JP7339144B2 - optical connector - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an optical connector that connects two optical fibers with their tip faces directly butted against each other.

An optical connector of this type is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-200012. This optical connector 101 comprises a first housing 102, a first optical fiber 110 fixed to the first housing 102, a second housing 112, and a second optical fiber 110 fixed to the second housing 112, as shown in FIG. 2 optical fibers 120 .

The first housing 102 has a first holding groove forming portion 103 protruding toward the second housing 112 and a first fiber holding groove 104 formed up to the tip of the first holding groove forming portion 103 in the projecting direction. The second housing 112 has a second holding groove forming portion 113 protruding toward the first housing 10 and a second fiber holding groove 114 formed up to the tip of the second holding groove forming portion 113 in the projecting direction.

The first optical fiber 110 is arranged in the first fiber holding groove 104 with the front end surface 110 a positioned in front of the front end of the first fiber holding groove 104 . The second optical fiber 120 is arranged in the second fiber holding groove 114 with the front end surface 120 a positioned in front of the front end of the second fiber holding groove 114 .

As shown in FIG. 12, when the first housing 102 and the second housing 112 are moved toward each other, the distal end portion of the first optical fiber 110 and the distal end portion of the second optical fiber 120 are aligned with the first fiber holding groove 104 and the second optical fiber holding groove 104 . 2 are sandwiched between the fiber holding grooves 114 respectively. Thereby, the first optical fiber 110 and the second optical fiber 120 are arranged on a straight line. Then, the tip surfaces 110a and 120a of the first optical fiber 110 and the second optical fiber 120 are brought into contact with each other. From this state, the first housing 102 and the second housing 112 are moved closer to each other, and the first optical fiber 110 is bent. The force that restores the bending deformation presses the tip surfaces 110a and 120a of the first optical fiber 110 and the second optical fiber 120 against each other.

In this conventional example, connector connection can be easily performed without using a refractive index matching material. Since a pressing force always acts between the tip surfaces 110a and 120a of the first optical fiber 110 and the second optical fiber 120, the tip surfaces 110a and 120a of the first optical fiber 110 and the second optical fiber 120 are Maintain contact at all times.

JP-A-2002-243984

However, in the conventional example, the pressing force that presses the distal end surfaces 110a and 120a of the first optical fiber 110 and the second optical fiber 120 is a force that restores the bending deformation of the first optical fiber 110. FIG. Therefore, there is a problem that the pressing force varies greatly due to manufacturing errors of parts, and the first optical fiber 110 is easily broken by repeated coupling, resulting in low connection reliability.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector in which the pressing force that presses the end faces of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber is stable, the optical fibers do not break even when repeatedly connected, and the connection reliability is high. to do.

An optical connector according to an aspect of the present invention includes a first housing, a first optical fiber fixed to the first housing, a second housing, a second optical fiber fixed to the second housing, and the second optical fiber fixed to the second housing. 1 housing and the second housing, a third housing for fixing the first housing, and biasing means for biasing the second housing toward the first housing, the first housing comprising: The first optical fiber has a first holding groove forming portion having a first opposing surface, and a first fiber holding groove formed straight to the tip of the first optical fiber. The second housing is positioned in front of the tip of the first fiber holding groove and arranged in the first fiber holding groove in a state in which the fiber side peripheral surface protrudes from the first opposing surface, and the second housing has a second opposing surface. and a second fiber holding groove formed straight to the tip on the second opposing surface. The fiber-side peripheral surface protrudes from the first opposing surface of the first optical fiber, and is placed in the second fiber holding groove in a state where the fiber-side peripheral surface protrudes from the second opposing surface. is on the tip side of the second fiber holding groove, and the fiber side peripheral surface protruding from the second opposing surface of the second optical fiber enters the tip side of the first fiber holding groove, and the first optical fiber and the tip side of the second optical fiber are sandwiched between the first fiber holding groove and the second fiber holding groove, respectively, and the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are arranged on a straight line, and , the distal end surfaces of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are in contact with each other, and the biasing force of the biasing means acts on the second optical fiber to push the distal end surface of the second optical fiber to the The tip surface of the first optical fiber is pressed.

It has a movement guide means for guiding the relative movement of the first housing and the second housing in the process of fiber coupling, and the movement guide means moves the first housing during the fiber coupling process of the first housing and the second housing. The facing distance between the first opposing surface and the second opposing surface until the tips of the holding groove forming portion and the second holding groove forming portion exceed the positions of the tip surfaces of the second optical fiber and the first optical fiber. is the separation distance, and at a position where the tips of the first holding groove forming portion and the second holding groove forming portion exceed the positions of the tip surfaces of the second optical fiber and the first optical fiber, the second Due to the displacement in the direction in which the first opposing surface and the second opposing surface approach each other, the fiber-side peripheral surface protruding from the first opposing surface of the first optical fiber moves toward the distal end side of the second fiber holding groove. The first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are arranged in a straight line by relative movement to a position where the fiber-side peripheral surface protruding from the second opposing surface of the two optical fibers enters into the tip end side of the first fiber holding groove. A configuration in which the tip surfaces of the optical fibers are relatively moved to a position where they abut against each other is preferable.

The movement guide means includes a convex portion provided on one of the first facing surface and the second facing surface, and a convex portion provided on the other facing surface. Having a concave portion into which the convex portion enters at a position where the tip end faces are close to each other, and the convex portion can move to a position where the tip end faces of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber abut against each other. is preferred.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical connector in which the pressing force that presses the end surfaces of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber is stable, the optical fibers do not break even when repeatedly coupled, and the connection reliability is high. be able to.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment, showing a state in which the convex portion of the first holding groove forming portion slides on the upper surface of the second holding groove forming portion during the housing fitting operation of the optical connector; The first embodiment is shown, (a) is a cross-sectional view along the IIa-IIa line in FIG. 1, (b) is a cross-sectional view along the IIb-IIb line in FIG. ) is an enlarged view of part IId of (a). It is the figure which showed 1st Embodiment and looked at the 1st holding groove formation part side (lower surface side) of the 1st housing. FIG. 11 shows the first embodiment, and is a view of the second housing on the second holding groove forming portion side (upper surface side). FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the first embodiment when the convex portion of the first holding groove forming portion enters the concave portion of the second holding groove forming portion during the housing fitting operation of the optical connector; FIG. 4 shows the first embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view when the optical connector is completely fitted into the housing. FIG. 7 shows the first embodiment, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIIa-VIIa of FIG. 6, and (b) is an enlarged view of the VIIb portion of (a). It is a bottom view of a 2nd housing and a 3rd housing which shows the modification of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the second embodiment, when fitting of the optical connector into the housing is completed; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 9, showing the second embodiment. It is a principal part side view in the middle of the housing fitting operation|movement of an optical connector which shows a prior art example. FIG. 10 is a side view of a main part of the optical connector when the fitting of the optical connector into the housing is completed, showing a conventional example;

Hereinafter, the optical connector according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation, and may differ from the actual ratios.

(First embodiment)
An optical connector according to the first embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1-7. This optical connector 1 has a first housing 2 , a first optical fiber 10 fixed to the first housing 2 , a second housing 12 and a second optical fiber 20 fixed to the second housing 12 .

Also, the optical connector 1 guides the relative movement of the first housing 2 and the second housing 12 in the process of fiber coupling, and the position where the tip surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 abut each other. It has a movement guide means 30 as follows.

Further, the optical connector 1 contains the first housing 2 and the second housing 12, and includes a third housing 42 for fixing the first housing 2 and a biasing member for biasing the second housing 12 toward the first housing 2 side. and a spring 50 as a force means. A detailed description will be given below.

The first housing 2 has a first base housing 2A and a first holding groove forming portion 3 projecting from the first base housing 2A toward the second housing 12 side. The first base housing 2</b>A has a first fiber through hole 7 opening into the first holding groove forming portion 3 .

The lower surface of the first holding groove forming portion 3 is formed on the first opposing surface 5 . The first holding groove forming portion 3 has a first fiber holding groove 4 formed in the first opposing surface 5 and extending to the tip of the first holding groove forming portion 3 in the projecting direction.

The first fiber through hole 7 and the first fiber holding groove 4 are continuous and arranged on a straight line. The first fiber holding groove 4 is a groove with a V-shaped cross section (see FIG. 2(c)). Specifically, the first fiber holding groove 4 is a groove having a V-shaped cross section in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first fiber holding groove 4 .

The first optical fiber 10 passes through the first fiber through-hole 7 . The first optical fiber 10 is partially inserted into the first fiber through-hole 7 at its coating portion 11, and is fixed to the first housing 2 at this portion with an adhesive or the like. The tip of the first optical fiber 10 passing through the first fiber through hole 7 is arranged in the first fiber holding groove 4 . The first optical fiber 10 has its tip surface 10 a positioned in front of the tip of the first fiber holding groove 4 . The detailed position of the tip surface 10a of the first optical fiber 10 will be described below.

The first optical fiber 10 is arranged in the first fiber holding groove 4 with more than half of the fiber side peripheral surface 10b protruding from the first opposing surface 5 (see FIG. 2(c)).

The second housing 12 has a second base housing 12A and a second holding groove forming portion 13 projecting from the second base housing 12A toward the first housing 2 side. The second base housing 12</b>A has a second fiber through hole 17 opening into the second holding groove forming portion 13 . The upper surface of the second holding groove forming portion 13 is formed on the second opposing surface 15 . The second facing surface 15 is positioned below the first facing surface 5 . The second facing surface 15 and the first facing surface 5 face each other, and substantially the entire area thereof faces each other at the alignment completion position shown in FIG.

The second holding groove forming portion 13 has a second fiber holding groove 14 formed in the second facing surface 15 and extending to the tip of the second holding groove forming portion 13 in the projecting direction.

The second fiber through hole 17 and the second fiber holding groove 14 are continuous and arranged on a straight line. The second fiber holding groove 14 is a groove with a V-shaped cross section (see FIG. 2(d)). Specifically, the second fiber holding groove 14 is a groove having a V-shaped cross section in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the second fiber holding groove 14 .

The second optical fiber 20 passes through the second fiber through-hole 17 . The second optical fiber 20 is fixed to the second housing 12 with an adhesive or the like at a part of the second fiber through-hole 17 where the coating portion 21 of the second optical fiber 20 enters. The tip portion of the second optical fiber 20 passing through the second fiber through-hole 17 is arranged in the second fiber holding groove 14 . The second optical fiber 20 has its distal end surface 20 a positioned in front of the distal end of the second fiber holding groove 14 . The detailed position of the tip surface 20a of the second optical fiber 20 will be described below.

The second optical fiber 20 is arranged in the second fiber holding groove 14 with more than half of the fiber side peripheral surface 20b protruding from the second opposing surface 15 (see FIG. 2(d)).

Detailed positions of the tip surface 10a of the first optical fiber 10 and the tip surface 20a of the second optical fiber 20 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the first holding groove forming portion 3 of the first housing 2 is provided with a pair of first marks 8 on the left and right outer sides with the first fiber holding groove 4 interposed therebetween. The pair of first marks 8 are arranged at (a/2+b) from the root position of the first holding groove forming portion 3, where a is the total length of the first holding groove forming portion 3 in the projecting direction. In other words, the tip surface 10a of the first optical fiber 10 is arranged closer to the tip than the middle of the first holding groove forming portion 3 by the dimension b.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second holding groove forming portion 13 of the second housing 12 is provided with a pair of second marks 18 on the left and right outer sides of the second fiber holding groove 14 . The pair of second marks 18 are provided at a position (a/2+b) from the root position of the second holding groove forming portion 13, where a is the total length of the second holding groove forming portion 13 in the projecting direction. A tip surface 20 a of the second optical fiber 20 is arranged at the position of the second mark 18 . In other words, the tip surface 20a of the second optical fiber 20 is arranged closer to the tip than the middle of the second holding groove forming portion 13 by the dimension b.

The tip surfaces 10 a and 20 a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 are positioned at the positions of the first mark 8 and the second mark 18 . As a result, the following positional relationship is established in the fiber coupling process of both the first housing 2 and the second housing 12 . The end surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 abut against each other, and between the end of the first holding groove forming portion 3 and the second base housing 12A and the second holding groove forming portion A gap d (see FIG. 6) is formed between the tip of 13 and the first base housing 2A.

A gap d is formed by the dimension of b. b is desirably 0.25 mm or more. If it is less than 0.25 mm, the desired load cannot be applied between the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 because the gap d cannot be secured due to temperature tolerance changes during mounting. This is because, in some cases, the tip surfaces 10a and 20a of both the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 cannot be brought into contact with each other. The first mark 8 and the second mark 18 may have any form, but preferably have a structure that does not interfere with the mating member, such as a recess or a hole.

The positions of the tip surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 and the positional relationship between the convex portion 31 and the concave portion 32 described below will be described in the fiber coupling operation described below.

The movement guide means 30 includes a pair of protrusions 31 protruding from the first opposing surface 5 of the first holding groove forming portion 3 and a pair of protrusions 31 protruding from the second opposing surface 15 of the second holding groove forming portion 13 . and a recess 32 . The pair of protrusions 31 are arranged at the left and right outer positions centered on the first fiber holding groove 4 . The pair of recesses 32 are arranged at left and right outer positions centering on the second fiber holding groove 14 . The convex portion 31 is formed to enter the concave portion 32 at a position where the tip end face 10a of the first optical fiber 10 and the tip end face 20a of the second optical fiber 20 are close to each other during the fiber coupling process.

Each concave portion 32 is formed with a tapered surface 32a on the side where the convex portion 31 enters. The convex portion 31 gradually enters the concave portion 32 by the tapered surface 32a. Guiding in the fiber coupling process by the movement guide means 30 will be described in the following fiber coupling operation.

As shown in FIG. 6, the third housing 42 has a housing chamber 43 which is open on one side and closed by a side wall 42a on the other side. The first housing 2 and the second housing 12 can be accommodated in the housing accommodation chamber 43 .

The first housing 2 is unhoused at the start of the fiber coupling operation, as shown in FIG. 1, and is housed at the completion of the fiber coupling operation, as shown in FIG. The first housing 2 is fixed to the third housing 42 by engaging the lock claws 9 of the first housing 2 with the lock holes 44 of the third housing 42 when the third housing 42 is accommodated. The second housing 12 is accommodated in a freely movable state before the fiber coupling operation.

The spring 50 is arranged inside the housing chamber 43 . A spring 50 is interposed between the side wall 42 a of the third housing 42 and the second housing 12 . The spring 50 biases the second housing 12 toward the first housing 2 side. The spring force of the spring 50 (biasing force of the biasing means) acts on the second optical fiber 20 and the tip end face 20a of the second optical fiber 20 presses the tip face 10a of the first optical fiber 10 .

Next, the housing fitting operation of the first housing 2, the second housing 12, and the third housing 42 will be described. During this housing fitting operation, the fiber joining operation of the first housing 2 and the second housing 12 is performed. This will be explained below.

The second housing 12 is housed in the housing housing chamber 43 of the third housing 42 . As shown in FIG. 1, the first housing 2 is inserted into the housing chamber 43 of the third housing 42 . The first housing 2 is inserted while the pair of protrusions 31 of the first holding groove forming portion 3 slides on the second facing surface 15 of the second holding groove forming portion 13 .

Here, the facing distance between the first facing surface 5 and the second facing surface 15 is determined even if the tip portion of the first optical fiber 10 does not firmly enter the first fiber holding groove 4 due to its tendency to bend (first The dimensions are set so that they do not interfere even if they are floating above the fiber holding groove 4). Therefore, even if the tip end portion of the first optical fiber 10 or the second optical fiber 20 has a tendency to bend, the tip end surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 are held by the other side in the second holding position. The tip ends 13a and 3a of the groove forming portion 13 and the first holding groove forming portion 3 are approached without interfering with each other.

That is, the movement guide means 30 is moved until the tips 3a and 13a of the first holding groove forming portion 3 and the second holding groove forming portion 13 pass the positions of the tip surfaces 10a of the second optical fiber 20 and the first optical fiber 10, respectively. The facing distance between the first facing surface 5 and the second facing surface 15 is set as the separation distance and relatively moved.

As the insertion of the first housing 2 progresses, the tips 3a and 13a of the first holding groove forming portion 3 and the second holding groove forming portion 13 exceed the positions of the tip surfaces 10a of the second optical fiber 20 and the first optical fiber 10, respectively. position is reached. In other words, the tip surface 10a of the first optical fiber 10 and the tip surface 20a of the second optical fiber 20 reach a position close to each other. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the convex portion 31 of the first holding groove forming portion 3 enters the concave portion 32 of the second holding groove forming portion 13, and the convex portion 31 slides on the tapered surface 32a of the concave portion 32. As shown in FIG. As a result, the first opposing surface 5 and the second opposing surface 15 gradually move toward each other. The fiber-side peripheral surface 10b protruding from the first opposing surface 5 of the first optical fiber 10 protrudes from the second opposing surface 15 of the second optical fiber 20 toward the distal end side of the second fiber holding groove 14. gradually enter into the tip side of the first fiber holding groove 4 respectively.

Here, even if the tip portion of the first optical fiber 10 is not firmly inserted into the first fiber holding groove 4 due to its tendency to bend, it is guided by the second fiber holding groove 14 to separate the first fiber holding groove 4 and the second fiber. It enters between the holding grooves 14 and is sandwiched. Even if the tip of the second optical fiber 20 is not firmly inserted into the second fiber holding groove 14 due to its tendency to bend, it is similarly sandwiched between the first fiber holding groove 4 and the second fiber holding groove 14 .

At the position where the convex portion 31 finishes descending the tapered surface 32a of the concave portion 32, the tip side of the first optical fiber 10 and the tip side of the second optical fiber 20 are positioned between the first fiber holding groove 4 and the second fiber holding groove 14. Both are sandwiched (see FIG. 7). Thereby, the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 are arranged on a straight line, that is, the optical axis of the first optical fiber 10 and the optical axis of the second optical fiber 20 are arranged coaxially and aligned. .

At the position where the projection 31 has finished descending the tapered surface 32a of the recess 32, or at the position where the projection 31 has descended the tapered surface 32a of the recess 32 and advanced slightly inside the recess 32, the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 10 are separated from each other. The end surfaces 10a and 20a of the optical fiber 20 are brought into contact with each other in an aligned state (see FIG. 6).

When the first housing 2 advances further from this state, the insertion force of the first housing 2 presses the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 , and the second housing 12 resists the spring force of the spring 50 and moves toward the housing. Move to the back side of the containment room 43 .

This allows the first housing 2 to move into the housing chamber 43 . As shown in FIG. 6, the lock claws 9 of the first housing 2 engage with the lock holes 44 of the third housing 42 . This prevents insertion of the first housing 2 . This completes the housing fitting operation.

When the housing fitting is completed, the spring force of the spring 50 presses the tip surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 against each other. As a result, a pressing force always acts between the tip surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20, so that the tip surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 are separated from each other. always maintain contact.

In the optical connector 1 according to the first embodiment, the first housing 2, the first optical fiber 10 fixed to the first housing 2, the second housing 12, and the second optical fiber fixed to the second housing 12 20. In addition, it includes a third housing 42 that houses the first housing 2 and the second housing 12 and fixes the first housing 2 , and a spring 50 that biases the second housing 12 toward the first housing 2 . . The first housing 2 has a first holding groove forming portion 3 in which a first opposing surface 5 is formed, and a first fiber holding groove 4 formed in a straight line to the tip of the first opposing surface 5 . The first optical fiber 10 is positioned so that the tip surface 10a is in front of the tip of the first fiber holding groove 4, and the fiber side peripheral surface 10b protrudes from the first opposing surface 5. are placed in The second housing 12 has a second holding groove forming portion 13 having a second facing surface 15 formed thereon, and a second fiber holding groove 14 formed in a straight line to the tip of the second facing surface 15 . The second optical fiber 20 is arranged such that the distal end surface 20a of the second optical fiber 20 is located in front of the distal end of the second fiber holding groove 14, and the fiber-side peripheral surface 20b protrudes from the second opposing surface 15. are placed in The fiber-side peripheral surface 10b protruding from the first opposing surface 5 of the first optical fiber 10 protrudes from the second opposing surface 15 of the second optical fiber 20 to the distal end side of the second fiber holding groove 14. 20b enter the tip side of the first fiber holding groove 4, respectively. Then, the tip side of the first optical fiber 10 and the tip side of the second optical fiber 20 are sandwiched between the first fiber holding groove 4 and the second fiber holding groove 14, respectively, so that the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 are separated. The first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 are arranged on a straight line, and the tip surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 are in contact with each other. The spring force of the spring 50, which is the biasing means, acts on the second optical fiber 20, and the tip surface 20a of the second optical fiber 20 presses the tip surface 10a of the first optical fiber 10. As shown in FIG.

Therefore, since the spring force of the spring 50 is the pressing force between the tip surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20, the spring force does not change much even if there is an error in the design of the parts. Further, since the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 are not bent and deformed, the first optical fiber 10 or the second optical fiber 20 is hardly damaged even if the coupling is repeated. As described above, the pressing force that presses the tip surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 is stable, and the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 do not break even when repeatedly coupled, An optical connector 1 with high connection reliability can be provided.

In addition, since the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 are arranged on a straight line, no optical loss due to bending occurs in the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20, and in this respect also the reliability is high. can be connected. In particular, it is effective when a polymer optical fiber, which may be plastically deformed if it is held in a bent state for a long time, is used.

During the fiber coupling process of the first housing 2 and the second housing 12, the movement guide means 30 is such that the tips 3a and 13a of the first holding groove forming portion 3 and the second holding groove forming portion 13 are connected to the second optical fiber 20 and the first optical fiber 20, respectively. The positions of the first holding groove forming portion 3 and the second holding groove forming portion 13 are separated by the facing distance between the first opposing surface 5 and the second opposing surface 15 until the position of the tip surface 10a of the optical fiber 10 is exceeded. Move relatively. Next, at a position where the tips 3a and 13a of the first holding groove forming portion 3 and the second holding groove forming portion 13 are beyond the positions of the tip surfaces 10a of the second optical fiber 20 and the first optical fiber 10, the first opposing Due to the displacement in the direction in which the surface 5 and the second opposing surface 15 approach each other, the fiber-side peripheral surface 10b protruding from the first opposing surface 5 of the first optical fiber 10 moves toward the distal end side of the second fiber holding groove 14, and the second light beam The fibers 20 are relatively moved to a position where the fiber-side peripheral surfaces 20b protruding from the second opposing surfaces 15 of the fibers 20 enter the tip sides of the first fiber holding grooves 4, respectively. Next, the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 arranged in a straight line are relatively moved to a position where the tip surfaces 10a and 20a abut each other.

Therefore, even if the first optical fiber 10 or the second optical fiber 20 has a tendency to bend, the tip surfaces 10a and 20a can be reliably abutted against each other, and the tip surfaces 10a and 20a can be reliably aligned without forming an angle with each other. It is possible to provide the optical connector 1 that can be butted and has high connection reliability.

During the fiber coupling process of the first housing 2 and the second housing 12, the movement guide means 30 shifts the facing distance between the first facing surface 5 and the second facing surface 15 from the separation distance to the close distance. 3 and the second holding groove forming portion 13 are guided relative to each other. Therefore, it is possible to move a larger distance than the movement by bending deformation of the conventional example. Therefore, it is possible to deal with the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 that have a large tendency to bend.

The movement guide means 30 has a convex portion 31 provided on the first facing surface 5 and a concave portion 32 provided on the second facing surface 15 . The convex portion 31 enters the concave portion 32 at a position where the distal end surface 10a of the first optical fiber 10 and the distal end surface 20a of the second optical fiber 20 are close to each other. The convex portion 31 can be moved to a position where the tip end surfaces 10a and 20a of the two contact each other.

Accordingly, the convex portion 31 is provided in the first holding groove forming portion 3 in which the first optical fiber 10 is arranged, and the concave portion 32 is provided in the second holding groove forming portion 13 in which the second optical fiber 20 is arranged. As a result, compared to the case where the movement guide means 30 is provided at a location other than the first holding groove forming portion 3 and the second holding groove forming portion 13, the movement of the first holding groove forming portion 3 and the second holding groove forming portion 13 becomes Relative movement, and thus movement of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20, can be performed accurately and accurately.

Unlike the first embodiment, the convex portion 31 and the concave portion 32 may be provided in the second holding groove forming portion 13 and the first holding groove forming portion 3, respectively. In other words, the movement guide means 30 may be configured to have a convex portion 31 provided on one of the first opposing surface 5 and the second opposing surface 15 and a concave portion 32 provided on the other.

The concave portion 32 extends from the position where the tip surface 10a of the first optical fiber 10 and the tip surface 20a of the second optical fiber 20 approach to the position where the tip surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 abut each other. It has a tapered surface 32a that gradually deepens.

Therefore, when the tip of the first optical fiber 10 or the tip of the second optical fiber 20 has a tendency to bend, it can be gradually guided to the first fiber holding groove 4 and the second fiber holding groove 14 . Therefore, it can be inserted between the first fiber holding groove 4 and the second fiber holding groove 14 without damaging the tip of the first optical fiber 10 and the tip of the second optical fiber 20 as much as possible.

Unlike the first embodiment, the concave portion 32 may have a structure in which the tapered surface 32a is not formed on the entrance side of the convex portion 31, and the tapered surface 32a is not formed.

In the first embodiment, the first fiber holding groove 4 and the second fiber holding groove 14 are V-shaped grooves, but they may be U-shaped grooves.

In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the first opposing surface 5 and the second opposing surface 15 are opposed to each other with a gap d1 interposed therebetween when the fiber coupling is completed. Therefore, the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 are sandwiched in a state where the fiber side peripheral surfaces 10b and 20b are pressed against the first fiber holding groove 4 and the second fiber holding groove 14 at four points. , is held without backlash. This can prevent a decrease in optical loss. Also, the first opposing surface 5 and the second opposing surface 15 may be arranged to face each other in close contact without a gap.

(Modified example of the first embodiment)
A variant of the first embodiment is shown in FIG. In this modification, an opening 45 is provided in the bottom wall 42b of the third housing 42. As shown in FIG. Through this opening 45, the second marking 18 of the second housing is visible.

Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, redundant description will be omitted. The same reference numerals are given to the same parts in the drawings for clarification.

In this modified example, the tip surface 20a of the second optical fiber 20 can be set on the second housing 12 accommodated in the third housing 42 while visually checking the second mark 18, so that the tip surface of the second optical fiber 20 can be 20a can be accurately and easily set at a predetermined position.

(Second embodiment)
An optical connector according to the second embodiment is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. Compared to the first embodiment, this optical connector 1 has neither the convex portion of the first holding groove forming portion 3 nor the concave portion of the second holding groove forming portion 13 .

That is, only the first fiber holding groove 4 is provided on the first opposing surface 5 of the first holding groove forming portion 3, and only the second fiber holding groove 14 is provided on the second opposing surface 15 of the second holding groove forming portion 13. is provided.

Therefore, when the first housing 2 is inserted into the housing receiving chamber 43 of the third housing 42, the first opposing surface 5 of the first holding groove forming portion 3 and the second opposing surface 15 of the second holding groove forming portion 13 approach each other. It is inserted while facing each other in position.

Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, redundant description will be omitted. The same reference numerals are given to the same parts in the drawings for clarification.

In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the spring force of the spring 50, which is the biasing means, is used as the pressing force between the tip surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20. Therefore, even if there are design errors in the parts, the spring force does not change much. In addition, since the first optical fiber 10 or the second optical fiber 20 is not bent and deformed, the first optical fiber 10 or the second optical fiber 20 is hardly damaged even if the coupling is repeated. As described above, the pressing force that presses the tip surfaces 10a and 20a of the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 is stable, and the first optical fiber 10 and the second optical fiber 20 do not break even when repeatedly coupled, An optical connector 1 with high connection reliability can be provided.

Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present embodiment is not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present embodiment.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 optical connector 2 first housing 3 first holding groove forming portion 4 first fiber holding groove 5 first opposing surface 10 first optical fiber 10a tip surface 10b fiber side peripheral surface 12 second housing 13 second holding groove forming portion 14 Second fiber holding groove 15 Second opposing surface 20 Second optical fiber 20a Tip surface 20b Fiber-side peripheral surface 30 Movement guide means 31 Convex portion 32 Concave portion 42 Third housing 50 Spring (biasing means)

Claims (1)

housing a first housing, a first optical fiber fixed to the first housing, a second housing, a second optical fiber fixed to the second housing, the first housing and the second housing a third housing for fixing the first housing; biasing means for biasing the second housing toward the first housing; and a movement guide means for guiding ,
The first housing has a first holding groove forming portion formed with a first opposing surface, and a first fiber holding groove formed in a straight line to the tip of the first opposing surface, and
the first optical fiber is disposed in the first fiber holding groove with its distal end surface located in front of the distal end of the first fiber holding groove and with the fiber-side peripheral surface protruding from the first opposing surface;
The second housing has a second holding groove forming portion formed with a second facing surface, and a second fiber holding groove formed in a straight line to the tip of the second facing surface, and
the second optical fiber is arranged in the second fiber holding groove with its tip surface located in front of the tip of the second fiber holding groove and with the fiber side peripheral surface protruding from the second opposing surface;
The movement guide means includes a convex portion provided on one of the first facing surface and the second facing surface, and a convex portion provided on the other facing surface. It has a concave portion in which the convex portion enters at a position where the tip end surfaces are close to each other, and the convex portion can be moved to a position where the tip end surfaces of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are in contact with each other. ,
In the fiber coupling process of the first housing and the second housing, the movement guide means is such that the tips of the first holding groove forming portion and the second holding groove forming portion are connected to the second optical fiber and the first optical fiber. Relatively move the facing distance between the first facing surface and the second facing surface as the separation distance until it exceeds the position of the tip surface of
At a position where the tips of the first holding groove forming portion and the second holding groove forming portion exceed the positions of the tip surfaces of the second optical fiber and the first optical fiber, the first opposing surface and the second opposing surface Due to the displacement in the direction in which the surfaces approach each other, the fiber-side peripheral surface protruding from the first opposing surface of the first optical fiber moves toward the tip side of the second fiber holding groove and moves toward the second opposing surface of the second optical fiber. Relatively moving to a position where the fiber-side peripheral surface protruding from the surface enters into the tip side of the first fiber holding groove,
relative movement to a position where the end faces of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber aligned on a straight line abut against each other;
The fiber-side peripheral surface protruding from the first opposing surface of the first optical fiber protrudes from the second opposing surface of the second optical fiber toward the tip side of the second fiber holding groove. enters the tip side of the first fiber holding groove, and the tip side of the first optical fiber and the tip side of the second optical fiber are sandwiched between the first fiber holding groove and the second fiber holding groove, respectively. the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are arranged on a straight line, and tip surfaces of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are in contact with each other;
An optical connector in which the biasing force of the biasing means acts on the second optical fiber so that the tip face of the second optical fiber presses the tip face of the first optical fiber.

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