JPS5918406Y2 - Optical fiber terminal connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an optical fiber terminal connector, particularly to an optical fiber terminal connector used as a component of electrical equipment such as automobiles and other vehicles.

Conventional connectors of this type include a connector attached to the end of an optical fiber and a connector containing a built-in element such as a light emitting diode, a light receiving diode, or a phototransistor, and these connectors are screwed together to connect the optical fiber. One terminal and a light emitting or light receiving element are made to face each other.

Thus, a pair of connectors in such a conventional connector is for a pair of optical fibers and a light emitting or light receiving element.

Therefore, when a number of optical fibers must be used side by side, a pair of such connectors is required for the number of optical fibers, and there is a problem in that the connecting part of one end of these optical fibers occupies an extremely large space. Ta.

In addition, in this type of connector, in order to more efficiently and reliably exchange optical signals and electrical signals, the first
The first is to minimize the distance between the optical fiber end and the light emitting or light receiving element, and the second is to disperse the light to the outside.
Conditions are imposed such as absolutely preventing the intrusion of light from the outside, and thirdly, locating the optical fiber and the light emitting or light receiving element on a coaxial line.

However, with the conventional screw-fitting type using a pair of connectors, it is difficult to satisfy each of these conditions, and if an attempt is made to satisfy these conditions, there is a problem in that the structure becomes complicated.

Furthermore, with some conventional screw-fit connectors, electrical signal lines are soldered directly to the terminals of the light-emitting or light-receiving element in advance, but since this soldered part is visible from the outside, it is difficult to connect multiple optical fibers. When used side by side, there is a problem in that these soldered parts are not orderly and the appearance is unsightly.

The present invention was made to solve the various problems of the conventional art, and aims to provide an optical fiber terminal connector that is optimal for use when a plurality of optical fibers are used side by side.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the drawings, 1 indicates an upper case and 2 indicates a lower case, and these upper and lower cases are detachable by means of 3.

The upper and lower cases 1 and 2 have a plurality of parallel grooves 4 (shown only in the lower case) and partition walls 5 and 6 integrally spaced from the ends of these parallel grooves at a predetermined distance.

A pair of parallel grooves 4 corresponding to each other on the upper and lower cases are, respectively,
The end of the optical fiber 7, a fixing ring 8 attached to the end, and a shape that allows a light emitting diode 9 to be held at a predetermined distance from the fixing ring (see especially FIG. 2).

The partition walls 5゜6 of the upper and lower cases 1 and 2 have a plurality of grooves 10 and 11.
, and each of these corresponding pairs of grooves is connected to the terminal 1.
Hold 2.

Each of these terminals is connected at one end to the lead wire 9a of the associated light emitting diode 9 by soldering, and at the other end is detachably connected to an external connector 13 as shown in FIG. .

The structure of the external connector 13 that can be freely connected to these terminals 12 can be a well-known and suitable structure, so a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

According to the configuration of the present invention as described above, no matter how many optical fibers must be used, the terminal connections of these optical fibers can be made compactly, reliably, and easily.

In other words, it does not require a pair of screwable connectors for each optical fiber as in the past, so it is possible to connect multiple optical fibers at the same time, and it does not require a large space as in the past. It can be stored extremely compactly.

In addition, according to the present invention, the optical fiber end fixing ring and the light emitting diode can be positioned reliably and accurately with a simpler structure than the conventional screw-fitting method, making mutual conversion of optical and electrical signals more efficient. This can be done reliably.

As shown in the figure, grooves 14 are provided between the parallel grooves 4 of the lower case 2, and shielding walls (
This can be further promoted by providing a (not shown) in the upper case 1 to completely isolate the terminal connections of each optical fiber from each other.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, an external connector can be connected to a terminal connected to the lead wires of multiple light emitting diodes, so electrical signal wires can be handled as a group, especially in a limited space such as an automobile. This is advantageous when wiring signal lines, and also has the advantage of being neat in appearance.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the upper and lower cases are removable, and the optical fiber terminal fixing ring, light emitting diode, and terminal can be taken out from the upper and lower cases. Connections can be made and the process is extremely simple.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the present invention is in no way limited to this specific embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Of course.

For example, the light-emitting diode 9 may be replaced with a light-receiving element such as a light-receiving diode or a phototransistor depending on the application, and the upper and lower cases 1 and 2 may be detachably attached using other suitable means instead of the screws 3.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of an optical fiber terminal connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing its assembled state before the upper case is attached, and Fig. 3 is the same as Fig. 1. FIG. 3 is an external view of a connector and an external connector connectable to the connector.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A plurality of optical fiber one-end fixing rings and a plurality of light emitting or light receiving elements are each held in pairs by a plurality of parallel grooves formed in the removable upper and lower cases, respectively, and a plurality of parallel grooves are provided in the upper case and formed in the lower case. A shielding wall fitted into the groove isolates the connecting portions of each optical fiber from each other, and a plurality of terminals to which the lead wires of the elements are respectively connected are sandwiched between the partition walls formed in the upper and lower cases, and these terminals are An optical fiber terminal connector characterized in that an external connector can be freely connected to the terminal.