Plug-in connector for a combination cable

• US 20040266257A1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BLAZEJEWSKI MEDI-TECH GmbH (C. Erbe GmbH), Joimax GmbH
• Original Assignee: BLAZEJEWSKI MEDI-TECH GmbH (C. Erbe GmbH), Joimax GmbH
• Inventors: Ries, Wolfgang, Blazejewski, Reinhold
• Granted Patent: US 7,361,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/577
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3817 containing optical and electrical conductors cables including electrical and optical conductors H01B11/22; G02B6/3816 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3897 Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards G02B6/44528 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4298 coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/591 having operating mechanism

Abstract

A connector for a combination cable comprising at least one light guide and several electric lines has body, which can be introduced in the plugging direction into a socket and by means of which the connector can be held in the socket, a light guide holder having a light guide reception channel open at both sides and at least two contact elements in each case connectable to one of the electric lines.

Claims

1. Connector for a combination cable (6) comprising at least one light guide (10) and several electric lines (12), having a body (26), which can be inserted in a plugging direction into a socket and by means of which the connector (14) can be held in the socket, a light guide holder (30) having a channel (32) open at both sides for receiving the light guide (10) and at least two contact elements (40) in each case connectable to one of the electric lines (12).

2. Connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact elements (40) are positioned on at least one circle coaxial to the light guide holder (30).

3. Connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the light guide holder (30) extends beyond the body (26) in the plugging direction.

4. Connector according to claim 3, characterized in that the portion of the light guide holder (30) extending beyond the body (26) in the plugging direction has a length of at least 10 mm.

5. Connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, at least in the portion extending beyond the body (26) in the plugging direction, the light guide holder (30) has a tubular construction.

6. Connector according to claim 3, characterized in that the cross-section of the light guide holder (30) in a centring portion which, in the plugging direction, is located between the contact elements and the end of the light guide holder (30), is not rotationally symmetrical to an axis extending in the plugging direction.

7. Combination cable with at least one light guide (10) and several electric lines (12), whose one end is connected to a connector (14) according to claim 1, the electric lines (12) being conductively connected to the contact elements (40) and the light guide (10) being so positioned in the channel (32) of the light guide holder (30) that the light guide (10) projects out of the body (26) in the plugging direction.

8. Combination cable according to claim 7, characterized in that the light guide (10) projects out of the body (26) in the plugging direction by at least four times its diameter.

9. Combination cable according to claim 7, characterized in that the light guide projects out of the body (26) by at least 10 mm in the plugging direction.

10. Combination cable according to claim 7, characterized in that at least in a portion projecting beyond the body (26) in the plugging direction, the light guide (10) is provided with a stiffening element.

11. Combination cable according to claim 7, characterized in that its other end is connected to a camera head (2), which has an optoelectronic camera (62) connected to the electric lines (12) and with a focusing device (66) adjustable for focusing purposes and a light guide channel (74) opening in the viewing direction of the optoelectronic camera (62) and in which is located the light guide (10) for the illumination of at least part of the visual range which can be covered by the optoelectronic camera (62).

12. Combination cable according to claim 11, characterized in that the camera head (2) has a movable focusing ring (70), which is connected to the focusing device (66) in such a way that the focusing device (66) is adjustable by moving the focusing ring (70).

13. Combination cable according to claim 11, characterized in that on a portion of the camera head (2) located in front of the optoelectronic camera (62) in the viewing direction thereof is provided a switching device (76) for operating the optoelectronic camera (62) or other electrical devices.

14. Socket for a connector (14) according to claim 1 with a socket body (44) for receiving the connector (14), a socket channel (60) passing through the socket (16) for receiving a portion of a light guide (10) introduced into the connector (14) when the latter is plugged into the socket (16) and with contact elements (54) connectable with electric lines (12) for contacting the contact elements of the connector (14).

15. Socket according to claim 14, characterized in that the light guide holder (30) extends beyond the body (26) in the plugging direction and in that the socket channel (60) is constructed for receiving the portion of the light guide holder (30) of the connector (14) extending beyond the body (26).

16. Socket according to claim 15, characterized in that the cross-section of the light guide holder (30) in a centring portion which, in the plugging direction and in that at least a portion of the socket channel (60) has a cross-section, whose shape corresponds to the cross-section of the non-rotationally symmetrical portion of the light guide holder (30).

17. Device for feeding light into at least one light guide (10) of a combination cable (6) with at least one light guide (10) and several electric lines (12), whose one end is connected to a connector, the electric lines (12) being conductively connected to the contact elements (40) and the light guide (10) being so positioned in the channel (32) of the light guide holder (30) that the light guide (10) projects out of the body (26) in the plugging direction with a socket (16) according to claim 14 and a light source (22) positioned in the device in such a way that the light emitted by the light source (22) can be fed into the light guide (10) located in the connector (14) of the combination cable (6) when the connector (14) is plugged into socket (16).

18. Device according to claim 17, characterized in that an optical device (24) is provided for focusing the light emitted by the light source (22) onto the end of the light guide (10).

19. Plug connection system with a connector (14) for a combination cable (6) comprising at least one light guide (10) and several electric lines (12), and a socket (16) according to one of the claim 14.

20. Endoscopy system with an optoelectronic camera (62), a supply and evaluating device (4) with a light source (22) and a combination cable (6), which comprises a light guide (10) for illuminating at least part of the visual range of the optoelectronic camera with the light from the light source (22) and electric lines (12) for the electrical connection of the optoelectronic camera (62) to the supply and evaluating device (4), characterized in that the combination cable (6) can be detachably connected to the supply and evaluating device (4).