WO2013129485A1

WO2013129485A1 - Optical connector

Info

Publication number: WO2013129485A1
Application number: PCT/JP2013/055170
Authority: WO
Inventors: 太田　達哉; 山口　敬; 瀧澤　和宏
Original assignee: 株式会社フジクラ
Priority date: 2012-02-29
Filing date: 2013-02-27
Publication date: 2013-09-06
Also published as: JPWO2013129485A1; JP5820484B2; CN103502861A; CN103502861B

Abstract

An optical connector comprising: a connector body having a ferrule, and a connection section for abutting and connecting a built-in fiber, inserted into and fixed to the ferrule, and an insertion optical fiber exposed to the terminal of the optical fiber cable; and a retaining section that retains the optical fiber cable terminal. The retaining section has: a retaining member that grips and fixes in place the terminal of the optical fiber cable; and a housing for retaining, that houses the fixing member for retaining in the internal space thereof. The housing for retaining has formed therein an insertion port into which the retaining member can be inserted into the internal space along the insertion direction for the insertion optical fiber, in order to house the retaining member for retaining in the internal space.

Description

Optical connector

The present invention relates to an optical connector assembled to an optical fiber cable terminal.
This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-044866 filed in Japan on February 29, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Conventionally, for example, a field assembly type optical connector is used in which an optical fiber drawn from an optical fiber cable is abutted and connected to the rear end of a built-in optical fiber inserted and fixed in a ferrule, and assembled to the end of the optical fiber cable. ing.
As this type of optical connector, there is one including a connector main body that houses a built-in optical fiber and a retaining portion that retains an optical fiber cable terminal (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-240855 A

However, in the optical connector, the structure of the holding portion for holding the optical fiber cable terminal is complicated, and it takes time to assemble. Moreover, since there are many parts which comprise an optical connector, there also existed a problem also in terms of cost.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an optical connector that is easy to assemble and can be reduced in cost.

The present invention includes a ferrule, a connector main body having a connection portion for performing a butt connection between an internal fiber inserted and fixed to the ferrule and an insertion optical fiber exposed at a terminal of the optical fiber cable, and the optical fiber cable. A retaining portion for retaining the terminal of the optical fiber cable, and the retaining portion includes a securing member for retaining and fixing the terminal of the optical fiber cable, and a housing for retaining the retaining member for retaining in the internal space, The retaining housing is formed with an insertion port through which the anchoring fixing member can be inserted into the inner space along the insertion direction of the insertion optical fiber in order to accommodate the anchoring fixing member in the inner space. An optical connector is provided.
It is preferable that a pressing portion that presses the end of the optical fiber cable held by the fixing member is formed on the inner surface of the holding housing.
It is preferable that the retention member for retention and the housing for retention are formed with a locking structure that locks the retention member when the retention member for retention is housed in the internal space.
A sliding surface for sliding the retaining fixing member is provided on the inner surface of the retaining housing, and the pressing portion is a surface facing the sliding surface, and is an optical fiber held by the retaining fixing member. It is preferable to have a pressing surface that presses the end of the cable.
The anchoring fixing member has a cable fitting groove into which an end of an optical fiber cable is fitted, and the pressing portion can be inserted into the cable fitting groove of the anchoring fixing member to press the end of the optical fiber cable. It is preferable that
The anchoring member for anchoring protrudes from the anchoring member main body as an anchoring structure of a anchoring member main body having a cable fitting groove into which the end of the optical fiber cable is fitted, and is latched on the outer surface. It is preferable that the protruding wall portion is elastically bent and deformable in a direction approaching and separating from the inner surface of the retaining housing.
A bending allowance space in which the insertion optical fiber drawn from the optical fiber cable can be bent and deformed is secured on the front side of the holding fixing member in the holding housing. The bending housing has the bending allowance. It is preferable that a confirmation window that allows the insertion optical fiber in the space to be visually observed from the outside is formed.
Preferably, the connector main body further includes a guide part having an insertion hole for guiding the insertion optical fiber toward the connection part.

According to the present invention, the optical fiber butting and fixing of the anchoring fixing member to the anchoring housing are performed collectively only by inserting the anchoring fixing member from the insertion port and locking it to the anchoring housing. be able to. For this reason, assembly work becomes easier.
Further, since the anchoring fixing member has a simple structure without a structure such as a lid, the number of parts of the optical connector can be reduced, so that the cost can be reduced.

It is a perspective view of the optical connector which is the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the optical connector of FIG. It is a sectional side view of the optical connector of FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view of the optical connector of FIG. 1, and is a sectional view taken along the line A1-A1 of FIG. It is a rear view of the optical connector of FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the housing for retention from the front side. It is a sectional side view of the housing for retention. It is the expanded sectional side view of the housing for retention. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional plan view of the drawing housing as viewed from below, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A2-A2 of FIG. It is a rear view of a housing for retention. It is the perspective view seen from the rear side of the securing member for retention. It is a top view of the securing member for retention. It is a front view of the securing member for retention. It is a perspective view of a ferrule with a clamp part. It is a disassembled perspective view of the ferrule with a clamp part. It is a top view of the opposing surface side of the rear side extension piece of the ferrule with a clamp part. It is a top view of the opposing surface side of the cover member of the ferrule with a clamp part. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the ferrule with a clamp part. It is a cross-sectional view of the clamp part of the ferrule with a clamp part, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A3-A3 of FIG. It is a cross-sectional view of the guide part of the ferrule with a clamp part, and is an A4-A4 cross-sectional arrow view of FIG. It is process drawing which shows operation which inserts the fixing member for retention into the housing for retention. It is process drawing following a previous figure. It is process drawing following a previous figure. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing an assembly process of the optical connector of FIG. 1. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the relationship between the clamp part of a ferrule with a clamp part, and the assembly tool. It is a disassembled perspective view of the ferrule with a clamp part used for the optical connector which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the ferrule with a clamp part. It is a cross-sectional view of the guide part of the ferrule with a clamp part, and is an A5-A5 cross-sectional arrow view of FIG. It is a perspective view of an example of an optical fiber cable. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of a retaining structure. It is a rear view of the other example of an optical connector.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical connector 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the optical connector 10. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the optical connector 10. FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view of the optical connector 10. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the optical connector 10.

As shown in FIG. 29, the optical fiber cable 1 is a one in which an optical fiber 2 and a flexible linear strength member 4 are collectively covered with a synthetic resin jacket 3 so as to be parallel to each other. is there. Two strength members 4 are provided on both sides of the optical fiber 2 in parallel with each other.
The optical fiber 2 is a coated optical fiber having a configuration in which the outer peripheral surface (side surface) of the bare optical fiber 2a is covered with a coating 2b, and examples thereof include an optical fiber core and an optical fiber. In this embodiment, the optical fiber 2 is a single-core coated optical fiber. The bare optical fiber 2a is, for example, a quartz optical fiber. The coating 2b is a resin coating in which, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin, a polyamide resin, or the like is coated in one or more layers in a substantially concentric manner. Examples of the strength member 4 include those made of strength fibers such as aramid fibers, steel wires, and the like. Examples of the optical fiber cable 1 include an indoor cable and a drop cable.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the optical connector 10 includes a connector main body 20 that houses a ferrule 60 with a clamp portion, and a retaining portion 40 that retains the end of the optical fiber cable 1 at the rear side of the connector main body 20. Yes.
FIG. 1 shows a state where the knob 22 is removed.
The optical connector 10 is an on-site assembly type optical connector and is assembled to the end of the optical fiber cable 1.
Hereinafter, the tip direction (left side in FIGS. 3 and 4) of the ferrule 61 (ferrule main body) of the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion is referred to as the front, and the opposite direction is referred to as the rear.

The connector body 20 includes a body housing 21, a knob 22 (coupling) that houses the body housing 21, a ferrule 60 with a clamp portion housed in the body housing 21, and a spring that biases the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion forward. 53.
The knob 22 has a rectangular tube shape and is assembled to the main body housing 21 so as to be slidable with a slight movable range in the front and rear directions.
A stopper protrusion 21 a that restricts the forward movement of the ferrule 61 is formed on the inner surface of the main body housing 21.
A locking hole 21b into which an engaging protrusion 41a protruding from the body 41e of the retaining housing 40A is fitted is formed in the rear portion of the main body housing 21. The front housing part 40A is inserted into the main body housing 21 from the rear side, and the engaging projection 41a is fitted into the locking hole 21b, whereby the holding housing 40A is fitted and fixed.
As the connector body 20, an SC type optical connector (SC: Single fiber Coupling optical fiber connector. F04 type optical connector established in JIS C 5973) can be used.

As shown in FIGS. 14 to 20, the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion includes a ferrule 61 in which an optical fiber 62 is inserted and fixed. Hereinafter, the optical fiber 2 inserted and fixed to the ferrule 61 is also referred to as a built-in optical fiber 62. The built-in optical fiber 62 has a portion that protrudes rearward from the ferrule 61 (hereinafter also referred to as a rear protrusion 62a). The front end face of the built-in optical fiber 62 is aligned with the joint end face 61 b at the front end (front end) of the ferrule 61.

Hereinafter, the ferrule 60 with a clamp part will be described in detail.
The ferrule 60 with a clamp part is obtained by assembling a clamp part unit 63 A on the rear side of the ferrule 61.
The clamp unit 63 A includes a clamp unit 63 (connection unit) and a guide unit 70 on the rear side of the clamp unit 63 that guides the optical fiber 2 toward the clamp unit 63.
The clamp part 63 grips and fixes the rear-side protruding part 62a of the built-in optical fiber 62 and the front end part of the optical fiber 2 that is inserted into the connector body 20 from the rear side and abuts against the rear end of the built-in optical fiber 62. 62, The butt connection state between the two is maintained.
The guide part 70 has an insertion hole 70a through which the optical fiber 2 can be inserted, and the optical fiber 2 can be guided toward the clamp part 63 through the insertion hole 70a.
Therefore, the axial displacement of the optical fiber 2 can be suppressed to the minimum, and the butt connection can be made to the built-in optical fiber 62.

The clamp part unit 63 A has a gripping element part having a halved structure including a base member 65 (rear extension piece 65) that extends rearward from the flange part 64 of the ferrule 61 and

lid members

66 and 67.
The clamp part 63 includes an optical fiber 2 that abuts against the rear-side protruding part 62 a of the built-in optical fiber 62 and the rear end of the built-in optical fiber 62 between the base member 65 (rear extension piece 65) and the lid member 66. The tip portion can be sandwiched and fixed.

The rear protrusion 62 a of the built-in optical fiber 62 is disposed between the base member 65 (rear extension piece 65) and the lid member 66 constituting the gripping element portion. The optical fiber 2 that abuts against the rear end of the built-in optical fiber 62 is inserted between the base member 65 (rear extension piece 65) and the

lid members

66 and 67 from the rear side of the clamp portion 63. The built-in optical fiber 62 and the optical fiber 2 (specifically, the bare optical fiber 2 a led to the tip thereof) are butt-connected between the base member 65 (rear extension piece 65) and the lid member 66. The
In FIG. 18 and the like, a butt connection portion in which the optical fiber 2 is butt-connected to the rear end of the built-in optical fiber 62 is indicated by a symbol P.

The optical fiber 2 that is inserted into the connector main body 20 of the optical connector 10 and butt-connected to the rear end of the built-in optical fiber 62 of the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion is hereinafter also referred to as an insertion optical fiber. In this embodiment, the insertion optical fiber 2 has a connector main body in which a portion of the optical fiber 2 of the optical fiber cable 1 that is exposed in a protruding state from the end of the optical fiber cable 1 by removing the outer sheath 3 at the tip of the optical fiber cable 1 is used. 20 is inserted.

The ferrule 61 of the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion is a capillary-shaped single-core ferrule used in an SC type optical connector or the like. Examples of the material of the ferrule 61 include ceramics such as zirconia, and glass.
Here, the built-in optical fiber 62 is a bare optical fiber, for example, a silica-based optical fiber. The built-in optical fiber 62 is inserted into a fiber hole 61a which is a fine hole penetrating coaxially with the axis of the ferrule 61, and is fixed to the ferrule 61 by adhesive fixing using an adhesive or the like.

The rear end portion of the ferrule 61 is integrated with a flange portion 64 that is circumferentially provided (projected) on the outer periphery thereof. The flange portion 64 is formed in a ring shape from metal, plastic, or the like, for example.
The clamp part 63 includes a rear extension piece 65 extending from the flange part 64 to the rear side of the ferrule 61, and a lid member 66 inside a clamp spring 68 in which a metal plate is formed into an elongated shape having a C-shaped cross section. It is configured to be held in a lump. The clamp spring 68 elastically biases the lid member 66 toward the rear extension piece 65.
The clamp portion 63 includes a rear projecting portion 62 a of the built-in optical fiber 62 and the optical fiber 2 butt-connected to the built-in optical fiber 62 between the rear extending piece 65 and the lid member 66. It is clamped and fixed by elasticity.
The front portion of the rear extension piece 65 and the lid member 66 have a halved structure for holding and fixing the rear protruding portion 62a of the built-in optical fiber 62 and the optical fiber 2 abutted against the rear end of the built-in optical fiber 62. The element part is configured.
The method of urging the lid member 66 toward the rear extension piece 65 is not limited to the clamp spring. For example, a method is used in which a clamp part 63 having a shape whose diameter increases toward the tip is used, and a ring-shaped member is inserted through the clamp part 63 to bias the lid member 66 toward the rear extension piece 65. Can also be adopted.

The rear extension piece 65 is formed in an elongated shape with the direction along the axis of the ferrule 61 as the longitudinal direction. The rear extension piece 65 in the illustrated example is formed integrally with the flange portion 64 and is integrated with the ferrule 61.

The clamp unit 63 A has a front lid member 66 as a lid member for gripping and fixing the

optical fibers

62, 2 between the front extension of the rear extension piece 65, and light with the rear part of the rear extension piece 65. As a lid member constituting the guide part 70 for guiding the fiber 2 toward the clamp part 63, a rear lid member 67 on the rear side of the front lid member 66 (on the side opposite to the ferrule 61 via the front lid member 66). have. These two

lid members

66 and 67 are arranged and arranged along the longitudinal direction of the rear extension piece 65.

The rear extension piece 65 and the

cover members

66 and 67 are formed with opposing surfaces facing each other. The clamp spring 68 of the clamp part 63 elastically urges the rear extension piece 65 and the

cover members

66 and 67 in the direction in which the opposing surfaces approach each other (that is, the direction in which they are closed together).

As shown in FIG. 16, the opposing surface 65 a of the front portion facing the lid member 66 of the rear extension piece 65 has the rear protrusion 62 a of the built-in optical fiber 62 on the rear extension of the fiber hole 61 a of the ferrule 61. An alignment groove 69a for positioning is provided.
A housing groove 69b extending rearward from the rear end of the aligning groove 69a is formed on the opposing surface 65a of the rear portion facing the lid member 67 of the rear extension piece 65. The storage groove 69 b forms an insertion hole 70 a that guides the optical fiber 2 toward the clamp portion 63 when the rear extension piece 65 and the lid member 67 are closed.
Hereinafter, the facing surface facing the

lid members

66 and 67 of the rear extension piece 65 is also referred to as a groove forming surface.

The alignment groove 69a is formed in a portion of the groove forming surface 65a facing the front lid member 66, and the storage groove 69b is formed in a portion of the groove forming surface 65a facing the rear lid member 67.
The storage groove 69b is preferably formed coaxially with the storage groove 69a.
Further, the surface of the front lid member 66 that faces the groove forming surface 65a of the rear extension piece 65 is referred to as a facing surface 66a, and the surface of the rear lid member 67 that faces the groove formation surface 65a of the rear extension piece 65. This is referred to as a facing surface 67a.

The rear protrusion 62a of the built-in optical fiber 62 is disposed in the alignment groove 69a. The rear end of the built-in optical fiber 62 (rear end of the rear protrusion 62a) is disposed at the center in the longitudinal direction of the alignment groove 69a. The built-in optical fiber 62 is a short optical fiber in which the front end aligned with the joining end surface 61b at the tip of the ferrule 61 and the rear end are both ends in the longitudinal direction.
In the aligning groove 69a, the bare optical fiber 2a that has been exposed after removing the coating at the tip of the inserted optical fiber 2 is guided from the rear side of the ferrule 60 with a clamp part through the insertion hole 70a (storage groove 69b) of the guide part 70. Inserted.

The aligning groove 69a is a V-shaped groove (groove having a V-shaped cross section), and the rear-side protruding portion 62a of the built-in optical fiber 62 and the bare optical fiber 2a at the tip of the inserted optical fiber 2 are positioned with high precision so that they can be connected to each other , Fulfill the function of alignment. As the aligning groove 69a, in addition to the V groove, for example, a U groove (groove having a U-shaped cross section), a semicircular groove (groove having a semicircular cross section), or the like can be employed.

The storage groove 69b is a groove having a groove width slightly larger than that of the alignment groove 69a so as to be able to store a covered portion (cover portion) of the insertion optical fiber 2.
The storage groove 69b is not particularly limited, and for example, a U groove (groove having a U-shaped cross section), a semicircular groove (groove having a semicircular cross section), a V groove (groove having a V shape cross section), and the like can be employed.
The inner diameter of the storage groove 69b can be approximately the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the covered portion (cover portion) of the insertion optical fiber 2.
As a result, the inner diameter of the insertion hole 70a of the guide portion 70 can be made approximately the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the covered portion (cover portion) of the inserted optical fiber 2.
The rear lid member 67 constituting the guide portion 70 is a rear extension piece using an adhesive or the like in a state where the opposing surface 67a faces the opposing surface 65a of the rear extension piece 65 (the state shown in FIG. 14). 65 can be joined to the rear.

In the groove forming surface 65a and the opposing surface 67a, tapered opening portions 69bw and 69cw are formed at the rear end portions of the storage groove 69b in a tapered shape. Tapered openings 69 bw and 69 cw of the storage groove 69 b are opened in the rear end face of the rear extension piece 65 and the rear lid member 67.

In the ferrule 60 with a clamp part, since the guide part 70 does not need to have a function of gripping the optical fiber 2, it is necessary to form a hole for inserting the insertion piece 81 in the stop ring part 41 or the like of the part. Absent. Since the optical connector 10 has only one hole for inserting the insertion piece 81, the structure can be simplified.

In the illustrated example, the guide portion 70 is not required to have a function of sandwiching and gripping the covering 2b, but the covering portion 2b is sandwiched between the rear extension piece 65 and the rear lid member 67 in the guiding portion 70. There may be a gripping function.

As shown in FIG. 25, smooth insertion into the alignment groove 69a of the bare optical fiber 2a at the distal end of the insertion optical fiber 2 is performed between the rear extension piece 65 and the front lid member 66 in the assembly process described later. An insertion piece 81 (see FIG. 1) that secures a gap to be enabled is inserted so as to be removable.

The insertion piece 81 is formed in a thin plate shape. The insertion piece 81 is sandwiched between the rear extension piece 65 and the lid member 66 by the elasticity of the clamp spring 68 of the clamp portion 63. In the main body housing 21, an insertion piece insertion hole 21 c for passing the insertion piece 81 is formed extending in the front-rear direction.

The insertion piece 81 is located on the outside of the main body housing 21 and has a configuration in which an extraction operation portion 81a for facilitating the extraction operation from the clamp portion 63 is formed. The insertion piece 81 can be easily removed manually from the clamp portion 63 by the operator holding and pulling the removal operation portion 81a with fingers.

The optical connector 10 is a tool in which the insertion piece 81 of the optical connector assembling tool 83 is detachably inserted between the rear extension piece 65 of the clamp portion 63 of the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion and the lid member 66. The optical connector 110 (see FIG. 1) can be supplied to the site. In this case, the work of inserting the insertion piece between the rear extension piece 65 and the lid member 66 at the site can be omitted.

Further, the insertion piece is not limited to a thin plate, and for example, a flexible sheet or the like can be used.
A plate-like (thin plate-like) insertion piece having a tapered tip is inserted into the boundary between the rear extension piece 65 and the lid member 66 only by pressing. Can do. For this reason, the work of inserting (inserting) the insertion piece between the rear extension piece 65 and the lid member 66 may be performed on the site where the optical connector 10 is assembled to the optical fiber, for example. Easy.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion is elastically biased forward by a spring 53 inserted between the flange portion 64 and the front end surface of the trunk portion 41e of the retaining housing 40A. The portion 64 is positioned at the front side movement limit where it abuts against the stopper protrusion 21a from the rear side.
The ferrule 60 with a clamp portion can be pushed back (pushback) from the front movement limit position while pushing and shrinking the spring 53 against the elastic biasing force of the spring 53.
In the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion, the position when the spring 53 reaches the compression limit is the push limit position with respect to the connector body 20.
As shown in FIG. 2, the spring 53 is, for example, a coil spring.

14 and 15, key grooves 64a are formed at a plurality of locations (two locations in the illustrated example) on the outer peripheral portion of the flange portion 64 of the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion accommodates a key 21 d protruding from the inner surface of the front end portion of the main body housing 21 in the key groove 64 a of the flange portion 64. On the other hand, it is assembled with a detent.

Next, the retaining portion 40 will be described.
The retaining portion 40 includes a retention fixing member 120 that holds and fixes the end of the optical fiber cable 1 and a retention housing 40A that accommodates the retention fixing member 120 in the internal space.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6 to 10, the retaining housing 40A includes a stop ring portion 41 in which a sleeve portion (cylindrical in the illustrated example) body portion 41e projects from a block portion 42, and a block. It has a rectangular tube-shaped fixing member receiving portion 43 that extends from the portion 42 to the side (rear side) opposite to the body portion 41e.
The block portion 42 has a fiber introduction hole 42a for inserting the optical fiber 2 into the connector body 20 from the rear side thereof, and is located between the fiber introduction hole 42a and the inner space of the body portion 41e and communicates with both. The hollow part 42b into which the clamp part 63 of the ferrule 60 with a clamp part is inserted through the body part 41e is formed.

An insertion piece insertion hole 41b for passing the insertion piece 81 is formed in the body portion 41e. The insertion piece insertion hole 41 b is formed at a position communicating with the insertion piece insertion hole 21 c formed in the main body housing 21.
The stop ring portion 41 can adjust the orientation of the body housing 21 in the direction around the axis line, with the insertion piece insertion hole 41b as a mark. A position where the clamp part 63 of the ferrule 60 with a clamp part is inserted into the body part 41e and the hollow part 42b, and the insertion piece insertion hole 41b formed in the body part 41e communicates with the insertion piece insertion hole 21c of the main body housing 21. Thus, the key 21d of the main body housing 21 can be accommodated in the key groove 64a of the flange portion 64 of the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion, and work can be performed easily.

The fitting of the retaining housing 40A to the main body housing 21 is achieved by fitting the engaging protrusion 41a (see FIG. 6) on the outer periphery of the front end of the body 41e inserted into the main body housing 21 into the locking hole 21b of the main body housing 21. The

The anchoring fixing member 120 is installed so as to surround the outer periphery of one end of the optical fiber cable, and is fixed to and integrated with the end. The optical fiber 2 exposed at the end of the optical fiber cable 1 protrudes from a cable terminal 1a with a fixing member that includes the end of the optical fiber cable 1 and a securing member 120 for anchoring fixed to the end. The cable terminal 1a with a fixing member is configured such that the optical fiber cable 1 extends from the anchoring fixing member 120 to the rear side, and the optical fiber 2 protrudes from the anchoring fixing member 120 to the front side.

As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 to FIG. 10, the fixing member receiving portion 43 includes an elongated plate-like bottom plate portion 43a extending backward from the block portion 42 and having a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction, and a bottom plate portion 43a. A cylinder having a rectangular cross section provided with a side plate portion 43b that is erected on both sides in the width direction and extends along the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate portion 43a, and a top plate portion 43c provided between the upper ends of the both side plate portions 43b. It is formed in a shape.

The fixing member receiving portion 43 is capable of storing the anchoring fixing member 120 in the internal space 44 surrounded by the bottom plate portion 43a, the

side plate portions

43b and 43b, and the top plate portion 43c.
The fixing member receiving portion 43 can be accommodated in the internal space 44 by inserting the anchoring fixing member 120 from the insertion port 45 which is an opening on the rear end side. The insertion port 45 is an opening formed by the bottom plate portion 43a, the

side plate portions

43b and 43b, and the top plate portion 43c.

An upper surface 43a1 (inner surface) of the bottom plate portion 43a is a slide surface on which the anchoring fixing member 120 inserted into the internal space 44 slides.
The upper surface 43a1 (inner surface) is formed so that the distal end of the optical fiber 2 can be guided to the fiber introduction hole 42a when the anchoring fixing member 120 slides forward.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the bottom surface 43c1 (inner surface) of the rear portion of the top plate portion 43c is pressed to press the end of the optical fiber cable 1 held by the anchoring fixing member 120 housed in the internal space 44. A portion 46 is formed to protrude.
The pressing portion 46 in the illustrated example has a substantially rectangular cross section, and is formed to protrude downward from the lower surface 43c1 of the top plate portion 43c. The pressing portion 46 is formed to extend forward from the rear end 43c2 of the top plate portion 43c at the approximate center in the width direction (left-right direction) of the top plate portion 43c.

As shown in FIG. 8, the pressing portion 46 is on the pressing surface 46 a and the rear end side of the pressing portion 46, and the introducing portion 46 b is inclined so that the distance from the upper surface 43 a 1 (inner surface) toward the front becomes smaller. And have.
Note that pressing means pressing the optical fiber cable 1 toward the bottom plate portion 43a.

Since the introduction portion 46b is sufficiently spaced from the bottom plate portion 43a at the rear end position, the operation of introducing the cable terminal 1a with a fixing member from the insertion port 45 into the internal space 44 can be facilitated.
The introduction portion 46b can apply a pressing force to the optical fiber cable 1 because the gap between the introduction portion 46b and the bottom plate portion 43a is small at a position near the front end. That is, the structure may be such that the pressing force increases when the optical fiber cable 1 moves forward.
The pressing surface 46a is a surface facing the upper surface 43a1 (sliding surface) of the bottom plate portion 43a. The pressing surface 46a is a surface parallel to the upper surface 43a1 (sliding surface) of the bottom plate portion 43a. The pressing surface 46a may have a shape such that the distance from the upper surface 43a1 (sliding surface) decreases toward the front.
The height position of the pressing surface 46a with respect to the upper surface 43a1 (sliding surface) of the bottom plate portion 43a is the height of the upper surface 1b of the optical fiber cable 1 from the lower surface 124a of the bottom wall portion 124 of the anchoring fixing member 120 (the height in FIG. 8). In consideration of the height H1), a sufficient pressing force is applied to the upper surface 1b of the optical fiber cable 1 in a state where the cable terminal 1a with the fixing member is inserted into the inner space 44, and the optical fiber cable 1 is attached to the bottom wall. It is designed so that it can be firmly fixed by being sandwiched between the portions 124.

When the cable terminal 1a with the fixing member is inserted into the internal space 44 from the insertion port 45 and is slid forward on the upper surface 43a1 (sliding surface) of the bottom plate portion 43a, the optical fiber 2 extending from the cable terminal 1a with the fixing member The tip of is guided to the fiber introduction hole 42a.
Since there is a sufficient space between the rear end position of the introduction portion 46b and the bottom plate portion 43a, the insertion operation of the cable terminal 1a with the fixing member is facilitated. The introduction portion 46b can apply a pressing force to the optical fiber cable 1 because the gap between the introduction portion 46b and the bottom plate portion 43a is small at a position near the front end.
When the cable terminal 1a with the fixing member is further inserted toward the inside of the fixing member receiving portion 43 (that is, toward the front), the pressing surface 46a sandwiches the optical fiber cable 1 between the bottom wall portion 124 and is firmly fixed. To do.
According to this configuration, in the operation of inserting the cable terminal 1a with the fixing member into the fixing member receiving portion 43 from the insertion port 45, the resistance at the start of insertion can be reduced and a high gripping force can be obtained at the storage position. .
When the pressing surface 46a has a shape in which the distance from the upper surface 43a1 (sliding surface) decreases toward the front, the pressing force on the optical fiber cable 1 gradually increases as the insertion process proceeds.

As shown in FIG. 5, in this example, a gripping force acts on both side surfaces of the optical fiber cable 1 by the gripping projections 125 c of the anchoring fixing member 120, and upper and lower surfaces are pressed by the pressing portion 46 and the bottom wall portion 124. Since the gripping force acts on the optical fiber cable 1, it is possible to reliably prevent the optical fiber cable 1 from coming out.
The pressing part 46 may press only a part in the width direction of the upper surface 1b of the optical fiber cable 1 or may press over the entire width.

7 to 10 is formed only at the approximate center in the width direction (left-right direction) of the top plate portion 43c. However, if the end of the optical fiber cable 1 can be pressed downward, other structures are possible. May be adopted.
For example, the pressing portion may be formed over the entire width of the top plate portion 43c.
FIG. 31 is a rear view of the optical connector 10 having the pressing portion 146 formed over the entire width of the top plate portion 43c. The pressing part 146 has a pressing surface 146 a that presses the optical fiber cable 1.
When the pressing portion 146 having such a structure is employed, it is necessary to adjust the height of the side wall portion 125 of the anchoring fixing member 120 so that the side wall portion 125 does not hit the pressing portion 146.

In the fixing member receiving portion 43, a bending allowance space 48 in which the optical fiber 2 can be bent and deformed is secured. The bending allowable space 48 is a part of the internal space 44 and is a space in front of the grip base 121 of the anchoring fixing member 120 inserted into the internal space 44.
A confirmation window 49 through which the optical fiber 2 in the bending allowance space 48 can be seen from the outside is formed at the front portion of the top plate portion 43c.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, the

side plate portions

43b and 43b are formed with locking receiving portions 47 to be locked by locking claws 129 (locking portions) of the anchoring fixing member 120 described later. . The anchoring fixing member 120 can be fixed to the fixing member receiving portion 43 by locking the locking claw portion 129 to the locking receiving portion 47.
The height of the locking claw portion 129 is, for example, about 0.2 to 1 mm.
Specifically, the latch receiving portion 47 is a rectangular opening formed in each of the

side plate portions

43b and 43b, and the latching claw portion 129 is fitted to the peripheral edge portion 47a (rear edge portion). By being stopped, the anchoring fixing member 120 can be fixed to the fixing member receiving portion 43.
As shown in FIG. 6, the latch receiving portion 47 of the illustrated example is formed at the center in the front-rear direction of the

side plate portions

43b and 43b.
Note that the latch receiving portion 47 may be a recess formed in the inner surface 43b1 of the side plate portion 43b without penetrating the side plate portion 43b.

A tapered recess 43d is formed in the front portion of the fixing member receiving portion 43 so as to face the internal space 44 and is recessed in a tapered shape from the rear end toward the front side. The rear end of the fiber introduction hole 42a of the block portion 42 opens to the front end portion (the deep end portion when the fixing member receiving portion 43 is viewed from the rear side) of the tapered recess 43d.
The tapered recess 43d performs a function of guiding the tip of the optical fiber 2 protruding from the cable terminal 1a with a fixing member to the fiber introduction hole 42a to facilitate insertion into the fiber introduction hole 42a.

On the inner surfaces 43b1 of the

side plate portions

43b and 43b, projecting portion guide grooves 43e into which guide projecting portions 128 formed on both outer side surfaces of the anchoring fixing member 120 are inserted are formed extending in the front-rear direction.
By fitting the guide protrusion 128 into the protrusion guide groove 43e, the orientation of the anchoring fixing member 120 can be stabilized when the anchoring fixing member 120 is inserted into the anchoring housing 40A.
Reference numeral 43a2 in FIG. 8 denotes a stepped portion, and the anchoring fixing member 120 can be locked to prevent forward movement.

The optical fiber 2 protruding from the cable terminal 1a with the fixing member is the optical fiber 2 of the bare optical fiber 2a that has been exposed to the tip of the optical fiber 2 when the cable terminal 1a with the fixing member is accommodated in the fixing member receiving portion 43. The protruding length from the end of the optical fiber cable 1 to the end of the bare optical fiber 2a is adjusted so that a butt connection state with respect to the rear end of the built-in optical fiber 62 can be secured.

11 to 13 show specific examples of the retaining member 120 for retention.
Here, as the anchoring fixing member 120, an outer gripping member is used that is attached to the end of the optical fiber cable 1 while being fixed to the end of the optical fiber cable 1 by holding the end of the optical fiber cable.
Hereinafter, when the anchoring fixing member 120 refers to the outer gripping member, the anchoring fixing member 120 is also referred to as the outer gripping member 120.
The jacket holding member 120 includes a holding base 121 (fixed member main body) in which a cable fitting groove 122 into which the optical fiber cable 1 is fitted is formed, and one end in the front-rear direction along the extending direction of the cable fitting groove 122. And a pair of protruding wall portions 127 protruding.
The protruding wall 127 in the illustrated example is referred to as a front protruding wall 127 because it protrudes forward from the front end of the grip base 121.
The protruding wall 127 may protrude rearward from the rear end of the grip base 121.

The jacket gripping member 120 includes a jacket 3 of the optical fiber cable 1 in which a plurality of gripping projections 125 c that are provided on the mutually facing surfaces of the pair of side wall portions 125 of the grip base 121 are fitted in the cable fitting groove 122. The optical fiber cable 1 can be gripped and fixed between the pair of side wall portions 125.
The grip base 121 is a member in which a cable fitting groove 122 is secured between a pair of side wall portions 125 protruding from one side of the bottom wall portion 124. The groove width direction of the cable fitting groove 122 is the interval direction of the side wall portions 125 on both sides via the cable fitting groove 122.
The gripping protrusion 125 c of the jacket gripping member 120 in the illustrated example is formed in a protrusion having a triangular cross section extending in the depth direction of the cable fitting groove 122.

The front protruding wall portion 127 is formed in a plate-like shape that protrudes from the side wall portions 125 on both sides of the grip base 121 so as to extend the side wall portion 125 along the front-rear direction.
On the front projecting wall portion 127, a guide projecting portion 128 is provided so as to be inserted into a projecting portion guide groove 43 d that extends in the front-rear direction on the side plate portions 43 b on both sides of the fixing member receiving portion 43. The guide protrusion 128 protrudes from the outer surface opposite to the inner surfaces of the pair of front protrusion walls 127 facing each other.

On the outer surface of the front projecting wall 127, a locking claw 129 (a locking portion, a convex portion) is formed to project.
The locking claw portion 129 of the illustrated example is formed so that the protruding height increases as going backward.
The locking claw portion 129 is engaged with the peripheral edge portion 47 a (rear edge portion) of the locking receiving portion 47 formed on the side plate portion 43 b of the fixing member receiving portion 43, so that the outer gripping member 120 is received by the fixing member receiving portion 120. It can be fixed to the portion 43.
In the illustrated example, a structure in which the locking claw portion 129 (locking portion) that is a convex portion is locked to the locking receiving portion 47 that is an opening portion (or a concave portion) is used. A structure in which a locking claw (locking portion), which is a convex portion formed in the fixing member receiving portion 43, is locked to an opening (or recess) (locking receiving portion) formed in the fixing member 120. May be.

The front protruding wall portion 127 can be elastically bent and deformed in the direction in which the front end 127a moves left and right, that is, in the direction in which the locking claw portion 129 approaches and separates from the inner surface 43b1 of the side plate portion 43b of the fixing member receiving portion 43. It is desirable to be.
In FIG. 12, a state in which the front projecting wall 127 is bent and deformed in a direction in which the front ends 127a approach each other is indicated by a two-dot chain line.
Since the front projecting wall portion 127 can be bent and deformed, the resistance when the outer cover holding member 120 is inserted into the fixed member receiving portion 43 is reduced, and this operation is facilitated.

In the illustrated example, a groove-shaped thinning recess 127b extending in the vertical direction is formed on the outer surface of the base end portion of the front protruding wall portion 127. As a result, the front projecting wall portion 127 is easily bent and deformed in the direction of moving left and right with the portion (thin wall portion 127c) where the thinned recess portion 127b is formed as a fulcrum.

The anchoring fixing member is not limited to the outer gripping member, and may be a member that is fixed to the outer periphery of one end of the optical fiber cable by adhesive fixing with an adhesive, heat welding, or the like.

Next, a method for assembling the optical connector 10 to the end of the optical fiber cable 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.
An optical connector 110 with a tool in which an insertion piece 81 of an optical connector assembling tool 83 is detachably inserted between a rear extension piece 65 of a clamp portion 63 of a ferrule 60 with a clamp portion and a lid member 66 is provided. prepare.
As shown in FIGS. 21, 22, and 24, the anchoring fixing member 120 of the cable terminal 1 a with the fixing member is moved forward and inserted into the fixing member receiving portion 43 from the insertion port 45.
At this time, the front projecting wall portion 127 is pressed inward by the side plate portion 43b of the fixing member receiving portion 43, and the front end 127a is elastically bent and deformed in a direction approaching each other.

As shown in FIG. 23, when the anchoring fixing member 120 is moved further forward, the entire anchoring fixing member 120 is housed in the anchoring member receiving portion 43, and the locking claw portion 129 is locked. Part 47 is reached.
As a result, the front protruding wall portion 127 is deformed in a direction in which the front ends 127a are separated from each other by elastic repulsive force, and the locking claw portion 129 is inserted into the locking receiving portion 47 and the peripheral edge portion 47a (rear edge portion). ).
As a result, the holding member 120 for retention is fixed to the fixing member receiving portion 43, and the state in which the fixing member 120 for holding is stored in the fixing member receiving portion 43 is maintained. The position of the anchoring fixing member 120 is referred to as a storage position.

The optical fiber 2 protruding from the end of the optical fiber cable 1 is fed into the alignment groove 69a from the fiber introduction hole 42a of the block portion 42 through the storage groove 69b of the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion by the advancement of the cable end 1a with the fixing member. Thus, the bare optical fiber 2 a at the tip of the optical fiber 2 is butt-connected to the rear end of the built-in optical fiber 62.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the anchoring fixing member 120 reaches the storage position (see FIG. 23, the position where the locking claw portion 129 is locked to the locking receiving portion 47), the bending allowance in the fixing member receiving portion 43 is allowed. In the space 48, the optical fiber 2 is bent and deformed. Reference numeral 50 denotes a bending portion.
Whether the optical fiber 2 is bent can be visually confirmed through the confirmation window 49 from the outside. For this reason, confirmation of bending becomes easy.
As described above, the anchoring fixing member 120 is fixed to the fixing member receiving portion 43, so that the optical fiber 2 with respect to the built-in optical fiber 62 of the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion (specifically, a bare optical fiber led to the tip thereof). The butt connection state of 2a) is maintained.

Next, as shown in FIG. 25, an insertion piece 81 inserted between the rear extension piece 65 of the clamp portion 63 and the lid member 66 from the clamp portion 63 of the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion. Pull it out.
As a result, due to the elasticity of the clamp spring 68, the rear extension piece 65a and the front lid member 66 are butted against the rear projection 62a of the built-in optical fiber 62 and the rear end of the rear projection 62a. The bare optical fiber 2a at the tip of the optical fiber 2 is held and fixed in a state of being pressed against the aligning groove 69a.
Thereby, the butt connection state of the optical fiber 2 (specifically, the bare optical fiber 2a opened to the tip thereof) with respect to the built-in optical fiber 62 of the ferrule 60 with a clamp portion can be kept stable.

The assembly of the optical connector 10 to the end of the optical fiber cable 1 is completed by gripping and fixing the insertion optical fiber 2 to the clamp part 63 of the ferrule 60 with a clamp part.

In the optical connector 10, the built-in optical fiber 62 and the optical fiber 2 are abutted and the retaining member 120 is retained only by inserting the retaining member 120 from the insertion port 45 and locking it to the retaining housing 40 A. Fixing to the housing 40A can be performed collectively. For this reason, assembly work becomes easier.
The anchoring fixing member 120 has a simple structure having no structure such as a lid. For this reason, since the optical connector 10 can reduce the number of parts, the cost can be reduced.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Unlike the ferrule 60 with a clamp part (see FIGS. 14 to 20) used in the first embodiment, the ferrule 160 with a clamp part of the optical connector of the second embodiment is replaced with a clamp part unit 63A. A clamp unit 163A shown in FIGS. 26 to 28 is used.
The optical connector of the second embodiment may have the same configuration as the optical connector 10 of the first embodiment except for the ferrule 160 with a clamp portion.

The clamp unit 163A is different from the clamp unit 63A used in the first embodiment in that an integral structure guide 170 (strator) is used instead of the half-structured guide 70 (strater). .
The guide part 170 is a cylindrical body that forms an insertion hole 170 a that guides the optical fiber 2 toward the clamp part 63.
The inner diameter of the insertion hole 170a of the guide portion 170 can be set to be approximately the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the covered portion (cover portion) of the insertion optical fiber 2.

The guide part 170 has an insertion hole 170a through which the optical fiber 2 can be inserted, and the optical fiber 2 can be guided toward the clamp part 63 through the insertion hole 170a.
Therefore, the axial displacement of the optical fiber 2 can be suppressed to the minimum, and the butt connection can be made to the built-in optical fiber 62.

Although the present invention has been described based on the best mode, the present invention is not limited to the above-described best mode, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
The specific configuration of the optical connector is not limited as long as it conforms to the technical idea of the present invention. The specific procedure for assembling the optical connector can also be modified according to the specific configuration of the optical connector.
In the illustrated optical connector, the retaining fixing member 120 is retained (fixed) by the retaining claw portion 129 of the retaining member 120 being retained by the retaining member 47 of the retaining housing 40A. However, the structure in which the retaining member for retaining is retained on the retaining housing is not limited thereto.
For example, as shown in FIG. 30, a securing member 220 for retention, a housing 240A for retention having an internal thread 240Aa formed on the outer surface, and a lid 221 having an internal thread 221a on the inner surface can be used. The lid 221 is attached to the retention housing 240A by screwing the female screw portion 221a to the male screw portion 240Aa, and restricts the retraction of the retention fixing member 220 in the retention housing 240A.
In this structure, after the anchoring fixing member 220 is inserted into the anchoring housing 240A from the insertion port 245 at the rear end, the lid 221 is attached to the anchoring housing 240A, so that the anchoring fixing member 220 is pulled. It is fixed to the retaining housing 240A.

The present invention is applicable to an optical connector assembled to an optical fiber cable terminal.

1 Optical fiber cable 2 Optical fiber (insertion optical fiber)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Optical connector 20 Connector main body 40 Retaining part 40A Retention housing 44 Internal space 45 Insertion slot 46 Press part 46a Press surface 47 Locking receiving part 48 Deflection allowable space 49 Confirmation window 61 Ferrule 63 Clamp part (connection part)
120 Locking member 129 Locking claw part (Locking part)
122 Cable fitting groove 127 Front projection wall (projection wall)
70, 170

Guide part

70a, 170a Insertion hole

Claims

A connector main body having a ferrule, a connection portion for making a butt connection between the built-in fiber inserted and fixed to the ferrule and the insertion optical fiber exposed at the end of the optical fiber cable, and the terminal of the optical fiber cable are retained With a retaining part,
The retaining portion has a retaining member for retaining and fixing the end of the optical fiber cable, and a retaining housing for accommodating the retaining member in an internal space,
The retaining housing is formed with an insertion port through which the anchoring fixing member can be inserted into the inner space along the insertion direction of the insertion optical fiber in order to accommodate the anchoring fixing member in the inner space. Optical connector.
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein a pressing portion that presses an end of the optical fiber cable held by the fixing member is formed on an inner surface of the holding housing.
The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the anchoring member and the anchoring housing are formed with a locking structure that locks the anchoring member when the anchoring fixing member is housed in the internal space. .
The inner surface of the retaining housing is provided with a slide surface for sliding the retaining member.
The optical connector according to claim 2, wherein the pressing portion is a surface facing the slide surface, and has a pressing surface that presses an end of the optical fiber cable held by the securing member.
The retention fixing member has a cable fitting groove into which a terminal of an optical fiber cable is fitted,
The optical connector according to claim 2, wherein the pressing portion is inserted into a cable fitting groove of the anchoring fixing member and can press an end of the optical fiber cable.
The anchoring member for anchoring protrudes from the anchoring member main body as an anchoring structure of a anchoring member main body having a cable fitting groove into which the end of the optical fiber cable is fitted, and is latched on the outer surface. 4. The optical connector according to claim 3, further comprising: a protruding wall portion formed with a portion, wherein the protruding wall portion can be elastically bent and deformed in a direction approaching and separating from the inner surface of the retaining housing.
In the retaining housing, on the front side of the retaining member for securing, a bending allowance space in which the insertion optical fiber pulled out from the optical fiber cable can bend and deformed is secured,
The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a confirmation window through which an insertion optical fiber in the bending allowance space is visible from the outside is formed in the drawing housing.
The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the connector body further includes a guide portion having an insertion hole for guiding the insertion optical fiber toward the connection portion.