JPS5921531B2 - Multi-core optical fiber connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a connector for connecting multicore optical fibers to each other while reducing coupling loss.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a connecting device comprising a male fitting and a female fitting having a built-in multi-core optical fiber is well known.

This connection tool is simply a core-coated optical fiber that is positioned inside each metal fitting, so when the metal fittings are turned to face each other and screwed together to connect the optical fibers, this happens. The core rotated irregularly and the corresponding positional relationship of the optical fiber cores shifted, resulting in loss in optical transmission. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide a connecting tool that can connect optical fibers with each other with less loss.

Therefore, the basic point of the present invention is to construct male and female fittings that can always accurately maintain the positional relationship of each optical fiber core wire. Embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described in detail below.

Fig. 1 is a male fitting containing a multi-core fiber, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of each side of a female fitting, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the male fitting along the line ■-■, where 1 is the male fitting. , 2 is a female metal fitting, 31, 32
...35 is the five optical fiber core wires built into the male fitting 1, 41, 42...45 is the five optical fiber core wires built into the female fitting 2. The optical fiber core wire 31 is the optical fiber core wire 41, and similarly, 32 is 42.
and are connected like this. Reference numeral 51 indicates a resin outer tube for the optical fiber core 31, and the core 31 is, for example, O, 12
For example, O, 9m7 to protect it from being thin like 5m Rei! It is a tube with an outer diameter of L.

A metal pipe 61 covers the outer tube 51 with an adhesive.

Reference numeral 71 refers to a core, which is made of metal and whose tip end is in surface contact with the core in the female metal fitting so that the centers of the optical fiber core wires 31 are opposed to each other, and the tip end is polished.

81 is a cylindrical holder that circumscribes the core 71 and is attached to the male metal fitting 1.
Other cylindrical holders 82, 83...8
The inner and outer surfaces are sufficiently polished so that they are inscribed with 7.

And 86 and 8 of the cylindrical holder 81...87
7 has a guide pin, which will be described later, inserted in place of the core. 1
Reference numerals 01 and 102 denote guide pins, which in this embodiment are located on the outermost periphery in the diametrical direction at a point symmetrical to the center of the metal fitting main body 9, the outer diameter of the middle part is equal to the outer diameter of the core 71, and the base is slightly It has a large diameter and is fixed with a substrate 11.

Further, the tip portion is rounded so as to be easily inserted into the female metal fitting 2, and protrudes toward the core 7 and the female metal fitting 2.
The outer periphery of the nut 18 is threaded to correspond to the inner thread of the metal fitting body 9, and is screwed and fixed into the metal fitting body 9, and an optical fiber coated with five metal pipes is inserted outward from the nut 18 (as a female metal fitting). (in the opposite direction). Also board 1
A spring 12 is interposed between the spring 1 and the core 7, and the spring 1
21 generates a force that causes the cores that come into contact with each other in the optical fiber connection to face each other. A bush 13 is interposed between the substrate 11 and the cylindrical holder 81 to fix the position of the cylindrical holder 81. 14 is a cap nut and the inside is threaded.

For the female fitting 2, the guide pins 101, 1 of the male fitting 1
The internal structure is almost the same except for 02, and the female metal fitting body 1
5 is threaded on the outside so that it can be screwed when inserted into the inside of the cap nut 14 of the male metal fitting 1.

Regarding the female metal fitting 2, cylindrical holders similar to those of the male metal fitting 1 are inscribed in the main body 15 while circumscribing each other, and cylindrical holders 166, Since the space 167 is left as is, the guide pins 101 and 102 of the male fitting 1 can be inserted into the cylindrical holder, and the five optical fibers can be pulled out from the female fitting 2. There is. If the male metal fitting 1 and the female metal fitting 2 configured in this way are made to face each other, the two metal fittings will be guided by the two guide pins and the two metal fittings will be connected.If the cap nut 14 is rotated, the inside of the two metal fittings will be connected. The children 71 and the like are pressed together and joined together by the springs 12 and the like.

At that time, the guide pin acts as a guide and at the same time stops the rotation of the core, so the optical fibers inside the core face each other within the fitting while maintaining their mutual positional relationship accurately, so there is no loss in the amount of light to be transmitted. Few. Although the case where the guide pins are located point-symmetrically with respect to the center of the metal fitting body is shown, other configurations may be used as long as they are not located adjacent to each other, and the number of guide pins may also be three or more.

In this way, according to the present invention, a connecting tool can be obtained that has a cylindrical holder and a guide pin, thereby reducing coupling loss and easily connecting multi-core optical fibers.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a male fitting according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the same female fitting, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line -- of the male fitting. 1...Male metal fitting, 2...Female metal fitting, 3
1, 32...35, 41, 42...4
,...Optical fiber core wire, 71, 72...
・75...Nakako, 81,82...87
......Cylindrical holder, 101, 102...
・Guide pin.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a connection device consisting of a male fitting and a female fitting containing a multi-core optical fiber, the male fitting has a plurality of guide pins with the same diameter as the core enclosing the multi-core optical fiber, and each guide pin has a A cylindrical holder, which does not contain an optical fiber and protrudes from the terminal end of the core, and whose outer and inner peripheral surfaces are polished, is provided at each tip of the optical fiber and the guide pin, and the cylindrical surfaces of each holder are in contact with each other. The female fitting has a cylindrical holder with polished outer and inner circumferential surfaces at each end of the optical fiber, and the cylindrical surfaces of the holders are in contact with each other and are inscribed within the fitting. A multi-core optical fiber connector characterized in that the cylindrical holders are inscribed in the male metal fitting, and the number of cylindrical holders equal to the number of guide pins of the male metal fitting is a gap into which the guide pins can be inserted at positions corresponding to the guide pins.