JP4283433B2 - Optical connector - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical connector used to connect an optical fiber and an optical fiber, or an optical fiber and various devices.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The optical fiber in the optical connector is fixed by a method such as adhering an optical fiber strand to the ferrule attached to the end of the optical fiber with an adhesive or crimping the rear part of the ferrule to the optical fiber. However, fixing by bonding has problems such as poor productivity and difficult work on site, and caulking fixing lacks reliability in terms of fixing reliability and protection of optical fiber strands. An optical connector for holding an optical fiber has been devised and proposed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Nos. 62-6705, 10-31129, 2000-47056 and the like.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional optical connector of the type in which the optical fiber is fixed by the chuck, when the optical fiber strand (hereinafter also simply referred to as a strand) is inserted into the strand holding hole of the built-in collet chuck, the tip of the strand is the collet. The connector may not be inserted properly by hitting the end, and it is not easy to attach the connector to the optical fiber.
[0004]
In the conventional optical connector, it is not guaranteed that the optical fiber strand goes straight toward the holding hole. On the other hand, the position of the tip of the strand and the holding hole cannot be visually confirmed at the time of insertion. Therefore, the strand may deviate from the position of the holding hole, and the insertion may be repeated many times. It was troublesome.
[0005]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to enable easy and smooth mounting of an optical connector with a built-in chuck to an optical fiber.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, a function of guiding an optical fiber strand inserted into the optical connector to the strand holding portion of the chuck is provided. Specifically, a ferrule for centering and supporting an optical fiber strand peeled off at the end of the optical cord following the optical fiber core wire through a center hole, and a connecting pipe provided continuously to the rear portion of the ferrule; , A collet chuck built in the connecting pipe, a cylindrical holder connected to the rear part of the connecting pipe, and a rear part inserted into the hole of the cylindrical holder so that the cylindrical holder and the connecting pipe are coaxial with the collet chuck. positioned to be located rearward of the collet chuck, a guide tube inside diameter of holes are sized to be supported by inserting an optical fiber, provided this guide tube between the tubular holder, rear side the an elastic body for urging the collet without possible necked to forward through the guide tube, the collet chuck consists clamping the ring into engagement with the outer periphery of the collet and its collet, the optical fiber Line is induced in the wire holding part of the induced by the collet to the guide tube, wherein a force of the elastic body collet is pushed into the clamping ring to shrink after its induction, optical fiber by the collet chuck And support of the optical fiber core wire by the guide tube.
[0007]
In this optical connector, it is more preferable that a guide hole for guiding the optical fiber strand that has passed through the collet to the central hole of the ferrule is provided inside the connecting pipe.
[0008]
Further, the ferrule and the connecting pipe may be formed integrally, and when the structure is disadvantageous in processing or when different materials are desired, both may be processed separately and integrated. When the shape of the connector becomes complicated, the connecting pipe itself may be constituted by joining a plurality of parts, which also brings about an effect of facilitating processing.
[0009]
Furthermore, the collet chuck is structured to convert the pressing force of the collet against the clamping ring into the collet contracting force at the tapered surface, but the collet chuck used in this invention has the tapered surface for motion conversion at the outer periphery of the collet. It may be provided on either the inner periphery of the fastening ring. The fastening ring may be either an independent ring or a ring formed integrally in the connecting pipe, whichever is advantageous.
[0010]
[Action]
In the optical connector of the present invention, the holder is first temporarily fixed to the connecting pipe. At this time, the elastic body is lightly compressed to such an extent that the chuck is not tightened, and the guide tube is lightly pressed against the collet by the force of the elastic body. Further, the guide tube is positioned coaxially with the chuck by the connecting tube and the holder.
[0011]
When the optical fiber strand is inserted into the holder from the rear in this state, the strand enters the guide tube entering the hole of the holder and is guided by the guide tube to be securely inserted into the collet strand holding portion. . Thereafter, the optical fiber strand that has passed through the collet enters the center hole of the ferrule. At this time, a centering effect by the collet is obtained, and if there is a guide hole for guiding the element wire to the center hole of the ferrule, an induction effect by the hole is also generated, and the element wire is smoothly passed through the ferrule. Therefore, the wire insertion work that has been complicated by the conventional optical connector is extremely simplified.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1 and 2 show a first embodiment of an optical connector according to the present invention.
[0013]
This optical connector includes a ferrule 1, a connecting pipe 2 integrated with the ferrule, a collet chuck 3 provided inside the connecting pipe, a cylindrical holder 4 screwed to the rear portion of the connecting pipe 2, and a collet chuck 3 A guide tube 5 provided behind the coil tube 6, a coil spring 6 contracted between the guide tube 5 and the holder 4, a coupling nut 7 attached to the outer periphery of the connecting tube 2, and the ferrule 1 facing the connector to be coupled. It consists of a spring 8 that pushes and a hood 9 that covers the space between the middle of the connecting tube 2 and the outer cover 23 of the optical cord 20.
[0014]
The ferrule 1 has a center hole 1A, and the optical fiber strand 21 inserted into the hole is centered and supported by the hole. The entrance portion of the center hole 1A is chamfered so that the strands 21 can easily enter. The ferrule 1 shown in the figure is made of zirconia, and the rear portion is press-fitted into the connecting pipe 2 and fixed.
[0015]
For easy processing, the connecting pipe 2 is divided into a metal cylindrical front frame 2A to be fitted to the cylindrical portion of the mating connector and a metal cylindrical rear frame 2B into which the collet chuck 3 is assembled. Is press-fitted and integrated. Further, a tapered guide hole 2C is provided inside the frame 2A to guide the optical fiber strand 21 passing through the chuck 3 to the center hole 1A of the ferrule.
[0016]
The collet chuck 3 includes a collet 3A that is slidably incorporated in the connecting pipe 2 in the longitudinal direction, and a tightening ring 3B that is engaged with the outer periphery of the collet 3A.
[0017]
The collet 3A is provided with a split groove 3C shown in FIG. 2 on the rear side so that the rear side can be reduced in diameter, and is chamfered at the center on the rear side to open the wire holding portion 3D (in the drawing, it is a hole). ). Further, centering is performed by receiving and supporting the front end side with a tightening ring 3B fitted to the hole surface of the connecting pipe 2 and the rear side to the hole of the connecting pipe. The collet 3A can be made at low cost when formed of a synthetic resin such as polyacetal. In addition, the strand holding portion 3D is preferably a hole formed by combining an arc groove or a V-groove so as to obtain a centripetal effect.
[0018]
The fastening ring 3B is brought into contact with a step portion 2D provided inside the connecting pipe 2 in order to stop the leftward movement in the drawing.
[0019]
The holder 4 is made of metal, and has a male screw 4A to be screwed into the connecting tube 2 on the outer periphery of the tip, a jacket support hole 4B in the center of the rear portion, and a small diameter hole 4C in front of the hole 4B.
[0020]
The guide tube 5 is sized so that the inner diameter of the hole 5A can be supported by inserting the optical fiber core wire 22, and chamfering is made to facilitate insertion of the optical fiber strand 21 and the core wire 22 into the inlet of the hole 5A. Has been given. A flange 5B for receiving one end of the coil spring 6 is provided at the tip of the guide tube 5, the outer periphery of the flange 5B is supported by the hole surface of the connecting tube 2, and the rear portion of the guide tube 5 is the hole surface of the small diameter hole 4C. The guide tube 5 is centered by being supported by.
[0021]
The coupling nut 7 is used for connection with a mating connector, but the coupling with the mating connector may be performed using another coupling tool.
[0022]
1 configured as described above, the holder 4 is lightly screwed into the connecting tube 2 to be temporarily coupled, and the optical cord 20 is attached in this state. At this time, the spring 6 is lightly compressed and the guide tube 5 is lightly pressed against the collet 3A by the force of the spring, but the chuck 3 is not tightened by the force of the spring 6. That is, the rear side of the collet 3A is expanded by its own elasticity.
[0023]
In this state, when the optical fiber strand 21 peeled off at the end of the optical cord 20 is inserted into the holder 4 from behind, the strand 21 is first introduced into the guide tube 5 surrounded by the small diameter hole 4C. Thereafter, the strand 21 is guided to the guide tube 5 to reach the rear portion of the collet 3A, and smoothly enters the strand holding portion 3D of the collet connected to the hole 5A without a gap.
[0024]
The strand 21 that has passed through the collet 3A is guided into the guide hole 2C and inserted into the center hole 1A of the ferrule 1. When the strand 21 protrudes from the tip of the ferrule 1, the outer sheath 23 of the optical cord 20 is inserted into the outer sheath support hole 4B of the holder, and the optical fiber core wire 22 is inserted into the hole 5A of the guide tube, the insertion work is performed. finish.
[0025]
Therefore, the main coupling of the holder 4 is performed. As a result, the coil spring 6 is compressed and the urging force applied to the collet 3A is increased. With this force, the collet 3A is pushed into the fastening ring 3B, and the rear side of the collet 3A is contracted by the action of the tapered surface 3E. The wire is held by.
[0026]
After that, the wire 21 is cut so that the extra length protruding from the ferrule 1 is polished and the tip is polished so that the surface position is aligned with the tip of the ferrule 1, but the operation protrudes forward of the ferrule 1. It is preferable to apply the tensile force once to the strand 21. When the strand 21 is pulled forward, the collet 3A is further drawn into the fastening ring 3B by the force, and the strand 3 is more firmly held by the chuck 3. Further, it is possible to prevent the end of the finished wire, which is later pushed by the force of the spring 6 from collet 3A, from protruding from the end of the ferrule.
[0027]
The hood 9 is fitted on the outer periphery of the optical cord 20 in advance, and is attached to the position shown in FIG.
[0028]
In the optical connector of FIG. 1, a taper surface 3E for motion conversion of the collet chuck 3 is provided on the outer periphery of the collet 3A. This taper surface 3E is provided on the side of the tightening ring 3B as shown in FIG. Also good.
[0029]
Further, the tightening ring 3B may be integrally formed inside the connecting pipe 2 as shown in FIGS.
[0030]
Further, the ferrule 1 and the connecting pipe 2 may be integrally formed as shown in FIGS. The connection between the connection tube 2 and the holder 4 is not limited to the screw connection method. The connectors shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are joined by press-fitting, so that the desired optical connector can be obtained.
[0031]
In the optical connector shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a part of the chuck 3 is changed, but the configuration of the main part is almost the same as the optical connector shown in FIG.
[0032]
The optical connector shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 includes a ferrule 1 and a connecting pipe 2 that are formed in a simple shape, a holder 4 that is joined by press-fitting, and a small-diameter hole 4C in the holder 4 The basic configuration is almost the same as that of the optical connector shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, except that the jacket holding hole 4B has the same diameter and the spring nut 7, the spring 8 and the hood 9 shown in FIG. 1 are omitted.
[0033]
6 and 7, the ferrule 1 and the connecting pipe 2 are separately processed and press-fitted and fixed, the connecting pipe 2 is formed of a plurality of members, and the fastening ring 3B of the chuck 3 is shown in FIGS. Similarly to the connector 5, it can be integrally formed inside the connecting pipe 2.
[0034]
In any connector, the collet 3A may be made of metal. Further, the number of divisions by the split groove at the rear of the collet 3A is not limited to 2, and may be divided into 3 or more.
[0035]
In addition, the strand 21 can be held by forming the strand holding portion 3D in a parallel plane without a groove.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the optical connector of the present invention is provided with a guide tube that is pressed against the collet by a collet pushing elastic body (in the embodiment, it is a coil spring) behind the collet chuck, and the rear portion of the guide tube is provided. Since the hole between the holder and the collet is connected without leaving a gap between the holder and the collet, the optical fiber can be easily and easily inserted into the chuck's element holder. In addition to greatly simplifying the mounting of the connector on the optical fiber, the work efficiency is improved, and the breakage of the optical fiber due to a work mistake is reduced.
[0037]
In addition, for this purpose, it is possible to attach a connector on site without resistance, and an effect such as expansion of the range of use can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an optical connector of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of still another embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of still another embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of still another embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ferrule 1A Center hole 2 Connecting pipe 2C Tapered fiber hole 3 Collet chuck 3A Collet 3B Clamping ring 3D Strand holding part 3E Tapered surface 4 Holder 4B Covered support hole 4C Small diameter hole 5 Guide pipe 5A Guide hole 5B 鍔 6 Coil spring 20 Optical cord 21 Optical fiber 22 Optical fiber core 23 Outer sheath

Claims (5)

A ferrule for centering and supporting an optical fiber strand peeled off at the end of the optical cord following the optical fiber core by a center hole, a connecting pipe provided continuously to the rear part of the ferrule, and a connecting pipe a collet chuck having a built a tubular holder for connection to the rear of the connection tube and inserting the rear into the hole of the tubular holder, the collet is positioned in the collet chuck and coaxially with the cylindrical holder with the connecting pipe arranging behind the chuck, the inner diameter of the hole and the guide tube which is sized to be supported by inserting an optical fiber, provided this guide tube between the tubular holder, capable contracted the rear portion side and an elastic member that the collet without forwardly biased through the guide tube, the collet chuck, the collet and consists of a clamping ring engaged on the outer periphery of the collet, wherein the optical fiber is pre Is induced in the induction pipe is guided to the wire holding portion of the collet is pushed into the collet the clamping ring by the force of the elastic member after the induction to contract, the retention of the optical fiber by the collet chuck, And an optical connector configured to support the optical fiber core wire by the guide tube. The inside of the connecting tube, the optical connector according to claim 1 provided with a guide hole for guiding the optical fibers having passed through the collet into the center hole of the ferrule. The optical connector of claim 1 or 2, wherein the integrally connected by another processing the connecting tube and the ferrule. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3 are formed integrally with the clamping ring inside the connecting tube. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the connecting pipe is formed by joining a plurality of parts.

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