JPH09120021A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to efficiently apply emitted light signals to optical fiber cables and to freely attachably and detachably connect a light emitting means and the optical fiber cables by mounting an optical fiber cable inserting means to the plural light emitting means in the positions where the max. light quantity of the emitted light signals is obtainable. SOLUTION: Plural LEDs 12 are disposed in a female type connector 10B in the positions where these LEDs are respectively opposed to the optical fiber cables 11. The light emitting faces at the front end of the respective LEDs 12 are formed into a plane shape and shells 16 are respectively mounted on the light exit surfaces. These shells are provided with through-holes 16A (plug-in ports) for insertion of the optical fiber cables 11 at their centers. The shells 16 are previously positioned and mounted so that max. light quantity positions of the LEDs 12 come to the positions of these plug-in ports 16. The rear surface side of the mounting surfaces to the LEDs 12 are formed into a funnel shape in the plug-in ports 16A.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Table of Contents] The present invention will be described in the following order. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION Conventional Technology (FIG. 4) Problems to be Solved by the Invention (FIGS. 5 and 6) Means for Solving the Problems Embodiments of the Invention (FIGS. 1 to 3)

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector, and is particularly suitable for application to an optical fiber cable connector.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an optical fiber is generally a linear member made of transparent material such as glass or synthetic resin, which transmits an optical signal, an optical image or optical energy input from one end and transmits it from the other end. It is designed to output and is used as an optical fiber cable for transmitting optical signals and the like. As an example of using this kind of optical fiber cable for the signal cable,
For example, there is a signal transmission system in a data recording device of a movie film as shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 shows a signal transmission system of a data recording apparatus as a whole, in which an optical signal composed of audio information is inputted from one end of an optical fiber cable to be transmitted and is emitted from the other end to be recorded. It illuminates the extra area that exists between the perforation and edge of the movie film.

In this signal transmission system, a plurality of LEDs 1 are connected to a plurality of bundled optical fiber cables 2, respectively. Each LED 1 converts an electric signal composed of audio information input from the outside into an optical signal. For example LED1
Is converted to a digital optical signal by setting a logical value "1" when the light is turned on and a logical value "0" when the light is turned off. The audio information signal thus converted into an optical signal is emitted from each LED 1 and is incident on one end of each optical fiber cable 2. The incident optical signal is transmitted by the optical fiber cable 2 and emitted from the header 3 provided at the other end. The emitted optical signal has its light intensity increased by being condensed by the lens 4, and then is irradiated onto the remaining area of the film 5. The optical information thus radiated records the audio information in a digital format in the remaining area of the film 5.

As described above, the above-mentioned signal transmission system can transmit a large amount of information signal by using the optical fiber cable 2 in which a plurality of optical fibers are bundled as a transmission path.

[0007]

By the way, in the signal transmission system having such a configuration, the LED 1 is housed in a case formed based on the outer shape of the LED 1. A through hole is formed in the center of the case, and the optical fiber cable 2 is inserted into the through hole from the outside of the case to face the LED 1 so as to face the LED 1 and the optical fiber cable 2.
Are optically connected.

However, as shown in FIG. 5, the light quantity distribution of the LED 1 may deviate from the center on the outer shape. Here, the light amount distribution of the LED 1 is displaced from the center by the distance d as in the distribution level LV1 shown by the broken line in the figure. The cause of the shift of the maximum position of the light amount will be described. LE
The front end of D1 is formed in a spherical shape and is formed in a lens shape using a light transmissive member. Therefore, each LED 1 has a different refractive index depending on the molding accuracy of the tip portion and the density distribution of the medium portion having a lens shape. Therefore, the light amount maximum position of the light emitted from the light source enclosed in the LED 1 is displaced such that it does not come to the center of the outer shape, and the light amount maximum position also varies for each LED 1. As a result, the LED
In some cases, the optical signal emitted from the optical fiber cable 1 is not given to the optical fiber cable 2 with a sufficient amount of light. In this case, the optical signal transmitted via the optical fiber cable 2 does not have a sufficient signal level.

In order to avoid such a problem, as shown in FIG. 6, the mounting position of the LED 1 on the case 6 is adjusted so that the maximum light amount position of the LED 1 and the center of the optical fiber cable 2 coincide with each other. A method of connecting after fixing is considered. That is, first, the LED 1 is provisionally attached to the case 6. The actual mounting position of the LED 1 is adjusted so that the maximum light amount position of the LED 1 coincides with the through hole provided in the center of the case 6. The LED 1 thus adjusted in position is fixed to the case 6 by the adhesive 7. Then, the optical fiber cable 2 is inserted into the through hole of the case 6 from outside the case. The optical fiber cable 2 is covered with an insulating tube, and a sleeve 8 is attached to the optical fiber cable 2 at a predetermined length from the tip of the optical fiber cable 2 to be inserted into the case 6.

The sleeve 8 has a flange having a diameter larger than the diameter of the through hole of the case 6, and the flange portion prevents the optical fiber cable 2 from further entering when the predetermined length is inserted into the through hole. Fixed to. Further, a set screw 9 is arranged in the case 6 so as to be orthogonal to the through hole, and the optical fiber cable 2 can be fixedly attached to the case 6 by tightening the set screw 9. Thus, the maximum light amount position of the LED 1 and the center of the optical fiber cable 2 can be aligned and connected.

However, the above method must be performed for each LED 1 and each optical fiber cable 2,
When connecting a plurality of LEDs 1 and optical fiber cables 2, complicated position adjustment must be performed for each set.
Further, at the time of maintenance such as replacement of the LED 1, the maximum light amount position must be adjusted similarly for each set. In practice,
Performing such adjustment work in the field where it is used causes complexity, so that the LED 1 and the optical fiber cable 2 which are plural in number are subjected to adjustment work for positioning at the time of manufacture and are connected to each other. It will be commercialized.
However, in this case, there is a problem that the LED 1 and the optical fiber cable 2 must be wholly replaced even if the LED 1 is partially broken.

Further, depending on the shape of the tip of the LED 1,
It is difficult to bring the ED1 and the optical fiber cable 2 into contact with each other without a gap, and the optical signal is attenuated due to the gap between the two, making it difficult to efficiently give the optical signal to the optical fiber cable 2. There is a problem.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and the optical signal emitted from the light emitting means can be efficiently applied to the optical fiber cable, and the light emitting means and the optical fiber cable can be detachably attached. The purpose is to propose a connector that can be connected.

[0014]

In order to solve such a problem, in the present invention, an optical fiber cable insertion means having a through hole for communicating the light emitting means with the outside is provided, and the maximum optical signal emitted from the light emitting means is provided. It is attached to each of the plurality of light emitting means at a position where the amount of light is obtained. Further, in the present invention, the light emitting surface of the light emitting means is formed in a planar shape.

By optically connecting through the optical fiber cable inserting means, it is possible to easily connect the plurality of optical fiber cables and the plurality of light emitting means at the light amount maximum position of the light emitting means without being aware of position adjustment. You can
Further, by forming the light emitting surface of the light emitting means into a planar shape and bringing the end surface of the optical fiber cable into contact with the light emitting surface, the optical signal emitted from the light emitting means can be supplied to the optical fiber cable without being attenuated. .

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a connector as a whole so that a plurality of optical fiber cables and a plurality of LEDs can be connected at one time. The connector 10 includes a male connector 10A in which a plurality of optical fiber cables 11 are arranged in a circular shape, and a female connector 10B in which a plurality of LEDs 12 are arranged at positions facing the optical fiber cable 11, respectively. The optical fiber cable 11 and the LED 12 are optically connected by fitting the female connector 10B and the female connector 10B.

A sleeve 13 is attached to each optical fiber cable 11 arranged in the male connector 10A at a position of a predetermined length from the tip. The sleeve 13 is provided on the tube that covers the optical fiber cable 11, and has a shape having a flange. The male connector 10A arranges each optical fiber cable 11 at a position facing each LED 12 by fitting a sleeve 13 into a recess formed in substantially the same shape as this flange. Further, in the male connector 10A, a leaf spring 14 is provided on the rear surface of the fitting surface with the female connector 10B so as to come into contact with the flange portion of each sleeve 13. The leaf spring 14 urges each optical fiber cable 11 toward the light emitting surface of each LED 12 by the elastic force applied to each optical fiber cable 11 via the flange portion of the sleeve 13.

Further, the male connector 10A is provided with a heat radiating portion 15 on the fitting surface with the female connector 10B. The heat dissipation portion 15 is arranged at a position surrounding each LED 12 when the male connector 10A and the female connector 10B are fitted together. Heat is generated in each LED 12 when converting an electric signal into an optical signal, and as a result of this heat, the conversion efficiency is reduced, so that the amount of light of the emitted optical signal is reduced. The heat radiating unit 15 radiates this heat into the air to prevent a decrease in the light amount of each LED 12.

The female connector 10B has a plurality of L's.
The EDs 12 are arranged at positions facing the optical fiber cables 11, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, each LED 12
Has a flat light emitting surface, and the shells 16 are attached to the light emitting surfaces. A through hole 16A (hereinafter, referred to as an insertion port 16A) for inserting the optical fiber cable 11 is provided at the center of the shell 16. The shell 16 is pre-positioned and attached so that the maximum light amount position of the LED 12 is located at the position of the insertion port 16A. Also the insertion port 16A
Is formed in a funnel shape on the back side of the mounting surface with the LED 12. For this reason, even if the optical fiber cable 11 is inserted into the shell 16 with a slight positional deviation, the LE
It is possible to align and connect the light amount maximum position of D12.

As described above, the male connector 10A and the female connector 10B are arranged with the respective LEDs 12 and the respective optical fiber cables 11 at positions facing each other, and the position of the insertion port 16A is at the maximum light amount position where the respective LEDs 12 are positioned. Attach the shells 16 that match each other. The optical fiber cable 11 is inserted from the insertion port 16A of the shell 16 thus attached, and the end face thereof is brought into contact with the light emitting face at the tip of the LED 12.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the male connector 10A and the female connector 10B are connected via the shell 16.
The LEDs 12 and the optical fiber cables 11 can be optically connected by fitting with each other. This connector 10 is a female connector 10B when maintenance is required due to a failure of the LED 12 or the like.
It is designed to be exchanged as a whole. Therefore, when fitting the connector 10A and the connector 10B, it is not necessary to make adjustments for complicated alignment on site.

In the above structure, the connector 10 optically connects the optical fiber cables 11 and the LEDs 12 by fitting the male connector 10A and the female connector 10B via the shell 16. At this time, the shell 16 fixed to the light emitting surface of the LED 12 is
Since the insertion port 16A for inserting the optical fiber cable 11 is formed in a funnel shape, the optical fiber cable 11
Can be easily inserted.

Further, as described above, the optical fiber cable 11
By separately configuring the male connector 10A provided with and the female connector 10B provided with the LED 12, the male connector 10A or the female connector 10B is individually replaced when it becomes necessary to replace the parts. It is possible,
It is not necessary to replace the whole unit as in the conventional case.

The shell 16 fixed to the light emitting surface of the LED 12 is positioned and fixed so that the position of the insertion port 16A and the maximum light amount position of the LED 12 coincide with each other. Therefore, each optical fiber cable 11 can be connected to each LED 12 at a position where the maximum light amount of each LED 12 can be obtained by inserting each optical fiber cable 11 into the insertion port 16A. Thus, the plurality of optical fiber cables 11 and the plurality of LEDs 12 can be connected with good reproducibility without paying attention to the adjustment of the maximum position of the light amount.

Further, the LED 1 having a flat light emitting surface
By using 2, the end surface of the optical fiber cable 11 can be directly brought into contact with the light emitting surface of the LED 12, and the optical signal emitted from the LED 12 can be efficiently incident on the optical fiber cable 11. At this time, the sleeve 13 provided on the optical fiber cable 11
Even if the lengths of the optical fiber cables 11 are different from each other, the end portions of all the optical fiber cables 11 are fixed by applying an elastic force F from the leaf spring 14 via the biasing force toward the light emitting surface of the LED 12. It can be held in close contact with the light emitting surface of the LED 12.

According to the above configuration, the male connector 10
By connecting the plurality of optical fiber cables 11 provided in A to the plurality of LEDs 12 provided in the female connector 10B via the shell 16, each optical fiber cable 11 is connected to each LED 12 at a position where the maximum light amount is obtained. Each can be connected with good reproducibility. Also leaf spring 1
Applying the elastic force of 4 to each fiber cable 11
By urging in the direction of the light emitting surface of D12, these can be adjusted even when the lengths of the optical fiber cables 11 are slightly different from each other. Furthermore, each L
Since the light emitting surface of the ED 12 has a planar shape, the end surface of each optical fiber cable 11 can be held in close contact with the light emitting surface.

Thus, the optical signal emitted from each LED 12 can be efficiently applied to each optical fiber cable 11, and each optical fiber cable 11 and each LED 12 can be easily attached / detached without performing complicated adjustment work. It is possible to realize the connector 10 that can be freely connected.

In the above embodiment, the case of the connector 10 for optically connecting the plurality of optical fiber cables and the plurality of LEDs 12 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the optical fiber cable 11 and the LED 12 are not limited thereto. May be applied to a single connector.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the sleeves 13 are respectively provided at positions of a predetermined length from one end of the plurality of optical fiber cables 11, and elastic forces are applied to the plurality of optical fiber cables 11 via the sleeves 13. Although the case where the leaf spring 14 is provided has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and other elastic means such as a spring may be used instead of the leaf spring 14.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the male connector 10A for holding the plurality of optical fiber cables 11 at predetermined positions and the plurality of LEDs 12 for supplying optical signals to each of the optical fiber cables 11 are connected to the optical fiber cable 11. The case where the plurality of optical fiber cables 11 and the plurality of LEDs 12 are arranged in a circular shape in the female connector 10B fixed to the positions facing each other has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the plurality of optical fiber cables 11 are described. Also, the LEDs 12 may be arranged in any shape as long as they are arranged at positions facing each other.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the LED 12 whose light emitting surface for emitting an optical signal is a flat shape is used, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the optical fiber is provided on the light emitting surface of the LED. If the end of the cable 11 does not have to be in contact with each other, an LED having a spherical light emitting surface may be used. Even in this case, it is possible to connect the plurality of optical fiber cables 11 and the LEDs without being conscious of complicated position adjustment at the site, and to obtain the effect that they can be detachably connected.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, the light emitting surface of the light emitting means is formed in a flat shape and the end face of the optical fiber cable is brought into contact with the light emitting means to attenuate the optical signal emitted from the light emitting means. It can be supplied to an optical fiber cable without causing it. Further, the optical fiber cable insertion means having a through hole for communicating the light emitting means with the outside is attached to each of the plurality of light emitting means at a position where the maximum light amount of the optical signal emitted from the light emitting means is obtained, and the optical fiber cable is inserted. By optically connecting via the means, it is possible to easily connect the plurality of optical fiber cables and the plurality of light emitting means at the light amount maximum position of the light emitting means without being aware of position adjustment.

Thus, it is possible to efficiently provide the optical signal emitted from the light emitting means to the optical fiber cable and to realize a connector capable of detachably connecting the light emitting means and the optical fiber cable.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a configuration of a connecting portion between an LED and an optical fiber.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a form of connection between an LED and an optical fiber.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a signal transmission system using a conventional optical fiber cable.

FIG. 5 is a side view used to explain a deviation between a center of brightness of an LED and a center of an optical fiber.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a configuration of a case in which an LED and an optical fiber are connected by adjusting a difference in brightness.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 12 ... LED, 2,11 ... optical fiber cable, 3 ... header, 4 ... lens, 5 ... film, 6
…… Case, 7 …… Adhesive, 8,13 …… Sleeve, 9
...... Set screw, 10 ...... Connector, 10A ...... Male connector, 10B ...... Female connector, 14 ...... Leaf spring,
15 ... Heat dissipation part, 16 ... Shell, 16A ... Insertion port.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Agency reference number FI Technical display location H04B 10/12

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber cable holding means for holding a plurality of optical fiber cables in predetermined positions, and a plurality of light emitting means for supplying an optical signal to each of the optical fiber cables at a position facing each of the optical fiber cables. An optical fiber cable inserting means having a fixing means for fixing the light emitting means, and a through hole formed in each of the light emitting means and formed at a position where the maximum light amount of each light emitting means is obtained so as to communicate the outside with the light emitting means. And a connector for optically connecting the plurality of optical fiber cables and the plurality of light emitting means via the optical fiber cable insertion means. 2. A plurality of optical fiber cables, each of which is provided at a position of a predetermined length from one end of the plurality of optical fiber cables, and which is provided in the optical fiber cable holding means, and the plurality of optical fiber cables emit the light through the sleeves. 2. An elastic means for urging in the direction of the means, wherein one end of each of the plurality of optical fiber cables is brought into contact with the light emitting means by the urging force of the elastic means. Connector. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting means has a light emitting surface having a plane shape for emitting an optical signal. 4. An optical fiber cable, a light emitting surface for emitting an optical signal having a planar shape, a light emitting means for supplying an optical signal to the optical fiber cable, and a light emitting means provided in the light emitting means, An optical fiber cable inserting means having a through hole formed so as to communicate the outside with the light emitting means at a position where the maximum light amount is obtained, and one end of the optical fiber cable through the optical fiber cable inserting means. A connector characterized in that the optical fiber cable and the light emitting means are optically connected by bringing the light emitting surface of the light emitting means into contact with each other.