces 47d and 48d located on the front end 10a side, and the inclination angles of the inclined surfaces 47d and 48d with respect to the horizontal plane are the same as the inclination angles of the inclined surfaces 45a and 46a with respect to the horizontal plane. and greater than the angle of inclination of the inclined surfaces 45c, 46c with respect to the horizontal plane.

The optical connector 1 has a pair of engaging protrusions 47 and 48 . As a result, each latch member constituting the latch 40 is provided with two engaging protrusions projecting in different directions. can improve the balance in As a result, according to the optical connector 1, lateral displacement is less likely to occur during engagement and disengagement from the adapter 100, and engagement and disengagement can be performed smoothly. It is possible to further improve the removability at the time of removal.

In the optical connector 1, the tip portion of the latch 40 where the engaging portions 43 and 44 are provided is separated from the front housings 10 and 11 in a normal state and floats. Therefore, the weight of the optical connector 1 can be reduced by reducing the area corresponding to the tip portion of the conventional latch. In addition to this, in the optical connector 1, projections 53 and 54 positioned closer to the front end of the optical connector 1 than the proximal end of the latch 40 are provided inside the tab 50, and the engaging portions 43 and 44 of the latch 40 are attached to the adapter 100. When engaged, the inside of the latch 40 contacts the projections 53, 54, and the engaging portions 43, 44 of the latch 40 are pushed down toward the front housings 10, 11 with the projections 53, 54 as fulcrums. . According to this configuration, when engaging the engaging portions 43 and 44 of the latch 40 with the adapter 100, rather than deforming the latch 40 toward the front housings 10 and 11 with the base end as a fulcrum, the latch 40 is deformed from the base end. Also, the latch 40 can be deformed toward the front housings 10 and 11 with the projections 53 and 54 located on the tip side of the optical connector 1 as fulcrums. As a result, the elastic force of the deformed latch 40 (engaging portions 43 and 44) becomes stronger because the distance from the fulcrum of deformation becomes shorter, and the engaging portions 43 and 44 of the latch 40 engage the adapter 100. You can improve the click feeling. According to this optical connector 1, it is possible to reduce the weight of the member and to give the user a desired click feeling when attaching to the adapter 100. FIG.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments. For example, in the above embodiments, an example of an optical connector that accommodates a pair of optical fibers has been described. The present embodiment may be applied to an optical connector that accommodates fibers, or may be applied to various other optical connectors. Further, the chamfers 47b, 48b provided at the ends of the engaging surfaces 47a, 48a of the engaging portions 43, 44 of the latch 40 are C-chamfered, but may be R-chamfered.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Optical connector 1a... Front end 1b... Rear end 10, 11... Front housing 12, 13... Main body 12a, 13a... Round hole 12b, 13b... Projection 14, 15... Ferrule 14a, 15a... Tip 16, 17... Opening 20 Inner housing 20a Surface 21 Front end 22 Tapered portion 23 Rear end 24, 25 Latch 26 Protrusion 30 Outer housing 30a Upper surface 30b Lower surface 31, 32 Opening 33 Housing body 34 Protrusion 35... Slit 36... Wall portion 36a... Part 37... Guide projection 40... Latch 40a... Base end 40b... Tip parts 41, 42... Members 41a, 42a... Inclined surfaces 41b, 42b... Inclined surfaces 41c, 42c... Recesses 43, 44 ... Engagement portions 45, 46 ... Engagement bodies 45a, 46a ... Inclined surface (first inclined surface)
45b, 46b... Curved surfaces 45c, 46c... Inclined surfaces (second inclined surfaces)
47, 48... Engagement projections 47a, 48a... Engagement surfaces 47b, 48b... Chamfers 47c, 48c... Curved surfaces 47d, 48d... Inclined surfaces (third inclined surfaces)
50 Tab 50a Front end 50b Rear end 51, 52 Protrusions 53, 54 Protrusions 55, 56 Slit 57 Gripping portion 58 Projecting portion 59 Latch 60 Boot 70 Elastic member 80 Cable holding member 100 Adapter 101 Mounting openings 103, 104 Engagement portions 105, 106 Engagement surface 107 Lower surface A Connection portion K Optical cable M Housing body X Longitudinal direction Y Lateral direction Z Vertical direction

Claims (12)

An optical connector having a front end and a rear end opposite to the front end in a first direction, and into which an optical fiber can be inserted from the rear end,
at least one ferrule capable of holding the optical fiber at the front end;
an outer housing positioned closer to the rear end than the ferrule;
A latch connected to the outer housing and extending from a base end at a connection portion with the outer housing toward the front end along the first direction, wherein a tip portion of the latch engages an external device. a latch provided with at least one possible engagement;
with
The latch is configured such that the engaging portion can be pushed down toward the ferrule in a second direction that intersects the first direction,
The engaging portion includes an engaging body extending along the first direction and protruding outward from the engaging body along a third direction intersecting both the first direction and the second direction. at least one engaging protrusion;
An optical connector according to claim 1, wherein an engaging surface configured to engage with the external device is provided behind the engaging protrusion, and an end of the engaging surface is chamfered. The chamfer dimension of the end of the engagement surface is 0.4 mm or less,
The optical connector according to claim 1. The chamfer dimension of the end of the engaging surface is less than or equal to half the projection length of the engaging portion along the second direction,
The optical connector according to claim 1 or 2. The chamfering of the ends of the engaging surfaces is C chamfering or R chamfering,
The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The engaging protrusion includes a curved surface connected to an upper edge of the engaging surface opposite to the downward direction in the second direction,
The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A part of the edge of the curved surface is chamfered,
The optical connector according to claim 5. The chamfered surface includes a pair of straight lines and two curves connecting the pair of straight lines,
The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The engaging body has a first inclined surface located on the front end side, and a second inclined surface connected to the first inclined surface and located closer to the rear end side than the first inclined surface,
When viewed from the second direction, the engaging protrusion protrudes outward along the third direction from a portion of the engaging body where the second inclined surface is located.
The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The engaging projection has a third inclined surface located on the front end side,
The inclination angle of the third inclined surface with respect to the first direction is smaller than the inclination angle of the first inclined surface with respect to the first direction, and is larger than the inclination angle with respect to the first direction of the second inclined surface,
The optical connector according to claim 8. The at least one engaging projection includes a first engaging projection projecting outward from the engaging body along the third direction, and a first engaging projection projecting outward from the engaging body along the third direction. and a second engaging projection projecting outward in a direction opposite to the mating projection,
The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The latch includes a first latch member extending from a first proximal end having a connecting portion with the housing toward the front end along the first direction, and a second proximal end having a connecting portion with the housing. a second latch member extending from toward the front end in parallel with the first latch member;
The engaging portion is provided at each tip portion of the first latch member and the second latch member,
The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10. a housing body that accommodates the ferrule such that the tip of the ferrule is exposed to the outside at the front end and that is connected to the outer housing;
arranged outside the latch so as to cover at least a portion of the latch and coupled to the outer housing so as to be movable relative to the outer housing along the first direction; a tab configured to push down the engaging portion of the latch toward the housing body in response to movement in a direction from the front end to the rear end;
further comprising
a tip portion of the latch in a normal state is separated from the housing body and floats;
Inside the tab, a protrusion is provided that is positioned closer to the front end than the base end of the latch, and is positioned inside the latch when engaging the engaging portion of the latch with the external device. contacts the projection and the engagement portion is pushed down toward the housing body with the projection as a fulcrum.
The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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