JPH0435845Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Field of Use The present invention relates to a connector for connecting optical fiber cables, and particularly to a connector for optical fibers to which optical fiber cores can be directly connected.

Conventional technology In recent years, standard light source devices, optical power meters, etc. have been using pigtail-type light-emitting diodes and pigtail-type light-receiving diodes, in which optical fiber cores for light output or light input are connected to light-emitting diodes or light-receiving diodes. has been used. In standard light source devices, optical power meters, etc. that use these light emitting diodes, light receiving diodes, etc., an optical fiber cable connector is provided in the housing for optical connection with external equipment. A connector to which an optical fiber cable from an external device is connected can be attached to and detached from the cable connector. An example of such a conventional device will be described with reference to FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

If the device shown in FIG. 4 is, for example, a standard light source device, a pigtail type light emitting diode 20 is housed in the housing 10 of this device. The pigtail light emitting diode 20 has an optical fiber core 21 having one end optically connected to the light emitting diode, as described above. The core wire 21 is made up of a fiber 21A and a core sheath 21B made of nylon or the like. An adapter 30 of a connector for connecting an optical fiber cable is attached to the opening 11A of the front wall 11 of the housing 10 using screws or the like. The adapter 30 is made of, for example, a metal material, and includes a first exterior 31, a second exterior 32,
a ring 33 that connects the first exterior 31 and the second exterior 32 back to back; a first sleeve holder 34;
It comprises a second sleeve holder 35 and an alignment sleeve 36 held within the first sleeve holder 34 and the second sleeve holder 35. The first exterior 31 includes a flange portion 31A for attachment to the housing, and a male thread portion 31B for coupling a connector plug 50 for connecting an optical fiber cable for connecting an external device. 2nd exterior 3
2 includes a flange portion 32A for attachment to the housing, and a male thread portion 32B for coupling a connector plug 40 for connecting the optical fiber cable for the pigtail type light emitting diode 20.

Connector plug 40 for optical fiber cable connection
and connector plug 50 for connecting optical fiber cable
Since they have the same structure, only the optical fiber cable connecting connector plug 40 will be explained. The optical fiber cable connecting connector plug 40 mainly includes a cap nut 41, a frame 42, a stopper 43, a ferrule 44,
It includes a reinforcing material retainer 45 and a hood 46.
The cap nut 41, the frame 42, the stopper 43, the ferrule 44, and the reinforcing material retainer 45 are made of, for example, a metal material, and the hood 46 is made of a rubber material. The cap nut 41 has a female threaded portion 41A on its inner periphery that engages with the male threaded portion 32B of the second exterior 32 of the adapter 30. The front end of a stopper 43 is screwed to the rear end of the frame 42, and the front end of a reinforcing retainer 45 is screwed to the rear end of the stopper 43. A washer 47 is arranged between the cap nut 41 and the frame 42. As is well known, the ferrule 44 securely holds the core end of the optical fiber to be connected, and is movable between the stopper protrusion 42A of the frame 42 and the tip of the stopper 43, and is always kept in place. , is deflected forward by a deflection coil spring 48.

In order to optically connect the pigtail type light emitting diode 20 to an external device using such a conventional optical fiber cable connector plug 40, the following procedure is carried out: One end of the relay optical fiber cable 60 is processed, and the core 61 is
(consisting of the fiber and the core coating) is exposed,
The end of the core 61 is fixed to the ferrule 44 as known in the art. The cord reinforcement 62 of the optical fiber 60 is pressed against the outer periphery of the rear end of the stopper 43 by the reinforcement retainer 45. In this way, the other end of the relay optical fiber cable 60, one end of which is connected to the optical fiber cable connector plug 60, is processed to expose the fiber 61A. Meanwhile, the end of the core 21 of the pigtail type light emitting diode 20 is processed to expose the fiber 21A, and the fiber 61A and the fiber 21A are spliced together by heat fusion or the like. Then, the front end of the ferrule 44 is inserted into the rear end of the alignment sleeve 36 of the adapter 30 attached to the front wall 11 of the housing 10, and the female thread 41A of the cap nut 41 is threadedly engaged with the male thread 32B of the second exterior 32 to couple the optical fiber cable connector plug 40 to the rear end of the adapter 30. Similarly, an end of the optical fiber cable 70 to the external device is connected to the optical fiber cable connector plug 50, and this optical fiber cable connector plug 50 is similarly coupled to the front end of the adapter 30, thereby making an optical connection between the external device and the pigtail type light emitting diode 20.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In order to optically connect a pigtail type light emitting diode or light receiving diode to an external device using the conventional optical fiber cable connector as described above, it is necessary to It is necessary to use a relay optical fiber cable 60, and the connection between one end of the optical fiber cable 60 and a connector plug is relatively troublesome, and the connection between the fiber at the other end of the optical fiber cable 60 and a pigtail diode is relatively troublesome. It is necessary to splice the fibers of the core wires by heat fusion or the like, and it is also necessary to connect the adapter 30 and the connector plug 40, which requires a considerable amount of effort and requires a large number of parts. , the cost was becoming high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the problems of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber connector that can directly connect optical fiber cores.

Means and Effects for Solving the Problems The optical fiber connector according to the present invention includes a housing having a coupling part with a mating connector at the front end and a stopper part at the rear end, and a front end held in the housing. an alignment sleeve capable of receiving the tip of the ferrule of the mating connector therein; and a tip of the ferrule of the mating connector that is inserted and held within the rear end of the alignment sleeve for firmly holding the core end of the optical fiber to be connected. a ferrule having a tip portion that allows the tip surface of the core wire end of the optical fiber to be connected to closely abut against the tip surface of the core wire of the optical fiber held by the ferrule, a deflecting member, and a restraining member. The stopper part is a cylindrical part having an axial slot in the peripheral part, a stop shoulder part is formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical part, and the restraining member is , has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and has a shoulder portion on the outer periphery that contacts the stop shoulder portion of the stopper portion, and a receiving shoulder portion on the inner periphery that contacts the rear end of the deflection member. A receiving shoulder is provided on the outer periphery of the substantially central portion of the ferrule, and the front end of the deflecting member is brought into contact with the receiving shoulder, and the deflecting member and the restraining member are configured to support the optical fiber fixed to the ferrule. The ferrule, the deflecting member, and the restraining member are mounted around the end of the core wire, and after the end of the core wire is fixed to the ferrule, the ferrule, the deflecting member, and the restraining member are moved from the rear end of the cylindrical portion of the stopper portion in the axial direction. When pushed in, the stopper portion is elastically opened outward due to the slit by the outer periphery of the restraining member, allowing passage of the ferrule, deflection member, and restraining member into the housing; The distal end portion of the ferrule is inserted and held within the alignment sleeve, and the restraining member is prevented from moving rearward by abutting the shoulder portion of the restraining member against the stop shoulder portion of the stopper portion, The deflecting member is located between the receiving shoulder portion of the ferrule and the receiving shoulder portion of the restraining member, and fixes the core wire end portion in a state in which a forward deflecting force is applied to the ferrule. The ferrule, the deflecting member, and the restraining member are mounted in the housing.

Embodiments Next, the present invention will be described in more detail with regard to embodiments of the present invention based on FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an optical fiber connector as an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the optical fiber connector of FIG. 1. Optical fiber connector 1 of this embodiment
00 is an exterior 110, a ring 120, a stopper part 130, a sleeve holder 140, an alignment sleeve 150, a ferrule 160, a coil spring 170 as a deflecting member, and a restraining member 1
80. Exterior 110, ring 120
The stopper part 130 is combined with each other to constitute a housing of the connector, and is made of, for example, a metal material. The exterior 110 has a male threaded part 111 on the outer periphery of the front end as a coupling part with a mating connector, and a flange part 112 on the rear end.
have. As clearly shown in FIG. 2, screw holes 113 are provided at the four corners of the flange portion 112, through which screws are inserted to attach the flange portion to the wall of a housing of a standard light source device, optical power meter, etc. There is.

Ring 120 is adapted to be press fit into the rear end of sheath 110 such that sleeve holder 140 and alignment sleeve 150 are aligned with the central axis of sheath 110 .
Keep it within 0. Both the sleeve holder 140 and the alignment sleeve 150 are made of a metallic material, for example, and the alignment sleeve 150 can be simply cylindrical or in the form of a split sleeve with an axial slot. Good too.

The stopper portion 130 is adapted to be press-fitted onto the outer periphery of the rear end of the ring 120, and the rear end is configured to be elastically deflectable so as to open outwardly, for example, in a diametrical direction. Slit grooves 131 in the axial direction are formed at four locations facing each other. Further, a stop shoulder portion 132 is formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical stopper portion 130.

The ferrule 160 is also made of, for example, a metal material, and has central openings 161 and 162 for firmly holding the core ends of the optical fibers to be connected and the exposed fiber ends, respectively. A distal end 163 of the ferrule 160 is inserted and held within the rear end of the alignment sleeve 150. Furthermore, a coil spring 1 serving as a deflecting member is provided around the outer periphery of the substantially central portion of the ferrule 160.
A receiving shoulder 164 is provided against which the front end of 70 abuts.

The restraining member 180 is also made of, for example, a metal material and has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and is provided with a shoulder portion 181 on the outer periphery that abuts against the stop shoulder portion 132 of the stopper portion 130, and a coil spring 17 on the inner periphery.
A receiving shoulder portion 182 is provided against which the rear end of the 0 comes into contact.

Furthermore, in order to facilitate the outward elastic opening of the rear end of the stopper part 130 as will be described later, an inclined cam surface 133 is formed on the inner periphery of the rear end edge of the stopper part 130. An inclined cam surface 1 that cooperates with the inclined cam surface 133 is provided on the outer periphery in front of the shoulder portion 181.
83 is preferably formed.

In order to connect an optical fiber to such an optical fiber connector 100, the following procedure may be performed. First, the ferrule 160, coil spring 170, and restraining member 180 are attached to the exterior 110,
When the housing consisting of the ring 120 and the stopper part 130 is removed from the housing, the holding member 180 and the coil spring 170 are passed around the end of the optical fiber core 200 to be connected, and the end-treated core wire is removed. The end core wire coating 201 and the fiber 202 are passed through the center openings 161 and 162 of the ferrule 160, respectively, and fixed therein with an adhesive 190. Thereafter, the ferrule 160, coil spring 170, and restraining member 180 may be installed into the housing. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the tip 163 of the ferrule 160 is inserted and held within the alignment sleeve 150, and when the restraining member 180 is pushed into the housing from the rear end of the stopper 130 in the axial direction, The inclined cam surface 183 on the outer circumference acts on the inclined cam surface 133 on the inner circumference of the stopper part 130, so that the stopper part 1
30 is opened outward and pushed further into the housing, so that the shoulder 181 is attached to the stop shoulder 1.
32, the stopper part 130 snaps back to its normal closed state due to its elasticity, and as a result, the shoulder part 181 and the stopper shoulder part 132 come into contact with each other. In this state, the holding member 180
is prevented from moving backwards and cannot be pulled out of the housing. In order to remove the restraining member 180 mounted inside the housing to the outside of the housing, the rear end of the stopper portion 130 may be opened outward using a suitable jig.

In the state shown in FIG. 1, the coil spring 170
is located between the ferrule 160 and the restraining member 180 and exerts a forward shifting force on the ferrule 160.

FIG. 3 schematically shows the use of a fiber optic connector 100 as described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 in a standard light source device. As shown in Figure 3, the housing 1 of the standard light source device
0', a pigtail type light emitting diode 20 similar to that described for the conventional example of FIG. 4 is disposed. On the front wall 11' of the housing 10',
Exterior 110 of optical fiber connector 100,
A housing consisting of a ring 120 and a stopper portion 130 is attached. In this case, ring 12
0 and the stopper part 130 are arranged into the housing 10' through the opening 11A',
The exterior 110 may be attached to the front wall 11' by passing screws into the screw holes 113 of the flange 112 of the exterior 110. On the other hand, the ferrule 160, coil spring 170, and restraining member 180 of the optical fiber connector 100 are attached to the end of the optical fiber core 21 of the pigtail light emitting diode 20 in the same manner as described above. Ru. Then, if these ferrules 160, coil springs 170, and restraining members 180 are pushed into the interior from the rear end of the stopper part 130 attached to the housing 10' in the same manner as described above, a pigtail type The connection between the light emitting diode 20 and the optical fiber connector 100 is completed. To connect such a standard light source device to an external device, connect the tip of the ferrule of the optical fiber cable connecting connector plug 50 to the optical fiber cable 70, similar to the one described above, to the optical fiber core. Wire connector 1
00 alignment sleeve 150, and screw the cap nut of the optical fiber cable connecting connector plug 50 onto the male threaded portion 111 of the sheath 110. In this state, the connector plug 5 for connecting the optical fiber cable is
The distal end surface of the distal end portion of the ferrule 0 and the distal end surface of the distal end portion 163 of the ferrule 160 of the optical fiber connector 100 are aligned by the action of the alignment sleeve 150. The deflection force of the coil spring 170 within the connector 100 causes them to closely abut each other.

Therefore, the end surface of the optical fiber held by the ferrule of the plug 50 and the end surface of the optical fiber held by the ferrule 160 of the connector 100 are aligned with each other and are closely abutted against each other. ing.

Effects of the Invention Since the optical fiber core connector of the present invention has the structure as described above, the core wires of optical fibers can be directly connected. Therefore, when this optical fiber connector is used as a connector for detachable optical connection with external equipment in standard source devices, optical power meters, etc. that use pigtail type light emitting diodes and light receiving diodes,
It eliminates the need for relay optical fiber cables and adapters that were required with conventional connectors, and also eliminates the need for splicing work such as heat fusion between the relay optical fiber cable and the core wire from the pigtail diode. Therefore, it is possible to provide an inexpensive standard light source device, optical power meter, etc. with a small number of parts as a whole.

In addition, the ferrule installed in the housing,
The coil spring and the restraining member can be easily removed from the housing by opening the rear end of the stopper portion outward using a suitable jig and pulling them rearward in the axial direction. Therefore, the ferrule with the optical fiber can be easily removed after the housing is attached to a panel such as a set, so even if a problem with the optical fiber, ferrule, or photodiode is discovered,
It can be easily replaced. In addition, the fact that the ferrule, coil spring, and restraining member to which the optical fiber is attached can be attached to and detached from the housing by simply pushing or pulling them in the axial direction, rather than by rotating them relative to the housing, is as follows. This is effective in that respect. In other words, when a ferrule, a coil spring, and a restraining member to which such an optical fiber is attached are attached to or removed from the rear end of the housing in a state where a mating optical fiber is connected to the front end of the housing, the ferrule is rotated. If the optical fiber is placed in the ferrule, the end face of the optical fiber attached to the ferrule and the end face of the optical fiber attached to the other ferrule will rub against each other due to the rotation, and the end faces of the optical fibers may be damaged.
Cracks occur and the light transmission characteristics deteriorate significantly. In order to minimize this kind of deterioration, a recess is usually provided in the center of the end face of the ferrule to prevent the end faces of the optical fibers from rubbing against each other. becomes very difficult and expensive,
Furthermore, since the end faces of the optical fibers do not come into direct contact with each other, there is a drawback that light leaks and the light transmission characteristics deteriorate. Since the connector of the present invention does not require such rotation, there is no fear of such abrasion of the end face of the optical fiber, and there is no fear of deterioration of the optical transmission characteristics.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 of the accompanying drawings is a sectional view of an optical fiber cable connector as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the optical fiber cable connector of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the optical fiber cable connector of FIG. 1 and 2, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a standard light source device using the conventional optical fiber cable connector. 10'...Housing, 11'...Front wall, 11
A'...opening, 20...pigtail type light emitting diode, 21...optical fiber core wire, 50...optical fiber cable connection connector, 70...optical fiber cable, 100...optical fiber core wire connector, 110...Exterior, 111...Male thread part, 1
12...Flange, 120...Ring, 130...
...Stopper part, 131...Slotted groove, 132...
... Stopping shoulder, 140 ... Sleeve holder, 150
... Alignment sleeve, 160 ... Ferrule, 16
3... Tip of ferrule, 164... Receiving shoulder, 170... Coil spring, 180... Holding member, 181... Shoulder, 182... Receiving shoulder,
200... optical fiber core wire, 201... core wire coating, 202... fiber.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A housing having a coupling part with a mating connector at the front end and a stopper part at the rear end, an alignment sleeve held within the housing and capable of receiving the tip of the ferrule of the mating connector in the front end, and an optical fiber to be connected. The optical fiber to be connected is inserted into and held within the rear end of the alignment sleeve and held at the tip of the ferrule of the mating connector. a ferrule having a tip that can closely abut the tip surfaces of the ends of the core wire, a deflection member, and a restraining member, the stopper portion having an axial slot in the peripheral portion. a cylindrical part, and a stop shoulder is formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical part,
The restraining member has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and has a shoulder on its outer periphery that abuts against the stop shoulder of the stopper, and a receiving shoulder on its inner periphery that abuts the rear end of the shifting member. A receiving shoulder portion is provided on the outer periphery of the substantially central portion of the ferrule, and the front end of the deflecting member is brought into contact with the receiving shoulder portion, and the deflecting member and the restraining member are fixed to the ferrule. is attached around the core end of the optical fiber.
After fixing the core wire end portion to the ferrule, when the ferrule, deflection member, and restraining member are pushed in the axial direction from the rear end of the cylindrical portion of the stopper portion, the outer periphery of the restraining member Therefore, the stopper portion is elastically opened outward to allow the slit to allow the ferrule, deflection member, and restraining member to pass into the housing, and the tip end of the ferrule is aligned with the alignment member. The restraining member is inserted and held in the sleeve, and its shoulder is prevented from moving backward by abutting against the stop shoulder of the stopper part, and the deflecting member is prevented from moving backward by contacting the stop shoulder of the stopper. The ferrule, the deflecting member, and the suppressing member to which the core wire end portion is fixed in a state where the ferrule is located between the receiving shoulder portion and the receiving shoulder portion of the suppressing member and exerts a forward deflecting force on the ferrule. An optical fiber connector, characterized in that: is installed in the housing.