WO2023058635A1 - 光－電気複合コネクタ - Google Patents

光－電気複合コネクタ Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2023058635A1
WO2023058635A1 PCT/JP2022/037080 JP2022037080W WO2023058635A1 WO 2023058635 A1 WO2023058635 A1 WO 2023058635A1 JP 2022037080 W JP2022037080 W JP 2022037080W WO 2023058635 A1 WO2023058635 A1 WO 2023058635A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
housing
optical
sub
electrical connection
main housing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/JP2022/037080
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
宏芳 前岨
勝也 生田
英敏 石田
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd
AutoNetworks Technologies Ltd
Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd
Original Assignee
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd
AutoNetworks Technologies Ltd
Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd, AutoNetworks Technologies Ltd, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd filed Critical Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd
Priority to JP2023552889A priority Critical patent/JP7605335B2/ja
Priority to CN202280064144.6A priority patent/CN117981180A/zh
Priority to DE112022004762.3T priority patent/DE112022004762T5/de
Priority to US18/696,270 priority patent/US20240393543A1/en
Publication of WO2023058635A1 publication Critical patent/WO2023058635A1/ja
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
    • G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
    • G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
    • G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
    • G02B6/381—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres
    • G02B6/3817—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres containing optical and electrical conductors
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/40—Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
    • H01R13/42—Securing in a demountable manner
    • H01R13/424—Securing in base or case composed of a plurality of insulating parts having at least one resilient insulating part

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to an optical-electrical composite connector.
  • Optical cables that use optical fibers are widely used for information communication for household and industrial purposes, as they are capable of high-speed communication of a large amount of information.
  • automobiles are equipped with various electronic devices such as a car navigation system, and optical communication using optical cables has begun to be used for communication in these devices.
  • speed of communication has been accelerating.
  • the importance of optical cables capable of high-speed communication is increasing more and more.
  • an optical cable with glass optical fibers can be suitably used for high-speed communication.
  • optical cables are not suitable for supplying the energy necessary to operate communication devices, and electric wires with metal wires are also used together with optical cables. Therefore, in order to easily connect the optical cable and the electric wire to a device such as a communication device, a connector has been developed that can collectively connect the optical cable and the electric wire to the device.
  • a connector is disclosed in Patent Document 1, etc., and has been put into practical use in part.
  • optical-electrical composite connectors have been developed as means for collectively connecting optical cables and electric wires to equipment such as communication equipment. , which tends to be more difficult to manufacture than electrical connectors that connect only wires.
  • optical connectors and electrical connectors have completely different manufacturing processes and manufacturing facilities, and it is difficult to manufacture a composite connector that integrates the optical cable connection part and the electric wire connection part on the same production line. That is one reason.
  • the objective is to provide an optical-electrical composite connector that is easy to assemble.
  • the optical-electrical composite connector of the present disclosure includes at least one optical ferrule to which an optical fiber of an optical cable is coupled, at least one electrical connection terminal to which an electric wire is coupled, and a sub-unit housing the at least one optical ferrule.
  • a housing, and a main housing that accommodates and fixes together a sub-housing that accommodates the optical ferrule and the electrical connection terminal.
  • the sub-housing With the direction facing forward, the sub-housing is provided with an accommodating portion that accommodates the optical ferrule and a front end surface of the accommodating portion that protrudes forward.
  • the main housing has a housing end face formed with a through hole at a position in front of the small cylindrical portion of the sub-housing that is accommodated at the front end portion of the main housing. and an inner abutment surface that abuts on the front end surface of the accommodating portion with respect to the sub-housing in which the position of the small cylindrical portion is aligned with the through hole.
  • the optical-electrical composite connector according to the present disclosure is an optical-electrical composite connector that is easy to assemble.
  • FIG. 1A and 1B are perspective views showing the entire optical-electrical composite connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 1A shows the state viewed from the front
  • FIG. 1B shows the state viewed from the rear.
  • FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the optical-electrical composite connector.
  • 3A and 3B are perspective views showing the housing body portion of the main housing.
  • FIG. 3A shows the housing main body viewed from the front
  • FIG. 3B shows the housing main body from the rear.
  • 4A and 4B are perspective views showing retainer members of the main housing.
  • FIG. 4A shows the retainer member viewed from the front
  • FIG. 4B shows the retainer member viewed from the rear.
  • 5A is a perspective view showing an optical sub-connector, and FIG.
  • FIG. 5B is a perspective view showing an electrical connection terminal.
  • 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views showing the optical-electrical composite connector.
  • 6A shows the AA section in FIG. 1A corresponding to the center position of the optical sub-connector
  • FIG. 6B shows the BB section in FIG. 1A corresponding to the center position of the electrical connection terminal.
  • FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the retainer member and the optical sub-connector in the optical-electrical composite connector.
  • the optical-electrical composite connector of the present disclosure includes at least one optical ferrule to which an optical fiber of an optical cable is coupled, at least one electrical connection terminal to which an electric wire is coupled, and a sub-unit housing the at least one optical ferrule. a housing, and a main housing that accommodates and fixes together a sub-housing that accommodates the optical ferrule and the electrical connection terminal. With the direction facing forward, the sub-housing is provided with an accommodating portion that accommodates the optical ferrule and a front end surface of the accommodating portion that protrudes forward.
  • the main housing has a housing end face formed with a through hole at a position in front of the small cylindrical portion of the sub-housing that is accommodated at the front end portion of the main housing. and an inner abutment surface that abuts on the front end surface of the accommodating portion with respect to the sub-housing in which the position of the small cylindrical portion is aligned with the through hole.
  • the optical ferrule instead of directly accommodating the optical ferrule in the main housing that accommodates the electrical connection terminals, the optical ferrule is accommodated in the sub-housing separately from the electrical connection terminals, and then placed in the main housing. It houses the sub-housing.
  • the assembly of the optical ferrule to the sub-housing can be carried out using conventional manufacturing processes and equipment for optical connectors. Compared to the process of directly attaching the optical ferrule together with the electrical connection terminal to the main housing, the process can be carried out more easily, making it easier to assemble the optical-electrical composite connector.
  • the sub-housing has a small cylindrical portion having a smaller cross section than the front end face of the receiving portion for receiving the optical ferrule, in front of the front end face.
  • the main housing is provided with an inner abutment surface, and the inner abutment surface is located on the front end surface of the accommodating portion with respect to the sub-housing in which the position of the small cylindrical portion is aligned with the through hole of the housing end surface. It is designed to abut.
  • the sub-housing is positioned with respect to the main housing by abutting the inner abutment surface of the main housing against the front end surface of the receiving portion of the sub-housing. Positioning the sub-housing in this manner facilitates the process of placing the sub-housing at a predetermined position in the main housing and assembling the optical-electrical composite connector.
  • the sub-housing further has a protruding portion that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface in the middle of the accommodating portion in the front-rear direction, and the main housing extends inward from the inner wall surface in the middle in the front-rear direction.
  • the rear end of the projecting portion of the sub-housing and the front end of the inner projection of the main housing come into contact with each other in a state in which the sub-housing is housed in the main housing. good.
  • the projection of the sub-housing and the inner projection of the main housing are brought into contact with each other, thereby positioning the sub-housing with respect to the main housing and preventing it from coming off. This facilitates the positioning and fixing of the sub-housing inside the main housing together with the positioning effect of the inner abutment surface, further enhancing the manufacturability of the optical-electrical composite connector.
  • the electrical connection terminal has a stepped structure along the front-rear direction on the middle portion of the outer surface in the front-rear direction, and the main housing accommodates the electrical connection terminal inside and engages with the stepped structure.
  • the stepped structure of the electrical connection terminal may be locked to the locking piece of the main housing.
  • the stepped structure of the outer surface of the electrical connection terminal is locked by the locking piece provided on the main housing, thereby positioning the electrical connection terminal with respect to the main housing.
  • the locking piece is preferably formed in front of the inner projection on the main housing.
  • the electrical connection terminal is attached at a front position in the main housing rather than the sub-housing containing the optical ferrule. Due to the difference in structure and connection form between the optical ferrule and the electrical connection terminal, it is convenient for the electrical connection terminal to be connected to the mating member provided in the mating connector in front of the optical ferrule.
  • the main housing is composed of two divided members divided in a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction, and the housing end face having the through hole is formed in one of the two divided members, and the main housing is
  • the inner projection when the inner projection is provided and the locking piece when the main housing has the locking piece are preferably formed on the other of the two divided members.
  • the operation of accommodating and fixing the sub-housing containing the optical ferrule and the electrical connection terminals in predetermined positions inside the main housing can be performed simply and with high accuracy.
  • each of the two divided members is provided with a claw member that engages with each other in front of the position of the inner projection. Then, by engaging the claw members of the two split members with each other, it is possible to effectively prevent the two split members from floating and separating from each other.
  • ⁇ Overview of structure of opto-electric composite connector> 1A, 1B, and 2 show a perspective view and an exploded perspective view, respectively, of an optical-electrical composite connector (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a composite connector) 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
  • the composite connector 1 according to this embodiment is connected to the tip of an assembly of an optical cable 8 and an electric wire 9, and performs optical connection for optical communication and electrical connection for conduction at the same time.
  • the composite connector 1 according to this embodiment is not fixed to a member such as a communication device or a printed circuit board, but is configured as a cable connector that can be attached to and detached from a mating connector together with an optical cable 8 and electric wires 9. there is
  • the composite connector 1 includes at least one optical ferrule 5 as an optical communication portion and at least one electrical connection terminal 7 as an electrical connection portion.
  • a sub-housing 3 is provided as a housing member for housing the optical ferrule 5 .
  • the sub-housing 3 accommodates the spring member 6 together with the optical ferrule 5 to constitute the optical sub-connector S.
  • the composite connector 1 includes a main housing 2 capable of housing the sub-housing 3 and the electrical connection terminals 7 together. 3 and the electrical connection terminal 7 are accommodated and fixed.
  • the structure of the main housing 2, which will be described in detail later, is composed of two divided members, a housing body portion 10 and a retainer member 20. As shown in FIG.
  • the direction in which the optical-electrical composite connector 1 is connected to the mating connector is defined as the front
  • the direction in which the optical cable 8 and the electric wire 9 are connected is defined as the rear. That is, the axial direction of the optical ferrule 5 and the electrical connection terminal 7 is the front-rear direction, and the distal end side of the optical ferrule 5 and the electrical connection terminal 7 is the front.
  • the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and in which the pair of electrical connection terminals 7 and the sub-housing 3 accommodating the optical ferrule 5 are arranged side by side is defined as the vertical direction (direction c), and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the vertical direction. is the width direction (b direction).
  • the optical ferrule 5 is composed of a known ferrule for optical fibers, and the optical cable 8 is fixed.
  • the types of the optical cable 8 and the optical ferrule 5 are not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of application to high-speed communication, the optical cable 8 may be provided with a glass optical fiber (AGF). is preferred.
  • AGF glass optical fiber
  • the widely used AGF has a cladding diameter of 125 ⁇ m, and even the multimode type often has a small core diameter of 100 ⁇ m or less.
  • the optical cable 8 is coupled and fixed to the optical ferrule 5 so that the optical fiber 81 exposed at the tip is flush with the tip surface of the optical ferrule 5 .
  • a cable fixing member consisting of a stop ring 83 and a crimping ring 84 is attached to the tip of the optical cable 8 .
  • the number of optical ferrules 5 included in the composite connector 1 is one in the illustrated embodiment, it may be plural.
  • each optical ferrule 5 is independently coupled to the optical fiber 81 .
  • the plurality of optical ferrules 5 may be housed in a common sub-housing 3 together with the corresponding spring members 6 to form an optical sub-connector S.
  • the main housing 2 may house a plurality of optical sub-connectors S configured by housing one or more sets of optical ferrules 5 and spring members 6 in the sub-housing 3 .
  • the electrical connection terminal 7 is configured as a known electrical connection terminal for insulated wires.
  • the electrical connection terminal 7 is fixed to the tip of the insulated wire 9 and electrically connected to the wire conductor exposed at the tip of the insulated wire 9 .
  • the type of the electrical connection terminal 7 is not particularly limited, but a fitting type female terminal can be preferably applied.
  • the number of electrical connection terminals 7 included in the composite connector 1 is one pair (two), but the number is not particularly limited as long as at least one electrical connection terminal 7 is included.
  • FIG. 5B shows a perspective view of the electrical connection terminal 7.
  • a step structure 71 is formed on one of the outer surfaces in the width direction (surface in the -b direction). ing.
  • the step structure 71 a structure in which the height of the outer surface changes along the front-rear direction is provided in the middle part in the front-rear direction.
  • a step is formed in which the front is higher and the rear is lower along the front-rear direction.
  • a projecting structure 72 is provided in front of the stepped structure 71 and has a midway portion projecting at an acute angle in the width direction along the front-rear direction.
  • the step structure 71 of the electrical connection terminal 7 is engaged with a terminal locking piece 24 provided on the main housing 2 to position the electrical connection terminal 7 in the main housing 2 .
  • a terminal locking piece 24 provided on the main housing 2 to position the electrical connection terminal 7 in the main housing 2 .
  • FIG. 5A shows an optical sub-connector S in a perspective view.
  • the cross section of the optical sub-connector S is included in the cross section of FIG. 6A.
  • the optical ferrule 5 coupled with the optical cable 8 is housed in the sub-housing 3 together with the spring member 6 to constitute the optical sub-connector S.
  • the sub-housing 3, which is the outer shell of the optical sub-connector S, is configured as a hollow cylindrical resin member having front and rear openings, and can accommodate at least one optical ferrule 5 to which an optical cable 8 is connected. can.
  • the sub-housing 3 is composed of two divided members, an upper member 3a and a lower member 3b. Of the combined body in which the optical ferrule 5 is coupled to the optical cable 8 and the cable fixing members 83 and 84 are attached, the entire portion ahead of the cable fixing members 83 and 84 is housed inside the sub-housing 3 .
  • the sub-housing 3 formed by joining the upper member 3a and the lower member 3b has a sub-accommodating portion 32 in the shape of a rectangular tube.
  • the optical ferrule 5 and the spring member 6 are housed in the sub housing portion 32 .
  • the optical ferrule 5 is biased forward in the sub-housing 3 by a spring member 6 configured as a coil spring.
  • a connection sub-opening 331 is formed at the front end of the sub-housing 3 so as to face the tip surface of the optical ferrule 5 and serve as an opening into which the optical connection portion of the mating connector including the optical ferrule can enter.
  • the spring member 6 presses the ferrule 5 toward the mating ferrule.
  • the sub-housing 3 has a stepped shape at the tip, and a small cylindrical portion 33 is provided in front of a sub-accommodating portion 32 that accommodates the optical ferrule 5 and the spring member 6 .
  • the small tubular portion 33 is formed as a tubular portion projecting forward from a front end surface (sub-accommodating portion end surface) 321 of the sub-accommodating portion 32 .
  • the small cylindrical portion 33 is formed integrally with the sub-accommodating portion 32, and the hollow portion of the small cylindrical portion 33 and the hollow portion of the sub-accommodating portion 32 are continuous.
  • the small cylindrical portion 33 is narrower than the sub-accommodating portion end surface 321 along the front-rear direction.
  • the cross section of the small cylinder portion 33 perpendicular to the front-rear direction is smaller than the sub-receiving portion end surface 321, and the cross-section of the small cylinder portion 33 is located inside the surface shape of the sub-receiving portion end surface 321 throughout the front-rear direction. It is shaped and sized to fit in.
  • the small cylinder portion 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape.
  • the tip of the small cylindrical portion 33 serves as a connection sub-opening 331 .
  • the sub-receiving portion end surface 321 contacts the contact portion 16 provided inside the main housing 2, thereby A housing 3 is positioned relative to the main housing 2 .
  • a locking protrusion 31 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the sub-housing 3 .
  • the locking projecting portion 31 is a projecting piece projecting upward from the outer side of the upper wall surface of the sub housing 3 in the middle of the sub housing portion 32 in the front-rear direction. is integrated with.
  • the sub-housing 3 is formed as a rectangular parallelepiped piece.
  • the locking protrusion 31 is engaged with an inner locking projection 22 provided on the main housing 2 to position the sub-housing 3 in the main housing 2 and , plays a role in preventing slippage.
  • the optical ferrule 5 is not directly fixed to the main housing 2, but the optical ferrule 5 is accommodated in the sub housing 3 to form the optical sub connector S, and the optical sub The connector S is attached and fixed to the main housing 2 together with the electrical connection terminals 7 .
  • This facilitates assembly of the optical communication portion of the composite connector 1 .
  • an optical connector and an electrical connector are largely different in manufacturing process and manufacturing equipment, and it is difficult to manufacture a connector including both the optical ferrule 5 and the electrical connection terminal 7 on the same manufacturing line.
  • the optical ferrule 5 is housed in the sub-housing 3 and assembled as an optical sub-connector S, and the optical ferrule 5 is assembled to the main housing 2 in the form of the optical sub-connector S, the optical sub- The assembly of the connector S can be performed independently of the assembly of the electrical connections by applying conventional manufacturing processes and equipment for optical connectors.
  • the process of assembling the thus assembled optical sub-connector S together with the electrical connection terminals 7 into the main housing 2 can be carried out without great difficulty by applying the conventional electrical connector manufacturing process and manufacturing equipment.
  • the optical ferrule 5 has a small diameter for AGF, it is likely to be difficult to handle in the connector assembly process. Difficulties caused by the small diameter of the optical ferrule 5 are less likely to occur.
  • the main housing 2 is configured as a resin member, and accommodates and fixes an optical sub-connector S containing an optical ferrule 5 in a sub-housing 3 and electrical connection terminals 7 in an internal space.
  • the main housing 2 has a housing end face 11 as a front end face, and is configured as a substantially rectangular tubular resin member with an open rear end.
  • the main housing 2 has a substantially square tubular shape formed by joining two divided members, a housing main body portion 10 and a retainer member 20 .
  • 3A, 3B and FIGS. 4A, 4B show perspective views of the housing body 10 and the retainer member 20 as seen from the front and rear, respectively.
  • the housing main body 10 has a tubular portion 12 at the front, and an open portion 13 formed integrally with the tubular portion 12 at the rear of the tubular portion 12 and having one width direction (-b direction) open. have.
  • a front end face is provided in front of the tubular portion 12 , and this front end face forms a housing end face 11 that is a front end face of the main housing 2 as a whole.
  • the retainer member 20 covers the open portion 13 of the housing main body 10 from the outside in the width direction (-b direction). becomes the main housing 2 of the .
  • the coupled state between the housing body 10 and the retainer member 20 is maintained by the locking between the locking tabs 21 and the locking projections 14 .
  • the retainer member 20 is provided with loop-shaped locking tabs 21 on the upper and lower wall surfaces.
  • the housing main body 10 is provided with locking projections 14 capable of locking the locking tabs 21 at positions corresponding to the locking tabs 21 when the retainer member 20 is coupled.
  • the main housing 2 may be supplementarily provided with a member for holding the connection between the housing body 10 and the retainer member 20 in addition to the set of the locking tab 21 and the locking projection 14 .
  • a pair of pawl members that can engage with each other in the width direction may be provided at mutually corresponding locations on the outer side of the upper and lower wall surfaces of the housing body 10 and the inner side of the upper and lower wall surfaces of the retainer member 20. can be done.
  • one claw member 15 is provided on the outer surface of the portion of the upper wall surface of the housing body 10 that overlaps with the retainer member 20 , and the upper wall surface of the retainer member 20
  • the other claw member 25 is provided on the inner surface of the extending portion 23 extending to the position of the cylindrical portion 12 of the housing main body portion 10, and the claw members 15, 25 are engaged with each other in the width direction. be stopped.
  • the claw members 15 and 25 prevent the retainer member 20 from being lifted in the width direction with respect to the housing body 10, and the retainer member 20 and the housing body 10 are prevented from being separated from each other. becomes.
  • the claw members 15 and 25 are preferably provided on the front side of the main housing 2. More preferably, it is provided in front of a locking portion between the locking inner projection 22 and the locking protrusion 31, which will be described later.
  • the space inside the tubular portion 12 of the housing main body portion 10 is partitioned into a plurality of spaces by partition walls along the front-rear direction.
  • the sub-connector accommodating space s1 accommodates the sub-housing 3 that accommodates the optical ferrule 5 and the like to form an optical sub-connector S.
  • the electrical connection terminals 7 to which the electric wires 9 are connected are accommodated in the two terminal accommodation spaces s2.
  • the electrical connection terminals 7 and the optical ferrule 5 housed in the sub-housing 3 are arranged in the main housing 2 with their respective axial directions facing the front-rear direction.
  • the sub-connector housing space s1 and the terminal housing space s2 are formed in sizes and shapes that can accommodate the sub-housing 3 and the electrical connection terminals 7, respectively, without rattling.
  • An optical connection opening 111 is formed as a through hole in the housing end face 11 that is configured as the front end face of the housing main body portion 10 .
  • the optical connection opening 111 is provided at a position in front of the small cylindrical portion 33 of the sub-housing 3 .
  • the optical connection portion of the mating connector including the optical ferrule can enter the interior of the sub-housing 3 through the optical connection opening 111 and the connection sub-opening 331 .
  • an electrical connection opening 112 is formed in the housing end face 11 at a position in front of each electrical connection terminal 7 so that the electrical connection portion of the mating connector including the electrical connection terminal can enter the terminal accommodating space s2. ing.
  • FIG. 6A shows a cross-sectional view along AA in FIG. 1A, that is, a cross-sectional view of the composite connector 1 cut along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction passing through the center of the optical sub-connector S (the internal structure of the optical ferrule 5 and the optical cable 8). are omitted).
  • FIG. 6A shows a cross-sectional view along AA in FIG. 1A, that is, a cross-sectional view of the composite connector 1 cut along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction passing through the center of the optical sub-connector S (the internal structure of the optical ferrule 5 and the optical cable 8).
  • the housing end face 11 of the housing main body 10 is formed with the optical connection opening 111 at a position in front of the small cylindrical portion 33 of the sub-housing 3 .
  • the diameter of the optical connection opening 111 is slightly larger than the diameter of the small cylindrical portion 33 of the sub-housing 3, so that the small cylindrical portion 33 can pass through, but the sub-receiving portion 32 cannot pass through. It's becoming
  • a contact portion 16 is provided integrally with the housing end surface 11 behind the optical connection opening 111 .
  • the contact portion 16 is configured as a block-shaped member having a through hole penetrating in the front-rear direction.
  • the through hole of the contact portion 16 has the same inner diameter as the optical connection opening 111 of the housing end face 11 and is continuous with the optical connection opening 111 in the front-rear direction.
  • the thickness (dimension in the front-rear direction) of the contact portion 16 is the sum of the plate thickness of the housing end face 11 (d1 in FIG. 6A) and is approximately the length of the small cylindrical portion 33 of the sub-housing 3 along the front-rear direction. are the same.
  • a rear end surface of the contact portion 16 serves as an inner contact surface 161 .
  • the small cylindrical portion 33 is inserted through the through-hole of the contact portion 16.
  • the inner contact surface 161 that is the rear end surface of the contact portion 16 abuts the rear end surface 321 of the sub-receiving portion 321 (the front end surface of the sub-receiving portion 32) of the small cylindrical portion 33.
  • the tip of the small cylindrical portion 33 is flush with the housing end surface 11 of the main housing 2 .
  • the sub-housing 3 is positioned with respect to the main housing 2 by the contact between the inner contact surface 161 provided on the main housing 2 and the sub-receiving portion end surface 321 of the sub-housing 3 . Also, the sub-housing 3 is prevented from coming off forward with respect to the main housing 2 .
  • the sub-housing 3 is positioned only by inserting the small cylindrical portion 33 of the sub-housing 3 from the rear into the through hole of the contact portion 16 of the main housing 2 and bringing the sub-receiving portion end surface 321 into contact with the inner contact surface 161. Therefore, when the optical sub-connector S is incorporated into the main housing 2, the work of arranging and holding the sub-housing 3 at the regular position can be easily performed.
  • the main housing 2 has a member for further enhancing the reliability of holding the optical sub-connector S positioned by utilizing the contact between the inner contact surface 161 and the sub-receiving portion end surface 321 as described above.
  • an inner locking projection 22 is provided.
  • the inner locking projection 22 is provided inside the closing surface 26 of the retainer member 20 .
  • the closing surface 26 of the retainer member 20 is a surface located on the widthwise outer side (-b direction) of the housing body 10 and closing the opening 13 of the housing body 10 .
  • the locking inner protrusion 22 is provided as a block-shaped small piece protruding inward in the width direction (+b direction) from the inner wall surface of the closing surface 26 of the retainer member 20 in the middle of the main housing 2 in the front-rear direction.
  • the locking inner protrusion 22 is a member protruding toward the inside of the main housing 2 when the retainer member 20 is coupled to the housing main body portion 10 .
  • the position of the locking projection 22 of the retainer member 20 corresponds to the position of the locking protrusion 31 projecting outward in the width direction (-b direction) from the side wall surface of the sub-housing 3. . More specifically, the position of the inner locking projection 22 is set such that the position of the rear end portion 311 of the locking protrusion 31 corresponds to the position of the front end portion 221 of the inner locking projection 22 .
  • FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the positional relationship between the retainer member 20 and the sub-housing 3, focusing on the locking portions of the locking protrusion 31 and the locking inner projection 22.
  • the positions of the locking projection 31 and the locking inner projection 22 are set as described above, so that the rear end portion 311 of the locking projection 31 and the locking inner projection 22 are separated from each other. Front ends 221 abut each other. Due to the abutment between the locking protrusion 31 and the inner locking protrusion 22, the locking protrusion 31 and the inner locking protrusion 22 are engaged with each other in the front-rear direction.
  • the locking structure between the locking protrusion 31 and the locking inner projection 22 is positioned by contact between the sub housing end surface 321 and the inner contact surface 161 on the front side of the sub housing 3. This increases the certainty of positioning the optical sub-connector S within the main housing 2 . Furthermore, the optical sub-connector S thus positioned is prevented from slipping out by the engagement between the locking projection 31 and the locking inner projection 22, and is prevented from coming off rearward of the main housing 2. . As a result, the process of arranging and fixing the optical sub-connector S at a predetermined position in the main housing 2 can be easily performed, and in the manufactured composite connector 1, the optical sub-connector S is positioned in the main housing 2 as follows: It will be stably held at a predetermined position.
  • the locking inner projection 22 has a shape elongated in the front-rear direction, and is continuous with the partition wall provided in the cylindrical portion 12 of the housing main body 10 in the main housing 2 . It also serves as a partition that defines the connector accommodation space s1.
  • FIG. 6B shows a BB cross-sectional view in FIG. 1A, that is, a cross-sectional view of the composite connector 1 cut along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction passing through the center of one electrical connection terminal 7 (the electrical connection terminal 7 and the wire 9 (illustration of the internal structure of is omitted).
  • FIG. 6B shows a BB cross-sectional view in FIG. 1A, that is, a cross-sectional view of the composite connector 1 cut along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction passing through the center of one electrical connection terminal 7 (the electrical connection terminal 7 and the wire 9 (illustration of the internal structure of is omitted).
  • the retainer member 20 that constitutes the main housing 2 has an extension 23 from which the upper wall surface extends forward.
  • the extending portion 23 extends forward from a closing surface 26 that closes the open portion 13 of the housing main body 10 and extends to the middle of the cylindrical portion 12 of the housing main body 10 in the front-rear direction.
  • a terminal locking piece 24 is provided integrally with the extending portion 23 at the front portion of the extending portion 23 .
  • the terminal locking piece 24 is configured as a plate-like small piece projecting downward from the extending portion 23 .
  • the widthwise outer surface of the terminal locking piece 24 is flush with the widthwise outer surface of the closing surface 26 . It's getting bigger.
  • a window portion 17 is provided as a through-hole into which the terminal locking piece 24 can enter when the retainer member 20 is coupled to the side wall surface of the housing main body 10 . there is When the retainer member 20 is coupled to the housing body 10 , the terminal locking piece 24 is pushed inward (or +b direction).
  • the position of the terminal locking piece 24 is such that when the electrical connection terminal 7 is inserted into the terminal accommodating space s2 of the cylindrical portion 12 of the housing main body 10 and the retainer member 20 is attached, the stepped structure 71 of the electrical connection terminal 7 is positioned. It is designed to correspond to the position of More specifically, in a state in which the electrical connection terminal 7 is inserted into the terminal accommodating space s2 to a position where the electrical connection terminal 7 abuts against the housing end face 11, the position of the stepped structure 71 of the electrical connection terminal 7, that is, the height from the front to the rear.
  • the position of the terminal locking piece 24 in the retainer member 20 is set so that the position of the front end portion 241 of the terminal locking piece 24 corresponds to the position of the changing step. Moreover, the height of the step in the stepped structure 71 and the height of the protrusion of the terminal locking piece 24 from the inner surface of the main housing 2 are the same.
  • the stepped structure 71 of the electrical connection terminal 7 in the composite connector 1 can be positioned as shown in FIG. 6B.
  • the terminal locking piece 24 is locked in the longitudinal direction.
  • the terminal locking piece 24 abuts on the outer surface of the electrical connection terminal 7 at the rear portion of the stepped structure 71 (the portion below the stepped portion).
  • the locking structure between the terminal locking piece 24 and the stepped structure 71 of the electrical connection terminal 7 positions the electrical connection terminal 7 within the main housing 2 .
  • the vertical dimension of the terminal locking piece 24 extends over both positions of the two electrical connection terminals 7 arranged in parallel.
  • the two electrical connection terminals 7 can be positioned at the same time.
  • the electrical connection terminal 7 is provided with a protruding structure 72 in front of the stepped structure 71.
  • the protruding structure 72 is projected onto the housing main body. 10
  • the electrical connection terminal 7 is temporarily locked in the main housing 2, and then the electrical connection terminal 7 is firmly held at a predetermined position in the main housing 2 by the terminal locking piece 24. It will be fixed.
  • the terminal locking pieces 24 that are locked to the step structure 71 of the electrical connection terminal 7 are locking projections 31 that are locked to the locking projections 31 of the sub-housing 3 that constitutes the optical sub-connector S. It is formed forward of the composite connector 1 from the inner projection 22 . As a result, the position at which the electrical connection terminal 7 forms an electrical connection with the electrical connection terminal of the mating connector is forward of the position at which the optical ferrule 5 forms an optical connection with the optical ferrule of the mating connector. will be set.
  • the electrical connection terminal 7 has a simple connection structure in which it is directly connected to the tip of the electric wire 9, and is connected to the counterpart electrical connection terminal by male-female fitting.
  • the optical ferrule 5 is not simply connected to the tip of the optical cable 8, but the spring member 6 and the cable fixing members 83 and 84 need to be arranged close to each other. It is convenient to form the optical connection at a location deep inside the main housing 2, corresponding to being connected face-to-face.
  • the electrical connection by the electrical connection terminal 7 is formed in front of the optical connection by the optical ferrule 5. 1 can be constructed with a simple configuration.
  • the preassembled optical sub-connector S and the electrical connection terminals 7 coupled with the electric wires 9 are inserted into the sub-connector accommodating space s1 and the terminal accommodating space s2 of the housing main body 10, respectively. , insert from behind.
  • the optical sub-connector S is positioned by inserting the small cylindrical portion 33 of the sub-housing 3 into the through hole of the contact portion 16 and bringing the end surface 321 of the sub-receiving portion into contact with the inner contact surface 161 .
  • the electrical connection terminal 7 is temporarily locked by the protruding structure 72 at the position where the tip is brought into contact with the housing end surface 11 .
  • the retainer member 20 is attached so that the open portion 13 of the housing main body portion 10 is closed by the closing surface 26 of the retainer member 20 .
  • the locking inner protrusion 22 provided inside the closing surface 26 is locked to the locking projection 31 of the sub-housing 3, and the terminal locking piece 24 is connected to the two electrical connection terminals 7 in a stepped structure. 71 to be locked.
  • the claw members 15 of the housing body 10 and the claw members 25 of the retainer member 20 are engaged with each other.
  • the housing main body 10 and the retainer member 20 are coupled by forming the locking structure on each part and then locking the locking tabs 21 of the retainer member 20 to the locking protrusions 14 of the housing main body 10 . do.
  • the composite connector 1 containing the optical ferrule 5 and the electrical connection terminals 7 at predetermined positions within the main housing 2 can be easily manufactured.
  • the main housing 2 is composed of the housing main body 10 and the retainer member 20 which are divided in the width direction.
  • An internal protrusion 22 and a terminal locking piece 24 for holding the electrical connection terminal 7 are provided.
  • the main housing 2 does not necessarily have to be divided into a plurality of divided members, and even if it is divided into divided members, the form of division may be different from the above, such as division in the front-rear direction. There may be.
  • the locking inner projection and the terminal locking piece may be provided on either of the divided members. , or may be provided on a separate split member.
  • the locking inner projection 22 and the terminal locking piece 24 should be provided on a common divided member (the retainer member 20 in the above), and furthermore, the locking inner projection 22 and the terminal locking piece 24 should be provided on a common divided member (retainer member 20 in the above).
  • the type and number of the electrical connection terminals 7 are not particularly limited.
  • the electrical connection terminal 7 may be either a general terminal that is not assumed to conform to a specific standard or a terminal that satisfies a predetermined standard such as the Ethernet (registered trademark) standard.
  • the configuration using general terminals is excellent in terms of low cost, and the configuration using terminals satisfying a predetermined standard is excellent in terms of ensuring the performance of the electrical connection part such as communication performance.
  • the direction in which the electrical connection terminals 7 are arranged is not particularly limited.
  • the pair of electrical connection terminals 7 are arranged in the vertical direction (direction c) together with the sub-housing 3 housing the optical ferrule 5 (hereinafter referred to as serial arrangement).
  • a pair of electrical connection terminals 7 may be arranged in the width direction (b direction) and arranged in the vertical direction (c direction) with the sub-housing 3 accommodating the optical ferrule 5 (hereinafter referred to as parallel arrangement). ).
  • parallel arrangement the sub-housing 3 accommodating the optical ferrule 5
  • the composite connector according to the present embodiment is a cable connector, and may be arranged in series or in parallel according to the arrangement of the electrical connection portion and the optical connection portion of the mating connector such as a substrate connector (PCB connector).
  • PCB connector substrate connector
  • the parallel arrangement makes it easier to set the overall size of the composite connector 1 smaller, and is superior in terms of space saving.
  • the composite connector 1 is not waterproof, but the composite connector 1 may be configured as a waterproof connector.
  • the composite connector 1 may be configured as a waterproof connector.
  • a form in which the opening at the rear end of the main housing 2 is closed with a waterproof plug is conceivable.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Coupling Of Light Guides (AREA)
PCT/JP2022/037080 2021-10-05 2022-10-04 光－電気複合コネクタ Ceased WO2023058635A1 (ja)

Priority Applications (4)

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JP2023552889A JP7605335B2 (ja) 2021-10-05 2022-10-04 光－電気複合コネクタ
CN202280064144.6A CN117981180A (zh) 2021-10-05 2022-10-04 光电复合连接器
DE112022004762.3T DE112022004762T5 (de) 2021-10-05 2022-10-04 Photoelektrischer Verbundverbinder
US18/696,270 US20240393543A1 (en) 2021-10-05 2022-10-04 Photoelectric composite connector

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JP2021163994 2021-10-05
JP2021-163994 2021-10-05

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WO2023058634A1 (ja) * 2021-10-05 2023-04-13 株式会社オートネットワーク技術研究所 光－電気複合コネクタ

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2001147346A (ja) * 1999-11-19 2001-05-29 Yazaki Corp 雌コネクタ
JP2003161864A (ja) * 2001-11-21 2003-06-06 Molex Inc 複合コネクタ装置

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5915058A (en) * 1998-01-05 1999-06-22 Molex Incorporated Fiber optic connector assembly
WO2007088863A1 (ja) 2006-01-31 2007-08-09 The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. 光、電気複合コネクタ
CN209928065U (zh) * 2019-04-11 2020-01-10 连讯通信(天津)有限公司 光纤连接器
WO2023058634A1 (ja) * 2021-10-05 2023-04-13 株式会社オートネットワーク技術研究所 光－電気複合コネクタ

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2001147346A (ja) * 1999-11-19 2001-05-29 Yazaki Corp 雌コネクタ
JP2003161864A (ja) * 2001-11-21 2003-06-06 Molex Inc 複合コネクタ装置

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US20240393543A1 (en) 2024-11-28
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JP7605335B2 (ja) 2024-12-24
DE112022004762T5 (de) 2024-08-29

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