JP6086045B2 - Optical connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector.

  While the speed of signal transmission between LSIs, such as servers and supercomputers, has increased, power consumption has increased due to transmission loss and waveform distortion compensation mechanisms for high-speed electrical signals, and the transmission distance for high-speed electrical signals has gradually increased. It is shortened to. On the other hand, with the rapid development of optical fiber networks, optical transmission, which has been popular from long-distance transmission, has begun to become widespread even at short distances, and optical communication between devices and devices has begun to be realized. In addition, the introduction of optical wiring inside devices such as blade server backplanes and midplanes is imminent.

  In an embodiment in which optical wiring is applied to a blade server, an optical connector is used for connecting the backplane or midplane to the server blade. Initially, there were many single-fiber optical connectors, but in applications where high-speed and large-capacity transmission is required, many multi-fiber optical connectors that can connect a plurality of optical fibers at once are used.

  Cost is a major issue in introducing optical wiring into equipment. With regard to optical connectors, the omission of the fiber polishing process is considered to be one of the effective means for cost reduction in terms of man-hour reduction.

  When the optical connector is used, its end face is always kept clean. This is because when the end face is dirty and foreign matter adheres, light that should enter the optical fiber or light that should be emitted from the optical fiber is blocked by the foreign matter, resulting in connection loss. The optical connector is generally wiped with a cleaning cloth at the user's hand (see, for example, Patent Document 1), but the optical connector provided on the backplane board is disposed at the back of the housing. Therefore, it is difficult to clean the end face. Therefore, a method of wiping and cleaning connectors in a range that is difficult to reach using a cleaning blade has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  All of these methods are supposed to be cleaned on the user side, but the frequency of cleaning of the connector is low in the conventional electric wiring. In the case of an optical connector, cleaning itself is likely to be a burden on the user.

  A method of providing a dustproof and light-shielding (eye safety) function using a shutter at the tip of an optical connector is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 3 and 4). However, problems still remain in terms of downsizing and cost reduction, such as requiring a separate structure for attaching the shutter mechanism outside the connector and increasing the number of parts.

JP 2001-246343 A JP 2009-229843 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-34595 JP 2004-170544 A

  It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical connector that can prevent contamination of the end face of the optical connector with a simple structure and ensure eye safety.

Optical connector
A ferrule on which one or more optical fibers are mounted;
A guide pin attached to the ferrule;
A shutter that is supported on the front surface of the ferrule by the guide pins and has a number of fiber holes corresponding to the number of optical fibers;
Have
The guide pin has a constricted portion over a predetermined length,
The shutter is movable along the constriction of the guide pin;
The fiber hole has a larger opening size on the rear side where the shutter faces the ferrule than an opening size on the front side of the shutter,
The movement of the shutter along the constricted portion causes the tip of the optical fiber to move relative to the optical coupling position inside the fiber hole.
It is characterized by that.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent contamination of the end face of the optical connector with a simple structure and to ensure eye safety.

It is a figure which shows the basic composition of the optical connector of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of mounting of the shutter to a ferrule. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a shutter. It is a figure which shows the example of attachment to the shutter of a guide pin. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the thickness of a shutter, and the amount of fiber protrusion. It is a figure which shows the connection sequence of the optical connector of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the connection sequence of the optical connector of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the connection sequence of the optical connector of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the fiber insertion hole formed in a shutter. It is a figure which shows the initial state of the modification of the optical connector of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the connection sequence of the optical connector of FIG. It is a figure which shows the connection sequence of the optical connector of FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an optical connector of Example 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a connection sequence of the optical connector of the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a connection sequence of the optical connector according to the second embodiment.

  A specific embodiment of an optical connector used for optical connection in an optical communication network, an optical interconnection, an optical device, or the like will be described.

  In the embodiment, as a configuration example that realizes a dustproof (antifouling) effect and an eye safety effect with a simple configuration, a shutter provided with guide pin holes and fiber holes having different diameters on the front and back sides is used. In addition, the guide pin is provided with a constriction, and the shutter is disposed in the constriction. When the mating connector is connected, the shutter opens and closes by sliding the constricted part with a minimum movement distance by pushing and pulling out the ferrule when disconnecting.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a basic configuration of an optical connector 10 according to an embodiment. 1A is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector 10, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view along AA ′ along the guide pin 14 of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is FIG. It is BB 'sectional drawing along the optical fiber 12 of A).

  The optical connector 10 includes one or a plurality of optical fibers 12, a ferrule 11 that accommodates the optical fibers 12, and a shutter 20 that is disposed on the front surface of the ferrule 11 (a connection surface with a mating connector). In this example, a tape fiber 13 in which a plurality of optical fibers 12 are held in parallel is used. A fiber insertion hole 19 is formed in the ferrule 11, and the optical fiber 12 is inserted. Guide pin holes 18 are formed on both sides of the ferrule 11 in the fiber array direction, and the guide pins 14 are inserted into the guide pin holes 18. The guide pin 14 has a constricted portion 15. In this example, the insertion position of the guide pin 15 is regulated by the guide pin stopper 31.

  A guide pin hole 24 and a fiber hole 21 are formed in the shutter 20. As will be described later, the guide pin hole 24 is formed such that the size of the opening 24a on the shutter front surface 20a is larger than the size of the opening 24b on the rear surface, and the inner wall 24c of the guide pin hole 24 is tapered. The size of the guide pin hole 24 is increased on the shutter front surface 20a side, and the shutter 20 is disposed on the constricted portion 15 of the guide pin 14, thereby guiding the optical fiber of the mating connector to the optical coupling position with the optical fiber 12 and the shutter. Can be led to the closed position.

  The fiber hole 21 is formed such that the size of the opening 21a on the shutter front surface 20a is smaller than the size of the opening 21b on the rear surface. The inner wall 21c of the fiber hole 21 is tapered in this example. By reducing the size of the fiber hole 21 on the shutter front surface 20a side, the shutter 20 functions as an eye protector and the optical fiber 12 is protected from dust and contamination.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the optical connector 10 is accommodated in a housing 30 and attached to the backplane board (or midplane board) 1. The optical connector 10 is movable in the optical axis direction within the housing 30 by an elastic member 32 such as a spring 32 inside the housing 30. By disposing the elastic member 32, the shutter 20 is accommodated in the housing 30 when connected to the mating connector.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of mounting the shutter 20 on the ferrule 11. As shown in FIG. 2A, a constricted portion 15 is formed in a part of the guide pin 14. The length L of the constricted portion 15 along the axial direction of the guide pin 14 is longer than the thickness of the shutter 20. The guide pin 14 is inserted into the guide pin hole 24 of the shutter 20, and the shutter 20 is attached to the constricted portion 15. As shown in FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C, by inserting the guide pin 14 with the shutter 20 into the guide pin hole 18 of the ferrule 11 on which the optical fiber 12 is mounted, the front surface 11a of the ferrule 11 is obtained. It is possible to mount the shutter 20.

  At this time, as will be described later, the tip of the optical fiber 12 slightly protrudes from the fiber insertion hole 19 of the ferrule 11. At the time of connection, the tip of the optical fiber 12 enters the internal space of the fiber hole 21 of the shutter 20 and optically couples with the optical fiber of the mating connector inside the fiber hole 21.

  FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the shutter 20. The guide pin hole 24 formed in the shutter 20 has an inner wall 24c in a taber shape so that the size of the opening 24a on the front surface 20a of the shutter 20 is larger than the size of the opening 24b on the rear surface 20b of the shutter 20. Is formed.

  On the other hand, the fiber hole 21 formed in the shutter 20 has an inner wall 21c formed so that the size of the opening 21a on the front surface 20a of the shutter 20 is smaller than the size of the opening 21b on the rear surface 20b of the shutter 20. ing.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating attachment of the guide pins 14 to the shutter 20. In FIG. 4A, the diameter of the guide pin 14A is φ1 of the same size on both sides of the constricted portion 15A. The guide pin 14A is inserted into the guide pin hole 24 from the front surface 20a side of the shutter 20. The opening of the guide pin hole 24 has a tapered shape that becomes wider on the front surface 20a side of the shutter 20, and the opening size on the rear surface 20b side is substantially equal to the diameter φ1 of the guide pin 14.

  In FIG. 4B, the diameter of the guide pin 14B is different on both sides of the constricted portion 15B. The diameter φ2 of the guide pin 14B on the side protruding from the front surface 20a of the shutter 20 is larger than the diameter φ1 on the side of the rear surface 20b inserted into the ferrule 11. Since the diameter of the guide pin hole 24 on the rear surface 20b side of the shutter 20 is φ1, the portion with the large diameter φ2 of the guide pin 14B functions as a stopper so that the guide pin 14B does not fall out of the shutter 20.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the optical fiber 12 and the shutter 20. As shown in FIG. 5A, the optical fiber 12 is inserted into the fiber insertion hole 19 of the ferrule 11, and the tip of part or all of the optical fiber 12 protrudes from the ferrule front surface 11a. Let the protruding amount of the optical fiber 12 be t2.

  When the thickness of the shutter 20 is t1, the thickness t1 is larger than the protruding amount t2 of the optical fiber 12. When the shutter 20 is mounted on the ferrule 11, the tip of the optical fiber 12 is positioned inside the fiber hole 21 of the shutter 20 as shown in FIG. Designed to be optically coupled.

  An operation when the optical connector 10 using the shutter 20 is used will be described.

  6 to 8 are connection sequences of the optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment. The optical connector 10 used here is configured as follows as an example. A shutter 20 is mounted on a four-core ferrule 11 having MT compatibility via a guide pin 14. The shutter 20 is manufactured by forming two tapered guide pin holes 24 and four fiber holes 21 on a SUS plate having a length of 2.5 mm, a width of 6.4 mm, and a thickness of 0.2 mm. The diameter of the guide pin hole 24 on the rear surface 20b side (ferrule side) of the shutter 20 is φ700 μm, and the diameter on the front surface 20a side (mating connector side) is φ840 μm.

  The pitch of the four fiber holes 21 is 250 μm, the diameter of the rear surface 20b side (ferrule side) of the shutter 20 of each fiber hole 21 is φ200 μm, and the diameter of the front surface 20a side (mating connector side) is φ80 μm.

  As the optical fiber 12, four GI type multimode fibers (core diameter 50 μm, clad diameter 80 μm) are mounted, and the protruding amount of the optical fiber 12 from the tip of the ferrule 11 is 180 μm. The diameter of the guide pin hole 18 of the ferrule 11 is a size that allows the guide pin 14 to be inserted and held. In this example, the diameter is φ700 μm or slightly larger than that. The guide pin 14 is of the type shown in FIG. 4B, that is, a type having a different diameter on both sides of the constricted portion 15.

  A housing 30 is fixed to the midplane or backplane 1, and the optical connector 10 is accommodated in the housing 30. The housing 30 is fixed so that the connection surface of the optical connector 10 is parallel to the main surface of the midplane or the backplane 1.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the shutter 20 is held outside the housing 30 by the guide pins 14 at the initial position before the optical connector 10 is connected to the mating connector 50. The shutter 20 is held at a portion where the diameter of the constricted portion 15 of the guide pin 14 is the smallest. Although the shutter 20 is held near the front surface of the ferrule 11 by the guide pins 14, the shutter 20 is not fixed to the ferrule 11, and can move with respect to the front surface of the ferrule 11. In the example of FIG. 6A, in the initial state, a gap of about 150 μm is formed between the front surface of the ferrule 11 and the rear surface of the shutter 20.

  The rear end of the optical connector 10 abuts against a spring 32 in the housing 30, and a space 33 is formed in the housing 30. The distance in the optical axis direction of the space 33 in the initial state is d1.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, the optical fiber 12 is mounted with its tip protruding from the ferrule 11 by about 180 μm. Therefore, at the initial position, the tip of the optical fiber 12 slightly enters the fiber hole 21. As described above, since the cross-sectional shape of the fiber hole 21 is wide on the ferrule side and narrow on the connection side, the optical fiber 12 is protected from dust even when not connected. Also, eye safety is secured.

  In FIG. 7, the fitting of the optical connector 10 and the mating connector 50 is started. The mating connector 50 is, for example, a four-core optical fiber 52 mounted on a general-purpose MT ferrule 51. Guide pins 54 are formed on the MT ferrule 51, and the entire connector 50 is accommodated in the housing 40.

  First, the guide pin 14 of the optical connector 10 is received in the guide pin hole 54 of the mating connector 50. When the guide pin 14 enters the guide pin hole 54 of the mating connector 50, the mating connector 50 moves forward toward the optical connector 10 and comes into contact with the shutter 20. As the mating connector 50 advances further, the shutter 20 is pushed and moves in the direction of the arrow along the constricted portion 15 of the guide pin 14, that is, obliquely upward with respect to the optical axis. Touch. Accordingly, the tip of the optical fiber 12 further enters the fiber hole 21 of the shutter 20. The taper angle of the fiber hole 21 is designed so that the tip of the optical fiber 12 moves relative to the optical coupling position without contacting the inner wall of the fiber hole 21. When the mating connector 50 further advances, the ferrule 11 and the shutter 20 are pushed together into the housing 30 while keeping the tip of the optical fiber 12 in the optical coupling position.

  FIG. 8 shows a final fitting state of the optical connector 10 and the mating connector 50. In this fitting position, the ferrule 11 and the shutter 20 of the optical connector 10 are accommodated in the housing 30, and the distance in the optical axis direction of the space 33 behind the optical connector 10 is d2 (d2 <d1). The shutter 20 removes the constricted portion 15 of the guide pin 14 and is located in the pin body portion other than the constricted portion 15, and the central axis of the guide pin hole 24 is aligned with the axis of the guide pin 14. The optical axis of the optical fiber 12 is aligned with the central axis of the fiber hole 21 of the shutter 20 and is optically coupled to the optical fiber 52 of the mating connector 50 inside the fiber hole 21. The mating connector 50 is engaged and held with respect to the optical connector 10 by an arbitrary engagement mechanism (not shown).

  FIG. 9 shows a modification of the fiber hole 21 formed in the shutter 20. FIG. 9A shows the same configuration as FIG. 3, and the cross-sectional shapes of the guide pin hole 24 and the fiber hole 21 are tapered in opposite directions.

  9B is similar to the configuration of FIG. 9A in that the opening 41b on the rear surface 20b side of the shutter 20 is formed larger than the opening 41a on the front surface 20a side. The cross-sectional shape of the inner wall 41c is stepped. Even in this configuration, as the shutter 20 moves along the constricted portion 15 of the guide pin 14, the optical fiber 12 enters the fiber hole 41 without contacting the fiber hole 41, and the connector of the mating connector at the final fitting position. Optically couples with optical fiber. Further, by forming the opening 41a on the front surface 20a side of the shutter 20 small, the eye safety and the dustproof function are ensured.

The fiber hole 61 in FIG. 9C is similar to the configuration in FIG. 9A in that the opening 61b on the rear surface 20b side of the shutter 20 is formed larger than the opening 61a on the front surface 20a side. A part of the inner wall 61c is tapered. Even in this configuration, as the shutter 20 moves along the constricted portion 15 of the guide pin 14, the optical fiber 12 enters the fiber hole 61 without contacting the fiber hole 61, and the mating connector is moved to the final fitting position. Optically couples with optical fiber. Further, by forming the opening 61a on the front surface 20a side of the shutter 20 to be small, eye safety and dust prevention are ensured. This reduces the burden on the user for cleaning.
<Modification>
10-12 illustrates a connection sequence of the optical connector 60 according to the modification of the first embodiment. The optical connector 60 is housed in the housing 30 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the rear end portion of the optical connector 60 abuts against the spring 32 so that a space 33 is formed in the housing 30. The length of the space 33 along the optical axis direction at the initial position is d1.

  The guide pin 14 used in the connector 60 is of the type shown in FIG. 4A, that is, the same pin diameter on both sides of the constricted portion 15. The guide pin 14 passes through the ferrule 11 of the optical connector 60 and hits the rear wall 30 b of the housing 30. The movement of the guide pin 14 in the axial direction is restricted by the rear wall 30b.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the shutter 20 is positioned in the housing 30 in an initial state, and is held by the constricted portion 15 of the guide pin 14 at a position separated from the tip of the ferrule 11 by a space S1. The length of the space S1 in the optical axis direction is 150 to 200 μm.

  Since the shutter 20 is held by the constricted portion 15 of the guide pin 14, the center of the shutter 20 is 100 μm in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 12 within a plane orthogonal to the traveling direction of the light, from the optical axis. It is in a shifted state. Similarly, the center of the fiber hole 61 of the shutter 20 is also 100 μm from the optical axis in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 12 in a plane orthogonal to the light traveling direction, as shown in FIG. It's off.

  The tip of the optical fiber 12 protrudes from the tip surface 11 a of the ferrule 11 by about 180 μm. If the space S1 exceeds 180 μm, the tip of the optical fiber 12 is positioned outside the fiber hole 61 of the shutter 20 at the initial position, but the dustproof effect is maintained because the shutter 20 itself is inside the housing 30. . Further, since the position of the fiber hole 61 is shifted from the optical axis of the optical fiber, the eye safety function is high. In the example of FIG. 10B, S1 is about 160 μm, and the tip of the optical fiber 12 slightly enters the fiber hole 61 in the initial state. The fiber hole 61 has, for example, a shape shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 11, the fitting between the optical connector 60 and the mating connector 50 is started. As shown in FIG. 11A, the guide pin 14 is inserted into the guide pin hole 54 of the mating connector 50, the mating connector 50 is guided into the housing 30, and the shutter 20 is pushed. The shutter 20 moves along the constricted portion 15 of the guide pin 14 and contacts the front surface of the ferrule 11. As the shutter 20 moves, the space S1 between the shutter 20 and the ferrule 11 disappears, and the tip of the optical fiber 12 further enters the fiber hole 61 of the shutter 20.

  FIG. 12 shows the final mating state. When the mating connector 50 is further advanced, the shutter is removed from the constricted portion 15 of the guide pin 14 and is located in the pin main body portion other than the constricted portion 15. By pressing the ferrule 11 together with the shutter 20, the entire optical connector 60 is pushed into the fitting position in the housing 30, and the distance in the optical axis direction of the space 33 is d2.

  The central axis of the guide pin hole 24 of the shutter 20 coincides with the axis of the guide pin 14. The central axis of the fiber hole 61 of the shutter 20 is aligned with the optical axis of the optical fiber 12, and the optical fiber 12 is optically coupled to the optical fiber 52 of the mating connector 50 inside the fiber hole 61.

  In the optical connector 60, like the optical connector 10 of the first embodiment, the tip of the optical fiber 12 is always protected before and after connector connection. Therefore, a dustproof effect and eye safety are ensured.

  In order to verify the effect of the optical connector 60 of the embodiment, a simple dust system in which dust circulates in the space was constructed. The board 1 was fixed vertically in the dust system, and AC dust (Air Cleaner test dust) Fine was circulated. An MT connector was prepared as a connection partner, and insertion loss was measured before and after the dust adhesion test to determine the amount of change in loss. As a comparative example, MT connectors without the shutter 20 were connected with a simple dust system, and insertion loss before and after dust adhesion was measured.

  In the optical connector 60 of the embodiment, the amount of change in loss before and after the dust adhesion test was an average of +0.06 dB. The average loss change in the MT connector of the comparative example was +0.30 dB. It has been verified that the optical connector 60 has an amount of change in loss that is one order of magnitude smaller than that of the conventional connector, and is excellent in the dustproof effect.

  Since the optical connector 10 of Example 1 also has the same dustproof effect and eye safety effect as the optical connector 60, it is considered that the optical connector 60 has the effect of suppressing insertion loss as the optical connector 60.

  FIGS. 13-15 shows the structure and connection sequence of the optical connector 70 of Example 2. FIGS. In the first embodiment and its modifications, the optical connectors 10 and 60 are configured to be movable in the housing 30. In the second embodiment, the optical connector 70 is fixed, but a dustproof effect and eye safety equivalent to those of the first embodiment and the modified example are realized.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the guide pin 114 of the optical connector 70 has an asymmetric constricted portion 115 formed with a gentle slope 115a and a steep slope 115b. The constricted portion 115 is formed by polishing a SUS pin having a length of 12 mm and a diameter of 700 μm over a distance of 3 μm from the tip 114 a over 600 μm. The diameter of the narrowest portion of the constricted portion 115 is 500 μm. The guide pin 114 is attached to the ferrule 11 such that the constricted portion 115 is positioned in front of the front surface 11a of the ferrule 11 (on the mating connector side).

  The guide pin hole 24 of the shutter 20 has dimensions such that the diameter of the opening 24b on the ferrule 11 side is 700 μm, the diameter of the opening 24a on the mating connector side is 780 μm, and the inner wall 24c is tapered. The opening 71 b on the ferrule 11 side of the fiber hole 71 is an ellipse having a major axis perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 12 of 480 μm and a minor axis of 80 μm along the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 12. The diameter of the opening 71a on the mating connector side of the fiber hole 71 is 80 μm. The pitch of the four fiber holes 71 is 250 μm.

  In the initial position of FIG. 13, the shutter 20 is located on the slope 115 a of the constricted portion 115 of the guide pin 114 and is separated from the tip of the ferrule 11 by a space S <b> 2. The space S2 is 160 μm, for example. Since the tip of the optical fiber 12 is located inside the fiber hole 71, a dustproof effect and an eye safety function are ensured.

  In FIG. 14, the fitting between the optical connector 70 and the mating connector 50 is started. First, the guide pin 114 is guided into the guide pin hole 54 of the mating connector 50, and the ferrule 51 of the mating connector 50 hits the shutter 20 and pushes the shutter 20. The shutter 20 is pushed up obliquely upward from the optical axis along the steep slope 115b of the constricted portion 115 of the guide pin 114. As the shutter 20 moves, the optical fiber 12 enters the fiber hole 61 of the shutter 20, and the central axis of the fiber hole 71 approaches the optical axis of the optical fiber 61.

  FIG. 15 shows a final fitting state of the optical connector 70 and the mating connector 50. The shutter 20 is detached from the constricted portion 115 of the guide pin 114 and is engaged with the guide pin 114 at a pin main body portion other than the constricted portion 115. The optical axis of the optical fiber 12 is aligned with the central axis of the fiber hole 71 of the shutter 20 and is optically coupled to the optical fiber 52 of the mating connector 50 inside the fiber hole 71.

  Although not shown, the optical connector 70 may be accommodated in the housing. In this case, since the optical coupling between the optical fibers can be realized only by moving the shutter along the constricted portion 115 of the guide pin 114, an elastic member such as a spring is unnecessary. Similarly, the mating connector 50 may be accommodated in the housing.

  Similar to Example 1, the optical connector 70 of Example 2 was connected to a commercially available 4-core MT connector in a simple dust system, and insertion loss was measured before and after dust adhesion. The average change in loss was +0.08 dB. It was verified that the optical connector 70 of Example 2 also has a high dustproof effect.

  As described above, the optical connector of the embodiment realizes a dustproof function and an eye safety function with a simple shutter configuration. In the above-described embodiments, four optical fibers are used. However, the shutter configuration of the embodiments can be applied to an optical connector on which a single optical fiber is mounted. Further, it is applicable to multi-core connectors such as 8 cores, 16 cores (8 × 2 rows), 24 cores (12 × 2 rows), and 60 cores (12 × 5 rows). In the embodiment, two guide pins are used, but the number of guide pins is not limited to two.

The following notes are presented for the following explanation.
(Appendix 1)
A ferrule on which one or more optical fibers are mounted;
A guide pin attached to the ferrule;
A shutter that is supported on the front surface of the ferrule by the guide pins and has a number of fiber holes corresponding to the number of optical fibers;
Have
The guide pin has a constricted portion over a predetermined length,
The shutter is movable along the constriction of the guide pin;
The fiber hole has a larger opening size on the rear side where the shutter faces the ferrule than an opening size on the front side of the shutter,
The movement of the shutter along the constricted portion causes the tip of the optical fiber to move relative to the optical coupling position inside the fiber hole.
An optical connector characterized by that.
(Appendix 2)
The shutter has a guide pin hole into which the guide pin is inserted,
The optical connector according to appendix 1, wherein the guide pin hole has an opening size on the front surface side of the shutter larger than an opening size on the rear surface side of the shutter.
(Appendix 3)
The shutter has a guide pin hole into which the guide pin is inserted,
The optical connector according to appendix 1, wherein the guide pin hole and the fiber hole have tapered shapes opposite to each other.
(Appendix 4)
A part or all of the optical fiber protrudes from the ferrule with a predetermined protrusion amount,
The optical connector according to any one of appendices 1 to 3, wherein the protruding amount of the optical fiber is smaller than the thickness of the shutter.
(Appendix 5)
When the optical connector is not connected, the center axis of the fiber hole is at a position deviated from the optical axis of the optical fiber, and moves to a position aligned with the optical axis as the shutter moves. The optical connector according to any one of appendices 1 to 4.
(Appendix 6)
The shutter is located at the constricted portion when the optical connector is not connected, and moves along the constricted portion when the optical connector is connected, and is finally located at the pin body portion of the guide pin. The optical connector according to any one of appendices 1 to 5.
(Appendix 7)
The optical connector according to any one of appendices 1 to 6, wherein an opening size of the front side of the fiber hole is equal to a diameter of the optical fiber.
(Appendix 8)
The optical connector according to any one of appendices 1 to 7, wherein the guide pin has the same diameter on both sides of the constricted portion.
(Appendix 9)
The optical connector according to any one of appendices 1 to 7, wherein the guide pins have different diameters on both sides of the constricted portion.
(Appendix 10)
A housing for housing the ferrule,
The shutter is located outside the housing when the optical connector is not connected, and is located inside the housing by moving along the constricted portion when the optical connector is connected. The optical connector according to appendix 1, characterized by:
(Appendix 11)
A housing for housing the ferrule,
The shutter is located inside the housing when the optical connector is not connected, and moves along the constricted portion when the optical connector is connected, so that the shutter enters further inside the housing. The optical connector according to appendix 1, wherein a part of the ferrule of the mating connector is received in the housing.
(Appendix 12)
The fiber hole has an internal space that does not come into contact with the optical fiber when the tip of the optical fiber relatively moves into the fiber hole as the shutter moves. The optical connector described.

10, 60, 70 Optical connector 11 Ferrule 12 Optical fiber 14, 14A, 14B, 114 Guide pin 15, 15A, 15B, 115 Constricted portion 20 Shutter 21, 61, 71 Fiber hole 21a, 61a, 71a Connection side opening of fiber hole 21c, 61c, 71c Fiber hole ferrule side opening 24 Guide pin hole 24a Guide pin hole connection side opening 24c Guide pin hole ferrule side opening 30 Housing

Claims (5)

A ferrule on which one or more optical fibers are mounted;
A guide pin attached to the ferrule;
A shutter that is supported on the front surface of the ferrule by the guide pins and has a number of fiber holes corresponding to the number of optical fibers;
Have
The guide pin has a constricted portion over a predetermined length,
The shutter is movable along the constriction of the guide pin;
The fiber hole has a larger opening size on the rear side where the shutter faces the ferrule than an opening size on the front side of the shutter,
The movement of the shutter along the constricted portion causes the tip of the optical fiber to move relative to the optical coupling position inside the fiber hole.
An optical connector characterized by that. The shutter has a guide pin hole into which the guide pin is inserted,
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the guide pin hole has an opening size on the front surface side of the shutter larger than an opening size on the rear surface side of the shutter. The shutter has a guide pin hole into which the guide pin is inserted,
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the guide pin hole and the fiber hole have tapered shapes opposite to each other. A part or all of the optical fiber protrudes from the ferrule with a predetermined protrusion amount,
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the protruding amount of the optical fiber is smaller than the thickness of the shutter.   When the optical connector is not connected, the center axis of the fiber hole is at a position deviated from the optical axis of the optical fiber, and moves to a position aligned with the optical axis as the shutter moves. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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