OPTICAL CONNECTOR AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING SAME

• US 20120128303A1
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Kazuhide, Kurashima, Toshio, Koyama, Ryo, Takaya, Masaaki, Shimizu, Masatoshi, Nakamizo, Kyoichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,702,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/60
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3846 with fibre stubs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3888 Protection from over-extension or over-compression
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49174 Assembling terminal to elongated conductor

Abstract

An optical connector having an optical fiber inserted into a connector main body includes a buckling regulating section whose length in an optical fiber insertion direction is formed variable and which regulates a buckling of the optical fiber while becoming short in an optical fiber insertion direction when the optical fiber is inserted into the connector main body. Even if an insertion area is made long, since no buckling of the optical fiber is generated, the buckling regulating section can sufficiently increase an insertion force of the optical fiber. Thus, even when foreign substances such as dusts enter and an insertion resistance increases, the optical fiber can be securely inserted. Further, the buckling regulating section is very advantageous to realize an end surface preparation of the optical fiber making use of the insertion force of the optical fiber such as a coating removing of the optical fiber, and an end surface grinding preparation of the optical fiber.

Claims

1. An optical connector including an optical fiber inserted into a connector main body, comprising a buckling regulating section whose length in an optical fiber insertion direction is formed variable and which regulates a buckling of the optical fiber while becoming short in the optical fiber insertion direction when the optical fiber is inserted into the connector main body.

2. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the buckling regulating section is formed of a plurality of movable members disposed free to move in an optical fiber insertion direction at intervals each other.

3. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the buckling regulating section is formed of an expansion/contraction member which is free to extend and contract in an optical fiber insertion direction.

4. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the buckling regulating section is formed of an elastic member which is free to extend and contract in an optical fiber insertion direction.

5. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the buckling regulating section is formed of an expansion/contraction mechanism comprising at least two of a plurality of movable members which are disposed to be free to move in an optical fiber insertion direction each other at intervals, an expansion/contraction member which is free to extend and contract in an optical fiber insertion direction and an elastic member which is free to extend and contract in an optical fiber insertion direction.

6. The optical connector according to claim 2, wherein intervals of the movable members are 1.45 mm or more to 2.4 mm or less.

7. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein a contraction amount of the buckling regulating section in an optical fiber insertion direction is 1.1 mm or more to 79.9 mm or less.

8. The optical connector according to claim 1, comprising a coating removing section for removing a coating of an optical fiber by an insertion force of the optical fiber.

9. The optical connector according to claim 1, comprising an end surface grinding section for grinding a corner portion of an extreme end surface of an optical fiber by an insertion force of the optical fiber.

10. The optical connector according to claim 1, comprising a built-in fiber connected to a partner side connector and a ferrule for holding a built-in fiber and being configured to connect an optical fiber inserted into a connector main body to a built-in fiber by butting the optical fiber against the built-in fiber.

11. The optical connector according to claim 1, comprising a ferrule into which an optical fiber inserted into a connector main body is inserted and being configured to dispose an extreme end of an optical fiber to an extreme end surface of a ferrule and to connect the extreme end of the optical fiber to a partner side connector.

12. The optical connector according to claim 1, comprising a press unit for pressing an optical fiber disposed in the connector main body toward an extreme end side of an optical connector.

13. The optical connector according to claim 12, wherein the press unit is configured to press an optical fiber by an elastic force of an elastic member.

14. The optical connector according to claim 12, wherein the press unit is configured to press an optical fiber by a restoring force of a buckling portion of an optical fiber buckled in a connector main body.

15. An assembly method of an optical fiber, comprising a buckling regulating section whose length in an optical fiber insertion direction is formed variable and which regulates a buckling of an optical fiber when an optical fiber is inserted into a connector main body, wherein an optical fiber is inserted into a connector main body while making a length of a buckling regulating section in an optical fiber insertion direction short.

16. An assembly method of an optical fiber, comprising a coating removing section for removing a coating of an optical fiber by an insertion force of an optical fiber, an end surface grinding section for grinding a corner portion of an extreme end surface of an optical fiber by an insertion force of an optical fiber, and a buckling regulating section whose length in an optical fiber insertion direction is formed variable and which regulates a buckling of an optical fiber when an optical fiber is inserted into a connector main body, wherein

an optical fiber is inserted into a connector main body while making a length of a buckling regulating section in an optical fiber insertion direction short as well as a coating of an optical fiber is removed by a coating removing section while inserting an optical fiber and a corner portion of an extreme end surface of an optical fiber is ground by an end surface grinding section while inserting an optical fiber.

17. An assembly method of an optical fiber, comprising a buckling regulating section which is formed so as to be elastically deformable in an optical fiber insertion direction and regulates a buckling of an optical fiber when an optical fiber is inserted into a connector main body, wherein an optical fiber is inserted into a connector main body while contracting a buckling regulating section in an optical fiber insertion direction.