JPH0614170Y2 - Lock spring structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a structure for holding an optical element in an optical connector housing.

<Prior Art> In a communication device that transmits information by an optical fiber,
Optical connectors have been used to connect optical signals.
Usually, an optical connector is held by a locking mechanism such as a coupling screw or a bayonet, but recently, a plug-in type connector has been widely adopted because of its maintainability.

An example of the configuration of a conventional plug-in type optical connector will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the outline of a conventional plug-in type optical connector.

As shown in the figure, 1 is a communication device rack, 2 is a shelf frame,
Reference numeral 3 is a printed board, 4 is a back panel, 5 is a housing mounted on the back panel 4 in a semi-movable state, and 6 is a housing fixed to the printed board 3. Reference numeral 7 or 8 is an optical plug held in the housing 5 or 6, and is composed of a ferrule 11 or 12 to which terminals of the optical fibers 9 or 10 are connected. Reference numeral 13 is an adapter for aligning the ferrules 11 and 12, and reference numeral 14 is a guide pin provided so as to project from the joint surface of the housing 5 with the housing 6.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> However, in the above-mentioned optical connectors, high density mounting is progressing year by year, downsizing of devices and parts is attempted, and a plurality of optical connectors are mounted in a printed board. It is in.

Therefore, in consideration of maintainability, it is desirable that the optical plug 8 is detachably supported from the housing 6 in response to the above-mentioned changes.

However, as shown in FIG. 2, when the optical plug 8 is fixed to the housing 6 with a coupling screw or the like, the replacement work is troublesome and a space for turning the screw is required, so that the connector becomes large. , Problems such as the number of optical plugs that can be mounted in the housing are limited,
It is an obstacle to higher density.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of troublesomeness when the screw is used for attaching and detaching an optical element such as an optical plug and an optical jack, and provides a structure with excellent operability of the element attaching and detaching operation. To aim. In this specification,
The optical element is a general term for an optical plug and an optical jack.

<Means for Solving Problems> The present invention relates to a structure for holding an optical element in an elastic cylindrical member mounted in a mounting hole of an optical connector housing.
An elastic cut-and-raised portion whose end portion on the optical element insertion direction side protrudes inside the cylinder is formed on the elastic cylindrical member, and a second step portion that engages with the end portion of the elastic cut-and-raised portion is formed on the optical element, Further, the elastic cylindrical member has one end of the elastic cylindrical member inside the optical connector housing, with a protrusion formed at a rear end thereof fitted in a recess formed inside the mounting hole of the optical connector housing. The first step portion formed in the above is abutted and locked. Furthermore, a positioning groove is formed on the inner surface of the mounting hole of the optical connector housing from the opening of the optical element insertion side to the inside, and a positioning protrusion that engages with this positioning groove is formed on the optical element. The through slit portion is formed in the elastic cylindrical material.

<Operation> By inserting the optical element into the elastic cylindrical member, the optical element is mounted in the optical connector housing. At this time, since the elastic cut-and-raised portion comes into contact with the end portion of the optical element and bends, the progress of the optical element is not hindered. When the optical element is inserted to the specified position and the step of the optical element reaches the end of the elastic cut-and-raised part on the optical element insertion direction side, this end is restored by the elastic force and engages with the step. The element is retained. When pulling out the optical element, a spatula or the like may be inserted into the elastic cylindrical member, the elastic cut-and-raised portion may be bent to release the engagement between the elastic cut-and-raised portion and the step portion, and then the optical element may be pulled out.

<Embodiment> An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a lock spring structure of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a partial front view of the same, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cylinder in the structure. As shown in these drawings, the optical connector housing 15 is provided with a plurality of mounting holes 17 into which the optical elements 16 are mounted. A step portion 18 and a concave portion 19 are formed in the mounting hole 17. The elastic cylindrical member 20 is an elastic member mounted in the mounting hole 17 and has a protrusion 21. The cylinder 20 has a protrusion 21.
With the step portion 18 fitted in the recess 19 and positioned.
And is mounted in the mounting hole 17.

On the other hand, the ferrule 11 to which the coil spring 22 is attached is built in the optical plug case 23 to form the optical element 16. This optical element 16 is made of elastic cylindrical material 2
It can be smoothly inserted into the inside of the elastic cylindrical material 2
It is held in 0 and supported by the optical connector housing 15.

A positioning protrusion 24 is formed on the optical plug case 23. The optical element 16 is provided on the inner surface of the mounting hole 17.
A positioning concave groove portion 25 with which the positioning convex portion 24 is engaged is formed from the insertion port to the inside. The elastic cylindrical member 20 has a slot portion 26 for passing the positioning portion 24.
Are formed. Therefore, when the optical element 16 is inserted into the mounting hole 17, the positioning convex portion 24 must be engaged with the positioning concave groove portion 25, whereby the axial alignment of the optical element 16 is performed.

Further, an elastic cut-and-raised portion 27 is formed on the elastic cylindrical member 20, and the cut-and-raised portion 27 holds a state of protruding inward when no external force is applied. On the other hand, in the middle of the optical plug case 23, the elastic cut-and-raised portion 2
A step portion 28 that engages with 7 is formed. When the optical element 16 is inserted into the elastic cylindrical member 20, the elastic cut-and-raised portion 27 contacts the front end portion of the optical plug case 23 and bends, so that the cut-and-raised portion 27 does not hinder the insertion of the optical element 16. When the optical element 16 is inserted to a predetermined position and the step portion 28 reaches the tip side of the elastic cut-and-raised portion 27, the elastic cut-and-raised portion 27 projects inward by its own elastic force and engages with the step portion 28. Optical element 16
Lock. It is preferable that two or more elastic cut-and-raised parts 27 are formed in consideration of the balance of locking reliability and holding force. When pulling out the optical element 16, a cylindrical jig having a slitting portion similar to the slitting portion 26 of the elastic cylindrical member 20 is inserted into the elastic cylindrical member 20 and the elastic cut-and-raised portion 27 is bent. The optical element 16 may be pulled out after the engagement between the elastic cut-and-raised portion 27 and the step portion 28 is released.

In this embodiment, the locking structure of the optical element has been described by taking the plug-shaped element as an example, but the present invention can be applied to the locking structure for the optical jack-shaped housing.

<Effect of the Invention> As described above, according to the present invention, the cut-and-raised portion formed in the elastic cylindrical member is engaged with the stepped portion formed in the optical element to lock the optical element. Therefore, the work of attaching and detaching the optical element becomes extremely easy. Moreover, unlike the conventional case, a mechanism such as a screw or bayonet for holding an optical element is not required, a mounting space is small, and a high-density optical connector can be realized. Further, since the elastic cylindrical member can be manufactured by a simple process such as bending an elastic plate member into a cylindrical shape and forming a cut-and-raised portion, an inexpensive optical connector can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a side sectional view showing a lock spring structure of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an outline of a conventional plug-in type optical connector, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partial front view showing a lock spring structure, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cylinder in the structure. 11 ... Ferrule, 15 ... Optical connector housing,
16 ... Optical element, 17 ... Mounting hole, 18 ... Step, 19 ... Recess, 20 ... Elastic cylindrical material, 21 ... Projection, 22 ... Coil spring, 23 ... Optical plug case, 2
4 ... Positioning convex part, 25 ... Positioning concave groove part, 26 ...
… Slitting part, 27 …… Elastic cut and raised part, 28 …… Step part.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Tsuneo Kanai, 3-9-11 Midoricho, Musashino City, Tokyo Inside Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Electronic Engineering Research Institute (72) Shinichi Iwano 3-9, Midoricho, Musashino City, Tokyo No. 11 In the Institute of Electronics Technology Research & Development, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (56) Reference JP-A-61-21013 (JP, A) JP-A-59-174809 (JP, A) ) Actual Development Sho 53-62338 (JP, U)

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A structure for holding an optical element (16) in an elastic cylindrical member (20) mounted in a mounting hole (17) of an optical connector housing (15), wherein a first step (18) is provided inside. Mounting hole (17) with a recess (19)
Optical connector housing (15) having an optical element, an optical element (16) having a second step portion (28) around it, an elastic cut-and-raised portion (27) protruding elastically inward and a slitting portion. (2
6) and a hollow elastic cylindrical member having (20), the optical connector housing is provided with a positioning groove portion (25) on the inner surface of the mounting hole from the insertion side opening of the optical element to the inside, The side surface of the optical element has a positioning projection (24), the elastic cylindrical member is inserted into the mounting hole, and the protrusion (21) formed at the rear end of the elastic cylindrical member has the mounting hole (24). A lock spring structure characterized in that one end of the elastic cylindrical member is brought into contact with and locked to the first step portion in a state of being fitted in a recess (19) formed inside the. 2. The optical element is inserted into the elastic cylindrical member so that the positioning convex groove passes through the positioning concave groove portion and the slit portion which are overlapped by overlapping the positioning concave groove portion and the slit portion. The lock spring structure according to claim 1, wherein the elastic cut-and-raised portion is engaged with the second step portion to lock the optical element.