Photoelectric composite connector

• US 9,500,812 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yoshinori, Ohara, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Stahl, Mike
• Application Number:
  US14/580,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20150110444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 6/3885 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: H01R 13/631 for engagement only
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/645 by exchangeable elements on case or base

Abstract

A photoelectric composite connector includes a first fitting member including a first holding member holding at least one first optical fiber, and at least one first electric connecting portion, and a second fitting member including a second holding member holding at least one second optical fiber, and at least one second electric connecting portion. The first and second fitting members are constituted as to fit into and onto each other so that the first and second optical fibers are optically connected and the first and second electric connecting portions are electrically connected. The first and second fitting members includes a protecting section to prevent foreign materials generated during fitting of the first and second fitting members from entering into at least the first and second holding members.

Claims

1. A photoelectric composite connector comprising:

a first fitting member including;

a first holding member holding at least one first optical fiber,

at least one first electric connecting portion, and

a first insulator member formed around the first holding member;

a second fitting member including;

a second holding member holding at least one second optical fiber,

at least one second electric connecting portion, and

a second insulator member formed around the second holding member, and

a protecting section to prevent foreign materials generated during fitting of the first and second fitting members from entering into at least the first and second holding members, the protecting section comprising;

a partition wall formed around the second holding member so as to separate the second holding member and the second insulator member, the partition wall projecting further in the longitudinal direction than the second holding member and the second insulator member;

wherein the first and second fitting members fit together such that the first and second optical fibers are optically connected and the first and second electric connecting portions are electrically connected.

2. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 1, wherein

the first electric connecting portion comprises an electric terminal hole, the second electric connecting portion comprises an electric contact terminal, and the electric contact terminal is inserted into the electric terminal hole to be electrically connected to the electric terminal hole, when the first and second fitting members are fitted to each other,

the second holding member is disposed on a center side of the second fitting member, and the electric contact terminal is disposed on an outer circumferential side of the second fitting member, and

the partition wall separating the second holding member and the electric contact terminal in a radial direction.

3. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 1, wherein

the first electric connecting portion comprises an electric terminal hole, the second electric connecting portion comprises an electric contact terminal, and the electric contact terminal is inserted into the electric terminal hole to be electrically connected to the electric terminal hole, when the first and second fitting members are fitted to each other, and

the protecting section further includes a structure where a distal end of the second holding member is disposed at a distance from a distal end of the electric contact terminal in a longitudinal direction.

4. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 2, wherein the partition wall surrounds the second holding member, and projects on an open end side from a distal end of the second holding member.

6. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 3, wherein

the second holding member is disposed on a center side of the second fitting member, and the electric contact terminal is disposed on an outer circumferential side of the second fitting member,

the partition wall separating the second holding member and the electric contact terminal in a radial direction, and

the distal end of the second holding member is formed at the distance from the distal end of the electric contact terminal in the longitudinal direction, and the electric contact terminal does not project on an open end side from a distal end of the partition wall.

8. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 2, wherein the first fitting member has a partition wall insertion hole into which the partition wall is inserted and which defines a position to optically connect the first optical fiber to the second optical fiber.

9. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 4, wherein

the second fitting member further has, on an outer circumferential side of the partition wall, at least one positioning member which defines a position to optically connect the first optical fiber to the second optical fiber, when the first fitting member and the second fitting member are fitted,

the first fitting member further has a positioning hole which is disposed at such a position as to face the positioning member and into which the positioning member is fitted, and

the first and second holding members are disposed on center sides of the first and second fitting members, respectively.

12. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 1, wherein the second fitting member includes a positioning member to define a position of optical coupling between the first and second optical fibers, when the first and second fitting members are fitted to each other, and

the second holding member and the positioning member are disposed on a center side of the partition wall, and the second electric connecting portion is disposed on an outer circumferential side of the second partition wall.

13. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall surrounds the second holding member, and projects on an open end side from a distal end of the second holding member.

14. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 2, wherein the partition wall is formed of a heat conductive member, and diffuses, as the heat, light by irregular reflection of the light emitted from the first optical fiber.

15. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 1, wherein a position in a longitudinal direction at which facing end faces of the first and second holding members are disposed is different from a position in the longitudinal direction at which facing end faces of the first and second insulator members are disposed, when the first and second fitting members are fitted to each other.

5. A photoelectric composite connector comprising:

a first fitting member including a first holding member holding at least one first optical fiber, and at least one first electric connecting portion;

a second fitting member including a second holding member holding at least one second optical fiber, and at least one second electric connecting portion, and

a protecting section to prevent foreign materials generated during fitting of the first and second fitting members from entering into at least the first and second holding members

wherein the first and second fitting members fitting together such that the first and second optical fibers are optically connected and the first and second electric connecting portions are electrically connected,

the first electric connecting portion comprises an electric terminal hole, the second electric connecting portion comprises an electric contact terminal, and the electric contact terminal is inserted into the electric terminal hole to be electrically connected to the electric terminal hole, when the first and second fitting members are fitted to each other,

the second holding member is disposed on a center side of the second fitting member, and the electric contact terminal is disposed on an outer circumferential side of the second fitting member,

the protecting section comprises a partition wall separating the second holding member and the electric contact terminal in a radial direction, and

the partition wall is formed of a heat conductive member, and the heat conductive member comprises metal.

11. The photoelectric composite connector according to claim 5, wherein

the second fitting member further has, on an outer circumferential side of the partition wall, at least one positioning member which defines a position to optically connect the first optical fiber to the second optical fiber, when the first fitting member and the second fitting member are fitted,

the first fitting member further has a positioning hole which is disposed at such a position as to face the positioning member and into which the positioning member is fitted, and

the first and second holding members are disposed on center sides of the first and second fitting members, respectively.

7. A photoelectric composite connector comprising:

a first fitting member including a first holding member holding at least one first optical fiber, and at least one first electric connecting portion;

a second fitting member including a second holding member holding at least one second optical fiber, and at least one second electric connecting portion, and

a protecting section to prevent foreign materials generated during fitting of the first and second fitting members from entering into at least the first and second holding members

wherein the first and second fitting members fitting together such that the first and second optical fibers are optically connected and the first and second electric connecting portions are electrically connected,

the first electric connecting portion comprises an electric terminal hole, the second electric connecting portion comprises an electric contact terminal, and the electric contact terminal is inserted into the electric terminal hole to be electrically connected to the electric terminal hole, when the first and second fitting members are fitted to each other, and

the protecting section has a concavo-convex structure where the first holding member is recessed in a longitudinal direction, the first electric connecting portion is projected beyond the first holding member, the second holding member is projected in the longitudinal direction, and the second electric connecting portion is recessed to the second holding member.

10. A photoelectric composite connector comprising:

a first fitting member including a first holding member holding at least one first optical fiber, and at least one first electric connecting portion;

a second fitting member including a second holding member holding at least one second optical fiber, and at least one second electric connecting portion, and

a protecting section to prevent foreign materials generated during fitting of the first and second fitting members from entering into at least the first and second holding members

wherein the first and second fitting members fitting together such that the first and second optical fibers are optically connected and the first and second electric connecting portions are electrically connected,

the first electric connecting portion comprises an electric terminal hole, the second electric connecting portion comprises an electric contact terminal, and the electric contact terminal is inserted into the electric terminal hole to be electrically connected to the electric terminal hole, when the first and second fitting members are fitted to each other,

the second holding member is disposed on an outer circumferential side of the second fitting member, and the electric contact terminal is disposed on a center side of the second fitting member, and

the protecting section comprises a partition wall separating the second holding member and the electric contact terminal in a radial direction.