OPTICAL CONNECTOR WITH AN IMPROVED RESILIENT MEMBER PRESSING ONTO AN OPTICAL MODULE THEREOF

• US 20110091161A1
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: HE, JIA-YONG, ZHENG, QI-SHENG
• Application Number:
  US12/907,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20110091161A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/74
• 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 6/4201 Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4261 Packages with mounting structures to be pluggable or detachable, e.g. having latches or rails
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4284 of optical modules with disconnectable electrical connectors latching arms for electrical connectors H01R13/627

Abstract

An optical connector comprises an insulative housing defining a mounting cavity; an optical module accommodated in the mounting cavity and capable of moving therein along a front-to-rear direction, the optical module defining a horizontal central line along a middle portion thereof in the front-to-rear direction; at least one fiber coupled to the optical module; and a resilient member located behind the optical module, and having a first abuting portion engaged with the insulative housing, and two second abuting portions extending forwardly from the first abutting portion and pressing onto the optical module. The two second abuting portions are spaced away from each other in a transverse direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction.

Claims

1. An optical connector, comprising:

an insulative housing defining a mounting cavity;

an optical module accommodated in the mounting cavity and capable of moving therein along a front-to-rear direction, the optical module defining a horizontal central line along a middle portion thereof in the front-to-rear direction;

at least one fiber coupled to the optical module; and

a resilient member located behind the optical module, and having a first abuting portion engaged with the insulative housing, and two second abuting portions extending forwardly from the first abutting portion and pressing onto the optical module;

wherein the two second abuting portions are spaced away from each other in a transverse direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction.

2. The optical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient member is made of metallic or plastic material, and presents as U-shaped.

3. The optical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second abuting portions are located at two lateral sides of the central line respectively.

4. The optical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient member is wholly symmetrical relative to the central line along the transverse direction.

5. The optical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a base portion, a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion and a upright shaft located in the mounding cavity, the central line is along a middle portion of the shaft, the mounding cavity is formed on the tongue portion, the resilient member is a torsion coil spring, the first abuting portion includes a circle portion attached to the shaft.

6. The optical connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the housing defines a pair of blocks disposed on two opposite sides of the shaft and located within the mounting cavity, the blocks are spaced away from the shaft along a transverse direction respectively, the first abuting portion further includes a pair of horizontal portion extending outwardly from the circle portion and pressing rearwardly onto the blocks respectively.

7. The optical connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second abuting portions each includes an inclined portion extending outwardly and slantly from the horizontal portion, and a vertical portion extending upwardly from a front end of the inclined portion and pressing forwardly onto the optical module.

8. The optical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing defines a first block, a second block spaced away rearwardly from the first block to define a retaining slot therebetween, a protrusion and located in a bottom portion of the retaining slot, the second block is located in the mounting cavity, the first abuting portion is retained in the retaining slot, and defines a cutout recessed on a bottom edge thereof and corresponding to the protrusion for preventing the first abuting portion from moving in the transverse direction.

9. The optical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second abuting portions each includes an inclined portion extending slantly outward, a horizontal portion extending outwardly from the inclined plate, and a bending portion bending and extending outwardly from the first abuting portion to the inclined portion, the horizontal portions press forwardly onto the optical module.

10. The optical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical module includes a holder member movable in the mounting cavity along the front-to-rear direction, and at least one fiber attached to the holder member, the holder member is formed with at least one lens at a front side thereof, the resilient member defines a through hole through which the fiber passing.

11. An hybrid connector for transmission of electrical and optical signals, comprising:

an insulative housing defining an electrical mating port and an optical mating port offset from the electrical mating port in both a mating direction and a vertical direction perpendicular to said mating direction;

a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing and exposed to the electrical mating port;

an optical module assembled to the optical mating port, said optical module including a holder member, a plurality of lenses retained in the holder member, and a plurality of rearwardly extending fibers connected to the corresponding lenses, respectively; and

a resilient member constantly urging the lenses forwardly;

wherein the resilient member has a pair of abuting portions pressing onto the optical module for regulating said fibers in a transverse direction perpendicular to both said mating direction and said vertical direction, the pair of abuting portions are spaced away from each other in a transverse direction to define a connect portion connected therebetween.

12. The hybrid connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the optical module defines a central line along a middle portion thereof in the mating direction, the resilient member is wholly symmetrical relative to the central line along the transverse direction, and directly urges said holder member forwardly, thus resulting in urging the lenses forwardly.

13. The hybrid connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the housing defines a upright shaft located in the optical port, the resilient member is a torsion coil spring, the connect portion includes a circle portion attached to shaft, a pair of horizontal portions extending outwardly from the circle to press rearwardly onto an inner wall of the mating port.

14. The hybrid connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the housing has a first block, a second block spaced away rearwardly from the first block and located in the optical mating port, and a protrusion disposed between the first block and the second block, the connect portion is sandwiched between the first block and the second block for preventing the resilient member from moving in the mating direction, and defines a cutout formed on a bottom edge thereof, the protrusion is retained in the cutout for preventing the resilient member from moving in the transverse direction.

15. The hybrid connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the connect portion defines a through hole through which fibers passing forwardly, the contacts are based on the USB 3.0 standard.

16. An electrical connector for mating with a complementary connector, comprising:

an insulative housing having thereof a platform to define an electrical area and an optical area at first and second levels, respectively;

a plurality of electrical contacts having stiff and resilient contacting sections thereof, and disposed in the housing at the first level; and

an optical module having fibers and lenses thereon, located at the second level, said optical module being back and forth movable relative to the housing in a mating direction;

wherein

a resilient device constantly urges the optical module forwardly under condition that said resilient device provides two forward abutment regions spaced from each other in a transverse direction, which is perpendicular to said mating direction, to constantly urge said optical module forwardly.

17. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 16, wherein said resilient device further includes a rearward abutment region located around a center line between and behind said two forward abutment regions.