JPH0968627A - Optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical connector which is smoothly attachable and detachable. SOLUTION: This optical connector has a pair of ferrules 1 which hold plural optical fibers 5 and have guide pin holes 3 disposed perpendicularly at end faces 1-1 and guide pins 2 which align the axes of the optical fibers 5 by being inserted into these guide pin holes 3. The optical connector integrally connects the optical fibers 5 by joining the end faces of the ferrules. The guide pins 2 constitute circular cylindrical bodies and tapers of at least >=2mm are formed at their front ends. Further, the edges of the guide pin holes 3 are preferably provided with tapers.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical connector which can be smoothly attached and detached.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An optical connector is a connector for connecting optical fibers to each other or an optical fiber and an optical device in a detachable manner. Generally, optical connectors can be aligned with high precision, they can be easily attached and detached, and their connection characteristics are stable. In order to meet these requirements, basic requirements such as compactness, high mechanical strength, and the like have been demanded (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 52-88315). FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional optical connector that satisfies these conditions.
This optical connector holds an optical fiber 5 and is formed by a pair of ferrules 1 each having a guide pin hole 3 provided perpendicularly to the end face 1-1 and a guide pin 2 for ensuring axial alignment of these ferrules. . The optical fiber 5 can be positioned with high accuracy by inserting the guide pin 2 into the guide pin hole 3 and joining the end faces 1-1.

[0003]

By the way, in such an optical connector, since the relative positions of the ferrules facing each other are determined with high accuracy, it is necessary to minimize the clearance between the guide pins and the guide pin holes. It is about degree. Therefore, there is a problem that the guide pin cannot be smoothly inserted unless it is kept parallel to the axis of the guide pin hole, and that it is difficult to handle because it is small. Here, if the guide pin is pushed in by force, the periphery of the guide pin hole may be damaged, which may reduce the positioning accuracy of the guide pin, or damage chips may adhere to the end face of the ferrule to make the coupling characteristics unstable. occured. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector that solves such problems and can be smoothly attached and detached.

[0004]

An optical connector according to the present invention comprises a pair of ferrules for holding a plurality of optical fibers and having guide pin holes provided perpendicularly to the end faces,
A guide pin that is inserted into a guide pin hole to perform axis alignment of the optical fiber, and is an optical connector that collectively connects the optical fibers by joining the end faces of the ferrules, and the guide pin is a metal cylindrical body, It is characterized in that a taper is formed at the tip of the guide pin. Further, it is characterized in that a taper is formed at the edge of the guide pin hole.

[0005]

In the optical connector according to the present invention, since the tip of the guide pin is provided with a taper, the guide pin can be easily inserted even if the clearance between the guide pin and the guide pin hole becomes small. Further, by providing a taper on the edge of the guide pin hole and enlarging the opening, the optical connector can be attached and detached more smoothly.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an optical connector according to this embodiment. FIG. 1A shows the shape of each part before connection,
The figure (b) shows the shape after connection. A pair of ferrules 1 for holding a plurality of optical fibers 5 and having guide pin holes 3 provided perpendicularly to the end face 1-1, and a guide pin 2 for inserting the optical fibers 5 into the guide pin holes for axial alignment of the optical fibers. And an optical connector for joining optical fibers together by joining the ferrule end face 1-1, wherein the guide pin 2 is a metal columnar body, and a taper 2-1 is formed at the tip of the guide pin 2. Has been formed. The two ferrules 1 are fixed by clips 6 which have the effect of pressing their opposite sides by means of springs.

A taper 2 provided at the tip of the guide pin 2
Even if the guide pin 2 is inserted from the direction in which the guide pin 2 is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the guide pin hole 3, -1 has an action of gradually correcting and inserting in the axial direction, so that the connector can be smoothly attached and detached. . The guide pin 2 is made of a ceramic such as zirconia or a metal such as cemented carbide or stainless steel, and the size thereof is not limited, but the diameter is 0.7 to 1.0 m.
m and a length of 11 mm are typical. In FIG. 1, both ends of the guide pin 2 are attachable to and detachable from the ferrule 1, but one side of the guide pin 2 may be fixed to one ferrule 1.

FIG. 1 shows the case where the ferrule 1 holds and connects four optical fibers 5, but the present invention can be applied to fibers having several to several tens of fibers. When the number of cores increases, for example, 16 optical fibers may be grouped as a group and arranged in a horizontal row, or may be configured in multiple stages. Usually, the optical fiber 5 is made of quartz glass having an outer diameter of 125 μm, and these optical fibers are fixed with a curable resin to form the optical fiber tape 4.

The ferrule 1 is manufactured by fixing two molding guide pins and a fiber pin in a mold in a positioned state, injecting a molding resin, curing the resin, and then removing the pin. As a molding resin, thermosetting epoxy resin is generally used with silica powder as a filler.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the tip of the guide pin 2 has no taper, the edge portion of the guide pin 2 may be damaged if it is forcibly pushed into the guide pin hole 3 from the inclined direction. There is. However, the guide pin hole 3
The damage resistance strength of becomes stronger in proportion to the guide pin insertion length.
FIG. 3 is an experimental value showing the relationship between the damage resistance of the guide pin hole and the guide pin insertion length. From this result, the breaking strength when the guide pin insertion length is 2 mm is 0.6 kgf. If the damage resistance of the guide pin hole is 0.6 kgf, it is a value that can withstand the force for attaching and detaching the optical connector. Therefore, the taper 2-1 of the guide pin is preferably provided with a length of at least 2 mm or more, and is formed by polishing.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a structure according to another embodiment, showing a state in which a taper 3-1 is provided at the edge of the guide pin hole 3 shown in FIG. This taper 3-1
By providing the guide pin hole 3, the opening area of the guide pin hole 3 is expanded, and it serves to assist the insertion of the guide pin 2. Therefore,
Even when the guide pin 2 is inserted from the direction inclined with respect to the axial direction of the guide pin hole 3, the action of gradually correcting the axial direction and inserting the guide pin 2 is performed. The taper 3-1 has a relatively obtuse angle, and is chamfered.

According to the present invention, the guide pin 2 and the guide pin hole 3 are provided.
The case in which the taper 2-1 and the taper 3-1 are provided and the case in which both are applied are included.

[0013]

As described above, in the optical connector according to the present invention, the guide pin has a taper at its tip, so that the guide pin can be easily inserted even if the clearance between the guide pin and the guide pin hole becomes small. And an optical connector with stable coupling characteristics can be obtained. Further, by providing a taper on the edge of the guide pin hole and enlarging the opening, the optical connector can be attached and detached more smoothly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an optical connector according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an optical connector according to another embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an experimental value showing the relationship between the damage resistance strength of the guide pin hole and the guide pin insertion length.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a conventional optical connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: ferrule 1-1: end face 2: guide pin 2-1: taper 3: guide pin hole 3-1: taper 4: optical fiber tape 5: optical fiber 6: clip

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Katsunori Fukushi 1 Taya-cho, Sakae-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Yokohama Works (72) Inventor Shinji Nagasawa 1-6, Uchiyuki-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo No. Japan Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A pair of ferrules for holding a plurality of optical fibers and having guide pin holes provided perpendicularly to the end faces, and a guide pin for inserting the guide pins into the guide pin holes to align the optical fibers. An optical connector in which end faces of the ferrules are joined to collectively connect optical fibers, wherein the guide pin has a columnar shape, and a taper is formed at a tip of the guide pin. 2. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the guide pin is made of ceramic or metal. 3. At least 2 mm at the tip of the guide pin.
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the above taper is formed. 4. A pair of ferrules for holding a plurality of optical fibers and having guide pin holes provided perpendicularly to the end faces, and a guide pin for inserting the guide pins into the guide pin holes for axial alignment of the optical fibers. An optical connector that joins the end faces of the ferrule to collectively connect optical fibers,
An optical connector, characterized in that a taper is formed at an edge of the guide pin hole. 5. A pair of ferrules for holding a plurality of optical fibers and having guide pin holes provided perpendicularly to the end faces, and a guide pin for inserting the guide pins into the guide pin holes to align the optical fibers. An optical connector that joins the end faces of the ferrule to collectively connect optical fibers,
An optical connector, wherein the tip of the guide pin is tapered, and the edge of the guide pin hole is tapered.