JPH03167510A - Multi-fiber optical receptacle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate assembling, to position with high precision, to surely fix and to minimize a connection loss by thrusting an optical element respectively into an element storage part, bending the lead of the optical element at a right angle and leading the lead to the outside. CONSTITUTION:The multi-fiber optical receptacle 100 is formed by the receptacle main body 110 made of conductive resin into an almost prismatic profile, a multiple sleeve 130 to be housed and fixed in the main body 110, a light receiv ing and emitting element 140 to be inserted into the rear of the sleeve 130 in the main body 110, a sleeve press plate 150 to be arranged on the rear surface of the element 140 and fixed to the sleeve 130 and a rear surface cover 170 to be arranged on the rear surface of the plate 150. Consequently, the misalignment and inclination of an axis with respect to a multi-fiber optical connector plug to be connected with the receptacle are reduced, and a connec tion loss is minimized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a multi-core optical receptacle that is combined with a multi-core optical connector plug.

[Prior Art] Communication transmission lines in which a plurality of coated optical fibers are collectively coated and a multi-core optical fiber cable is used to transmit high-density optical signals have been developed in many fields. A multi-fiber optical connector plug and a plug holder to be combined with this plug, for example, a multi-fiber optical connector plug and a plug holder to be combined with this plug, are used to connect multi-fiber optical fiber cables used for laying this communication transmission line, or to connect a multi-fiber optical fiber cable to an optical device. A cardiac receptacle is used. Inside this multi-core receptacle, a plurality of light-receiving/emitting elements (hereinafter abbreviated as optical elements) such as light-emitting diodes and the like are arranged as sources of optical signals.

In such cases, the light emitting surface of the optical element must be accurately positioned at right angles to the optical axis of the fiber optic cable, and once positioned, the optical element must be slightly However, it is necessary to have a structure that does not float. That is, if the light emitting surface of the optical element is tilted or floated even slightly from the set angle, connection loss with, for example, a multi-fiber optical connector plug will increase. Therefore, the optical device must be accurately and reliably fixed to the device housing portion of the multiple sleeve. Moreover, this multi-sleeve is fixed to the receptacle body, but since the mating multi-fiber optical connector plug is mated to the receptacle body, in order to minimize the connection loss between them, it is necessary to The connecting sleeve must also have a structure that allows it to be positioned and fixed with high precision with respect to the receptacle body. Moreover, in the case of a multi-core receptacle, a plurality of optical elements must be fixed in a horizontal row under the same conditions.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the structure of a conventional multi-core optical receptacle does not have a structure that allows a plurality of built-in optical elements to be positioned at predetermined positions with high precision and fixed all at once. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of positioning accuracy, and assembly work involving a large number of small external parts is also complicated. Furthermore, the fixing state of the optical element is also insufficient, which causes a connection loss with the mating multi-core optical connector plug, which is a problem that needs to be solved.

The present invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to handle optical elements, which are small parts, all at once, to easily assemble them, to position them with high precision, and to securely fix them. An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-core optical receptacle that can minimize connection loss with a multi-core optical connector plug or the like.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The multi-core optical receptacle of the present invention includes a receptacle body having an inner wall in which through-holes for receiving the cylindrical portions of multiple sleeves are provided in a horizontal row, and the through-holes in the main body. a multi-sleeve into which the cylindrical body portions are respectively inserted into the holes, and which are inserted and fixed into the receptacle main body; an optical element accommodated in the element-accommodating portion provided in the multi-sleeve within the receptacle main body; an element holding plate disposed on the rear surface of the optical element to press and fix the optical element housed in the element accommodating portion; and a rear surface disposed on the rear surface of the holding plate and inserted into and fixed in the receptacle main body. It is equipped with a cover.

[Function] In the multi-core optical receptacle of the present invention, optical elements are press-fitted into the element accommodating portions of the multi-sleeve, and the lead portions of the optical elements are bent at a substantially right angle and led out of the element accommodating portion. An element holding plate is disposed at the rear of the element accommodating portion, and the engaging arm of the element holding plate is engaged with the square groove of the multiple sleeve to integrally connect the multiple sleeve and the element holding plate. . At this time, the optical elements housed in the element accommodating part are also pressed all at once by the element holding plate, and are positioned with high precision.
Securely fixed. Furthermore, the lead part of the optical element is also held between the edges of the lead receiving part provided at one end of the element accommodating part and the thin groove provided in the other element holding plate, so that the optical element is securely fixed to the element accommodating part. Make it. Furthermore, after the cylindrical body portion of the multiple sleeve is inserted into the through hole provided in the inner wall of the receptacle body, the multiple sleeve is easily and reliably fixed by inserting the rear cover fitting into the receptacle body.

With the above structure, it is possible to securely fix the optical element to the multi-sleeve, and to fix the multi-sleeve to the receptacle body, and to position it in a predetermined position with high precision.As a result, the mating multi-core optical connector to be connected Misalignment with the plug, axial inclination, etc. are reduced, and connection loss can be minimized6.In addition, optical elements with small external dimensions can be fixed all at once to the multiple sleeve, and the optical elements can be fixed to the receptacle body. Since there is no need to assemble them one by one, assembly work becomes easier.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional perspective view of a multi-fiber optical connector plug according to the present invention and a multi-fiber optical septacle as a plug receiver combined with this plug;
The figure is an exploded perspective view of only the multi-core optical connector plug. In these figures, the multi-core optical connector plug 1 is
As clearly shown in FIG. 2, an upper cover 2 formed in the same shape and made of, for example, insulating resin;
A lower cover 3, a ferrule housing 4 for accommodating each ferrule, and a ferrule holding cover 6 for holding down each ferrule 5 guided and supported by the ferrule housing 4 from behind, as best shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, there are two reinforcing fiber fixing pipes 9 with different diameters for fixing the reinforcing fibers 8 of the optical fiber cable 7.
10 and a cable hood 11 that supports and fixes the outer sheath of the optical fiber cable 7, a total of seven members.

Next, the constituent members will be explained individually.

First, the above-mentioned upper cover 2 and lower cover 3 are constructed as follows. That is, as clearly shown in FIG. 3, it includes a holder part 14 whose opposite end surfaces are substantially parallel, and a core wire guide part 15 whose diameter increases with a predetermined taper toward one end. ing. In order to position the two reinforcing fiber fixing pipes 9 and 10 at predetermined positions, the holder part 14 has a recess 16 shaped to match the outer shape of the reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 10 located on the outside. is in great shape. Through-holes 17, 17 for inserting the machine screw 12 shown in FIG. 2 are formed on both sides of the recess 16, and a relatively A cylindrical portion 17a with a high height is formed. A counterbore portion 17b having a depth approximately equal to the height of the cylindrical portion 17a is formed at the periphery of the other through hole 17. The cylindrical portion 17a and the counterbore portion 17b are such that when the upper cover 2 and the lower cover 3 are overlapped, the cylindrical portion 17a of the upper cover 2 fits into the counterbore portion 17b of the lower cover 3, and conversely,
The cylindrical portion 17a of the lower cover 3 is the counterbore portion 1 of the upper cover 2.
7b, and is configured so that the upper and lower covers 2 and 3 are positioned at predetermined positions by so-called concave-convex fitting. A cable hood fitting recess 18 is formed adjacent to the locking end 16a of the recess 16 for positioning the reinforcing fiber fixing pipes 9, 10.

Further, at both ends of the holder portion 14, there are a pair of locking metal fittings 19 and 19 shown in FIG.
L-shaped grooves 20, 20 are formed into which the rear end portions fit.

Next, the structure of the core wire guide section l5 connected to the holder section 14 will be explained in detail.

The fiber guide section 15 has a plurality of optical fiber cores 21 separated from the holder section 14, that is, five optical fiber cores 21 in this embodiment, at a predetermined radius of curvature (also referred to as the minimum bending radius). ) A plurality of partition walls 22 are formed in the form of a plurality of strips and are separated individually and guided forward of the core wire guide section 15. The interval between a pair of adjacent partition walls 22.22 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the optical fiber coated wire 21, so that the optical fiber coated wire 21 can move in the width direction between the partition walls 21.21. Although the radius of curvature of the outermost partition wall 22 is smaller than the radius of curvature of the partition wall 22 arranged on the inner side, the radius of curvature of the outermost partition wall 22 is also set so that it does not fall below a certain level. There are important points to note during production. That is, if an extremely small bent portion is formed in the optical fiber, the so-called bending causes attenuation of the optical signal at such a portion, resulting in a fatal defect of increasing transmission loss.

In this example, as a result of various experiments, for example, the wire diameter is 0.
．． 60 mmφ optical fiber core wire 21 (optical fiber wire diameter,
0.25mmφ), the minimum radius of curvature is 40mmφ
The partition wall 22 is designed so that the following does not occur. Further, the height of the partition wall 22 is also formed to be relatively significantly higher than the wire diameter.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, when the upper cover 2 and the lower cover 3 are combined, the ends of the upper and lower partition walls 22, 22 come into contact with each other, and there is a wide space partitioned by the partition walls 22, 22. Section 23 is given formal precepts.

Therefore, the optical fiber core 21 guided into the cavity 23 can move horizontally and vertically within the cavity 23 by applying an external force, but the left and right partition walls 22, 22, the upper cover 2, the lower cover 3 The range of motion is restricted by the inner surface of the shaft, effectively preventing small bends. Next, the partition wall 22
．． An optical fiber 24 located at the center of the optical fiber 21 is placed at the tip of the optical fiber 21 guided into the gap 23 formed by the optical fiber 22, and the optical fiber 24 is aligned with the axis with high accuracy to transmit light. A ferrule 5 is provided together with the fiber core 21 for fixing it in a predetermined position. This fixing structure to the ferrule is different from the conventional fixing structure using adhesive, and as shown in FIGS. Then, a reinforcing pipe 26 made of metal is press-fitted, and an inner ferrule 27 made of synthetic wood A is press-fitted and fixed to this reinforcing pipe 26. This fixing structure is easy to manufacture and allows the optical fiber strand 24 to be easily and accurately positioned at the center of the ferrule.

This ferrule fixing structure will be explained in detail below with reference to FIG. 5 and subsequent figures.

FIG. 5(A) is a central longitudinal cross-sectional view of the outer ferrule 25 arranged at the outermost side, into which the optical fiber core wire 21 and the optical fiber strand 24 are inserted. A tapered portion 28 is formed at the tip of the outer ferrule 25, and a flange portion 29 is formed at the rear end of the ferrule 25.

The tapered portion 28 formed at the tip is smoothly inserted into the mating plug receiver, for example, the multiple sleeve 201 in the multi-core optical receptacle 200 shown in FIG. 1, and serves as a guide. This is what we will accomplish. On the other hand, as clearly shown in FIG. 5(A), the flange portion 29 at the rear end has axial grooves 30, 30 formed by cutting out a portion of the opposing outer circumferential portion of the flange portion 29. There is. This groove 30.30 is for preventing rotation in the circumferential direction relative to the ferrule housing 4 shown in FIG. 2, as will be described in detail later. At the tip of the ferrule 25, a through hole 31 for inserting the optical fiber 24, which has been shaped through highly accurate precision machining, is formed in the center of the thick tip portion 32 in the axial direction. There is. Through hole 3 above
An enlarged diameter portion 31a is formed at the rear of the optical fiber 1, and serves as a guide when the optical fiber strand 24 is inserted into the through hole 31. An annular groove 33 is formed in the thick end portion 32 of the ferrule 25, and the outer diameter of the annular groove 33 and the ferrule hollow portion 3
The inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the outer diameter of the diameter of the diameter of the diameter of the diameter of the diameter of the diameter of the diameter of the diameter of the diameter of the diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter of the inner diameter are the same. A reinforcing pipe 35 as shown in No. 6138iI(B) is press-fitted into the ferrule hollow part 34. Generally, a metal pipe is suitable for this reinforcing pipe 35, and in the case of this embodiment, a stainless steel pipe whose inner and outer diameters are precisely finished is used. Therefore, the reinforcing pipe 35 is press-fitted into the ferrule hollow part 34 using a press-fitting tool (not shown),
When the press-fitting is completed, as shown in FIG.
, and the rear end of the reinforcing pipe 35 protrudes rearward from the rear end of the flange portion 29 by a predetermined distance. The protruding end 35a of the reinforcing pipe 35 functions to restrict the position of a coil spring, which will be described later.

Next, details of the inner ferrule 27 inserted into the ferrule 25 will be explained based on FIGS. 7 and 9.

In these figures, the inner ferrule 27 is made of, for example, a resin resin and has a substantially cylindrical outer shape, and the outer peripheral surface of the inner ferrule 27 has a slit 2. 7a is formed in two places at axially symmetrical positions. The width of this slit 27a is different between the front end and the rear end. Moreover, the slit 27a is
There is no shape extending over the entire longitudinal direction up to the tip, and only the tip is not provided with the slit 27a. Therefore,
The rear opening end of the inner ferrule 27 can be expanded, and the optical fiber strand 24 exposed from the optical fiber core 21 shown in FIG. 8(B) can be fixed inside the inner ferrule 27 with good workability. can.

A hollow portion 27b in which the optical fiber core 21 is accommodated is formed at the center of the inner ferrule 27.
An accurately positioned through hole 27c is formed in the axial center of the inner ferrule 27 so as to communicate with the inner ferrule 7b. Further, a guide portion 27d with a reduced diameter is formed at the tip of the inner ferrule 27, and the reinforcing pipe 3
It plays a role as a guide when press-fitting into 5.

The optical fiber coated wire 21 with the optical fiber coated wire 24 shown in FIG. It is accurately positioned and fixed at the center within the inner ferrule 27. This state is shown in Figure 9. Next, the outer ferrule 25 assembly into which the reinforcing pipe 35 is press-fitted is integrally assembled with the inner ferrule 27 assembly into which the optical fiber core 21 is press-fitted.

That is, the inner ferrule 27 assembly is press-fitted from behind the reinforcing pipe 35 of the outer ferrule 25 assembly. In this case, the optical fiber strand 24 at the tip of the inner ferrule 25 is guided by the enlarged diameter portion 31a formed in the thick tip portion 32 of the outer ferrule 25 and smoothly enters the through hole 31 in the center. In addition, the central axis of the optical fiber strand 24 and the central axes of the inner ferrule 27 and the outer ferrule 25 are exactly aligned with each other.

Figure 5 (
This is best shown in the enlarged front view (A) of A) and the enlarged sectional view of FIG. 5(B).

In FIG. 5, the optical fiber strand 24 protruding to the outside of the outer ferrule 25 is cut, and its end face is polished by a predetermined method.

In this embodiment, the outer ferrules 25 are respectively fixed to the tips of the five optical fiber cores 21 using the same structure.

The outer ferrule 25 described above is positioned and fixed within the ferrule housing 4 shown in FIG. That is, the details of the ferrule housing 4 are shown in FIG. 10(A),
As shown in (B), (C), and (D), the ferrule guide hole 41 is formed into a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape, and into which the afterferrules 25 are inserted in a row in the width direction.
However, there are five types. This ferrule guide hole 41
Partition walls 42 are formed in the radial direction slightly forward of the central portion of the tube, as clearly shown in FIG. 10(D). A through hole 43 is provided in each of the partition walls 41. The inner diameter of the through hole 43 is set to be large enough to allow the tip of the outer ferrule 25 to be inserted therethrough. Adjacent to the rear of the partition wall 41,
Further, small protrusions 44 are provided on the inner wall of the ferrule guide hole 41 at intervals of, for example, 180° in the circumferential direction.

The small protrusions 44.44 in this axially symmetrical position are located in the outer ferrule 2 as shown in the partially enlarged sectional view of the first upper figure.
The symmetrical groove 30.30 formed in the flange portion 29 of 5
The outer ferrule 25 is fitted into the outer ferrule 25 to prevent the outer ferrule 25 from rotating in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, when the tip of the outer ferrule 25 is inserted into the through hole 43 formed in the partition wall 41, the flange portion 29 of the outer ferrule 25 is inserted into the partition wall 41.
The projection length of the tip of the outer ferrule 25 from each ferrule guide hole 41 is regulated, and the five outer ferrules are placed at the axial center position of the ferrule guide hole 41 by the inner surface of each through hole 43. The ferrule 25 is
Each will be positioned. At both ends of the ferrule housing 4 in the width direction, compartments 45 and 45 are formed parallel to the ferrule guide hole 41 into which the tips of the two locking fittings 19 shown in FIG. 2 are inserted. There is. Further, on one outer surface 46 of the ferrule housing 4 (see FIG. 10(B)), two grooves 47,
47 is formed. These grooves 47, 47 are for regulating the directionality when inserting the mating multi-core luminous septacle 200 shown in FIG. 1. Furthermore, four locking protrusions 49 are provided on the rear end surface of the ferrule housing 4.
are formed in two rows at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction. This locking protrusion 49 is for fixing the ferrule holding cover 6 that closes the rear open end of the ferrule housing 4. That is, as clearly shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the ferrule holding cover 6 has a receiving hole 61 into which the locking projection 49 provided on the ferrule housing 4 is inserted. They are provided at approximately corresponding positions. However, the pitch of the receiving holes 61 is formed to be slightly narrower than the pitch of the locking projections 49. Therefore, when inserting the locking protrusion 49 into the receiving hole 61,
The locking projection 49 is forced into the position of the receiving hole 61. That is, when the locking projection 49 is pushed through in a state that is slightly narrowed inward against the elasticity of the locking projection 49 and passes through the receiving hole 61, the locking projection 49 returns to its initial position due to its own elasticity. The hook portion 49a at the tip of the locking protrusion 49 presses the back side 62 of the ferrule holding cover 6, so that the holding cover 6 completely closes the open end of the ferrule housing 4. On the other hand, on the front side 6.3 of the ferrule holding cover 6, five spring holding parts 64 that fit into the ferrule guide holes 41 of the ferrule housing 4 are formed in parallel and in a protruding shape. That is, the protruding spring holding portion 64 is fitted into the ferrule guide hole 41 and is provided to press one end of the coil spring 65, respectively. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, when the ferrule retainer cover 6 is locked to the ferrule housing 4 by the locking protrusion 49, the coil spring 65 is compressed within the ferrule guide hole 41, and the coil spring 65 is compressed within the ferrule guide hole 41. As a result, the outer ferrule 25 is always supported in front of the ferrule guide hole 41 while being biased.

The ferrule housing 4, which supports the outer ferrule 25 in a predetermined position as described above, is inserted and fixed inside the upper and lower covers 2 and 3 shown in FIG. 3. This fixing method is as follows.

That is, grooves 50, 50 are provided on the rear, opposing outer surfaces 46, 46 of the ferrule housing 4, respectively. The root ends of the grooves 50, 50 include the grooves 50,
An upper wall 50a is formed to cover a part of the upper wall 50.

On the other hand, small tongue pieces 15c, i5c are provided on the inside of the upper and lower covers 2 and 3, that is, on the mouth edge 15a of the core wire guide portion l5 of the upper and lower covers 2 and 3, so as to protrude forward. ing. A stepped portion 15b is formed on the mouth edge portion 15a,
The ferrule housing 4 is positioned and fixed to this stepped portion 15b. The way to fix it is to first fix the upper and lower covers 2
, 3, the small tongue pieces 15c, 15c provided on the mouth edge 15a of
The small tongue pieces 15c, 15c are inserted into the concave grooves 50, 50 of the ferrule housing 4, particularly into the blind hole (not shown) formed by providing the root end C thereof and the upper wall 50a. Next, the rear end of the ferrule housing 4 is attached to the stepped portion 15.
b, position and fix. The optical fiber core 21 guided to the rear of the ferrule holding cover 6 relative to the ferrule housing 4 is placed in a cavity 23 having a predetermined radius of curvature formed by the partition walls 22 of the upper and lower covers 2 and 3. Each can be accommodated. The reinforcing fiber 8 exposed from the end of the optical fiber cable 7 is fixed at the converging end of the gap 23.

Therefore, next, a method for fixing the end of an optical fiber cable having this reinforcing fiber 8 will be explained in detail.

First, in the holder portions 14 (FIG. 3) of the upper cover 2 and the lower cover 3, as shown in FIG. Teru. The reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 10 placed on the outside has a thinner wall thickness than the reinforcing fiber fixing pipe placed on the inside. Further, the reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 10 may be made of any soft metal that is easily deformable, but in the embodiment of the present invention, brass was used. Note that the materials of the reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 9 disposed on the inside and the reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 10 disposed on the outside are changed, that is, the outer reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 10 is made of softer metal than the inner reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 10. A similar effect can be obtained by using

As described above, when the outer reinforcing fiber fixing pipe IO is placed over the inner reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 9, an annular gap is formed between them, and the end of the optical fiber cable 7 is inserted into this gap. The exposed reinforcing fibers 8 are evenly sandwiched in the circumferential direction. More specifically, the inner reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 9 is passed through the outer sheath 7a of the optical fiber cable 7 from its end. Next, the reinforcing fibers 8 are folded back around the outer periphery of the inner reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 9 so as to be rolled up from the end. Thereafter, the reinforcing fibers 8 are squeezed by the inner surface, and the outer reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 10 is inserted. In this state, the upper cover 2 and lower cover 3 were formed! !
The two pipes 9 and 10 are fitted into the first part 16.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a locking end 16a is formed at the rear end of the recess 16 in the axial direction, and inner and outer reinforcing fibers are attached to the locking end 16a. One end surface of the fixing pipe 9.10, that is, the rear end surface is regulated. The other end surface, that is, the front end surface of the reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 9.10, has a front end 1 formed in a recess 16.
6b. In this way, the reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 9,10 fitted into the recess 16 does not move in any direction in the axial direction of the optical fiber cable 7.

A cable hood 11 is arranged behind the reinforcing fiber fixing pipes 9 and 10. This cable hood 11
is made of an elastic material, preferably polyurethane #1 resin. This cable hood 11 is shown in FIG.
As its outer shape is clearly shown, the cylindrical body part 1 is arranged so as to protrude in the axial direction from one side of the flange-like body part 11a.
lb is the precept. Then, the optical fiber cable 7 is inserted through the cylindrical portion l1 and the main body portion 11a. This cable hood 11 has upper and lower forces/<-
2. Cable hood insertion recess 18 shaped at the end of 3
be fitted into. This state is clearly shown in the enlarged view of FIG.

Note that the cable hood 11 is inserted into the optical fiber cable 7 before the reinforcing fiber fixing pipes 9 and 10 are inserted thereinto.

Next, the assembly order of the multi-core optical connector plug 1 configured as described above will be explained.

First, the ferrule housing 4 is fixed to the core wire guide portion 15 of the lower cover 3 as described above. Then,
The optical fiber core 21 led out to the rear of the ferrule holding cover 6 of the ferrule housing 4 is connected to the adjacent partition wall 2.
2. They are stored separately in the cavity 23 defined by 22. The optical fiber core 21 is connected to the core wire guide section 1
5 to the holder part 14, the void part 23 no longer exists, and the converging part of the optical fiber core 21 is inserted into the inner reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 9. After the reinforcing fiber 8 exposed from the end of the optical fiber cable 7 is folded back onto the pipe 9 as described above, the outside of the reinforcing fiber 8 is covered with another reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 10.

Next, together with these two reinforcing fiber fixing pipes 9 and 10, the cable hood 11 placed adjacent to the rear of the pipes 9 and 10 is inserted into the recess 16 of the lower cover 3 and the cable hood insertion recess 18, respectively. Insert.

In this state, the lower cover 3 and the symmetrically formed upper cover 2 are overlapped. In this case, as mentioned above,
A cylindrical portion 17a protruding from the inner surface of the holder portion 14 and a counterbore portion 17b form a counterbore portion 17b shaped in the upper cover 2.
and the cylindrical portion 17a, respectively, and the upper and lower covers 2 and 3 are positioned. Next, the machine screw 12 is inserted into the through hole 17 provided at the center of the cylindrical part 17a and the counterbore part 17b, and the machine screw 12 is tightened in combination with the nut 13. As the machine screws 12 are tightened, the upper and lower covers 2 and 3 are tightened.
The inner surface of the recess 16 deforms so as to crush the relatively thin reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 10 disposed on the outside. In this case, since the reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 9 arranged inside is formed with a relatively thick wall, it does not deform due to the pressing force, and the reinforcing fibers sandwiched between the gaps of the pipe 9 and 10 end up. will be firmly fixed.

A cross-sectional view of this state is shown in FIG.

In the above case, since the outer reinforcing fiber fixing pipe 10 is deformed as a whole, it is effective to avoid applying a concentrated load to the optical fiber 24 in a spot, which may cause accidental damage. This has the extremely important effect that it can be avoided. Furthermore, in the past, it was necessary to fix the reinforcing fibers twice, once to attach the reinforcing fibers to the cover, etc., but with the above method, the reinforcing fibers can be fixed at the same time when the upper and lower covers are screwed. Since the optical fiber cable 7 can be fixed by a so-called labor-intensive work, work efficiency is improved.

On the other hand, the cable hood l1 is also pressed against the inner bottom surfaces of the cable hood insertion recesses 18 of the upper and lower covers 2 and 3, and the cable hood 11, which is shaped by the elastic member, is deformed so as to be crushed. The jacket 7a of the optical fiber cable 7 inserted through the cable hood l1 is firmly held and fixed between the upper and lower covers 2 and 3. In this way, the inner reinforcing fiber 8 of the optical fiber cable 7 is fixed between the reinforcing fiber fixing pipes 9 and 10, and the outer sheath 7a is
Because it is fixed by the cable hood 11, even if a tension is applied to the optical fiber cable 7 in the axial direction, the optical fiber core 21 and the light inside the optical fiber core 21 will be protected. To the fiber wire 24,
Do not apply excessive tension.

The multi-core optical connector plug 1 thus assembled is shown in FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B).

Returning to FIG. 1 again, the above multi-core optical connector plug 1
The configuration of a plug receptacle, for example, the multi-core optical receptacle 100, which is combined with the optical fiber receptacle will be explained with reference to detailed drawings from FIG. 18 onwards.

As clearly shown in FIG. 18, in which each component is turned upside down, the multi-core optical receptacle 100 includes a receptacle body 110 formed of conductive resin into a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape, and this body. a multi-sleeve 130 housed and fixed within the receptacle body 110; a light-receiving/emitting element 140 inserted into the rear of the multi-sleeve 130 within the receptacle body 130; It is composed of a sleeve holding plate 150 fixed to the multiple sleeve 130, and a rear cover metal fitting 170 disposed on the rear surface of the sleeve holding plate 150.

As shown in FIGS. 18 and below, the receptacle body 110 is provided with an inner wall 111 extending in the width direction of the body 110. This inner wall 111 has a plurality of through holes 1, five in this embodiment, that pass through the inner wall 111.
12 are formed in a line along the inner wall 11↓.

A corrugated stepped portion 113 is formed so as to surround the outer periphery of the through hole l11, and a cylindrical body portion 131 of a multiple sleeve 130, which will be described later, is fitted into this stepped portion 113.

Details of the multiple sleeve 131 are shown in FIGS. 24 to 26.
As shown in the figure.

In these figures, the multiple sleeve 131 includes a laser diode (LD) and a light receiving/light emitting diode (LED).
), etc. (hereinafter abbreviated as optical device 140), etc. (hereinafter abbreviated as optical device 140), etc. (hereinafter abbreviated as optical device 140), etc. (hereinafter abbreviated as optical device 140), etc. (hereinafter abbreviated as optical device 140) are housed with independent device housing portions 132 arranged in a series in the horizontal direction in the figure. This element housing section 1
32 and the cylindrical body portion 113 are separated by a partition wall 133, as clearly shown in FIG. 24(E), and in the center of this partition wall 133 there is a As can be clearly seen, a small diameter through hole 134 is formed exactly facing the center of the optical element 140.

Ribs 135 that protrude in the radial direction are provided in the element housing portion 132 at positions spaced apart by 90″ along the inner peripheral surface thereof. The optical element 140 is provided in the element housing part 132 so that it is securely fixed.That is, the outer diameter of the cylindrical part of the optical element l40 is smaller than the virtual circle passing through the apex of the rib 135 projecting in the radial direction. , the dimensions are set to be slightly larger, and the optical element 140 is placed in the element housing part 1.
It has a structure that is press-fitted into 32.

Further, a step portion 136 is formed at the open end of the element accommodating portion 132, and a portion of this step portion 136 is provided with a rotation prevention portion provided on the cap 141 (see FIG. 18) of the optical device 140. A notch 137 is formed into which a small tongue piece 142 is inserted.

When the optical element 140 is housed in the element accommodating portion 132, the directionality of the optical element 140 is regulated by dropping the small tongue piece 142 of the optical element 132 into the notch ↓37.

The optical element 140 housed in the element housing part 132 is as follows:
In the case of this embodiment, an LED is used, and its lead portion 143
As shown in FIG. 18, the leads 144 are bent at a substantially right angle and inserted into the grooves 138a of the lead receiving part 138 protruding from the end of the element accommodating part 132.

Note that although different types of optical elements 140 are inserted, in the case of an optical element 140 having three leads, the lead portion located at the center has a depth formed at the center of the lead receiving portion 138. The lead is inserted into the shallow groove 138b, and the leads on both sides thereof are inserted into the relatively deep groove 138a. An element holding plate 150 shown in FIG. 25 is disposed at the back catch of the multiple sleeve 130.

This element holding plate 150 is fitted into the element accommodating portion 132 of the multiple sleeve 130. That is, the element housing section 1
In order not to displace the optical element 140 housed in the optical element 32 and to prevent the light emitting surface of the optical element 140 from being inclined,
In order to be closely fixed to the partition wall 133 that forms the bottom surface of the element housing portion 132, it has the following precise structure.

That is, as shown in FIG. 25, small protrusions 151 are formed in a predetermined arrangement on the surface of the element holding plate 150 facing the element accommodating portion 132. The arrangement of the small protrusions 151 is such that when the optical device 1.40 is housed in the device housing portion 132, the flange formed on the periphery of the cap of the device 140 is clearly shown in FIG. The small protrusions 151 are arranged around the protrusions 145 so as to come into contact with them. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 25(B) or (D), a narrow groove 152 for receiving the lead portion of the optical element 140 is formed in the opposing surface. There are three narrow grooves 152.
The number of optical elements 140 accommodated as a set, in this embodiment, is
Since five optical elements 140 are used, five sets of narrow grooves 152 are used.
are shaped in a horizontal row in parallel. Further, among the set of narrow grooves 152, the narrow grooves 152 at both ends have the same length,
The narrow groove 153 at the center is shorter and relatively deeper than the narrow grooves 152 at both ends.

Next, FIG. 26 shows the element housing portion 1 of the multiple sleeve 130.
32 shows an enlarged sectional view of a state in which the optical element 140 is housed and fixed with an element holding plate 150.

As is clear from this figure, the flange portion 145 of the cap 141 of the optical device 140 housed in the device housing portion 132 is pressed and supported by the small protrusion 151 of the device holding plate 150. Further, the lead parts 143 and 144 led out from the mold part (not shown) of the optical element 140 and the lead part 143a located at the center are bent at a substantially right angle, and are They are inserted into the deep grooves ↓38a at both ends and the relatively shallow grooves 138b, respectively. On the other hand, each lead portion 143, 14 accommodated in each groove 138a, 138b described above.
3a, 144, the thin groove 152 of the element holding plate 150
, 153 are opposed to each other, and the inner end surfaces of the narrow grooves 152, 153 press each lead portion 143, 143a, 144. In this way, each lead portion 143, 143a, 144
are pressed in opposite directions between the end surfaces of the groove on the multi-sleeve 130 side and the groove on the element holding plate 150 side, and are securely fixed within the groove. As a result, in conjunction with the holding by the small projections 151 on the side of the element holding plate 150, the five optical elements 140 are fixed to the element accommodating portion 132 all at once. That is, the light emitting surface of the optical element 140, which is set perpendicular to the optical axis of the other party, can be held structurally stable.

Next, the above-described multiple sleeve 130 and element holding plate 150 are
The fixing method will be explained with reference to FIGS. 24 and 25 again.

That is, in the multiple sleeve 130,! As clearly shown in the front view of FIG. 24(B), four square grooves 139 are formed between the adjacent cylindrical parts 131 and 13l at opposing positions in the upper and lower parts of the element housing part 132, respectively. being intimidated. As shown in FIG. 25, four pairs of upper and lower engaging arms 54, 154 are formed at the upper and lower parts of the element holding plate 150 corresponding to the square grooves 139.

Hook portions 154a are formed at the distal ends of the engagement arms 154, respectively.

Therefore, the connection between the multiple sleeve 130 and the element holding plate 150 is achieved by pressing the engaging arm 154 of the element holding plate 150 forward against the square groove 139 of the multiple sleeve 130. , the lower engagement arms 154, 154 are pushed apart against their own elasticity, and the engagement arms 1
54, 154 are completely inserted into the square groove 139, the hook portion 154 at the tip of the engagement arm 154, 154
This is done by elastically restoring a and engaging with the stepped portion of the square groove 139.

Next, a rear cover metal fitting 1 is placed behind the element holding plate 150 and press-fitted into the receptacle body 110.
70 will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 22 and 23.

The rear cover fitting 170 is formed into a substantially U-shape in plan view, and includes insertion pieces 172 and 17 extending in parallel toward the opening end.
It has 2. Both opening ends are provided with locking protrusions 171, 171 facing each other. This locking protrusion 17
1, 171 are, for example, the locking holes 19a, 19a of the locking fitting 19.19 of the multi-core optical connector plug 1 shown in FIG.
It fits into the locking mechanism and forms a locking mechanism for both.

The rear parts of the insertion pieces 172, 172 of the rear cover metal fitting 170 have a pair of bent pieces 173, 173 at opposing positions, and two locking protrusions 174, 174 is in full form. moreover,
At the upper and lower end surfaces of the insertion pieces 172 and 172, and at positions between the locking protrusion 171 and the bent piece 173,
As best shown in FIG. 23, the locking protrusions 175, 17
5 are provided in the upper and lower pairs. Further, a mounting piece 176 for fixing to the printed circuit board 200 shown in FIG.
, 176 are formed.

The above rear cover metal fittings 170 are shown in FIGS. 18 and 19.
As best shown in the figure, the receptacle body 110
are press-fitted into square holes 115, 115 formed inside along the side walls 114, 114 at both ends in the width direction. As shown in FIG. 22, when press-fitting, the square hole 115
, 115, the locking protrusion 174 is attached to the side walls 116, 116 of the
, 174 bites in. Moreover, above the square holes 115, 115,
As shown in FIG. 23, locking protrusions 175, 175 bite into the protruding portion 115a from below. In this way, the rear cover metal fitting 170 bites into the receptacle main body 110 at a total of four places, and the two are completely connected, and the inner surface of the multiple sleeve l30 and the element holding plate 150 are firmly attached to the receptacle main body 110. It will be fixed at

Next, the assembly order of the entire multi-core optical receptacle 100 will be explained based on FIGS. 27A to 27F.

In FIGS. 27(A) and (B), the receptacle body 1
10, a multiple sleeve 130 and five optical elements 14
0, the element holding plate 150, and the rear cover metal fitting 170 are combined.

Therefore, first, five optical elements 140 are placed in the multiple sleeve 130 in each element housing part 1 shown in FIG.
32 through the notch 137 and accommodated in a predetermined position. Next, as shown in FIG. 27C, the optical element 1
The element holding plate 150 is fitted into the multi-sleeve 130 containing the elements 40 from behind.

Next, as shown in FIG. 27D, the receptacle body 1
10, insert the multi-sleeve assembly described above.

In this case, the cylindrical body portion 131 of the multiple sleeve 130 is
The through hole 112 and the cylindrical body part l31 are shaped so that accurate positioning can be achieved by inserting it into the through hole 112 of the receptacle body 110 shown in FIGS. 8, 20, 21, etc. There is.

Next, as shown in FIG. 27E, the rear cover metal fittings 170
into the receptacle body 110. That is, the rear cover metal fitting 17 is inserted into the square hole 115 of the resettable main body 110, which is clearly shown in FIGS. 18 and 19.
0 using a predetermined tool or the like. The multiple sleeve assembly is securely and firmly fixed to the receptacle body 110 by the presser of the rear cover metal fitting 170. The thus completed multi-core optical receptacle 110 is the second
This is shown in Figure 7F. This optical receptacle 100 has roughly the following features.

(1) The plurality of optical elements 140 are reliably positioned and fixed in the element accommodating portion 132 of the multiple sleeve 130 by the sleeve pressing plate 150, and the optical elements 140 are not allowed to float, so the optical axis is always constant and the optical signal No transmission loss occurs.

(2) The receptacle body 110 has multiple sleeves 13
Since the optical elements 140 are incorporated together with the optical elements 140, there is no need to incorporate the optical elements 140 with small external shapes one by one into the receptacle main body 110, which makes handling convenient and improves work efficiency.

(3) The integrally formed multi-sleeve 130 allows a plurality of independent light sources to be positioned on the same axis very easily.

Next, an embodiment in which the receptacle body of the multi-core receptacle 100 is improved will be described with reference to FIGS. 28 and 29.

FIG. 28 shows a conventional receptacle body 120, and this receptacle body 120 is generally made of metal or conductive wood 71! for reasons such as noise countermeasures. 1 2 1. However, in this conventional structure, the surface of the receptacle body 120 is conductive, so when mounted on the printed circuit board 200, for example, the receptacle body 1
A conductive pattern cannot be provided on the surface 201 of the printed circuit board 200 that is in contact with the surface 20 of the printed circuit board 200. Furthermore, when mounting an optical module 20 or the like whose case surface is conductive in an electronic device, if it is necessary to insulate it from the electronic device's housing, another insulating member must be interposed. It took a lot of effort.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 29, the receptacle body 12
0 has a structure in which the outside of a conductive resin 121 is covered with an insulating resin 122. In this way, the printed circuit board 20
The problem of short circuit with the conductive pattern on the surface 201 of 0 is avoided, and since there is no intervening other insulating member, it becomes possible to mount it in an electronic device, and the number of parts can be reduced and practical convenience can be achieved.

As described above, in the above embodiment, the entire multi-fiber optical connector plug 1 and the entire multi-fiber optical receptacle 100 as a plug receptacle for the multi-fiber optical connector plug 1 have been described in detail, but the present invention In order to clarify the importance of this invention, only the effects corresponding to the structure of the claims of the present invention will be specifically extracted and described as follows.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the multi-core optical receptacle of the present invention, the optical elements are press-fitted into the element accommodating portions of the multiple sleeve, and the lead portions of the optical elements are bent at a substantially right angle, so that the outside of the element accommodating portion is An element holding plate is arranged behind the 6-element accommodating part leading out to the 6-element holding part, and by engaging the engaging arm of the element holding plate with the square groove of the multiple sleeve, the multiple sleeve and the element holding plate are integrated. join to.

At this time, the optical element accommodated in the element accommodating portion is also pressed by the small protrusion provided on the element holding plate, and is positioned with high precision and securely fixed. Furthermore, the lead part of the optical element is also held between the edges of the lead receiving part provided at one end of the element accommodating part and the narrow groove provided in the other element holding plate, thereby ensuring the fixation of the optical element.

In addition, since a plurality of optical elements with small external dimensions are fixed all at once to a sleeve formed in multiple series using an element holding plate,
The multiple sleeves can be assembled together into the receptacle body without having to be assembled one by one, making assembly work easier. Furthermore, after the cylindrical body portion of the multiple sleeve is also inserted into the through hole provided in the inner wall of the receptacle body, it is easily and reliably fixed by the rear cover metal fitting. With the above structure, it is possible to securely fix the optical element to the multi-sleeve, and to fix the multi-sleeve to the receptacle body, and to position it in a predetermined position with high precision.As a result, the mating multi-core optical connector to be connected It has excellent effects such as reducing axial misalignment with the plug, axial inclination, etc., and minimizing connection loss.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-core optical connector plug and a multi-core optical receptacle as a plug holder showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the multi-core optical connector plug, and FIG. Figure 3 shows an upper cover or a lower cover, which are structural parts of a multi-core optical connector plug, and Figure 3 (A) is a front view thereof, Figure 3 (B) is a plan view showing its inner surface, and Figure 3 shows a top cover or a lower cover that is a component of a multi-core optical connector plug. (
C) is a plan view showing the outside, FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the gap formed by the combination of the upper cover and the lower cover, and FIG. 5 is the component parts of the multi-core optical connector plug. A certain ferrule is shown, FIG. 6A is an enlarged front view thereof, FIG. 6B is a vertical sectional view thereof, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the outer ferrule, FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the reinforcing pipe inserted into the outer ferrule, and FIG. Figure 8 shows the inner ferrule and
The optical fiber core wire press-fitted into this inner ferrule is shown, and (A) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inner ferrule.
Figure (B) is a front view of the optical fiber with the optical fiber exposed from the end, Figure (C) is a perspective view of the 5 inner ferrule, and Figure 9 shows the optical fiber core in the inner ferrule. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the state in which the wires are press-fitted, and FIG. 10 shows the ferrule housing, which is a component of the multi-core optical connector plug, and FIG. 10 (A) is a left side view thereof, and FIG.
is its front view, the same figure (C) is its left side view, the same figure (
D) is a partially cutaway sectional view of the ferrule housing, FIG. 11 is an enlarged sectional view showing the ferrule positioned with respect to the ferrule housing, and FIG.
The figure is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the fixing structure of the ferrule to the ferrule housing, FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view thereof, and FIG. 14 is a multi-fiber optical connector plug incorporating each structure or part. Figure (A) is a front view, Figure (B) is a partially sectional plan view, and Figure 1.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining the fixing structure of reinforcing fibers in the optical fiber cable, and FIG. 16 is an enlarged sectional view showing the fixing structure of the optical fiber cable to the upper and lower covers.
FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along A-AM in FIG.
FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the multi-core optical receptacle assembled with the multi-core optical connector plug, FIG. 19 is a front view of the multi-core optical receptacle, and FIG. 20 is taken along line A-A in FIG. 19. The cross-sectional view along FIG. 21 is taken along the line B-B in FIG. 19.
The sectional views taken along the line, FIGS. 22 and 23, are also sectional views for clarifying the state in which the rear cover metal fittings are engaged with the multi-core optical receptacle, and FIG.
The sectional view taken along the line B-B in the figure, FIG.
A cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in the figure, and FIG. 24 shows a multi-sleeve which is a component of the multi-core optical receptacle. , its front view, the same figure (C) is its side view, the same figure (D) is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of the same figure (B), the same figure (E) is the same figure (D) B of
- An enlarged sectional view along line B, the same figure (F) is an enlarged rear view thereof, the same figure (G) is a partially enlarged view of the same figure (F),
FIG. 25 shows an element holding plate which is a structural part of the multi-core optical receptacle, and FIG. 25(A) is a plan view thereof, and FIG.
B) is a front view showing the inner surface, and the same figure (C) is the same figure (
FIG. 26 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line A-A in B), and is a partial sectional view for explaining the state in which the optical element is fixed to the multiple sleeve; FIG. 27A, FIG. 27B, FIG. 27C, and FIG. 27D, 27E, and 27F are explanatory diagrams showing the assembly order of the multi-core optical receptacle, FIG. 28 is a sectional view for explaining the construction material of the conventional receptacle body, and FIG. 29
The figure is a sectional view showing an example of an improved receptacle body. ↓...Multi-core optical connector plug, 2...Top cover 3...Bottom cover 4...Ferrule housing, 5...Ferrule, 6...Ferrule holding cover 7...Optical fiber cable , 7a...outer cover, 8...
・Reinforcement fiber, 9, lO... Pipe for fixing reinforcing fiber, 1 ■... Cable hood, 12... Machine screw, 13... Nut, 14... Holder part, 15... Core wire Guide part, 15a... mouth edge part,
15b... Step part, 15c... Small tongue piece, 16... Concave part, 16a... Locking end part, 16b... Tip part, 17... Through hole, 17a... Cylindrical part, 17b... Counterbore portion, 18... Cable hood fitting recess, 19... Locking metal fitting, 19a... Locking hole, 20... L-shaped groove, 21... Optical fiber core Line, 22... Bulkhead, 23...
-Gap portion, 24...Optical fiber wire, 25...Outer ferrule, 26...Reinforcement pipe, 27.11 inner ferrule, 27a...Slit, 27b...Hollow part, 27c...
...Through hole, 27cj...Guide part, 28...Tapered part, 29...Flange part, 30...Groove, 31...
Through hole, 32... Thick end portion, 33... Annular groove, 34...
ferrule hollow part, 35... reinforcing pipe, 41... ferrule guide hole, 42... partition wall, 43... through hole, 44... small projection, 45... compartment, 46. ...outer surface, 47...concave groove, 48...rear end surface, 49...locking protrusion, 49a...
・Hook portion, 50... Concave groove, 61... Receiving hole, 62.
...Back side, 63...Front side, 64...Spring holding part, 65...
Coil spring, 100... Multi-core optical receptacle, 110... Receptacle main body, 111... Inner wall, 112... Through hole, 113...
Stepped portion, 114... Side wall, 115... Square hole, 115a
...Protrusion part, 116...Side wall, 120...Receptacle body, 121...Metal or conductive resin, 122...Insulating resin, 130...Multiple sleeve, 131...Cylinder Body part, 132... Element housing part, 133... Partition wall, 134...
...Through hole, 135...Rib, 136...Step, 13
7... Notch part, 138... Lead receiving part, 138a.
...Groove, 138b...Shallow groove, 139...Square groove, 1
40... Optical element, 141... Cap, 142...
・Rotation prevention tongue piece, ↓43, 14-4... Lead part, 145... Flange part, ↓50... Element holding plate, 151... Edge part, 152
... Small tongue piece, 153 ... Step part, 154 ... Engagement arm, 154a ... Hook part, 170 ... Rear cover metal fitting, ↓71 ... Locking projection, 172 ... Insertion piece, 'L7
3... Bending piece, 174, 175... Locking protrusion, 176... Mounting piece, 200... Printed circuit board.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A receptacle body having an inner wall in which through-holes for receiving the cylindrical portions of the multiple sleeves are provided in a horizontal row, and the cylindrical portions are inserted into the through-holes in the main body, respectively. , a multiple sleeve housed and fixed within the receptacle body, a light-receiving/emitting element housed in an element accommodating portion provided in the multiple sleeve within the receptacle body, and a rear surface of the light-receiving/emitting element. an element holding plate that is arranged and presses and fixes the light receiving/emitting element housed in the element housing part;
A multi-core optical receptacle comprising: a rear cover disposed on the rear surface of the holding plate and inserted into and fixed to the receptacle body. 2. A lead receiving part having a groove for receiving the lead part of the light receiving/emitting element provided at one end of the element accommodating part of the multiple sleeve, and receiving the lead part of the light receiving/emitting element provided on the element holding plate. a narrow groove, and a part of the lead part of the light receiving/emitting element is clamped and fixed between the edges of the groove on the multi-sleeve side and the narrow groove on the element holding plate side. A multi-core optical receptacle according to claim 1.