JPH10142454A - Multi-fiber optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable plugging out by a tool without causing the interference and to enable manufacture at a low cost by integral molding by means of a multi-fiber optical connector. SOLUTION: Respective pairs of two engaging pieces 9, 9, 10, 10, 12, 12, 13, 13, which protrude from the inside of an adapter housing 1 and have spring property, are respectively oppositely disposed in the same axial direction within respective holes 5, 6, 8 for plug insertion respectively formed on both sides of plural sleeve holders 2, 3 lined up and arranged in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction at an intermediate part within the adapter housing 1 of a connecting adapter A. Simultaneously, one pair of engaging pieces 12, 12, 13, 13 on the opposite side are respectively integrally constituted with one pair of engaging pieces 9, 9, 10, 10 on one side of respective sleeve holders 2, 3 by being shifted by a desired angle in the shaft-rotating direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-core optical connector used for facilitating connection and disconnection between optical fibers or between an optical fiber and an optical element.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIGS.
The multi-fiber optical connector includes a ferrule b disposed on a tip axis of a plug frame a in a connection adapter A '.
Plugs d and d, which penetrate the optical fiber c, are inserted from both sides into the axis of the ferrule b, and the ferrules b and b are inserted into the alignment sleeve e so that the ferrules b and b, ie, the optical fiber c,
c, the end faces of which are connected to each other, and a pair of engaging pieces g, g protruding from each other in the adapter housing f.
Is known to hold the plugs d, d at the insertion position.

[0003] The plug of the optical connector includes a so-called manual operation detachable type in which the connection adapter is pulled out by a manual operation, and a so-called hand-operated detachable type.
There is a tool detachable type.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a hand-operable detachable type plug d.
A knob i provided with an engagement release mechanism h, h on the outer surface of the distal end is slidably provided in the axial direction, and as shown, the knob i is inserted and held in the connection adapter A '.
By sliding the plug in the pulling-out direction, the engaging groove j formed in the plug frame a and the engaging pieces g of the connecting adapter A ′, the engaging protrusion k formed on the inner surface of the tip of the g are formed. By disengaging the plug d.
Is removed from the connection adapter A ′. Therefore, the connection adapter A 'of the plug d, d
Is a pair of engagement pieces g, g, g,
g is provided so as to protrude at the same position in the direction around the axis.

[0005]

However, like the above-mentioned connection adapter A ', the engagement pieces g, g, g,
When g is protruded, the molding die (core) cannot be removed, so that it was impossible to integrally mold the whole. For this purpose, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the adapter housing f is divided into two parts, and they are combined in the axial direction.

However, such a structure has a problem that the number of components is large and the assembling process is complicated, so that it takes time and effort and the manufacturing cost is increased.

Therefore, the present inventors have proposed a locking piece g on one side,
g and the engaging pieces g, g on the opposite side to each other by 90 ° in the direction around the axis.
By shifting them and forming them in the same direction in the axial direction, it is possible to remove the molding die, so that the entirety can be integrally molded.

However, such a structure has the following problems. First, in the connection adapter having the above structure, the plugs d, d of the manual operation detachable type cannot be engaged with and connected to the engagement pieces g, g, g, g on both sides. As shown in FIG. 9, a simple plug p formed by projecting an engagement flange o on the outer periphery near the front end of a plug housing n having a ferrule m disposed on the front end axis is used.

By the way, this simple plug p is attached and detached by a tool (not shown). When a plurality of the plugs p are connected to the connection adapter A ', the plug p is removed by using a tool. However, since the tool and the pair of engagement pieces interfere with another adjacent pair of engagement pieces, the tool cannot perform the removal operation of pushing and expanding the pair of engagement pieces, and the plug cannot be removed. Was.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the related art, and includes a pair of engagement pieces provided on both sides of each sleeve holder in an adapter housing of a connection adapter. , With the same orientation in the axial direction and protruding at a desired angle in the direction around the axis, so that a plug for manual operation and a plug for tool attachment and detachment can be connected, and a plug for tool attachment and detachment It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-fiber optical connector that can reliably remove the plug with a tool, can be integrally molded, and can be manufactured at low cost.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, a multi-fiber optical connector according to the present invention is arranged at a substantially middle portion in an adapter housing at a predetermined interval in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction. A pair of two spring-engaging engagement pieces are provided in the respective plug insertion holes formed on both sides of the plurality of sleeve holders and projecting outward from the inside of the adapter housing in the same direction in the axial direction. In addition, a pair of engaging pieces located on one side of each of the sleeve holders is formed integrally with each other by displacing a pair of engaging pieces located on the other side in a direction around the axis by a desired angle. .

[0012]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-core optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where an existing manual detachable plug and a tool detachable plug are inserted and held on both sides of the connection adapter. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connection adapter. 4 shows a left side view of the connection adapter, FIG. 4 shows a right side view of the connection adapter, FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3, and FIG.
FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line B.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the adapter housing 1 of the connection adapter A is formed so as to be long in one axial direction, and has two sleeve holders 2, 3 at a substantially intermediate portion in the axial direction. Are arranged in parallel at a constant interval in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIG. 4, an existing hand-operable detachable plug 4 is provided on one side of the sleeve holders 2 and 3 in the axial direction. Plug insertion holes 5 and 6
Is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the plug 4 and communicates in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

On the other side in the axial direction of the two sleeve holders 2 and 3, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, tool detachable plugs 7 and 7 are freely attached to the two sleeve holders 2 and 3. That is, the plug insertion holes 8 into which the plug removal tool (not shown) can be freely inserted and inserted without any directionality in the direction around the axis are inserted into the holders 2 and 3.
Are formed in a square hole.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and 6,
A pair of engagement strips 9, 9, 10, for plug engagement, extending in the axial direction from the inside of the adapter housing 1 and having substantially band-like shapes on both left and right sides of the respective plug insertion holes 5, 6. 1
0 are protruded integrally from each other.

The two pairs of locking mating pieces 9, 9, 10, 1
Reference numeral 0 indicates that the base ends 9a, 9a, 10a, and 10a are continuously provided in the adapter housing 1 so as to be formed inward and inclined at a small angle in the axial direction. Each of the engagement pieces 9, 9 is provided with a spring property in the left-right direction in FIG. 4 and is capable of being pushed and expanded in an outward direction perpendicular to the axial direction against the spring property, that is, in the vertical direction in FIG. Gaps 11, 11 are formed between the inner surfaces of the adapter housing 1 and 10, 10.

Further, the pair of engaging pieces 9, 9, 10, 1
No. 0 at the front end surface, engaging projections 9b, 9b for plug engagement,
10b and 10b are integrally protruded.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the plug extends from the inside of the adapter housing 1 to the outside in the axial direction, and is located at a position corresponding to the two sleeve holders 2 and 3 in the plug insertion hole 8. A pair of engaging pieces 12, 12, 13, 13 are provided so as to protrude in parallel to face each other, and each of the front end faces has engaging projections 12a, 12a, 13a, 13a for plug engagement.
Is projected.

The above-mentioned engaging pieces 12, 12, 13, 13
As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the plug 7 is formed so as to be shifted from the above-mentioned engaging pieces 9, 9, 10, 10 by a desired angle .alpha. When removing the plug, the engaging piece 10 or 9 adjacent to the tool and the engaging pieces 9 and 10 are prevented from interfering with each other, thereby enabling the plug removing operation.

Here, the above-mentioned angle α is determined by the distance between the axes of the two adjacent sleeve holders 2 and 3 and the length of each engagement piece 1.
2, 12, 13, 13 and the width of both engagement pieces 12, 12,
Although it varies depending on the dimensions between the outer surfaces of the elements 13 and 13, it has been confirmed experimentally that an angle of about 34 ° is appropriate.

Further, the pair of engaging pieces 9, 9, 1
Engagement projections 9b, 9b, 10b, 10b at 0, 10
And the pair of engaging pieces 12, 12, 13, 1
3 have inclined surfaces 9c, 9c, 10c, 10c, 12 at the tips of the engaging projections 12a, 12a, 13a, 13a, respectively.
b, 12b, 13b, 13b to form plugs 4, 7
The plugs 4 and 7 are engaged and held as shown in FIG.

In FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 5 and 6, reference numeral 14 denotes a split sleeve fitted in the sleeve holders 2 and 3, and reference numeral 15 denotes a backboard housing or package (not shown) for the connection adapter A. 3 shows a bracket used for fixing to a housing or the like. Although the above embodiment describes a two-core type multi-core optical connector, other multi-core optical connectors, for example, 4
The same applies to the case of a type such as a heart, an eight-core, etc., and the description thereof is omitted.

[0024]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, the plug removing tool does not interfere with other adjacent engaging pieces, and a pair of engaging pieces is formed by the tool. Even if the engaging piece is pushed outward, it is possible to prevent the engaging piece from interfering with another adjacent engaging piece, whereby the plug can be reliably removed by the tool.

Further, the engaging pieces on both sides in the adapter housing are shifted in the axial direction and project in the same direction, so that the molding die (core) can be easily removed only in the axial direction. Since it is possible to integrally mold the whole using a simple mold, the number of components and the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced, and the manufacturing can be performed at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a multi-core optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state where a plug is inserted and held.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the multi-core optical connector.

FIG. 3 is a left side view showing the multi-core optical connector.

FIG. 4 is a right side view showing the multi-core optical connector.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a manually operable detachable plug is inserted and held in a conventional multi-core optical connector.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side view illustrating a conventional tool detachable plug.

[Explanation of symbols]

A Connection adapter 1 Adapter housing 2, 3, Sleeve holder 5, 6, 8 Plug insertion hole 9, 9, 10, 10, 12, 12, 13, 13 A pair of engaging pieces α desired angle

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Ryo Nagase 3-19-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Shinichi Iwano 3-192, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo No. Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Masaru Kobayashi 3-19-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Japan Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Ryuji Honda 3--19, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo No. 2 Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shigeyuki Mitachi 3-19-2 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of sleeve holders arranged at regular intervals in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction at a substantially intermediate portion in an adapter housing. A pair of two engaging pieces having spring properties in a state protruding outward from each other are respectively opposed in the same direction in the axial direction, and a pair of engaging pieces located on one side of each of the sleeve holders are provided. A multi-fiber optical connector, wherein a pair of engagement pieces located on the other side are shifted by a desired angle in a direction around an axis and are integrally formed.