JP6215022B2 - Photoelectric composite connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a photoelectric composite connector that performs optical connection and electrical connection simultaneously.

  15 and 16 show a configuration described in Patent Document 1 as a conventional example of this type of photoelectric composite connector. FIG. 15 shows the receptacle, and FIG. 16 shows the sectional structure of the receptacle and the sectional structure of the USB connector connected to the receptacle. In FIG. 15, the illustration of the metal shell is omitted.

  The receptacle 10 includes a main body portion 11 and an optical device portion 12, and the main body portion 11 includes a projecting portion 11a and a housing portion 11b. A plurality of conductors (connection conductors) 13 are built in the protruding portion 11a. One end side of the conductor 13 is provided so as to be exposed on the surface of the projecting portion 11a, and serves as a connecting portion 13a. The other end side of the conductor 13 is drawn downward from the main body 11.

  The optical device unit 12 includes a substrate 14, a lens case 15, and a mirror component 16. On the front end side of the substrate 14, a light emitting element 14a, a light receiving element (not visible) and an IC chip 14b are mounted. A terminal 17 is inserted into and connected to the through hole on the rear end side of the substrate 14.

  The lens case 15 is disposed on the substrate 14 so as to cover the light emitting element 14a, the IC chip 14b, and the like, and lens portions 15a and 15b are formed on the upper surface of the lens case 15. The mirror component 16 is disposed on the substrate 14 so as to be positioned above the lens case 15, and includes a mirror 16a and guide pins 16b and 16c. The guide pins 16 b and 16 c are provided so as to protrude forward from the front surface of the mirror component 16.

  The receptacle 10 is configured by arranging the optical device unit 12 in the housing unit 11b of the main body unit 11 after assembling the optical device unit 12, and inserting the main body unit 11 on which the optical device unit 12 is mounted into the metal shell 18 Complete.

  On the other hand, a ferrule 22 is built in the insertion portion 21 of the USB connector 20 coupled to the receptacle 10, and the ferrule 22 holds a tip portion of an optical fiber core wire (not shown). The tip of the ferrule 22 is a lens 22a.

  The receptacle 10 and the USB connector 20 are connected by holding the USB connector 20 between the receptacle 10 and the receptacle 10. The metal shell 18 is provided with protrusions 18a and 18b. When the USB connector 20 is inserted into the receptacle 10, the upper surface 21a and the lower surface 21b of the insertion part 21 of the USB connector 20 are in contact with the protrusions 18a and 18b. Thus, the connection state between the receptacle 10 and the USB connector 20 is maintained.

  The receptacle 10 is optically connected by aligning the optical axis with the USB connector 20 by guide pins 16b and 16c. Simultaneously with the optical connection, the conductor of the USB connector 20 and the connection portion 13a of the receptacle 10 are also connected. Due to the optical connection, the emitted light emitted from the light emitting element 14a is collimated by the lens portion 15a, reflected by the mirror 16a and incident on the lens 22a of the ferrule 22, while the emitted light emitted from the ferrule 22 is also similar. The light is reflected by the mirror 16a, condensed by the lens portion 15b, and incident on the light receiving element.

JP 2011-233501 A

  By the way, the photoelectric composite connector has come to be used in various fields, and in particular, in the communication field, the photoelectric composite connector is required to be thin and small with the spread of smartphones and tablets. However, the conventional photoelectric composite connector (receptacle) having the above-described configuration requires a dedicated guide pin for positioning for optical connection, in addition to the optical connection portion and the electrical connection portion. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the size of such guide pins.

  In view of this problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a photoelectric composite connector that can be reduced in size and weight.

According to the invention of claim 1, in the photoelectric composite connector comprising two connectors each having at least one optical connection portion and at least two electrical connection portions, one of the connectors is mounted on the substrate, an optical component including a connection unit, and more becomes a receiving part for accommodating the optical components, the optical components are detachable from the accommodating part in a state where the housing part is mounted on a substrate, the electrical connections that are connected to each other One of the parts is a pin, the other is a spring contact, a connector having a spring contact is provided with a positioning hole into which the pin is inserted in front of the spring contact, and the tip of the pin comes into contact with the spring contact for electrical connection. Positioning for optical connection is performed by fitting the base of the pin into the positioning hole.

According to the invention of claim 2, in the photoelectric composite connector comprising two connectors each having at least one optical connection portion and at least two electrical connection portions, one of the connectors is mounted on the substrate, an optical component including a connection unit, and more becomes a receiving part for accommodating the optical components, the optical components are detachable from the accommodating part in a state where the housing part is mounted on a substrate, the electrical connections that are connected to each other One of the parts is a first pin integrally formed with a spring contact at the tip, the other is a second pin, and the connector having the second pin has the first pin inserted in front of the second pin. A positioning hole is provided, and the spring contact at the tip of the first pin is brought into contact with the second pin to make an electrical connection, and the base of the first pin is fitted into the positioning hole to perform positioning for optical connection. Ru It is as.

  In the invention of claim 3, in the invention of claim 1, the root diameter of the pin is larger than the diameter of the tip.

  In the invention of claim 4, in the invention of claim 2, the diameter of the region occupied by the spring contact in the plane orthogonal to the extending direction of the first pin is smaller than the diameter of the root.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, the electrical connection portion is disposed on both sides of the connector with the optical connection portion interposed therebetween.

  In the invention of claim 6, in any one of the inventions of claims 1 to 5, the two connectors are each provided with a metal shell, and the metal shells are first fitted together when the two connectors are connected.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the housing component includes a metal shell and a heat-resistant guide that is fixed in the metal shell and positions the optical component, and the optical component is fixed to the heat-resistant guide. It is assumed that the locking piece is integrally formed.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the housing component includes a metal shell and a heat-resistant guide that is fixed in the metal shell and positions the optical component, and the optical component is fixed to the metal shell. It is assumed that the locking piece is integrally formed.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, at least one of the optical connecting portions connected to each other includes a lens.

  In the invention of claim 10, in the invention of claim 9, the lens is formed in a recess provided in the tip surface of the lens block, and the lens does not protrude from the tip surface of the lens block.

  In the invention of claim 11, in the invention of claim 10, a coil spring is provided behind the lens block.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, at least one of the two connectors is provided with a photoelectric conversion circuit.

  According to this invention, the pin constituting the electrical connection portion uses the tip as a contact for electrical connection, and uses the root for high-accuracy positioning for optical connection. Therefore, a dedicated guide pin for positioning for optical connection, which has been conventionally required, is no longer necessary.

  As a result, one connector constituting the photoelectric composite connector does not require a positioning space for positioning dedicated guide pins, and the other connector does not require a positioning space for positioning dedicated guide pins. Therefore, according to the present invention, the photoelectric composite connector can be reduced in size and weight.

The perspective view which shows one Example of the photoelectric composite connector by this invention. 1A is a front view of a plug which is one connector of the photoelectric composite connector shown in FIG. 1, and B is a front view of a receptacle which is the other connector of the photoelectric composite connector shown in FIG. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of an electrical connection portion between a plug and a receptacle, and B is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of an optical connection portion between the plug and the receptacle. The exploded perspective view of a receptacle. The figure for demonstrating the mounting method to the board | substrate of a receptacle. The figure for demonstrating the mounting method to the board | substrate of a receptacle. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing a connection state of the electrical connection portion shown in FIG. 3A, and B is a cross-sectional view showing a connection state of the optical connection portion shown in FIG. 3B. The figure for demonstrating the fitting process of a plug and a receptacle. A is sectional drawing which shows the principal part structure of an electrical-connection part, BD is sectional drawing which shows the other structural example of an electrical-connection part. The perspective view which shows the other structural example of a receptacle. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 10. The figure for demonstrating the mounting method to the board | substrate of the receptacle shown in FIG. The figure for demonstrating the mounting method to the board | substrate of the receptacle shown in FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the receptacle provided with the photoelectric conversion circuit. The perspective view which shows the conventional example of a receptacle. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the USB connector and receptacle in the conventional photoelectric composite connector.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an external appearance of an embodiment of a photoelectric composite connector according to the present invention. The photoelectric composite connector is composed of two connectors including a plug 30 and a receptacle 40. 2A and 2B show the state of the plug 30 and the receptacle 40 as viewed from the front side (sides connected to each other), and FIGS. 3A and 3B show the cross-sectional structures of the main parts of the plug 30 and the receptacle 40. Is. FIG. 4 shows the receptacle 40 in an exploded manner.

  First, the configuration of the plug 30 will be described.

  The plug 30 is attached to the end of the cable 50 as shown in FIG. In this example, the cable 50 has two electric wires 51 and four optical fibers 52 inside. As shown in FIG. 3B, the end of each optical fiber 52 is inserted into the minute hole 31 a of the lens block 31 and fixedly held on the lens block 31. A condensing lens 31 c is formed at a position of the distal end surface 31 b of the lens block 31 located on the extension of each optical fiber 52. As shown in FIG. 2A, four condenser lenses 31c are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the front end surface 31b of the lens block 31, and an optical connection portion is configured by these condenser lenses 31c. The condensing lens 31c is formed in a recess provided in the front end surface 31b of the lens block 31, and the condensing lens 31c is prevented from protruding beyond the front end surface 31b. The lens block 31 is made of a transparent resin.

  The front end surfaces 31b1 at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the lens block 31 are slightly lower than the front end surface 31b on which the condenser lens 31c is formed, and pins 32 are provided on the front end surfaces 31b1 that are one step lower. Yes. The pin 32 is provided so as to penetrate the lens block 31, and the tip thereof protrudes from the tip surface 31 b 1 of the lens block 31.

  A block 33 is disposed on the rear end side of the lens block 31, and the two pins 32 are fixedly held by the block 33. The rear end of the pin 32 is cylindrical and protrudes rearward from the block 33, and the electric wire 51 is inserted into and fixed to the cylindrical portion 32 a at the rear end of the pin 32 and connected to the metal pin 32. .

  The lens block 31 and the block 33 are accommodated in a guide 34 having a rectangular tube shape, and the distal end side of the lens block 31 protrudes to the outside from an opening 34 a formed on one end face of the guide 34. A spring retainer 35 is attached to the other end of the guide 34, and two coil springs 36 are provided between the spring retainer 35 and the block 33. The coil spring 36 is provided so as to surround the pin 32 and the electric wire 51 at the position of the two pins 32. The two coil springs 36 push the lens block 31 in a direction protruding from the opening 34 a of the guide 34. The guide 34, the spring retainer 35, and the block 33 are made of resin.

  A metal shell 37 is provided around a part of the guide 34 and the lens block 31 and the pin 32 protruding from the opening 34 a of the guide 34. The distal end side of the metal shell 37 has a rectangular tube shape surrounding the lens block 31, and the distal end side of the lens block 31 and the protruding portion of the pin 32 are accommodated in the rectangular tube portion 37a.

  The housing 38 constitutes the outer shape of the plug 30 and has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape. A rectangular tube portion 37 a of the metal shell 37 protrudes from a side surface on one end side of the housing 38. The cable 50 is inserted into the housing 38 through a cylindrical portion 38 a that is formed to protrude from the side surface on the other end side of the housing 38.

  Next, the configuration of the receptacle 40 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the receptacle 40 includes a metal shell 41, a lens block 42, a heat resistant guide 43, two sockets 44, and a block 45, and two electric wires 61 and four optical fibers 62 are provided. It is to be attached.

  The metal shell 41 has a rectangular tube shape, and a pair of spring pieces 41 a are formed on the upper surface thereof, and a protrusion 41 b is formed at the tip of each spring piece 41 a so as to protrude inside the metal shell 41. A notch 41c is formed at the rear end of the upper surface. On both side wall portions of the metal shell 41, a terminal 41d is formed by extending downward from the side wall. A pair of terminals 41d are formed on both side wall portions. Further, windows 41e are respectively formed on the rear end sides of the both side walls.

  The heat-resistant guide 43 has a rectangular frame portion 43a, a pair of guide pieces 43b extending and projecting forward from both side wall portions of the frame portion 43a, and a rear projecting and extending from both side wall portions of the frame portion 43a. And a pair of lock pieces 43c. The tip of each lock piece 43c is wide to form a lock portion 43d. Projections 43e are respectively formed on the outer surfaces of both side walls of the frame portion 43a, a stepped portion 43f is formed on the upper surface of the frame portion 43a, and protrusions 43g are formed on both sides of the stepped portion 43f. ing.

  The lens block 42 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a fine hole 42a (see FIG. 3B) into which the end of the optical fiber 62 is inserted and fixed. Four fine holes 42a are formed, and a condensing lens 42c is formed at a position of the tip surface 42b of the lens block 42 on the extension of each fine hole 42a. The condensing lenses 42c are arranged and formed in the longitudinal direction of the front end surface 42b, and an optical connecting part is constituted by these condensing lenses 42c. The condensing lens 42c is formed in a recess provided in the front end surface 42b, and the condensing lens 42c is prevented from protruding beyond the front end surface 42b. The arrangement pitch of the four condenser lenses 42c matches the arrangement pitch of the four condenser lenses 31c of the plug 30.

  The tip surfaces 42b1 of the portions located on both sides of the tip surface 42b in the longitudinal direction of the tip surface 42b of the lens block 42 are slightly lower than the tip surface 42b, and positioning holes are respectively formed in the tip surfaces 42b1 that are one step lower. 42d is formed. At the back of each positioning hole 42d, an attachment hole 42e (see FIG. 3A) is formed following the positioning hole 42d.

  At the rear end of the lens block 42, a flange 42f is formed so as to protrude in the vertical direction. A groove 42g is formed in the left and right direction (longitudinal direction) on the rear end surface of the flange portion 42f over the entire length of the rear end surface, and the fine hole 42a and the attachment hole 42e are opened on the bottom surface of the groove 42g. The flange part 42f is divided into an upper part and a lower part by a groove 42g, and windows 42h are formed on the upper part and the lower part of the flange part 42f, respectively.

  The block 45 includes a base portion 45a and a protruding portion 45b protruding forward from the base portion 45a, and an oval through hole 45c is formed through the base portion 45a to the protruding portion 45b. Oval notches 45d are formed on both side surfaces of the base portion 45a, and claws 45e are formed on both sides of the base portion 45a so as to project from the top and bottom sides of the oval notch 45d. In addition, protrusions 45f are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the protrusion 45b, respectively.

  The socket 44 has an intermediate portion 44a formed in an axial shape, and a pair of spring contacts 44b forming an electrical connection portion are formed in front of the intermediate portion 44a so as to protrude from the intermediate portion 44a. The spring contact 44b has a substantially semicircular cross section and a cantilever shape. The pair of spring contacts 44b are formed so as to face each other, and the tip ends are in close contact with each other. The rear part of the socket 44 from the intermediate part 44a is a cylindrical part 44c having a cylindrical shape. Note that a large-diameter portion 44d having a slightly larger diameter is provided on the rear end side of the intermediate portion 44a.

The constituent materials of each part of the receptacle will be exemplified below.
・ Metal shell 41 ... Stainless steel ・ Heat resistant guide 43 ... LCP (liquid crystal polymer) and PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) etc. <Heat resistant material>
Lens block 42: PEI (polyetherimide), PC (polycarbonate), COC (cyclic olefin copolymer), etc. <Transparent optical resin>
・ Block 45: LCP, PPS, PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PA (polyamide), etc. <Heat resistance is not particularly required>
・ Socket 44 ... Copper alloy

  Next, assembly of the receptacle 40 will be described in order.

(1) The optical fiber 62 is passed through the through hole 45c of the block 45.

(2) The end of the optical fiber 62 is inserted into each minute hole 42a of the lens block 42 and bonded and fixed.

(3) The end of the electric wire 61 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 44c of the socket 44 and connected by soldering.

(4) The cylindrical portion 44c of the socket 44 is inserted into each of the two oval cutouts 45d of the block 45, and the block 45 and the two sockets 44 are integrated. The large-diameter portion 44d of the socket 44 is located on the front surface of the base portion 45a of the block 45, and the rearward movement of the socket 44 is restricted when the large-diameter portion 44d abuts against the front surface of the base portion 45a.

(5) The protrusion 45b of the block 45 holding the socket 44 is fitted into the groove 42g of the lens block 42 from behind. The block 45 and the lens block 42 are fixed to each other when the upper and lower two protrusions 45f of the block 45 are respectively hooked on the window 42h of the lens block 42. The two sockets 44 are inserted into the mounting holes 42e of the lens block 42 to be in the state shown in FIG. 3A.

(6) The heat-resistant guide 43 is assembled into the metal shell 41 from the rear. The metal shell 41 and the heat-resistant guide 43 are fixed to each other when the two protrusions 43e provided on the heat-resistant guide 43 are respectively positioned and hooked on the window 41e of the metal shell 41. The step 43 f of the heat-resistant guide 43 is in a state of being fitted into the notch 41 c of the metal shell 41. The two guide pieces 43 b of the heat-resistant guide 43 are located in the metal shell 41, and the two lock pieces 43 c are projected rearward of the metal shell 41.

(7) The lens block 42 to which the block 45 is attached is fitted into the heat-resistant guide 43 attached to the metal shell 41 from the rear. The lens block 42 is fixed to the heat-resistant guide 43 by the lock portions 43d at the tips of the pair of lock pieces 43c of the heat-resistant guide 43 being hooked on the claws 45e formed on both side surfaces of the base 45a of the block 45, and the metal shell 41 Housed inside. The lens block 42 is positioned by being surrounded by the frame portion 43 a of the heat-resistant guide 43.

  As described above, the receptacle 40 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is completed.

  As described above, the receptacle 40 is completed when the optical fiber 62, the block 45, the socket 44 and the lens block 42 assembled with the electric wires 61 are finally accommodated in the heat-resistant guide 43 incorporated in the metal shell 41. That is, the optical component is accommodated in the accommodating component that accommodates the optical component, so that the receptacle 40 is completed. The optical component is fixed to the housing component by a pair of lock pieces 43c provided on the heat-resistant guide 43 being hooked on the claws 45e formed on the block 45, and a lock mechanism including the lock pieces 43c and the claws 45e. As a result, the optical component can be easily attached to and detached from the housing component. As a result, this example has the following advantages.

  That is, the receptacle 40 is mounted on the substrate. However, when the reflow technique is used for mounting, the receptacle 40 is exposed to a high temperature such as 250 ° C., for example. Such a reflow temperature exceeds the heat resistance temperature of the lens block 42, the optical fiber 62, and the like. Therefore, the optical component is deteriorated by heat, and the performance is impaired. The optical component is contaminated by the atmosphere during reflow, and the performance is impaired.

  In this example, since the optical component can be attached and detached, such a serious problem can be avoided. FIGS. 5 and 6 show this state. When the receptacle 40 is reflow-mounted on the substrate 70, optical components (the optical fiber 62, the block 45, the socket 44, and the lens block 42 in which the electric wires 61 are assembled) are shown. Is removed from the housing component (the metal shell 41 in which the heat-resistant guide 43 is incorporated), and the housing component is reflow-mounted on the substrate 70 as shown in FIGS. 5A and 6A, and after mounting, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 6B. Install the optical components as shown. As a result, the receptacle 40 can be reflow mounted on the substrate 70 without impairing the performance of the optical component.

  The housing component can be repeatedly attached and detached, so that it can be easily repaired even if, for example, a defect occurs in the optical component.

  7A and 7B show a state in which the receptacle 40 having the above-described configuration and the plug 30 are fitted, and electrical connection and optical connection are made, respectively, and FIGS. 7A and 7B are respectively shown in FIGS. The figure corresponds to B. The illustration of the substrate 70 is omitted.

  7A, the pin 32 of the plug 30 is inserted into the positioning hole 42d of the receptacle 40 and further inserted between the pair of spring contacts 44b so that the tip of the pin 32 is sandwiched between the pair of spring contacts 44b. Is done by. Note that the rectangular tube portion 37a of the shell 37 of the plug 30 is fitted into the shell 41 of the receptacle 40 and is in contact with the shell 41, whereby a ground connection is made.

  In the optical connection, as shown in FIG. 7B, the front end surface 31b of the lens block 31 of the plug 30 and the front end surface 42b of the lens block 42 of the receptacle 40 are abutted, and the condensing lenses 31c and 42c are opposed to each other. Is done by. In this example, since the condensing lenses 31c and 42c do not protrude from the front end surfaces 31b and 42b, the condensing lenses are not in contact with each other, and the optical connection is performed by spatial coupling by the condensing lenses 31c and 42c. It has become.

  In this example, the receptacle 40 is provided with a positioning hole 42d in front of the spring contact 44b, and the pin 32 of the plug 30 is inserted into the positioning hole 42d. As shown in FIG. 7A, the base of the pin 32 is fitted into the positioning hole 42d, so that highly accurate positioning for optical connection is performed.

  As described above, in this example, the tip of the pin 32 constituting the electrical connection portion is brought into contact with the spring contact 44b for electrical connection, and the root of the pin 32 is used for positioning for optical connection. Since positioning is performed at substantially the same position as the position of the optical connecting portion (the positions of the lenses 31c and 42c) in the connection direction, highly accurate positioning is possible. Specifically, in FIG. 7A, the tip of the pin 32 in the present invention indicates an electrical connection function part of a portion surrounded by a broken line a, and the root of the pin 32 is for optical connection of a portion surrounded by a broken line b. The positioning function part is shown. Therefore, as long as the electrical connection function unit and the positioning function unit for optical connection are arranged in the positional relationship of FIG. 7A, they do not have to be positioned at the tip and root of the physical pin.

  8 (1) to 8 (4) show the fitting process of the plug 30 and the receptacle 40 in order. In addition, FIG. 8 (1) shows the state before fitting.

  When the plug 30 and the receptacle 40 are connected, the metal shell 37 of the plug 30 and the metal shell 41 of the receptacle 40 are first fitted as shown in FIG. By fitting the metal shells, the plug 30 and the receptacle 40 are substantially positioned, which facilitates the insertion of the pin 32 of the plug 30 into the positioning hole 42d of the receptacle 40 shown in FIG. 8 (3). The lens block 31 of the plug 30 employs a floating structure that can move slightly with respect to the metal shell 37 so that the pair of pins 32 provided on the lens block 31 can be inserted into the positioning hole 42d satisfactorily without hindrance. doing.

  Further, by proceeding with the fitting, the coil spring 36 is pressed and contracted, and the front end surface 31b of the lens block 31 is pressed against the front end surface 42b of the lens block 42. Therefore, the angular deviation between the lens blocks is also corrected, and FIG. The fitting is completed as shown in 4), and the electrical connection and the optical connection are completed. The protrusion 41b at the tip of the spring piece 41a formed on the metal shell 41 of the receptacle 40 fits into the window 37b formed on the metal shell 37 of the plug 30 and is thereby prevented from coming off, and the fitting state is maintained. Is done.

  In the example described above, the plug 30 and the receptacle 40 have four optical connection portions and two electrical connection portions, but the number of optical connection portions is not particularly limited. On the other hand, the number of electrical connections, in other words, the number of pins 32 is at least two. If the two pins 32 are disposed on both sides of the plug 30 with the optical connection portion interposed therebetween as shown in the above-described example, positioning for optical connection can be performed with higher accuracy.

  In the electrical connection by the contact between the pin 32 and the spring contact 44b, metal wear powder may be generated due to the contact or rubbing between metals, but the pin 32 and the spring contact 44b are highly accurate for optical connection. Since the contact is made at a position deeper than the positioning hole 42d responsible for proper positioning, it is difficult for metal wear powder to adhere to the inner wall surface of the positioning hole 42d.

  FIG. 9A is an enlarged view of the electrical connection between the plug 30 and the receptacle 40 described above. 9B to 9D show other configuration examples of the electrical connection portion.

  In FIG. 9B, the diameter of the tip of the pin 32 ′ is made smaller than the diameter of the root, and the insertion space of the pin 32 ′ formed by the tips of the pair of spring contacts 44b ′ is correspondingly narrower than the state shown in FIG. 9A. 9C shows a spring contact 44b ′ similar to FIG. 9B, and the tip of the pin 32 ″ is tapered.

  If the pins 32 ′ and 32 ″ having such a shape are employed, a clearance (clearance) in fitting between the root portions of the pins 32 ′ and 32 ″ and the positioning holes 42d is reduced in order to perform highly accurate positioning. Even in this case, the insertion into the positioning hole 42d can be easily performed.

  In FIG. 9D, the electrical connection provided on the receptacle 40 side is not a spring contact 44b, but a pin (second pin) 44e, and a spring contact 32b is integrally formed at the tip of the pin (first pin) 32 on the plug 30 side. Such a configuration can also be adopted. The diameter of the region occupied by the pair of spring contacts 32 b in the plane orthogonal to the extending direction of the pin 32 is made smaller than the diameter of the base of the pin 32. Thereby, even if it is the pin 32 which has the spring contact 32b in such a front-end | tip, it can insert in the positioning hole 42d favorably. In this example, the spring contact 32b of the pin 32 of the plug 30 and the pin 44d of the receptacle 40 are brought into contact with each other to make an electrical connection.

  In the embodiment described above, the lenses are provided in both of the optical connection portions connected to each other. However, only one lens may be used, or the lens may be omitted. For example, when there is no lens, the end faces of the optical fibers 52 and 62 are abutted against each other.

  In the receptacle 40 described above, a lock for fixing the optical component (the optical fiber 62, the block 45, the lens block 42 in which the socket 44 and the electric wire 61 are assembled) to the housing component (the metal shell 41 in which the heat-resistant guide 43 is incorporated). The mechanism is configured by a lock piece 43c provided on the heat-resistant guide 43 and a claw 45e of the block 45, but the lock piece can also be provided on a metal shell.

  FIG. 10 shows a receptacle 40 ′ in which a lock piece is provided on a metal shell in this way, and FIG. 11 shows the receptacle 40 ′ shown in FIG. 10 in an exploded manner. The parts corresponding to those in FIGS. 1 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  The pair of lock pieces 41f are formed to extend rearward from both side walls of the metal shell 41 ', and the tip of each lock piece 41f is widened to form a lock portion 41g. The pair of lock pieces 41f are bent as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 so that the lock portions 41g are slightly close to each other.

  The heat-resistant guide 43 'has a shape in which the pair of lock pieces 43c is deleted from the heat-resistant guide 43 shown in FIG.

  12 and 13 show the state when the receptacle 40 ′ is reflow-mounted on the substrate 70, as in FIGS. 5 and 6 described above. As shown in FIGS. 12A and 13A, the optical component is removed from the housing component. The removed component is reflow-mounted on the substrate 70, and after mounting, the optical component is attached as shown in FIGS. 12B and 13B, and the pair of lock pieces 41f of the metal shell 41 ′ are hooked on the claws 45e of the block 45. As a result, the optical component is fixed to the housing component.

  As described above, the lock piece may be provided on the metal shell, and the optical component can be attached to and detached from the housing component.

  Note that at least one of the two connectors including the plug and the receptacle may have a photoelectric conversion circuit. FIG. 14 shows a receptacle 40 ″ provided with a photoelectric conversion circuit as an example of such a configuration. In FIG. 14, reference numeral 46 denotes a circuit board, and reference numeral 47 denotes a surface emitting laser (VCSEL: Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser). 48, an IC 48. A mirror surface 42i is formed on the lens block 42, and a condenser lens 42j is formed at a position facing the surface emitting laser 47.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Receptacle 11 Main part 11a Protruding part 11b Housing part 12 Optical device part 13 Conductor 13a Connection part 14 Substrate 14a Light emitting element 14b IC chip 15 Lens case 15a, 15b Lens part 16 Mirror part 16a Mirror 16b, 16c Guide pin 17 Terminal 18 Metal shell 18a, 18b Protruding part 20 USB connector 21 Insertion part 21a Upper surface 21b Lower surface 22 Ferrule 22a Lens 30 Plug 31 Lens block 31a Micro hole 31b, 31b1 Tip surface 31c Condensing lens 32, 32 ', 32 "Pin 32a Tubular Portion 32b Spring contact 33 Block 34 Guide 34a Opening 35 Spring restraint 36 Coil spring 37 Metal shell 37a Square tube portion 37b Window 38 Housing 38a Cylindrical portion 40, 40 ', 40 "Receptacle 41, 41' Metal sheath 41a Spring piece 41b Protruding part 41c Notch 41d Terminal 41e Window 41f Locking piece 41g Locking part 42, 42 'Lens block 42a Fine hole 42b, 42b1 Tip surface 42c Condensing lens 42d Positioning hole 42e Mounting hole 42f Gutter 42g Groove 42h Window 42i Mirror surface 42j Condensing lens 43, 43 'Frame 43a Frame portion 43b Guide piece 43c Lock piece 43d Lock portion 43e Projection 43f Step 43g Projection 44 Socket 44a Intermediate portion 44b, 44b' Spring contact 44c Cylindrical portion 44d Large Diameter 44e Pin 45 Block 45a Base 45b Projection 45c Through hole 45d Notch 45e Claw 45f Projection 46 Circuit board 47 Surface emitting laser 48 IC
50 Cable 51 Electric wire 52 Optical fiber 61 Electric wire 62 Optical fiber 70 Substrate

Claims (12)

A photoelectric composite connector comprising two connectors each having at least one optical connection and at least two electrical connections,
One is a intended to be mounted on the board of the connector, and an optical component comprising the optical connection portion, becomes more an accommodation part for accommodating the optical component, the optical component is the housing parts are mounted on the board It is possible to attach to and detach from the housing component in a state where
One of the electrical connections connected to each other is a pin, the other is a spring contact,
The connector having the spring contact includes a positioning hole into which the pin is inserted in front of the spring contact;
A photoelectric composite connector, wherein the tip of the pin contacts the spring contact for electrical connection, and the base of the pin is fitted into the positioning hole for positioning for optical connection. A photoelectric composite connector comprising two connectors each having at least one optical connection and at least two electrical connections,
One is a intended to be mounted on the board of the connector, and an optical component comprising the optical connection portion, becomes more an accommodation part for accommodating the optical component, the optical component is the housing parts are mounted on the board It is possible to attach to and detach from the housing component in a state where
One of the electrical connection parts connected to each other is a first pin integrally formed with a spring contact at the tip, and the other is a second pin.
The connector having the second pin includes a positioning hole into which the first pin is inserted in front of the second pin;
The spring contact at the tip of the first pin comes into contact with the second pin to make an electrical connection, and the base of the first pin fits into the positioning hole, thereby positioning for optical connection. A photoelectric composite connector characterized by that. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 1,
A photoelectric composite connector characterized in that the diameter of the base of the pin is larger than the diameter of the tip. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 2,
The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of a region occupied by the spring contact is smaller than a diameter of the base in a plane orthogonal to the extending direction of the first pin. The photoelectric composite connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The photoelectric connector is characterized in that the electrical connection portion is disposed on both sides of the connector with the optical connection portion interposed therebetween. The photoelectric composite connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The two connectors each have a metal shell;
The photoelectric composite connector, wherein the metal shells are first fitted together when the two connectors are connected. The photoelectric composite connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The housing parts are more becomes a metallic shell, a heat-resistant guide for positioning the optical component is fixed in the metal shell,
A photoelectric composite connector, wherein a lock piece for fixing the optical component is integrally formed on the heat-resistant guide. The photoelectric composite connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The housing parts are more becomes a metallic shell, a heat-resistant guide for positioning the optical component is fixed in the metal shell,
A photoelectric composite connector, wherein a lock piece for fixing the optical component to the metal shell is integrally formed. The photoelectric composite connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
At least one of the optical connection parts connected to each other includes a lens. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 9,
The lens is formed in a recess provided in the front end surface of the lens block,
The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 1, wherein the lens does not protrude from the tip surface of the lens block. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 10,
A photoelectric composite connector comprising a coil spring behind the lens block. The photoelectric composite connector according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
At least one of the two connectors includes a photoelectric conversion circuit.

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