WO2023089971A1 - 光コネクタ - Google Patents
光コネクタ Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2023089971A1 WO2023089971A1 PCT/JP2022/036981 JP2022036981W WO2023089971A1 WO 2023089971 A1 WO2023089971 A1 WO 2023089971A1 JP 2022036981 W JP2022036981 W JP 2022036981W WO 2023089971 A1 WO2023089971 A1 WO 2023089971A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- flange
- optical connector
- ferrule
- biasing force
- force transmission
- Prior art date
Links
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 title claims abstract description 69
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 42
- 239000013307 optical fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 50
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 39
- 239000003365 glass fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 20
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 15
- 239000011347 resin Substances 0.000 claims description 14
- 229920005989 resin Polymers 0.000 claims description 14
- 230000003068 static effect Effects 0.000 claims description 12
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 claims description 9
- 230000000149 penetrating effect Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000007769 metal material Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000008602 contraction Effects 0.000 abstract description 10
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 14
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 6
- 238000007667 floating Methods 0.000 description 5
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000013011 mating Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000000052 comparative effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000002347 injection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007924 injection Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000001746 injection moulding Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000010287 polarization Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000003825 pressing Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
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
- G02B6/02—Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating
-
- 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
Definitions
- SC type and LC type are known as ordinary single-fiber optical connectors.
- these optical connectors employ a structure in which the ferrule is biased by a coil-shaped spring material housed in the housing.
- the optical connector of the present disclosure is attached to the tip portion of an optical fiber, and the optical fiber includes a glass fiber and a resin coating covering the glass fiber.
- This optical connector includes a ferrule assembly, a housing, an elastic member, and a biasing force transmission member.
- the ferrule assembly has a ferrule and a retainer.
- the ferrule is fixed to the tip portion of the glass fiber exposed from the resin coating of the optical fiber.
- the retainer has a flange to which the rear end of the ferrule is fixed.
- the housing has an internal space in which at least the holding portion of the ferrule assembly is accommodated, and a positioning portion for restricting movement of the holding portion within the internal space.
- the elastic member biases the flange toward the positioning portion.
- the biasing force transmission member is a member that transmits the biasing force of the elastic member to the flange, and has a first surface that abuts the flange and a second surface that is located on the opposite side of the first surface and abuts the elastic member. It has two sides.
- the biasing force transmission member has a through hole for penetrating the holding portion, allows a portion of the holding portion to pass therethrough, and is rotatable about the central axis of the holding portion. It is arranged between the elastic members.
- FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the schematic structure of the optical connector of the present disclosure.
- 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining various assembling processes including alignment work of the ferrule assembly.
- FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining various structures of the ferrule assembly.
- FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the cross-sectional structure of each part of the optical connector of the present disclosure and the floating structure of the ferrule assembly housed in the housing.
- FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the effects of the optical connector of the present disclosure.
- An object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector having a structure for achieving accurate rotational positioning of the optical connector.
- the optical connector of the present disclosure is attached to the tip of an optical fiber, and the optical fiber includes a glass fiber and a resin coating covering the glass fiber.
- This optical connector includes a ferrule assembly, a housing, an elastic member, and a biasing force transmission member.
- the ferrule assembly has a ferrule and a retainer.
- the ferrule is fixed to the tip portion of the glass fiber exposed from the resin coating of the optical fiber.
- the retainer has a flange to which the rear end of the ferrule is fixed.
- the housing has an internal space in which at least the holding portion of the ferrule assembly is accommodated, and a positioning portion for restricting movement of the holding portion within the internal space.
- the elastic member biases the flange toward the positioning portion.
- the biasing force transmission member is a member that transmits the biasing force of the elastic member to the flange, and has a first surface that abuts the flange and a second surface that is located on the opposite side of the first surface and abuts the elastic member. It has two sides.
- the biasing force transmission member has a through hole for penetrating the holding portion, allows a portion of the holding portion to pass therethrough, and is rotatable about the central axis of the holding portion. It is arranged between the elastic members.
- the through-hole of the biasing force transmission member penetrates a part of the retaining portion, and the biasing force transmission member is movable along the central axis of the retaining portion. It also has a size that allows it to rotate around the central axis.
- the biasing force transmission member may be composed of a plurality of biasing force transmission elements.
- Each of the plurality of urging force transmission elements has a hole forming part of the through hole of the urging force transmission member.
- each of the plurality of biasing force transmission elements penetrates a part of the holding portion and is arranged along the central axis of the holding portion so as to be rotatable about the central axis of the holding portion. That is, before the biasing force is applied by the elastic member, the holes of each of the plurality of biasing force transmission elements pass through a part of the retaining portion, and the biasing force transmission elements are movable along the central axis of the retaining portion.
- the maximum width of the plane figure defined by the outer contour of the first surface of the biasing force transmission member is defined by the outer contour of the flange surface with which the first surface abuts. Less than the maximum width of the plane figure.
- the maximum width of the plan figure defined by the outer contour of the second surface of the biasing force transmission member is the maximum width of the plan figure surrounded by the elastic member when viewed along the central axis of the holding part. It may be larger than wide.
- the contact area between the first surface of the biasing force transmission member and the flange may have an annular shape centered on the central axis of the holding portion. In this case, a contact state symmetrical with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber can be realized between the flange and the biasing force transmission member.
- the coefficient of static friction between the flange and the biasing force transmission member may be smaller than the coefficient of static friction between the flange and the elastic member. In this case, transmission of rotational torque from the elastic member to the flange can be further relaxed.
- the material of the flange may be metal, and the material of the biasing force transmission member may be resin.
- the material so as to reduce the coefficient of static friction between the flange and the biasing force transmission member with respect to the coefficient of static friction between the flange and the elastic member Alleviation of the transmission of rotational torque to the flange becomes feasible.
- the optical fiber may be any one of a multi-core fiber, a polarization-maintaining fiber, and a bundle fiber. High-accuracy positioning is achieved in optical fibers that require positioning in the rotational direction, and as a result, low connection loss can be achieved.
- the holding portion may include a sleeve into which the rear end portion of the ferrule is inserted, and the central axis of the sleeve is aligned with the central axis of the holding portion. I am doing it. In this case, the attachment of the flange to the sleeve facilitates handling of the holding portion.
- the positioning portion is arranged to move in a direction along the central axis of the holding portion and in a direction intersecting the central axis of the holding portion. Restrict. This stabilizes the posture of the holding portion within the internal space of the housing.
- the elastic member may be a spring member that rotates in a circumferential direction around a direction in which it expands and contracts when expanding and contracting. Even when rotational torque is generated in the spring material, the biasing force of the spring material is transmitted to the flange via the biasing force transmission member of the present disclosure, so that the rotational positioning of the ferrule within the housing can be realized and maintained with high accuracy.
- FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the schematic structure of the optical connector of the present disclosure. Specifically, an example of the appearance of a push-pull type optical connector 10 is shown at the top (denoted as “single-core connector” in FIG. 1) as an example of the optical connector of the present disclosure.
- the second stage referred to as "connector front face 1" in FIG. 1
- MCF50A multi-core optical fiber
- FIG. 2 A front view of the containing optical connector 10 is shown.
- optical fiber 50 to which the ferrule 110 is attached is the optical connector 10 including the end face of PMF 50B (polarization maintaining optical fiber).
- a front view is shown.
- a front view and a cross-sectional view of a bundle fiber 50C in which a plurality of single-core optical fibers are bundled are shown at the bottom (referred to as "connector front face 3" in FIG. 1).
- the ferrule assembly 100 includes a ferrule 110 attached to the tip portion of the glass fiber 51 from which the resin coating has been removed, and a holding portion 13 composed of a flange 130 and a sleeve 120.
- the rear end of the ferrule 110 is inserted into the sleeve 120 to fix the ferrule 110 to the holding portion 13 .
- the MCF 50A includes a plurality of cores 52A each extending along the central axis of the MCF 50A corresponding to the fiber axis AX, and a common clad 53A surrounding each of the plurality of cores 52A.
- Line L A indicates the rotational alignment reference orientation of MCF 50A, i.e., the orientation for a rotation angle of 0°
- line L R indicates the flange rotation angle reference, along the edge of flange 130, of ferrule assembly 100. This is the installation reference line.
- the lines LA and LR are parallel.
- the front view of the optical connector 10 shown in the third stage of FIG. Sleeve 120 with 110 inserted and flange 130 are shown.
- the PMF 50B includes a core 52B extending along the central axis of the PMF 50B corresponding to the fiber axis AX, stress-applying portions 54 arranged to sandwich the core 52B, and a common clad 53B surrounding the core 52B and the stress-applying portions 54, respectively. And prepare. In the ferrule assembly 100 including the PMF 50B after alignment, the lines LA and LR are parallel.
- the front view of the optical connector 10 shown at the bottom of FIG. 1 shows an end face of a bundle fiber 50C as an optical fiber 50 requiring alignment, and tips of a plurality of single-core optical fibers 500 forming the bundle fiber 50C.
- Ferrule 110 with parts integrally attached, sleeve 120 into which ferrule 110 is inserted, and flange 130 are shown.
- Each of the plurality of single-core optical fibers 500 is composed of a glass fiber 510 and a resin coating, and each glass fiber 510 has a core 520 and a clad 530 .
- a glass fiber 510 bundled by a ferrule 110 constitutes a glass fiber 51C.
- the arrangement of the core 520 in a state in which the plurality of glass fibers 510 are bundled substantially corresponds to the core arrangement of the MCF 50A described above.
- the line LA and the line LR are parallel.
- FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining various assembling processes including alignment work of the ferrule assembly (referred to as "ferrule assembly assembling process" in FIG. 2).
- the upper part (denoted as “type 1” in FIG. 2) is a diagram for explaining a method of aligning the optical fiber 50 with respect to the pre-assembled ferrule assembly 100 .
- the middle section (denoted as “Type 2” in FIG. 2) shows a method of assembling the ferrule assembly 100 by aligning the optical fiber 50 with the ferrule 110 attached to the tip portion with respect to the flange 130 integrated with the sleeve 120. It is a figure for explaining.
- the lower part (denoted as “type 3” in FIG.
- the ferrule assembly 100 includes the ferrule 110 and the holding portion 13.
- the holding portion 13 includes a sleeve 120 having a front end surface 120a and a rear end surface 120b, a front surface 130a and a rear surface. It is constituted by a flange 130 having 130b.
- the rear part of the ferrule 110 is press-fitted into the opening of the through hole located on the front end face 120a of the sleeve 120, and the front end face 120a side of the sleeve 120 is press-fitted into the through hole 132 of the flange 130 with the ferrule 110 attached. .
- the alignment operation of the optical fiber 50 which is performed by rotating the optical fiber 50 by a predetermined angle in the direction indicated by the arrow S1
- the glass fiber 51 at the tip of the aligned optical fiber 50 is , the ferrule 110 of the already assembled ferrule assembly 100 is attached.
- the front view of the ferrule assembly 100 attached to the optical fiber 50 after alignment matches the front view shown in the second to bottom rows of FIG.
- the ferrule 110 is attached to the glass fiber 51 at the tip of the optical fiber 50, and the sleeve 120 is press-fitted into the through hole 132 of the flange 130.
- Alignment of the optical fiber 50 with respect to the holder 13, which is a structure composed of the sleeve 120 and the flange 130, is performed. That is, the optical fiber 50 is rotated along the direction indicated by the arrow S1. During the alignment, the optical fiber 50 is kept passing through the through hole of the holder.
- one end of the ferrule 110 attached to the tip portion of the optical fiber 50 is press-fitted into the through hole of the sleeve 120 from the front end surface 120a side of the sleeve 120 .
- the front view of the ferrule assembly 100 attached to the optical fiber 50 after alignment matches the front view shown in the second to bottom rows of FIG.
- alignments are performed. That is, the optical fiber 50 is rotated along the direction indicated by the arrow S1.
- the ferrule 110 is press-fitted into the opening of the front end face 120 a of the sleeve 120 while attached to the tip of the optical fiber 50 .
- the optical fiber 50 is maintained through the through-hole of the already assembled structure consisting of the ferrule 110 and the sleeve 120 .
- the structure attached to the tip of the optical fiber 50 that is, the ferrule 110 side of the structure composed of the ferrule 110 and the sleeve 120 is press-fitted into the through hole 132 of the flange 130 .
- the front view of the ferrule assembly 100 attached to the optical fiber 50 after alignment matches the front view shown in the second to bottom rows of FIG.
- the optical connector 10 of the present disclosure mounts an optical fiber 50 such as the MCF 50A, PMF 50B, and bundle fiber 50C shown in FIG. 1 that requires rotational positioning during optical connection. Therefore, it is important to have a structure that controls the rotation of the ferrule 110 and the flange 130 attached to the optical fiber 50 that requires rotational positioning within the housing. Specifically, the flange rotates due to the change in posture caused by the rotation of an elastic member such as a spring member in the housing. In addition, the spring member rotates in the circumferential direction centering on the direction of expansion and contraction during expansion and contraction. Therefore, in the optical connector 10 of the present disclosure, in order to suppress the rotation of the flange, a biasing force transmission member (hereinafter referred to as a "buffer ”) is provided.
- a biasing force transmission member hereinafter referred to as a "buffer ”
- the buffer may have a cylindrical shape (any cross-sectional shape) with a hole in the center so as not to interfere with the sleeve 120 of the ferrule assembly 100 .
- the buffer can be used without changing the existing sleeve 120, so it has excellent versatility.
- the face of the buffer that contacts flange 130 may be flat, biasing flange 130 across the face.
- the shape of this surface can be, for example, a circle with a hole in the center or a polygon point-symmetrical with respect to the center of the hole.
- the biasing force of the spring material is applied symmetrically to the rear surface 130b, which is the pressing surface of the flange 130, so that the generation of rotational torque due to the application of the biasing force can be effectively suppressed.
- the static coefficient of friction between the spring material and the buffer and between the buffer and the flange 130 may both be less than the static coefficient of friction between the spring material and the flange 130 .
- the material of the spring member and the flange 130 may be metal
- the material of the buffer may be resin. In this case, since the friction between the members is reduced, it is possible to block the rotational torque generated due to the expansion and contraction of the spring material by the buffer.
- the optical connector 10 of the present disclosure can suppress the rotation of the ferrule 110 due to the expansion and contraction of the spring material, and can achieve accurate rotational positioning of the ferrule 110 within the housing.
- the buffer itself can be easily manufactured, and the optical connector 10 of the present disclosure has low connection loss characteristics and manufacturability. make it possible to coexist with
- FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining various structures of the ferrule assembly based on the conditions listed above.
- the top row (labeled “before press fit” in FIG. 3) shows the components of ferrule assembly 100 before sleeve 120 is press fit into flange 130 .
- the middle row (denoted as “after press-fitting (structure 1)” in FIG. 3) shows the ferrule assembly 100 to which an example of the buffer 145 is applied.
- the lower part (denoted as "after press-fitting (structure 2)" in FIG. 3) shows the ferrule assembly 100 to which another example of the buffer 145 is applied.
- the ferrule assembly 100 includes a ferrule 110 attached to the tip portion of the optical fiber 50 from which the resin coating is removed and the glass fiber 51 is exposed, a sleeve 120, a flange 130, and a buffer. 145 and.
- the sleeve 120 and the flange 130 constitute the holding portion 13 to which the rear end portion of the ferrule 110 is fixed, and the central axis of the sleeve 120 coincides with the central axis 13 a of the holding portion 13 .
- the sleeve 120 has a front end face 120a and a rear end face 120b, and has a through hole into which the rear portion of the ferrule 110 is press-fitted with the optical fiber 50 passing therethrough.
- the flange 130 has a front surface 130a, a rear surface 130b, and a through hole 132 that connects the front surface 130a and the rear surface 130b and allows a portion of the sleeve 120 to penetrate from the rear end surface 120b toward the front end surface 120a.
- the buffer 145 has a first surface 140a, a second surface 145b, and a through hole 146 connecting the first surface 145a and the second surface 145b.
- the first surface 145a of the buffer 145 is in contact with the rear surface 130b of the flange 130, and the second surface 145b is in contact with the contact portion 141 of the elastic member (hereinafter referred to as "spring material") 140.
- the contact area between flange 130 and buffer 145 has an annular shape.
- the contact area between the spring member 140 and the buffer 145 has a shape that partially surrounds the central axis of the sleeve 120 , but is biased to a part of the ring around the central axis of the sleeve 120 .
- the spring member 140 is a member that is housed inside the housing of the optical connector 10, and expands and contracts inside the housing as the ferrule assembly 100 changes its position.
- the sleeve 120 rotates along the outer peripheral direction indicated by the arrow S2. That is, the spring member 140 itself rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow S2, and the posture of the spring member 140 changes. Therefore, the optical connector 10 of the present disclosure is provided with a buffer 145 between the flange 130 and the spring material 140 in order to avoid a state in which rotational torque is generated in the flange due to the rotation of the spring material 140 . As shown in the middle part of FIG.
- the buffer 145 is a member that transmits the biasing force of the spring member 140 to the flange 130 and is arranged between the flange 130 and the spring member 140 .
- through hole 146 of buffer 145 extends through a portion of sleeve 120 and allows buffer 145 to rotate itself circumferentially about the central axis of sleeve 120, indicated by arrow S4. It is large enough to Before the biasing force of the spring member 140 is applied, the buffer 145 is movable along the direction indicated by the arrow S3 along the central axis of the sleeve 120.
- a modified example of the buffer 145 is also shown in the middle part of FIG. That is, a modified example of the buffer 145 may be configured with a plurality of buffer elements 148a, 148b, . In this case, each of the plurality of buffer elements 148a, 148b, . It is arranged along the central axis of the sleeve 120 in a rotatable state.
- the maximum width of the plan figure defined by the outer contour of the first surface 145a of the buffer 145 is the minimum width of the plan figure defined by the outer contour of the rear surface 130b of the flange 130 against which the first surface 145a abuts. less than
- the minimum width of the second surface 145b of the buffer 145 is greater than the maximum width of the planar figure surrounded by the spring member 140 when the spring member 140 is viewed along the central axis of the sleeve 120. FIG. With this configuration, contact between the flange 130 and the spring member 140 can be avoided.
- the contact area between the first surface 145a of the buffer 145 and the rearward surface 130b of the flange 130 may have an annular shape about the central axis of the sleeve 120, as described above.
- the static coefficient of friction between flange 130 and buffer 145 may be less than the static coefficient of friction between flange 130 and spring material 140 .
- the flange 130 is made of a metal material
- the buffer 145 is made of a resin material.
- a region A shown in the lower part of FIG. 3 shows the cross-sectional structure of the buffer 145 .
- the buffer 145 has a through hole 146 through which a part of the sleeve 120 is passed, and is provided with a storage portion 147 that stores the tip portion of the spring material 140 .
- the bottom surface of the storage portion 147 of the buffer 145A corresponds to the second surface 145b of the buffer 145A.
- FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the cross-sectional structure of each part of the optical connector of the present disclosure (referred to as "connector structure 2" in FIG. 4) and the floating structure of the ferrule assembly housed in the housing.
- the upper part (denoted as “optical connector” in FIG. 4) is a cross-sectional view of the optical connector 10 taken along line II shown in the uppermost part of FIG.
- the lower part (referred to as “floating state” in FIG. 4), the front ends of the optical connector 10 and the mating optical connector are respectively inserted into the openings of the adapter so as to sandwich the adapter (the optical connector 10 and the ferrule 110A of the mating optical connector) are shown.
- the optical connector 10 has a structure that is attached to the adapter 600 by inserting the ferrule 110 into the alignment sleeve 710 inside the adapter 600 .
- the optical connector 10 has a housing for stably housing the ferrule assembly 100 attached to the tip portion of the optical fiber 50 .
- the housing of the optical connector 10 is composed of a front housing 20 and a rear housing 30 fitted into the front housing 20.
- a boot 40 is fixed to the rear housing 30 with an optical fiber 50 penetrating therethrough.
- a tip of a ferrule 110 forming a part of the ferrule assembly 100 protrudes from the front opening of the front housing 20 .
- the inner wall surface 201 of the front housing 20 is provided with positioning portions 20A and 20B having inclined surfaces with which the edges of the flange 130 of the ferrule assembly 100 to be housed come into contact.
- the inner wall surface 201 of the front housing 20 is provided with flat surfaces 200A and 200B that face the outer peripheral surface of the flange 130 of the ferrule assembly 100 .
- the internal space of the housing substantially corresponds to the internal space 200 of the front housing 20 , and the internal space 200 means a space surrounded by the inner wall surface 201 .
- a spring member 140 is housed inside the rear housing 30 , and when the rear housing 30 is inserted into the front housing 20 from the rear of the front housing 20 , the spring member 140 is pushed forward through a buffer 145 .
- the ferrule assembly 100 housed in the housing 20 and the front portion of the rear housing 30 are sandwiched and contracted.
- a through hole for drawing out the optical fiber 50 is provided in the rear portion of the rear housing 30 .
- the ferrule assembly 100 receives an elastic force from the spring member 140 via the buffer 145 , that is, the restoring force of the spring member 140 , and the edge of the end surface located on the front surface 130 a of the flange 130 contacts the positioning portion 20 A of the front housing 20 . and the positioning portion 20B. Accordingly, the positioning portion 20A and the positioning portion 20B restrict the movement of the holding portion 13 in the direction along the central axis 13a and the movement of the holding portion 13 in the direction crossing the central axis 13a.
- the adapter 600 to which the optical connector 10 is attached has a first opening into which the front end of the mating optical connector is inserted, and a front end of the optical connector 10 . It has a second opening into which the part is inserted. Further, the adapter 600 accommodates an alignment sleeve 710 that is a split sleeve and a sleeve holder 700 that holds it. After the front end of the optical connector 10 is completely inserted into the second opening of the adapter 600, that is, after the ferrule 110 is inserted into the alignment sleeve 710, the ferrule 110A of the mating optical connector is inserted through the first opening.
- the ferrule assembly 100 in the optical connector 10 is retracted in the housing of the optical connector 10 along the direction indicated by the arrow S5 in the lower part of FIG.
- the optical connector 10 has a floating structure, and the ferrule assembly 100 is installed at a position away from the inner wall surface 201 inside the optical connector 10 while being biased via the buffer 145 .
- FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the optical connector of the present disclosure (denoted as "posture variation of spring material” in FIG. 5).
- the upper part (denoted as “rotation of spring material” in FIG. 5 ) is a diagram for explaining the rotation of the spring material 140 as an example of the posture variation of the spring material 140 .
- the middle row (referred to as “comparative example” in FIG. 5) is a diagram for explaining a problem when the spring member 140 directly contacts the flange 130 of the ferrule assembly 100 as a comparative example.
- the structure applied to the optical connector 10 of the present disclosure (the structure in which the biasing force of the spring member 140 is transmitted to the flange 130 via the buffer 145) is shown. It is a figure for demonstrating an effect.
- the spring member 140 in the state accommodated in the housing as shown in the upper part of FIG. 4 has a compressed length L1.
- the spring member 140 when the ferrule assembly 100 is in the floating state as shown in the lower part of FIG. 4, the spring member 140 has a compressed length L2 that is shorter than the compressed length L1.
- both ends of the spring member 140 housed in the housing are in contact with the rear housing 30 and the ferrule assembly 100, specifically the flange 130 or the buffer 145, so that the respective contact areas are annular. do not have. That is, the contact area is not symmetrical with respect to the central axis of sleeve 120 .
- Flange 130 will also rotate along the direction indicated by arrow S6. As a result, the rotational positioning accuracy of the ferrule 110 within the housing is reduced.
- a buffer 145 is arranged between the flange 130 and the spring member 140.
- the buffer 145 is rotatable about the center axis of the buffer 145 (sleeve 120). If spring member 140 were to rotate along , that rotation would only create rotational torque on buffer 145. At least, since buffer 145 would be viewed separately from flange 130, flange 130 may experience rotational torque. Therefore, the rotational positioning of the ferrule 110 within the housing can be achieved with high accuracy.
- the coefficient of static friction between flange 130 and buffer 145 is set smaller than the coefficient of static friction between flange 130 and spring member 140. good too.
- the buffer 145 made of a resin material may be applied to the flange 130 made of a metal material.
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Optics & Photonics (AREA)
- Mechanical Coupling Of Light Guides (AREA)
Abstract
Description
本願は、2021年11月19日に出願された日本特許出願第2021-188449号による優先権を主張するものであり、その内容に依拠すると共に、その全体を参照して本明細書に組み込む。
発明者は、上述の従来技術について検討した結果、以下のような課題を発見した。すなわち、従来の光コネクタにおいて、フェルールの付勢状態では、バネ材の一端はハウジングの内壁に当接する一方、他端はフェルール側に設けられたフランジに当接している。付勢されたフェルールの位置変動に伴ってバネ材が伸縮することになる。しかしながら、ハウジング内壁面およびフランジそれぞれにおけるバネ材との接触領域は、フェルール中心軸を取り囲むように円環状に分布しているわけではない。そのため、バネ材の伸縮が発生すると、各部材とバネ材との間の摩擦により、バネ材に回転トルクが発生する。これにより、バネ材が回転し、該バネ材の姿勢変動が生じる。このバネ材の回転により、バネ材と直接接触しているフランジにも回転トルクが生じ、結果、ハウジング内におけるフェルールおよびフランジを回転させる要因となっていた。
本開示の光コネクタによれば、ハウジング内にけるフェルールアセンブリの位置変動に伴う弾性部材の伸縮に起因したフェルールの回転を抑制し、ハウジング内でのフェルールの回転位置決めが精度よく実現され得る。
最初に本開示の実施形態の内容をそれぞれ個別に列挙して説明する。
以下、本開示に係る光コネクタの具体例を、添付図面を参照しながら詳細に説明する。なお、本発明はこれらの例示に限定されるものではなく、請求の範囲によって示され、請求の範囲と均等の意味および範囲内での全ての変更が含まれることが意図される。また、図面の説明において同一の要素には同一符号を付して重複する説明を省略する。
(第1条件)
バッファは、フェルールアセンブリ100のスリーブ120と干渉しないような、中心に穴が空いた筒状の形状(断面形状が任意)であってもよい。この場合、バッファは、既存のスリーブ120を変更することなく使用できるため、汎用性に優れる。
(第2条件)
フランジ130に接触するバッファの面は平坦であってもよく、面全体でフランジ130を付勢する。この面の形状は例えば、中心に孔のあいた円、穴の中心に対し点対象な多角形が採用可能である。この場合、バネ材の付勢力がフランジ130の加圧面となる後方面130bに対し対称的に印加されるため、付勢力印加による回転トルクの発生が効果的に抑制され得る。
(第3条件)
バネ材とバッファとの間、および、バッファとフランジ130との間の静止摩擦係数は、いずれもバネ材とフランジ130との間の静止摩擦係数よりも小さくてもよい。例えば、バネ材およびフランジ130の材料は金属であってもよく、バッファの材料は樹脂であってもよい。この場合、部材間の摩擦が低下するため、バネ材の伸縮に起因して生じた回転トルクをバッファで遮断することが可能になる。
13…保持部
13a…中心軸
20…前方ハウジング
20A、20B…位置決め部
30…後方ハウジング
40…ブーツ
50…光ファイバ
50A…MCF
50B…PMF
50C…バンドルファイバ
51、51A、51B、51C、510…ガラスファイバ
52A、52B、520…コア
53A、53B…共通クラッド
54…応力付与部
100…フェルールアセンブリ
110…フェルール
120…スリーブ
120a…前方端面
120b…後方端面
130…フランジ
130a…前方面
130b…後方面
132…貫通孔
140…バネ材
141…当接部分
145…バッファ
145a…第1面
145b…第2面
146…貫通孔
147…収納部
148aから148n…バッファ要素
200A、200B…平坦面
200…内部空間
201…内壁面
500…単芯光ファイバ
530…クラッド
600…アダプタ
700…スリーブホルダ
710…アライメントスリーブ
AX…ファイバ軸
S1からS6…矢印
LA…基準方位
LR…設置基準線
Claims (10)
- ガラスファイバと、前記ガラスファイバを覆う樹脂被覆と、を含む光ファイバに取り付けられた光コネクタであって、
前記光ファイバのうち前記樹脂被覆から露出した前記ガラスファイバの先端部分に固定されたフェルールと、前記フェルールの後方端部が固定されフランジが設けられた保持部と、を有するフェルールアセンブリと、
前記フェルールアセンブリのうち少なくとも前記保持部が収納された内部空間と、前記内部空間内における前記保持部の移動を制限するための位置決め部と、を有するハウジングと、
前記位置決め部に向かって前記フランジを付勢する弾性部材と、
前記フランジに当接される第1面と、前記第1面の反対側に位置して前記弾性部材に当接される第2面と、を有し、前記弾性部材による付勢力を前記フランジに伝達する付勢力伝達部材と、
を備え、
前記付勢力伝達部材は、前記保持部を貫通させるための貫通孔を有し、前記保持部の一部を貫通させ、かつ、前記保持部の中心軸を中心として回転可能な状態で、前記フランジと前記弾性部材との間に配置されている、
光コネクタ。 - 前記付勢力伝達部材は、複数の付勢力伝達要素により構成され、
前記複数の付勢力伝達要素それぞれは、前記貫通孔の一部を構成する孔を有し、前記保持部の一部を貫通させ、かつ、前記保持部の前記中心軸を中心として回転可能な状態で、前記保持部の前記中心軸に沿って配置されている、
請求項1に記載の光コネクタ。 - 前記付勢力伝達部材の前記第1面の外側輪郭で定義される平面図形の最大幅は、前記第1面が当接される前記フランジの面の外側輪郭で定義される平面図形の最小幅よりも小さく、前記付勢力伝達部材の前記第2面の外側輪郭で定義される平面図形の最小幅は、前記保持部の前記中心軸に沿って前記弾性部材を見たときに前記弾性部材により取り囲まれた平面図形の最大幅よりも大きい、
請求項1または請求項2に記載の光コネクタ。 - 前記付勢力伝達部材の前記第1面と前記フランジとの接触領域は、前記保持部の前記中心軸を中心とした環状形状を有する、
請求項1から請求項3のいずれか一項に記載の光コネクタ。 - 前記フランジと前記付勢力伝達部材との間の静止摩擦係数は、前記フランジと前記弾性部材間との間の静止摩擦係数よりも小さい、
請求項1から請求項4のいずれか一項に記載の光コネクタ。 - 前記フランジは、金属材料からなり、前記付勢力伝達部材は、樹脂材料からなる、
請求項1から請求項5のいずれか一項に記載の光コネクタ。 - 前記光ファイバは、マルチコアファイバ、偏波保持ファイバ、およびバンドルファイバのいずれかである、
請求項1から請求項6のいずれか一項に記載の光コネクタ。 - 前記保持部は、前記フェルールの前記後方端部が差し込まれたスリーブを含み、
前記スリーブの中心軸は、前記保持部の前記中心軸に一致している、
請求項1から請求項7のいずれか一項に記載の光コネクタ。 - 前記位置決め部は、前記保持部の前記中心軸に沿った方向の移動、および前記保持部の前記中心軸に沿った方向に交差する方向の移動を制限する、
請求項1から請求項8のいずれか一項に記載の光コネクタ。 - 前記弾性部材は、伸縮時に伸縮する方向を中心とした円周方向に回転するバネ材である、
請求項1から請求項9のいずれか一項に記載の光コネクタ。
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP22895257.8A EP4435482A1 (en) | 2021-11-19 | 2022-10-03 | Optical connector |
JP2023561439A JPWO2023089971A1 (ja) | 2021-11-19 | 2022-10-03 | |
CN202280069381.1A CN118103745A (zh) | 2021-11-19 | 2022-10-03 | 光连接器 |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2021-188449 | 2021-11-19 | ||
JP2021188449 | 2021-11-19 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2023089971A1 true WO2023089971A1 (ja) | 2023-05-25 |
Family
ID=86396688
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2022/036981 WO2023089971A1 (ja) | 2021-11-19 | 2022-10-03 | 光コネクタ |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP4435482A1 (ja) |
JP (1) | JPWO2023089971A1 (ja) |
CN (1) | CN118103745A (ja) |
WO (1) | WO2023089971A1 (ja) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN117369057A (zh) * | 2023-09-28 | 2024-01-09 | 江苏纳光通信科技有限公司 | 光纤馈通组件及防护方法 |
Citations (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS6423210A (en) * | 1987-06-30 | 1989-01-25 | American Telephone & Telegraph | Optical fiber connector |
US4881792A (en) * | 1988-03-31 | 1989-11-21 | American Telephone And Telegraph Company, At&T Bell Laboratories | Self-adjusting optical fiber connector assembly |
JPH02272507A (ja) * | 1989-03-09 | 1990-11-07 | Amp Inc | 光ファイバ用コネクタ |
JPH0694942A (ja) * | 1992-07-02 | 1994-04-08 | Molex Inc | 光ファイバコネクタ及びその組立ツール |
JP3019449U (ja) * | 1994-06-29 | 1995-12-19 | モレックス インコーポレーテッド | 光ファイバーコネクタ |
US20040052474A1 (en) * | 2002-09-13 | 2004-03-18 | Fitel U.S.A. Corporation | Robust fiber connector |
US20050084215A1 (en) * | 2003-05-27 | 2005-04-21 | Barbara Grzegorzewska | Rotationally adjustable fiber optic connector |
JP2014106440A (ja) | 2012-11-29 | 2014-06-09 | Optoquest Co Ltd | 回転防止機構を有するマルチコアファイバ用接続器 |
JP2015001570A (ja) | 2013-06-13 | 2015-01-05 | コニカミノルタ株式会社 | 光接続装置 |
JP2021188449A (ja) | 2020-06-03 | 2021-12-13 | 旭トステム外装株式会社 | 外壁材の横ズレ防止構造 |
-
2022
- 2022-10-03 EP EP22895257.8A patent/EP4435482A1/en active Pending
- 2022-10-03 JP JP2023561439A patent/JPWO2023089971A1/ja active Pending
- 2022-10-03 CN CN202280069381.1A patent/CN118103745A/zh active Pending
- 2022-10-03 WO PCT/JP2022/036981 patent/WO2023089971A1/ja active Application Filing
Patent Citations (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS6423210A (en) * | 1987-06-30 | 1989-01-25 | American Telephone & Telegraph | Optical fiber connector |
US4881792A (en) * | 1988-03-31 | 1989-11-21 | American Telephone And Telegraph Company, At&T Bell Laboratories | Self-adjusting optical fiber connector assembly |
JPH02272507A (ja) * | 1989-03-09 | 1990-11-07 | Amp Inc | 光ファイバ用コネクタ |
JPH0694942A (ja) * | 1992-07-02 | 1994-04-08 | Molex Inc | 光ファイバコネクタ及びその組立ツール |
JP3019449U (ja) * | 1994-06-29 | 1995-12-19 | モレックス インコーポレーテッド | 光ファイバーコネクタ |
US20040052474A1 (en) * | 2002-09-13 | 2004-03-18 | Fitel U.S.A. Corporation | Robust fiber connector |
US20050084215A1 (en) * | 2003-05-27 | 2005-04-21 | Barbara Grzegorzewska | Rotationally adjustable fiber optic connector |
JP2014106440A (ja) | 2012-11-29 | 2014-06-09 | Optoquest Co Ltd | 回転防止機構を有するマルチコアファイバ用接続器 |
JP2015001570A (ja) | 2013-06-13 | 2015-01-05 | コニカミノルタ株式会社 | 光接続装置 |
JP2021188449A (ja) | 2020-06-03 | 2021-12-13 | 旭トステム外装株式会社 | 外壁材の横ズレ防止構造 |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN117369057A (zh) * | 2023-09-28 | 2024-01-09 | 江苏纳光通信科技有限公司 | 光纤馈通组件及防护方法 |
CN117369057B (zh) * | 2023-09-28 | 2024-05-10 | 江苏纳光通信科技有限公司 | 光纤馈通组件及防护方法 |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP4435482A1 (en) | 2024-09-25 |
JPWO2023089971A1 (ja) | 2023-05-25 |
CN118103745A (zh) | 2024-05-28 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US20160131851A1 (en) | Fiber optic connector | |
US10670814B2 (en) | Optical connector and optical connection structure | |
US11940655B2 (en) | Optical connector and optical connection structure | |
JP7047314B2 (ja) | 光コネクタおよび光接続構造 | |
US20100247040A1 (en) | Ferrule connecting structure | |
WO2023089971A1 (ja) | 光コネクタ | |
US20180348442A1 (en) | Optical connector | |
WO2023062934A1 (ja) | 光コネクタ | |
JP3569844B2 (ja) | 光コネクタプラグ及び光ファイバコネクタ | |
WO2023053754A1 (ja) | 光接続部品 | |
WO2023188833A1 (ja) | 光コネクタ | |
JPH0756053A (ja) | 光コネクタフェルールの回転止め構造 | |
WO2023281976A1 (ja) | 光コネクタ | |
WO2023281979A1 (ja) | 光コネクタ | |
WO2022131169A1 (ja) | 光コネクタ及び光接続構造 | |
JP2014115352A (ja) | レンズ付き接続体、光ファイバ接続構造体、及び光コネクタ | |
WO2024142472A1 (ja) | 光ファイバ保持部品およびフェルールアセンブリ | |
JP2021119363A (ja) | 光コネクタおよび光接続構造 | |
WO2023188976A1 (ja) | 光コネクタフェルールおよび光コネクタ | |
US20230176292A1 (en) | Optical connector and optical connection structure | |
WO2024147241A1 (ja) | 光コネクタフェルール、光コネクタ、及び光結合構造 | |
JP2593325Y2 (ja) | 光ファイバアダプタ | |
JP3445223B2 (ja) | 光コネクタおよびその組立方法 | |
JPWO2023053754A5 (ja) | ||
JPWO2023089971A5 (ja) |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application |
Ref document number: 22895257 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 202280069381.1 Country of ref document: CN |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: 2023561439 Country of ref document: JP Kind code of ref document: A |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2022895257 Country of ref document: EP |
|
NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: DE |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: 2022895257 Country of ref document: EP Effective date: 20240619 |