DE20202835U1 - Optical cable jack-plug connector has connector plugs at ends of optical cables inserted in opposing ends of socket sleeve providing both electrical and optical conductor connections - Google Patents

Abstract

The connector has a socket sleeve (21) for reception of connector plugs (19,20) fitted to the ends of corresponding optical cables on opposite sides, each connector plug provided with an integrated plug (23) for electrical conductors adjacent the optical plug (22), the socket sleeve provided with a corresponding electrical conductor socket (25) adjacent each optical plug socket (24).

Description

CCS Technology, Inc. February 21, 2002

103 Foulk Road

Wilmington, Delaware 19803 E-HE-0029-DE

USA

Optical connection device

&iacgr;&ogr; The invention relates to an optical connection device according to the preamble of claim 1.

It is known that fiber optic cables for the electrical verification of optical connections contain not only several fiber optic cables but also the same number of electrical lines. If such fiber optic cables are to be connected to one another, the state of the art requires separate connections for the fiber optic cables on the one hand and for the electrical lines on the other hand to be plugged into separate connection devices. This separation of the optical connections from the electrical connections has the disadvantage that the electrical lines have to be separated from the fiber optic cables in order to be connected to one another in a separate connection device. On the one hand, this requires a lot of work and, on the other hand, is prone to errors, since incorrect plugging can lead to the assignment of the electrical lines to the respective fiber optic cables being lost. Furthermore, the use of separate connection devices in a so-called patch panel wastes connector space.

Based on this, the present invention is based on the problem of creating a novel optical connection device.

This problem is solved by an optical connection device having the features of claim 1.

Preferred developments of the invention emerge from the subclaims and the following description. Exemplary embodiments are explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1: an optical connection device according to the state of the art in

perspective representation,
&iacgr;&ogr; Fig. 2: an optical connection device according to the invention with two optical fiber cables to be connected and a socket device in

perspective representation,
Fig. 3: a fiber optic cable to be connected from Fig. 2 in a perspective exploded view,
Fig. 4 shows a detail of Fig. 3 in an enlarged view,

Fig. 5 a detail of a fiber optic cable to be connected from Fig. 2 in

a perspective representation,
Fig. 6 the socket device of Fig. 2 in a perspective exploded view,
Fig. 7 shows a socket device according to another embodiment of the

Invention in a perspective exploded view, and
Fig. 8 shows several socket devices combined to form a so-called patch panel according to Fig. 7.

Figure 1 shows an optical connection device according to the state of the art. The connection device shown there is intended to connect two optical fiber cables, of which only plug devices 10, 11 of the optical fiber cables are shown in Figure 1. The optical fiber cables according to the state of the art have several optical fibers and several electrical lines for verifying plugged optical connections. To ensure optical connections, a socket device 12 is provided for the plug devices 10, 11.

provided. The socket device 12 shown there can only be used to establish optical connections between the individual optical fibers. To establish the connections between the electrical lines of the optical fiber cables, the electrical lines must be detached from the optical fiber and connected to one another in a separate electrical plug (not shown). According to the state of the art, each end of the optical fiber cable must therefore be connected to one another via two separate connecting devices. This means that twice the number of plugs is required. In addition, according to the

The state of the art presents the risk that when connecting several fiber optic cables, the assignment of the electrical lines to the corresponding fiber optic cables is lost due to incorrect connection. When using several such state-of-the-art connection devices in a so-called patch panel, connector space is wasted by separating the electrical and optical connections in the patch panel.

Figure 1 also shows that, according to the prior art, locking hooks 13 are arranged in the socket device 12, into which the plug devices 10, 11 engage, wherein the locking hooks 13 can be locked or released via locking elements 14 arranged on the plug devices 10, 11. The locking elements 14 are slidably mounted on the plug devices 10, 11 for this purpose.

Figure 2 shows an optical connection device according to the invention for connecting two optical fiber cables 15, 16. Each of the optical fiber cables 15, 16 in Figure 2 has several optical fibers 17 and a corresponding number of electrical lines 18. This can be seen in particular in Figure 4. The electrical lines 18 contained in the optical fiber cable 15, 16 serve to verify plugged connections between optical fibers 17. Each end of the optical fiber cables 15, 16 to be connected to one another is provided with a plug device 19, 20

assigned. Furthermore, a socket device 21 is provided, wherein the plug devices 19, 20 of the optical fiber cables 15, 16 can be plugged into the socket device 21 on one side each. In addition to a first plug 22 for the optical fibers 17, a second plug 23 for the electrical lines 18 is integrated into the plug devices 19, 20 of the two optical fiber cables 15, 16. Likewise, in addition to two first sockets 24 for the optical fibers 17, the socket device 21 has two second sockets 25 for the electrical lines 18. The two plugs 22, 23 are integrated into the plug device 20 in such a way that the same

&iacgr;&ogr; are arranged one above the other or next to each other. The same applies to the two sockets 24, 25 integrated into the socket device 21. These are also arranged one above the other or next to each other. If an optical fiber cable 15 or 16 equipped with such a plug device 19 or 20 is plugged into a socket device 21 designed in this way, optical and electrical plug connections are created or plugged in at the same time. It is therefore within the meaning of the invention to integrate the plug connections for the optical fibers 17 and the plug connections for the electrical conductors 18 in a plug device 19 or 20 and a socket device 21 without affecting the functionality and properties of the plug connections for the optical fibers 17. All plug connections between optical fibers 17 and electrical lines 18 can therefore be implemented using a socket device 21 and two plug devices 19, 20. This significantly reduces the effort required to make the connections and also significantly reduces the risk of errors. In addition, no connector space is wasted in a patch panel.

Figures 3 to 5 show in detail the structure of a plug device 19 or 20 of an optical fiber cable 15 or 16. The first plugs 22 of the plug devices 19 or 20 have a plug base body 22A on which a receiving body 26 is slidably arranged. The optical fibers 17 and the electrical lines 18 are led to the plug base body 22A or the receiving body 26 from one side. As

As can be seen in particular from Figure 4, both the optical waveguides 17 are covered by a protective cover 27 and the electrical lines 18 by a protective cover 28. The protective covers 27, 28 are removed immediately in front of the receiving body 26 in order to feed the individual optical waveguides 17 or electrical lines 18 to the plug base body 22A or the receiving body 26. As can be seen in particular from Figure 4, the protective cover 27 for the optical waveguides 17 is slotted in the longitudinal direction and is guided together with the protective cover 28 for the electrical lines 18 under a crimp sleeve 29. The

Î Optical fibers 17 are guided into a central section of the plug base body 22A and thus made available to the first plug 22. In order to integrate the second plug 23 for the electrical lines 18 into the receiving body 26, the latter has a receiving space 30. Grooves 31 are assigned to the receiving space 30, which serve as guide devices for projections 32 of the second plug 23. As can be seen in particular from Figure 5, the projections 32 of the second plug 23 engage in the grooves 31 of the receiving space 30 in the assembled state. The second plug 23 for the electrical lines 18 then protrudes with a section from the receiving body 26 or the receiving space 30.

The area of the receiving space 30 not filled by the second plug 23 serves to accommodate excess lengths of the electrical cables 18. The function of the first plug 22 for the optical fibers 17 is not impaired by the integration of the second plug 23 for the electrical cables 18 into the receiving body 26, the joint routing of the electrical cables 18 and optical fibers 17 on the crimp sleeve 29 and the shown routing of the electrical cables 18 to the second plug 23.

In this way, a plug-in device 19, 20 for the optical fiber cables 15, 16 is created using particularly simple means, in which plugs 22 for optical fibers 17 are integrated with plugs 23 for electrical lines 18 in a receiving body 26.

In the assembled state, a cover 33 shown in Figure 3 and a kink protection 34 are pushed over the receiving body 26 or the plug base body 22A. The kink protection 34 is pushed over the plug base body 22A and onto the crimp connection located there. The receiving body 26 thus remains displaceable relative to the plug base body 22A. The cover 33 is pushed over the kink protection 34 and over the receiving body 26, its stop and its locking lugs 35 fix the relative position between the cover 33 and the receiving body 26. The receiving body 26 is then together with the

&iacgr;&ogr; Cover 33 is movable relative to the connector base body 22A and the kink protection 34.

The socket device 21 of Figure 2 is shown in greater detail in Figure 6. According to Figure 6, the socket device 21 comprises a socket housing 36. The first plugs 22 of the optical waveguides 17 can be plugged into a central section of the socket housing 36. For the first plugs 22 of the optical waveguides 17, first sockets 39 for the optical waveguides 17 are accessible at opposite ends 37, 38 of the socket housing 36. To integrate second sockets 40 into the socket housing 36, the same has a receiving space 41 similar to the plug devices 19 and 20. In the receiving space 41, projections 42 are arranged, which serve to guide the second sockets 40. Second sockets 40 of the electrical lines 18 can thus be arranged at both ends 37, 38 of the socket housing 36 above or next to the first sockets 39 of the optical waveguides 17. According to Figure 6, the two second sockets 40 for the electrical lines 18 are electrically connected to one another via a circuit board 43. In the assembled state, the unit consisting of the circuit board 43 and the two second sockets 40 is enclosed by a cover 44.

With a socket device 21 designed in this way, first sockets 39 for optical fibers 17 and second sockets 40 for electrical lines 18 can be arranged in a socket housing in a particularly simple manner.

36. Together with the connector devices 19 and 20 described above, connections can be made between the optical fibers

17 and, on the other hand, the electrical cables 18 at the same time.

A second embodiment of a socket device 45 is shown in Figure 7. The socket device 45 of Figure 7 differs from the socket device 21 of Figure 6 in that, in addition to two first sockets 47 for optical fibers 17, only a second socket 48 for electrical lines 18 is integrated into a socket housing 46. To integrate the second socket 48 into the socket housing 46, a receiving space 49 is again provided, with a corresponding projection 50 for guiding the second socket 48. The electrical lines plugged into the second socket 48

18 are not connected to electrical lines of a fiber optic cable, in contrast to the embodiment of Figures 2 to 6, but to other electrical lines, e.g. to electrical lines on a circuit board of a patch panel. To make this possible, the second socket 48 is connected to a circuit board 51, with an angled section forming a contact element 52 of the circuit board 51, which can establish contact with a circuit board of a patch panel. This is shown in particular in Figure 8. There, several socket devices 45 according to Figure 7 are combined to form a so-called patch panel. The angled sections 52 of the circuit boards 51 are in contact with a circuit board 53 of a patch panel 54.

The socket devices 21 and 45 described above provide a modular system for plug connections. Depending on whether the electrical lines 18 of a first optical fiber cable are to be connected to the electrical lines of a second optical fiber cable or are to be routed to a circuit board of a patch panel, the appropriate circuit boards 43 and 51 are selected.

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List of reference symbols

10 Plug device 39 8th first socket 11 Plug device 40 second socket 12 Socket device 41 Recording room 13 Latching hook 42 head Start 14 Locking elements 43 circuit board 15 Fiber optic cable 44 cover 16 Fiber optic cable 45 Socket device 17 optical fiber 46 Socket housing 18 electrical line 47 first socket 19 Plug device 48 second socket 20 Plug device 49 Recording room 21 Socket device 50 head Start 22 first plug 51 circuit board 22A Connector body 52 Contact element 23 second plug 53 circuit board 24 first socket 54 Patch panel 25 second socket 26 Recording body 27 Protective cover 28 Protective cover 29 Crimp sleeve 30 Recording room 31 Groove 32 head Start 33 cover 34 Anti-kink protection 35 attack 36 Socket housing 37 End 38 End

Claims (9)

1. Optical connection device for connecting two optical fiber cables, each optical fiber cable having a plurality of optical fibers which are to be connected to corresponding optical fibers of the other optical fiber cable, at least one of the optical fiber cables having a number of electrical lines corresponding to the number of optical fibers, which are to be connected either to corresponding electrical lines of the other optical fiber cable or to other electrical lines, with a socket device, each of the two optical fiber cables being pluggable into the socket device using a plug device, characterized in that a second plug (23) for the electrical lines is integrated into the plug device ( 19 , 20 ) of the or each optical fiber cable, in addition to a first plug ( 22 ) for the optical fibers, and in that a second plug ( 23 ) for the electrical lines is integrated into the socket device ( 21 ; 45 ), in addition to two first sockets ( 24 ; 47 ) for the optical waveguides, at least one second socket ( 25 ; 48 ) for the electrical lines is integrated, such that when the or each plug device ( 19 , 20 ) is inserted into the socket device ( 21 ; 45 ), optical and electrical plug connections can be established simultaneously. 2. Optical connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the socket device ( 21 ; 45 ) has a socket housing ( 36 ; 46 ) with first sockets ( 24 ) for the optical waveguides accessible at opposite ends of the socket housing ( 36 ; 46 ), and that a receiving space ( 41 , 49 ) for arranging the or each second socket ( 25 ; 48 ) for the electrical lines is integrated into the socket housing ( 36 ; 46 ). 3. Optical connection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that two second sockets ( 25 ) for the electrical lines are integrated into the receiving space ( 41 ) of the socket housing (36), such that at the two opposite ends of the socket housing ( 36 ) a first socket ( 24 ) for the optical waveguides and a second socket ( 25 ) for the electrical lines are arranged one above the other. 4. Optical connection device according to claim 3, characterized in that the two second sockets ( 25 ) for the electrical lines are connected to one another via a circuit board ( 43 ) having electrical lines. 5. Optical connection device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the plug device ( 19 , 20 ) of an optical fiber cable, which has a first plug ( 22 ) for the optical fibers and a second plug ( 23 ) for the electrical lines, can be plugged into each end of the socket housing ( 36 ). 6. Optical connection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a second socket ( 48 ) for the electrical lines and a contact element ( 52 ) for other electrical lines are integrated into the receiving space ( 49 ) of the socket housing ( 46 ), such that a first socket ( 47 ) for the optical fibers and a second socket ( 48 ) for the electrical lines are arranged one above the other at one end of the socket housing ( 46 ), and that a first socket ( 47 ) for the optical fibers and the contact element ( 52 ) are arranged at the opposite end of the socket housing ( 46 ). 7. Optical connection device according to claim 6, characterized in that the one second socket ( 48 ) is fastened to a circuit board ( 51 ), wherein an angled end of the circuit board ( 51 ) forms the contact element ( 52 ) to other electrical lines. 8. Optical connection device according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the plug device ( 19 , 20 ) of the or each optical fiber cable, which in addition to the first plug ( 22 ) for the optical fibers also comprises a second plug ( 23 ) for the electrical lines, has a plug base body ( 22 A) and a receiving body ( 26 ) slidably arranged on the plug base body ( 22 A) with a receiving space ( 30 ) for the second plug ( 23 ), wherein the first plug ( 22 ) and the second plug ( 23 ) are arranged one above the other. 9. Optical connection device according to claim 8, characterized in that excess lengths of the electrical lines ( 18 ) can be stored in the receiving space ( 30 ).