JP5671174B1 - Optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is an optical connector in which the durability of the ferrule is improved even when a metal fitting is adopted for the optical connector in which the ferrule is retractably accommodated. An optical connector includes a metal coupling fitting (external housing 23) that couples to a coupling mechanism of an optical connector to be connected, a ferrule 30, and a ferrule 30 that is retractably accommodated in the coupling fitting 23. A resin housing 40 to be accommodated and a metal member 60 fixed to the coupling fitting 23 in a state where the housing 40 is held between the coupling fitting 23 are provided. [Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector.

For example, an MPO connector (F12 type optical connector established in JIS C5981) is known as an optical connector in which a ferrule is retractably accommodated. By accommodating the ferrule so as to be retractable, the ferrule end face is physically abutted with a predetermined force when the optical connector is connected to optically couple the optical fibers.
Moreover, as an optical connector provided with a ferrule, for example, optical connectors described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are also known.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0209041 US Patent No. 7785019 US Pat. No. 6,206,579

  Since a conventional optical connector (for example, an MPO connector) does not assume frequent attachment / detachment, a coupling mechanism for coupling optical connectors to each other may be formed of resin parts. However, when the coupling mechanism is composed of resin parts, if the optical connector is repeatedly attached and detached, the resin coupling mechanism is worn out, and the durability of the optical connector is lowered (the number of detachable times is reduced).

  On the other hand, it is conceivable to improve the durability of the coupling mechanism by making the coupling mechanism metal. For example, if a coupling fitting used in an electrical connector (for example, a coupling fitting for a BNC connector) is adopted, the coupling fitting can be expected to withstand thousands of times of attachment / detachment through many years of use experience. However, although the durability of the coupling mechanism is increased, if the ferrule accommodated in a retractable manner repeatedly hits the metal coupling fitting each time the optical connector is attached or detached, the ferrule will be worn away, and as an optical connector Durability is low.

  An object of the present invention is to improve the durability of a ferrule even when a metal fitting is employed in an optical connector that accommodates the ferrule so as to be retractable.

The main invention for achieving the above object is to provide a metal coupling fitting that couples to the coupling mechanism of the optical connector to be connected, a resin ferrule, and a retractable housing for the ferrule while retracting the ferrule. An optical connector comprising: a resin housing accommodated; and a metal member fixed to the coupling fitting in a state where the housing is held between the coupling fitting.

  Other characteristics of the present invention will be made clear by the description and drawings described later.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even when a metal coupling metal fitting is employ | adopted for the optical connector which accommodated the ferrule so that retraction was possible, durability of a ferrule can be improved.

1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of an optical connector system. 1A is a perspective view of the optical connector 110 on the receptacle side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the optical connector 10 on the plug side. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of the optical connectors 10 and 110. FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the optical connector 10 on the plug side. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the floating mechanism 50 and the half metal member 60. 5A and 5B are sectional views of the housing 40. FIG. 6A and 6B are perspective views of the housing 40. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the housing accommodating portion 24 of the external housing 23 of the coupling fitting 20. 8A to 8E are explanatory diagrams of a method for assembling the optical connector 10 on the plug side.

  At least the following matters will be apparent from the description and drawings described below.

  A metal coupling fitting that couples with a coupling mechanism of an optical connector to be connected, a ferrule, a resin housing that is accommodated in the coupling fitting while the ferrule is retractably accommodated, and the coupling fitting An optical connector provided with a metal member fixed to the coupling fitting with the housing held therebetween becomes clear. According to such an optical connector, the durability of the ferrule can be improved even when a metal coupling fitting is adopted for the optical connector that accommodates the ferrule in a retractable manner.

  It is desirable to fix between the said coupling metal fitting and the said metal member with the metal pin. Thereby, a coupling metal fitting and a metal member can be fixed with a metal part, and durability improves.

  The metal pin is preferably perpendicular to the attaching / detaching direction. Thereby, even if force is applied at the time of attachment / detachment, high durability can be maintained.

  When the end face side of the ferrule is the front and the opposite side is the rear, an alignment surface facing the rear side is formed in the housing part of the coupling fitting for housing the housing, and the housing has a front side It is preferable that the housing is accommodated in the coupling fitting with the contact surface in contact with the alignment surface. Since the contact surface is in contact with the alignment surface, the contact surface of the resin housing is not easily worn even if the optical connector is repeatedly attached and detached.

  The difference between the Young's modulus of the housing and the Young's modulus of the ferrule is preferably smaller than the difference between the Young's modulus of the fitting and the Ferrule. Thereby, durability of a ferrule can be improved.

=== Embodiment ===
Before describing the structure of the optical connector (plug-side optical connector) of this embodiment, first, an outline of the optical connector system including the receptacle-side optical connector will be described.

<Outline of optical connector system>
1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of an optical connector system. 1A is a perspective view of the optical connector 110 on the receptacle side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the optical connector 10 on the plug side. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of the optical connectors 10 and 110. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the optical connector system includes an optical connector 110 on the receptacle side and an optical connector 10 on the plug side.

  In the following description, each direction is defined as shown in the figure. That is, the “front-rear direction” is defined along the connector attaching / detaching direction, the ferrule end face side (the counterpart optical connector side) is “front”, and the opposite side is “rear”. Further, the “left / right direction” is defined along the long side direction of the rectangular end face of the ferrule, and the right side when viewed from the rear side toward the front side is “right”, and the opposite side is “left”. A direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is referred to as “up-down direction”.

  The optical connector 110 on the receptacle side includes a coupling fitting 120, a ferrule 130, and a housing 140. The optical connector 10 on the plug side also includes a coupling fitting 20, a ferrule 30, and a housing 40 in substantially the same manner as the receptacle side.

  The coupling fittings 20 and 120 are metal coupling portions (also referred to as coupling mechanisms, fastening mechanisms, and coupling mechanisms) for coupling the optical connectors 10 and 110, and are employed here as electrical coaxial connectors. BNC type fittings are used. However, the present invention is not limited to the BNC type coupling fitting, and a screw connection type coupling fitting can also be used. There are two types of screw connection type fittings: a type in which the screw is turned by hand and a type in which the screw is turned with a wrench. Any type can be adopted. It is also possible to employ a slide-on coupling fitting that is easy to attach and detach.

  The receptacle-side coupling fitting 120 includes a cylindrical main body 121 and a protrusion 122. The insertion part 25 of the coupling fitting 20 on the plug side is inserted into the cylindrical main body 121. The protrusion 122 includes an outer protrusion 122 </ b> A that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 121, and an inner protrusion 122 </ b> B that protrudes inward from the inner peripheral surface of the main body 121.

  The plug-side coupling fitting 20 includes a rotating part 21 and an external housing 23. The rotating part 21 is a cylindrical part that can rotate outside the outer housing 23 (insertion part 25). The rotating part 21 is formed with an entry part 21A and a locking part 21B. The external housing 23 is a metal housing (metal housing) that houses the housing 40, and an insertion portion 25 is formed on the front side. The insertion part 25 is a part to be inserted into the main body 121 on the receptacle side. A groove 25 </ b> A is formed on the outer periphery of the insertion portion 25 along the front-rear direction.

  When the plug-side fitting 20 is connected to the receptacle-side fitting 120, the outer projection 122A on the receptacle side is passed through the entry 21A of the rotation unit 21 while rotating the rotation unit 21, and the outer projection 122A is locked. It will be locked to the part 21B. Further, the plug-side optical connector 0 with respect to the receptacle-side optical connector 0 is inserted by inserting the plug-side insertion portion 25 into the receptacle-side main body 121 while aligning the receptacle-side inner protrusion 122B and the plug-side groove 25A. Ten alignments will be performed.

  The ferrules 30 and 130 are members that hold a plurality of optical fibers, and here are MT type optical connectors (F12 type optical connectors established in JIS C5981; MT: Mechanically Transferable). A guide pin 131 projects from the end face of the ferrule 130 on the receptacle side. The front end (front end) of the guide pin 131 is located behind the front edge of the receptacle-side coupling fitting 120, and the receptacle-side ferrule 130 is behind the front edge of the receptacle-side coupling fitting 120. Arranged on the side. The plug-side ferrule 30 is also arranged behind the front edge of the plug-side fitting 20 (insertion portion 25).

  The housing 140 is a member accommodated in the coupling fitting 120 while accommodating the ferrule 130 in a retractable manner. A protrusion is formed in the internal space of the housing 140, and the ferrule 130 is pushed forward by the repulsive force of the coil spring of the floating mechanism in a state where the protrusion and the flange of the ferrule 130 are engaged. .

  By connecting the receptacle-side coupling fitting 120 and the plug-side coupling fitting 20, the receptacle-side optical connector 110 and the plug-side optical connector 10 are connected. When the plug-side fitting 20 is joined to the receptacle-side fitting 120, the guide pin 131 protruding from the end face of one ferrule (here, the receptacle-side ferrule 130) is connected to the other ferrule (here, the plug-side ferrule). 30), and the ferrules 30 and 130 are positioned. At this time, the end surfaces of the ferrules 30 and 130 abut against each other, so that the end surfaces of the optical fibers physically abut against each other and the optical fibers are optically connected to each other. In order to abut the end faces of the optical fibers with a predetermined force, the ferrules 30 and 130 are accommodated in the housings 40 and 140 so as to be retractable by a floating mechanism.

<Structure of optical connector 10 on the plug side>
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the optical connector 10 on the plug side. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the floating mechanism 50 and the half metal member 60.

  The optical connector 10 on the plug side has a floating mechanism 50 and a half metal member 60 in addition to the coupling fitting 20, the ferrule 30, and the housing 40 (see FIG. 4). Further, the optical connector 10 on the plug side has a fastening fitting 70 on the rear side of the floating mechanism 50 and the half metal member 60 (see FIG. 3). In addition, the boot 32 which protects an optical fiber is attached to the rear side of the ferrule 30 (refer FIG. 4).

・ Floating mechanism 50
The housing 40 accommodates the ferrule 30 so as to be retractable by the floating mechanism 50. That is, the floating mechanism 50 is a mechanism that accommodates the ferrule 30 so as to be retractable within the housing. The floating mechanism 50 includes a coil spring 52, a fastener 54, and an engagement member 56 (spring push).

  The coil spring 52 is disposed in a compressed state between the fastener 54 and the engaging member 56. The ferrule 30 is pushed forward through the fastener 54 by the repulsive force of the compressed coil spring 52. An optical fiber (not shown) is inserted into the central cavity of the coil spring 52.

  The fastener 54 is a member that fixes the end of the coil spring 52 to the ferrule 30. The front pin of the fastener 54 is inserted into the opening on the rear side of the guide hole 31 of the ferrule 30, whereby the fastener 54 is fixed to the ferrule 30. Further, the front end of the coil spring 52 is inserted into the spring fixing portion protruding to the rear side of the fastener 54, and thereby the front end of the coil spring 52 is fixed to the fastener 54. An optical fiber (not shown) is inserted through the hole penetrating the fastener 54 in the front-rear direction.

  The engaging member 56 is a member that accommodates the coil spring 52 in the housing 40 in a compressed state. The engaging member 56 is a U-shaped member having a receiving portion 57 and a pair of arm portions 58 extending forward from the left and right sides of the receiving portion 57. The rear end of the coil spring 52 is in contact with the receiving portion 57. An optical fiber (not shown) is inserted through the hole penetrating the receiving portion 57 in the front-rear direction. A coil spring 52 is accommodated in the space between the pair of arm portions 58. A claw portion 58A is formed at the front end of the arm portion 58 toward the outside. When the claw portion 58 </ b> A is caught by the window portion 41 on the side surface of the housing 40, the engaging member 56 is engaged with the housing 40 while receiving the repulsive force of the coil spring 52.

・ Half metal member 60
The housing 40 is fixed to the inside of the coupling fitting 20 (external housing 23) while being sandwiched between the coupling fitting 20 (external housing 23) and the half metal member 60 from the front and rear. Further, the half metal member 60 is fixed to the fitting 20 by a metal pin 80. That is, the half metal member 60 is a metal member fixed to the coupling metal 20 in a state where the housing 40 is held between the metal half 60 and the coupling metal 20.

  The half metal member 60 is a metal member divided into two parts in the vertical direction. The half metal member 60 includes a housing holding portion 62, an optical fiber insertion portion 64, two pin holes 66, and a tapered portion 68.

  The housing holding | maintenance part 62 is a site | part which hold | maintains a housing between coupling metal fittings. The housing holding portion 62 is a plate-shaped portion protruding to the front side, and the front end surface contacts the rear end surface 44 of the housing through the engaging member 56. A receiving portion 57 of the engaging member 56 is disposed between the two plate-shaped housing holding portions 62. The two upper and lower housing holding portions 62 are restrained from the upper and lower surfaces of the housing accommodating portion 24 (see FIG. 7) of the external housing 23 of the coupling fitting 20 with the receiving portion 57 of the engaging member 56 sandwiched from above and below. become.

  The optical fiber insertion portion 64 is a groove-shaped portion formed along the front-rear direction of the half metal member 60, and an optical fiber (not shown) is disposed. When the two half metal members 60 are combined, the optical fiber insertion portion 64 becomes a through hole through which the optical fiber is inserted. After the optical fiber is led out from the optical cable, the optical fiber is disposed in the optical fiber insertion portion 64 of the halved metal member 60 matched to the two.

  The pin hole 66 is a hole for inserting the metal pin 80. Two pin holes 23A are also formed on the rear side of the external housing 23 of the coupling metal 20 so that both ends of the metal pins 80 are positioned in the pin holes 23A of the external housing 23. 23 is inserted through the pin hole 23 </ b> A and the pin hole 66 of the half metal member 60. Thereby, the half metal member 60 is fixed to the coupling fitting 20 via the metal pin 80. The pin hole 66 of the half metal member 60 penetrates in the vertical direction, and the same metal pin 80 is inserted so as to penetrate the pin hole 66 of the two upper and lower half metal members 60. Thereby, the two half metal members 60 are fixed via the metal pins 80. Since the outer side of the pin hole 23A of the outer housing 23 is closed by the outer fastening fitting 72 (see FIG. 3), the metal pin 80 is inserted from the pin hole 23A of the outer housing 23 or the pin hole 66 of the half metal member 60. There is no escape.

  In addition, the metal pin 80 is arrange | positioned in parallel with the up-down direction perpendicular | vertical to the front-back direction (detachment direction). In other words, the half metal member 60 and the outer housing 23 of the coupling metal 20 are fixed by the metal pins 80 parallel to the vertical direction. Since a force is applied in the front-rear direction (attachment / detachment direction) when the optical connector is attached / detached to the portion where the half metal member 60 and the outer housing 23 of the fitting 20 are fixed, the metal is perpendicular to the force in the attachment / detachment direction. The durability is improved by arranging the pins 80.

  The tapered portion 68 is a portion having a tapered surface that becomes thinner toward the rear side. The tapered portion 68 is a portion on the rear side of the half metal member 60 and is located inside the fastening fitting 70. After tearing the outer cover of the optical cable when the optical fiber is led out from the optical cable, the split outer cover is placed on the outer side of the tapered portion 68 of the half metal member 60 (see FIG. 8D). .

-Fastening bracket 70
The fastening fitting 70 is a fitting that fixes the optical connector 10 to the end of the optical cable. The fastening fitting 70 has an outer fastening fitting 72 and an inner fastening fitting 74 (see FIG. 3).
A female screw is formed on the outer fastening fitting 72. A male screw is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the outer housing 23 of the coupling metal 20 (the screw thread is not shown in FIG. 3 because it is omitted). Is connected.

  The inner clamp 74 is a cylindrical metal member inside the outer clamp 72. When the outer clamp 72 is tightened, the inner clamp 74 moves together with the outer clamp 72 to the front side. When the outer fastening fitting 72 and the joining fitting 20 are screwed together, a state in which the jacket of the optical cable is sandwiched between the tapered portion 68 of the half metal member 60 and the inner peripheral surface of the inner fastening fitting 74 is obtained. Thus, the rear portion of the optical connector 10 is fixed to the end portion of the optical cable.

  As described above, the coupling fitting 20 (external housing 23) is fixed by the fastening fitting 70 and the half metal member 60. That is, the coupling fitting 20 (external housing 23) is fixed with metal parts. For this reason, even if a force is applied to the coupling fitting 20 when the optical connector 10 is attached / detached, the force can be received by the metal parts, and high durability can be realized.

・ Housing 40
5A and 5B are sectional views of the housing 40. FIG. 6A and 6B are perspective views of the housing 40. FIG.

  The housing 40 is a member (inner housing) accommodated in the coupling fitting 20 (outer housing 23) while accommodating the ferrule 30 in a retractable manner. Inside the housing 40, a ferrule housing portion 40A and a spring housing portion 40B are formed.

  The ferrule housing portion 40 </ b> A is a housing portion (housing space) for housing the ferrule 30, and is formed on the front side of the housing 40. The front side of the ferrule housing part 40A is open, and the end face of the ferrule 30 protrudes from the opening. A protruding portion 42 is formed on the side wall of the ferrule housing portion 40A, and the ferrule 30 is moved to the front side by the repulsive force of the coil spring 52 of the floating mechanism 50 in a state where the protruding portion 42 and the flange portion of the ferrule 30 are engaged. Has been pressed.

  The spring accommodating portion 40 </ b> B is an accommodating portion (accommodating space) that accommodates the floating mechanism 50 (the fastener 54 and the engaging member 56) including the coil spring 52, and is formed on the rear side of the housing 40. The rear side of the ferrule housing part 40A is open, and the receiving part 57 of the engaging member 56 projects from the opening. A window portion 41 is formed on the side wall of the spring accommodating portion 40 </ b> B, and a claw portion 58 </ b> A of the arm portion 58 of the engaging member 56 is hooked on the window portion 41.

  A contact surface 43 is formed on the outside of the housing 40. The contact surface 43 is a surface facing the front side (a surface having the front direction as a normal line). As shown in FIG. 7, an alignment surface 24 </ b> A protruding from the inner wall is formed in the housing accommodating portion 24 of the outer housing 23 of the coupling metal 20. The alignment surface 24A is a surface facing the rear side. The position of the front side of the housing 40 with respect to the outer housing 23 is determined by the contact between the alignment surface 24A and the contact surface 43 of the housing 40. The rear end surface 44 of the housing 40 is in contact with the front end surface of the housing holding portion 62 of the half metal member 60. Since the half metal member 60 is fixed to the coupling fitting 20, the housing 40 is sandwiched between the alignment surface 24 </ b> A of the outer housing 23 and the housing holding portion 62 of the half metal member 60 from the front and rear. In this state, it is fixed inside the outer housing 23 of the binding metal 20. Since the contact surface 43 is in contact with the alignment surface 24A, a collision between the contact surface 43 and the alignment surface 24A does not occur even when the optical connector is repeatedly attached and detached. Forty contact surfaces 43 are less likely to wear.

  An alignment key 45 is formed on the lower surface of the front side of the housing 40 (the front side of the contact surface 43). As shown in FIG. 7, a key groove 24 </ b> B is formed on the inner surface of the housing accommodating portion 24 of the outer housing 23 of the fitting 20, and by aligning the key groove 24 </ b> B with the alignment key 45 of the housing 40, Position alignment of the housing 40 and the coupling fitting 20 is performed.

The housing 40 is made of resin. Specifically, the housing 40 is made of PBT resin (polybutylene terephthalate). The ferrule 30 is also made of resin. Specifically, the ferrule 30 is made of PPS resin (prephenylene sulfide). For this reason, the Young's modulus of the ferrule 30 is closer to the Young's modulus of the housing 40 than the Young's modulus of the metal (SUS: stainless steel) coupling fitting 20. Specifically, the Young's modulus of the ferrule 30 is 3.96 kN / mm ² , the Young's modulus of the housing 40 is 2.4 kN / mm ² , and the Young's modulus of the fitting 20 is 193 kN / mm ² .

If the housing 40 is a metal housing and the ferrule 30 is retractably accommodated in the metal housing, the portion of the ferrule 30 that contacts the metal housing when the optical connector 10 is attached or detached (for example, The heel part receives the force directly from the metal housing having a large difference in Young's modulus. As a result, the ferrule 30 is easily worn, and the durability of the optical connector is deteriorated (the number of times the optical connector can be attached and detached decreases).
On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the housing 40 is made of resin, the difference between the Young's modulus of the housing 40 and the Young's modulus of the ferrule 30 is the Young's modulus of the coupling fitting 20 (the outer housing 23) and the Young's modulus of the ferrule 30. Smaller than the difference in rate. Thereby, the load concerning the collar part of the ferrule 30 which contacts the housing 40 can be reduced, and durability of an optical connector can be improved.

<Assembly method of optical connector 10>
8A to 8E are explanatory diagrams of a method for assembling the optical connector 10 on the plug side.

  First, the operator inserts the optical fitting into the optical cable after inserting the fastening fitting 70 (the outer fastening fitting 72 and the inner fastening fitting 74) in advance. At this time, the worker tears the jacket of the optical cable and takes out the optical fiber of the optical cable. Then, as shown in FIG. 8A, the operator inserts the floating mechanism 50 and the boot 32 into the optical fiber in advance, attaches the ferrule 30 (and the boot 32) to the end of the optical fiber, and uses an adhesive. The end of the optical fiber is fixed to the ferrule 30.

  Next, the operator inserts the ferrule 30 and the floating mechanism 50 from the rear side of the housing 40 as shown in FIG. 8A. If the claw portion 58 </ b> A of the engaging member 56 of the floating mechanism 50 is caught by the window portion 41 of the housing 40, the ferrule 30 is accommodated in the housing 40 in a state in which it can be retracted by the floating mechanism 50.

  Next, an operator arrange | positions the half metal member 60 from upper and lower sides as shown to FIG. 8B. Since the half metal member 60 is divided into two in the vertical direction, it is not necessary to insert the half metal member 60 in advance into an optical cable or an optical fiber. The worker arranges the half metal member 60 so that the front end surface of the housing holding portion 62 of the half metal member 60 contacts the rear end surface 44 of the housing 40 through the receiving portion 57 of the engagement member 56. In addition, the operator places the outer sheath of the optical cable that is torn over the outer side of the tapered portion 68 of the half metal member 60. In addition, a fiber member such as a Kevlar of the optical cable is also cut to the same length as the outer cover, and is placed on the outer side of the tapered portion 68 of the half metal member 60.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8C, the operator inserts the housing 40 and the like from the rear side of the coupling fitting. At this time, the operator inserts the housing 40 and the like from the rear side of the external housing 23 while aligning the alignment key 45 of the housing 40 with the key groove 24B of the housing accommodating portion 24 of the external housing 23 of the coupling fitting 20. Thereby, alignment with the housing 40 and the coupling metal 20 is performed. In addition, the operator holds the upper and lower housing holding portions 62 of the half metal member 60 with the spring receiving portion 40B ( (See FIG. 7). At this time, since the housing holding portion 62 of the half metal member 60 is guided by the upper and lower surfaces of the spring accommodating portion 40B, the housing 40 and the like are rotated with respect to the outer housing 23 (rotating direction about the front-rear direction). It becomes difficult to slip.

  When the housing 40 is inserted into the outer housing 23, the contact surface 43 of the housing 40 comes into contact with the alignment surface 24 </ b> A (see FIG. 7) of the housing housing portion 24 of the outer housing 23, and the position of the housing 40 with respect to the outer housing 23. Is determined. At this time, since the upper and lower housing holding portions 62 are restrained from the upper and lower surfaces of the spring accommodating portion 40B (see FIG. 7), the half metal member 60 is not easily detached. At this time, the pin hole 23A of the outer housing 23 and the pin hole 66 of the half metal member 60 are aligned in the vertical direction.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8D, the operator inserts the metal pin 80 into the pin hole 23 </ b> A of the outer housing 23 of the coupling fitting 20 and the pin hole 66 of the half metal member 60. Thereby, the coupling fitting 20 and the half metal member 60 are fixed by the metal pin 80. In addition, the housing 40 is sandwiched from the front and rear between the alignment surface 24A of the housing accommodating portion 24 of the outer housing 23 of the coupling metal 20 and the housing holding part 62 of the half metal member 60, and the inside of the coupling metal Fixed to.

  Finally, as shown in FIG. 8E, the operator tightens the outer fastening fitting 72 to external male threads on the outer peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the coupling fitting 20 (the screw thread is not shown in FIG. 3 because it is omitted). And the female screw of the outer fastening fitting 72 are connected. When the outer clamp 72 is tightened, the inner clamp 74 moves together with the outer clamp 72 to the front side. When the inner clamp 74 moves forward, the optical cable jacket (and fiber member such as Kevlar) is sandwiched between the tapered portion 68 of the half metal member 60 and the inner peripheral surface of the inner clamp 74, Thereby, the rear part of the optical connector 10 is fixed to the end part of the optical cable.

=== Others ===
The above-described embodiments are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

<About the half metal member 60>
In the above-described embodiment, the two halved metal members 60 are fixed to the coupling member 20 in a state where the housing 40 is held between the two metal members 60 (the outer housing 23). However, the metal member fixed to the coupling metal 20 with the housing 40 held between the metal fittings 23 does not have to be divided into two upper and lower parts, for example, a metal cylindrical member having a fiber insertion hole. But it ’s okay. However, it is more convenient when assembling the optical connector that it is divided into two as in the above-described embodiment.

<About metal pin 80>
In the above-described embodiment, the metal fitting 80 (the outer housing 23) and the half metal member 60 are fixed by the metal pin 80. However, the fixing method of the joining metal fitting 20 and the half metal member 60 is not limited to this. By forming an engaging part such as a claw in the coupling metal 20, forming a locking part on the half metal member 60, and hooking the engaging part of the coupling metal 20 on the locking part of the half metal member 60. The coupling fitting 20 and the half metal member 60 may be directly fixed.

10 Optical connector (plug side),
20 coupling brackets, 21 rotating parts,
21A entry part, 21B locking part,
23 External housing, 23A pin hole,
24 housing housing, 24A protrusion, 24B keyway,
25 insertion part, 25A groove,
30 ferrules, 31 guide holes, 32 boots,
40 housing,
40A ferrule housing, 40B spring housing,
41 window part, 42 protrusion part, 43 contact surface,
44 Rear end face, 45 Alignment key,
50 floating mechanism, 52 coil spring,
54 fasteners, 56 engaging members,
57 receiving part, 58 arm part, 58A claw part,
60 half metal member, 62 housing holding part,
64 optical fiber insertion part, 66 pin hole, 68 taper part,
70 clamping brackets, 72 outer clamping brackets,
74 Inner clamp, 80 metal pins,
110 Optical connector (receptacle side),
120 coupling bracket, 121 body,
122 protrusion, 122A outer protrusion, 122B inner protrusion,
130 ferrule, 131 guide pin, 140 housing

Claims (4)

A metal coupling fitting to be coupled with the coupling mechanism of the optical connector to be connected;
A resin ferrule,
While housing the ferrule so as to be retractable, a resin housing accommodated in the fitting,
An optical connector comprising: a metal member fixed to the coupling metal in a state where the housing is held between the coupling metal. The optical connector according to claim 1,
An optical connector characterized in that a metal pin fixes between the coupling metal fitting and the metal member. The optical connector according to claim 2,
The optical connector is characterized in that the metal pin is in a direction perpendicular to an attaching / detaching direction of the optical connector. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
When the front side of the ferrule is the front and the reverse side is the back,
An alignment surface facing the rear side is formed in the accommodating portion of the coupling fitting that accommodates the housing,
A contact surface facing the front side is formed on the housing,
The optical connector, wherein the housing is accommodated in the coupling fitting in a state where the contact surface is in contact with the alignment surface.

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