JPS5815764B2 - Optical fiber connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector used to connect optical fibers or to connect an optical fiber to a photoelectric conversion element or the like.

1 and 2 show a conventional optical fiber connector used to connect optical fibers, and its configuration is as follows: 1a and 1b are optical fibers, 2a and 2b are plugs, 3 is an adapter, 4a and 4b are bag nuts.

The plug 2a holds the optical fiber 1a in the center,
Further, a flange 5a is provided on the outer periphery, and a plurality of positioning holes 6a are bored on the same circumference around the optical fiber 1a in the flange 5a.

Similarly, the plug 2b holds the optical fiber 1b, and a plurality of positioning holes 6b are bored in the flange 5b provided on the outer periphery.

The adapter 3 has an insertion hole 7 for inserting the plugs 1a and 1b and abutting them against each other, and the end faces 8a and 8b are provided with positioning dowels 9a and 9b that fit into the positioning holes 6a and 6b. .

To explain the operation of the above-mentioned configuration, first, the plug 2b is inserted into the insertion hole 7 from one side of the adapter 3, and the positioning dowel 9b provided on the end face of the adapter 3 and the arbitrary positioning hole 6b provided on the flange 5b of the plug 2b are inserted. and fit together.

Next, the plug 2a is inserted into the insertion hole I from the other side of the adapter 3, and while measuring the connection loss of the connector, the plug 2a is rotated, and the positioning dowel 9 provided on the end surface 8a of the adapter 3 is rotated.
Fit the positioning holes 6a provided on the flange 5a into the flange 5a one after another, rotate the plug 2a once in this manner, select the positioning hole 6a with the smallest connection loss, and then
a into the positioning dowel 9a, and fasten the cap nuts 4a and 4b to the adapter 3 to fix it.

The above-mentioned optical fiber connector is configured so that the plug can be attached to and detached from the adapter, and when each plug is inserted into the insertion hole of the adapter repeatedly, the positioning dowel must always be in the same position. A stable connection loss can be obtained by fitting the holes, but if a positioning hole other than the positioning hole that minimizes the connection loss is fitted to the positioning dowel, the connection loss will increase and a suitable connection will not be obtained. Become.

However, the above-mentioned optical fiber connector does not have a means to always fit the positioning hole with the positioning dowel to minimize the connection loss, so it is easy to connect without the minimum connection loss, that is, to cause incorrect insertion. It is possible that

This also applies to connectors used to connect optical fibers and photoelectric conversion elements, and is a major drawback.

The present invention is aimed at solving these drawbacks, and is characterized by providing an incorrect insertion prevention plate that can always fit the positioning hole with the positioning dowel to minimize the connection loss.

3 and 4 show one embodiment of the present invention, and to explain its construction, the optical fiber, plaque, adapter, cap nut, etc. are the same as those in FIG.
Indicated by the same reference numerals as in the figure.

10a and 10b are erroneous insertion prevention plates according to the present invention formed in a ring shape, and one side of the erroneous insertion prevention plate 10a has one positioning hole 6a smaller than the number of positioning holes 6a provided in the flange 5b of the plug 2a. A protruding stud 11a is provided on one side of the erroneous insertion prevention plate 10b, and a positioning hole 6b provided on the flange 5b of the plug 2b is provided on one side of the erroneous insertion prevention plate 10b. The number of positioning holes 6b is one less than the number of positioning holes 6b.
A protruding stud 11b is provided so that it can be press-fitted and fixed.

Therefore, when the plugs 2a and 2b are inserted into the insertion holes 7 of the adapter 3 and abutted against each other, the positioning holes 6a and 6 fit into the positioning dowels 9a and 9b at the position where the connection loss is minimized.
Positioning holes 6a other than b.

Incorrect insertion prevention plate 10a to 6b, stud 11a of 10b,
11b is press-fitted and fixed, the positioning hole 5a minimizes the connection loss even if the plugs 2a and 2b are repeatedly attached and detached.
5b can always be fitted into the positioning dowels 9a and 9b, and erroneous insertion is eliminated, so that the optical fibers 1a and 1b can be suitably connected.

In the embodiment described above, the flanges 5a of the plugs 2a, 2b,
5b is provided with positioning holes 6a, 6b, and end surfaces 8a, 8b of the adapter 3 are provided with positioning dowels 9a.

Although the optical fiber connector provided with the plug 9b has been described, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the plug 2a, 2b
Positioning dowels 9a, 9b are provided on the flanges 5a, 5b of the adapter 3, and the end surface 8a of the adapter 3 is provided with positioning dowels 9a, 9b.

Even if the connector for optical fiber is provided with positioning holes 6a and 6b in 8b, the above-mentioned incorrect insertion prevention plate 10a,
It is possible to prevent incorrect insertion by the erroneous insertion prevention plate 10b.

10b will be located between the flanges 5a, 5b of the plugs 2a, 2b and the end surfaces 8a, 8b of the adapter 3, so the studs 11a,
In addition to 11b, one through hole 12 is provided to enable the fitting of the positioning dowels 9a and 9b with the positioning holes 6a and 6b.
a, 12b must be provided.

The two embodiments described above are embodiments for connecting optical fibers, and next, an embodiment for connecting optical fibers and photoelectric conversion elements etc. will be described.

In FIG. 7, reference numeral 13 denotes a receptacle, which has an insertion hole 14 into which the plug 2 is inserted, and on the end face 15 there are positioning dowels 16 corresponding to the plurality of positioning holes 6 provided in the flange 5 of the plug 2. That's it.

A cabin 17 is provided at the back of the insertion hole 14, and a photoelectric conversion element 18 is located at a position facing the end surface of the optical fiber 1 held in the center of the plug 2 when the plug 2 is inserted into the insertion hole 14. Installation.

One side of the incorrect insertion prevention plate 100 is provided with studs 11, the number of which is one less than the number of positioning holes 6 provided in the flange 5 of the plug 2.

In this embodiment, the connection between the optical fiber 1 and the photoelectric conversion element 18 is performed by first inserting the plug 2 into the insertion hole 14 of the receptacle 13, and measuring the coupling efficiency between the optical fiber 1 and the photoelectric conversion element 18. is rotated to sequentially fit the positioning holes 6 provided in the flange 5 into the positioning dowels 16 provided in the end surface 15 of the receptacle 13.

In this way, the positioning hole 6 that provides the maximum coupling efficiency is selected, and the studs 11 of the incorrect insertion prevention plate 10 are press-fitted and fixed into the positioning holes 6 other than the positioning hole 6 that provides the maximum coupling efficiency, thereby achieving the maximum coupling efficiency. Fit the positioning hole 6 into the positioning dowel 16, and insert the cap nut 10 into the receptacle 13.
Fasten and secure.

When removing the plug 2 from the receptacle 13, if the incorrect insertion prevention plate 10 is attached to the plug 2 as it is, when the plug 2 is inserted into the insertion hole 14 of the receptacle 13 again, the positioning hole 6 for maximum coupling efficiency can be easily adjusted. It can be fitted into the positioning dowel 16, thereby preventing incorrect insertion.

Although not shown here, if a positioning dowel 16 is provided on the flange 5 of the plug 2 and a positioning hole 6 is provided on the end face of the receptacle 13, the erroneous insertion prevention plate 10 is provided with a positioning dowel 16 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. A similar effect can be obtained by providing through holes similar to the shown through holes 12a and 12b.

As explained above, the present invention provides a removable optical fiber connector for connecting optical fibers to each other or to connecting optical fibers to a photoelectric conversion element, etc. Of the multiple positioning holes, the stud provided on the mis-insertion prevention plate is press-fitted and fixed into the positioning hole outside the random positioning hole that provides the most suitable connection, and the positioning hole that always provides the most suitable connection is positioned. Because it can be fitted into a dowel, it eliminates incorrect insertion and provides a highly stable optical fiber connector that can be easily fixed in the same position without any misalignment of the optical fiber. It is possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a conventional example, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 is a main part of Fig. 3. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view, FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing another embodiment, FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing another embodiment. 1.1a, 1b... optical fiber, 2, 2a. 2 b...Plug, 3...Adapter, 4, 4a. 4b... Cap nut, 5.5a, 5b... Flange, 6
．． 6a, 6b...Positioning hole, 7...Insertion hole, 8a, 8
b...End face, 9a, 9b...Positioning dowel, 10
, 10a, 10b... Incorrect insertion prevention plate, 11.11a, 1
1b...Stud, 12a. 12b... Through hole, 13... Receptacle, 14... Insertion hole, 15... End surface, 16... Positioning dowel, 17...
Cabin, 18...Photoelectric conversion element.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plug that holds an optical fiber in the center and has a flange on the outer periphery, and an adapter that has an insertion hole for inserting the plug, or an insertion hole for inserting the plug and a photoelectric An optical fiber connector consisting of a receptacle having a conversion element, etc., wherein the flange of the plug is provided with a positioning dowel or a plurality of positioning holes, and the end face of the adapter or receptacle is provided with a plurality of positioning holes or positioning dowels. An optical fiber connector characterized in that an erroneous insertion prevention plate is provided having a stud that can be press-fitted and fixed into all but one of the plurality of positioning holes. 2. The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein the erroneous insertion prevention plate is provided with a through hole through which a positioning dowel is passed.