JPH0545536A - Multifiber optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To smoothly mount a plug and enable highly accurate optical coupling by providing a guide part which is supported in a free floating state and an engagement part which engages it between an adapter and a plug. CONSTITUTION:A plug 2 which is pressed against the top surface of the adapter 15 by a spring member engages the oblique surfaces of guide rails 24 and 25 projecting from the top surface of the adapter 15 at the corner parts of guide grooves 12 and 13. The guide rail 24 is integrated with the adapter 15, but the guide rail 25 is separated from the adapter 15 and so fitted and supported in a T-shaped groove 27 as to float in a slight gap vertically and horizontally and in the length direction. Plugs 2 which are inserted into the adapter 15 from both sides are smoothly guided by the floatable guide rail 25 to face each other, thereby enabling the highly precise coupling between the plugs.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-fiber optical connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, when the plugs at the ends of an array type optical fiber are to be connected to each other for optical coupling,
Two sets of male and female fitting parts, each of which is composed of a guide pin and a hole into which the guide pin is fitted, are provided on the plug connecting surface so that optical coupling can be obtained (see FIG. 10).

[0003]

However, since these male and female fitting portions have a play (1 to 2 μ), there is a disadvantage that the alignment accuracy is deteriorated.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a multi-fiber optical connector in which plugs holding a plurality of optical fibers are detachably mounted in an adapter so as to face each other and are optically coupled. Between the adapter and the plug,
The present invention is characterized in that a guide portion that is supported in a floating manner and an engaging portion that engages with the guide portion are provided so that optical coupling can be performed with high precision without a gap.

[0005]

[Function] Since the guide portion and the engaging portion that engages with the guide portion are provided between the adapter and the plug, and the guide portion is supported in a floating manner, the plug is smoothly guided when the plug is mounted on the adapter, This improves the alignment accuracy.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plug in an embodiment of the multi-fiber optical connector according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fiber alignment table forming a main part of the plug of FIG. Referring to these drawings, the plug 2 has a fiber alignment table 5 having a fiber alignment groove 3 regularly engraved in parallel with the upper surface, and each optical fiber at the tip of a tape fiber 7 fitted in the fiber alignment groove 3. The fixing plate 10 is attached to the upper surface of the fiber alignment table 5 so as to press 8 from above.
On both sides of the fiber alignment groove 3 on the upper surface of the fiber alignment table 5, a pair of guide grooves 12 and 13 having a rectangular cross section are formed in parallel with the fiber alignment groove 3. The fiber alignment table 5 is integrally formed by molding so as to have the fiber alignment groove 3 and the guide grooves 12 and 13 from the beginning.

Next, an adapter 15 forming the other side of the optical connector structure and a connection structure between the adapter 15 and the plug 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. The box-shaped adapter 15 whose both sides are released holds the both plugs 2 in a state where the plugs 2 are attached to both the open portions so as to face each other and are optically coupled.

On both side surfaces of the adapter 15, there are provided four locking portions 18 each having a hook-shaped projection 17 at a free end portion on the adapter releasing portion side and elastically supported in a cantilever manner. These locking parts 1
Reference numeral 8 holds both plugs 2 by fitting them into the recesses 20 on the side of the plugs 2 when the plugs 2 are mounted in the adapter 15. Further, on the inner lower surface of the adapter 15, a pair of double-supported spring members 22 for pressing the plug 2 mounted inside the adapter 15 upward are attached.

The plug 2 pushed upward by these spring members 22 has a guide groove 1 as shown in FIG.
The corners 2 and 13 are engaged (line contact) with the slopes of the guide rails 24 and 25 having a trapezoidal cross section that project from the upper surface of the adapter 15. Referring to FIG. 5 in which the engaging portion is enlarged, the left guide rail 24 is integral with the main body of the adapter 15, while the right guide rail 25 is separate from the adapter 15. That is, the guide rail 25 is fitted into the T-shaped groove 27 of the adapter 15 having a size slightly larger than the guide rail 25, and the guide rail 25 has a slight gap in the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the longitudinal direction indicated by the three arrows. Only supported to be able to float.

In this embodiment having the above construction,
The plugs 2 inserted from both sides of the adapter are smoothly and easily guided by the guide rails 25 supported in a floating manner without being affected by the dimensional accuracy between the guide rails (absorption of pitch error) as in the conventional case, and face each other. Since this is also possible, and since it is the same when removing it, the alignment error as in the prior art can be eliminated, and high-precision optical coupling between the plugs becomes possible.

Next, two different embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 and FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively, but the description and illustration of the parts common to the above embodiments will be omitted, and the characteristic parts will be omitted. Will be described in detail only. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, unlike the above embodiment, the guide rails 37 and 38 are provided on the fiber alignment table 35 (or plug 32) side, and the guide grooves 40 and 40 corresponding to the guide rails 37 and 38 are provided on the adapter 43 side.
41 is provided.

The guide groove 41 on the right side of the guide grooves 40, 41 of the adapter 43 (only a part of which is not shown)
Is engraved on a clog-shaped member 45 having a cross section separate from the adapter 43. The clog-shaped member 45 can be floated in the same manner as the guide rail 25 (FIG. 5) in the above-described embodiment. It is supported by the body. Thereby, the plug 32 can be smoothly and easily mounted in the adapter 43.

Unlike the above-described two embodiments, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 guides a pair of cylindrical or spherical members 51 which are rotatably supported by a T-shaped member 49 on the upper side of the adapter 47. It is configured as a rail. The plug 53 is provided with a trapezoidal groove 53 having a trapezoidal cross section that comes into line contact with the rod-shaped member 51. With such a structure, the plug 53 can be smoothly and easily mounted in the adapter 47.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, the plugs made of multi-core optical fibers can be smoothly attached to and detached from each other in the adapter, and high-precision optical coupling between the plugs can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plug in an embodiment of a multi-fiber optical connector according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fiber alignment table forming a main part of the plug of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an adapter.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of a plug attached to an adapter.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of an engaging portion of an adapter and a plug.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a plug according to another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of an engaging portion according to another embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a plug according to still another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of an engaging portion according to still another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 ... Plug 8 ... Optical fiber 12, 13 ... Guide groove 15 ... Adapter 24, 25 ... Guide rail

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yasushi Kayama 1015 Kamiodanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Fujitsu Limited

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A multi-fiber optical connector in which a plug (2) holding a plurality of optical fibers (8) is detachably mounted in an adapter (15) so as to face each other and optically couples with each other. A trapezoidal guide portion (24, 25) supported and a groove-shaped engagement portion (12, 13) engaged with the guide portion (24, 25) are provided between the plugs (2) so that high precision optical coupling can be achieved. A multi-fiber optical connector characterized in that 2. The multi-fiber optical connector according to claim 1, wherein one of the guide portion and the engaging portion is provided with a floating function. 3. The multi-fiber optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion has a spherical or columnar structure.