TWI530721B - Optical connector - Google Patents

Description

Optical connector

The present invention relates to an optical connector using an optical collimator.

In the case of using an optical connector in combination with an optical fiber and various optical devices, there is proposed a technique for improving the bonding efficiency by using a lens, which is an optical collimator that combines a single or a plurality of optical fibers.

In such a light collimator, the positioning of the end face of the optical fiber and the collimating lens is required. In the prior art, a method of inserting a separator of another component into a holding member is known as a method of positioning the end face of the optical fiber and the collimator lens (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Further, as a method of assembling an optical connector, a method of using a wedge member for inserting an optical fiber into a ferrule is known (for example, see Patent Document 2).

[Previous Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-241094

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 11-133270

In an optical connector used in the use of an optical fiber and various optical devices, it is required to have a small size in terms of shape, and to maintain the positional relationship between the optical fiber and the collimator lens even if the device is repeatedly inserted and removed.

However, as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, when at the end face of the optical fiber When other parts are used in the positioning of the collimator lens, the assembly procedure becomes complicated as the number of parts increases. Moreover, the work of inserting other components into the holding member has a problem that the smaller the size of the optical connector becomes, the more difficult the operation and the cost required for the operation are increased.

Further, as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, when other components such as wedge members are used in assembling the optical connector, there is a problem that the number of components is further increased, and the assembly procedure becomes more complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide an optical connector capable of accurately aligning a collimator lens and an optical fiber without complicated assembly steps.

The optical connector according to the present invention is characterized in that: a holder for accommodating a collimator lens at one end, a metal holding member for inserting an insertion hole for inserting an optical fiber at the other end, and a stopper for inserting the holder at one end a first insertion hole, a through hole formed at a second insertion hole through which the optical fiber is inserted at the other end, and a resin joint of a fiber holding region formed in a part of the through hole; and an end surface of the collimating lens and the optical fiber At least one of them is positioned in contact with a recess formed in the vicinity of the accommodating portion of the holding member, and an optical fiber fixing portion for accommodating the optical fiber fixing member is formed in the optical fiber holding region of the resin joint.

According to the optical connector described above, since at least one of the collimator lens and the optical fiber can be positioned to abut against the recessed portion provided on the holding member, the collimating lens and/or the optical fiber can be made based on the depressed portion. Positioning, thus improving compared to the case where other parts are inserted into the holding member as before The work efficiency is, and on the one hand, the increase in cost is suppressed, and the positioning of the collimator lens and the optical fiber is simply performed. Further, since the optical fiber fixing portion for accommodating the optical fiber fixing member is formed in the optical fiber holding region of the resin joint, the optical fiber positioned with a small number of parts can be firmly fixed. As a result, the alignment lens and the optical fiber can be aligned with high precision without complicated assembly steps.

For example, in the optical connector, it is conceivable that a part of the optical fiber holding region is opened on the optical fiber fixing portion side, and a part of the optical fiber inserted in the optical fiber holding region is exposed at a bottom portion of the optical fiber fixing portion. In this case, since the optical fiber is pressed from above by the bottom surface of the optical fiber fixing member housed in the optical fiber fixing portion, the positioned optical fiber can be firmly fixed.

Further, in the optical connector, the optical fiber fixing member may have a convex portion housed in the optical fiber fixing portion and a flat portion disposed on an upper surface of the resin joint. In this case, since the structure of the optical fiber fixing member is simple, the cost required for its manufacture can be reduced.

Further, in the optical connector, the optical fiber fixing member may have a fixing portion having a substantially U-shaped cross section that is received in the optical fiber fixing portion, and a part of the resin joint and a second insertion hole. a tie portion of a portion of the aforementioned optical fiber. In this case, since a part of the resin joint and a part of the optical fiber exposed from the second insertion hole are tied to the tying portion of the optical fiber fixing member, the connection strength can be further enhanced. Further, since the fixing portion and the tying portion are integrated optical fiber fixing members, the number of parts can be reduced.

Further, in the above optical connector, a plurality of the first insertion holes may be arranged side by side. In this case, even an optical connector filled with a plurality of optical fibers can be obtained by a simple assembly step.

Further, in the optical connector, the fitting portion to be fitted to the fitting portion on the apparatus side when the device is connected to the device may be provided on the outer circumference of the resin joint. In this case, since the position of the optical connector of the insertion device can be prevented from being displaced by the fitted portion provided in a part of the resin joint, the connection between the optical connector and the device can be satisfactorily performed.

Furthermore, in the above optical connector, the aforementioned optical fiber can be considered as a plastic optical fiber. In this case, the factor material is soft, so that it can be pressed from above by the optical fiber fixing member, and the number of parts can be suppressed.

According to the present invention, the collimating lens can be aligned with the optical fiber with high precision without complicated assembly steps.

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

First, the state in which the optical connector of the present invention is connected to the device will be described. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic side sectional view showing a state in which an optical connector of the present invention is attached to a device. In addition, in FIG. 1, for convenience of description, the apparatus which has a light-receiving/light-emitting element is demonstrated, However, The structure of the apparatus is not limited to this, and can be changed suitably.

As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus 100 for connecting the optical connector 10 of the present invention arranges the light-receiving/light-emitting element 101 inside the casing 102, and is disposed by The support mechanism shown is supported by the condensing lens 103 and the inclined polishing surface 104 on the optical axis of the light receiving/emitting element 101. Further, an opening portion 105 into which the optical connector 10 is inserted is provided on a side surface of the casing 102 of the apparatus 100.

In the device 100, the laser light emitted from the light-emitting element 101 is reflected by the inclined polishing surface 104 via the collecting lens 103, and is guided to the opening 105. The light reflected by the inclined polishing surface 104 is condensed by the collimator lens 12 of the optical connector 10 and incident on the optical fiber 13. The light thus incident propagates within the optical fiber 13. In addition, in FIG. 1, the optical path of the laser light emitted from the light-emitting element 101 is shown by the broken line.

Further, in the device 100, the light propagating through the optical fiber 13 is calibrated via the collimator lens 12. The laser light emitted from the optical fiber 13 is reflected by the inclined polishing surface 104, and is guided to the light receiving element 101 via the collecting lens 103. In addition, in Fig. 1, the optical path of the laser light emitted from the optical fiber 13 is indicated by a broken line.

In the apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, when the optical connector 10 is inserted into a specific position in the casing 102, the laser light transmitted between the light receiving/emitting element 101 and the optical fiber 13 can be passed through the collecting lens 103 and tilted. The polished surface 104 is incident on the surface 104. Hereinafter, the configuration of the optical connector 10 of the present invention connected to such a device 100 will be described.

(First embodiment)

Fig. 2 is an external perspective view of the optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a side sectional view showing the optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the optical connector 10 includes a plurality of holders (two in the present embodiment) as a holding member having a substantially cylindrical shape, and a holder 11 The collimator lens 12 held at one end of each of the holders 11 and the plurality of (in the present embodiment, two) optical fibers 13 inserted from the insertion holes 11a provided at the other end of each of the holders 11 are held and held together. The resin 11 and the resin joint 14 of each of the optical fibers 13 and the fixing structure 15 for fixing and tying the optical fibers 13 and the coating layer 16 covering the respective optical fibers 13 are formed. Further, in the optical connector 10 of the first embodiment, a plastic optical fiber is suitably inserted as the optical fiber 13.

The optical collimator 10a is constituted by the holder 11, the collimator lens 12, and the optical fiber 13. Details of the optical collimator 10a will be described later.

4A is a perspective view of the resin joint 14, and FIG. 4B is a side sectional view of the resin joint 14. As shown in FIG. 4A, the resin joint 14 has a substantially cubic shape, and a through hole is provided along the longitudinal direction thereof. An insertion hole 14a into which the holder 11 is inserted is provided at one end of the through hole, and an opening portion 14b into which the optical fiber 13 is inserted is provided at the other end. An optical fiber fixing portion 14c that cuts a part of the outer circumference of the resin joint 14 into a substantially rectangular cross section is formed in the vicinity of the center of the resin joint 14. In the following, a portion of the resin joint 14 which is further forward than the front end portion of the optical fiber fixing portion 14c is referred to as a "front end portion 14d", and a resin joint which is further rearward than the rear end portion of the optical fiber fixing portion 14c The portion of 14 is referred to as "rear end portion 14e". A fitting portion 14f having a groove shape having a substantially right-angled triangular cross section is formed on the outer peripheral upper surface of the distal end portion 14d.

In the through hole of the resin joint 14, the front end portion 14d is provided with a holder insertion portion 14g, and the outer layer insertion portion 14h is formed at the rear end portion opening portion 14b side, in the holder insertion portion 14g and the outer cover insertion portion 14h. A fiber holding area 14i is disposed between them. The holder insertion area 14g and the fiber holding area 14i are set corresponding to the number of the optical fibers 13 fixed to the optical connector 10. There are a plurality of (two in the present embodiment). Further, a positioning portion 14j is provided at a boundary between the holder insertion region 14g and the fiber holding region 14i. The inner diameter of the holder insertion region 14g is configured to be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the holder 11. The inner diameter of the outer cover insertion region 14h is configured to be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the outer cover 16. The inner diameter of the fiber holding region 14i is configured to be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the optical fiber 13. Further, a part of the optical fiber holding region 14i is opened to the side of the optical fiber fixing portion 14c.

The fitted portion 14f of the resin joint 14 is provided to prevent the light inserted into the device 100 by fitting with the convex fitting portion 105a provided on the inner circumference of the opening 105 of the apparatus 100 (refer to FIG. 1). The position of the connector 10 is offset and the optical connector 10 is well connected to the device 100. Further, by inserting the optical connector 10 into the device 100 until the fitting portion 14f is fitted into the fitting portion 105a, the optical connector 10 can be always positioned at a specific position in the casing 102.

The fixing structure 15 has a substantially U-shaped cross section in the longitudinal direction, that is, a fixed portion 15a having a substantially U-shape when viewed from the side of the fixed structural member 15, and a cross section in the width direction is substantially U-shaped, that is, The fixing structure 15 is constituted by the tying portions 15b and 15c which are substantially U-shaped as viewed in the front-rear direction. The fixed portion 15a is disposed in the optical fiber fixing portion 14c of the resin joint 14. The tying portion 15b covers a portion of the upper surface, the side surface, and the bottom surface of the end portion 14e of the resin joint 14. The tying portion 15c covers a part of the optical fiber 13 (outer covering layer 16) exposed from the opening portion 14b of the resin joint 14. The tying portion 15b is connected to the upper surface of the tying portion 15c.

The outer cover 16 is formed of, for example, an elastic member or a tensile tension, and is exposed from the outer cover insertion region 14h of the resin joint 14 or even from the opening portion 14b. The length direction of the optical fiber 13 covers all of the optical fibers 13. The outer cover 16 and the optical fiber 13 are not adhered to each other, but are installed with a gap. Therefore, even if the outer cover 16 is pulled, no force is applied to the optical fiber 13, and the disconnection of the optical fiber 13 can be prevented.

Next, the optical collimator 10a composed of the holder 11, the collimator lens 12, and the optical fiber 13 used in the optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Fig. 5 is a side view of the optical collimator 10a according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is an angular cross-sectional view of the A-A arrow shown in Figure 5.

The holder 11 is formed of a metal material such as stainless steel. The holder 11 is preferably formed of austenitic stainless steel from the viewpoint of workability. As shown in FIG. 6, an opening portion 11b is provided at an end portion of the holder 11 on the side of the collimator lens 12. An accommodating portion 11c that houses the collimator lens 12 is provided inside the opening portion 11b. The accommodating portion 11c is configured to prevent damage to the surface of the collimator lens 12, and is configured to accommodate the entire size of the collimator lens 12 inside thereof, and is configured to press the collimator lens 12 therein. Further, a through hole 11d having a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the optical fiber 13 is provided inside the holder 11. The through hole 11d communicates with the insertion hole 11a and is provided in communication with the accommodating portion 11c. Further, the holder 11 is provided with a plurality of depressed portions 11e formed by extrusion processing from a peripheral portion thereof by a tool or the like. The recessed portions 11e are provided between the accommodating portion 11c and the through hole 11d, and are used for positioning the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 as will be described later.

The collimator lens 12 is formed of, for example, a glass material and is composed of a spherical lens having a spherical shape. As shown in FIG. 6, the collimator lens 12 is disposed so as to face the front end portion of the optical fiber 13 inserted into the through hole 11d while being housed in the accommodating portion 11c of the holder 11.

The optical fiber 13 is composed of a core 13a provided through the center thereof, a fiber 13b covering the core 13a, and a reinforcing layer 13c covering and reinforcing the fiber 13b. The core 13a, the fiber 13b, and the reinforcing layer 13c are disposed on the same plane on the end surface opposite to the collimator lens 12 of the optical fiber 13. That is, the core 13a, the fiber 13b, and the reinforcing layer 13c are flush with each other on the end surface opposite to the collimator lens 12.

Further, the optical fiber 13 is inserted into the through hole 11d via the insertion hole 11a, and is fixed in a state in which the tip end portion is disposed in the vicinity of the collimator lens 12 so as to face the spherical surface.

In the optical collimator 10a of the first embodiment, the optical fiber 13 is formed of, for example, a graded-index (GI) type optical fiber, and is configured such that the refractive index continuously changes in a cross section perpendicular to the optical fiber axis. Further, the core 13a and the fiber 13b are made of, for example, a perfluoro-substituted optical resin in which C-H-bonded H is replaced by F. As described above, the optical fiber 13 is composed of a perfluoro-substituted optical resin, and is constituted by a GI-type optical fiber, thereby realizing high-speed and large-capacity communication.

In the optical collimator 10a of the first embodiment having such a configuration, the recessed portion 11e provided in the holder 11 can suppress the increase in cost and easily position the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13. . Specifically, by positioning the collimator lens 12 and a part of the optical fiber 13 against the recessed portion 11e provided in the holder 11, the configuration of the spacer or the like for positioning is not required, and The increase in cost is suppressed, and the positioning of the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 is simply performed.

Here, a method of locating the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 in the holder 11 of the optical collimator 10a of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the 2-point chain line B shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, in the recessed portion 11e, a portion opposed to the collimator lens 12 abuts against a portion of the collimator lens 12, and on the other hand, a portion opposite to the optical fiber 13 and a core constituting the optical fiber 13 A portion of the fibrid 13b or the reinforcing layer 13c other than 13a or the portion of the fibrid 13b and the reinforcing layer 13c abuts. The collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 are each positioned at a specific position of the holder 11 in such a state of abutment.

As shown in FIG. 7, the depressed portion 11e is a plane orthogonal to the insertion direction of the optical fiber 13 (for example, disposed in parallel with the end surface of the optical fiber 13 shown in FIG. 7 and passing through the plane C of the center of the depressed portion 11e), The angle is set to be different from the angle of the portion facing the collimator lens 12 and the angle opposite to the portion of the optical fiber 13. Such a depressed portion 11e is provided by extrusion processing using, for example, a pointed tool having a different shape of the front end portion. By performing extrusion processing using such a tool, the depressed portion 11e is formed at an angle with respect to a portion opposed to the collimator lens 12 and a portion opposed to the optical fiber 13 with respect to the central axis at the time of extrusion processing. The angles are different from each other, whereby the collimating lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 having different shapes can be effectively positioned.

Further, in the optical collimator 10a of the first embodiment, the recessed portions 11e are provided in plural numbers (three in the present embodiment) on the same circumference of the holder 11. For the formation of the depressed portion 11e on the same circumference, it is conceivable to simultaneously apply the pressing from the outer periphery of the holder 11 by using a tool having a different shape at the front end as described above. In this manner, since the plurality of recessed portions 11e are provided on the same circumference, the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 can be brought into contact at a plurality of positions, so that the positioning of the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 can be performed with higher precision.

The portion of the depressed portion 11e opposite to the collimator lens 12 constitutes an inclined surface 11e ₁ . The inclined surface 11e ₁ is disposed so as to be parallel to the insertion direction of the optical fiber 13 shown by the arrow in FIG. 7 (for example, parallel to the end surface of the optical fiber 13 shown in FIG. 7 and passing through the base of the depressed portion 11e). The angle θ ₁ of the plane D) of the end portion is set to be 0° or more and 45° or less. Thus, the optical fiber 13 of the collimator lens 12 can be supported by setting the angle θ ₁ of the inclined surface 11e ₁ on the side of the collimator lens 12 to 0° or more and 45° or less with respect to the plane D orthogonal to the insertion direction of the optical fiber 13 . The state of a part of the side is positioned, so that the positional accuracy of the collimator lens 12 can be improved.

On the other hand, a portion of the depressed portion 11e facing the optical fiber 13 constitutes an inclined surface 11e ₂ . The inclined surface 11e ₂ is set to have an angle θ ₂ of 0° or more and 20° or less with respect to a plane orthogonal to the insertion direction of the optical fiber 13 (for example, a plane E disposed parallel to the end surface of the optical fiber 13 shown in FIG. 7 ). Mode setting. In this manner, by setting the angle of the inclined surface 11e ₂ to 0° or more and 20° or less with respect to the plane E, the optical fiber 13 is disposed on the same plane as the core 13a, the fiber 13b, and the reinforcing layer 13c as described above. In the case of the configuration, by making the end surface of the optical fiber 13 abut against the recessed portion 11e, it is possible to easily ensure the positional accuracy.

As described above, in the optical collimator 10a of the first embodiment, a part of the collimator lens 12 and a part of the optical fiber 13 can be positioned by being in contact with the recessed portion 11e provided in the holder 11, Since the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 can be positioned with respect to the recessed portion 11e, the work efficiency can be improved and the cost can be suppressed on the one hand as compared with the case where the other components are inserted into the holder 11 as before. The positioning of the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 is simply performed.

Next, the optical connector 10 of the first embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 8 to 10. The assembly steps are explained. 8 to 10 are explanatory views showing the assembly steps of the optical connector 10 in order. The assembly step of the optical connector 10 includes a step (a) of pressing the holder 11 into the resin joint 14, a step (b) of inserting the optical fiber 13, a step (c) of mounting the outer cover 16, and a mounting structure. Step (d) of item 15. Hereinafter, each step will be described in detail.

[Step (a)]

First, as shown in Fig. 8, the holder 11 is pressed from the insertion hole 14a of the resin joint 14. In the accommodating portion 11c of the holder 11, the collimator lens 12 is positioned and housed in a state of abutting against the recessed portion 11e. The holder 11 pressed in from the insertion hole 14a is stationary when the insertion hole 11a of the holder 11 abuts against the positioning portion 14j. At this time, the holder 11 is in a state of being positioned at a specific position.

[Step (b)]

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the optical fiber 13 is inserted from the opening 14b of the resin joint 14. The optical fiber 13 is guided by the inner diameter of the resin joint 14 to reach the insertion hole 11a of the holder 11, and is guided by the inner diameter of the holder 11 to reach the depressed portion 11e. When the optical fiber 13 abuts on the recessed portion 11e, the insertion operation ends. At this time, the optical fiber 13 is in a state of being positioned at a specific position. When the optical fiber 13 is filled in the optical fiber holding region 14i, the optical fiber 13 is disposed such that a part thereof is exposed at the bottom of the optical fiber fixing portion 14c.

[Step (c)]

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the outer cover 16 is attached so as to cover the entire length of the optical fiber 13 from the outer cover insertion region 14h of the resin joint 14 or the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber 13 exposed from the opening portion 14b. However, a part of the outer cover 16 is omitted in FIG.

Further, in the case of using the optical fiber 13 previously covered by the outer cover 16, the outer cover 16 which is partially filled in the holder 11 and the fiber holding region 14i is inserted before the step (b) of inserting the optical fiber 13. Stripping causes the optical fiber 13 to be exposed. By inserting the optical fiber 13 of the outer covering layer 16 with the exposed end portion from the opening portion 14b of the resin joint 14, the state shown in Fig. 10 can be obtained in the same manner as in the above steps (b) and (c). .

[Step (d)]

Finally, the fixing portion 15a of the fixing structure member 15 is disposed in the optical fiber fixing portion 14c of the resin joint 14, and the rear end portion 14e and the opening portion of the resin joint 14 are covered by the binding portion 15b and the tying portion 15c. The optical connector 10 shown in Fig. 3 can be obtained by partially exposing a portion of the optical fiber 13 (outer cover 16) of 14b. The fixed portion 15a fixes the optical fiber 13 by being pressed from above the optical fiber fixing portion 14c. In other words, the plurality of optical fibers 13 which are placed in the optical fiber holding region 14i so that the head portion thereof is exposed at the bottom of the optical fiber fixing portion 14c are temporarily fixed by being pressed in from the upper portion by the fixing portion 15a. Further, the tie portion 15b and the tie portion 15c are crimped and fixed to the resin joint 14 and the outer cover 16 by pressing both side faces thereof. According to this configuration, the connection strength between the resin joint 14 and the optical fiber 13 can be further enhanced.

As described above, in the optical connector 10 of the first embodiment, at least one of the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 is brought into contact with the recessed portion 11e provided in the holder 11, and thus the optical connector 10 can be positioned. The recessed portion 11e is a reference for positioning the collimator lens 12 and/or the optical fiber 13, so that work efficiency can be improved as compared with a case where other components are inserted into the holding member as before, and on the one hand, an increase in cost can be suppressed, and simply Performing the collimating lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 Positioning. Further, on the optical fiber holding region 14i of the resin joint 14, by forming the optical fiber fixing portion 14c for accommodating the fixing portion 15a of the fixing structural member 15, the positioned optical fiber 13 can be firmly fixed, so that it can be less The number of parts is simply assembled.

For example, in the case of using an optical fiber for use in a large-capacity communication between machines or in a machine, as in the case of forming a partition wall (separator portion) for positioning a fiber and a collimator lens as before, A processing such as cutting processing is applied to a holding member (holder) made of a metal material or the like. However, in the holding member of the optical connector used in the above application, since the size thereof is reduced, the machining accuracy of the cutting process is lowered, and the cost of the processing (for example, the cost due to the defective product) is caused. ) increased and became significant. On the other hand, in the holder 11 of the optical connector 10 of the first embodiment, the partition wall (separator portion) is not formed by applying a cutting process to the holder 11 as the holding member, but by applying Since the depressed portion 11e is formed by plastic working, the cost associated with the processing can be greatly reduced.

Further, in the optical connector 10 of the first embodiment, the positioning of the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 is performed by the depressed portion 11e formed in the holder 11, and the optical fiber holding region formed on the resin joint 14 is utilized. The optical fiber 13 is fixed by 14i and a fixing portion 15a of the fixing structural member 15 housed in the optical fiber fixing portion 14c. In this case, the optical fiber 13 is firmly fixed in the positioned state. Therefore, in the use of the optical fiber 13 for performing large-capacity communication between machines or machines, the positional relationship between the optical fiber 13 and the collimator lens 12 can be maintained even when the insertion and removal are repeated.

In the above description, a part of the collimator lens 12 and a part of the optical fiber 13 are brought into contact with the recessed portion 11e provided in the holder 11 to position the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13. Description. However, the positioning method of the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 is not limited thereto, and can be appropriately changed. For example, one of the collimator lens 12 or the optical fiber 13 may be abutted without causing both of the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 to abut against the recessed portion 11e, and the other may be a holder other than the recessed portion 11e. Part of 11 is positioned. However, in this case, the premise is that the relationship between the portion that locates the other and the depressed portion 11e is designed to have a certain positional relationship. That is, the optical connector 10 of the present invention also includes a concept in which one of the collimator lens 12 or the optical fiber 13 abuts against the recessed portion 11e.

(Second embodiment)

The optical connector 20 having a structure different from that of the optical connector 10 shown in the first embodiment will be described. The optical connector 20 has a configuration in which the member for fixing the optical fiber 13 in the optical fiber fixing portion 14c of the resin joint 14 is different from that of the optical connector 10. Hereinafter, the optical connector 20 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 11 and 12 . Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the optical connector 20 of the second embodiment. Fig. 12 is a side sectional view showing the optical connector 20 of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the same components as those of the optical connector 10 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the fixing member 25 is composed of a rectangular flat portion 25a disposed on the upper surface of the resin joint 14, and a substantially cubic convex portion 25b disposed in the optical fiber fixing portion 14c. Thus, the fixing member 25 can be manufactured at low cost because of its simple structure.

Next, the assembly procedure of the optical connector 20 of the second embodiment will be described. The assembly procedure of the optical connector 20 is the same as the assembly procedure of the optical connector 10 of the first embodiment, and the steps (a) to (c) are common, and the step (d) is different.

[Step (d)]

Finally, the convex portion 25b of the fixing member 25 is placed in the optical fiber fixing portion 14c of the resin joint 14. The fixing member 25 fixes the optical fiber 13 by pressing the flat portion 25a from above. In other words, the plurality of optical fibers 13 that are placed in the optical fiber holding region 14i and partially exposed to the bottom of the optical fiber fixing portion 14c are temporarily fixed by being pressed from above by the convex portion 25b of the fixing member 25.

Further, in the optical connector 20 of the second embodiment, the positioning of the collimator lens 12 and the optical fiber 13 is performed by the recessed portion 11e formed in the holder 11, and on the other hand, the optical fiber holding region 14i formed in the resin joint 14 is utilized. The optical fiber 13 is fixed to the convex portion 25b of the fixing member 25 housed in the optical fiber fixing portion 14c. In this case, the optical fiber 13 is firmly fixed in the positioned state. Therefore, in the use of the optical fiber 13 for performing large-capacity communication between machines or machines, the positional relationship between the optical fiber 13 and the collimator lens 12 can be maintained even when the insertion and removal are repeated.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented in various modifications. In the above-described embodiments, the size, shape, and the like shown in the drawings are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately changed within the range in which the effects of the present invention are exerted. Further, it can be carried out as appropriate without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the above embodiment, the plastic optical fiber has been described as an example of the optical fiber 13. However, the optical fiber 13 applied to the optical connector 10 (20) of the above embodiment is not limited to the plastic optical fiber. For example, glass fibers can also be used.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-096917, filed on Apr. 25, 2011, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

10‧‧‧Optical connectors

10a‧‧‧Light collimator

11‧‧‧Retainer

11a‧‧‧ insertion hole

11b‧‧‧ openings

11c‧‧‧Receiving Department

11d‧‧‧through hole

11e‧‧‧Depression

11e ₁ ‧‧‧Slope

11e ₂ ‧‧‧Sloping surface

12‧‧‧ Collimating lens

13‧‧‧Fiber

13a‧‧‧core

13b‧‧‧ 纤衣

13c‧‧‧ reinforcing layer

14‧‧‧Resin joint

14a‧‧‧ insertion hole

14b‧‧‧ openings

14c‧‧‧Fiber fixing department

14d‧‧‧ front end

14e‧‧‧ back end

14f‧‧‧Fitting Department

14g‧‧‧Retainer insertion area

14h‧‧‧Overlay insertion area

14i‧‧‧Fiber holding area

14j‧‧‧ Positioning Department

15‧‧‧Fixed structural parts

15a‧‧‧Fixed part

15b‧‧‧ tied part

15c‧‧‧ tied part

16‧‧‧Overcoat

25‧‧‧Fixed components

25a‧‧‧Flat Department

25b‧‧‧ convex

100‧‧‧ device

101‧‧‧Acceptance/lighting elements

102‧‧‧Shell

103‧‧‧Concentrating lens

104‧‧‧ Inclined grinding surface

105‧‧‧ openings

105a‧‧‧Mate

B‧‧‧2 dot chain

C‧‧‧ plane

θ ₁ ‧‧‧ angle

θ ₂ ‧‧‧ angle

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic side sectional view showing a state in which an optical connector of the present invention is attached to a device.

Fig. 2 is an external perspective view of the optical connector of the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view showing the optical connector of the first embodiment.

Fig. 4A is a perspective view of a resin joint of the first embodiment, and Fig. 4B is a side sectional view of the resin joint of the first embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a side view showing the optical collimator of the first embodiment.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Figure 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the 2-point chain line B shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an explanatory view showing an assembly procedure of the optical connector of the first embodiment.

Fig. 9 is an explanatory view showing an assembly procedure of the optical connector of the first embodiment.

Fig. 10 is an explanatory view showing an assembly procedure of the optical connector of the first embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an optical connector according to a second embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a side sectional view showing the optical connector of the second embodiment.

10‧‧‧Optical connectors

11‧‧‧Retainer

11a‧‧‧ insertion hole

12‧‧‧ Collimating lens

13‧‧‧Fiber

14‧‧‧Resin joint

14a‧‧‧ insertion hole

14c‧‧‧Fiber fixing department

14f‧‧‧Fitting Department

15‧‧‧Fixed structural parts

15a‧‧‧Fixed part

15b‧‧‧ tied part

15c‧‧‧ tied part

16‧‧‧Overcoat

Claims (6)

An optical connector comprising: a receiving portion for accommodating a collimating lens at one end; a metal holding member for forming an insertion hole for inserting an optical fiber at the other end; and a receiving member for inserting the holding member at one end a first insertion hole, a through hole for forming a second insertion hole into which the optical fiber is inserted, and a fiber holding area formed in a part of the through hole, and a fiber holding member is formed on the optical fiber holding portion. a resin connector of the optical fiber fixing portion; and at least one of an end surface of the collimating lens and the optical fiber is brought into contact with a recess formed in a vicinity of a housing portion of the holding member; and the optical fiber fixing member has a tie A part of the resin joint and a part of the optical fiber exposed from the second insertion hole, and a fixing portion that is received in the optical fiber fixing portion and has a substantially U-shaped cross section viewed from the side. The optical connector of claim 1, wherein a part of the optical fiber holding region is opened on the side of the optical fiber fixing portion, and a part of the optical fiber inserted in the optical fiber holding region is exposed at a bottom portion of the optical fiber fixing portion. The optical connector of claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical fiber fixing member has a convex portion housed in the optical fiber fixing portion and a flat portion disposed on an upper surface of the resin joint. The optical connector of claim 1, wherein the first insertion holes are arranged in a plurality of rows. The optical connector of claim 1, wherein the fitting portion is provided on an outer circumference of the resin joint, and is fitted to the fitting portion on the apparatus side when being connected to the device. The optical connector of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is a plastic optical fiber.