JP5069015B2 - Optical connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber connection technique, and more particularly to an optical connector having a ferrule fixed to a line end region of an optical fiber.

  In an optical fiber connection technique, an optical connector having a ferrule fixed to the end of an optical fiber strand from which coating is removed is known. A single-core ferrule is generally a cylindrical member formed by penetrating a fiber holding hole for holding a fiber along a central axis, and has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface formed concentrically with the wire holding hole, and an axis A centering portion having an abutting end surface formed substantially orthogonal to the wire holding hole at one end in the direction is provided. This type of optical connector constitutes a connection / separable connection portion in an optical transmission line, and an optical transmission line member such as an optical fiber cord or an optical fiber cable in which a sheathed optical fiber core wire is built in a sheath. It can be used by attaching to the end.

  In the optical connector with a ferrule described above, a support member that displaceably supports the ferrule, and an elastic member (generally a compression coil) that is disposed between the ferrule and the support member and generates a biasing force that elastically biases the ferrule in the axial direction. There is known a configuration including a spring) and a housing that receives a ferrule and is attached to a support member in a state where an urging force is generated in the elastic member (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The optical connector described in Patent Document 1 is a locking structure that holds the housing attached to the support member against the urging force of the elastic member, and a protrusion that protrudes from the outer surface of the support member, And an engaging portion that is formed on the inner surface and engages with the protrusion of the support member. The housing includes a wall that defines a cavity that at least partially accommodates the ferrule and the support member, and a portion of the wall includes a pair of flexure regions that allow for local expansion of the cavity and extend through the wall. Formed by a plurality of axial slots. When the housing is attached to the support member, the support member is inserted into the cavity of the housing while elastically expanding the flexure area of the housing wall with the projection, and the flexure area when the projection is engaged with the engagement portion. Is restored to complete the installation.

  In particular, in the configuration referred to as the prior art in Patent Document 1, a pair of protrusions are provided on the outer surface of the support member at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the housing is arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction corresponding to the arrangement of the protrusions. Thus, a pair of engaging portions (that is, engaging holes) that engage with the individual protrusions are provided. In this configuration, when attaching the housing to the support member, first, the ferrule attached to the end of the optical fiber is attached to the housing while adjusting its rotational direction position, and the center axis of the ferrule is positioned at a desired position in the housing. To do. Next, after aligning the pair of protrusions of the support member with respect to the pair of engagement holes provided in the housing by eye measurement in the ferrule axis direction, the protrusions are supported while elastically expanding the bending region of the housing wall by both protrusions. The member is inserted axially into the cavity of the housing. Then, at a predetermined insertion position, the individual protrusions of the support member are inserted into the corresponding engagement holes of the housing, and the flexure region is automatically restored. In this way, the housing is fixedly attached to the support member with the ferrule properly aligned.

JP-A-6-331853

  The optical connector described as the prior art in Patent Document 1 described above, when attaching the housing to the support member, adjusts the position of the ferrule relative to the housing in the rotational direction and the axis of the protrusion of the support member relative to the engagement hole of the housing. It is necessary to perform alignment work in the direction. Therefore, the assembly process of the optical connector becomes complicated and the skill of the operator is required.

  Also, after assembling the optical connector, the housing engagement hole is temporarily detached from the protrusion of the support member, for example, when the ferrule alignment operation is performed again to further improve the alignment accuracy of the optical fiber. May be required. At this time, generally, it is advantageous in terms of work to relatively rotate the support member and the housing so that the individual protrusions are detached from the corresponding engagement holes. Thus, a configuration is adopted in which the size of the engagement hole is slightly increased particularly in the rotation direction (that is, the circumferential direction of the housing), or tapered surfaces are formed at both ends of the engagement hole in the rotation direction. However, when such a configuration is adopted, after the housing is attached to the support member, an external force in an unintended rotation direction is applied to the housing and the support member, so that the housing and the support member relatively easily rotate relative to each other, and are elastic. There is a concern that the housing may be easily detached from the support member due to the biasing force of the member. Therefore, conventionally, a measure is taken to prevent unintentional relative rotation between the support member and the housing by attaching a separate cover to the housing properly attached to the support member. The use of such a separate cover increases the number of parts of the optical connector, and there is a concern that the number of assembling steps increases and the manufacturing cost increases.

  An object of the present invention is to require skill of an operator in an optical connector including a support member that supports a ferrule while elastically urging the ferrule, and a housing that receives the ferrule under elastic urging force and is attached to the support member. Light that can be assembled easily and can be surely prevented from unintentional detachment of the housing from the support member without using separate parts, thereby reducing the number of parts and manufacturing costs. To provide a connector.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is provided with a ferrule, a support member that supports the ferrule, and a biasing force that is disposed between the ferrule and the support member and elastically biases the ferrule in the axial direction. In the optical connector comprising: an elastic member that generates an elastic member; and a housing that receives the ferrule in a state in which an urging force is generated on the elastic member and is attached to the support member at a predetermined attachment position. A projection that projects outwardly from the outer surface, the housing defining a wall defining a cavity for receiving the ferrule, and a flexure region formed in a portion of the wall to allow local expansion of the cavity. An engaging portion that is formed in the bending region and engageable with the protrusion of the support member, and the engaging portion loosely receives the protrusion so as to allow relative displacement between the engaging portion and the protrusion in the circumferential direction. A first opening and a first opening When the housing is attached to the support member at the attachment position, having a second opening that is adjacent to and communicates with the mouth and that closely receives the protrusion so as to prevent circumferential relative displacement between the engaging portion and the protrusion. The projection is forcibly received and held in the second opening of the engaging portion under the biasing force of the elastic member.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the optical connector according to the first aspect, the support member has a plurality of protrusions arranged on the outer surface so as to be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction. Provided is an optical connector having a plurality of engaging portions that are formed in a bending region in a circumferentially spaced arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the protrusions and that can be individually engaged with the plurality of protrusions.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the optical connector according to the second aspect, the plurality of bending regions are formed to penetrate the wall portion of the housing in a circumferentially spaced arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of protrusions of the support member. Provided is an optical connector including a slot and a plurality of elastic beam portions each defined between circumferentially adjacent slots, wherein each of the plurality of engaging portions is formed in each of the plurality of elastic beam portions. To do.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the optical connector according to the third aspect, each of the plurality of slots is opened at one axial end of the housing adjacent to the support member and extends in the axial direction. I will provide a.

  The invention according to claim 5 provides the optical connector according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a plurality of engaging portions and a plurality of slots are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction at equal intervals.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the optical connector according to the first aspect, the bending region includes a plurality of slots that are formed to penetrate the wall portion of the housing so as to be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction, and slots that are adjacent in the circumferential direction. And an elastic beam portion defined therebetween.

The invention according to claim 7 provides the optical connector according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of slots includes a plurality of pairs of slots each defining one elastic beam portion independently of each other. .
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a ferrule, a support member that supports the ferrule, an elastic member that is disposed between the ferrule and the support member, and that generates a biasing force that elastically biases the ferrule in the axial direction, and an elastic member An optical connector comprising a housing that receives a ferrule with a biasing force applied thereto and is attached to the support member at a predetermined attachment position. The support member includes an outer surface and a protrusion protruding outward from the outer surface. The housing includes a wall portion defining a space for accommodating the ferrule, and at least a pair of slots that are formed in the wall portion so as to be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction and do not open at one end in the axial direction of the housing. Formed between at least one pair of slots and at least one elastic beam portion defined between the pair of slots and allowing local expansion of the cavity; The projections of the support member receiving to permit the circumferential displacement and at least one opening to hold, to provide an optical connector.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, when the housing is attached to the support member, first, the support member is inserted into the cavity of the housing while elastically deforming the flexure region to locally expand the cavity. The projection is inserted into the first opening of the engaging portion at the insertion position to restore the flexure region, and then the external force for inserting the support member into the housing is released, whereby the projection is inserted into the second portion of the engaging portion. The opening can be forcibly received and held under the biasing force of the elastic member. At this time, the first opening of the engaging portion has a dimensional relationship that allows the relative displacement between the engaging portion and the protrusion in the circumferential direction with respect to the protrusion, and therefore, the protrusion of the support member with respect to the engaging portion of the housing. Even if the alignment in the axial direction is relatively rough, the protrusion can be properly inserted into the first opening. Therefore, the optical connector can be easily assembled without requiring the skill of the operator. Further, since the second opening of the engaging portion has a dimensional relationship with respect to the protrusion to prevent the relative displacement between the engaging portion and the protrusion in the circumferential direction, when the attachment is completed, the support member and the housing Is stably and firmly fixed in the relative rotation direction. Therefore, unintentional detachment of the housing from the support member can be reliably prevented without using a separate component. Furthermore, if it is required to temporarily disengage the engaging portion of the housing from the protrusion of the support member after the optical connector is assembled, the support member is intentionally displaced relative to the housing to engage the protrusion. The second opening of the part is shifted to the first opening. Thereby, a support member and a housing can be rotated relatively and a protrusion can be made to detach | leave from an engaging part. Thus, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the number of components of the optical connector is reduced, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, the mechanical interlocking function between the support member and the housing is enhanced, and the structural reliability of the optical connector is improved.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, a flexible region having a desired flexibility can be easily formed, and the support member is provided along each slot of the housing wall portion when the support member is inserted into the cavity of the housing. Since the corresponding protrusions can be slid and inserted, damage caused by sliding between the protrusion and the wall can be minimized. Further, by rotating the support member and the housing relative to each other at a predetermined insertion position, each protrusion of the support member can be fitted into the first opening of the corresponding engagement portion. Since the portions are elastically deformed, it is possible to avoid local stress concentration of the housing and breakage caused thereby.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, since the slot acts to guide the protrusion in the axial direction, the support member can be easily inserted into a desired position in the cavity of the housing, and each elastic beam portion is elastically moved. The external force required to deform and expand the void locally can be reduced.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the elastic deformation of the plurality of elastic beam portions when the protrusions of the support member are inserted into the first openings of the corresponding engaging portions is made uniform, so Stress concentration is more reliably avoided.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily form a bending region having a desired bending property regardless of the number of protrusions and engaging portions.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since a desired number of elastic beam portions are formed at desired positions in the circumferential direction of the housing wall portion, the flexibility of the bending region can be adjusted appropriately.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Corresponding components are denoted by common reference symbols throughout the drawings.
1 is an external view of an optical connector 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the optical connector 10, and FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the optical connector 10. The optical connector 10 includes a ferrule 12 that is fixed to a line end region of an optical fiber (not shown). Similarly, the optical connector 10 is combined with an optical connector (not shown) that is a connection partner provided with a ferrule to form a pair of optical fibers. (The strands from which the coating has been removed) can be connected to each other in a state in which the respective end surfaces are abutted on the same axis. In the optical connector 10 according to the illustrated embodiment, the components of the F04 type (commonly referred to as SC type) single-core optical fiber connector conforming to JIS-C5973 can be partially used.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the optical connector 10 is disposed between a ferrule 12, a support member 14 that supports the ferrule 12 so as to be displaceable, and the ferrule 12 and the support member 14. An elastic member 16 that generates an urging force that elastically urges in an axial direction away from 14, and the ferrule 12 is received in a state in which the urging force is generated on the elastic member 16, and is attached to the support member 14 at a predetermined attachment position. And a housing 18. The optical connector 10 further includes a caulking member 20 that is attached to the support member 14 on the side opposite to the ferrule 12, and a boot 22 that surrounds the caulking member 20 and is attached to the support member 14.

  The ferrule 12 is a cylindrical member formed by penetrating one strand holding hole (not shown) for holding a fiber along the central axis 12a, and has a cylindrical outer periphery formed concentrically with the strand holding hole. A centering portion 24 having an abutting end surface 24b in which a wire holding hole is opened at one end in the axial direction in the surface 24a, a proximal end portion 26 extending coaxially from the other axial end of the centering portion 24, and a center A flange portion 28 that protrudes radially outward in a boundary region between the protruding portion 24 and the base end portion 26 is provided (FIG. 2). The flange portion 28 has a front end surface 28a adjacent to the centering portion 24 and a rear end surface 28b adjacent to the base end portion 26, and a plurality of (for example, four pieces) open to both the front end surface 28a and the rear end surface 28b. ) Key grooves 28c are formed in the flange portion 28 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (FIG. 2). The ferrule 12 can be made from a rigid material such as ceramics, plastic, or metal.

  The support member 14 is a cylindrical member in which one through hole 14b is formed along the central axis 14a, and the main portion 30 having a cylindrical outer peripheral surface 30a and the outer peripheral surface 30a of the main portion 30 in the circumferential direction. A plurality (a pair in the figure) of protrusions 32 that are arranged apart from each other and protrude outward from the outer peripheral surface 30a (FIG. 2). The main portion 30 of the support member 14 is provided with a receiving recess 34 for receiving the base end portion 26 of the ferrule 12 and the elastic member 16 over a predetermined length region including the opening of the through hole 14b on one end side in the axial direction. (FIG. 2). The support member 14 further includes a sub-part 36 that extends coaxially from the other axial end of the main part 30 and has an uneven surface 36a that frictionally engages the caulking member 20 (FIG. 2). The support member 14 is preferably made integrally from a rigid material such as metal.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the pair of protrusions 32 of the support member 14 each have an arcuate edge 32 a extending on the same circumference around the axis 14 a, and on the outer peripheral surface 30 a of the main portion 30. Are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction at positions back to back in the radial direction (FIG. 4C). The outer peripheral surface 30a of the main portion 30 further includes a pair of first grooves 38 (FIG. 4B) adjacent to both of the protrusions 32 in the circumferential direction and having flat bottom surfaces 38a extending in parallel with each other. A pair of second grooves 40 (FIG. 4 (a)) each having a flat bottom surface 40a extending in parallel to each other and adjacent to the sub-part 36 side in the axial direction in both protrusions 32 are recessed. Is done. Thereby, each protrusion 32 is provided with a pair of side surfaces 32b (FIG. 4C) extending in parallel to each other and a rear end surface (or bottom surface) 32c (FIG. 4A) orthogonal to both side surfaces 32b. . A tapered surface 32d (FIG. 4 (a)) having an end edge 32a as a vertex is formed on the opposite side of each protrusion 32 from the bottom surface 32c.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the elastic member 16 is a cylindrical compression coil spring having an inner diameter that can receive the base end portion 26 of the ferrule 12 and an outer diameter that can be inserted into the receiving recess 34 of the support member 14 as a whole. Consists of The elastic member 16 is in contact with the rear end surface 28b of the flange portion 28 of the ferrule 12 at one end in the axial direction in a state of surrounding the proximal end portion 26 of the ferrule 12, and the receiving recess of the support member 14 at the other end in the axial direction. 34 is abutted against the shoulder surface 34 a of 34 and is received in the receiving recess 34. The elastic member 16 is not limited to the illustrated compression coil spring, and various other elastic members such as a leaf spring and a disc spring are adopted on the assumption that a required biasing force can be applied to the ferrule 12. Can do.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 18 includes a cylindrical wall portion 44 that defines a cavity 42 that accommodates the entire ferrule 12 and the main portion 30 of the support member 14. An annular stop wall 46 extending radially inward is formed in the housing 18 at a substantially central position in the axial direction of the inner surface of the wall portion 44, and a ferrule is adjacent to the rear end face 46 a of the stop wall 46. A plurality of (for example, a pair of) keys 48 for positioning are projected. The blocking wall 46 is formed with a hole 46b through which the centering portion 24 of the ferrule 12 is inserted through a minimum gap. In addition, each key 48 has a size and an arrangement that can be inserted into an arbitrary key groove 28c of the flange portion 28 of the ferrule 12 substantially without backlash. When the housing 18 is mounted at an appropriate mounting position with respect to the support member 14 that has received the base end portion 26 of the ferrule 12 and the elastic member 16 in the receiving recess 34, the ferrule 12, the support member 14, and the housing 18 are respectively A concentric state can be maintained in which the central axes 12a, 14a and 18a are substantially matched to each other. The housing 18 is preferably made integrally from a material having moderate elasticity such as plastic.

  As described above, when the housing 18 is properly attached to the support member 14 (FIG. 2), an arbitrary key 48 of the housing 18 is received in the key groove 28c of the flange portion 28 of the ferrule 12, and the ferrule 12 And the front end surface 28a of the flange portion 28 of the ferrule 12 is brought into contact with the rear end surface 46a of the stop wall 46 of the housing 18 under the urging force of the elastic member 16. The In this state, the elastic member 16 is initially compressed between the rear end surface 28b of the flange portion 28 of the ferrule 12 and the shoulder surface 34a of the receiving recess 34 of the support member 14, and the elastic biasing force causes the flange of the ferrule 12 to be compressed. The portion 28 is firmly pressed against the stop wall 46 of the housing 18. On the other hand, in the range in which the key 48 is received in the key groove 28c, the ferrule 12 resists the urging force of the elastic member 16 and approaches the support member 14 by an external force (that is, the flange portion 28 has a stop wall 46). (In the direction away from) can be further displaced.

  The caulking member 20 is a metal hollow cylindrical member, and is fixedly connected to an caulking portion 50 on one end side in the axial direction fixedly attached to the sub portion 36 of the support member 14 and an optical fiber cord (not shown). And a connecting portion 52 on the other end side in the axial direction (FIG. 2). For example, when attaching the optical connector 10 to a single-core optical fiber cord, the sheath is removed over a predetermined length region at the end of the optical fiber cord, and the exposed optical fiber core wire and the reinforcing fiber are inserted into the caulking member 20. At the same time, the optical fiber core wire is inserted into the through hole 14b of the support member 14, and the optical fiber strand from which the coating of the end of the core wire is removed is fixed to the strand holding hole of the ferrule 12, while the reinforcing fiber is supported on the support member. It arranges along the uneven surface 36a of the outer periphery of the 14 sub-parts 36. In this state, the caulking portion 50 of the caulking member 20 is disposed on the reinforcing fiber and is compressed and plastically deformed by a dedicated tool, thereby fixing the reinforcing fiber to the support member 14. Furthermore, the distal end portion of the sheath is disposed along the outer surface of the connecting portion 52 of the caulking member 20, and a separate metal ring 54 (FIG. 2) is disposed on the distal end portion of the sheath and is subjected to compression plastic deformation by a dedicated tool. Then, the sheath is fixed to the caulking member 20.

  The boot 22 is a cylindrical member made of a flexible material such as plastic, and protects the connection region between the support member 14 and the caulking member 20 and the optical fiber cord. In the above configuration, the ferrule 12, the support member 14, the elastic member 16, the caulking member 20, and the boot 22 are used in an F04 type (commonly referred to as SC type) single-core optical fiber connector conforming to JIS-C5973. The same can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the housing 18, which is a characteristic component of the present invention, is formed in a part of the wall portion 44, and a pair of the support member 14 and the bending region 56 that allows the space 42 to be locally expanded. A pair of engaging portions that can be individually engaged with the protrusions 32 of the support member 14 that are formed in the bending region 56 in a circumferentially spaced arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the protrusions 32 of the support member 14 and in which the main portion 30 is received in the space 42. 58 (only one is shown in FIG. 5). Each engaging portion 58 receives the corresponding protrusion 32 of the support member 14 loosely so as to allow the circumferential relative displacement between the engaging portion 58 and the protrusion 32, and the first opening 60 has an axis line. The second opening 62 is adjacent to and communicated with each other in the direction, and the corresponding protrusion 32 is closely received so as to prevent the engaging portion 58 and the protrusion 32 from being displaced relative to each other in the circumferential direction. When the housing 18 is attached to the support member 14 at the attachment position described above, each protrusion 32 is forcibly received by the second opening 62 of the corresponding engagement portion 58 under the biasing force of the elastic member 16. (FIG. 2). In the illustrated embodiment, the first opening 60 and the second opening 62 constituting each engaging portion 58 have a form of a through hole penetrating the wall portion 44 of the housing 18 in the thickness direction. Further, the first opening 60 and the second opening 62 have a positional relationship in which the second opening 62 is disposed closer to one end (that is, the rear end) 18 b in the axial direction of the housing 18 on the side adjacent to the support member 14.

  In the optical connector 10 having the above configuration, when the housing 18 is attached to the support member 14, first, the protrusion 32 of the support member 14 is slid along the wall portion 44 of the housing 18 to elastically deform the bending region 56. The support member 14 is inserted into the cavity 42 of the housing 18 while locally expanding the cavity 42. Then, the individual protrusions 32 are inserted into the first openings 60 of the corresponding engaging portions 58 at a predetermined insertion position where the elastic member 16 generates an appropriate urging force that exceeds the initial urging force described above. Thereby, the bending region 56 is restored, and the housing 18 is temporarily attached to the support member 14. At this time, the first opening 60 of the engaging portion 58 has a dimensional relationship that allows relative displacement of the engaging portion 58 and the protrusion 32 in the circumferential direction with respect to the protrusion 32 (that is, the first opening 60 compared to the dimension of the protrusion 32). Therefore, the alignment of the protrusion 32 of the support member 14 with respect to the engaging portion 58 of the housing 18 in the axial direction is performed. Even if it is relatively rough, the protrusion 32 can be properly inserted into the first opening 60. Therefore, the optical connector 10 can be easily assembled without requiring the skill of the operator.

  Subsequently, when the external force for inserting the support member 14 into the housing 18 is released, the support member 14 is automatically displaced in a direction away from the housing 18 by the urging force of the elastic member 16, and the individual protrusions 32 correspond to the corresponding protrusions. The second opening 62 of the engaging portion 58 is forcibly received and held under the biasing force of the elastic member 16. Thereby, the attachment of the housing 18 to the support member 14 is completed. At this time, the second opening 62 of the engaging portion 58 has a dimensional relationship that prevents relative displacement between the engaging portion 58 and the protrusion 32 with respect to the protrusion 32 (that is, the dimension of the protrusion 32 and the dimension of the second opening 62). Have substantially the same relationship when viewed in the relative rotational direction (circumferential direction of the housing 18), the support member 14 and the housing 18 are stably and firmly fixed in the relative rotational direction. Therefore, in the optical connector 10, the support member 14 and the housing 18 can be applied even when an unintended external force is applied to the support member 14 or the housing 18 after the housing 18 is attached to the support member 14 at a predetermined mounting position. Since the fear that the housing 18 is detached from the support member 14 due to relative rotation of the housing 18 is reliably eliminated, unintentional removal of the housing 18 from the support member 14 can be reliably prevented without using a separate part.

  Furthermore, when it is required to temporarily disengage the engaging portion 58 of the housing 18 from the protrusion 32 of the support member 14 after the optical connector 10 is assembled, the housing 18 resists the biasing force of the elastic member 16. The support member 14 is intentionally displaced with respect to 18 to shift the protrusion 32 from the second opening 62 of the engaging portion 58 to the first opening 60. Accordingly, the protrusion 32 can be detached from the engaging portion 58 by relatively rotating the support member 14 and the housing 18. At this time, since the first opening 60 has a relatively large size in the rotation direction with respect to the protrusion 32, the protrusion 32 can be easily detached from the first opening 60, and damage to the housing wall 44 is minimized. can do. As described above, the optical connector 10 does not require a dedicated component for preventing unintentional relative rotation between the support member and the housing, which is required in the conventional optical connector, without impairing the original function. The score is reduced and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

  In the above configuration, when an external force in the direction in which the support member 14 is pushed into the housing 18 against the urging force of the elastic member 16 is unintentionally applied to the assembled optical connector 10, the protrusion 32 of the engagement portion 58 is formed. There is a possibility of transition from the second opening 62 to the first opening 60. In this case, if the support member 14 and the housing 18 further cause unintended relative rotation, the housing 18 may be detached from the support member 14. In order to eliminate such fear, in the illustrated embodiment, when the assembly of the optical connector 10 is completed, the axial direction of the boot 22 that fixedly accommodates the support member 14 at one axial end (rear end) 18 b of the housing 18. The front end 22a is configured to abut (FIG. 2).

  In the present invention, the invention specific matter that “the first opening accepts the protrusion loosely so as to allow the relative displacement between the engaging portion and the protrusion in the circumferential direction” is compared with the dimension of the first opening. The dimensions are slightly larger when viewed in the relative rotational direction (the circumferential direction of the housing). As a result, depending on the shape of the protrusion and the shape of the flexure region that defines the first opening, the support member and the housing are kept in a concentric state. By rotating, the protrusion can be separated from the first opening without bringing its side surface (side surface 32b (FIG. 7) in the illustrated embodiment) into contact with the side surface of the first opening (side surface 60a (FIG. 7) in the illustrated embodiment). Alternatively, the dimensional relationship is defined such that the protrusion can easily bend and be detached from the first opening with the side surface slightly contacting the side surface of the first opening. This dimensional relationship is such that, for example, a gap is formed between the support member and the housing when the assembly of the optical connector is completed, and it is difficult to separate the protrusion from the first opening in the above-described concentric state. It also includes a dimensional relationship such that the protrusion can be detached from the first opening by relatively shifting the housing in the radial direction.

  Further, the invention specific matter that “the second opening receives the protrusion densely so as to prevent relative displacement between the engaging portion and the protrusion in the circumferential direction” is that the dimension of the protrusion and the dimension of the second opening are relatively rotated. Whether or not the support member and the housing are concentric, regardless of the shape of the protrusion and the shape of the flexure region that defines the second opening. Regardless of the contact between the side surface of the protrusion (side surface 32b (FIG. 9) in the illustrated embodiment) and the side surface of the second opening (side surface 62a (FIG. 9) in the illustrated embodiment), the support member and the housing are relatively The dimensional relationship is defined so as to be locked in the rotation direction and mechanically prevent the protrusion from being removed from the second opening. The term “densely” does not define a state in which the side surface of the protrusion and the side surface of the second opening are in close contact with each other, and the second opening has a smaller dimension in the circumferential direction of the housing than the first opening. Then, a “dense” state can be secured. As described above, the dimensional relationship between the projection and the first and second openings that can achieve the special effects of the present invention is as follows: the size and shape of the projection, the size and shape of the first and second openings, the support member and the housing. It depends on various parameters such as size and shape.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the flexure region 56 includes a plurality of (a pair in the drawing) slots 64 formed through the wall 44 of the housing 18 in a circumferentially spaced arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the protrusions 32 of the support member 14, and the circumferential direction. A plurality of (in the figure, a pair of) elastic beam portions 66 each defined between adjacent slots 64, and each engagement portion 58 is formed in each of the elastic beam portions 66 (one in each of the elastic beam portions 66). FIG. 5). According to this configuration, the bending region 56 having a desired flexibility can be easily formed, and when the support member 14 is inserted into the cavity 42 of the housing 18, it is provided along each slot 64 of the wall portion 44 of the housing 18. Since the corresponding protrusion 32 of the support member 14 can be slid and inserted, damage caused by sliding between the protrusion 32 and the wall portion 44 (particularly damage to the housing 18) can be minimized. Further, by rotating the support member 14 and the housing 18 relatively at a predetermined insertion position, the protrusions 32 of the support member 14 can be fitted into the first openings 60 of the corresponding engaging portions 58. At this time, the individual elastic beam portions 66 are elastically deformed, so that local stress concentration of the housing 18 and damage caused thereby can be avoided.

  In the illustrated embodiment, each slot 64 is formed so as to open at the axial end 18b of the housing 18 on the side adjacent to the support member 14 and extend in the axial direction (FIG. 5). According to this configuration, since the slot 64 acts to guide the protrusion 32 in the axial direction, the support member 14 can be easily inserted into a desired position of the cavity 42 of the housing 18, and each elastic beam portion 66 can be inserted. It is possible to reduce the external force required to elastically deform and expand the space 42 locally.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the pair of engaging portions 58 and the pair of slots 64 are alternately arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (FIG. 5). According to this configuration, the elastic deformation of the plurality of elastic beam portions 66 when the protrusions 32 of the support member 14 are fitted into the first openings 60 of the corresponding engaging portions 58 is made uniform, and the housing 18 is locally localized. Stress concentration is more reliably avoided.

  Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, a pair of elastic arms 68 extending in a cantilever shape from the front end outer surface of the wall portion 44 of the housing 18 adjacent to the abutting end surface 24 b of the ferrule 12 along the pair of slots 64. (FIGS. 1 and 5). The optical connector 10 having these elastic arms 68 is connected to a connection partner member such as another connector or adapter that forms a pair in the same manner as, for example, an F04 type (commonly referred to as SC type) single-core optical fiber connector conforming to JIS-C5973. It can be used as a plug-type connector capable of push-on type coupling / detachment.

  Next, referring to FIGS. 6 to 10, in the optical connector 10 according to the illustrated embodiment, the procedure for attaching the housing 18 to the support member 14 and the operation and effect of the engaging portion 58 provided in the housing 18 will be described. Further details will be described. In these drawings, the ferrule 12 and the elastic member 16 are not shown.

  In the optical connector 10, when the housing 18 is attached to the support member 14, first, the corresponding protrusion 32 of the support member 14 is slid along the pair of slots 64 (FIG. 5) provided in the bending region 56 of the housing wall 44. It is advantageous to insert the support member 14 into the cavity 42 of the housing 18 while moving and elastically deforming the pair of elastic beam portions 66 of the flexure region 56 to expand the cavity 42 (FIG. 6). . During this insertion operation, each protrusion 32 has its tapered surface 32d in sliding contact with the edge of the elastic beam portion 66 defining the slot 64, so that external force required for insertion is reduced and damage to the housing 18 is suppressed. Is done. Next, the support member 14 and the housing 18 are relatively rotated at a predetermined insertion position, and the individual protrusions 32 are fitted into the first openings 60 of the corresponding engaging portions 58 to restore the flexure region 56 ( 7 and 8). In this state, a gap as illustrated is formed between the both side surfaces 32b of the protrusion 32 and the corresponding both side surfaces (namely, both end surfaces in the circumferential direction) 60a of the first opening 60. As described above, the projections 32 of the support member 14 are roughly aligned in the axial direction with respect to the engaging portions 58 of the housing 18 in advance without using the slots 64 of the housing wall 44. Thus, the support member 14 may be inserted into the void 42 of the housing 18.

  Subsequently, the external force for inserting the support member 14 into the housing 18 is released, and the support member 14 is automatically displaced in a direction away from the housing 18 by the urging force of the elastic member 16 so that the individual protrusions 32 are correspondingly engaged. The second opening 62 of the portion 58 is forcibly received under the biasing force of the elastic member 16 (FIGS. 9 and 10). In this state, both side surfaces 32b of the protrusion 32 and the corresponding both side surfaces (that is, both end surfaces in the circumferential direction) 62a of the second opening 62 are in close contact, and the bottom surface 32c of the protrusion 32 and the corresponding bottom surface 62b of the second opening 62 ( That is, the axial end face) is in close contact. Thereby, each protrusion 32 is stably locked by the corresponding 2nd opening 62 especially in the circumferential direction, and, thereby, the support member 14 and the housing 18 are stably and firmly fixed in the relative rotation direction.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described, the optical connector which concerns on this invention is not limited to the structure of the said embodiment. For example, the configuration of the flexure region of the housing is replaced with the above configuration having a pair of slots 64 and a pair of elastic beam portions 66, and a flexure region of a cantilever type or a both-ends fixed beam type is provided only in a desired circumferential direction of the housing. Various other configurations such as forming can be adopted. Further, when the diversion of the components of the F04 type (commonly referred to as SC type) single-core optical fiber connector conforming to JIS-C5973 is not taken into consideration, various numbers of interlocking structures between the support member 14 and the housing 18 can be used. The protrusion 32 and the engaging part 58 can be adopted, and for example, a structure having a single protrusion 32 and a single engaging part 58 engaged therewith can be adopted. Furthermore, as the shapes of the protrusion 32 and the engaging portion 58, various shapes other than the illustrated shape can be adopted on the assumption that the relative dimensional relationship described above is provided.

For example, FIG. 11 shows a modification of the bending region of the housing wall that can be employed in the optical connector of the present invention. Note that components corresponding to the components of the optical connector 10 described above are denoted by common reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.
The bending region 70 according to the illustrated modification is defined between a plurality of (a pair in the drawing) slots 72 formed in the wall 44 of the housing 18 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction and the slots 72 adjacent in the circumferential direction. And an arbitrary number (one in the drawing) of elastic beam portions 74. The slots 72 extend from the vicinity of the one end 18 b to the engagement portion 58 without opening to the axial end 1 b on the support member insertion side of the housing 18, and communicate with the first opening 60 of the engagement portion 58. . As a result, an elastic beam portion 74 that is supported in a cantilever manner near the axial end of the housing 18 is formed. According to such a configuration, it is possible to easily form the bending region 70 having a desired bending property regardless of the number of the protrusions 32 and the engaging portions 58.

  The flexure region 70 can also include a plurality of pairs of slots 72 that each define a single elastic beam portion 74 independently of each other. In this case, since a desired number of elastic beam portions 74 are formed at desired positions in the circumferential direction of the housing wall 44, the flexibility of the deflection region 70 can be adjusted appropriately. Further, the pair of slots 72 can also be formed separately from the engaging portion 58 in the same manner as the bending region 56 in the optical connector 10 described above. In this case, both ends fixed beam type elastic beam portion 74 is formed. Note that the both-end fixed beam type elastic beam portion is less flexible than the cantilever type elastic beam portion, and therefore requires a relatively large force to disengage the protrusion 32 from the engagement portion 58. Unintentional detachment of the protrusion 32 from the engaging portion 58 can be prevented more effectively. Furthermore, in the housing 18 having a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape shown in FIG. 5, a wall region having one flat side surface of the wall portion 44 (a wall region having the engagement portion 58 in the drawing) is arranged around the periphery of one engagement portion 58. A pair of slots 64 positioned on both sides in the direction may be formed, while an engaging portion and a slot may not be formed in a wall region having an adjacent flat side surface (a wall region having a slot 64 in the drawing). Since this configuration is inferior in the flexibility of the elastic beam portion than the configuration shown in FIG. 5 having the same cantilever type elastic beam portion, the unintentional detachment of the protrusion 32 from the engaging portion 58 is still more effective. Can be prevented. As described above, in any configuration, the housing 18 is reliably prevented from rotating with respect to the support member 14 and being detached from the support member 14 by providing the above-described characteristic engagement portion 58.

It is (a) top view and (b) front view of the optical connector by one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing along line II-II of the optical connector of FIG. It is an exploded view of the optical connector of FIG. It is the side view seen from the (a) top view, (b) front view, and (c) arrow C of the support member integrated in the optical connector of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the supporting member and housing which are integrated in the optical connector of FIG. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a first stage of an attaching operation between a support member and a housing in the optical connector of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a second stage of the attaching operation between the support member and the housing in the optical connector of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view corresponding to FIG. 7. FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a third stage of the attaching operation between the support member and the housing in the optical connector of FIG. 1. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view corresponding to FIG. 9. It is an enlarged view which shows the modification of the bending area | region provided in the housing wall part of the optical connector of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Optical connector 12 Ferrule 14 Support member 16 Elastic member 18 Housing 32 Protrusion 42 Space 44 Wall part 56,70 Deflection area 58 Engagement part 60 1st opening 62 2nd opening 64, 72 Slot 66,74 Elastic beam part

Claims (8)

A ferrule, a support member that supports the ferrule, an elastic member that is disposed between the ferrule and the support member and generates a biasing force that elastically biases the ferrule in the axial direction; and the biasing force applied to the elastic member In an optical connector comprising a housing that receives the ferrule in a state of generating and is attached to the support member at a predetermined attachment position.
The support member has an outer surface and a protrusion protruding outward from the outer surface;
The housing includes a wall defining a cavity for accommodating the ferrule, a flexure area formed in a portion of the wall, allowing local expansion of the cavity, and formed in the flexure area, An engaging portion engageable with the protrusion of the support member,
The engaging portion includes a first opening that loosely receives the protrusion so as to allow circumferential relative displacement between the engaging portion and the protrusion, and is adjacent to and in communication with the first opening. A second opening that is closely received so as to prevent circumferential relative displacement between the engaging portion and the protrusion;
When the housing is attached to the support member at the attachment position, the protrusion is forcibly received and held in the second opening of the engagement portion under the biasing force of the elastic member. ,
Optical connector characterized by.   The support member has a plurality of the protrusions that are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction on the outer surface, and the housing has the flexure region in a circumferentially spaced arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the protrusions of the support member. The optical connector according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of the engaging portions that are formed on the plurality of protrusions and are individually engageable with the plurality of protrusions.   The flexure region includes a plurality of slots formed through the wall portion of the housing in a circumferentially spaced arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of protrusions of the support member, and a slot adjacent to the circumferential direction. The optical connector according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of engaging portions is formed in each of the plurality of elastic beam portions.   4. The optical connector according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of slots is opened at one axial end of the housing adjacent to the support member and extends in the axial direction. 5.   The optical connector according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the plurality of engaging portions and the plurality of slots are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction at equal intervals.   The flexure region includes a plurality of slots formed in the wall portion of the housing so as to penetrate the wall portion in a circumferential direction and elastic beam portions defined between the circumferentially adjacent slots. The optical connector according to 1.   The optical connector according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of slots include a plurality of pairs of slots, each defining one elastic beam portion independently of each other. A ferrule, a support member that supports the ferrule, an elastic member that is disposed between the ferrule and the support member, and generates a biasing force that elastically biases the ferrule in the axial direction; and the biasing force applied to the elastic member In an optical connector comprising a housing that receives the ferrule in a state of generating and is attached to the support member at a predetermined attachment position.
The support member has an outer surface and a protrusion protruding outward from the outer surface;
The housing includes a wall portion that defines a space for accommodating the ferrule, at least a pair of slots that are formed in the wall portion so as to be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction, and that do not open at one axial end of the housing; At least one elastic beam portion defined between a pair of slots and allowing local expansion of the cavity; and formed between the at least one pair of slots, the protrusion of the support member being displaced in its circumferential direction Having at least one opening for receiving and holding
Optical connector.

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