Connector for a combination cable

• US 20080058598A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Reinhold Blazejewski, Wolfgang Ries
• Original Assignee: Reinhold Blazejewski, Wolfgang Ries
• Inventors: Ries, Wolfgang, Blazejewski, Reinhold
• Application Number:
  US11/978,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20080058598A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/132
• 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 a 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 comprising at least one light guide and several electric lines, having a body, which can be inserted in a plugging direction into a socket and by means of which the connector can be held in the socket, a light guide holder having a channel open at both sides for receiving the light guide and a plurality of contact elements in each case connectable to one of the electric lines, wherein the contact elements are positioned on at least one circle coaxial to the light guide holder.

2. Connector according to claim 1, wherein the light guide holder extends beyond the body in the plugging direction.

3. Connector according to claim 2, wherein the portion of the light guide holder extending beyond the body in the plugging direction has a length of at least 10 mm.

4. Connector according to claim 2, wherein at least in the portion extending beyond the body in the plugging direction, the light guide holder has a tubular construction.

5. Combination cable with at least one light guide and several electric lines, whose one end is connected to a connector according to claim 2, the electric lines being conductively connected to the contact elements and the light guide being so positioned in the channel of the light guide holder that the light guide projects out of the body in the plugging direction.

6. Combination cable according to claim 5, characterized in that the light guide projects out of the body in the plugging direction by at least four times its diameter.

7. Combination cable according to claim 5, characterized in that the light guide projects out of the body by at least 10 mm in the plugging direction.

8. Combination cable according to claim 5, characterized in that at least in a portion projecting beyond the body in the plugging direction, the light guide is stiffened by the light guide holder.

9. Combination cable according to claim 5, characterized in that its other end is connected to a camera head, which has an optoelectronic camera connected to the electric lines and with a focusing device adjustable for focusing purposes and a light guide channel opening in the viewing direction of the optoelectronic camera and in which is located the light guide for the illumination of at least part of the visual range which can be covered by the optoelectronic camera.

10. Combination cable according to claim 9, characterized in that the camera head has a movable focusing ring, which is connected to the focusing device in such a way that the focusing device is adjustable by moving the focusing ring.

11. Combination cable according to claim 9, further comprising a switch for operating the optoelectronic camera or other electrical devices provided on a portion of the camera head located in front of the optoelectronic camera in the viewing direction thereof.

12. Socket for a connector according to claim 2 with a socket body for receiving the connector, a socket channel passing through the socket for receiving a portion of a light guide introduced into the connector when the connector is plugged into the socket and with contact elements connectable with electric lines for contacting the contact elements of the connector.

13. Socket according to claim 12, wherein the socket channel is constructed for receiving the portion of the light guide holder of the connector extending beyond the body.

14. Socket according to claim 13, wherein the light guide holder includes in a portion located between the contact elements and the end of the light guide holder in the plugging direction that is not rotationally symmetrical to a longitudinal axis of the connector and wherein at least a portion of the socket channel has a cross-section, whose shape corresponds to the cross-section of the non-rotationally symmetrical portion of the light guide holder.

15. Device for feeding light into at least one light guide of a combination cable according to claim 5 with a socket comprising a socket body for receiving the connector, a socket channel passing through the socket for receiving a portion of a light guide introduced into the connector when the connector is plugged into the socket and the contact elements connectable with electric lines for contacting the contact elements of the connector, and a light source positioned in the device in such a way that the light emitted by the light source can be fed into the light guide located in the connector of the combination cable when the connector is plugged into socket.

16. Device according to claim 15, characterized in that an optical device is provided for focusing the light emitted by the light source onto the end of the light guide.

17. Plug connection system with a connector for a combination cable comprising at least one light guide and several electric lines, and a socket according to claim 12.

18. Endoscopy system with an optoelectronic camera, a supply and evaluating device with a light source and a combination cable, according to claim 5, wherein the light guide can illuminate at least part of the visual range of the optoelectronic camera with the light from the light source and the electric lines electrically connect the optoelectronic camera to the supply and evaluating device, wherein the combination cable can be detachably connected to the supply and evaluating device.

19. Connector according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the light guide holder is coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the body.

20. Connector according to claim 2, wherein the contact elements are positioned on at least one circle coaxial to the light guide holder.