RU2402794C1 - Optical cable connector - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: optical cable connector has an invar housing in form of a bushing on whose two sides of which there are two nodes through which cables pass. The node which can rotate consists of a shaft with a stepped hole along the axis, bearings and a spacer bushing. The rigidly mounted node consists of a bushing superimposed with a ferrule. The ferrule has a lateral recess which is filled with gel and is closed with a casing. Cleared ends of the cables are placed in the lateral recess.

EFFECT: more reliable operation and miniaturisation.

3 cl, 4 dwg

Description

The connector for optical cables is intended for use in the field of communication with the aim of transmitting information from rotating objects or to rotating objects via fiber optic cables.

A well-known connector for optical cables, comprising a housing made of two interconnected parts, one of which is mounted for rotation, in which springs are installed, spring-loaded ferrules, in each of which optical fibers of cables passing inside the bushings installed on both sides are placed housing (see US patent No. 5633963, 05/27/1997).

The disadvantages of this connector is the complexity of manufacturing, because greater precision is required in the manufacture of the connector parts in order to maintain the alignment of the fibers, which eliminates optical loss during rotation, which requires the implementation of high-precision rotation elements, which complicates the design of the connector and makes its manufacture more expensive. In addition, the known connector has increased dimensions, especially of the rotating element, as a result of which the linear speed of the rotating parts is large, which limits the rotation speed of the connector, which leads to a decrease in the reliability of signal transmission from one cable to another and the wear of the connector parts increases.

The technical result is to increase reliability, reduce dimensions and reduce the cost of the connector for optical cables.

Figure 1-4 shows an optical connector.

The optical connector (Fig. 1) consists of a housing 1, in which two nodes 2 and 3 are placed opposite, each with the end of the optical cable 4 and 5 fixed in it. In the housing 1, made in the form of a sleeve, there is an adjustment window 6, which assembled closed casing 7 with fasteners of the connector 8.

The node 2 is depicted in detail in figure 2. It consists of a shaft 9 with a stepped hole along the axis, an optical cable 4 having a capillary 10, bearings 11 and 12, and a spacer sleeve 13.

The outer sheath of the end of the optical cable 4 is glued into the hole of the shaft 9, and the stripped end 14 of the capillary 10 is inserted into the ferrule.

The node 3 is shown in figure 3 and consists of a sleeve 15, which is combined with the ferrule 16. The ferrule 16 is made with a cutout 17.

The outer sheath of the end of the optical cable 5 is glued into the sleeve 15, and its cleaned end 18 is glued to the ferrule 16. The cutout 17 in the ferrule 16 is filled with optical gel and closed by a cover 19.

The operating state of the connector assumes the exact relative position of the nodes 2 and 3. When assembling in the cutout 17 of the ferrule 16 (Fig. 4), the distance between the ends of the optical fibers is 0.03-0.05 mm and is kept within these limits regardless of the temperature, since the connector made of an alloy having a low coefficient of thermal expansion (for example, INVAR).

Information is transmitted when the node 2 is rotated with an optical cable fixed in it, its end 14 cleared of shells rotates in the ferrule hole, transmitting information to the cleaned end 18 of the optical cable 5. In this case, the eccentricity during rotation of the fiber end in the ferrule is not connected with the radial runout of the shaft 9 and is determined by the tolerances on the diameters of the fibers and the holes of the ferrule, which does not exceed 0.001-0.002 mm, which ensures the alignment of the optical fibers of the cables and more accurate transmission of information than that of the closest analogue, as well as information transfer at high rotation speeds.

The axial play of the rotating cable, depending on the fixing of the shaft 9 (figure 2) in the bearings 11 and 12, is minimized by the spacer sleeve 13. All this ensures stability and reliability of the connector.

As a result of the connector being made in the form of a single housing, elimination of intermediate movable elements fixing optical cables and cleaned optical fibers, the dimensions of the connector and the cost of its manufacture are reduced. The absence of these intermediate elements eliminates their mutual displacement during rotation and temperature differences, which increases the reliability of the connector.

Claims (3)

1. The connector for optical cables contains a housing in which two nodes are installed opposite, each with the end of the optical cable fixed to it, one of the nodes is rotatable, and the other node is fixed, a ferrule is installed inside the housing, characterized in that the housing is made in the form of a sleeve, the unit is rotatably mounted at one end of the housing and consists of a shaft with a stepped hole along the axis in which the optical cable is installed, bearings and an expansion sleeve, a fixed unit is installed detecting at the other end of the housing consists of a sleeve fixed therein cable combined with the ferrule adapted sidecut in which the bare ends of the cables are placed and which is filled with silicone gel. 2. The connector for optical cables according to claim 1, characterized in that the side cutout of the ferrule is closed by a cover. 3. The connector for optical cables according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the connector housing is made of Invar.

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