JPH08146252A - Aligning mechanism of optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a positioning mechanism which is smooth in fitting of an optical plug and an optical receptacle. CONSTITUTION: The optical plug 2 is arranged at the center of a holding part 3. Hollow shafts 4A, 4B are mounted at the center of the holding part 3. Arms 5, 6 are rotatably connected to these hollow shafts 4A, 4B. These arms 5, 6 are rotatably connected to the radii of disks 7, 8. Weights 9A, 9B are mounted at these disks 7, 8. The axes of rotation of the disks 7, 8 are coaxial. The disks 8, 9 rotate and the central axis of the optical plug 2 is displaced when load is applied on the plane orthogonal with the central axis of the optical plug 2 and, therefore, the optical plug 2 is fitted to the optical receptacle by having flexibility. The disks 8, 9 are rotated and returned to their home positions by the weight of the weights 9A, 9B when the optical plug 2 is detached from the optical receptacle 11 and the load is released.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical connector alignment mechanism. When measuring the characteristics of an optical fiber or an optical element, the optical plug and the optical receptacle may be repeatedly attached and detached. When the optical plug and the optical receptacle are fitted to each other, if the optical fiber or the optical element is touched by hand and the body temperature is transmitted, the characteristic change is erroneous due to the temperature change. Therefore, the attachment / detachment of the optical plug and the optical receptacle requires a positioning mechanism. In the alignment mechanism, the optical plug and the optical receptacle are required to have an accuracy of several microns. The present invention relates to an optical connector alignment mechanism for easily fitting an optical plug and an optical receptacle by freely moving the optical plug according to the position of the optical receptacle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Next, an overall structure of a conventional optical connector alignment apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, the optical fiber 1 with the ferrule 1A is held in a form in which the ferrule 1A projects on the central axis of the optical plug 21. The case 20 holds the optical plug 21 in a freely movable manner. The case 20 is erected on the substrate 40.

An optical sensor 31 to be measured and an optical sensor 32 serving as a calibration reference are mounted on a substrate 41 with a constant space. The optical receptacle 11 is attached to the tips of the optical sensors 31 and 32. The board 40 and the board 41 are connected by a guide rail, and the board 41 and the optical sensors 31 and 32 are connected.
Move together. The substrate 41 can move forward and backward with respect to the optical plug 21, or can move right and left, so that the optical plug 21
Fits into the optical receptacle.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the optical plug shown in FIG. 7A is a sectional view, and FIG. 7A is a side view of FIG. 7A.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the ferrule 1 of the optical fiber 1
A is fixed in the optical plug 21 by a holder 22. A part of the ferrule 1A projects from the optical plug 21, and a collar portion 21A is formed on the side of the optical plug 21 opposite to the ferrule 1A. A fixing plate 28 is attached to the collar portion 21A, and the fixing plate 28 holds the optical fiber 1 and prevents the optical fiber 1 from being bent.

In FIG. 7, a counterbore hole is formed in the case 20, and a spring hook 23 of a special screw is attached to the inner peripheral wall of the counterbore hole so as to be equally divided into three parts. A spring hook 24 is attached to the outer periphery of the collar portion 21A so as to be equally divided into three parts. One end of the tension coil spring 25 is a spring hook 23.
To the spring hook 24 at the other end.

A pin-shaped spring hook 26 is attached to the bottom wall of the counterbore hole of the case 20 in such a manner that it is equally divided into three parts. One end of the tension coil spring 27 is locked to the spring hook 24 and the other end is locked to the spring hook 26.

As shown in FIG. 7, since the optical plug 21 is movably held in the case 20, the optical plug 2
1 has flexibility when it is fitted with the optical receptacle 11.

In FIG. 8, the optical plug 21 has an optical receptacle 1
It is a state diagram when fitting with 1. As shown in FIG. 8, a cylindrical guide 11A is attached to the optical receptacle 11. A taper is formed in the middle part of the guide 11A, and a taper is also formed in the tip part of the optical plug. When the optical sensor 31 moves to the optical plug 21 side,
The optical plug 21 is fitted with the optical receptacle 11 by being guided by the taper of the guide 11A.

As shown in FIG. 8, since the optical plug 21 is movably held in the case 20, even if there is some axial misalignment between the optical axis of the optical receptacle 11 and the optical axis of the optical plug 21. Can be aligned. Although the optical sensor 31 is illustrated in FIG. 8, the guide 11A is also attached to the optical sensor 32, so that the optical sensor 32 can be easily fitted.

[0010]

Since the positioning mechanism shown in FIG. 7 uses a coil spring, it takes time to position and adjust the center of the case 20 to the center of the optical plug 21. For example, the adjustment of the springs 25 and 27 changes the stress of the springs, so good fitting cannot be obtained, and the positions are displaced due to vibrations and impacts during transportation, and thus readjustment is necessary.

An object of the present invention is to provide a positioning mechanism in which an optical plug is held by a link mechanism so that the optical plug can be freely moved and adjusted to a reference position, and the optical plug and the optical receptacle can be fitted smoothly. .

[0012]

To achieve this object, according to the present invention, an optical fiber 1 with a ferrule 1A is attached to the center of an optical plug 2 and the optical plug 2 is arranged in the center of a holding portion 3 to provide an optical plug. 2 is a device for fitting the optical plug 2 in the optical receptacle 11, and the hollow shafts 4A and 4B are mounted on the center of the holding part 3 on the opposite side to the mounting of the optical plug 2, and the first end is rotatable with the hollow shaft 4A. Arm 5 that can be connected
An arm 6 having a second end rotatably connected to the hollow shaft 4B, and a disk 7 having a third end opposite to the first end of the arm 5 rotatably connected to a radius. , A disk 8 that rotatably connects a fourth end of the arm 6 opposite to the second end thereof with a radius, a weight 9A that is attached to the disk 7 and brakes the rotation of the disk 7, and a disk. 8 is provided with a weight 9B for braking the rotation of the disc 8 and the disc 7 and the disc 8 are coaxially arranged so that the disc 7 and the disc 8 move independently of each other. , The connection point 51 of the arm 5 and the disk 7 and the connection point 61 of the arm 6 and the disk 8 are combined so as to face each other with the same axis as the center.

[0013]

According to the above construction, when a load is applied to the surface orthogonal to the central axis of the optical plug 2, the discs 7 and 8 rotate and the central axis of the optical plug 2 is displaced, so that the optical plug is rotated. 2 fits into the optical receptacle 11 with flexibility. When the optical plug 2 is detached from the optical receptacle 11 and the load is released, the disks 7 and 8 are returned by gravity to their original positions by the weights 9A and 9B.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the construction of an optical connector alignment mechanism according to the present invention will be described with reference to the embodiment of FIG. 1 of FIG.
Is an optical plug, and 3 is a holding part. Further, 4A and 4B are hollow shafts, 5 and 6 are arms, 7 and 8 are discs, 9A and 9B are weights, and 10 is a base.

In FIG. 1, the optical fiber 1 with a ferrule 1A is attached to the center of an optical plug 2. Optical plug 2
Is attached to a holding part 3 having a diameter larger than that of the optical plug 2. The optical plug 2 and the holding portion 3 are attached so that their centers coincide with each other. A hole 3A is formed in the center of the back surface of the holding portion 3, and the optical fiber 1 is inserted therein.

The hollow shaft 4A is fixed to the hole 3A of the holding portion 3 by caulking or screwing. The hollow shaft 4A has an arm 5
Into the hole 5A formed in the first end of the hollow shaft 4A
And the arm 5 are rotatably connected. The hollow shaft 4B is fixed to the hollow shaft 4A by caulking or screwing. The hollow shaft 4B is inserted into a hole 6A formed at the second end of the arm 6, and the hollow shaft 4B and the arm 6 are rotatably connected.

A shaft 5B is attached to a third end portion of the arm 5 opposite to the first end portion. The shaft 5B is inserted into a hole 7B formed in the radius of the disc 7, and the shaft 5B and the disc 7 are rotatably connected. A shaft 6B is attached to a fourth end of the arm 6 opposite to the second end. The shaft 6B is inserted into a hole 8B formed in the radius of the disc 8, and the shaft 6B and the disc 8 are rotatably connected.

A hole 7A is formed at the center of the disk 7, and a hole 8A is formed at the center of the disk 8. The holes 7A and 8A are put in the shaft 10A protruding to the base 10, and the disks 7 and 8 are the shaft 1
It is rotatably connected to 0A. The base 10 is erected on the substrate 40 shown in FIG.

A weight 9A having a higher specific gravity than the disk 7 is attached to the circular arc of the disk 7. A weight 9B having a higher specific gravity than the disk 8 is attached to the circular arc of the disk 8. Weights 9A and 9B
For example, a metal such as iron is used, and a hard synthetic resin material is used for the disks 7 and 8. The discs 7 and 8 are suspended by the weights 9 </ b> A and 9 </ b> B, so that the rotation is braked.

Next, the operation of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 2, the optical plug 2 is in an unloaded state, and the weight of the optical plug 2 and the holding portion 3 and the rotational braking force of the weights 9A and 9B are in balance. As shown in FIG. 2, in the positioning mechanism according to the present invention, the rotation center of the disk 7 and the rotation center of the disk 8 are coaxially arranged so that the disks 7 and 8 move independently of each other, and 5 and disk 7
The connecting point 51 and the connecting point 61 of the arm 6 and the disk 8 are combined so as to face each other with the same axis as the center.

FIG. 3 is a state diagram when a downward load is applied to the optical plug 2 from the state of FIG. When a downward load is applied to the optical plug 2 from the state of FIG.
Is rotated clockwise, and the arm 6 rotates the disk 8 counterclockwise.

When the load is released from the state shown in FIG. 3, the weight 9A rotates the disc 7 counterclockwise, and the weight 9B rotates the disc 8 clockwise to return to the state shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 exemplifies the case where the optical plug 2 is pressed, but in the mechanism according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, any force on the XY plane orthogonal to the central axis of the optical plug 2 acts. Even if the force is released, the state shown in FIG. 2 can be restored.

In FIG. 5, the optical plug 2 has an optical receptacle 11
FIG. 9 is a state diagram when mating with, and corresponds to FIG. 8. Figure 5
Then, when the optical receptacle 11 proceeds to be fitted into the optical plug 2, the optical plug 2 is displaced along the guide 11A in the XY plane orthogonal to the central axis of the optical plug 2. When the optical receptacle 11 is further advanced, the ferrule 1A attached to the optical plug 2 and the optical axis of the optical receptacle 11 are fitted to each other so that they match each other.

[0025]

According to the present invention, the first arm and the second arm are rotatably connected to the central axis of the optical plug, and the first arm is rotatably connected to the radius of the first disc. A second arm is rotatably connected to the radius of the second disc, a first weight for braking rotation is attached to the first disc, and a twenty-first weight for braking rotation is attached to the second disc. Is attached, and the rotation center of the first disk and the rotation center of the second disk are coaxially arranged so that the first disk and the second disk move independently of each other. A long-term guarantee can be obtained for the reproducibility of the reference position. Moreover, the stress of the optical plug can be reduced by changing the weight of the weight and the position of the center of gravity, and damage to the optical plug can be prevented. Also, the reference position can be changed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an optical connector alignment mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a state diagram in which the optical plug 2 of FIG. 1 is unloaded.

FIG. 3 is a state change diagram of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a state change diagram on an XY plane orthogonal to the central axis of the optical plug 2.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a fitted state of the optical receptacle and the optical plug according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an overall configuration diagram of a conventional optical connector alignment apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a conventional optical connector alignment mechanism.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a fitted state of an optical receptacle and an optical plug according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Optical Fiber 1A Ferrule 2 Optical Plug 3 Holding Part 4A Hollow Shaft 4B Hollow Shaft 5 Arm 6 Arm 7 Disc 8 Disc 9A Weight 9B Weight

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber (1) with a ferrule (1A) is attached to the center of an optical plug (2), and the optical plug (2) is held by a holding section.
Place it in the center of the (3) and connect the optical plug (2) to the optical receptacle (1
A device fitted to 1), the hollow shafts (4A) and (4B) to be attached to the center of the holding part (3) on the surface opposite to the side where the optical plug (2) is attached, and the first end are A first arm (5) rotatably connected to the first hollow shaft (4A), and a second arm (6) rotatably connected to a second hollow shaft (4B) at a second end thereof. A first disc (7) for rotatably connecting a third end of the first arm (5) opposite to the first end of the first arm (5) to the radius, and a second arm (6) A second disc (8) rotatably connecting a fourth end opposite to the second end to a radius, and a first disc (7) attached to the first disc (7) A first weight (9A) for braking the rotation of the second disk (8) and a second weight (9B) for braking the rotation of the second disk (8). The center of rotation of the first disk (7) and the center of rotation of the second disk (8) so that the disk (7) and the second disk (8) move independently of each other. Arranged coaxially, the first connecting point of the first arm (5) and the first disc (7) (51)
And the second connecting point of the second arm (6) and the second disc (8)
An optical connector alignment mechanism characterized by being combined with (61) so as to face each other about the same axis.