JP3320679B2 - Universal adapter - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a universal adapter for optically connecting optical connector plugs provided at an end of an optical fiber cable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, optical connectors have been used for optically connecting optical fiber cables to each other. this is,
It comprises an optical connector plug holding a ferrule fixed to an end of an optical fiber, and an optical connector adapter for optically connecting the plugs to each other.

[0003] Further, there are a plurality of types of standards for such optical connectors, which are properly used depending on the application.
In order to connect different plugs, a conversion adapter is prepared.

[0004]

However, when there are a plurality of types of optical connectors, there is a problem that many types of conversion adapters must be prepared. That is, when using FC type, SC type and ST type optical connectors, it is necessary to prepare six types of adapters as adapters and conversion adapters, which is very uneconomical.

[0005] In addition, there is a problem that the manufacturer of the device must assemble the adapter after confirming the type of the optical connector used by the user. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a universal adapter capable of connecting desired optical connector plugs.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical connector for optically connecting optical connector plugs having a ferrule for fixing an end portion of an optical fiber to each other. An optical connector adapter according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle housing and the receptacle each have a coupling portion on one end side which is a cylindrical body having a shape detachably coupled to a predetermined optical connector plug and a reference surface on the other end side. A coupling cylindrical body rotatably locked to the outside of the reference surface side of the receptacle housing, a helical conical surface provided on an inner periphery of the coupling cylindrical body, and a ferrule. The receptacle housing, which is provided on the opposite side to the coupling portion of the receptacle containing the sleeve fitted from both sides and has a conical surface that can be fastened to the spiral conical surface, There fine the receptacle to the universal adapter, characterized in that removably fastened by rotating the said conical surface and said spiral conical surface to each other.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the coupling portions of the receptacle housing and the receptacle are FC type, SC type, and S type, respectively.
The universal adapter is characterized by being connectable to any of the T-type optical connector plugs. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, it is possible to detachably fasten the reference surface of the receptacle housing and the reference surface of the receptacle via an elastic member. In Universal Adapter.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the universal adapter according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein an angle for rotating the coupling cylindrical body at the time of fastening is 180 degrees or less. It is in. In a fifth aspect of the present invention,
In any one of the above aspects, one of the substrate of the receptacle housing and the substrate of the receptacle is provided with an anti-rotation surface, and the other is locked to the anti-rotation surface to prevent rotation. The universal adapter is characterized in that a universal surface is provided.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, a reference projection for positioning is provided on the reference surface of one of the receptacle housing and the receptacle. On the other hand, a reference recess is provided on the other reference surface to be engaged with the reference protrusion. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the receptacle housing can be fixed to a member to be fixed with the reference surface exposed, and the fixed receptacle is provided. A universal adapter, wherein the receptacle can be detachably fastened to the housing.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of an optical connector adapter according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 7 illustrate a universal adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention. The universal adapter 1A shown in FIG. 1 is assembled as an FC-FC connection adapter, and includes an FC-type receptacle housing 10 on the left side of the figure, an FC-type receptacle on the right side of the figure, and a first internal part. It comprises a cylinder 41 and a second cylinder 42. The FC-type receptacle housing 10 includes a coupling tubular body 20, a substrate 12, and a coupling portion 13.

Further, the connecting cylindrical body 20 is provided with the conical convex portion 2.
2 and a small diameter portion 21, and the substrate 12 includes a reference recess 15,
The coupling portion 13 includes a male screw portion 13a, a notch portion 13b, and a step portion 13c. Further, the FC-type receptacle 30 includes a conical surface 34 and a substrate 32, and the coupling portion 33 includes a male screw portion 33a, a cutout portion 33b, and a step portion 33c.

The first cylindrical body is provided with an optical coupling opening 43.
The second cylindrical body includes an optical coupling opening 46 and an optical connection sleeve therein. As shown in FIG. 2, an FC type receptacle housing 10 and an FC type
It is assembled with the mold receptacle 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the FC-type receptacle housing 10 includes a substrate 12 and a coupling cylindrical body 20. The substrate 12 has a reference surface 11 on one end side, and includes a coupling portion 13 formed of a cylindrical body having a shape to which an FC-type optical connector plug can be coupled on the opposite side to the reference surface 11. The coupling portion 13 has a male screw portion 13a on the outer peripheral surface, a notch 13b for engaging with the key ring of the optical connector plug, and a step portion 13c on the inner peripheral surface.

A through hole 14 is provided in the inner peripheral surface of the coupling portion 13 on the reference surface 11 side.
On one side, a reference recess 15 which is a circular recess having a larger diameter than the through hole 14 is provided. Further, a pair of anti-rotation surfaces 16 are provided upright on the reference surface 11 side of the substrate 12.
A large-diameter portion 19 is continuously formed from the rotation preventing surface 16 and a pair of fixing through holes 17 are provided.
In the peripheral portion of the fixing through hole 17 on the reference surface 11 side, a concave portion 18 for storing a fixing screw for a panel (not shown) is stored.
Is provided.

The coupling cylindrical body 20 has a small-diameter portion 21 rotatably engaged with the substrate 12 on one end side, and a conical convex portion 22 is formed on the inside diameter opposite to the small-diameter portion 21. I have. The conical convex portion 22 is divided into two by a pair of notches 23, and the conical surfaces 22a and 22b of the divided conical convex portion 22 are formed.
Are formed such that the central axes of the respective conical surfaces are separated from each other by a distance L in the opposite direction from the central axis of the coupling cylindrical body 20.
In (b), it is gently spirally inclined clockwise in the front of the drawing. Note that the distance L is 0.
A value in the range from 2 to 1.0 mm is optimal.

Further, a pair of pins 24 is fitted into the coupling cylindrical body 20 to prevent the coupling cylindrical body 20 from rotating excessively. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the FC-type receptacle 30 has a first cylindrical body 41 press-fitted into the substrate 32 so as to hold the substrate 32 and an optical connection sleeve 50 such as a split sleeve inside. And the second cylinder 42 and the first cylinder 4
1 comprises an elastic member 40 held on the outer peripheral side. Substrate 3
2 has a reference surface 31 on one side, and a coupling portion 33 formed of a cylindrical body having a shape to which an FC-type optical connector plug can be coupled on the opposite side to the reference surface 31. The coupling portion 33 has a male screw. F in that it has a portion 33a, a notch 33b, and a step 33c.
It is the same as the substrate 12 of the C-type receptacle housing 10. Further, a conical surface 34 is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate 32 opposite to the reference surface 31, and the conical surface 34 is fitted to the rotation preventing surface 16 so as not to rotate with respect to the substrate 12 of the FC-type receptacle housing 10. A pair of parallel planes 36 is provided. The central axis of the conical surface 34 is
Coincides with the central axis of

Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the first cylindrical body 41, F
A reference projection 35 having an outer diameter engaging with a reference recess 15 provided on the reference surface 11 of the C-type receptacle housing 10.
, And an elastic member 40 such as a wave washer is held by the reference convex portion 35. The first cylindrical body 41 has an inner diameter that allows the optical connection sleeve 50 to be incorporated in a loosely fitted state, and has an optical connection sleeve 50 at one end.
The optical coupling opening 43 has an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the optical fiber but larger than the inner diameter. Also,
The second cylindrical body 42 has an optical coupling opening 46 having substantially the same dimensions as the optical coupling opening 43 on one end side. Note that the end shapes of the first cylindrical body 41 and the second cylindrical body 42 on the side of the optical coupling openings 43 and 46 each have a shape that can be coupled to the optical connector plug.

As described above, the FC-type receptacle 30 is
As shown in FIG. 2, the coupling tubular body 20 is coupled and assembled with the FC-type receptacle housing 10 rotatably engaged and held to form the FC-FC coupling adapter 1 </ b> A of FIG. 1. In this assembly, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 (a), the reference concave portion 15 and the rotation preventing surface 16 of the FC-type receptacle housing 10 and the reference convex portion 35 and the parallel plane 36 of the FC-type receptacle 30 are respectively formed. After passing the FC-type receptacle 30 through a pair of notches 23 in the conical convex portion 22 of the coupling cylindrical body 20 so as to engage with each other,
As shown in FIG. 5B, the coupling cylindrical body 20 is
Is rotated clockwise with respect to the coupling cylindrical body 2.
0 of the FC-type receptacle 30
Is tightened by sliding the conical surface 34 into the FC-type receptacle housing 10 side while sliding. At this time, the pair of pins 24 abuts on the parallel plane 36, thereby preventing the coupling cylindrical body 20 from being excessively rotated with respect to the substrate 12. Although a slight gap is created between the reference surface 12 and the reference surface 32, the FC-type receptacle 30 is always held in the cylindrical shape by the elastic member 40 being sandwiched between the reference surface 11 and the reference surface 31. The force is applied so as to press against the conical convex portion 22 of the body 20, thereby preventing the FC-type receptacle 30 from rattling with respect to the FC-type receptacle housing 10.

Further, a housing 1 for an FC type receptacle
0 can be fixed to a member to be fixed such as a panel through the fixing through-hole 17, and the FC-type receptacle 3 is attached to the FC-type receptacle housing 10 thus fixed.
0 can be freely engaged and disengaged. FIG. 6 shows another embodiment. Universal adapter 1B of this embodiment
Are assembled as an FC-SC connection adapter, and the FC-type receptacle housing 10 described above is used.
And an SC-type receptacle 130.

Here, the SC type receptacle 130 is
The basic configuration is the same as that of the FC-type receptacle 30 except that it is configured to be connectable to the plug for the C-type optical connector, and is the same in that it can be detachably fastened to the FC-type receptacle housing 10. . Here, the SC type receptacle 130 includes a first cylindrical body 141 and a second cylindrical body press-fitted into the substrate 132 so as to hold the substrate 132 and the optical connection sleeve 50 such as a split sleeve inside. 142
And the elastic member 1 held on the outer peripheral side of the first cylindrical body 141.
It consists of forty. The board 132 has a reference surface 131 on one side, and a flange portion 137 of a coupling portion 133 formed of a cylindrical body having a shape to which an SC-type optical connector plug can be coupled is provided on a side opposite to the reference surface 131 with a screw 138. It is joined by a holding plate 139. Also, the reference surface 13 of the substrate 132
A conical surface 134 is formed on the outer periphery on the opposite side from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1 of the FC-type receptacle housing 10 is formed.
A pair of parallel planes 136 are provided that fit with the anti-rotation surface 16 so as not to rotate with respect to 2. The central axis of the conical surface 134 matches the central axis of the substrate 132.

Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the first cylinder 141,
Reference projection 1 having an outer diameter that engages with reference recess 15 provided on reference surface 11 of FC-type receptacle housing 10.
The elastic member 140 such as a wave washer is held by the reference convex portion 135. The first cylindrical body 141 has an inner diameter that allows the optical connection sleeve 50 to be incorporated in a loosely fitted state, and has a smaller diameter at one end than the outer diameter of the optical connection sleeve 50 but larger than the inner diameter. An optical coupling opening 143 having a large inner diameter is provided. The second cylindrical body 142 has an optical coupling opening 146 having substantially the same dimensions as the optical coupling opening 143 at one end. In addition, the first cylinder 141 and the second cylinder 142
Of the optical coupling openings 143 and 146 have a shape that can be coupled to the optical connector plug.

As described above, the SC type receptacle 130 is
The FC-SC coupling adapter 1B is obtained by assembling the coupling cylindrical body 20 with the FC-type receptacle housing 10 rotatably engaged and held. This assembling can be performed in the same manner as described above. FIG. 7 shows another embodiment. The universal adapter 1C of this embodiment is assembled as an FC-ST connection adapter, and is assembled by the FC-type receptacle housing 10 and the ST-type receptacle 230 described above.

Here, the ST-type receptacle 230 is
The basic configuration is the same as that of the FC-type receptacle 30 except that it is configured to be connectable to the plug for the T-type optical connector, and is the same in that it can be detachably fastened to the housing 10 for the FC-type receptacle. . Here, the ST-type receptacle 230 includes a substrate 232, a cylindrical body 241 press-fitted to the substrate 232 so as to hold the optical connection sleeve 50 such as a split sleeve, and a first cylindrical body 241. The elastic member 240 is held on the outer peripheral side. Substrate 232
Has a reference surface 231 on one side, and a coupling portion 233 formed of a cylindrical body having a shape to which an ST-type optical connector plug can be coupled on the opposite side to the reference surface 231. Also, the substrate 232
A conical surface 234 is formed on the outer periphery on the opposite side of the reference surface 231 and a pair of parallel anti-rotation surfaces 16 are fitted with the anti-rotation surface 16 so as not to rotate with respect to the substrate 12 of the FC-type receptacle housing 10. A plane 236 is provided.
Note that the central axis of the conical surface 234 coincides with the central axis of the substrate 232.

Further, a reference projection 235 having an outer diameter to be engaged with a reference recess 15 provided on the reference surface 11 of the FC type receptacle housing 10 is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 241. An elastic member 240 such as a wave washer is held by the reference projection 235. The cylindrical body 241 has an inner diameter that allows the optical connection sleeve 50 to be incorporated in a loosely fitted state, and has an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer dimension of the optical connection sleeve 50 but larger than the inner diameter at one end. The optical coupling opening 243 having the following. Also,
The substrate 232 has an optical coupling opening 246 having substantially the same dimensions as the optical coupling opening 243. The ends of the cylindrical body 241 and the substrate 232 on the side of the optical coupling openings 243 and 246 have shapes that can be coupled to the optical connector plug, respectively.

As described above, the ST-type receptacle 230 is
The FC-ST coupling adapter 1C is obtained by coupling and assembling the coupling cylindrical body 20 with the FC-type receptacle housing 10 rotatably engaged and held. This assembling can be performed in the same manner as described above. As described above, any of the FC-type receptacle 30, the SC-type receptacle 130, and the ST-type receptacle 230 can be removably fastened to the above-described FC-type receptacle housing 10 to constitute various universal adapters. I do. That is, by using such a universal adapter, the FC-type optical connector plug can be switched and connected to various optical connector plugs.

Also, a housing 1 for an FC type receptacle
In a state where 0 is fixed, various types of receptacles such as the FC-type receptacle 30, the SC-type receptacle 130, and the ST-type receptacle 230 can be exchanged. Of course, the fixed-side receptacle housing can be changed to SC type or ST type.
Needless to say, the various configurations described above can be changed without departing from the scope of the standards of various optical connectors and within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, FC type, SC
Of course, it is also possible to use an adapter for various optical connectors other than the type and the ST type.

[0026]

As described above, according to the universal adapter of the present invention, the switching of various optical connector plugs can be easily performed. Can be connected to be switchable.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a universal adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an assembled sectional view of the universal adapter according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view and a rear view of an FC-type receptacle housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view and a front view of an FC type receptacle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a working state of the universal adapter according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a universal adapter according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a universal adapter according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1A, 1B, 1C Universal adapter 10 Housing for FC type receptacle 11, 31, 131, 231 Reference surface 12, 32, 132, 232 Substrate 13, 33, 133, 233 Coupling part 14 Through hole 15 Reference recess 16 Rotation prevention surface 20 , 120, 220 Connecting cylindrical body 21 Small diameter portion 22 Conical convex portion 22a, 22b Conical surface 23 Notch portion 24 Pin 30 FC type receptacle 130 SC type receptacle 230 ST type receptacle 34, 134, 234 Conical surface 35, 135 235 Reference convex portion 36, 136, 236 Parallel plane 40, 140, 240 Elastic member 41, 141 First cylindrical body 241 Cylindrical body 42, 142 Second cylindrical body 43, 46, 143, 146, 243, 246 Optical coupling Opening 50 Sleeve for optical connection

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Mitsuo Yarita Inventor Nastec Kogyo Co., Ltd. 6-41-6 Kameido, Koto-ku, Tokyo (56) References JP-A-9-281358 (JP, A) 9-105836 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02B 6/38 G02B 6/36

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] An optical connector adapter for removably optically connecting optical connector plugs each having a ferrule for fixing an end of an optical fiber, comprising: a predetermined optical connector plug; A receptacle housing and a receptacle each having a coupling portion that is a cylindrical body having a shape that is freely coupled and having a reference surface on the other end side; and a rotatable outwardly of the receptacle housing on the reference surface side. A coupling cylindrical body to be locked, a helical conical surface provided on an inner periphery of the coupling cylindrical body,
A conical surface which is provided on the opposite side of the coupling portion of the receptacle having a sleeve into which a ferrule is fitted from both sides and which can be fastened to the helical conical surface, the reference surface of the receptacle housing and the receptacle
An elastic member is provided between the receptacle and the reference surface, and the receptacle housing and the receptacle can be detachably fastened by rotating the helical conical surface and the conical surface to each other. Universal adapter. 2. The universal adapter according to claim 1, wherein each of the coupling portions of the receptacle housing and the receptacle is coupled to one of FC type, SC type, and ST type optical connector plugs. Universal adapter characterized by being possible. 3. Universal according to claim 1 or 2.
At the time of fastening, the connecting tubular body is rotated by the adapter.
The angle of which is 180 degrees or less.
-Sales adapter. 4. The unibar according to claim 1, wherein
In the monkey adapter, the housing for the receptacle
One of the substrate and the substrate of the receptacle is prevented from rotating.
A stop surface is provided while the other is locked to the anti-rotation surface
That there is a surface that prevents rotation
Features a universal adapter. 5. A unibar according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
Monkey adapter The housing for the receptacle and
And one of the receptacles is located on the reference plane.
A reference projection for determination is provided, while the other
The reference surface is provided with a reference concave portion that engages with the reference convex portion.
A universal adapter, characterized in that: 6. A unibar according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
In the monkey adapter, the housing for the receptacle
Can be fixed to the member to be fixed with the reference surface exposed.
The fixed housing for the receptacle.
That the receptacle can be detachably fastened to the socket
A universal adapter.