JP5691497B2 - Connector parts - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector component.

  In recent years, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable has been used as a serial bus for connecting peripheral devices to a computer. USB is a bus standard for connecting devices, and the USB 3.0 standard is currently realized. USB 3.0 is currently the fastest transfer speed in the USB standard, and the maximum transfer speed is 5 Gbit / s (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1).

“Universal Serial Bus 3.0 Specification Revision 1.0”, [online], November 12, 2008, USBImplementers Forum, Inc., [searched on December 23, 2010], Internet <URL: http: //www.usb .org / developers / docs /> JP 2010-520369 A

  As described above, in the communication field in recent years, transfer of a large amount of data is required. However, there is a limit to the communication speed by the conducting wire as in USB 3.0. Therefore, in order to further increase the speed, a USB cable has been proposed in which an optical cord is built in a USB cable and optical connection is made in addition to connection with a conducting wire (see Patent Document 1 above). For this reason, in a computer or the like, it is necessary to mount a connector component that can cope with both the conductor connection and the optical connection.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector component that can cope with conductive wire connection and optical connection.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a connector component according to the present invention is a connector component that is coupled to a connector that includes a plurality of conductors and a plurality of ferrules that hold tip portions of a plurality of optical fibers. A connection portion connected to the lead wire, a light emitting element that emits light to the ferrule, and a light receiving element that enters the light emitted from the ferrule, and a plurality of the lead wires and the connection portion are connected to the lead wire, and an optical fiber The light emitting element and the light receiving element are optically connected.

  The connector component includes a connection portion connected to the lead wire, a light emitting element that emits light to the ferrule, and a light receiving element that enters the light emitted from the ferrule, and the plurality of lead wires and the connection portion are connected to the lead wire. The optical fiber, the light emitting element, and the light receiving element are optically connected. Thereby, it can respond to the USB cable which incorporates an optical cord and performs optical connection together with the connection by conducting wire. As a result, large-capacity data communication can be performed at high speed.

  The light emitting element and the light receiving element are respectively arranged at positions facing the ferrule. Thereby, the optical connection of a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and an optical fiber is ensured favorably.

  It is preferable to provide a lens for collimating light at a position facing the light emitting element and the light receiving element. According to such a configuration, since the light emitted from the light emitting element and the light received by the light receiving element are converted into parallel light by the lens, the optical connection can be made more reliable.

  A lens case on which the light emitting element and the light receiving element are mounted is provided, and the lens is preferably provided between the light emitting element and the light receiving element and the ferrule in the lens case. According to such a configuration, the light emitting element and the light receiving element can be protected by the lens case.

  A light emitting element and a light receiving element are connected, and a conductor member built in the lens case is provided, and a connection member electrically connected to the mounting substrate is connected to the conductor member. According to such a configuration, it is not necessary to provide a substrate on which the light emitting element and the light receiving element are mounted, and thus the size can be reduced.

  The lens case is provided with a guide pin that is inserted into the connector and aligns the optical axis between the ferrule, the light emitting element, and the light receiving element. According to such a configuration, the optical axis alignment between the ferrule, the light emitting element, and the light receiving element can be performed satisfactorily, and the accuracy of optical connection can be improved.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to cope with a conductive wire connection and an optical connection. Thereby, the communication speed can be further improved.

It is a perspective view which shows the receptacle and USB connector which concern on 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing in FIG. It is a sectional side view which shows the state which the receptacle and USB connector couple | bonded. It is a perspective view of the receptacle shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a top view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 4. It is a front view of the receptacle shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 4. It is a figure explaining the assembly method of the receptacle shown in FIG. It is a sectional side view of the receptacle which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a connector component according to the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements or elements having the same functions, and redundant description is omitted. In the following description, “front” indicates the right side in the figure, and “rear” indicates the left side in the figure.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a receptacle and a USB connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sectional side view in FIG. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the receptacle and the USB connector are coupled.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the receptacle 1 is a connector part to which a USB connector 3 having a USBA terminal connected to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable 2 is coupled. The USB cable 2 incorporates a plurality (here, two) of optical cords in addition to a plurality (here, four) of conducting wires (metal lines). As shown in FIG. 2, the ferrule 4 is built in the insertion part 5 of the USB connector 3, and this ferrule 4 holds the tip part of the optical fiber core wire (not shown) of each optical cord. Yes. The tip of the ferrule 4 is a lens 4a, and the central axis of the lens 4a and the central axis of the optical fiber core wire are positioned with high accuracy. The receptacle 1 is mounted on, for example, a personal computer or other external device (for example, a printer, an external hard disk, etc.).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the receptacle 1 and the USB connector 3 are connected by holding the USB connector 3 between the receptacle 1. Specifically, the receptacle 1 includes a metal shell 11, and the metal shell 11 is provided with a pair of projecting portions 12 a and 12 b projecting inward in the vertical direction (opposing direction). With such a configuration, when the USB connector 3 is inserted into the receptacle 1, the upper surface 5a and the lower surface 5b of the insertion portion 5 of the USB connector 3 come into contact with the protruding portions 12a and 12b. Thereby, the upper surface 5a and the lower surface 5b of the insertion part 5 of the USB connector 3 are pressed by the protrusions 12a and 12b, and the connection state between the receptacle 1 and the USB connector 3 is maintained. The receptacle 1 is optically connected by aligning the optical axis with the USB connector 3 by guide pins 30a and 30b described later. Simultaneously with the optical connection, connection (metal contact) between the lead wire of the USB connector 3 and the connection portion 18 of the receptacle 1 is also performed.

  Next, the configuration of the receptacle 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the receptacle, FIG. 5 is a top view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a front view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 7 is a side view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 7 is a view for explaining assembly of the receptacle shown in FIG. 4-8, illustration of the metal shell 11 is abbreviate | omitted for convenience of explanation.

  As shown in each drawing, the receptacle 1 includes a main body 13 and an optical device unit (OSA: Optical Sub Assembly) 14. The main body 13 is made of an insulating material. The main body 13 has a projecting portion 15 and a housing portion 16. The main body 13 has a projecting portion 15 and a housing portion 16. The protruding portion 15 is provided in the main body portion 13 so as to protrude forward from the accommodating portion 16 and has a flat plate shape. The projecting portion 15 incorporates a plurality (four in this case) of conductors (connection conductors) 17 for electrical signals, power sources, and power grounds. As shown in FIG. 7, one end side of the conductor 17 is provided so as to be exposed on the surface of the projecting portion 15 at a position electrically connected to a contact portion (not shown) provided on the USB connector 3. Thus, the connection portion 18 is formed. The other end side of the conductor 17 is bent by approximately 90 ° on the rear side (accommodating portion 16 side) of the main body portion 13, and is drawn out downward of the main body portion 13. The other end side of the conductor 17 is electrically connected to a mounting board (not shown). The accommodating portion 16 is provided on the rear side of the main body portion 13. The accommodating portion 16 is a portion that accommodates the optical device portion 14, and has a plurality of steps 19.

  The optical device unit 14 includes a lens case 21. The lens case 21 is formed of a transparent resin having translucency such as polyetherimide (PEI), polycarbonate (PC), and acrylic resin. Furthermore, it is preferable to use an electron beam cross-linking resin. When an electron beam cross-linked resin is used, it becomes possible to have reflow heat resistance, and it can be mounted simultaneously with general electronic components. A light emitting element 23, a light receiving element 24, and an IC chip 25 are mounted on the lens case 21. Specifically, a conductor (conductor member) L is built in the lens case 21, and a light emitting element 23, a light receiving element 24, and an IC chip 25 are connected to the conductor L. The light emitting element 23 and the light receiving element 24 and the IC chip 25 are connected by a wiring 26. As the light emitting element 23, for example, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) can be used. As the light receiving element 24, a photodiode (PD: Photodiode) can be used.

  The IC chip 25 has a function of controlling the light emitting element 23 and the light receiving element 24. For example, a driver (Driver) that drives the light emitting element 23 or a voltage signal corresponding to light received by the light receiving element 24 is provided. Functions such as an output transimpedance amplifier (TIA) and a limiting amplifier (LA) are provided. The IC chip 25 is controlled by a device on which the receptacle 1 is mounted.

  The lens case 21 is connected to a flexible wiring board (rigid flexible: connecting member) 27 that connects the optical device unit 14 and the mounting substrate. Specifically, the flexible wiring board 27 is provided with wiring for signal lines, power supply, ground (grounding), and control of the IC chip 25, for example. The flexible wiring board 27 is electrically connected to the conductor L built in the substrate 20.

  On the front surface F1 of the lens case 21 (the surface on which the USB connector 3 is located), a lens portion 28a for collimating the light emitted from the light emitting element 23 is formed in a spherical convex shape at a position facing the light emitting element 23. Has been. That is, the lens portion 28 a is disposed between the ferrule 4 and the light emitting element 23. On the front surface F1 of the lens case 21, a lens portion 28b for collimating light incident on the light receiving element 24 is formed in a spherical convex shape at a position facing the light receiving element 24. That is, the lens portion 28 b is disposed between the ferrule 4 and the light receiving element 24.

  The lens case 21 has guide pins 30a and 30b. As shown in FIG. 5, the lens case 21 has a concave shape in a top view, and the guide pins 30a and 30b are provided to protrude forward from the concave front end surfaces 31a and 31b. The guide pins 30a and 30b are formed so as to become thinner from the base end portion on the front end surfaces 31a and 31b side to the tip end portion. The guide pins 30 a and 30 b are inserted into guide grooves (not shown) formed in the insertion portion 5 of the USB connector 3. Thereby, alignment of the optical axis of the ferrule 4 and the light emitting element 23 and the light receiving element 24 is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the receptacle 1 having the above configuration is configured by arranging the optical device unit 14 in the accommodating unit 16 of the main body unit 13 after assembling the optical device unit 14. At this time, the optical device portion 14 is positioned in the housing portion 16 of the main body portion 13 so that the step of the optical device portion 14 is aligned with the step 19 formed in the housing portion 16. Then, the main body 13 having the optical device portion 14 mounted on the metal shell 11 is inserted to complete the receptacle 1.

  Next, the operation when the USB connector 3 is coupled to the receptacle 1 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, the conductor of the USB cable 2 and the connecting portion 18 of the receptacle 1 are in contact with each other, and the conductors are connected (metal contact). For example, the emitted light emitted from the light emitting element 23 of the receptacle 1 is collimated by the lens portion 28 a of the lens case 21 and enters the lens 4 a of the ferrule 4. On the other hand, the emitted light emitted from the ferrule 4 is similarly collimated by the lens portion 28 b of the lens case 21 and enters the light receiving element 24. Thus, the optical connection is performed simultaneously with the conductor connection.

  The receptacle 1 having the above-described configuration is provided with a shutter (not shown) that covers the insertion port portion of the USB connector 3 when mounted on a personal computer or the like. Thereby, the light emission from the light emitting element 23 cannot be directly seen. Thereby, safety to the eyes of the user is ensured. In the receptacle 1, the IC chip 25 may be controlled so that the light emitting element 23 emits light only when connected to the USB connector 3.

  As described above, the receptacle 1 includes the connection portion 18 connected to the conductor of the USB cable 2, the light emitting element 23 that emits light to the ferrule 4, and the light receiving element 24 that enters the light emitted from the ferrule 4. ing. The conducting wire and the connecting portion 18 are connected by conducting wire, and the optical fiber built in the USB cable 2 and the light emitting element 23 and the light receiving element 24 are optically connected. Thereby, it can respond to the USB cable 2 which incorporates an optical cord and performs an optical connection together with the connection by a conducting wire. As a result, large-capacity data communication can be performed at high speed.

  Further, since the lens portions 28a and 28b for collimating the light are provided at positions facing the light emitting element 23 and the light receiving element 24, the light emitted from the light emitting element 23 and the light received by the light receiving element 24 are transmitted. Since the parallel light is obtained by the lens portions 28a and 28b, the optical connection can be made more reliable.

  Further, since the conductor L is incorporated in the lens case 21 and the light emitting element 23, the light receiving element 24, and the IC chip 25 are connected to the conductor L, the optical device unit 14 can be reduced in size.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a top view of the receptacle according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the receptacle 1A according to the second embodiment is different from the receptacle 1 of the first embodiment in that it further includes lens portions 28c and 28d, and other basic configurations are the first embodiment. The form is the same.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the receptacle 1A includes a plurality of (here, four) lens portions 28a to 28d. Specifically, the lens portions 28a to 28d are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the lens case 21A. Similarly to the first embodiment, the lens portions 28a to 28d are formed in a spherical convex shape at positions facing the light emitting element 23 and the light receiving element 24 on the front surface F1 of the lens case 21A. That is, two light emitting elements 23 and two light receiving elements 24 are mounted on the lens case 21.

  As described above, the receptacle 1 </ b> A is similar to the first embodiment in that the connection portion 18 connected to the conductor of the USB cable 2, the light emitting element 23 that emits light to the ferrule 4, and the light emitted from the ferrule 4. Is provided. The conducting wire and the connecting portion 18 are connected by conducting wire, and the optical fiber built in the USB cable 2 and the light emitting element 23 and the light receiving element 24 are optically connected. Thereby, it can respond to the USB cable 2 which incorporates an optical cord and performs an optical connection together with the connection by a conducting wire. As a result, large-capacity data communication can be performed at high speed.

  In addition, the configuration having the lens portions 28a to 28d can cope with the case where four optical cables are built in the USB cable 2. Note that the configuration of the receptacle 1A of the second embodiment can also be applied to the receptacle 1 of the first embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1A ... Receptacle (connector part), 3 ... USB connector (connector), 4 ... Ferrule, 18 ... Connection part, 21,21A ... Lens case, 23 ... Light emitting element, 24 ... Light receiving element, 27 ... Flexible wiring board ( Connection member), 28a to 28d ... lens part (lens), 30a, 30b ... guide pin, L ... conductor (conductor member).

Claims (2)

A plurality of conductors, a plurality of connector component that binds with a connector which incorporates a full ferrule that holds a distal end portion of the optical fiber,
A connecting portion connected to the plurality of conductors;
A light emitting element for emitting light to the ferrule;
A light receiving element that receives the light emitted from the ferrule ;
A lens case on which the light emitting element and the light receiving element are mounted ;
The plurality of conducting wires and the connection portion are conducting wire connection, and the optical fiber, the light emitting element and the light receiving element are optically connected ,
In the lens case,
A lens disposed between the light emitting element and the light receiving element and the ferrule, and collimating light;
A connector component that is inserted into the connector and includes a guide pin that aligns an optical axis between the ferrule, the light emitting element, and the light receiving element . The light emitting element and the light receiving element are connected, and includes a conductor member built in the lens case,
Wherein the conductive member, a connector component according to claim 1, wherein a connecting member connected mounting substrate and the electrically are connected.

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