OPTICAL CONNECTOR

• US 20070098329A1
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujikura Limited, Furukawa Electric Company Limited, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujikura Limited, Furukawa Electric Company Limited, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishioka, Daizo, Takizawa, Kazuhiro, Hamada, Masahiro, Ohtsuka, Kenichiro, Shiino, Masato, Nakajima, Tatsuya, Tanase, Hiroyuki, Awamori, Masashi, Toyonaga, Masanobu, Terakawa, Kuniaki, SHIMOJI, Naoko, Saitoh, Daigo
• Granted Patent: US 7,341,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/76
• 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 6/3865 fabricated by using moulding techniques shaping techniques of plastic materials in general B29C; producing plastic optical fiber connectors B29D11/0075
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3893 Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on

Abstract

A cantilever type latch having the fixed end on the side of exposing the terminal end surface of the optical fiber is provided on the side of the plug housing. Near the center of the upper surface of the latch, an engaging projection which is to be engaged in the engaging hole formed in the adapter or the receptacle is formed. The engaging projection has the slope which decreases the height toward the fixed end side of the latch, in which the gradient of the slope is nearly equal to or greater than the rotation angle required for the elastic deformation of the latch with the fixed end functioned as the fulcrum. Thereby easy disconnecting of the latch is implemented.

Claims

1. A optical connector comprising:

an optical fiber;

a ferrule for holding said optical fiber in such manner that a terminal end surface of said optical fiber is exposed;

an optical connector plug having a plug housing for accommodating said ferrule and said optical fiber;

an adapter having an opening portion to/from which said optical connector plug is attachable/detachable;

an engaging hole arranged at a predetermined location of said adapter; and

a cantilever type latch provided on at least one side surface of said plug housing, said latch having a fixed end fixed to said plug housing at said opening portion side to which the terminal end surface of the optical fiber is exposed, and an operable terminal end which is operated to elastic-deformably press to a direction which is perpendicular to an optic axis of the optical fiber at an opposite side of the fixed end,

wherein each of said latch is configured such that an upper surface is parallel with a side of said plug housing,

an engaging projection is provided near a center of said upper side of the latch, so as to be engaged in said engaging hole formed in said adapter,

said engaging projection has a slope that declines toward the fixed end of said latch,

a clearance which is nearly-equal to or greater than a height of said engaging projection is provided, at between a lower surface of said latch which is a back side of said engaging projection and the side surface of the plug housing,

another slope is formed in a lower surface of the latch, such that a clearance from the side surface of said plug housing increases from a vicinity of the engaging projection to the operable terminal end, and

a gradient of said slope of the latch is formed so as to be nearly equal to or greater than a rotation angle required for elastic deformation of the latch in which the fixed end of the latch functions as a fulcrum.

2. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the latch is formed respectively on the side surfaces of said plug housing which side surfaces are opposing each other, and the engaging hole is formed respectively in corresponding to the engaging projections on the side surfaces of the adaptor.

3. The optical connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein when a part of the lower surface of the latch contacts with the side surface of the plug housing by the elastic deformation of the latch, a height of a top of the engaging projection is nearly equal to or lower than a height of the fixed end of the latch.

4. The optical connector according to claim 3, wherein said another slope formed in the lower surface of the latch has a slope starting point at an area between almost directly below the engaging projection and the operable terminal end,

the lower surface of the latch has a gradient which is parallel to the side surface of the plug housing or slower than an area of the operable terminal end within an area from the slope starting point to the fixed end, and

the elastic deformation of the latch generated by pressing enables the slope starting position to contact the side surface of said plug housing.

5. The optical connector according to claim 3, wherein the side surface of said plug housing opposing to the lower surface of the latch includes a inclined surface with respect to an optical axis of the optical fiber, and

when the elastic deformation of the latch lets the part of the latch lower surface contact the side of said plug housing, no matter where a contact position is, a height of a top of the engaging projection is nearly equal to or lower than a height of the fixed end of the latch.

6. The optical connector according to claim 4, wherein the slope starting point formed at the lower surface of the latch is located in a central area from a location almost below the engaging projection to the terminal end.