Optical connector plug, optical connector adapter and optical connector

• US 20040072454A1
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seikoh Giken Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Seikoh Giken Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakajima, Masahiro, Minami, Kouji, Taira, Junji
• Granted Patent: US 6,908,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/79
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3807 Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3821 with axial spring biasing or loading means G02B6/3847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3877 Split sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3879 Linking of individual connector plugs to an overconnector, e.g. using clamps, clips, common housings comprising several individual connector plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3893 Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3898 Tools, e.g. handheld; Tuning wrenches; Jigs used with connectors, e.g. for extracting, removing or inserting in a panel, for engaging or coupling connectors, for assembling or disassembling components within the connector, for applying clips to hold two connectors together or for crimping tools for cleaning, G02B6/3866; tools in general B25B

Abstract

To provide an optical connector promoting reliability by reducing insertion loss of an optical fiber and downsized, there is provided an optical connector plug having a ferrule including a cylindrical member for the ferrule for holding an optical fiber and a flange member provided at a rear end portion of the cylindrical member for the ferrule, an urge spring provided on a side of a rear end portion of the flange member of the ferrule, and a plug housing for holding the ferrule and the urge spring directly at inside thereof and directly engaged with an optical connector adapter inserted with a front end portion of the ferrule to carry out optical connection, in which the plug housing is formed with a slit capable of inserting the optical fiber in a radius direction thereof at a portion of an outer periphery thereof over an axial direction.

Claims

1. An optical connector plug comprising:

a ferrule including a cylindrical member for the ferrule for holding an optical fiber and a flange member provided at a rear end portion of the cylindrical member for the ferrule;

an urge spring provided on a side of a rear end portion of the flange member of the ferrule; and

a plug housing for holding the ferrule and the urge spring directly at inside thereof and directly engaged with an optical connector adapter inserted with a front end portion of the ferrule to carry out optical connection;

wherein the plug housing is formed with a slit capable of inserting the optical fiber in a radius direction thereof at a portion of an outer periphery thereof over an axial direction.

2. The optical connector plug according to claim 1, wherein the rear end portion of the flange member is provided with an engaging portion for engaging with the plug housing and the plug housing includes a holding hole for holding the ferrule in a state of being urged by the urge spring to a front end side in the axial direction by engaging with the engaging portion of the flange member and a first rotation stopper portion engaged with the flange member for restricting movement of the ferrule in a rotating direction centering on an axis thereof.

3. The optical connector plug according to claim 2, wherein the first rotation stopper portion of the plug housing is provided to be able to change relative positions of the plug housing and the ferrule in a state in which the ferrule is pushed against the urge spring.

4. The optical connector plug according to claim 1, wherein the flange member is engaged with the optical connector adapter to restrict the ferrule from moving in the rotating direction centering on the axis of the ferrule.

5. The optical connector plug according to claim 2, wherein the flange member includes an outer periphery a section of which is rectangular, and the ferrule is restricted from moving in the rotating direction by bringing the first rotation stopper portion into contact with two faces of an outer peripheral face of the flange member on one side opposed to each other and bringing two faces of the flange member on other side into contact with the optical connector adapter.

6. The optical connector plug according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral face of the flange member is provided with an urge spring engaging projection projected over the circumferential direction, for engaging with the urge spring.

7. The optical connector plug according to claim 1, wherein an outer diameter of the cylindrical member for the ferrule is 1.25 mm.

8. An optical connector including the optical connector plug according to claim 1.

9. An optical connector adapter comprising:

a sleeve for optical connection inserted with ferrules holding optical fibers from sides of both ends thereof for bringing end faces of the ferrules into contact with each other to be connected optically; and

an adapter housing holding the sleeve for optical connection and optically coupling optical connector plugs held by the ferrules;

wherein an outer periphery of the adapter housing is provided with a first mount engaging portion attachably and detachably engaging with a mounting board or a mounting member attachably and detachably fixed to the mounting board to project from one face thereof.

10. The optical connector adapter according to claim 9, wherein the adapter housing comprising:

a housing main body provided by integral molding to open a sleeve inserting hole inserting to hold the sleeve for optical connection on one side of a side face thereof; and

a lid member fitted to the sleeve inserting hole of the housing main body;

wherein the lid member is integrally provided with the first mount engaging portion projected to a side of other face of the housing main body.

11. The optical connector adapter according to claim 10, wherein engagement of the lid member by the first mount engaging portion is disengaged by an attaching and detaching jig.

12. The optical connector adapter according to claim 11, wherein the attaching and detaching jig is provided with a shape of a pin and the engagement is disengaged by elastically deforming the first mount engaging portion by inserting the attaching and detaching jig between the first mount engaging portion and the housing main body.

13. The optical connector adapter according to claim 9, wherein the adapter housing is formed by integral molding and the one face of the adapter housing is provided with a sleeve inserting hole for inserting the sleeve for optical connection.

14. The optical connector according to claim 9, wherein an inner side of an outer edge of an opening of the sleeve inserting hole is provided with a projection of the sleeve brought into contact with an outer peripheral face of the sleeve for optical connection for preventing detachment from the sleeve inserting hole.

15. The optical connector adapter according to claim 9, wherein the side of the other face of the adapter housing is provided with a second mount engaging portion for engaging with the first mount engaging portion of other one of the adapter housing.

16. The optical connector adapter according to claim 15, wherein a plurality of pieces of the adapter housings are laminated.

17. The optical connector adapter according to claim 9, wherein the adapter housing is provided with a second rotation stopper portion engaged with an outer periphery of the ferrule for restricting the ferrule from moving in a rotating direction.

18. An optical connector comprising the optical connector adapter according to claim 9.

19. An optical connector comprising:

a ferrule comprising a cylindrical member for the ferrule holding a front end of an optical fiber and a flange member fitted to a rear end portion thereof and including an engaging portion on a side of a rear end portion of the flange member;

an optical connector plug comprising an urge spring provided on the side of the rear end portion of the flange member of the ferrule, and a plug housing directly holding the ferrule in a state of being urged to a side of a front end thereof in an axial direction by the urge spring by being engaged with the engaging portion of the ferrule and provided with a slit capable of inserting the optical fiber in a radius direction thereof at a portion of an outer periphery thereof over the axial direction and an optical connector adapter comprising a sleeve for optical connection inserted with the cylindrical members for the ferrules from sides of both ends thereof for bringing end faces of the cylindrical members for the ferrules into contact with each other to optically connect, and an adapter housing holding the sleeve for optical connection and having a shape for optically coupling the optical connector plugs;

wherein the plug housing and the adapter housing are formed with engaging portions for engaging the plug housing and the adapter housing with each other, an outer periphery of the adapter housing is provided with a first mount engaging portion for attachably and detachably engaging with a mounting board or a mounting member fixed attachably and detachably to the mounting board to project from one face thereof.

20. The optical connector according to claim 19, wherein the plug housing is provided with a first rotation stopper portion engaged with the flange member for restricting the ferrule from moving in a rotating direction centering on an axis thereof and the adapter housing is provided with a second rotation stopper portion engaged with the flange member of the optical connector plug engaged with the adapter housing for restricting the ferrule from moving in the rotating direction centering on the axis of the ferrule.

21. The optical connector according to claim 20, wherein the flange member is provided with an outer periphery having a section in a rectangular shape and the ferrule is restricted from moving in the rotating direction by bringing the first rotation stopper portion into contact with two faces on one side of an outer peripheral face of the flange member opposed to each other and bringing the second rotation stopper portion into contact with two faces on other side of the outer peripheral face of the flange member opposed to each other.

22. The optical connector according to claim 19, wherein the plug housing and the adapter housing are provided with engagement restricting portions for restricting engaging positions in the rotating direction centering on axes thereof.