WO2022208986A1 - Optical connector and production method for optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

An optical connector (1) comprises a housing (10), a ferrule (20), a built-in fiber (30), and a mechanical splice (40). The ferrule (20) has a connection end surface (20a) and a fiber hole (21) that opens on the contact end surface (20a). The built-in fiber (30) is inserted into the fiber hole (21). The built-in fiber (30) has an extension part (31) that extends backward from the ferrule (20). The mechanical splice (40) has an insertion hole (42a). A back end of the extension part (31) can be inserted into the insertion hole (42a), and a connection fiber (F) connected to the back end of the extension part (31) can be also inserted thereinto. The housing (10) houses at least part of the ferrule (20) and the mechanical splice (40) therein. A deflection space (B) that allows deflection of the built-in fiber (30) is provided between the ferrule (20) and the mechanical splice (40) within the housing (10).

Description

Optical connector and method for manufacturing optical connector

The present invention relates to an optical connector and an optical connector manufacturing method.
This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-057089 filed in Japan on March 30, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein.

Conventionally, optical connectors with mechanical splices have been widely used. For example, in Patent Document 1, a built-in fiber is inserted into a mechanical splice from the front, a connection fiber is inserted into the mechanical splice from the back and abutted against the built-in fiber, a wedge inserted into the mechanical splice is removed, and the 2 An optical connector for fixing and connecting two optical fibers is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-88438

For example, in the optical connector of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to directly see whether or not the built-in fiber and the connection fiber have come into contact. For this reason, conventionally, by utilizing the bending of the connecting fiber when the built-in fiber and the connecting fiber collide with each other, it is possible to visually check the bending of the connecting fiber to determine whether or not the two optical fibers have collided with each other. was judging.

By the way, what kind of optical fiber is used as the connection fiber depends on the usage of the optical connector. The bending stiffness of the connecting fiber varies depending on the type of optical fiber. Therefore, when assembling the optical connector, the relationship between the amount of bending applied to the connection fiber and the pressing force of the connection fiber against the built-in fiber was not constant. In addition, there is a possibility that the connection fiber is bent even in a situation where the built-in fiber and the connection fiber are not properly abutting each other, such as when the coating of the connection fiber is caught on the mechanical splice. For this reason, the method of judging the magnitude of the pressing force from the magnitude of bending of the connection fiber has the problem that the control of the pressing force becomes unstable, and the connection achievement rate between the built-in fiber and the connection fiber decreases.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector and an optical connector manufacturing method that can improve the connection achievement rate between the built-in fiber and the connection fiber.

In order to solve the above problems, an optical connector according to an aspect of the present invention includes a housing, a ferrule having a connection end face and a fiber hole opening in the connection end face, a ferrule inserted through the fiber hole, and a fiber hole inserted through the fiber hole. a built-in fiber having an extension portion extending from the ferrule toward the rear, which is the opposite side of the connection end face in the direction; a mechanical splice having an insertion hole into which a connecting fiber to be connected can be inserted, wherein the housing accommodates at least a portion of the ferrule and the mechanical splice, and the ferrule and the mechanical splice in the housing is provided with a bending space for allowing the built-in fiber to bend.

According to the above aspect of the present invention, a deflection space is provided between the ferrule and the mechanical splice. Thereby, the built-in fiber can be bent when the built-in fiber and the connection fiber collide with each other. The bending stiffness of the built-in fiber can be set by the shipper of the optical connector. Therefore, it is possible to stabilize the relationship between the pressing force applied to the connection fiber by the user and the deflection amount of the built-in fiber. Therefore, the connection achievement rate between the built-in fiber and the connection fiber can be improved.

Here, the optical connector of the above aspect is inserted into the mechanical splice to expand the insertion hole, and is removed from the mechanical splice to fix the relative position between the connection fiber and the mechanical splice. A wedge is further provided, and the mechanical splice and the housing are configured to be relatively movable in the insertion direction. The relative position in the inserting direction with respect to the housing is fixed at a predetermined preparatory position, and when the wedge is removed from the mechanical splice, the restoring force generated by the deflection of the built-in fiber causes the ferrule and the ferrule to move. A relative distance from the mechanical splice in the insertion direction may be increased.

Further, the mechanical splice has an engaging portion, the wedge has a wedge-side engaging portion that engages with the engaging portion, and when the wedge is inserted into the mechanical splice, the engaging portion The housing and the mechanical splice may be guided to the ready position by engagement of a portion with the wedge-side engaging portion.

Further, the housing may be formed with a window that communicates with the deflection space.

Further, the optical connector of the aspect described above further includes a restricting portion arranged in one of the rear end of the ferrule, the tip of the mechanical splice, and the inside of the deflection space, wherein the deflection space and the window are arranged. are aligned, and a direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the insertion direction is a second direction, the restricting portion extends from the insertion hole to the second direction when viewed from the insertion direction. A slit extending in two directions may be included.

Further, in the method for manufacturing an optical connector according to one aspect of the present invention, the extending portion of the built-in fiber extending backward from the ferrule is inserted into the mechanical splice from the front, and the connection fiber is inserted into the mechanical splice. The built-in fiber may be bent between the ferrule and the mechanical splice by inserting from the rear and abutting the connecting fiber against the extension.

Further, visible light may be incident on the built-in fiber or the connection fiber when the connection fiber is butted against the extension.

According to the above aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical connector and a method for manufacturing an optical connector that can improve the connection achievement rate between the built-in fiber and the connection fiber.

1 is an overall perspective view of an optical connector according to an embodiment, omitting a wedge; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in the mechanical splice of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a partially cross-sectional perspective view showing how the protrusion of the mechanical splice is fitted into the guide of the housing. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing how a wedge is inserted into the housing of FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5; FIG. 5 is a view (plan view) in the direction of arrow VII in FIG. 4; FIG. 8 is a view (front view) of the mechanical splice in FIG. 7 taken along the direction of arrow VIII; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the process of guiding the mechanical splice to the ready position; FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating a process following FIG. 9A; FIG. 9C is a diagram illustrating the process following FIG. 9B; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a butting process in which the built-in fiber and the connection fiber are butted against each other; FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a process following FIG. 10A; FIG. 10C is a diagram illustrating a process following FIG. 10B; FIG. 10C is a view (plan view) in the direction of arrow XI in FIG. 10B;

An optical connector according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical connector 1 includes a housing 10, a ferrule 20, a built-in fiber 30, a mechanical splice 40, a holding member 60, a biasing member 70, a case 80, and a boot 90. And prepare. Housing 10 accommodates at least a portion of ferrule 20 and mechanical splice 40 therein. A bending space B is provided between the ferrule 20 and the mechanical splice 40 inside the housing 10 to allow the built-in fiber 30 to bend. A window 12 communicating with the deflection space B is formed in the housing 10 . The ferrule 20 has a connection end surface 20a and a fiber hole 21 opening in the connection end surface 20a. The built-in fiber 30 is inserted through the fiber hole 21 .

Here, in this embodiment, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set to explain the positional relationship of each configuration. The direction in which the built-in fiber 30 is inserted into the fiber hole 21 is called an insertion direction X. As shown in FIG. Along the insertion direction X, the direction from the mechanical splice 40 toward the ferrule 20 (connecting end surface 20a) is called forward (+X side) or tip side. The direction opposite to forward is called posterior (−X side) or proximal side. A direction in which the bending space B and the window 12 are arranged is called a first direction Z. As shown in FIG. A direction from the deflection space B toward the window 12 along the first direction Z is called upward (+Z side). The direction opposite to upward is called downward (−Z side). A direction orthogonal to both the insertion direction X and the first direction Z is called a second direction Y. As shown in FIG. One direction along the second direction Y is called the front side (+Y side). The direction opposite to the front side is called the back side (-Y side). A cross section perpendicular to the insertion direction X is called a "cross section."

A connection fiber F is connected to the rear end of the built-in fiber 30 . The connection fiber F is an optical fiber arbitrarily prepared by the user. For example, when the optical connector 1 is attached to a multicore optical cable, one of the plurality of optical fibers included in the optical cable is the connection fiber F. The optical connector 1 may be attached to a single optical cord or the like. The work of connecting the built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F is performed at the installation site of the optical cable or the like.

The housing 10 is a cylindrical member extending along the insertion direction X (in this embodiment, a square cylindrical member as an example). As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 10 of this embodiment includes a front housing 10A holding the ferrule 20 inside and a rear housing 10B holding the mechanical splice 40 inside. The front housing 10A and the rear housing 10B are locked and fixed to each other by housing locking portions (not shown). Although the front housing 10A and the rear housing 10B are formed separately in this embodiment, the front housing 10A and the rear housing 10B may be formed integrally.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 10 has the aforementioned window 12, a plurality of wedge communication holes 11, and two guides 13. Each of the plurality of wedge communication holes 11 penetrates the upper wall of the housing 10 along the first direction Z. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the plurality of wedge communication holes 11 includes two first communication holes 11A and one second communication hole 11B (see FIG. 7). A widening portion 51 (described later) of the wedge 50 is inserted through the first communication hole 11A. A wedge-side engagement portion 52 (described later) of the wedge 50 is inserted through the second communication hole 11B. Note that the numbers of the first communication holes 11A and the numbers of the second communication holes 11B can be changed as appropriate.

The two guides 13 are arranged on the upper and lower walls of the housing 10, respectively. Each guide 13 extends along the insertion direction X and penetrates the upper wall and the lower wall of the housing 10 in the first direction Z. As shown in FIG. In other words, the guide 13 is a slit-shaped hole that opens on the inner surface of the housing 10 . The dimension of the guide 13 in the insertion direction X is longer than the dimension of the guide 13 in the second direction Y (see FIG. 7). A protrusion 42 e (described later) of the mechanical splice 40 is arranged inside the guide 13 . The shape of the guide 13 may be appropriately changed as long as the protrusion 42e can slide in the guide 13 in the insertion direction X. For example, the guide 13 may be recessed outward in the first direction Z from the inner surface of the housing 10 and may not penetrate the housing 10 .

A portion of the housing 10 is covered with a case 80 and a boot 90 in this embodiment. Case 80 and boot 90 are fixed to housing 10 . Case 80 and boot 90 are configured so as not to block wedge communication hole 11 and window 12 . More specifically, the case 80 is formed with a second window 81 . The second window 81 is formed so as to overlap the window 12 when viewed from the first direction Z. As shown in FIG. Through these windows 12 and the second window 81, the deflection space B can be visually recognized from the outside of the optical connector 1. As shown in FIG. Further, the case 80 is positioned forward of the wedge communication hole 11 . Note that the optical connector 1 does not have to include the case 80 and the boot 90 .

The ferrule 20 has fiber holes 21 as described above. The fiber hole 21 penetrates the ferrule 20 in the insertion direction X. As shown in FIG. A holding member 60 is arranged inside the front housing 10A. The holding member 60 holds the rear end portion of the ferrule 20 . Since the holding member 60 is urged forward by the urging member 70, the ferrule 20 is also urged forward. The holding member 60 is movable in the insertion direction X inside the front housing 10A. A coil spring, for example, can be used as the biasing member 70 . When connecting the optical connector 1 to another optical connector, the connection end surface 20a of the ferrule 20 of the optical connector 1 and the connection end surface of the ferrule of the other optical connector are pressed together. The biasing member 70 has a role of generating this pressing force. Note that the holding member 60 may not be provided, and the biasing member 70 may directly bias the ferrule 20 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the mechanical splice 40 includes a clamp portion 41 and a body portion 42. The body portion 42 of this embodiment has a first member 42A and a second member 42B. Note that the body portion 42 may be a single elastically deformable member. The shape of the clamp portion 41 is a C shape opening upward in a cross-sectional view. The clamp portion 41 is made of an elastic material. The first member 42A and the second member 42B are held on the inner surface of the clamp portion 41 by the elastic restoring force of the clamp portion 41 and are pressed against each other. The shape of the clamp portion 41 does not have to be C-shaped in cross-sectional view, and may be U-shaped or V-shaped, for example.

An insertion hole 42a is formed in a part of the pressure contact surface between the first member 42A and the second member 42B. The insertion hole 42a penetrates the main body portion 42 in the insertion direction X. As shown in FIG. The built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F are inserted into the insertion hole 42a. When the wedge 50 is not inserted into the mechanical splice 40, the inner diameter of the insertion hole 42a is smaller than both the outer diameter of the glass portion of the built-in fiber 30 and the outer diameter of the connecting fiber F.

As shown in FIG. 2, the body portion 42 (the first member 42A and the second member 42B) extends along the insertion direction X. As shown in FIG. Also, the body portion 42 has two projections 42e. The two protrusions 42e protrude upwardly and downwardly from the body portion 42, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, each of the two protrusions 42e is fitted into each of the two guides 13 of the housing 10 (see also FIG. 7). Thereby, the mechanical splice 40 and the housing 10 are configured to be relatively movable in the insertion direction X. As shown in FIG.

When connecting the built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F, a wedge 50 is inserted into the housing 10 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6 , the wedge 50 has two expanding portions 51 , a wedge-side engaging portion 52 , a wedge locking portion 53 and a wedge base portion 54 . The expanding portion 51 , the wedge-side engaging portion 52 , and the wedge locking portion 53 all protrude downward from the wedge base portion 54 . The two expanding portions 51 are arranged with a gap in the insertion direction X. As shown in FIG. The wedge-side engaging portion 52 is arranged forward of the two expanding portions 51 . In addition, only one expansion portion 51 may be formed, or three or more expansion portions 51 may be formed. In these cases, the housing 10 (rear housing 10B) may be provided with the same number of the first communication holes 11A as the widening portions 51 . Alternatively, a configuration may be employed in which a plurality of enlarged portions 51 are inserted through one first communication hole 11A.

A wedge-side inclined surface 52 a is formed on the lower surface of the wedge-side engaging portion 52 . The wedge-side inclined surface 52a is inclined upward toward the front. Although not shown, two wedge locking portions 53 are provided with an interval therebetween in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. A housing 10 and a case 80 are arranged between the two wedge locking portions 53 . These wedge locking portions 53 lock the wedge 50 to the case 80 when the wedge 50 is inserted into the housing 10, thereby preventing the wedge 50 from falling off unexpectedly.

7 is a plan view of the housing 10 (rear housing 10B) and the mechanical splice 40. FIG. A main body portion 42 of the mechanical splice 40 is formed with a widened portion 42b. The expanded portion 42 b is a depression provided in the upper portion of the main body portion 42 . Further, the body portion 42 is formed with an engaging portion 42d projecting from the body portion 42 toward the front side. The engaging portion 42d has an inclined surface 42d1 that is inclined upward toward the front (see FIG. 9A). The engaging portion 42d and the wedge-side engaging portion 52 are engaged by sliding the inclined surface 42d1 and the wedge-side inclined surface 52a.

When the wedge 50 is inserted into the mechanical splice 40, the expanded portion 51 of the wedge 50 penetrates the first communication hole 11A of the housing 10 and is inserted into the expanded portion 42b. Also, the wedge-side engaging portion 52 passes through the second communication hole 11B, and the wedge-side inclined surface 52a contacts the engaging portion 42d. When the expanding portion 51 is inserted into the expanded portion 42b, each of the first member 42A and the second member 42B moves outward in the second direction Y against the elastic restoring force of the clamp portion 41. As shown in FIG. At this time, the insertion hole 42a is expanded in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. When the insertion hole 42a is expanded and the inner diameter of the insertion hole 42a exceeds the outer diameter of the glass portion of the built-in fiber 30, the glass portion of the built-in fiber 30 can be inserted into the insertion hole 42a. Similarly, the glass portion of the connecting fiber F can be inserted into the insertion hole 42a. When the wedge 50 is removed from the mechanical splice 40 and the expanding portion 51 is separated from the expanded portion 42b, the insertion hole 42a is contracted by the elastic restoring force of the clamp portion 41, and the built-in fiber 30 and the embedded fiber 30 inserted into the insertion hole 42a are contracted. A connecting fiber F is held in the insertion hole 42a. In other words, when the wedge 50 is removed from the mechanical splice 40, the relative positions of the embedded fiber 30, the connecting fiber F, and the mechanical splice 40 are fixed.

As shown in FIG. 8, a restricting portion 42c having a slit S is provided at the tip (front end) of the body portion 42. As shown in FIG. The slit S overlaps with the insertion hole 42a and extends parallel to the second direction Y when viewed from the insertion direction X. As shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 8, the slit S extends along the second direction Y from the central portion of the restricting portion 42c in the second direction Y toward the back side (-Y side). However, the slit S may extend forward (+Y side) from the central portion of the restricting portion 42c, or may be inclined with respect to the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. The slit S regulates the direction in which the built-in fiber 30 bends in the bending space B. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the built-in fiber 30 is inserted through the fiber hole 21 of the ferrule 20 and fixed to the fiber hole 21 . More specifically, at the tip of the built-in fiber 30, the coating is removed and the glass portion is exposed. The exposed glass portion of the built-in fiber 30 is inserted through and fixed to the fiber hole 21 . As means for fixing the built-in fiber 30 to the fiber hole 21, for example, heat curing of an adhesive may be used, but other means may be used.

In this specification, the portion of the built-in fiber 30 that extends from the rear of the ferrule 20 is referred to as an extension portion 31. The extending portion 31 penetrates the bending space B and is inserted from the tip of the insertion hole 42 a of the mechanical splice 40 . More specifically, at the rear end of the extending portion 31, the coating is removed to expose the glass portion. The exposed glass portion of the extending portion 31 is inserted and fixed in the insertion hole 42a.

The flexural rigidity of the built-in fiber 30 is preferably lower than the flexural rigidity of the connection fiber F. With this configuration, when the built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F abut against each other, the built-in fiber 30 can be bent in the bending space B while suppressing the bending of the connection fiber F. For example, when it is assumed that an optical fiber with a coating diameter of 900 μm is used as the connection fiber F, it is desirable to use an optical fiber with a coating diameter of 500 μm or less as the built-in fiber 30 . Alternatively, if it is assumed that an optical fiber with a coating diameter of 250 μm is used as the connection fiber F, it is desirable to use an optical fiber with a coating diameter of 200 μm as the built-in fiber 30 .

Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the optical connector 1 configured as above will be described.

First, housing 10 (front housing 10A and rear housing 10B), ferrule 20, mechanical splice 40, wedge 50, built-in fiber 30, holding member 60, and biasing member 70 are prepared.
Next, the coating is removed by a predetermined length from the leading end and the trailing end of the built-in fiber 30 to expose the glass portion.
Next, an adhesive is injected into the fiber hole 21 of the ferrule 20 , and the glass portion of the built-in fiber 30 is inserted from the rear end of the fiber hole 21 .
The adhesive is then heat cured. Thereby, the built-in fiber 30 is fixed within the fiber hole 21 . If the tip of the built-in fiber 30 protrudes from the connecting end surface 20a, the protruding portion is cut off. Further, the connection end surface 20a is polished as necessary.
Next, the holding member 60 is attached to the rear end portion of the ferrule 20 .
Next, part of the ferrule 20, the holding member 60, and the biasing member 70 are housed inside the front housing 10A.

Next, the mechanical splice 40 is housed inside the rear housing 10B. At this time, the mechanical splice 40 is put into a state in which the glass portion of the built-in fiber 30 can be inserted into the insertion hole 42a by inserting, for example, a tool into the expanded portion 42b.
Next, an embedded fiber insertion step is performed. In the built-in fiber insertion step, the extending portion 31 of the built-in fiber 30 is inserted into the insertion hole 42 a of the mechanical splice 40 . More specifically, the glass portion of the optical fiber exposed at the rear end of the extending portion 31 is inserted from the front into the insertion hole 42a. After the extending portion 31 is inserted into the insertion hole 42a, the front housing 10A and the rear housing 10B are combined. A portion of the ferrule 20 , the retaining member 60 , the biasing member 70 and the mechanical splice 40 are thereby housed inside the housing 10 .

Next, the wedge 50 is inserted into the mechanical splice 40 through the housing 10 . At this time, the wedge-side inclined surface 52a of the wedge-side engaging portion 52 and the inclined surface 42d1 of the engaging portion 42d come into contact with each other. As shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C, when the wedge-side inclined surface 52a descends as the wedge 50 is inserted, the inclination of the wedge-side inclined surface 52a exerts a forward force on the inclined surface 42d1. works. This force moves the mechanical splice 40 forward. When the insertion of the wedge 50 is completed, the wedge-side engaging portion 52 is sandwiched in the insertion direction X between the engaging portion 42 d and the clamp portion 41 . Thereby, the relative positions in the insertion direction X between the wedge 50 and the mechanical splice 40 are fixed. Further, by locking the wedge locking portion 53 to the case 80, the relative position in the insertion direction X between the wedge 50 and the housing 10 is fixed. That is, the relative position in the insertion direction X between the mechanical splice 40 and the housing 10 is fixed via the wedge 50 . Hereinafter, this fixed relative position between the mechanical splice 40 and the housing 10 may be referred to as the ready position. By inserting the wedge 50 into the mechanical splice 40 through the housing 10 in this way, the relative position in the insertion direction X between the mechanical splice 40 and the housing 10 can be fixed at a predetermined preparatory position. Further, when the wedge 50 is inserted, the inclined surface 42d1 (engagement portion 42d) slides against the wedge-side inclined surface 52a (wedge-side engagement portion 52), so that the relative position between the mechanical splice 40 and the housing 10 is adjusted to a predetermined value. It can be guided to the ready position.

A connecting fiber F is then prepared. Specifically, the optical fiber to be connected (connection fiber F) is exposed from the optical cable or the like. Also, the coating of the tip portion of the connection fiber F is stripped off, exposing the glass portion.
Next, a connecting fiber insertion step is performed. In the connecting fiber inserting step, the connecting fiber F is inserted into the insertion hole 42 a of the mechanical splice 40 . More specifically, the glass portion exposed at the tip of the connection fiber F is inserted into the insertion hole 42a from behind. At this time, since the insertion hole 42a is expanded by the expanded portion 51 of the wedge 50, the connection fiber F is smoothly inserted into the insertion hole 42a. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing a state where the steps up to this point have been completed.

Next, the butting process is performed. In the butting step, the tip of the connecting fiber F is butted against the rear end of the extending portion 31 . When the connecting fiber F and the extending portion 31 abut against each other, a pressing force (compressive force) along the insertion direction X is applied to the built-in fiber 30 and the connecting fiber F. As shown in FIG. Here, the bending rigidity of the built-in fiber 30 is lower than the bending rigidity of the connection fiber F, and a bending space B is provided between the ferrule 20 and the mechanical splice 40 . Thereby, the built-in fiber 30 bends while the bending of the connection fiber F is suppressed (see FIG. 10B). Note that the direction in which the built-in fiber 30 bends in FIG. 10B is mainly the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper (that is, the second direction Y).

In this abutment process, the user may visually recognize the bending of the built-in fiber 30 through the window 12 provided in the housing 10 and the second window 81 provided in the case 80 . Thereby, the user may confirm that the built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F have collided. Here, when the optical fibers do not abut each other properly, such as when the coating of the connecting fiber F is caught on the mechanical splice 40, the bending of the built-in fiber 30 is suppressed, and the connecting fiber F bends instead. . In the conventional method of determining whether or not the built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F have collided with each other by visually recognizing the bending of the connection fiber F, in the case as described above, the user can determine whether or not the optical fibers have collided with each other. There was a possibility of misidentifying. More specifically, even though the built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F are not in contact with each other, the user may misunderstand that the optical fibers are in contact with each other. On the other hand, the optical connector 1 of the present embodiment can prevent the misidentification as described above by visually checking whether or not the built-in fiber 30 is bent through the window 12 and the second window 81 .

Also, the bending direction of the built-in fiber 30 is regulated by the slit S provided in the regulating portion 42c. 8, when the slit S extends parallel to the second direction Y, the bending direction of the built-in fiber 30 is the direction (first It is regulated in a second direction Y orthogonal to the direction Z) (see FIG. 11). With this configuration, the bending of the built-in fiber 30 is easily visible through the window 12 and the second window 81 . Even if the bending direction of the built-in fiber 30 is slightly inclined from the second direction Y, as long as the bending direction is not parallel to the first direction Z, the same effect can be expected.

Also, in the abutting step, a visible light source (not shown) may be installed at the tip of the ferrule 20 to allow visible light to enter the built-in fiber 30 . Although the extended portion 31 (flexible portion) of the built-in fiber 30 is provided with a coating, part of the visible light incident on the built-in fiber 30 passes through the coating. Therefore, when viewed from the user, the extending portion 31 looks shiny. Therefore, the bending of the built-in fiber 30 becomes easier to visually recognize. A configuration may be employed in which visible light is incident on the connecting fiber F and propagates from the connecting fiber F to the built-in fiber 30. However, considering the distance between the visible light source and the bending space B, , the configuration in which the visible light is incident on the built-in fiber 30 is simple.

Finally, the wedge 50 is removed from the mechanical splice 40. At this time, the insertion hole 42a shrinks, and the connecting fiber F and the built-in fiber 30 are fixed in the insertion hole 42a while abutting each other. Thereby, the connection between the connection fiber F and the built-in fiber 30 is achieved.

Further, when the wedge 50 is removed from the mechanical splice 40, the restriction on relative movement in the insertion direction X between the mechanical splice 40 and the housing 10 is released. At this time, the mechanical splice 40 is pushed backward while holding the built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F (see FIG. 10C) due to the restoring force caused by the bending of the built-in fiber 30 . In other words, the relative distance in the insertion direction X between the ferrule 20 and the mechanical splice 40 increases due to the restoring force caused by the bending of the built-in fiber 30 . Thereby, it is possible to prevent the built-in fiber 30 from remaining bent when the optical connector 1 is used. Therefore, the transmission loss of the optical connector 1 caused by the bending of the built-in fiber 30 can be suppressed.

If the insertion of the connection fiber F is to be redone for some reason, the wedge 50 is inserted again into the mechanical splice 40 to release the fixation of the connection fiber F to the mechanical splice 40 . Also, at this time, the mechanical splice 40 and the housing 10 are returned to the predetermined preparatory positions by the structure described above. Therefore, the optical connector 1 can be reused.

As described above, the optical connector 1 according to the present embodiment includes the housing 10, the ferrule 20 having the connection end surface 20a and the fiber hole 21 opening in the connection end surface 20a, and the fiber hole 21 that is inserted into the fiber hole 21. A built-in fiber 30 having an extending portion 31 extending from the ferrule 20 toward the rear, which is the opposite side of the connecting end surface 20a in the insertion direction X, and the rear end of the extending portion 31 are inserted, and the extending portion 31 a mechanical splice 40 having an insertion hole 42a into which the connection fiber F connected to the rear end can be inserted; the housing 10 accommodates at least part of the ferrule 20 and the mechanical splice 40; A bending space B is provided between the mechanical splice 40 and the bending space B that allows the built-in fiber 30 to bend.

According to the optical connector 1 having such a configuration, the bending space B is provided between the ferrule 20 and the mechanical splice 40. Thereby, the built-in fiber 30 can be bent. The bending rigidity of the built-in fiber 30 can be set by the shipper of the optical connector 1 . Therefore, it is possible to stabilize the relationship between the pressing force applied to the connection fiber F by the user and the deflection amount of the built-in fiber 30 . Therefore, the connection achievement rate between the built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F can be improved.

In addition, the optical connector 1 according to the present embodiment is inserted into the mechanical splice 40 to expand the insertion hole 42a, and removed from the mechanical splice 40 to change the relative position between the connection fiber F and the mechanical splice 40. The mechanical splice 40 and the housing 10 are configured to be relatively movable in the insertion direction X, and the wedge 50 is inserted into the mechanical splice 40 via the housing 10 to provide a mechanical The relative position of the splice 40 and the housing 10 in the insertion direction X is fixed at a predetermined preparatory position. The relative distance in the insertion direction X between ferrule 20 and mechanical splice 40 increases.

According to the optical connector 1 having such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the built-in fiber 30 from remaining bent after the connection between the built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F is completed. Therefore, the transmission loss of the optical connector 1 caused by the bending of the built-in fiber 30 can be suppressed.

The mechanical splice 40 has an engaging portion 42d, and the wedge 50 has a wedge-side engaging portion 52 that engages with the engaging portion 42d. By engaging the joint portion 42d with the wedge side engaging portion 52, the housing 10 and the mechanical splice 40 are guided to a predetermined preparatory position.

With this configuration, even if the relative position between the housing 10 and the mechanical splice 40 is unexpectedly displaced before the user uses the optical connector 1, the relative position can be easily determined by inserting the wedge 50. ready position. Moreover, even if the insertion of the connection fiber F is to be redone for some reason, the relative position can be easily returned to the predetermined preparatory position by removing the wedge 50 and reinserting it. Therefore, reuse of the optical connector 1 is facilitated.

A window 12 communicating with the deflection space B is formed in the housing 10 . With this configuration, it is possible to improve the visibility of the bending of the built-in fiber 30, and prevent the user from misunderstanding whether or not the built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F are in proper contact. Therefore, the connection achievement rate between the built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F can be further improved. In this embodiment, the inside of the deflection space B can be visually recognized through the second window 81 formed in the case 80. However, in a structure where the case 80 does not cover the vicinity of the window 12, for example, the second Window 81 is not required. Therefore, the second window 81 may be omitted. Also, the case 80 may be omitted.

Further, the optical connector 1 according to the present embodiment further includes a restricting portion 42c arranged at the tip of the mechanical splice 40. When a direction orthogonal to both the insertion directions X is defined as a second direction Y, the restricting portion 42c includes a slit S extending in the second direction Y from the insertion hole 42a when viewed from the insertion direction X. With this configuration, the direction in which the built-in fiber 30 bends is restricted to the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. This improves the visibility of the bending of the built-in fiber 30 .

Further, in the method of manufacturing the optical connector 1 according to the present embodiment, the extending portion 31 of the built-in fiber 30 extending backward from the ferrule 20 is inserted into the mechanical splice 40 from the front, and the connection fiber F is mechanically spliced. The built-in fiber 30 is bent between the ferrule 20 and the mechanical splice 40 by inserting the connecting fiber F from the rear side into the 40 and abutting the connecting fiber F against the extending portion 31 . With this configuration, as described above, it is possible to stabilize the relationship between the pressing force applied to the connection fiber F by the user and the amount of deflection of the built-in fiber 30 . Therefore, the connection achievement rate between the built-in fiber 30 and the connection fiber F can be improved.

Also, visible light may be incident on the built-in fiber 30 or the connecting fiber F when the connecting fiber F abuts against the extending portion 31 . In this case, the built-in fiber 30 emits light, and the visibility of the bending of the built-in fiber 30 is improved.

It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, although the wedge 50 was inserted downward into the mechanical splice 40 in the above embodiment, the wedge 50 may be inserted upward from below. Alternatively, the wedge 50 may be inserted in a direction parallel to the second direction Y with respect to the mechanical splice 40 .

Also, in the above embodiment, the body portion 42 of the mechanical splice 40 was held inside the clamp portion 41 by the elastic restoring force of the clamp portion 41, but the body portion 42 may be held by a screw member or the like.

Also, in the above-described embodiment, the mechanical splice 40 moves backward after the abutment process is performed, but a configuration in which the ferrule 20 moves forward, for example, may be adopted.

In the above-described embodiment, the wedge-side inclined surface 52a of the wedge-side engaging portion 52 and the engaging portion 42d abut to guide and fix the mechanical splice 40 and the housing 10 to the predetermined preparatory position. structure can also be adopted. For example, one of the engaging portion 42d and the wedge-side engaging portion 52 may not have an inclined surface. In other words, the mechanism of the wedge-side engaging portion 52 and the engaging portion 42d is arbitrary as long as the mechanical splice 40 and the housing 10 can be guided and fixed to predetermined preparatory positions.

Also, in the above embodiment, the restricting portion 42c is integrated with the body portion 42 and the slit S is formed in the body portion 42, but the restricting portion 42c may be provided at the rear end of the ferrule 20. Alternatively, the restricting portion 42c may have a base separate from the body portion 42 and the ferrule 20, and may be configured such that the slit S is formed in the base. In this case, the restricting portion 42c may be provided inside the bending space B. That is, the restricting portion 42c can be arranged at any one of the rear end of the ferrule 20, the tip of the mechanical splice 40, and the inside of the bending space B. As shown in FIG.

In addition, it is possible to appropriately replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components within the scope of the present invention, and the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate.

1... Optical connector 10... Housing 12... Window 20... Ferrule 20a... Connection end face 21... Fiber hole 30... Built-in fiber 31... Extension part 40... Mechanical splice 42a... Insertion hole 42c... Regulating part 42d... Engaging part 50... Wedge 52... Wedge-side engagement portion B... Deflection space S... Slit F... Connection fiber X... Insertion direction

Claims (7)

1. a housing;
   a ferrule having a connection end surface and a fiber hole opening in the connection end surface;
   a built-in fiber that is inserted through the fiber hole and has an extension part that extends from the ferrule toward the rear side opposite to the connection end face in the insertion direction of the fiber hole;
   a mechanical splice having an insertion hole into which the rear end of the extension is inserted and into which a connecting fiber connected to the rear end of the extension can be inserted;
   the housing houses at least a portion of the ferrule and the mechanical splice;
   An optical connector according to claim 1, wherein a bending space for allowing bending of the built-in fiber is provided between the ferrule and the mechanical splice in the housing.
2. a wedge inserted into the mechanical splice to expand the insertion hole and removed from the mechanical splice to fix a relative position between the connecting fiber and the mechanical splice;
   The mechanical splice and the housing are configured to be relatively movable in the insertion direction,
   The wedge is inserted into the mechanical splice through the housing to fix the relative position of the mechanical splice and the housing in the insertion direction at a predetermined preparatory position,
   2. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein when said wedge is removed from said mechanical splice, a restoring force caused by bending of said built-in fiber increases a relative distance between said ferrule and said mechanical splice in said inserting direction. .
3. The mechanical splice has an engaging portion,
   The wedge has a wedge-side engaging portion that engages with the engaging portion,
   3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when said wedge is inserted into said mechanical splice, said engaging portion is engaged with said wedge-side engaging portion, thereby guiding said housing and said mechanical splice to said preparatory position. Optical connector as described.
4. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing has a window communicating with the deflection space.
5. further comprising a regulating portion arranged in one of the rear end of the ferrule, the tip of the mechanical splice, and the interior of the deflection space;
   When the direction in which the deflection space and the window are aligned is defined as a first direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the first direction and the insertion direction is defined as a second direction,
   5. The optical connector according to claim 4, wherein said restricting portion includes a slit extending from said insertion hole in said second direction when viewed from said insertion direction.
6. inserting the extension part of the built-in fiber extending backward from the ferrule into the mechanical splice from the front,
   inserting the connecting fiber from behind into the mechanical splice;
   A method of manufacturing an optical connector, wherein the built-in fiber is bent between the ferrule and the mechanical splice by abutting the connection fiber against the extension.
7. The method for manufacturing an optical connector according to claim 6, wherein visible light is made incident on the built-in fiber or the connection fiber when the connection fiber is butted against the extension.

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