JPS5916897Y2 - fiber optic connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement in an optical fiber connector mainly used for butt-connecting optical fibers.

Various structures have been proposed and put into practical use as means for concentrically abutting and holding optical fibers together, but an external cylindrical structure that allows repeated abutment and separation of optical fibers is particularly popular. Connectors are widely used in which a core containing an optical fiber is attached to the core through openings at both ends.

Generally, in the case of such a connector, each core is attached and fixed to the external cylinder by screwing a cap nut into the connector.

For this reason, when the cap nuts are screwed together, the cores that support the optical fibers rotate together with the cap nuts, and the front end faces of the cores, in other words, the end faces of the optical fibers, are rubbed together, and the optical fibers are There were inconveniences such as scratches on the fiber end face, increased connection loss between the connected optical fibers, and the need for repolishing to repair the scratches on the optical fiber end face each time the core was attached to and removed from the external cylinder. .

Therefore, in the past, a structure was adopted in which the core and the cap nut were prevented from rotating together, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, in order to prevent the end faces of the optical fibers from sliding against each other.

That is, in FIG. 3, C indicates the optical fibers F1. A connector for an optical fiber attached to F2, the connector C has an outer cylinder S, cores 31, 31 . Core holder 3
2.32, bag nut 33.33, spring 34.34
, washer 35.35.

Core 31, 31. Both the core holders 32 and 32 have a thick cylindrical shape and are integrally fixed to each other concentrically, and six holes 36, 36 are formed in their axial centers, and these six holes 36, Optical fibers F i and F 2 are fixed within the core 31.36 concentrically with the core 31.31 such that their tips are flush with the front end surface of the core 31.31.

The core 31.31 is inserted into the outer cylinder S from both ends thereof, and the protrusions 31 b, 31 b provided on the core 31.31 are inserted.
is the groove Sa provided in the external cylinder.

While engaged with S3, the front end surfaces of the valve elements 31 and 31 are brought into contact with each other at approximately the center of the outer cylinder S.

In this state, connect the inner screws of the cap nuts L-33 and 33 to the outer cylinder S.
External thread S2. When screwed into S2, the rain core 31.31 has its protrusions 31b, 31b in the groove S3. 33. The optical fiber F1. The end faces of F2 are also abutted without being rubbed together.

However, in such a configuration, the protrusions 31b, 31
b and groove S3. It is extremely difficult to process the grooves S3 and S3 so that they can be engaged with each other with no gap at all, and even if the protrusions 31 b, 31 b and the grooves S3. Even if S3 could be machined without a gap, it would be difficult to achieve uniform machining accuracy for all products, resulting in a significant drop in compatibility, and the protrusions 31 b, 31 b and groove S3 ．． Considering workability, we have to process it so that there is a slight gap between it and S3 (bag empty) 33.3
3, the cores 31 and 31, in other words, the end faces of the optical fibers F and F2 were rubbed together by an amount corresponding to the gap, and scratches were still observed on the end faces of the optical fibers. These scratches cause an increase in splice loss, and the current situation is that polishing cannot be omitted each time an optical fiber is disconnected in order to repair the scratches.

The present invention was devised in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide space between an elastic body such as a spring fitted onto the core holder and the cap nut, or between the elastic body and the core. The optical fiber connector is equipped with a thrust bearing to prevent the core from rotating together with the cap nut when the cap nut is screwed together, allowing the optical fibers to match accurately without sliding together. It is on offer.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically explained based on drawings showing embodiments thereof.

Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an optical fiber connector according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present product), and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing a state in which optical fibers are brought into contact with each other. F
1. F2 are optical fibers to be mutually butt-connected, 1,
1 is the core, 2,2 is the core holder, 3,3 is the bag nut),
4.4 is a spring, and 5, 5 is a thrust ball bearing.

The core 1.1 has a thick cylindrical shape, and at its rear end a core holder 2.2 having a slightly smaller outer diameter than the cores 1,1 is fixed approximately concentrically to the cores 1,1. ing.

Six holes 6, 6 are bored along the axis between the front end surfaces of the cores 1, 1 and the rear end surfaces of the core holders 2, 2.
In these six holes 6, 6, optical fibers F1. F
The tip of 2 is inserted and the mirror-finished end surface is inserted into the core 1,
It is fixed concentrically with the cores 1, 1 within the cores 7L6, 6 while being positioned flush with the front end surface of the cores 1, 1.

Optical fiber F1. For F2, the outer sheath, polyethylene sheath, lap sheath, reinforcing braid, etc. at the end are cut off to an appropriate length, and an appropriate length of the optical fiber strand or the optical fiber strand covered with the jacket is exposed. The wire portion is inserted and fixed into the six holes 6,6.

The cap nuts 3, 3 are formed into a cylindrical shape with one end closed except for holes 3a, 3a through which the core holder 2.2 is inserted. ,2
It is fitted onto the outside so that it can slide in the axial direction.

Flanges 1a, la are formed on the outer periphery of the rear end portions of the cores 1, 1, and the core holder 2.2 is provided between the flanges 1a, 1a and the inner inner walls of the cap nuts 3, 3. The springs 4, 4, which are elastic bodies, and the thrust ball bearings 5, 5 are fitted onto the outside of the core holders 2, 2 so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the core holders 2, 2 in such a manner that they are enclosed in the cap nuts 3, 3.

One end of the springs 4, 4 is brought into contact with the side surface of the flanges 1a, 1a, and the other end is brought into contact with one of the ball seats 5a, 5a of the thrust ball bearing 5. The other ball seats 5 b , 5 b of the cap nuts 3 , 5 are brought into contact with the inner inner walls of the cap nuts 3 , 3 by the expanding force of the spring.

In addition, thrust ball bearings 5,
5 may be arranged between the springs 4, 4 and the collars 1a, 1a.

Further, the flanges 1a, 1a may be provided on the tip sides of the core holders 2, 2.

The outer cylinder S is formed into a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the cores 1, 1, as in the conventional product, and is provided with a mounting flange S1 on the outer periphery of the center part, and the cap nut 3 on the outer periphery of both ends.
．． The outer thread S2 is screwed into the inner thread of No.3. S2 is formed.

In the product thus constructed, as shown in FIG.
, 4, the core holder 2.2 is normally positioned near the rear end of the core holder 2.2.

Optical fiber F1. When connecting F2, cores 1, 1
is inserted into the external cylinder S from its openings on both sides, and while the front end surfaces of the valve elements 1, 1 are brought into contact with each other approximately in the center of the external cylinder S, the cap nuts 3, 3 are placed around the outer periphery of both ends of the external cylinder S. Screw together.

Even when the cap nuts 3, 3 are rotated to be screwed into the external cylinder S, this rotational movement is absorbed by the thrust ball bearings 5, 5 and is transferred to the spring 4°4, the cores 1, 1, and the core holders 2, 2. is not transmitted, and as the cap nuts 3, 3 are screwed into the external cylinder S, the cores 1, 1 are moved straight inside the external cylinder S without rotating along its axis, and approximately Optical fibers F1 . Both end faces of F2 are also concentrically butt-connected without sliding against each other.

Optical fiber F1. When separating the end faces of F2,
By rotating each of the cap nuts 3, 3 in the opposite direction to the outer cylinder S and separating them from the outer cylinder S, each of the cores 1, 1 can also be taken out from the outer cylinder S as they are.

Even when the cap nuts 3, 3 rotate when each core 1, 1 is removed from the external cylinder S, the rotational movement is absorbed by the thrust ball bearings 5, 5, so that the springs 4,
4. Core 1, 1. The core holder 2,2 and therefore also the optical fiber F1. It is also not transmitted to F2, and the end faces of optical fibers F and F2 are not rubbed together.

As described above, in this product, since the spring and thrust ball bearing are interposed on the outer periphery of the core holder between the core and the cap nut, the cap nut and the core do not rotate together, and therefore the light Not only does the fiber end face not rub against each other, damage to the optical fiber end face is prevented, and an increase in splice loss can be prevented, but there is no need for repolishing to repair damage to the optical fiber end face, and repeated attachment/detachment operations are required. However, the deterioration of the connector itself is extremely small.

In addition, the structure is greatly simplified and manufacturing is easy, and even if the connection and disconnection operations are repeated, the reproducibility is excellent, and it is possible to easily make stable and reliable butt connections between optical fibers, and the connector itself The present invention has excellent effects such as extending the life of the machine.

Although the embodiments have been described using thrust ball bearings, it goes without saying that other thrust bearings may be used.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the present product, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing a state in which the optical fibers are brought into contact with each other, and FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the conventional product. 1... Core, 2... Core holder, 3.
...Fukuro nut, 4...Spring, 5.
...Thrust ball bearing, Fl. F2...Optical fiber, S...External cylinder.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In an optical fiber connector for making an optical connection, an optical fiber is inserted and fixed into an external cylinder and a shaft center part which is removably inserted into the external cylinder from openings on both sides of the external cylinder.
A core having a hole, a core holder fixed to the rear end of the core and having six holes for inserting optical fibers in the shaft center, and an elastic body surrounding the core holder, A cap nut screwed onto the outer periphery of the external cylinder, and a thrust bearing positioned between the inner deep part of the cap nut and the elastic body or between the elastic body and the core and fitted onto the core holder. An optical fiber connector comprising: