OPTICAL CONNECTOR AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING SAME

• US 20130121653A1
• Filed: 01/10/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SEI Optifrontier Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SEI Optifrontier Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Tamekuni, Yoshikyo, Yokomachi, Yukihiro, Ukita, Yoshio, Shitama, Seiji, Kimura, Motoyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,740,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/96
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/255 Splicing of light guides, e.g. by fusion or bonding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2558 Reinforcement of splice joint
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3846 with fibre stubs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/38875 Protection from bending or twisting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An optical connector to which an optical fiber cord including an optical fiber ribbon and a sheath is to be attached includes: a ferrule member a fusion splice protection sleeve, housing and a fixing member. The ferrule member holds holding a plurality of embedded fibers which are to be fusion-spliced respectively to a plurality of optical fibers constituting the optical fiber ribbon. The fusion splice protection sleeve protects a fusion-spliced portion. The housing houses the ferrule member and the fusion splice protection sleeve. The housing has, at the rear end, a recess for receiving a bifurcated portion of the sheath. The fixing member for fixing fixes the sheath to the housings and by holding it.

Claims

1. An optical connector to which an optical fiber cord including an optical fiber ribbon and a sheath is attached, the optical fiber ribbon containing a plurality of optical fibers, and the sheath covering the optical fiber ribbon, comprising:

a ferrule member holding a plurality of embedded fibers respectively to be fusion-spliced to the plurality of optical fibers;

a fusion splice protection sleeve for protecting the fusion-spliced portion of the optical fibers and the embedded fibers;

a housing for accommodating the ferrule member and the fusion splice protection sleeve, the housing having a male screw part around an outer circumference, and having, at a rear end, a recess for receiving a torn portion of the sheath; and

a fixing member for fixing the sheath to the housing by clamping the sheath between the housing and the fixing member, the fixing member having a female screw part around an inner circumference so as to engage with the male screw part of the housing, and being attached to the rear portion of the housing.

2. An optical connector according to claim 1, wherein

the splice protection sleeve has a reinforcing metal plate extending in the longitudinal direction of the splice protection sleeve.

3. An optical connector according to claim 1, wherein

the ferrule member has a ferrule body and a spacer, the ferrule body having a pair of guiding holes for inserting a guide pin, the spacer being arranged at the rear side of the ferrule body and having one pair of projections respectively to be inserted into each guiding hole.

4. An optical connector according to claim 1, wherein

the cross-section of the rear end portion of the housing is an ellipse expanding in a width direction of the optical fiber ribbon, and the recess is provided on a side having a smaller curvature of the ellipse.

6. An optical connector according to claim 2, wherein

the ferrule member has a ferrule body and a spacer, the ferrule body having a pair of guiding holes for inserting a guide pin, the spacer being arranged at the rear side of the ferrule body and having one pair of projections respectively to be inserted into each guiding hole.

5. A method of attaching an optical fiber cord to an optical connector, the optical fiber cord having a sheath and an optical fiber ribbon containing a plurality of optical fibers, the method comprising steps of:

exposing the optical fiber ribbon at an end portion of the optical fiber cord by tearing the sheath;

attaching a splice protection sleeve to the optical fiber cord;

fusion-splicing the plurality of optical fibers respectively with embedded fibers held in a ferrule member;

protecting the fusion spliced portion of the optical fibers and the embedded fibers by the splice protection sleeve;

putting the ferrule member and the splice protection sleeve into a housing;

putting a torn portion of the sheath onto a recess existing at a rear end part of the housing; and

fixing the sheath to the housing by attaching a fixing member to the rear portion of the housing so as to clamp the sheath.