JP2585665Y2 - SC type optical connector - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

The present invention relates to an SC type optical connector having a plug having an insertion direction defining key protruding from a side surface and an adapter having a positioning groove into which the insertion direction defining key is fitted at the time of connection. In particular, the present invention relates to an SC optical connector capable of detecting the connection / disconnection thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a laser light source or the like is handled, it is desirable that a function for automatically turning off laser oscillation when an optical connector is disconnected is provided in order to ensure the safety of workers.

Conventionally, as an optical connector, an FC type optical connector (Japanese Industrial Standard: JIS C5) as shown in FIG.
970 F01 type single core optical connector). The FC type optical connector A includes a plug A1 to which the optical fiber 1 is connected, and an adapter A2 attached to a device. The plug A1 includes a ferrule 2, a connection nut 3 made of metal (brass), a rubber hood 4, and the like. In addition, the adapter A2 is provided with two elastic electrical contacts 5 extending from the device to which the adapter A2 is attached so as to extend in the vicinity (see FIG. 6). This electrical contact 5
Is connected to a laser drive circuit on the device side (not shown).

In this FC type optical connector A, a plug A1
Is connected to the adapter A2, the connection nut 3 simultaneously contacts the two electrical contacts 5 to short-circuit therebetween, whereby the laser drive circuit operates and laser oscillation is performed. In this way, the laser is automatically turned on when the optical connector is connected, and is automatically turned off when the optical connector is released.

[0005]

On the other hand, the SC type optical connector (Japanese Industrial Standard: JIS C5973 F04 type single-core optical connector) is intended to provide the above-mentioned FC type optical connector with higher performance and lower cost. It has been developed in recent years and is expected to be used in place of the FC optical connector.

However, this SC type optical connector has a problem that it cannot be used for short-circuiting the contacts as in the above-mentioned FC type optical connector, since the material of the knob portion of the plug is plastic.

An object of the present invention is to provide an SC type optical connector which can detect the connection / disengagement without impairing the optical connection function and can exhibit the same function as the conventional FC type optical connector. It is to be.

[0008]

For this purpose, the present invention provides an SC comprising a plug having an insertion direction defining key protruding from a side surface, and an adapter having a positioning groove into which the insertion direction defining key is fitted upon coupling. In the optical connector, a detector for detecting the insertion direction defining key fitted into the positioning groove in a predetermined state is provided.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is an exploded side view of an SC type optical connector B of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an exploded plan view of the same. The plug B1 to which the optical fiber 1 is connected is provided with an insertion direction regulating key 7 protruding outward on the knob 6 thereof. Adapter B
2, a positioning groove 9 into which the insertion direction defining key 7 is fitted is cut into an opening edge of the housing 8, and an electric switch 10 is mounted on the inner side of the positioning groove 9. The electric switch 10 has a pin 12 bonded by welding or the like to the tip of the operating lever 11 so as to reach the inner side of the positioning groove 9.

In the SC type optical connector B of this embodiment, the plug B1 is fitted into the adapter B2, and the insertion direction regulating key 7 is inserted.
Is inserted into the positioning groove 9, the insertion direction regulating key 7
As a result, the pin 12 is pressed, the lever 11 is operated, and the contact of the electric switch 10 is turned on. Therefore, if the terminal of the electric switch 10 is connected to the on / off circuit of the laser drive circuit, the laser drive circuit is turned on by connecting the plug B1 to the adapter B2, and the laser drive is released by releasing the connection. The circuit turns off and safety measures can be taken.

When assembling the SC type optical connector B, a connector in which a pin 12 is joined to a lever 11 of an electric switch 10 in advance is prepared. Then, when the plug B1 is connected to the adapter B2, the pin 12 is pressed by the insertion direction defining key 7 to switch the contact.
The electric switch 10 is adhered to a predetermined position. Here, there is a gap of about 0.8 mm in design between the insertion direction regulating key 7 and the positioning groove 9.
Even if a manufacturing error of about 0.3 mm is expected, if the diameter of the pin 12 is less than 0.5 mm, the connection of the optical connector is not affected. Of course, this pin 12 is not limited to a round shape,
A plate can also be used.

Next, an SC type optical connector C according to a second embodiment is shown in FIGS. FIG. 3 is a separated side view, and FIG. 4 is a separated plan view. The SC-type optical connector C of this embodiment comprises a plug C1 and an adapter C2. The SC-type optical connector C of the first embodiment has an insertion direction defining key 13 in which the height of the insertion direction defining key 7 is higher. Point provided and pin 1
2 is different from the SC type optical connector B.

According to the SC type optical connector C of the second embodiment, if the insertion direction defining key 13 is fitted into the positioning groove 9 in order to connect the plug C1 to the adapter C2, the insertion direction is defined. Electric switch 1 by key 13
The zero lever 11 is directly actuated, and the internal contact switches.

In this SC type optical connector C, an adapter C
2, the plug of the electrical switch 10 does not switch when the plug B1 having the normal insertion direction defining key 7 is coupled, and the plug C1 having the high insertion direction defining key 13 is coupled. Only the contacts of the electric switch 10 are switched. Therefore, as an application example, when used in a high-power laser light source, it can be used to prevent an accident in which parts weak to high power are erroneously connected and damaged.

The above-mentioned electric switch is not limited to this, and the insertion / removal of the insertion direction defining key into the positioning groove may be optically detected by using a photoelectric switch. In other words, it is detected that the insertion direction regulating key of the plug is fitted into the positioning groove of the adapter in a predetermined state (a state in which optical coupling is normally performed in the optical connector itself) or the key is pulled out therefrom, and an electric signal is detected. As an output detector, any of electrical, optical, magnetic and other detectors can be used. In the above embodiment,
Although the light source is controlled by the detection signal from such a detector, an alarm may be generated by pulling out the plug.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a structure in which a detector for detecting that the plug insertion direction defining key of the ordinary SC optical connector is fitted in the positioning groove of the adapter in a predetermined state is added. Therefore, it is possible to reliably detect the connection / disconnection between the plug and the adapter of the optical connector without deteriorating the optical characteristics of the optical connector, and it can be used for on / off control of the laser drive circuit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an isolated side view of a partial cross section of an SC type optical connector according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded plan view of the optical connector.

FIG. 3 is an isolated side view of a partial cross section of the SC optical connector according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exploded plan view of the optical connector.

FIG. 5 is an isolated side view of a conventional FC optical connector.

FIG. 6 is a front view of an adapter of the optical connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

A: Conventional FC type optical connector, A1: Plug, A2: Adapter, 1: Optical fiber, 2: Ferrule, 3: Connection nut, 4: Rubber hood, 5: Electrical contact, B: SC type of the first embodiment Optical connector, B1: plug, B2: adapter, 6: knob, 7: insertion direction defining key, 8: housing, 9: positioning groove, 10: electric switch, 11: lever, 12: pin, C: second embodiment Example SC type optical connector, C1: plug, C2: adapter, 13: high insertion direction defining key.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G02B 6/24 G02B 6/36 G02B 6/38

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. An SC type optical connector comprising: a plug having an insertion direction defining key protruding from a side surface; and an adapter having a positioning groove into which the insertion direction defining key is fitted at the time of coupling. An SC-type optical connector, further comprising a detector for detecting the insertion direction defining key fitted in the optical connector.