WO2008051030A1

WO2008051030A1 - Field-installable optical connector

Info

Publication number: WO2008051030A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/005280
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yong Han Jeon; Myung Oan Kim; Oh Joon Kwon
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Novaoptics Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-10-25
Filing date: 2007-10-25
Publication date: 2008-05-02

Abstract

The present invention provides a field-installable optical connector which can easily and stably connect a main wire (A) of a ferrule (30) to a main wire (B) of an optical cable in the field and can be reused. In the present invention, a main wire connecting member (300) is fixedly connected to a plug (200) by a fixing cap (400). The main wire connecting member (300) includes a lower plate (310) and an upper plate (320). The lower plate (310) includes insertion grooves connected to each other and receiving and connecting a main wire, a coated main wire and an element wire, respectively. The main wire connecting member (300) is formed with a taper shape, and an inner diameter of a fixing member (600) for fixing the main wire connecting member (300) also has a taper shape. A plurality of point projections (323) is formed on the outer circumference of the main wire connecting member (300). The fixing member (600) is detachably connected to the fixing cap (400).

Description

[DESCRIPTION]

[invention Title]

FIELD-INSTALIiABLE OPTICAL CONNECTOR

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to an optical connector and, more particularly, to a field-installable optical connector carrying out the connection of optical fibers stably and easily in the field and capable of being reused.

[Background^' Art]

A fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) system, in which optical cables are directly connected to homes to provide various information including broadcast and communications to customers, has been proposed and applied to a newly-built apartment and the like.

In the FTTH system, the optical cable is reached at the surface of the inner wall of the home of the customer, for example, and its end is closed with a connector and installed on the surface of the inner wall. At this time, a worker introduces the optical cable into the home by setting the length of the optical cable to be several meters longer than the actually measured length. Then, the worker cuts the optical cable in the home, assembles an optical connector to its end, connects the optical connector to an optical adapter, and installs the same on the inner wall of the home .

Meanwhile, an optical fiber comprises a core layer and a cladding layer, which are generally called a main wire or core wire. Such a main wire has a diameter of approximately 125 μm. A coating layer having a thickness of approximately 250 μm is covered on the outer circumference of the main wire, which is called a coated main wire. An exterior covering having a thickness of approximately 900 μm is coated on the outer circumference of the coated main wire, which is called an element wire. Then, a jacket formed of PVC, for example, is coated on the outer circumference of the element wire via a buffering material such as Kevlar (aramid yarn) for the improvement of tensile strength. The optical fiber transmits and receives a desired signal through light transmitted via the core layer. Accordingly, it is necessary to accurately align the main wires of the optical cable in order to minimize the transmission loss of light during the construction of the optical cable.

FIGS. IA and IB are diagrams illustrating the structure of a conventional field-installable optical connector which connects optical cables through the above- described main wire alignment process, in which FIG. IA is an assembled cross-sectional view of the conventional field- installable optical connector and FIG. IB is an exploded cross-sectional view thereof.

As shown in the figures, the conventional field- installable optical connector comprises a housing 10 and a plug 20 inserted into the housing 10. The plug 20 includes a ferrule receiving hole 21 in which a ferrule 30 is received, and a main wire connecting member receiving hole 22 in which a main wire connecting member 40 is received. The ferrule 30 and the main wire connecting member 40 are fixedly connected by epoxy resin, for example. A C-shaped clip 50 is connected to the outside of the main wire connecting member 40. Moreover, a fixing member 70 is connected to the plug 40 while elastically supporting the main wire connecting member 40 in one direction through a spring 60 disposed inside thereof, and a free end of the fixing member 70 is sealed by a protective cover 80.

The main wire connecting member 40 is formed in a clip shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the main wire connecting member 40 includes a cut groove 40a formed along the longitudinal direction thereof and a main wire insertion hole 41 formed inside the cut groove 40a. Accordingly, when the C-shaped clip 50 is connected to the main wire connecting member 40, the inner diameter (r) of the main wire insertion hole 41 becomes smaller and thus the main wires disposed inside the main wire insertion hole 41 are stably fixed. In the optical connector having the above-described structure, a main wire (A) of the ferrule and a main wire (B) of the optical cable inserted into the main wire insertion hole 41 of the main wire connecting member 40 to be closely aligned and then the C-shaped clip 50 is connected to the main wire connecting member 40, thus stably connecting both the main wires (A and B) . Subsequently, the resulting assembly is fixedly connected to the plug 20 through the fixing member 70, and the protective cover 80 is finally connected to the fixing member 70, thus stably connecting the optical cable with respect to the main wire (A) of the ferrule.

However, the above-described structure has some drawbacks in that, since the worker determines whether or not the main wires are normally connected only with the worker's hand sense, the wire connection cannot be done precisely and, if the wire connection is not done correctly, the assembling process of the optical connector should be repeated. Moreover, since the C-shaped clip 50 is fixedly connected to the wire connecting member 40 and the fixing member 70 is fixedly connected to the plug 20, in the case where the main wire (A) of the ferrule and the main wire (B) of the optical cable are not connected correctly, or in the case where the connection of the optical cable should be repeated by other necessities, the optical connector in which the main wires have been completely connected should be broken down and the operation should be repeated using a new optical connector. Meanwhile, Korean Patent No. 10-0507543 discloses a field-installable optical connector capable of being reused.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the structure of the conventional field-installable optical connector disclosed in the above patent, in which FIG. 3A is an assembled cross-sectional view and FIG. 3B is an exploded cross-section view thereof. In FIGS. 3A and 3B, substantially the same elements as those shown in FIG. 1 have the same reference numerals, and their detailed description will be omitted. In the optical connector as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a flange 31 is fixedly connected to a ferrule 30, which constitute a main wire aligning member 90. The flange 31 is inserted and fixed into a flange holder 40' a of a main wire connecting member 40' . The main wire connecting member 40' is formed in a clip shape, the same as the optical connector of FIG. 1, and a main wire insertion hole 41' , into which a main wire (B) of the optical cable is inserted, is formed in the center portion thereof. In particular, the main wire (B) and an element wire (C) of the optical cable are inserted into the main wire insertion hole 41' . That is, the main wire insertion hole 41' has a diameter capable of receiving the element wire (C) of the optical cable.

A fixing member 70' is inserted into the outside of the main wire connecting member 40' and fixedly connected to a plug 20. The flange 31 is elastically supported to the fixing member 70' by means of a spring 60' .

A tightening member 50' is inserted into the outside of the main wire connecting member 40' to surround the main wire connecting member 40' . In this case, the tightening member 50' is detachably connected to the main wire connecting member 40' . A protective cover 80 is inserted into the outside of the tightening member 40' to surround a free end of the tightening member 40' and connected to the fixing member 70' In the above-described structure, the tightening member 50' is detachably connected to the main wire connecting member 40' to fix the element wire (C) inserted into the main wire connecting member 40' . Accordingly, after separating the tightening member 50' from the main wire connecting member 40' , the main wire (B) can be repeatedly connected. That is, it is possible to reuse the optical connector.

Moreover, FIG. 4 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing a field-installable optical connector having another structure disclosed in the above-cited reference. As shown in FIG. 4, a ferrule receiving hole 31a for receiving and fixing a ferrule 40' b is included in a flange 31 constituting a main wire aligning member 90' , and the ferrule 40' b is inserted into a flange holder 40' a of a main wire connecting member 40' . The other elements are substantially the same as those shown in FIG. 3.

In the above-described structure, a main wire (A) of the ferrule is inserted into the main wire connecting member 40' through the ferrule 30 of the main wire aligning member 90' and a main wire (B) of the optical cable is inserted into the main wire connecting member 40' through a protective cover 80 and a tightening member 50' such that both the main wires (A and B) are connected to each other in a main wire insertion hole 41' of the main wire connecting member 40' .

In the structure of FIG. 4, the main wire (A) of the ferrule is inserted into the main wire connecting member 40' through the ferrule 30 of the main wire aligning member 90' so as to eliminate the inconvenience that the main wire (B) of the optical cable, inserted from the protective cover 80 into the main wire alignment member 90 and led to the outside of a front end of the ferrule 30, should be cut and ground in the structure of FIGS. 3A and 3B.

However, the above-described conventional optical connectors have the following drawbacks. 1. In the conventional optical connector, the main wire connecting member 40' for connecting the main wires (A and B) is formed in a clip shape and the diameter of the main wire insertion hole 41' is set to a diameter corresponding to the element wire (C) .

Accordingly, in the conventional optical connector, the main wire connecting member 40' cannot stably support the main wires, and thus the main wire aligning member 90 is required for the alignment of the wires. That is, additional elements such as the flange 31 and the ferrule 40' b are required.

Moreover, in the structure of FIG. 4, since the diameter of the main wire insertion hole 41' is set to be larger than that of the main wires (A and B) inserted thereinto, the optical alignment between both the main wires (A and B) is not done precisely. Moreover, in the case where the tightening member 50' is connected to the main wire connecting member 40' , the main wires (A and B) , especially, the connection portion of the main wires (A and B) is not fixed and supported stably in the main wire insertion hole 41' . Accordingly, the optical alignment between the main wires (A and B) may be damaged by external vibration or impact .

2. In the conventional optical connector, the main wire connecting member 40' for connecting the main wires (A and B) is formed in a clip shape and the tightening member 50' for tightening the main wire connecting member 40' is detachably connected to the main wire connecting member 40' . Accordingly, the main wire (B) of the optical cable may not be stably fixed in the main wire connecting member 40' .

That is, in the structure shown in FIG. 1, the main wire connecting member 40 in a clip shape is firmly fixed by means of the C-shaped clip 50. In this case, the C-shaped clip 50 is inserted in the perpendicular direction to the main wire connecting member 40. Accordingly, the diameter of the C-shaped clip 50 is set to be smaller than that of the main wire connecting member 40 to firmly tighten the main wire connecting member 40.

However, the conventional optical connectors as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 have the following drawbacks:

(1) Only the element wire (C) is fixed by the main wire connecting member 40' ;

(2) Since the tightening member 50' is inserted into the longitudinal direction of the main wire connecting member 40' , it is impossible to set the clamping force of the tightening member 50' with respect to the main wire connecting member 40' to more than a predetermined strength in view of the detachability; and

(3) Since the length of the element wire (C) inserted into the inside of the main wire connecting member 40' is restricted to less than a predetermined length, the clamping force between the main wire insertion hole 41' and the element wire (C) is not sufficiently ensured.

Accordingly, in the optical connectors as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the main wire (B) and the element wire (C), i.e., the optical cable may be separated from the optical connector even when a relatively low external tensile force is applied to the optical connector.

3. In the conventional optical connectors, since the connections between the main wires (A and B) through the main wire connecting members 40 and 40' are made only with the worker's hand sense, the operation accuracy is low.

4. In the conventional optical connectors, since the connection portions of the main wires (A and B) are not supported inside the main wire connecting members 40 and 40', the alignment state between the main wires (A and B) may be damaged when the C-shaped clip 50 or the tightening member 50' is connected thereto after the alignment of the main wires (A and B) during the operation of the optical connector.

[Disclosure] [Technical Problem]

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above-described drawbacks. An object of the present invention is to provide a field-installable optical connector having excellent field-installation characteristics and capable of being reused.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a field-installable optical connector capable of connecting optical cables stably and firmly.

[Technical Solution]

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a field-installable optical connector, in which a main wire of a ferrule and a main wire of an optical cable are connected in an optical alignment state, the field-installable optical connector comprising: a housing; a plug inserted and fixed into the housing; a ferrule to which the main wire of the ferrule is connected; a main wire connecting member, including a ferrule holder formed on a front end thereof for connecting the ferrule, and connecting and fixing the main wire of the ferrule and the main wire of the optical cable; a fixing cap elastically supporting the main wire connecting member and fixedly connected to the plug; a fixing member including a connecting member insertion hole, into which the main wire connecting member is detachably inserted, and connected to the fixing cap, the fixing member pressing the main wire connecting member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof; and a protective cover receiving the fixing member inside thereof and detachably connected to the plug, wherein the main wire connecting member includes first and second plates formed separately from each other along the longitudinal direction that the main wires are inserted, the first plate including a first insertion groove connected to the ferrule holder and inserting the main wire and a second insertion groove for inserting an element wire, the second plate including a third insertion groove formed in a position corresponding to the second insertion groove, and the first insertion groove having a V-shaped cross section.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a field-installable optical connector in which a main wire of a ferrule and a main wire of an optical cable are connected in an optical alignment state, the field-installable optical connector comprising: a housing; a plug inserted and fixed into the housing; a ferrule to which the main wire of the ferrule is connected; a main wire connecting member including a ferrule holder formed on a front end thereof for connecting the ferrule and a main wire insertion groove for inserting the main wire along the longitudinal direction thereof; a fixing cap elastically supporting the main wire connecting member and fixedly connected to the plug; a fixing member including a connecting member insertion hole, into which the main wire connecting member is detachably inserted, and connected to the fixing cap, the fixing member pressing the main wire connecting member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof; and a protective cover receiving the fixing member inside thereof and detachably connected to the plug, wherein the main wire connecting member has a taper shape and the connecting member insertion hole of the fixing member has a taper shape corresponding to that of the main wire connecting member.

[Description of Drawings]

FIGS. IA and IB are diagrams illustrating the structure of a conventional field-installable optical connector;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a main wire connecting member 40 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 4 are diagrams illustrating the structure of a conventional optical connector capable of being reused;

FIG. 5 is an assembled perspective view of a field- installable optical connector in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the field- installable optical connector of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the field-installable optical connector of FIG. 5; FIG. 8 is an assembled cross-sectional view of the field-installable optical connector of FIG. 5; and

FIGS. 9A and 9B are an assembled perspective view and an exploded perspective view of a main wire connecting member 300 shown in FIG. 6.

[Mode for Invention]

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The preferred embodiments are provided so that those skilled in the art can sufficiently understand the present invention, but can be modified in various forms and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments. FIGS. 5 to 8 are diagrams illustrating a field- installable optical connector in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 5 is an assembled perspective view of the field-installable optical connector, FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the field-installable optical connector, FIG. 7 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the field-installable optical connector, and FIG. 8 is an assembled cross-sectional view of the field-installable optical connector.

In the field-installable optical connector in accordance with the present invention, a plug 200 is fixedly inserted into a housing 100, and a main wire connecting member 300 is connected to the plug 200 through a fixing cap 400. The main wire connecting member 300 is elastically supported to the fixing cap 400 by means of a spring 500. A ferrule 30 is fixedly connected to a front end of the main wire connecting member 300, and a fixing member 600 is detachably inserted into a free end of the main wire connecting member 300. The fixing member 600 is detachably connected to the fixing cap 400 and sealed by a protective cover 700.

The plug 200 is movably connected to the housing 100. A connecting groove 110 for connecting the plug 200 to the housing 100 is formed on both lateral sides of the housing 100. A fixing projection 260 of the plug 200 is connected to the connecting groove 110. In particular, the length of the connecting grooves 110 is set to be larger than that of the pair of fixing projections 260 formed on the plug 200 so that the plug 200 may move in a predetermined distance in the housing 100 along the longitudinal direction thereof. Moreover, a projection 110a for connecting the present connector to the other connector is formed on the upper surface of the housing 100, and a penetrating hole 120 is provided on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 100. The penetrating hole 120 is formed in a position corresponding to the region where the main wires are connected in the main wire connecting member 300. As will be described below, the worker can visually check the alignment and connection state of the main wires in the main wire connecting member 300 through the penetrating hole 120, or insert an external tool into the alignment region of the main wires through the penetrating hole 120 to temporarily fix the alignment region when assembling the optical connector using a jig and the like.

Furthermore, an indicating groove 130 for indicating connection directions and connection positions of respective elements is formed on the upper surface of the housing 100. With the indicating groove 130, the worker can recognize the assembly direction of the optical connector and recognize the assembly state of the respective elements with the sense that the worker has during the assembly.

The plug 200 includes a fixing cap receiving hole 210 for receiving and fixing the fixing cap 400 and an optical outlet connecting hole 230 for connecting an optical outlet, not depicted. Moreover, the plug 200 includes a ferrule penetrating hole 220, through which the ferrule 30 penetrates from the fixing cap receiving hole 210 toward the optical outlet connecting hole 230. A fixing projection 270 connected to a rotation preventing projection 312 of the main wire connecting member 300 is formed on one side of the fixing cap receiving hole 210. As described above, the pair of fixing projections 260 for connecting the plug 200 to the housing 100 is formed on both lateral sides of the plug 200, respectively, and a fixing cap connecting hole 250 for connecting the fixing cap 400 is formed thereon. A cut groove 240 for elastically fixing the fixing cap 400 is formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the plug 200, and a fixing cap connecting groove 280 connected to a connecting ring 450 of the fixing cap 400 to more firmly fix the fixing cap 400 is formed on the inner circumference of the plug 200.

A ferrule holder 311 for receiving and fixing the ferrule 30 is provided on the front end of the main wire connecting member 300. The rotation preventing projection 312 for preventing the main wire connecting member 300 from being rotated in the plug 200 is formed on the outer circumference of the ferrule holder 311. The rotation preventing projection 312 includes a connecting groove 312a connected to the fixing projection 270 provided in the fixing cap receiving hole 210 of the plug 200. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the main wire connecting member 300 includes first and second plates 310 and 320. In the present embodiment, the first plate 310 corresponds to a lower plate and the second plate 320 corresponds to an upper plate. Moreover, the ferrule holder 311 may be integrally connected to one of the first and second plates 310 and 320; however, the ferrule holder 311 is integrally connected to the lower plate 310 in the present embodiment.

The lower plate 310 includes a plurality of guide grooves 314 and the upper plate 320 includes a plurality of guide projections 322 in positions corresponding to the guide grooves 314. With such guide grooves 314 and the guide projections 322, the worker can easily connect the lower plate 310 to the upper plate 320.

A main wire insertion groove 313 is formed on the middle portion of the upper surface of the lower plate 310 along the longitudinal direction thereof. The main wire insertion groove 313 is connected to the inside of the ferrule holder 311. The main wire insertion groove 313 includes first to third insertion grooves 3131 to 3133. The first to third insertion grooves 3131 to 3133 are integrally connect to each other and have a width and a height different from each other. As described above, the main wire has a diameter of approximately 125 μm, the coated main wire has a diameter of approximately 250 μm, and the element wire has a diameter of approximately 900 μm. The first to third insertion grooves 3131 to 3133 have a size capable of receiving and fixing the main wire, the coated main wire and the element wire, respectively.

The first and second insertion grooves 3131 and 3132 have a V-shaped cross section, and the third insertion groove 3133 has a circular cross section and includes a projection 3133a having a triangular cross section in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof. In particular, the projection 3133a is inclined from the free end toward the rotation preventing projection

312 so that the element wire may be freely introduced from the free end to the main wire insertion groove 313 and the element wire introduced to the main wire insertion groove

313 may not be drawn out in the reverse direction. Moreover, the portions of the upper plate 320 corresponding to the first and second insertion grooves 3131 and 3132 are formed evenly, and the portion of the upper plate 320 corresponding to the third insertion groove 3133 includes a fourth insertion groove 321 having the same shape as the third insertion groove 3133. The fourth insertion groove 321 also includes a projection 321a in the same manner as the third insertion groove 3133.

Accordingly, the main wires (A and B) and the coated main wire disposed in the first and second insertion grooves 3131 and 3132 are depressed downward by the upper plate 320 and firmly fixed in the V-shaped groove, and the element wire (C) is closely fixed in the third and fourth insertion grooves 3133 and 321.

Moreover, at least two point projections 323 are formed on the outer circumference of the lower and upper plates 310 and 320 along the longitudinal direction thereof. Preferably, the point projection 323 is provided in positions corresponding to the first to third insertion grooves 3131 to 3133 one by one. With the point projections 323, the frictional force between the main wire connecting member 300 and the fixing member 600 is minimized and the clamping force between the lower plate 310 and the upper plate 320 of the main connecting member 300 is maximized.

As described above, in order to increase the clamping force between the lower plate 310 and the upper plate 320 of the main wire connecting member 300, the inner diameter of the fixing member 600 should be set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the main wire connecting member 300. However, if so, the frictional force between the main wire connecting member 300 and the fixing member 600 is highly increased, and thus the detachability of the fixing member 600 with respect to the main wire connecting member 300 is significantly reduced.

Meanwhile, if the inner diameter of the fixing member 600 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the main wire connecting member 300, the detachability of the fixing member 600 with respect to the main wire connecting member 300 is improved; however, the clamping force between the lower plate 310 and the upper plate 320 of the main wire connecting member 300 is reduced. In an ideal case, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the main wire connecting member 300 be set to be the same as the inner diameter of the fixing member 600. However, if so, the fixing member 600 cannot be practically connected to the main wire connecting member 300 by the frictional force between the main wire connecting member 300 and the fixing member 600.

Preferably, if the point projections 323 are formed on the outside of the main wire connecting member 300 and the inner diameter of the fixing member 600 is set to be an intermediate value between the outer diameter of the main wire connecting member 300 and the outer diameter of the point projections 323, the contact area between the fixing member 600 and the main wire connecting member 300 is reduced by the point projections 323, and thus the frictional force thereof is reduced. Moreover, since the portion where the point projections 323 are provided on the main wire connecting member 300 has an outer diameter greater than that of the other portion, the lower plate 310 and the upper 320 are firmly tightened, thus improving the clamping force between the lower plate 310 and the upper plate 320.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment, the main wire connecting member 300 is formed to have a taper shape so that the outer diameter of the main wire connecting member 300 becomes smaller as it goes to the free end, and a connecting member insertion hole 620 of the fixing member 600 is formed to have a taper shape corresponding to that of the main wire connecting member 300. In this case, it is possible to minimize the frictional force between the main wire connecting member 300 and the fixing member 600 when the fixing member 600 is connected to the main wire connecting member 300, thus closely connecting the main wire connecting member 300 to the fixing member 600.

Moreover, if the point projections 323 are formed on outer circumference of the main wire connecting member 300, it is possible to improve the clamping force between the lower plate 310 and the upper plate 320 of the main wire connecting member 300.

Preferably, the upper plate 320 or the lower and upper plates 310 and 320 of the main wire connecting member 300 may be formed of a transparent material. If so, the worker can visually check the connection state when connecting the main wires using the optical connector, and thus the alignment of the main wires can be carried out precisely.

Suitably, a C-shaped clip 330 is connected on the upper end of the main wire connecting member 300. In this case, the length of the C-shaped clip 330 is set to be smaller than that of the main wire (A) of the ferrule led into the main wire insertion groove 313. If the length of the C-shaped clip 330 is greater than that of the main wire (A) of the ferrule, the C-shaped clip 330 presses the connection region between the main wire (A) of the ferrule and the main wire (B) of the optical cable, thus making it difficult to insert the main wire (B) to be closely adhered to the main wire (A) .

The C-shaped clip 330 stably fixes the main wire (A) of the ferrule with respect to the main wire insertion groove 313 and, particularly, tightens the front end of the main wire connecting member 300 to widen the gap between the lower plate 310 and the upper plate 320 of the rear end thereof, thus making it easy to insert the main wire (B) into the main wire insertion groove 313. The fixing cap 400 connects the main wire connecting member 300 to the plug 200 so that the main wire connecting member 300 may move in a predetermined distance along the longitudinal direction thereof. The fixing cap 400 is formed in a cylindrical shape and includes a spring receiving hole 420 formed inside the front end thereof for receiving the spring 500. The spring 500 elastically supports the rotation preventing projection 312 of the main wire connecting member 300.

An insertion projection 430 and the connecting ring 450 connected to the fixing cap connecting hole 250 and the fixing cap connecting groove 280, respectively, and a connecting ring 440 inserted and connected to a connecting groove 640 of the fixing member 600 are provided on the outer circumference of the fixing cap 400. In this case, a connecting groove 441 to be connected to a connecting projection 641 of the fixing member 600 is formed on the connecting ring 440. With the connecting rings 450 and 440, the worker can stably connect the fixing cap 400 to the plug 200 and the fixing member 600. Moreover, the connecting rings 450 and 440 generate a connection sound during the connection so that the worker can confirm the connection state.

Moreover, the fixing cap 400 includes a penetrating hole 410 formed in a position corresponding to the penetrating hole 120 of the housing 100. The penetrating hole 410 is formed in a position corresponding to the region where the main wires are connected in the main wire connecting member 300 like the penetrating hole 120. With the penetrating hole 410, the worker can visually check the alignment and connection state of the main wires in the main wire connecting member 300 or insert an external tool into the alignment region of the main wires to temporarily fix the alignment region when assembling the optical connector using a jig and the like. An indicating projection 460 for indicating the connection directions and the connection positions of the respective elements is formed on the upper surface of the fixing cap 400. With the indicating projection 460, the worker can recognize the assembly direction of the optical connector and recognize the assembly state of the respective elements with the sense that the worker has during the assembly.

The fixing member 600 includes a cut groove 610 formed in a position corresponding to the penetrating hole 410 of the fixing cap 400. Moreover, the fixing member 600 includes a fixing cap receiving hole 630 formed inside thereof for receiving the lower portion of the fixing cap 400, and the connecting member insertion hole 620 connected to the fixing cap receiving hole 630 and fixing the main wire connecting member 300 inserted through.

The fixing cap connecting groove 640 and the connecting projection 641, engaged and connected to the connecting ring 440 and the connecting groove 441 of the fixing cap 400, are formed inside the fixing cap receiving hole 630.

The connecting member insertion hole 620 has an inner diameter capable of properly pressing the lower plate 310 and the upper plate 320 of the main wire connecting member 300. Preferably, in the case where the main wire connecting member 300 is formed with a taper shape, the connecting member insertion hole 620 has a taper shape corresponding to that of the main wire connecting member 300.

Moreover, identification information such as the kind of the optical connector, a manufacturer, and the like are displayed in a specific region on the fixing member 600. Furthermore, the fixing member 600 is formed with a color that matches the kind of the optical connector.

An indicating projection 650 for indicating the connection directions and the connection positions of the respective elements is formed on the upper surface of the fixing member 600. With the indicating projection 650, the worker can recognize the assembly direction of the optical connector and recognize the assembly state of the respective elements with the sense that the worker has during the assembly.

The protective cover 700 is formed of an elastic material such as silicon. The protective cover 700 includes a window 130 having a specific size formed in a position corresponding to the identification information displayed on the outside of the fixing member 600 so that the worker can recognize the identification information or confirm the color of the fixing member 600.

Moreover, the protective cover 700 includes a housing connecting hole 720 for connecting an end portion of the housing 100 inserted, a fixing member receiving hole 730 for receiving the fixing member 600, a connecting member receiving hole 740 for receiving an end portion of the main wire connecting member 300 protruding to the outside of the fixing member 600, and a guide hole 750 for guiding the element wire (C) introduced from the outside.

Furthermore, the protective cover 700 includes an indicating projection 760 formed on the upper surface thereof for indicating the connection directions and the connection positions of the respective elements. With the indicating projection 760, the operator can recognize the assembly direction of the optical connector.

Next, the assembly process of the field-installable optical connector having the above configuration will be described. First, the ferrule 30 from which the main wire (A) extends a predetermined length is inserted and fixed in the ferrule holder 311 of the main wire connecting member 300.

The worker cuts the optical cable led into the home in a necessary position and divides the front end of the optical cable into the main wire (B) having a predetermined length and the element wire (C) having a predetermined length.

Then, the worker places the upper plate 320 on the lower plate 310 of the main wire connecting member 300 and connects the C-shaped clip 330 on the top outside of the lower plate 310 and the upper plate 320. At this time, the lower plate 310 and the upper plate 320 of the rear end of the main wire connecting member 300 are opened a predetermined interval by the C-shaped clip 330, thus facilitating the insertion of the main wire (B) .

The worker sequentially inserts the spring 500 and the fixing cap 400 into the main wire connecting member 300. Then, the worker pushes the fixing cap 400 inside the plug 200 and connects the plug 200 to the housing 100. At this time, the spring 500 is received inside the fixing cap 400 to elastically support the main wire connecting member 300 in one direction.

In the above state, the worker sequentially inserts the protective cover 700 and the fixing member 600 into the optical cable, of which the front end is the main wire (B) .

Subsequently, the worker pushes the optical cable in the main wire insertion groove 313 of the main wire connecting member 300 to connect the main wires (A and B) . At this time, in the case where the main wire connecting member 300 is formed of a transparent material, the worker can confirm the connection state of the main wires (A and B) with naked eyes through the penetrating hole 130 of the housing 100, the penetrating hole 410 of the fixing cap 400 and the cut groove 610 of the fixing member 600. Next, the worker pushes the fixing member 600 to surround the main wire connecting member 300 so that the connecting groove 441 of the connecting ring 400 formed on the fixing cap 400 may be engaged with the connecting projection 641 formed inside the fixing member 600. Accordingly, the lower plate 310 and the upper plate 320 of the main wire connecting member 300 are closely adhered to each other to fix the main wire (B) and the element wire (C) disposed in the main wire insertion groove 313. Moreover, the clamping force between the main wire connecting member 300 and the fixing member 600 is increased by the point projections 322 formed on the outer circumference of the main wire connecting member 300.

Finally, the worker covers the protective cover 700 on the rear end of the housing 100, thus completing the assembly process of the optical connector in the field.

Meanwhile, when the worker wants to separate the assembled optical connector and connect new optical fibers thereto, the worker checks the identification information or the color of the fixing member 600 through the window 710 of the protective cover 700 and determines whether or not the corresponding optical connector can be reused. Then, the worker applies a physical force to the protective cover 700 and the fixing member 600 to separate the same from the optical connector determined as being reused and draws out the optical cable having the main wire (B) from the main wire connecting member 300.

In such a state, the worker sequentially inserts a new optical cable having a main wire into the protective cover 700 and the fixing member 600, inserts the optical cable into the main wire insertion groove 313 of the main wire connecting member 300, and connects the fixing member 600 and the protective cover 700, thus completing the reassembly process of the field-installable optical connector. As described above, according to the preferred embodiment, it is possible to provide the field-installable optical connector, in which the fixing cap surrounding the upper end of the main wire connecting member and the fixing member surrounding the free end of the main wire connecting member are readily separated, thus being reused. Moreover, it is possible to provide the field- installable optical connector, in which the main wire insertion groove of the main wire connecting member includes the V-shaped groove for fixing the main wire and the projection for fixing the element wire, thus stably fixing the optical cable against an external tensile force having a predetermined strength.

Furthermore, with the point projections formed on the outer circumference of the main wire connecting member, it is possible to facilitate the attachment and detachment of the fixing member by minimizing the frictional force between the main wire connecting member and the fixing member, and stably fix the optical cable by maximizing the clamping force between the lower plate and the upper plate of the main connecting member. In addition, with the main wire connecting member having a taper shape and the connecting member insertion hole of the fixing member having a taper shape corresponding to that of the main wire connecting member, it is possible to maximize the clamping force between the fixing member and the main wire connecting member.

Additionally, with the main wire connecting member formed of a transparent material and the connection position penetrating in the main wire connecting member, the worker can accurately assemble the optical connector while checking the connection state of the main wires in the field.

The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .

[industrial Applicability]

As described above, the present invention provides the field-installable optical connector having excellent field- installation characteristics and capable of being reused and connecting the optical cables stably and firmly.

Claims

[CLAIMS] [Claim 1]

A field-installable optical connector, in which a main wire of a ferrule and a main wire of an optical cable are connected in an optical alignment state, the field- installable optical connector comprising: a housing; a plug inserted and fixed into the housing; a ferrule to which the main wire of the ferrule is connected; a main wire connecting member, including a ferrule holder formed on a front end thereof for connecting the ferrule, and connecting and fixing the main wire of the ferrule and the main wire of the optical cable; a fixing cap elastically supporting the main wire connecting member and fixedly connected to the plug; a fixing member including a connecting member insertion hole, into which the main wire connecting member is detachably inserted, and connected to the fixing cap, the fixing member pressing the main wire connecting member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof; and a protective cover receiving the fixing member inside thereof and detachably connected to the plug, wherein the main wire connecting member includes first and second plates formed separately from each other along the longitudinal direction that the main wires are inserted, the first plate including a first insertion groove connected to the ferrule holder and inserting the main wire and a second insertion groove for inserting an element wire, the second plate including a third insertion groove formed in a position corresponding to the second insertion groove, and the first insertion groove having a V-shaped cross section.

[Claim 2]

The field-installable optical connector of claim 1, wherein the ferrule holder is integrally formed with the first plate.

[Claim 3]

The field-installable optical connector of claim 1, wherein a fourth insertion groove for inserting a coated main wire between the first insertion groove and the second insertion groove is provided, the fourth insertion groove having a V-shaped cross section.

[Claim 4]

The field-installable optical connector of claim 1, wherein a plurality of projections having a triangular cross section in a direction perpendicular to a direction that the element wire is inserted is formed inside the second and third insertion grooves.

[Claim 5] The field-installable optical connector of claim 4, wherein at least two point projections are provided on the outer circumference of the main wire connecting member.

[Claim 6] The field-installable optical connector of claim 1 or 5, wherein the main wire connecting member has a taper shape and the connecting member insertion hole of the fixing member has a taper shape corresponding to that of the main wire connecting member.

[Claim 7]

The field-installable optical connector of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second plates is formed of a transparent material .

[Claim 8]

The field-installable optical connector of claim 1, wherein a C-shaped clip is connected to a front end of the main wire connecting member. [Claim 9]

The field-installable optical connector of claim 1 or 7, wherein a penetrating hole is formed in a position of the housing and the fixing cap corresponding to the position where the main wire of the ferrule and the main wire of the optical cable are connected.

[Claim lθ]

The field-installable optical connector of claim 1, wherein a window is additionally formed on the protective cover .

[Claim 11]

The field-installable optical connector of claim 1, wherein an indicating groove for indicating connection directions or connection positions of respective elements is formed on the housing and an indicating projection for indicating the connection directions or the connection positions of the respective elements is formed on the upper surface of the fixing cap, the fixing member and the protective cover.

[Claim 12]

A field-installable optical connector in which a main wire of a ferrule and a main wire of an optical cable are connected in an optical alignment state, the field- installable optical connector comprising: a housing; a plug inserted and fixed into the housing; a ferrule to which the main wire of the ferrule is connected; a main wire connecting member including a ferrule holder formed on a front end thereof for connecting the ferrule and a main wire insertion groove for inserting the main wire along the longitudinal direction thereof; a fixing cap elastically supporting the main wire connecting member and fixedly connected to the plug; a fixing member including a connecting member insertion hole, into which the main wire connecting member is detachably inserted, and connected to the fixing cap, the fixing member pressing the main wire connecting member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof; and a protective cover receiving the fixing member inside thereof and detachably connected to the plug, wherein the main wire connecting member has a taper shape and the connecting member insertion hole of the fixing member has a taper shape corresponding to that of the main wire connecting member. [Claim 13]

The field-installable optical connector of claim 12, wherein at least two point projections are provided on the outer circumference of the main wire connecting member.

[Claim 14]

The field-installable optical connector of claim 12, wherein a penetrating hole is formed in a position of the housing and the fixing cap corresponding to the position where the main wire of the ferrule and the main wire of the optical cable are connected.