Optical fiber connector and optical fiber connection structure

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of optical fiber communication technology, and discloses an optical fiber connector and an optical fiber connection structure. Through the creation of the present invention, a new optical fiber connector design scheme that can be unlocked based on a rotating structure is provided, that is, by designing a lock clamp buckle installed on the outside of a connecting shell into a front probe arm that can not only utilize the elastic deformation recovery effect to achieve locking and fastening with the locking structure on the adapter side, but also utilize the seesaw principle to achieve frictionless unlocking of the latch buckle and the locking structure on the adapter side, on the one hand, it can ensure that the locking relationship between the latch buckle on the connector end and the locking structure on the adapter end is fastened, and on the other hand, during the unlocking process, the latch buckle and the locking structure are gradually disengaged from each other, resulting in a gradual reduction in friction, thereby avoiding mechanical wear on the locking component during the unlocking process, extending the service life of the connector, and ensuring the coupling accuracy of the connector and the adapter during subsequent connection and use, as well as the optical fiber communication transmission effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of optical fiber communication, and relates to a connector and an adapter product with miniaturized packaging and used for physical connection of optical fibers, and specifically to an optical fiber connector and an optical fiber connection structure. Background Art

[0002] The connection between optical fibers and between optical fibers and devices is basically achieved through connectors. With the explosive growth of information Internet and cloud services, the requirements for optical fiber connection density are also constantly increasing, that is, more optical fiber connections must be achieved within a unit volume.

[0003] At present, when unlocking the optical fiber connector and the adapter in the traditional optical fiber connection structure, the connector spring piece must be further forced to squeeze and deform before it can be separated from the corresponding matching structure of the adapter to achieve unlocking. In this way, on the one hand, at the moment of unlocking, the connector spring piece will be subjected to excessive squeezing and deformation pressure, which requires the yield strength of the connector spring piece to be much greater than the yield strength required by the connector and the adapter in the working state; on the other hand, at the moment of unlocking, forced squeezing of the connector spring piece and the matching structure of the adapter will cause mechanical wear of the connector spring piece and the matching structure of the adapter, and excessive mechanical wear will cause the mechanical reference position of the connector and the adapter to move, thereby affecting the coupling accuracy of the connector and the adapter. For example, the commonly used LC type connector, such as Figure 1 As shown, when unlocking, the connector spring piece 100 needs to be pressed downward, causing the snap structure 1001 on the connector spring piece 100 and mating with the adapter to be forced to be further squeezed, thereby greatly increasing the friction between the snap structure 1001 and the adapter mating structure 200. During the process of the connector spring piece 100 being continued to be pressed downward, the snap structure 1001 will passively overcome the friction with the adapter mating structure 200 until it is disengaged from the adapter mating structure 200, and then the LC connector is pulled backward to unlock the LC connector and the LC adapter.

[0004] Therefore, there is still room for improvement in the existing optical fiber connectors and optical fiber connection structures, and they should be optimized in terms of structure and usage, streamlined connectors and connection structures, and optimized in terms of usage effects. Therefore, a more reasonable technical solution is also needed to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the problem that the existing optical fiber connection structure is prone to mechanical wear during the unlocking process, thereby affecting the coupling accuracy of the connector and the adapter, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a new optical fiber connector and optical fiber connection structure that can be unlocked based on a rotating structure, which can avoid mechanical wear during the unlocking process, thereby ensuring the service life of the connector and the coupling accuracy of the connector and the adapter when connected and used.

[0006] In the first aspect, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0007] An optical fiber connector, comprising a connection housing for plugging and mating with a connection cavity at an adapter end, and also comprising an extension support, a lock clip, an elastic member and a latch height control member, wherein the extension support is fixed on the outer surface of the connection housing, and an axial hole is provided at the outwardly extending end of the extension support;

[0008] The lock clip buckle comprises a rotating shaft, a latch and a positioning part, wherein the latch, the rotating shaft and the positioning part are sequentially arranged at intervals and sequentially fixedly connected in a direction from front to back, and the direction from front to back is opposite to the insertion direction of the plug-in fit;

[0009] The rotating shaft is rotatably mounted in the shaft hole, the latch can rotate in a first space located in front of the shaft hole, and can lock and cooperate with a locking structure in the adapter end connection cavity when the latch is above a height threshold in the extension direction, and can be unlocked from the locking structure when the latch is below the height threshold, and the positioning portion can rotate in a second space located behind the shaft hole;

[0010] The elastic member is located in the first space or the second space, and the elastic member is used to enable the latch to be reset to above the height threshold through deformation recovery, and the extension direction is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction;

[0011] The latch height control member is used to control the height of the positioning portion in the outward extension direction, so as to control the height of the latch in the outward extension direction through a rotation action.

[0012] Based on the aforementioned invention content, a new fiber optic connector design scheme that can be unlocked based on a rotating structure is provided, that is, by designing a lock clip buckle installed on the outside of the connecting shell into a front probe arm that can not only use the elastic deformation recovery effect to achieve locking and fastening with the locking structure on the adapter side, but also use the seesaw principle to achieve frictionless unlocking of the latch buckle and the locking structure on the adapter side. On the one hand, it can ensure that the locking relationship between the latch buckle on the connector end and the locking structure on the adapter end is fastened, and on the other hand, during the unlocking process, the latch buckle and the locking structure are gradually separated from each other, resulting in a gradual decrease in friction, thereby avoiding mechanical wear on the locking components during the unlocking process, extending the service life of the connector, and ensuring the coupling accuracy of the connector and the adapter during subsequent connection and use, as well as the fiber optic communication transmission effect; in addition, through the aforementioned lock clip buckle structure design, it is also possible to eliminate the need to require the locking structure on the adapter end to have elastic characteristics, that is, it is no longer necessary to set an elastic buckle on the adapter end, thereby expanding the material selection range of the adapter end, so as to solve the current electromagnetic interference problem existing at the adapter end by setting it into an electromagnetic shielding structure.

[0013] Optimized, the lower surface of the positioning portion is provided with a boss protruding downward, the lower surface of the latch height control piece is in sliding contact with the bottom surface of the second space in the extension direction, the upper surface of the latch height control piece extends in a curved surface in the front-to-rear direction, and the front upper surface height of the latch height control piece in the extension direction is different from the rear upper surface height, so that by moving the latch height control piece in the front-to-rear direction, the abutment position of the upper surface of the latch height control piece and the boss is changed, thereby controlling the height of the positioning portion in the extension direction.

[0014] Further optimized, a cavity is provided in the front area of ​​the lower surface of the positioning portion, and the front upper surface of the latch height control member is constructed with a raised surface with a smooth transition and can be placed in the cavity, the rear upper surface of the latch height control member is lower than the raised surface in the outer extension direction, and the rear upper surface of the latch height control member is abutted against the boss before unlocking, so that by pulling the latch height control member in the front-to-rear direction, the abutting position is smoothly moved from the rear upper surface of the latch height control member to the raised surface, thereby controlling the height of the positioning portion in the outer extension direction.

[0015] Further optimized, the tail of the latch height control member is provided with a first limiting boss and a second limiting boss, and the connecting shell is provided with a pull-out surface for limiting cooperation with the first limiting boss when unlocking and an insertion surface for limiting cooperation with the second limiting boss when locking;

[0016] When the extended support body, the lock clip and the latch height control member are symmetrically arranged on the outer surfaces of the opposite sides of the connecting shell, the tails of the two symmetrically arranged latch height control members are respectively connected through the hollow body, and the two symmetrically arranged first limit bosses are aligned with each other, and the two symmetrically arranged second limit bosses are aligned with each other or overlap with each other, so that by pushing and pulling the hollow body, the two symmetrically arranged latch height control members are synchronously moved and the two symmetrically arranged latches are synchronously rotated.

[0017] Further optimized, the elastic member is configured as a cantilever structure and is located between the bottom surface of the first space in the extension direction and the latch, wherein one end of the cantilever structure is fixedly connected to the middle bottom surface of the lock clip, and the other end of the cantilever structure contacts the front bottom surface of the first space, or one end of the cantilever structure is fixedly connected to the front bottom surface of the first space, and the other end of the cantilever structure contacts the middle bottom surface of the lock clip;

[0018] When the latch is locked and matched with the locking structure, the elastic member is still in a deformed state to be restored so that the boss presses the upper surface of the latch height control member.

[0019] Preferably, an installation guide slot communicating with the shaft hole is provided on the outwardly extending end surface of the extension support body, so that the rotating shaft can be detachably installed into or removed from the shaft hole through the installation guide slot. This makes it convenient to install the entire lock clip on the outside of the connection housing or remove the entire lock clip from the outside of the connection housing, which is beneficial for replacing the damaged or broken lock clip.

[0020] Optimally, the upper surface of the lock clip is provided with a direction key with an upward convex structure or a downward concave structure in the extension direction, so that when the connecting shell is inserted into the adapter end connecting cavity, the direction key can correspond one by one with the direction key mates in the adapter end connecting cavity and with a downward concave structure or an upward convex structure in the extension direction.

[0021] Further optimization is that when the extension support body, the lock clip and the latch height control member are symmetrically arranged on the outer surfaces of the opposite sides of the connecting shell, an installation guide slot connected to the axial hole is opened on the outwardly extending end surface of the extension support body, so that when the polarity of the optical fiber inside the connecting shell needs to be changed, the rotating shaft of the lock clip with the direction key can be removed from the currently installed axial hole through the installation guide slot, and then the rotating shaft of the lock clip can be installed in another axial hole that is symmetrically arranged with the currently installed axial hole.

[0022] Optimally, the rotation axis is arranged in the middle of the lock clip buckle and is configured into a bilaterally symmetrical cylindrical shape;

[0023] The latch is arranged at the front of the lock clip and extends in the outward direction to form a latch surface which is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction;

[0024] The positioning portion is arranged at the rear part of the lock clip, and is used for driving the latch to rotate around the central axis of the axial hole toward the connecting shell under the action of the latch height control member, so that the latch surface is away from the locking surface on the locking structure, until the latch is below the height threshold, and the locking relationship between the latch and the locking structure is released.

[0025] In the second aspect, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0026] An optical fiber connection structure comprises an optical fiber adapter and at least one optical fiber connector as described in the first aspect, wherein a plurality of adapter end connection cavities as described in the first aspect are provided on a plug-in end face of the optical fiber adapter;

[0027] The connection housings of the optical fiber connectors are inserted into the adapter end connection cavities in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0028] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0029] (1) The invention provides a novel optical fiber connector design that can be unlocked based on a rotating structure, that is, by designing a lock clip mounted on the outside of the connection housing into a front probe arm that can not only utilize elastic deformation recovery to achieve locking and fastening with the adapter side locking structure, but also utilize the seesaw principle to achieve frictionless unlocking of the latch and the adapter side locking structure. On the one hand, it can ensure that the locking relationship between the latch on the connector end and the locking structure on the adapter end is fastened, and on the other hand, during the unlocking process, the latch and the locking structure are gradually separated from each other, resulting in a gradual reduction in friction. Therefore, mechanical wear on the locking component during the unlocking process can be avoided, thereby extending the service life of the connector and ensuring the coupling accuracy of the connector and the adapter during subsequent connection and use, as well as the optical fiber communication transmission effect.

[0030] (2) Through the aforementioned lock clip buckle structure design, it is also possible to eliminate the need for the locking structure of the adapter end to have elastic characteristics, that is, it is no longer necessary to set an elastic buckle on the adapter end, thereby expanding the material selection range of the adapter end, so as to solve the current electromagnetic interference problem of the adapter end by setting an electromagnetic shielding structure;

[0031] (3) The connection and disconnection between the connector end and the adapter end can be achieved by moving the latch height control member forward or backward in a straight line, making the operation more convenient;

[0032] (4) It can also further facilitate the synchronous unlocking of the symmetrical locking relationship formed on both sides, which is conducive to strengthening the locking relationship while still facilitating connection and disconnection;

[0033] (5) The optical fiber connector also has the advantages of easy installation and removal of the lock clip, preventing mis-locking, flexible direction keys (i.e., the polarity of the connector can be easily changed), and the size of the connection can be reduced, which is convenient for practical application and promotion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0035] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of force analysis of the process before and after unlocking the connector and the adapter in the existing optical fiber connection structure.

[0036] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0037] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the split structure of the first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0038] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the ferrule assembly in the split structure of the first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0039] Figure 5 The present invention is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of the first optical fiber connector and adapter before being plugged in.

[0040] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the split structure of the connection shell in the first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0041] Figure 7 It is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a connection shell in a first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0042] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the front cross-sectional structure of a connection shell in a first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0043] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the rear three-dimensional structure of the connection shell in the first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0044] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a lock clamp without a direction key in the first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0045] Fig.11 It is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a lock clamp without a direction key in the first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0046] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a lock clamp with a direction key in the first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0047] Fig.13 The figure is a side structural schematic diagram of a latch height control member in a first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0048] Fig.14 The figure is a top view of the structure of the latch height control member in the first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0049] Fig.15 It is a schematic diagram of force analysis of the process before and after unlocking the connector and the adapter in the optical fiber connection structure based on the first optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0050] Fig.16 It is a schematic diagram of the split structure of the second optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0051] Fig.17 It is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a second optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0052] Fig.18 It is a schematic diagram of the front three-dimensional structure of the connection shell in the second optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0053] Fig.19 It is a schematic diagram of the front three-dimensional structure of the connection shell in the third optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0054] Fig. 20 The present invention is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a locking clip in a third optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0055] Fig.21 The first schematic diagram of the layout of the ferrule assembly and the locking clip in the optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0056] Fig. 22 This is a schematic diagram of a second layout of the ferrule assembly and the locking clip in the optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0057] Fig.23 This is a schematic diagram of a third layout of the ferrule assembly and the locking clip in the optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0058] Fig.24 This is a fourth layout schematic diagram of the ferrule assembly and the locking clip in the optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0059] Fig.25 This is a fifth layout schematic diagram of the ferrule assembly and the locking clip in the optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0060] Fig.26 This is a sixth layout schematic diagram of the ferrule assembly and the locking clip in the optical fiber connector provided by the present invention.

[0061] Fig. 27 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the optical fiber connection structure provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that although the description of these embodiments is used to help understand the present invention, it does not constitute a limitation of the present invention. The specific structures and functional details disclosed herein are only used to describe the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention can be embodied in many alternative forms, and it should not be understood that the present invention is limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0063] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various units, these units should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one unit from another unit. For example, a first unit can be referred to as a second unit, and similarly, a second unit can be referred to as a first unit without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0064] It should be understood that the term "and / or" that may appear in this article is merely a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, B exists alone, and A and B exist at the same time. The term " / and" that may appear in this article describes another type of association object relationship, indicating that two relationships may exist. For example, A / and B can represent two situations: A exists alone, and A and B exist alone. In addition, the character " / " that may appear in this article generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0065] It should be understood that when an element is referred to herein as being "connected," "connected," or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intermediate elements can exist. Conversely, when an element is referred to herein as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, no intermediate elements are present. Additionally, other words used to describe the relationship between elements (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.) should be interpreted in a similar manner.

[0066] It should be understood that the terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. If used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates the opposite meaning. It should also be understood that if the terms "include", "includes", "includes" and / or "comprising" are used in this article, the existence of the features, quantities, steps, operations, units and / or components stated are specified, and one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, units, components and / or their combinations are not excluded. Existence or increase.

[0067] It should be understood and also noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions / actions that appear may be different from the order in which the figures appear. For example, depending on the functions / actions involved, two figures shown in succession may actually be performed substantially concurrently, or may sometimes be performed in the reverse order.

[0068] It should be understood that in the following description, specific details are provided to facilitate a complete understanding of the example embodiments. However, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the example embodiments can be implemented without these specific details. For example, the system can be shown in a block diagram to avoid obscuring the example with unnecessary details. In other examples, well-known processes, structures, and techniques may not be shown in unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the example embodiments.

[0069] Embodiment 1

[0070] like Figures 2 to 15As shown, the first type of optical fiber connector provided in this embodiment includes a connecting shell 1 for plugging and matching with the adapter end connecting cavity 2, and also includes an extended support body 11, a locking clamp 12, an elastic member 124 and a latch height control member 13, wherein the extended support body 11 is fixed on the outer surface of the connecting shell 1, and an axial hole 111 is opened at the outward extending end of the extended support body 11; the locking clamp 12 includes a rotating shaft 121, a latch 122 and a positioning portion 123, wherein the latch 122, the rotating shaft 121 and the positioning portion 123 are sequentially spaced and fixedly connected in sequence from front to back, and the front to back direction is opposite to the insertion direction of the plug-in matching; the rotating shaft 121 is rotatably mounted in the axial hole 111, and the latch 122 can be located at the axial hole 111 The latch 122 can rotate and move in the first space 112 in the front, and can be locked and matched with the locking structure 21 in the adapter end connecting cavity 2 when the latch 122 is above the height threshold in the extension direction, and can be unlocked from the locking structure 21 when the latch 122 is below the height threshold. The positioning portion 123 can rotate and move in the second space 113 located behind the axial hole 111; the elastic member 124 is located in the first space 112, and the elastic member 124 is used to restore the latch 122 to above the height threshold through deformation recovery, and the extension direction is perpendicular to the front to rear direction; the latch height control member 13 is used to control the height of the positioning portion 123 in the extension direction, so as to control the height of the latch 122 in the extension direction through rotation.

[0071] like Figures 2 to 15As shown, in the specific structure of the first optical fiber connector, the connecting shell 1 is an essential component of the existing optical fiber connector, and in order to realize the normal optical fiber connection function, at least one ferrule assembly 3 and at least one elastic clamping member 4 are provided inside the connecting shell 1, wherein the at least one elastic clamping member 4 corresponds to the at least one ferrule assembly 3 one by one, and the elastic clamping member 4 is used to clamp the corresponding ferrule assembly 3; the ferrule assembly 3 at least includes a ferrule 31, a tail handle 32 and an optical fiber 33, wherein the number of the ferrules 31 is at least one and can be but not limited to a ceramic ferrule, a plastic ferrule or an MT ferrule (i.e., a ferrule made of MT series materials), etc., the tail handle 32 is used to fix the ferrule 31 after assembly, and the optical fiber 33 is passed through An internal cavity provided in the core insert 31 and the tail handle 32 and penetrating through them; the tail handle 32 is provided with a polygonal body 321, a tail handle outer diameter body 322, a tail handle elastic stop surface 323, an angle adjustment groove 324 and a core insert stop surface 325, wherein the polygonal body 321 is used for plugging and matching with the third hole 193 with a polygonal structure on the connecting shell 1, the tail handle outer diameter body 322 is used to abut the elastic pressing member 4, the tail handle elastic stop surface 323 is used to squeeze one end surface of the elastic pressing member 4, the angle adjustment groove 324 is used to facilitate the use of tools to adjust the circumferential angle of the core insert assembly 3 in the connecting shell 1, and the core insert stop surface 325 is used to prevent the entire tail handle 32 from passing through the first step surface 181 of the connecting shell 1. In addition, in the direction from front to rear, the connecting shell 1 can be specifically divided into a connecting shell front part 171 and a connecting shell rear part 172, wherein the connecting shell front part 171 is provided with a window 1711, and the connecting shell rear part 172 is provided with a snap 1721 that snaps into engagement with the window 1711, so as to ensure the assembly stability of the connecting shell front part 171 and the connecting shell rear part 172; the interior of the connecting shell front part 171 is also provided with a first hole 191, a second hole 192, the third hole 193 and a fourth hole 194 in sequence along the direction from front to rear, wherein the second hole 192 is circular and transitions to the third hole 193 through the first step surface 181; the connecting shell rear part 172 is also provided with a front end face 1722 and a through cavity 1723, wherein the front end face 1722 is used to block the elastic fastening member 4, and the through cavity 1723 is used to receive the optical fiber 33.

[0072] like Figure 5As shown, in the specific structure of the first optical fiber connector, the adapter end connection cavity 2 is an essential component of the existing optical fiber adapter, and in order to realize the normal optical fiber connection function, at least the locking structure 21 and the adapter socket for docking with the ferrule assembly 3 need to be provided in the adapter end connection cavity 2, so that the connector end can move along a straight line to realize connection with the adapter end (i.e., move forward along a straight line) or disconnection (i.e., move backward along a straight line).

[0073] like Fig.15 As shown, the extension support body 11 is used to provide a fulcrum for the rotation of the lock clip 12 (i.e., rotation around the central axis of the shaft hole 111), and it can be, but is not limited to, a plate shape that is symmetrically arranged on both sides. The shaft hole 111 is preferably a circular hole to reduce the friction with the rotating shaft 121 during the rotation process. The first space 112 is used to provide an activity space for the rotation of the latch 122, and its bottom surface in the extension direction can also prevent the latch 122 from continuing to move to a lower position. In addition, it can include a groove space opened on the outer surface of the connecting shell 1. The second space 113 is used to provide an activity space for the rotation of the positioning portion 123, and its bottom surface position in the extension direction is correlated with the highest position of the latch 122 in the extension direction (i.e., through different position structure designs, it can be a negative correlation or a positive correlation. The position structure example shown in the figure of the specification reflects their negative correlation, that is, the lower the bottom surface position, the higher the highest position). The locking clip 12, through the design of the rotating shaft 121, the latch 122, the positioning portion 123 and the elastic member 124, constitutes a front probe arm that can not only utilize the elastic deformation recovery effect to achieve locking and fastening with the adapter side locking structure, but also utilize the seesaw principle to achieve frictionless unlocking of the latch and the adapter side locking structure. That is, on the one hand, the deformation recovery effect of the elastic member 124 can be used to reset the latch 122 to above the height threshold to ensure that the locking relationship between the latch 122 and the locking structure 21 is fastened; on the other hand, when the latch height control member 13 is used to lift the positioning portion 123 in the extension direction, the latch 122 can be driven to unlock the locking structure 21. The latch 122 rotates around the central axis of the axial hole 111 toward the direction approaching the connecting shell 1 (at this time, the elastic member 124 is further squeezed and deformed) so that the latch 122 is away from the locking structure 21 until the latch 122 is below the height threshold, and the locking relationship between the latch 122 and the locking structure 21 is released. Since the latch 122 and the locking structure 21 are gradually separated from each other during the unlocking process, the friction force will gradually decrease, thereby avoiding mechanical wear on the locking components during the unlocking process, extending the service life of the connector, and ensuring the coupling accuracy of the connector and the adapter during subsequent connection and use, as well as the optical fiber communication transmission effect.

[0074] Specifically, the rotating shaft 121 is arranged in the middle of the lock clip buckle 12 and is constructed into a bilaterally symmetrical cylindrical shape; the latch 122 is arranged at the front of the lock clip buckle 12 and extends in the outward direction to form a latch surface 1221 that is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction; the positioning portion 123 is arranged at the rear of the lock clip buckle 12, and is used to drive the latch 122 to rotate around the central axis of the shaft hole 111 toward the direction approaching the connecting shell 1 under the action of the latch height control member 13, so that the latch surface 1221 is away from the locking surface on the locking structure 21 until the latch 122 is below the height threshold, and the locking relationship between the latch 122 and the locking structure 21 is released.

[0075] In addition, considering that in the traditional optical fiber connection structure, for optical fiber connectors such as SC connectors and MPO connectors, elastic buckles need to be set at the adapter end, but the elastic characteristics of these elastic buckles require that the material used is a plastic material with good reliability and elasticity, and the existing plastic materials are very lacking in isolation of electromagnetic shielding. Furthermore, plastic materials are also very lacking in having good heat dissipation performance while having relatively good electromagnetic shielding performance (therefore, if there is an adapter that allows not to set an elastic buckle structure, the adapter can avoid using elastic materials with poor electromagnetic shielding performance and thermal conductivity, and use metal or metal-like materials with good electromagnetic shielding performance and thermal conductivity for production). Therefore, through the lock clamp buckle structure design of the aforementioned first optical fiber connector, it is also unnecessary to require the locking structure 21 at the adapter end to have elastic characteristics, that is, it is no longer necessary to set an elastic buckle at the adapter end, and the material selection range of the adapter end can be expanded, so as to solve the current electromagnetic interference problem at the adapter end by setting it into an electromagnetic shielding structure. In addition, by reducing the left and right width of the locking clip 12 and arranging the locking clip 12 up and down on the outer surface of the connecting shell 1, it is also helpful to reduce the left and right width of the entire connector end, thereby reducing the size of the connection.

[0076] Optimally, the lower surface of the positioning portion 123 is provided with a boss 1231 protruding downward, the lower surface of the latch height control member 13 is in sliding contact with the bottom surface of the second space 113 in the extension direction, and the upper surface of the latch height control member 13 extends in a curved surface in the front-to-back direction, and the front upper surface height of the latch height control member 13 in the extension direction is different from the rear upper surface height, so that by moving the latch height control member 13 in the front-to-back direction, the upper surface of the latch height control member 13 and the boss 1231 are changed. The height of the positioning portion 123 in the extension direction is controlled. Figures 10 to 14 As shown, the bottom surface of the boss 1231 is smoothly extended in the front-to-back direction. By pulling the latch height control member 13 backward or pushing the latch height control member 13 forward in the front-to-back direction, the height of the abutting position in the extension direction can be raised, thereby raising the height of the positioning portion 123 in the extension direction, driving the latch 122 to rotate around the central axis of the shaft hole 111 toward the direction close to the connecting housing 1, and achieving the unlocking purpose of this embodiment. In addition, after stopping pulling backward or pushing forward, since the elastic member 124 has been further squeezed and deformed, the latch 122 can be reset to above the height threshold through the deformation recovery effect, and at the same time, the positioning portion 123 and the latch height control member 13 are reset, and the abutting position is automatically lowered.

[0077] Further optimized, the front area of ​​the lower surface of the positioning portion 123 is provided with a cavity 1232, the front upper surface of the latch height control member 13 is constructed with a convex surface 131 with a smooth transition and can be placed in the cavity 1232, the rear upper surface of the latch height control member 13 is lower than the convex surface 131 in the extension direction, and before unlocking, the rear upper surface of the latch height control member 13 is abutted against the boss 1231, so that by pulling the latch height control member 13 in the front-to-back direction, the abutting position is smoothly moved from the rear upper surface of the latch height control member 13 to the convex surface 131, thereby controlling the height of the positioning portion 123 in the extension direction. Figures 10 to 14 As shown, the cavity 1232 is used to prevent the entire latch height control member 13 from being offset to the left and right when the latch height control member 13 is moved linearly, thereby ensuring the stability of the movement of related components during the unlocking process. At the same time, through the aforementioned specific design, the latch height control member 13 can be pulled back in the front-to-back direction to increase the height of the abutting position in the extension direction, thereby achieving the unlocking purpose of this embodiment. In addition, as an unlocking tool, the latch height control member 13 does not need to be installed on the connector end in advance if it does not need to be unlocked frequently after locking; and if it needs to be unlocked frequently after locking, it needs to be installed in advance at the corresponding position on the connector end in order to achieve the unlocking purpose of this embodiment.

[0078] Further optimized, the elastic member 124 is configured as a cantilever structure and is located between the bottom surface of the first space 112 in the extension direction and the latch 122, wherein one end of the cantilever structure is fixedly connected to the middle bottom surface of the lock clip 12, and the other end of the cantilever structure contacts the front bottom surface of the first space 112; when the latch 122 is locked with the locking structure 21, the elastic member 124 is still in a state of deformation to be restored, so that the boss 1231 presses the upper surface of the latch height control member 13. Figures 10-12 As shown, the elastic member 124 can be designed with the aforementioned cantilever structure to have the ability to recover from deformation when in an extruded state, thereby achieving the purpose of automatic resetting of this embodiment. At the same time, since the elastic member 124 is locked and matched with the latch 122 and the locking structure 21, the boss 1231 is pressed against the upper surface of the latch height control member 13, and a certain static friction force can be provided between the lower surface of the latch height control member 13 and the bottom surface of the second space 113 in the extension direction. If the push-pull force acting on the latch height control member 13 is less than the static friction force, the latch height control member 13 can be kept stationary, thereby avoiding the mis-locking of the connector end and the adapter end. In addition, the elastic member 124 may also adopt a spring or other similar structures to achieve the automatic resetting purpose of this embodiment. For example, the elastic member 124 is constructed into a tension spring structure and is located between the bottom surface of the second space 113 in the extension direction and the positioning portion 123, wherein one end of the tension spring structure is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the lock clip 12, and the other end of the tension spring structure is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the second space 113, thereby enabling the elastic member 124 to have deformation recovery ability when in a stretched state, thereby achieving the automatic resetting purpose of this embodiment.

[0079] Optimally, the tail of the latch height control member 13 is provided with a first limiting boss 132 and a second limiting boss 133, and the connecting housing 1 is provided with a pull-out surface 14 for limiting cooperation with the first limiting boss 132 when unlocking and an insertion surface 15 for limiting cooperation with the second limiting boss 133 when locking. Figures 7 to 9 As shown in 14, the limiting cooperation relationship between the first limiting boss 132 and the extraction surface 14 can prevent the entire latch height control member 13 from being excessively pulled out when unlocking, and the limiting cooperation relationship between the second limiting boss 133 and the insertion surface 15 can prevent the entire latch height control member 13 from being excessively inserted when locking, which is not conducive to subsequent pulling and unlocking.

[0080] Preferably, an installation introduction slot 114 connected to the shaft hole 111 is provided on the outwardly extending end surface of the extension support body 11, so that the rotating shaft 121 can be detachably installed in or removed from the shaft hole 111 through the installation introduction slot 114. Figure 3 and 6 As shown, since the lock clip buckle 12 is only connected to the connection housing 1 by rotation through the matching relationship between the rotation shaft 121 and the shaft hole 111, the specific design of the installation introduction slot 114 can facilitate the installation of the entire lock clip buckle 12 on the outside of the connection housing 1 or the removal of the entire lock clip buckle 12 from the outside of the connection housing 1, which is convenient for replacing the damaged or broken lock clip buckle 12. In addition, the specific size design can be used to enable the rotation shaft 121 and the shaft hole 111 to rotate smoothly, and the rotation shaft 121 can pass through the installation introduction slot 114 and be installed in the shaft hole 111 when subjected to a certain pressure, or pass through the installation introduction slot 114 and be removed from the shaft hole 111 when a certain pulling force is applied.

[0081] Optimally, the upper surface of the lock clip 12 is provided with a direction key 125 which is an upward convex structure or a downward concave structure in the extension direction, so that when the connection housing 1 is inserted into the adapter end connection cavity 2, the direction key 125 can correspond one-to-one with the direction key matching body in the adapter end connection cavity 2 which is a downward concave structure or an upward convex structure in the extension direction. Fig.12 As shown, the direction key 125 is used to mark the polarity of the optical fiber inside the connection housing 1, so as to ensure the correctness of the plugging between the connector end and the adapter end through the corresponding matching relationship between the direction key 125 and the direction key matching body.

[0082] As a further optimization, when the extension support body 11, the lock clip buckle 12 and the latch height control member 13 are symmetrically arranged on the outer surfaces of the opposite sides of the connecting shell 1, an installation introduction slot 114 connected to the shaft hole 111 is provided on the outwardly extending end surface of the extension support body 11, so that when the polarity of the optical fiber inside the connecting shell 1 needs to be changed, the rotating shaft 121 of the lock clip buckle 12 with the direction key 125 is removed from the currently installed shaft hole 111 through the installation introduction slot 114, and then the rotating shaft 121 of the lock clip buckle 12 is installed in another shaft hole 111 that is symmetrically arranged with the currently installed shaft hole 111. Through the above-mentioned design, it is also convenient to change the external direction key at any time according to the polarity of the optical fiber inside the connecting shell 1, which is convenient for practical and flexible use. Figure 5As shown, the upper locking clip 12 has the direction key 125, while the lower locking clip 12 does not have the direction key 125. Therefore, if the polarity of the optical fiber inside the connector end changes, the upper locking clip 12 and the lower locking clip 12 can be swapped with each other, thereby conveniently swapping the polarity of the connector.

[0083] In summary, the first optical fiber connector provided by this embodiment has the following technical effects:

[0084] (1) This embodiment provides a novel optical fiber connector design that can be unlocked based on a rotating structure, that is, by designing a lock clip mounted on the outside of the connection housing into a front probe arm that can not only use elastic deformation recovery to achieve locking and fastening with the adapter side locking structure, but also use the seesaw principle to achieve frictionless unlocking of the latch and the adapter side locking structure. On the one hand, it can ensure that the locking relationship between the latch on the connector end and the locking structure on the adapter end is fastened, and on the other hand, during the unlocking process, the latch and the locking structure are gradually separated from each other, resulting in a gradual reduction in friction. Therefore, mechanical wear on the locking component during the unlocking process can be avoided, thereby extending the service life of the connector and ensuring the coupling accuracy of the connector and the adapter during subsequent connection and use, as well as the optical fiber communication transmission effect.

[0085] (2) Through the aforementioned lock clip buckle structure design, it is also possible to eliminate the need for the locking structure of the adapter end to have elastic characteristics, that is, it is no longer necessary to set an elastic buckle on the adapter end, thereby expanding the material selection range of the adapter end, so as to solve the current electromagnetic interference problem of the adapter end by setting an electromagnetic shielding structure;

[0086] (3) The connection and disconnection between the connector end and the adapter end can be achieved by moving the latch height control member forward or backward in a straight line, making the operation more convenient;

[0087] (4) The optical fiber connector also has the advantages of easy installation and removal of the lock clip, preventing mis-locking, flexible direction keys (i.e., the polarity of the connector can be easily changed), and is conducive to reducing the size of the connection, which is convenient for practical application and promotion.

[0088] Embodiment 2

[0089] like Figures 16 to 18As shown, this embodiment provides a second optical fiber connector based on the technical solution of the first embodiment, which is different from the technical solution of the first embodiment in that: the first limiting boss 132 and the extraction surface 14 adopt another limiting matching structure, and the second limiting boss 133 and the insertion surface 15 adopt another limiting matching structure; when the extension support body 11, the lock clamp 12 and the latch height control member 13 are symmetrically arranged on the outer surfaces of the two opposite sides of the connection shell 1, the tails of the two symmetrically arranged latch height control members 13 are respectively connected through the hollow body 16, and the two symmetrically arranged first limiting bosses 132 are aligned with each other, and the two symmetrically arranged second limiting bosses 133 are aligned or overlapped with each other, so that by pushing and pulling the hollow body 16, the two symmetrically arranged latch height control members 13 are synchronously moved, and the two symmetrically arranged latches 122 are synchronously rotated. Therefore, through the above-mentioned structural design, it is further convenient to synchronously unlock the symmetrical locking relationship formed on both sides, which is conducive to strengthening the locking relationship while still facilitating connection and disconnection.

[0090] The technical effects of this embodiment, based on the technical effects of the first embodiment, also have the following technical effects: (1) It can further facilitate the synchronous unlocking of the symmetrical locking relationship formed on both sides, which is conducive to strengthening the locking relationship while still facilitating connection and disconnection.

[0091] Embodiment 3

[0092] like Figures 19-20 As shown, this embodiment provides a third optical fiber connector based on the technical solution of the second embodiment, which is different from the technical solution of the second embodiment in that one end of the cantilever structure is fixedly connected to the front bottom surface of the first space 112, and the other end of the cantilever structure contacts the middle bottom surface of the lock clamp 12, that is, the elastic member 124 is separated from the lock clamp 12. Therefore, through the above-mentioned structural design, the elastic member 124 can also have deformation recovery ability when in an extruded state, thereby achieving the purpose of automatic reset of this embodiment.

[0093] The technical effects of this embodiment can be directly derived by referring to the technical effects of the second embodiment, and will not be elaborated here.

[0094] Embodiment 4

[0095] like Figures 21 to 26 As shown, this embodiment provides multiple layouts of the ferrule assembly and the locking clip buckle in the optical fiber connector based on the technical solutions of the first, second or third embodiments, that is, the number and distribution of the ferrule assembly 3 are irrelevant to the number and distribution of the locking clip buckle 12. For example, when the number of the ferrule assembly 3 is double, it can be as follows Fig.21The two locking clips 12 shown in the figure and arranged on the outer surface of the connecting housing 1 in a vertically symmetrical relationship may also be as shown in Fig. 22 The two locking clips 12 shown in the figure and arranged on the outer surface of the connecting housing 1 in a bilaterally symmetrical relationship may also be as follows Fig.23 The single locking clip 12 shown and arranged only on the upper outer surface of the connecting housing 1, and Fig.24 As shown in the figure, the single locking clip 12 is arranged only on the right outer surface of the connecting housing 1; for example, when the number of the plug assembly 3 is single, it can be as follows Fig.25 The two locking clips 12 shown in the figure and arranged on the outer surface of the connecting housing 1 in a vertically symmetrical relationship may also be as follows Fig.26 The single locking clip 12 shown is arranged only on the upper outer surface of the connecting housing 1 , and so on.

[0096] The technical effects of this embodiment can be directly derived by referring to the technical effects of Embodiments 1, 2 or 3, and will not be elaborated here.

[0097] Embodiment 5

[0098] like Fig. 27 As shown, this embodiment provides a fiber optic connection structure based on the technical solutions of Embodiments 1, 2, 3 or 4, including a fiber optic adapter 20 and at least one fiber optic connector 10 as described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the plug-in end surface of the fiber optic adapter 20 is provided with a plurality of adapter end connection cavities 2 as described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 4; the connection housings 1 of the fiber optic connectors 10 are inserted into the adapter end connection cavities 2 one by one. Fig. 27 As shown, the optical fiber adapter 20 is specifically exemplified as an active module with four adapter end connection cavities 2, which can be plugged with one to four different optical fiber connectors 10. In addition, the optical fiber adapter 20 is preferably configured as an electromagnetic shielding structure based on metal or similar metal materials with good electromagnetic shielding performance and thermal conductivity, so as to solve the electromagnetic interference problem currently existing at the adapter end.

[0099] The technical effects of this embodiment can be directly derived by referring to the technical effects of Embodiments 1, 2, 3 or 4, and will not be elaborated here.

[0100] The multiple embodiments described above are merely illustrative. If a unit described as a separate component is involved, it may or may not be physically separated; if a component displayed as a unit is involved, it may or may not be a physical unit, that is, it may be located in one place, or it may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand and implement it without paying creative labor.

[0101] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some of the technical features therein by equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention. For example, the technical ideas and technical solutions of the present invention can be applied to all current optical fiber connectors and future types of optical fiber connectors and related optoelectronic hybrid connectors and adapters, such as LC, SC, ST, FC, MPO and MT optical fiber connectors and adapters.

[0102] Finally, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above optional implementations, and anyone can derive other various forms of products under the enlightenment of the present invention. The above specific implementations should not be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the definition in the claims, and the description can be used to interpret the claims.

Claims

1. An optical fiber connector, comprising a connection housing (1) for plugging and mating with a connection cavity (2) at an adapter end, characterized in that: It also includes an extension support body (11), a lock clip (12), an elastic member (124) and a latch height control member (13), wherein the extension support body (11) is fixed on the outer surface of the connecting shell (1), and an axial hole (111) is provided at the outwardly extending end of the extension support body (11); The lock clip buckle (12) comprises a rotating shaft (121), a latch (122) and a positioning portion (123), wherein the latch (122), the rotating shaft (121) and the positioning portion (123) are sequentially arranged at intervals and sequentially fixedly connected in a direction from front to back, and the direction from front to back is opposite to the insertion direction of the plug-in fit; The rotating shaft (121) is rotatably mounted in the shaft hole (111); the latch (122) can rotate in a first space (112) located in front of the shaft hole (111); and when the latch (122) is above a height threshold in an extension direction, it can lock with a locking structure (21) in the adapter end connection cavity (2); and when the latch (122) is below the height threshold, it can unlock with the locking structure (21); and the positioning portion (123) can rotate in a second space (113) located behind the shaft hole (111); The elastic member (124) is located in the first space (112) or the second space (113), and the elastic member (124) is used to enable the latch (122) to be reset to above the height threshold through a deformation recovery effect, and the extension direction is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction; The latch height control member (13) is used to control the height of the positioning portion (123) in the outward extension direction, so as to control the height of the latch (122) in the outward extension direction through rotation; The lower surface of the positioning portion (123) is provided with a boss (1231) protruding downward, the lower surface of the latch height control member (13) is in sliding contact with the bottom surface of the second space (113) in the extension direction, the upper surface of the latch height control member (13) extends in a curved surface in the front-to-rear direction, and the height of the front upper surface of the latch height control member (13) in the extension direction is different from that of the rear upper surface, so that by moving the latch height control member (13) in the front-to-rear direction, the abutment position between the upper surface of the latch height control member (13) and the boss (1231) is changed, thereby controlling the height of the positioning portion (123) in the extension direction; A cavity (1232) is provided in the front area of ​​the lower surface of the positioning portion (123); a convex surface (131) is constructed on the front upper surface of the latch height control member (13) with a smooth transition and can be placed in the cavity (1232); the rear upper surface of the latch height control member (13) is lower than the convex surface (131) in the extension direction, and before unlocking, the rear upper surface of the latch height control member (13) is abutted against the boss (1231), so that by pulling the latch height control member (13) in the front-to-back direction, the abutting position is smoothly moved from the rear upper surface of the latch height control member (13) to the convex surface (131), thereby controlling the height of the positioning portion (123) in the extension direction; The tail of the latch height control member (13) is provided with a first limiting boss (132) and a second limiting boss (133); the connecting housing (1) is provided with a pull-out surface (14) for limiting cooperation with the first limiting boss (132) when unlocking, and an insertion surface (15) for limiting cooperation with the second limiting boss (133) when locking; When the extension support body (11), the lock clip (12) and the latch height control member (13) are symmetrically arranged on the outer surfaces of the two opposite sides of the connection shell (1), the tails of the two symmetrically arranged latch height control members (13) are respectively connected through the hollow body (16), and the two symmetrically arranged first limiting bosses (132) are aligned with each other, and the two symmetrically arranged second limiting bosses (133) are aligned with each other or overlapped, so that by pushing and pulling the hollow body (16), the two symmetrically arranged latch height control members (13) are synchronously moved, and the two symmetrically arranged latches (122) are synchronously rotated; The elastic member (124) is configured as a cantilever structure and is located between the bottom surface of the first space (112) in the extension direction and the latch (122), wherein one end of the cantilever structure is fixedly connected to the middle bottom surface of the lock clip (12) and the other end of the cantilever structure contacts the front bottom surface of the first space (112), or one end of the cantilever structure is fixedly connected to the front bottom surface of the first space (112) and the other end of the cantilever structure contacts the middle bottom surface of the lock clip (12); When the latch (122) is locked with the locking structure (21), the elastic member (124) is still in a deformed state to be restored, so that the boss (1231) presses the upper surface of the latch height control member (13).

2. The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein: An installation introduction slot (114) communicating with the shaft hole (111) is provided on the outwardly extending end surface of the extension support body (11), so that the rotating shaft (121) can be detachably installed into or removed from the shaft hole (111) through the installation introduction slot (114).

3. The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein: The upper surface of the lock clip buckle (12) is provided with a direction key (125) which is an upwardly protruding structure or a downwardly concave structure in the extension direction, so that when the connection shell (1) is inserted into the adapter end connection cavity (2), the direction key (125) can correspond one-to-one with a direction key matching body in the adapter end connection cavity (2) which is a downwardly concave structure or an upwardly protruding structure in the extension direction.

4. The optical fiber connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the extension support body (11), the lock clip (12) and the latch height control member (13) are symmetrically arranged on the outer surfaces of the opposite sides of the connecting shell (1), an installation introduction slot (114) connected to the shaft hole (111) is opened on the outwardly extending end surface of the extension support body (11), so that when the polarity of the optical fiber inside the connecting shell (1) needs to be changed, the rotating shaft (121) of the lock clip (12) with the direction key (125) can be removed from the shaft hole (111) currently installed through the installation introduction slot (114), and then the rotating shaft (121) of the lock clip (12) can be installed in another shaft hole (111) arranged symmetrically with the shaft hole (111) currently installed.

5. The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein: The rotating shaft (121) is arranged in the middle of the locking clip (12) and is configured in a bilaterally symmetrical cylindrical shape; The latch (122) is arranged at the front part of the lock clip (12) and extends in the outward extension direction to form a latch surface (1221) which is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction; The positioning portion (123) is arranged at the rear of the locking clip (12) and is used to drive the latch (122) to rotate around the central axis of the shaft hole (111) in a direction close to the connecting housing (1) under the action of the latch height control member (13), so that the latch surface (1221) is away from the locking surface on the locking structure (21), until the latch (122) is below the height threshold, thereby releasing the locking relationship between the latch (122) and the locking structure (21).

6. An optical fiber connection structure, characterized in that: It comprises an optical fiber adapter (20) and at least one optical fiber connector (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plug-in end surface of the optical fiber adapter (20) is provided with a plurality of adapter end connection cavities (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 5; The connection housings (1) of the optical fiber connectors (10) are inserted into the adapter end connection cavities (2) in a one-to-one correspondence.

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