WO2022155041A1

WO2022155041A1 - Optical fiber connector and assembly thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2022155041A1
Application number: PCT/US2022/011394
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yousong Wang; Yujun Zhang; Gangping LEI; Jianping Wu
Original assignee: Commscope Technologies Llc
Priority date: 2021-01-14
Filing date: 2022-01-06
Publication date: 2022-07-21
Also published as: CN114764167A

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an optical fiber connector and components thereof. The optical fiber connector includes a connecting portion, which includes: a connector body, which is cylindrical shape and includes a through cavity; and a ferrule assembly provided in the cavity of the connector body, the ferrule assembly including one or more ferrules adapted for terminating one or more optical fibers of an optical cable and a ferrule receiving element adapted for receiving the one or more ferrules. The ferrule receiving element comprises two half bodies having substantially the same configuration, and each half body is configured into a semi-cylindrical shape and includes a substantially flat surface portion and a semicircular outer peripheral surface portion. The substantially flat surface portion of each half body is provided with one or more grooves adapted for receiving at least a part of the one or more ferrules.

Description

Optical Fiber Connector and Assembly Thereof

Related Application

[0001] The present application claims priority from and the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 202110046214.2, filed January 14, 2021, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety.

Technical field

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to a communication system. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an optical fiber connector and assembly thereof.

Background art

[0003] Optical fiber networks have been more and more popular in telecommunication applications due to their greater bandwidth and remote capability as compared with copper wire networks. Optical cables are usually used to transmit data in optical fiber networks. A common optical cable usually includes: an optical fiber used to transmit optical signals, a reinforcing layer (usually aramid) provided around the optical fiber to resist tensile force, and an outer sheath provided outside the reinforcing member to protect the inner optical fiber. An optical fiber connector is usually used to connect two optical cables in the optical fiber networks. In particular, with the development of 5G network communication technology, optical fiber connectors have been used more and more in FTTA (Fiber to the Antenna) and related fields. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an optical fiber connector and components thereof, which can overcome at least some of the problems in the prior art.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, an optical fiber connector is provided. The optical fiber connector includes a connecting portion which includes: a connector body, which is cylindrical shape and includes a through cavity; and a ferrule assembly provided in the cavity of the connector body, the ferrule assembly including one or more ferrules adapted for terminating one or more optical fibers of an optical cable and a ferrule receiving element adapted for receiving the one or more ferrules. The ferrule receiving element comprises two half bodies having substantially the same configuration, and each half body is configured into a semi-cylindrical shape and includes a substantially flat surface portion and a semicircular outer peripheral surface portion. The substantially flat surface portion of each half body is provided with one or more grooves adapted for receiving at least a part of the one or more ferrules.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the one or more ferrules may be axially and floatably received in the one or more grooves.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the one or more ferrules includes a ferrule spring configured to apply an axial elastic force to a corresponding ferrule during connection.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the one or more grooves includes a stopping portion, and one end of the ferrule spring abuts against the stopping portion. [0009] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the stopping portion is provided at a middle position of a corresponding groove in an axial direction.

[00010] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a part of each of the one or more optical fibers is received in a corresponding groove.

[00011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the substantially flat surface portion of each half body is provided with a protruding portion and a concave portion adapted for fitting with the protruding portion, so that the protruding portion of one half body can be received in the concave portion of the other half body.

[00012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the protruding portion of one half body can form a tight fit or an interference fit with the concave portion of the other half body.

[00013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a positioning element is provided on the semicircular outer peripheral surface portion of each half body, and the positioning element is configured to prevent the ferrule receiving element from rotating in the cavity of the connector body when the two half bodies of the ferrule receiving element are installed in the cavity of the connector body.

[00014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the positioning element is at least one of a rib extending in an axial direction, a slot extending in the axial direction, or a protrusion extending in a radial direction. [00015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each half body is formed by injection molding of PC, PE or PEI materials.

[00016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the optical fiber connector further includes an optical fiber fixing portion including a fixing body, the fixing body is cylindrical shape and includes a through cavity, the one or more optical fiber of the optical cable can extend through the cavity of the fixing body, and a reinforcing layer of the optical cable can be crimped on an outer peripheral surface of the fixing body.

[00017] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a part of the fixing body extends into the cavity of the connector body and is threadedly connected with the connector body.

[00018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an end surface of the part of the fixing body abuts against the ferrule receiving element so as to axially and fixedly press the ferrule receiving element in the cavity of the connector body.

[00019] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a sealing member is provided between the connector body and the fixing body.

[00020] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer peripheral surface of the fixing body for crimping the reinforcing layer of the optical cable is configured as a non-smooth outer peripheral surface.

[00021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the optical fiber fixing portion further includes a heat shrinkable tube and/or a sheath, and the heat shrinkable tube and/or the sheath encloses at least a part of the fixing body and at least a part of the optical cable.

[00022] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the optical fiber connector further includes a locking portion, the locking portion includes a locking element which is axially and fixedly arranged on the outer periphery of the connector body and is adapted to be connected and locked with another connecting device in a push-pull manner.

[00023] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking element is configured as a locking sleeve, a protrusion or a groove extending along a circumferential direction is provided on an inner surface of the locking sleeve, and the protrusion or the groove is adapted for fitting with a groove or a protrusion on the other connecting device to achieve connection and locking. [00024] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking portion further includes an unlocking element which is provided outside the locking element while being axially movable around the locking element, wherein the unlocking element includes an unlocking portion configured to be able to deform the locking element radially outwards to unlock when the unlocking element moves in the axial direction.

[00025] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking element is made of phosphor copper.

[00026] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the connector body is provided with an alignment indicator to facilitate alignment of the optical fiber connector and another connecting device with each other during connection.

[00027] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the alignment indicator is at least one of a hemispherical protrusion, a cylindrical shape protrusion, or a rib extending in the axial direction.

[00028] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, an optical fiber connector assembly is provided. The optical fiber connector assembly includes at least one optical fiber connector according to the present disclosure and an adapter. The adapter includes: an adapter body, which is cylindrical shape and includes a through cavity; and a ferrule receiving assembly provided in the cavity of the adapter body, the ferrule receiving assembly being adapted for receiving a ferrule of the optical fiber connector.

[00029] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ferrule receiving assembly includes a ferrule receiving element and one or more sleeves arranged in the ferrule receiving element.

[00030] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ferrule receiving element comprises two half bodies having substantially the same configuration, and each half body of the ferrule receiving element is configured into a semi-cylindrical shape and includes a substantially flat surface portion and a semicircular outer peripheral surface portion; and the substantially flat surface portion of each half body of the ferrule receiving element is provided with one or more grooves adapted for receiving the one or more sleeves.

[00031] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the substantially flat surface portion of each half body of the ferrule receiving element is provided with a protruding portion and a concave portion, so that the protruding portion of one half body of the ferrule receiving element can be received in the concave portion of the other half body of the ferrule receiving element.

[00032] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the protruding portion of one half body of the ferrule receiving element can form a tight fit or an interference fit with the concave portion of the other half body of the ferrule receiving element.

[00033] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a positioning element is provided on the semicircular outer peripheral surface portion of each half body of the ferrule receiving element so as to prevent the ferrule receiving element from rotating in the cavity of the adapter body when the two half bodies of the ferrule receiving element are installed in the cavity of the adapter body.

[00034] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the positioning element of the ferrule receiving element is at least one of a rib extending in an axial direction, a slot extending in the axial direction, or a protrusion extending in a radial direction.

[00035] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each half body of the ferrule receiving element is formed by injection molding of PC, PE or PEI materials.

[00036] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sleeve is a ceramic sleeve.

[00037] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sleeve includes a slit penetrating the body of the sleeve in an axial direction, so that the sleeve can be deformed when a ferrule is inserted therein.

[00038] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a groove or a protrusion adapted for fitting with a protrusion or a groove of a locking element of the optical fiber connector is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the adapter body.

[00039] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the optical fiber connector assembly includes two optical fiber connectors which are respectively inserted from the two ends of the adapter into the cavity of the adapter body to be connected.

[00040] It should be noted that various aspects of the present disclosure described for one embodiment may be included in other different embodiments, even though specific description is not made for the other different embodiments. In other words, all the embodiments and/or features of any embodiment may be combined in any manner and/or combination, as long as they are not contradictory to each other.

Brief description of the attached drawings

[00041] A plurality of aspects of the present disclosure will be better understood after reading the following specific embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. Among the attached drawings:

[00042] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[00043] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber connector shown in Fig. 1;

[00044] Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the optical fiber connector shown in Fig. 1;

[00045] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a ferrule receiving element of the optical fiber connector shown in Fig. 1;

[00046] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a fixing body of the optical fiber connector shown in Fig. 1;

[00047] Fig. 6a is a perspective view of an embodiment of a locking element of the optical fiber connector shown in Fig. 1;

[00048] Fig. 6b is a perspective view of another embodiment of the locking element of the optical fiber connector shown in Fig. 1;

[00049] Fig. 7 is a partial enlarged view of the locking element and an unlocking element of the optical fiber connector shown in Fig. 1;

[00050] Fig. 8a to Fig. 8g show an assembly process of the optical fiber connector shown in Fig. 1;

[00051] Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 are respectively an exploded perspective view and an assembly perspective view of an adapter for an optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[00052] Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a ferrule receiving element of the adapter shown in Fig. 10;

[00053] Fig. 12 is a perspective view of an optical fiber connector assembly formed by connecting two optical fiber connectors using the adapter shown in Fig. 9;

[00054] Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber connector assembly shown in Fig. 12;

[00055] Fig. 14 is a partial enlarged view of the optical fiber connector assembly shown in Fig. 12.

[00056] It should be understood that in all the attached drawings, the same symbols denote the same elements. In the attached drawings, for clarity, the size of certain feature is not drawn to scale as it may change.

Specific embodiments

[00057] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the attached drawings, and the attached drawings illustrate certain embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the content of the present disclosure more complete and to fully explain the protection scope of the present disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure may be combined in various ways so as to provide more additional embodiments.

[00058] It should be understood that the words in the Specification are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used in the Specification have the meanings commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. For brevity and/or clarity, well-known functions or structures may not be further described in detail.

[00059] The singular forms “a”, “an”, “the” and “this” used in the Specification all include plural forms unless clearly indicated. The words “include”, “contain” and “have” used in the Specification indicate the presence of the claimed features, but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features. The word “and/or” used in the Specification includes any or all combinations of one or a plurality of the related listed items.

[00060] In the Specification, when it is described that an element is “on” another element, “attached” to another element, “connected” to another element, “coupled” with another element, or “in contact with” another element, etc., the element may be directly on another element, attached to another element, connected to another element, coupled with another element, or in contact with another element, or an intermediate element may be present.

[00061] In the Specification, the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. are only used for convenience of description and are not intended for limitation. Any technical features represented by “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. are interchangeable.

[00062] In the Specification, terms expressing spatial relations such as “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “rear”, “top”, and “bottom” may describe the relation between one feature and another feature in the attached drawings. It should be understood that, in addition to the locations shown in the attached drawings, the words expressing spatial relations further include different locations of a device in use or operation. For example, when a device in the attached drawings rotates reversely, the features originally described as being “below” other features now can be described as being “above” the other features. The device may also be oriented by other means (rotated by 90 degrees or at other locations), and in this case, a relative spatial relation will be explained accordingly.

[00063] With reference to Figs. 1 to 3, an optical fiber connector 10 is shown according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The optical fiber connector 10 may include a connecting portion 11. The connecting portion 11 may include a connector body 110, which may be cylindrical shape and include a through cavity. A ferrule assembly 111 may be provided in the cavity of the connector body 110. The ferrule assembly 111 may include one or more ferrules 112 adapted for terminating one or more optical fibers 311 of an optical cable 31 and a ferrule receiving element 113 adapted for receiving the one or more ferrules 112. Each ferrule 112 may include a ferrule spring 114 (shown in Fig. 8b) configured to apply an axial elastic force to the ferrule 112 during connection to ensure a reliable contact between the ferrule 112 of the optical fiber connector 10 and a matching ferrule of another connecting device (for example, another optical fiber connector 10 or an optical fiber connector of another type). The ferrule 112 may be a standard ferrule, or any other form of ferrule. In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the ferrule 112 may be a zirconia ferrule.

[00064] As shown more clearly in Fig. 4, in an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the ferrule receiving element 113 may be composed of two half bodies 115 having substantially the same configuration. Each half body 115 may be configured into a semi-cylindrical shape and include a substantially flat surface portion 116 and a semicircular outer peripheral surface portion 117. The substantially flat surface portion 116 of each half body 115 is provided with one or more grooves 118 adapted for receiving at least a part of the one or more ferrules 112. Each groove 118 may be a semicircular shape, so that a circular groove can be formed in the ferrule receiving element to receive the ferrule 112 when the two half bodies 115 are joined together to form the ferrule receiving element 113. The split ferrule receiving element 113 can greatly simplify the assembly of the ferrule 112 therein and help protect the optical fiber 311 from damage during the assembly process. This can be very important for the fragile optical fiber 311.

[00065] The one or more ferrules 112 may be axially and floatably received in the one or more grooves 118 of each half body 115 of the ferrule receiving element 113. To this end, a stopping portion 119 may be provided in each groove 118. One end of the ferrule spring 114 may abut against the stopping portion 119 to prevent the case in which, during connection, the ferrule 114 moves axially in a direction towards the stopping portion 119 and cannot be compressed and therefore cannot apply an axial elastic force to the ferrule 112. The stopping portion 119 may be provided at one end of each groove 118, or may be provided at a middle position of each groove 118 in the axial direction (as shown in Fig. 4). When the stopping portion 119 is provided at the middle position of each groove 118 in the axial direction, the portion of each groove 118 located behind the stopping portion 119 can receive at least a part of the corresponding optical fibers 311 of the optical cable 31. This can be advantageous when the ferrule receiving element 113 includes a plurality of grooves 118 to receive a plurality of ferrules 112, because this can ensure that the portions of the plurality of optical fibers 311 connected with the plurality of ferrules 112 are arranged in the plurality of grooves 118 while being substantially parallel to the plurality of ferrules 112, and are well protected in the grooves 118. As a result, it is possible to prevent the plurality of optical fibers from being damaged due to separation from the optical cable 31 at a large inclination angle.

[00066] In order to facilitate the joining of the two half bodies 115 to form the ferrule receiving element 113, a protruding portion 120 and a concave portion 121 adapted for fitting with the protruding portion 120 may be further provided on the substantially flat surface portion 116 of each half body 115. In this way, the protruding portion 120 of one half body 115 can be received in the concave portion 121 of the other half body 115, so that the two half bodies 115 can be easily joined together. In order to prevent the two half bodies 115 from becoming loose with each other after being joined together, the size of the protruding portion 120 and the concave portion 121 may be selected to form a tight fit or an interference fit.

[00067] A positioning element 122 may be provided on the semicircular outer peripheral surface portion 117 of each half body 115. When the two half bodies 115 of the ferrule receiving element 113 are installed in the cavity of the connector body 110, the positioning element 122 is used to position the ferrule receiving element 113 to prevent it from rotating in the cavity of the connector body 110. Considering the fragility of the optical fiber 311, any degree of twisting or rotation may damage or even break the optical fiber 311. Therefore, the positioning element 122 may be of importance for the optical fiber connector. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the positioning element 122 is configured as a rib extending in the axial direction, and correspondingly, a slot for receiving the rib is provided in the cavity of the connector body 110. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The positioning element 122 may also be configured as a slot extending in the axial direction, while a rib that can be received in the slot may be provided in the cavity of the connector body 110. In addition, the positioning element 122 may also have other configurations. For example, the positioning element 122 may be a protrusion (a hemispherical shape protrusion, a cylindrical shape protrusion, a polygonal shape protrusion, etc.) extending along the radial direction of the half body 115.

[00068] Each half body 115 of the ferrule receiving element 113 may be formed by injection molding of a material with a high hardness and a low thermal deformation rate to fully protect the ferrule 112 and the optical fiber 311 in the ferrule receiving element 113. In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, each half body 115 of the ferrule receiving element 113 may be made of a PEI (polyetherimide) material. PEI has excellent properties such as high hardness and low thermal deformation/expansion rate, and thus it is particularly suitable for producing ferrule receiving elements. In other embodiments, each half body 115 of the ferrule receiving element 113 may also be made of PE (polyethylene) or PC (polycarbonate) materials.

[00069] In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the optical fiber connector 10 may further include an optical fiber fixing portion 21. The optical fiber fixing portion 21 may include a fixing body 211 which may be cylindrical shape and include a through cavity. The outer periphery of the fixing body 211 may be provided with a flange 212 which divides the fixing body 211 into a left portion 213 and a right portion 214. The left portion 213 of the fixing body 211 may extend into the cavity of the connector body 110 of the connecting portion 11 and be threadedly connected with the connector body 110. When the left portion 213 of the fixing body 211 extends into the cavity of the connector body 110 of the connecting portion 11, an end surface of the left portion 213 of the fixing body 211 may abut against the ferrule receiving element 113 to axially and fixedly press the ferrule receiving element 113 in the cavity of the connector body 110 (as shown in Fig. 2). A groove for receiving a sealing member may be provided on the side of the flange 212 of the fixing body 211 facing the left portion 213 (as shown in Fig. 2). The sealing member 215 may be received in the groove to prevent water, dust, or the like from entering the inside of the optical fiber connector 10 through the gap between the fixing body 211 and the connector body 110.

[00070] The optical fiber 311 of the optical cable 31 may extend through the cavity of the fixing body 211, so that the ferrule 112 terminated by the optical fiber can be received in the ferrule receiving element 113 of the connecting portion 11. The length of the cavity of the fixing body 211 may be designed to further increase a transition length of the plurality of optical fibers 311 stripped from the optical cable 31 before reaching a predetermined separation distance, thereby helping to make the plurality of optical fibers 311 separated at a small inclination angle to avoid damage to the optical fibers. In order to prevent the optical fiber 311 from being pulled or twisted, a reinforcing layer (usually aramid) of the optical cable 31 may be crimped on the outer peripheral surface of the right portion 214 of the fixing body 211 by a crimp sleeve 216. Therefore, the outer peripheral surface of the right portion 214 of the fixing body 211 may be configured as a non-smooth outer peripheral surface to firmly maintain the reinforcing layer of the optical cable 31 crimped thereon. One or more slots, serrations, or other structures that help increase friction may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the right portion 214 of the fixing body 211 to form a non-smooth outer peripheral surface.

[00071] The optical fiber fixing portion 21 may further include a heat shrinkable tube 217. The heat shrinkable tube 217 may enclose the right portion 214 of the fixing body 211 and at least a part of the optical cable 31 to reinforce the connection between the optical cable 31 and the fixing body 211 and prevent water or dust or the like from entering the inside of the optical connector 10 from the right portion 214 of the fixing body 211. A sheath 218 may be further provided on the outside of the heat shrinkable tube 217. The sheath 218 may cover at least a part of the heat shrinkable tube 217 and the optical cable 31 to further prevent water or dust or the like from entering the optical fiber connector from the right portion 214 of the fixing body 211. In addition, the sheath 218 may further protect the optical cable 31 from being pulled or twisted, thereby protecting the optical fiber 311 inside the optical cable 31.

[00072] In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the optical fiber connector 10 may further include a locking portion 41 to lock the connection between the optical fiber connector 10 and another connecting device (for example, another optical fiber connector 10, another optical fiber connector of another type, or an adapter, etc.). The locking portion 41 may include a locking element 411. The locking element 411 may be axially and fixedly arranged on the outer periphery of the connector body 110 of the connecting portion 11 of the optical fiber connector 10, and may be configured to be connected and locked with the other connecting device in a push-pull manner. In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the locking element 411 may be configured as a locking sleeve, as shown in Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b. A protrusion 412 extending along a circumferential direction is provided on the inner surface of the locking sleeve, and the protrusion may be received in a corresponding groove of the other connecting device to achieve the connection and locking between the optical fiber connector 10 and the other connecting device. In order for the protrusion 412 of the locking sleeve to be received in or removed from the corresponding groove of the other connecting device, the locking sleeve may be configured to be able to be elastically deformed to expand or shrink in the radial direction, so that the protrusion 412 of the locking sleeve can move in the radial direction to enter or move out of the corresponding groove. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6a, the locking sleeve includes a gap 413 which penetrates the entire body of the locking sleeve in the axial direction, so that the locking sleeve can be elastically deformed in the radial direction. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6b, the locking sleeve further includes a plurality of slits 414 partially penetrating the body of the locking sleeve in the axial direction, thereby forming a plurality of finger-shaped members 415 on the locking sleeve. The protrusion 412 may be located on each finger-shaped member 415 and close to a free end of the finger-shaped member 415 so as to be able to deform in the radial direction more easily.

[00073] In other embodiments according to the present disclosure, the locking element 411 may have other different configurations. For example, the locking element 411 may be configured as a locking sleeve, where a groove extending in the circumferential direction may be provided on the inner surface of the locking sleeve, and a protrusion adapted to be received in the groove may be provided at a corresponding position of the other connecting device.

[00074] The locking element 411 may be made of a material with good elasticity. In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the locking element 411 may be made of phosphor copper. The locking element 411 made of phosphor copper can maintain good elasticity without deformation even after multiple uses, so that it can still maintain good locking performance after multiple uses.

[00075] In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the locking portion 41 may further include an unlocking element 416 so as to unlock the locking element 411. Referring to Fig. 2 and Fig. 7, the unlocking element 416 may be configured as an unlocking sleeve. The unlocking sleeve may be provided outside the locking element 411 surrounding the locking element 411, and a hook-shaped portion 417 having an inclined surface 418 may be provided on the inner surface of one end of the unlocking sleeve. The free end of the locking element 411 may contact the inclined surface 418 of the hook-shaped portion 417 of the unlocking sleeve. The unlocking sleeve is configured to be partially movable in the axial direction. When the unlocking sleeve moves in the axial direction towards the free end of the locking element 411, the inclined surface 418 of the hook-shaped portion 417 can make the free end of the locking element 411 move radially outward, thereby making the protrusion 412 or groove of the locking element 411 and the corresponding groove or protrusion of another connecting device away from each other to unlock.

[00076] Next, an assembly process of the optical fiber connector 10 including the connecting portion 11, the optical fiber fixing portion 21, and the locking portion 41 will be described with reference to Fig. 8a to Fig. 8g. In the step shown in Fig. 8a, first the locking element 411 and the unlocking element 416 of the locking portion 41 may be installed in sequence on the outer periphery of the connector body 110 to form a connecting assembly, wherein the locking element 411 is axially and fixedly installed on the outer periphery of the connector body 110, and the unlocking element 416 is installed on the outer periphery of the connector body 110 and surrounds the locking element 411 while being partially movable in the axial direction. A sealing member 123 may be further installed on the outer periphery of the connector body 110 to seal the gap between the optical fiber connector 10 and another connecting device when the two are connected. In the step shown in Fig. 8b, the optical cable 31 may sequentially extend through the fixing body 211 of the optical fiber fixing portion 21, the crimp sleeve 216, the heat shrinkable tube 217, and the sheath 218, and one or more optical fibers 311 of the optical cable 31 may be connected to one or more ferrules 112 respectively. In the step shown in Fig. 8c, the one or more ferrules 112 may be respectively placed in the one or more grooves 118 of one half body 115 of the ferrule receiving element 113, and then the other half body 115 may be joined onto the one half body 115 to fix the ferrule 112 in the formed ferrule receiving element 113. In the step shown in Fig. 8d, the assembled ferrule receiving element 113 may be inserted into the inner cavity of the connector body 110 of the connecting assembly formed in the step shown in Fig. 8a. In the step shown in Fig. 8e, the left portion 213 of the fixing body 211 may be screwed into the inner cavity of the connector body 110 of the connecting assembly formed in the step shown in Fig. 8a, and the end surface of the left portion 213 may be made to abut against the ferrule receiving element 113 to be fixed in the inner cavity of the connector body 110. In the step shown in Fig. 8f, the reinforcing layer of the optical cable 31 may be placed and crimped on the outer peripheral surface of the right portion 214 of the fixing body 211 by the crimp sleeve 216. In Fig. 8g, first the heat shrinkable tube 217 may be heat-sealed on at least a part of the fixing body 211 and a part of the optical cable 31 , and then the sheath 218 may be sheathed on at least a part of the fixing body 211, the heat shrinkable tube 217, and a part of the optical cable 31, thereby completing the assembly of the optical fiber connector 10. It should be noted that the steps described with reference to Fig. 8a to Fig. 8f are only used to illustrate an exemplary assembly process of the optical fiber connector 10, and these steps can be implemented in any appropriate order without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. [00077] The optical fiber connector 10 according to the present disclosure may be directly connected with another connecting device, or may be connected with another connecting device via an adapter. In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, one optical fiber connector 10 may be connected with another optical fiber connector 10 or an optical fiber connector of another type (such as a panel type optical fiber connector) through an adapter 50. [00078] Figs. 9 and 10 show the specific structure of the adapter 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, the adapter 50 may include an adapter body 51, which may have a cylindrical shape and include a through cavity. A ferrule receiving assembly 52 is provided in the cavity of the adapter body 51. The ferrule receiving assembly 52 may include a ferrule receiving element 521 and one or more sleeves 522 arranged in the ferrule receiving element 521 for receiving ferrules of the optical fiber connector 10 and other connecting devices.

[00079] Similar to the ferrule receiving element 113, the ferrule receiving element 521 of the adapter 50 may be composed of two half bodies 523 having substantially the same configuration (as shown in Fig. 11). Each half body 523 may be configured into a semi-cylindrical shape and include a substantially flat surface portion 524 and a semicircular outer peripheral surface portion 525. The substantially flat surface portion 524 of each half body 523 is provided with one or more grooves 526 for receiving the one or more sleeves 522. Each groove 526 may be a semicircular shape, so that a circular groove can be formed in the ferrule receiving element 521 to receive the sleeve 522 when the two half bodies 523 are joined together to form the ferrule receiving element 521.

[00080] In order to facilitate the joining of the two half bodies 523 to form the ferrule receiving element 521, a protruding portion 527 and a concave portion 528 adapted for fitting with the protruding portion 527 may be further provided on the substantially flat surface portion 524 of each half body 523. The protruding portion 527 of one half body 523 can be received in the concave portion 528 of the other half body 523, so that the two half bodies 523 can be easily joined together. In order to prevent the two half bodies 523 from becoming loose with each other after being joined together, the size of the protruding portion 527 and the concave portion 528 may be selected to form a tight fit or an interference fit.

[00081] A positioning element 529 may be provided on the semicircular outer peripheral surface portion 525 of each half body 523. When the two half bodies 523 of the ferrule receiving element 521 are installed in the cavity of the adapter body 51, the positioning element 529 is used to position the ferrule receiving element 521 to prevent it from rotating in the cavity of the adapter body 51. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 10, the positioning element 529 is configured as a rib extending in the axial direction, and correspondingly, a slot 511 for receiving the rib is provided in the cavity of the adapter body 51. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The positioning element 529 may also be configured as a slot extending in the axial direction, while a rib that can be received in the slot may be provided in the cavity of the adapter body 51. In addition, the positioning element 529 may also have other configurations. For example, the positioning element 529 may be a protrusion (a hemispherical protrusion, a cylindrical shape protrusion, a polygonal protrusion, etc.) extending along the radial direction of the half body 523.

[00082] In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, each half body 523 of the ferrule receiving element 521 may be formed by injection molding of a material with a high hardness and a low thermal deformation rate. For example, each half body 523 of the ferrule receiving element 521 may be made of materials such as PEI (polyetherimide), PE (polyethylene), or PC (polycarbonate).

[00083] In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the sleeve 522 may be a ceramic sleeve, and the ferrule of the optical fiber connector 10 and the ferrule of another connecting device may be connected with each other in the ceramic sleeve to ensure high-precision signal transmission. The sleeve 522 may include a slit penetrating the body of the sleeve in the axial direction. This enables the sleeve 522 to be deformed when the ferrule is inserted therein, which facilitates the insertion of the ferrule.

[00084] In order to conveniently insert the ferrule 112 of the optical fiber connector 10 into the sleeve 522 of the adapter 50, an alignment indicator 124 may be provided on the connector body 110 of the optical fiber connector 10 (as shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 8a). The alignment indicator 124 of the optical fiber connector 10 may be configured such that when it is received in the slot 511 of the adapter 50, the ferrule 112 of the optical fiber connector 10 can be inserted into the sleeve 522 of the adapter 50. The alignment indicator 124 may have different configurations. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 8a, the alignment indicator 124 is configured as a hemispherical protrusion. In other embodiments according to the present disclosure, the alignment indicator 124 may also be a cylindrical shape protrusion, a rib extending in the axial direction, or the like.

[00085] In order to enable the optical fiber connector 10 to be connected and locked with the adapter 50 in a pull-push manner, a groove 512 or a protrusion fitting with the protrusion 412 or the groove of the locking element 411 of the optical fiber connector 10 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the adapter body 51 of the adapter 50. When the adapter body 51 of the adapter 50 is inserted between the connector body 110 of the optical fiber connector 10 and the locking element 411, the protrusion 412 of the locking element 411 can be received in the groove 512 of the adapter body 51, or the groove of the locking element 411 can receive the protrusion of the adapter body 51.

[00086] In another embodiment according to the present disclosure, the outer periphery of the adapter body 51 of the adapter 50 may also be provided with a flange 513 and a thread 514. The adapter 50 may be fixed to a mounting panel through a nut 515. For example, the adapter 50 may be fixed on the mounting panel by clamping the mounting panel between the flange 513 and the nut 515. In order to fix the adapter 50 on the mounting panel more firmly, an elastic washer 516 may be further provided between the mounting panel and the nut 515.

[00087] Fig. 12 to Fig. 14 show an optical fiber connector assembly formed by connecting two optical fiber connectors 10 using the adapter 50. The two optical fiber connectors 10 may be respectively inserted from the two ends of the adapter 50 into the cavity of the adapter body 51 to be connected, wherein the ferrule 112 of each optical fiber connector 10 extends into the sleeve 522 of the ferrule receiving assembly 52 of the adapter 50 and abuts against the ferrule 112 of the other optical fiber connector 10 in the sleeve 522 (as shown more clearly in Fig. 14). In addition, two optical fiber connectors having the same structure can be quickly connected or disconnected in a push-pull manner by means of the adapter 50. This avoids the need to provide different locking structures on the two optical fiber connectors, thereby simplifying the structure of each optical fiber connector.

[00088] In addition, although not shown, it is possible to use the adapter 50 to connect one optical fiber connector 10 according to the present disclosure and one optical fiber connector of another type (such as a panel type optical fiber connector, etc.) to form an optical fiber connector assembly, as long as the ferrule of the optical fiber connector of another type can be inserted into the sleeve 522 of the ferrule receiving assembly 52 of the adapter 50.

[00089] Exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the attached drawings. However, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from the gist and scope of the present disclosure. All changes and modifications are included in the protection scope of the present disclosure defined by the claims. The present disclosure is defined by the attached claims, and equivalents of these claims are also included.

Claims

1. An optical fiber connector, wherein the optical fiber connector includes a connecting portion which includes: a connector body, which is cylindrical shape and includes a through cavity; and a ferrule assembly provided in the cavity of the connector body, the ferrule assembly including one or more ferrules adapted for terminating one or more optical fibers of an optical cable and a ferrule receiving element adapted for receiving the one or more ferrules; wherein the ferrule receiving element comprises two half bodies having substantially the same configuration, and each half body is configured into a semi-cylindrical shape and includes a substantially flat surface portion and a semicircular outer peripheral surface portion; and wherein the substantially flat surface portion of each half body is provided with one or more grooves adapted for receiving at least a part of the one or more ferrules.

2. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 1, wherein the one or more ferrules are axially and floatably received in the one or more grooves.

3. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 2, wherein each of the one or more ferrules includes a ferrule spring configured to apply an axial elastic force to a corresponding ferrule during connection.

4. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 3, wherein each of the one or more grooves includes a stopping portion, and one end of the ferrule spring abuts against the stopping portion.

5. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 4, wherein the stopping portion is provided at a middle position of a corresponding groove in an axial

25 direction.

6. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 1, wherein at least a part of each of the one or more optical fibers is received in a corresponding groove.

7. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 1, wherein the substantially flat surface portion of each half body is provided with a protruding portion and a concave portion adapted for fitting with the protruding portion, so that the protruding portion of one half body can be received in the concave portion of the other half body.

8. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 7, wherein the protruding portion of one half body can form a tight fit or an interference fit with the concave portion of the other half body.

9. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 1, wherein a positioning element is provided on the semicircular outer peripheral surface portion of each half body, and the positioning element is configured to prevent the ferrule receiving element from rotating in the cavity of the connector body when the two half bodies of the ferrule receiving element are installed in the cavity of the connector body.

10. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 9, wherein the positioning element is at least one of a rib extending in an axial direction, a slot extending in the axial direction, or a protrusion extending in a radial direction.

11. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 1, wherein each half body is formed by injection molding of PC, PE or PEI materials.

12. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 1, wherein the optical fiber connector further includes an optical fiber fixing portion including a fixing body, the fixing body is cylindrical shape and includes a through cavity, the one or more optical fiber of the optical cable can extend through the cavity of the fixing body, and a reinforcing layer of the optical cable can be crimped on an outer peripheral surface of the fixing body.

13. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 12, wherein a part of the fixing body extends into the cavity of the connector body and is threadedly connected with the connector body.

14. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 13, wherein an end surface of the part of the fixing body abuts against the ferrule receiving element so as to axially and fixedly press the ferrule receiving element in the cavity of the connector body.

15. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 13, wherein a sealing member is provided between the connector body and the fixing body.

16. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 12, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the fixing body for crimping the reinforcing layer of the optical cable is configured as a non-smooth outer peripheral surface.

17. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 12, wherein the optical fiber fixing portion further includes a heat shrinkable tube and/or a sheath, and the heat shrinkable tube and/or the sheath encloses at least a part of the fixing body and at least a part of the optical cable.

18. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 1, wherein the optical fiber connector further includes a locking portion, the locking portion includes a locking element which is axially and fixedly arranged on the outer periphery of the connector body and is adapted to be connected and locked with another connecting device in a push-pull manner.

19. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 18, wherein the locking element is configured as a locking sleeve, a protrusion or a groove extending along a circumferential direction is provided on an inner surface of the locking sleeve, and the protrusion or the groove is adapted for fitting with a groove or a protrusion on the other connecting device to achieve connection and locking.

20. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 18, wherein the locking portion further includes an unlocking element which is provided outside the locking element while being axially movable around the locking element, wherein the unlocking element includes an unlocking portion configured to be able to deform the locking element radially outwards to unlock when the unlocking element moves in the axial direction.

21. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 18, wherein the locking element is made of phosphor copper.

22. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 1, wherein the connector body is provided with an alignment indicator to facilitate alignment of the optical fiber connector and another connecting device with each other during connection.

23. The optical fiber connector according to Claim 22, wherein the alignment indicator is at least one of a hemispherical protrusion, a cylindrical shape protrusion, or a rib extending in the axial direction.

24. An optical fiber connector assembly, including: at least one optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 1 to 23; and an adapter, which includes: an adapter body, which is cylindrical shape and includes a through cavity; and a ferrule receiving assembly provided in the cavity of the adapter body, the ferrule receiving assembly being adapted for receiving a ferrule of the optical fiber connector.

25. The optical fiber connector assembly according to Claim 24, wherein

28 the ferrule receiving assembly includes a ferrule receiving element and one or more sleeves arranged in the ferrule receiving element.

26. The optical fiber connector assembly according to Claim 25, wherein the ferrule receiving element comprises two half bodies having substantially the same configuration, and each half body of the ferrule receiving element is configured into a semi-cylindrical shape and includes a substantially flat surface portion and a semicircular outer peripheral surface portion; and the substantially flat surface portion of each half body of the ferrule receiving element is provided with one or more grooves adapted for receiving the one or more sleeves.

27. The optical fiber connector assembly according to Claim 26, wherein the substantially flat surface portion of each half body of the ferrule receiving element is provided with a protruding portion and a concave portion, so that the protruding portion of one half body of the ferrule receiving element can be received in the concave portion of the other half body of the ferrule receiving element.

28. The optical fiber connector assembly according to Claim 27, wherein the protruding portion of one half body of the ferrule receiving element can form a tight fit or an interference fit with the concave portion of the other half body of the ferrule receiving element.

29. The optical fiber connector assembly according to Claim 26, wherein a positioning element is provided on the semicircular outer peripheral surface portion of each half body of the ferrule receiving element so as to prevent the ferrule receiving element from rotating in the cavity of the adapter body when the two half bodies of the ferrule receiving element are installed in the cavity of the adapter body.

30. The optical fiber connector assembly according to Claim 29, wherein

29 the positioning element of the ferrule receiving element is at least one of a rib extending in an axial direction, a slot extending in the axial direction, or a protrusion extending in a radial direction.

31. The optical fiber connector assembly according to Claim 26, wherein each half body of the ferrule receiving element is formed by injection molding of PC, PE or PEI materials.

32. The optical fiber connector assembly according to Claim 25, wherein the sleeve is a ceramic sleeve.

33. The optical fiber connector assembly according to Claim 25, wherein the sleeve includes a slit penetrating the body of the sleeve in an axial direction, so that the sleeve can be deformed when a ferrule is inserted therein.

34. The optical fiber connector assembly according to Claim 24, wherein a groove or a protrusion adapted for fitting with a protrusion or a groove of a locking element of the optical fiber connector is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the adapter body.

35. The optical fiber connector assembly according to Claim 24, wherein the optical fiber connector assembly includes two optical fiber connectors which are respectively inserted from the two ends of the adapter into the cavity of the adapter body to be connected.

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