JP6586796B2 - Connector boots, connectors and optical fiber cores with connectors - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector boot, a connector, and an optical fiber core with a connector.

  As a boot to be attached to a connector to which a plurality of optical fibers are arranged in parallel and connected to protect the optical fiber, for example, in Patent Document 1, an optical fiber hole opened in a joint end face is two-dimensionally arranged. An optical connector boot to be attached to the connector is disclosed.

JP 2004-61883 A

  A connector to which a plurality of optical fibers are connected in parallel tends to be required to have a large number of optical fibers arranged without increasing the size of the connector. For example, a MT connector having a 16-core array in a single row having the same external dimensions as an MT connector having a 12-core array has been proposed as a new international standard.

  For example, based on the international standard of the MT connector, the width dimension of the square hole provided in the connector main body for inserting the boot is about 4.35 mm. On the other hand, the width of the 16-fiber ribbon is about 4.2 mm. For this reason, the thickness of the boot applied to the international standard MT connector is about 0.075 mm.

  However, if a molded product is made of a flexible material and has a small thickness (for example, a thickness of 0.1 mm or less) by mold resin molding, the resin may run out and it is difficult to manufacture. . For this reason, even in a connector boot that requires a flexible material, it is difficult to manufacture a connector boot having a thin portion.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector boot, a connector, and an optical fiber core with a connector that can be manufactured by resin molding even if the boot is attached to a connector body having a large number of optical fibers arranged. It is in.

A connector boot according to an aspect of the present invention is attached to an optical fiber insertion port of a connector main body in which a plurality of optical fibers are arranged and held in parallel so as to protect the optical fiber. A connector boot having an insertion hole,
As for the front-end | tip part inserted in the inside of the said connector main body, the side surface of the said insertion hole is opening to the side.

A connector according to an aspect of the present invention is a connector body in which a plurality of fiber holes into which optical fibers are inserted are formed in parallel,
And the connector boot attached to the optical fiber insertion opening formed to open at the rear end of the connector main body.

An optical fiber core with a connector according to an aspect of the present invention includes at least one or more optical fiber cores;
The connector,
The optical fiber core wire is inserted into the insertion hole of the connector boot, and a plurality of optical fibers included in any of the at least one optical fiber core wire are arranged in parallel in the plurality of fiber holes. Has been inserted.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even if it is a boot attached to the connector main body with many number of optical fibers arranged, the connector boot which can be manufactured by resin molding, a connector, and an optical fiber core wire with a connector can be provided.

It is the perspective view which looked at the connector which concerns on this embodiment from the rear end side of the insertion direction of an optical fiber. It is the perspective view which cut | disconnected the connector of FIG. 1 in the center of the thickness direction along the insertion direction of an optical fiber. It is the perspective view which looked at the connector of FIG. 1 from the front end side of the insertion direction of an optical fiber. It is the perspective view which looked at the connector part of the optical fiber core wire with a connector concerning this embodiment from the back of the insertion direction of an optical fiber. It is the perspective view which looked at the boot for connectors concerning this embodiment from the back end side inserted in a connector main part. It is a figure which shows the boot for connectors of FIG. 5, (a) is a top view seen from the top, (b) is a front view seen from the front end side inserted in a connector main body, (c) is seen from the rear end side. The rear view, (d) is a side view seen from the insertion direction side to the connector body.

[Description of Embodiment of the Present Invention]
First, embodiments of the present invention will be listed and described.
The connector boot according to the embodiment of the present invention,
(1) A connector boot that is attached to an optical fiber insertion port of a connector main body in which a plurality of optical fibers are arranged and held in parallel so as to protect the optical fiber and has an insertion hole for the optical fiber. And
As for the front-end | tip part inserted in the said connector main body, the side surface of the said insertion hole is opening to the side.
In the connector boot of the above (1), the side surface of the insertion hole opens laterally at the tip portion inserted into the connector body. That is, there is no side wall with a small thickness that occurs when, for example, the number of optical fibers arranged is large. In a connector boot that requires a flexible material, it is not necessary to provide a thin part that is difficult to manufacture, so it is a connector boot that is attached to a connector body having a large number of optical fibers arranged. However, a connector boot that can be manufactured by resin molding can be provided.

(2) In the connector boot according to (1), the connector boot includes a locking portion that is locked to an end portion of the optical fiber insertion port when the connector boot is mounted.
In front of the locking portion, it has an insertion portion that is inserted into the connector main body when locked to the connector main body,
Behind the locking portion, it has an exposed portion exposed to the outside of the connector body when locked to the connector body,
The outer width in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers in the insertion portion is smaller than the outer width in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers in the exposed portion.
The connector boot of the above (2) is easy to mount because the outer width in the optical fiber array direction in the insertion portion is smaller than the outer width in the optical fiber array direction in the exposed portion. The main body can be reliably locked by the locking portion.

(3) In the connector boot according to (2), the insertion portion is formed in a tapered shape so that the width in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers decreases toward the tip in the insertion direction of the optical fibers. Yes.
The connector boot of the above (3) is tapered so that the outer width of the insertion portion in the arrangement direction of the optical fiber becomes narrower toward the distal end in the insertion direction of the optical fiber. Workability at the time is further improved.

(4) In the connector boot according to (2) or (3), the exposed portion has a concave portion that is continuous with the locking portion on a side surface in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers.
Since the connector boot of the above (4) has a concave portion continuous to the engaging portion on the side surface of the exposed portion, for example, when filling the connector main body with an adhesive for fixing the optical fiber to the connector main body, Even if the adhesive is transmitted to the rear end of the main body, the adhesive remains in the recess. Thereby, even when the guide pin hole is provided in the rear end surface of the connector main body, the penetration | invasion of the adhesive agent to a guide pin hole can be suppressed.

The connector according to the embodiment of the present invention,
(5) a connector body in which a plurality of fiber holes into which optical fibers are inserted are formed in parallel;
The connector boot according to any one of (1) to (4), which is attached to an optical fiber insertion opening formed to open at a rear end of the connector main body.
The connector (5) can be fitted with a connector boot that can be manufactured by resin molding even if the connector body has a large number of optical fibers arranged. Further, for example, when an adhesive is injected into the connector body, the adhesive enters the connector boot from the side of the insertion hole of the connector boot. Accordingly, the optical fiber can be fixed in the connector main body together with the connector boot, so that the mechanical strength against the pulling of the optical fiber connected to the connector can be increased.

An optical fiber core with a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention,
(6) at least one optical fiber core;
A connector according to (5),
The optical fiber core wire is inserted into the insertion hole of the connector boot, and a plurality of optical fibers included in any of the at least one optical fiber core wire are arranged in parallel in the plurality of fiber holes. Has been inserted.
Even if the optical fiber core with a connector (6) is an optical fiber core with a connector having a large number of optical fibers arranged, a connector boot that can be manufactured by resin molding can be mounted. Further, similarly to the above (5), the mechanical strength against pulling of the optical fiber core wire can be increased.

(7) In the optical fiber core with a connector according to (6), the plurality of fiber holes are provided in parallel in 16 rows.
In the optical fiber core with connector (7), the optical fiber is held by a multi-fiber connector main body having fiber holes provided in parallel at least 16 in a row. A connector boot that can be manufactured by resin molding can be attached to such a multi-core connector body. Further, similarly to the optical fiber core with connector of (6) above, the mechanical strength against pulling of the optical fiber core can be increased.

[Details of the embodiment of the present invention]
Specific examples of the connector boot, the connector, and the optical fiber core with connector according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In addition, this invention is not limited to these illustrations, is shown by the claim, and intends that all the changes within the meaning and range equivalent to a claim are included.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the connector according to the present embodiment as viewed from the rear end side in the optical fiber insertion direction. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector of FIG. 1 cut at the center in the thickness direction along the optical fiber insertion direction. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the connector of FIG. 1 as viewed from the distal end side in the optical fiber insertion direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the connector 10 according to the present embodiment is a connector boot that is attached to a connector main body 11 and an optical fiber insertion opening 12 formed so as to open at the rear end of the connector main body 11. 1.
The connector body 11 is a multi-core connector (for example, an MT connector in which one row is a 16-core array) having a plurality of fiber holes 13 into which optical fibers are inserted and guide pin holes 14. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the arrangement of the fiber holes 13 is two rows. The connector body 11 has an adhesive injection window 15 on the upper surface thereof. After the optical fiber is inserted, the optical fiber can be fixed in the connector 10 by injecting an adhesive from the window 15 and curing it.
Note that either an optical fiber (a glass fiber that is not coated) or an optical fiber core that is coated may be inserted into the fiber hole 13.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the optical fiber core with connector according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 4, the optical fiber 20 with connector according to the present embodiment includes an optical fiber ribbon 22 and a connector 10.
The optical fiber ribbon 22 is, for example, an optical fiber ribbon in which 16 optical fibers are arranged in parallel, and in the example of FIG. 4, the two optical fiber ribbons 22 are connected to the connector boot 1. The insertion holes 2 are respectively inserted. In the connector 10, the 16 optical fibers included in each optical fiber ribbon 22 are separated into a single core, and the optical fiber 21 is exposed by removing the protective coating. A total of 32 optical fibers 21 are respectively inserted into the fiber holes 13 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

  The optical fiber core of the present invention is not limited to the above example. For example, in the case of a connector having a 16-core array in a row, an 8-core optical fiber tape that uses one 16-core optical fiber core. Use one or more tape cores that integrate multiple cores, such as using two cores, using one 12-core optical fiber ribbon and one 4-core optical fiber tape. It is also good. Also, it is possible to use both 16 optical fiber cores and 16 optical fiber cores combined with each other as appropriate to use both optical fiber tape cores and single optical fiber cores integrated with a plurality of optical fibers. good.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the connector boot according to the present embodiment as viewed from the rear end side inserted into the connector main body. 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the connector boot of FIG. 5, where FIG. 6A is a plan view seen from above, FIG. 6B is a front view seen from the front end side inserted into the connector body, and FIG. The rear view seen from the end side, (d) is a side view seen from the insertion direction side to the connector body.

  The connector boot 1 according to this embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is used by being attached to the optical fiber insertion port 12 of the connector main body 11 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. The connector boot 1 has an optical fiber insertion hole 2, and the optical fiber core wire in the vicinity of the optical fiber insertion port 12 is protected by inserting the optical fiber through the insertion hole 2. The connector boot 1 prevents the optical fiber core wire from being excessively bent in the vicinity of the rear end of the connector main body 11, and further prevents the optical fiber in front thereof from being excessively bent. On the other hand, in order to allow some bending of the optical fiber core wire, it is preferable to use a flexible resin. As described above, a flexible boot is generally manufactured by resin molding using a mold.

The connector boot 1 includes a locking portion 3 that is locked to the end of the optical fiber insertion port 12 when the connector boot 1 is attached to the connector main body 11.
And it has the insertion part 4 inserted in the inside of the connector main body 11 when it latches by the connector main body 11 ahead of the latching | locking part 3 (front of the insertion direction of an optical fiber). Further, an exposed portion 5 that is exposed to the outside of the connector main body 11 when locked to the connector main body 11 is provided behind the locking portion 3 (rear in the optical fiber insertion direction).

  For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the locking portion 3 has a step shape that is bent at a right angle so that the width is narrower than the exposed portion 5, and the width of the exposed portion 5 (the width in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers). ) W2 is set larger than the width of the optical fiber insertion port 12.

The insertion portion 4 has a width (width in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers) W1 smaller than the width W2 of the exposed portion 5 due to the step portion of the locking portion 3. Moreover, the insertion part 4 is formed in a taper shape so that it becomes small toward the front-end | tip 4b of an optical fiber insertion direction, The width | variety (width in the arrangement direction of an optical fiber) W1a of the front-end | tip 4b is shown to (a) of FIG. As shown, it is smaller than the width W1.
With such a configuration, when the insertion portion 4 of the connector boot 1 is inserted into the optical fiber insertion port 12, the locking portion 3 comes into contact with and is locked to the end portion of the optical fiber insertion port 12.

  The connector boot 1 according to the present embodiment may have a configuration without a step shape like the locking portion 3. The configuration without the locking portion 3 is, for example, a configuration in which the connector boot 1 is locked to the optical fiber insertion port 12 in the middle of the tapered portion of the insertion portion 4.

  Moreover, the side of the insertion hole 2 is opened to the side by the opening part 4a shown to (d) of FIG. 5 and FIG. As described above, the connector boot 1 has a structure in which the side wall of the insertion hole 2 in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers is not present at the tip portion (a portion including at least the tip of the insertion portion 4).

  Assuming that the number of optical fibers to be arranged is large, for example, according to the international standard for MT connectors with a single 16-core array, the width of the optical fiber insertion port 12 (the width in the optical fiber array direction) is about 4.35 mm Become. Since the insertion portion 4 is inserted into the connector main body 11, the width W <b> 1 is smaller than the width of the optical fiber insertion port 12.

  If there is a side wall in the boot insertion part as in the conventional case, the width of the 16-core tape core wire is about 4.2 mm. Therefore, when the connector is an MT connector of the above international standard, The thickness of the side wall portion is about 0.075 mm or less. As described above, when the number of optical fibers arranged is large, the thickness of the side wall of the insertion portion becomes extremely thin. For example, when the wall thickness is 0.1 mm or less, if a flexible material is used to manufacture a connector boot by resin molding, the resin may run out and it is difficult to manufacture.

  On the other hand, the connector boot 1 of the present embodiment has a structure in which there is no side wall in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers in the insertion hole 2 at the distal end portion of the insertion portion 4, so there is no portion where the wall thickness is extremely thin, Manufacture by resin molding is possible.

  Further, an optical fiber (or an optical fiber core wire) is inserted into the connector boot 1, the tip optical fiber is inserted into the connector main body 11, and the optical fiber is inserted into the fiber hole 13, so that the connector boot 1 is connected to the connector boot 1. Mount on the main body 11. When an adhesive is injected from the window 15 of the connector main body 11, the adhesive enters the connector boot 1 from the front and side (see FIG. 2) of the insertion hole 2. Thereby, an optical fiber (and optical fiber core wire) can be fixed in the connector boot 1.

  As shown in FIG. 6D, the upper and lower ends 4c of the distal end 4b of the insertion portion 4 may be tapered. Since the taper of the end 4c can guide the tip of the connector boot 1 so as to contact the upper and lower ends of the optical fiber insertion opening 12 of the connector main body 11, the insertion of the connector boot 1 into the connector main body 11 becomes easy. .

The exposed portion 5 has a concave portion 5a that is continuous with the locking portion 3 on the side surface in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers. In the example shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the concave portion 5 a is continuous from the locking portion 3 to the opening end portion of the insertion hole 2 in the exposed portion 5.
For example, as described above, when the adhesive is injected from the window 15 after the optical fiber is inserted, if there is a gap between the optical fiber insertion port 12 of the connector and the connector boot 1, it overflows from this gap. Otherwise, the adhesive may enter the guide pin hole 14. However, by providing the recessed portion 5 a continuous to the locking portion 3, it is possible to suppress the overflowing adhesive from flowing into the recessed portion 5 a and entering the guide pin hole 14.

  As described above in detail, in the connector boot 1 according to the present embodiment, the tip portion inserted into the connector main body 11 has the side surface of the insertion hole 2 opened to the side. Even when it is attached to the connector body 11 having a large number of fibers, it can be manufactured by resin molding.

  Further, since the width W1 in the optical fiber array direction in the insertion portion 4 is smaller than the width W2 in the optical fiber array direction in the exposed portion 5, the mounting operation is easy, and the engagement portion ensures engagement during mounting. Can be stopped.

  Further, since the width W1 in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers of the insertion portion 4 is tapered so as to become narrower toward the distal end 4b in the optical fiber insertion direction, the workability at the time of mounting on the connector body 11 is improved. Even better.

  Further, the connector boot 10 according to the present embodiment can be mounted with the connector boot 1 that can be manufactured by resin molding even if the connector body 11 has a large number of optical fibers arranged. For example, when an adhesive is injected into the connector main body 11, the adhesive enters the connector boot 1 from the side of the insertion hole 2 of the connector boot 1. Thereby, since the optical fiber can be fixed in the connector main body 11 together with the connector boot 1, the mechanical strength against pulling of the optical fiber connected to the connector can be increased.

Moreover, even if the optical fiber 20 with a connector according to this embodiment is an optical fiber with a connector having a large number of optical fibers arranged, the connector boot 1 that can be manufactured by resin molding can be mounted. Further, the mechanical strength against pulling of the optical fiber core wire 20 can be increased.
The above effects can be obtained even if the connector has the connector body 11 in which at least 16 fiber holes 13 are provided in parallel in a row (for example, the international standard for MT connectors with a row of 16 cores). . Even if the fiber holes 13 are arranged in 16 cores, the optical fiber may not be inserted into all of them.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector boot 2 Insertion hole 3 Locking part 4 Insertion part 4a Opening part 4b Tip 4c End part 5 Exposed part 5a Recess 10 Connector 11 Connector main body 12 Optical fiber insertion port 13 Fiber hole 14 Guide pin hole 15 Window 20 Light with connector Fiber core 21 Optical fiber 22 Optical fiber ribbon

Claims (7)

A connector boot having a plurality of optical fibers arranged in parallel and held in an optical fiber insertion port of a connector main body so as to protect the optical fiber and having an insertion hole for the optical fiber,
The connector boot has an insertion portion that is inserted into the connector body, and an exposed portion that is exposed to the outside of the connector body.
The insertion portion has an opening in which a side surface of the insertion hole is opened laterally at a tip portion inserted into the connector body.
The exposed portion has no open side surface in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers,
Connector boots. A locking portion that is locked to the end of the optical fiber insertion port when mounted on the connector main body , behind the insertion portion and in front of the exposed portion ,
Outer width of the array direction of the optical fiber before Symbol insertion section has an outer width less than the array direction of the optical fiber in the exposed portion, the boot connector according to claim 1.   The connector boot according to claim 2, wherein the insertion portion is formed in a tapered shape so that an outer width in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers becomes smaller toward a tip in the insertion direction of the optical fibers.   4. The connector boot according to claim 2, wherein the exposed portion has a concave portion continuous with the locking portion on a side surface in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers. 5. A connector body in which a plurality of fiber holes into which optical fibers are inserted are formed in parallel;
A connector comprising: the connector boot according to claim 1, wherein the connector boot is attached to an optical fiber insertion opening formed to open at a rear end of the connector main body. At least one optical fiber core;
A connector according to claim 5,
The optical fiber core wire is inserted into the insertion hole of the connector boot, and a plurality of optical fibers included in any of the at least one optical fiber core wire are arranged in parallel in the plurality of fiber holes. Inserted optical fiber core with connector.   The optical fiber core wire with a connector according to claim 6, wherein at least 16 of the plurality of fiber holes are provided in a line.

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