Connector boot

Abstract

The application relates to a connector protection cover, which comprises an inner housing, a cam, a coupling nut and a locking ring. An outer surface of the inner housing is provided with a control guide groove, which extends along a longitudinal direction. The cam is arranged on the inner housing and can rotate on the inner housing. The coupling nut is hollow and is arranged outside the inner housing, and a front end of the coupling nut is used for coupling with an object. A tab is arranged at a rear end of the coupling nut, and a guide groove is arranged on the tab, and the extension direction of the guide groove is not parallel to the longitudinal direction. The locking ring is hollow and is arranged outside the inner housing, and a first plug and a second plug are arranged on an inner surface of the locking ring, the first plug can move in the control guide groove, and the second plug can move in the guide groove.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of protective covers, and particularly relates to a protective cover for an optical fiber connector. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, the use of optical fibers for communication purposes has been very large, and data, voice and other communication networks increasingly use optical fibers to transmit information. Optical fibers are typically configured as glass fibers that carry light. A single fiber can be grouped into a bundle that can carry a large amount of data simultaneously.

[0003] When constructing an optical fiber network, each optical fiber is usually connected to a source device and a target device. In addition, various connections or couplings can be formed on the optical fiber along the optical fiber path between the source and the destination to adjust the length of the optical fiber. Connectors and adapters are required at each connection or coupling to align the optical fibers so that the transmission of light in the optical fibers is not interrupted.

[0004] Please refer to Figure 1 U.S. Patent No. 9755382 discloses a connector system for a connector module for optical and electrical conductors. The main feature is that after rotating the coupling nut 18 to the closed position, the locking ring 26 can be used as a safety device to prevent it from being unlocked. The above locking method is to first lock the coupling nut 18 clockwise, and then push the locking ring 26 forward so that the locking ring 26 abuts against the coupling nut 18 to prevent the coupling nut 18 from rotating. To unlock, first pull the locking ring 26 backward, and then unscrew the coupling nut 18 counterclockwise. It should be noted that if the user forgets to push the locking ring 26 forward after locking the coupling nut 18, the coupling nut 18 cannot be ensured to remain in the closed position.

[0005] The disadvantage of the above-mentioned connector design is that it cannot be installed side by side. The reason is that during installation, the hand needs to hold and rotate the coupling nut, so a larger space needs to be reserved beside the coupling nut to ensure that there is enough space to rotate the coupling nut. This disadvantage results in that the density of the connector installation cannot be too high, and the distance needs to be widened. SUMMARY

[0006] Based on this, the present application provides a connector protective cover, which can be connected, locked and unlocked by a user using only one hand.

[0007] The connector protection cover provided by the present application comprises an inner housing, a cam, a coupling nut and a locking ring. The inner housing is hollow, and a control guide groove is formed on the outer surface of the inner housing and extends in a longitudinal direction. The cam is arranged on the inner housing and can rotate on the inner housing. The coupling nut is hollow and is sleeved on the outer surface of the inner housing, and the front end of the coupling nut is used to be coupled with an object. The rear end of the coupling nut extends a tab, and a guide groove is formed on the tab and extends in a direction that is not parallel to the longitudinal direction. The locking ring is hollow and is sleeved on the outer surface of the inner housing, and a first prong and a second prong are formed on the inner surface of the locking ring. The first prong can move in the control guide groove, and the second prong can move in the guide groove. When the second prong is in the guide groove, moving the locking ring can drive the coupling nut to rotate, and when the first prong moves in the control guide groove in the longitudinal direction, the locking ring collides with the cam, so that the cam rotates. The rotating cam applies a force to the tab of the coupling nut that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, so that the coupling nut rotates.

[0008] According to the connector protection cover provided by the present application, the user can control the rotation of the coupling nut by moving the locking ring forward and backward, without directly rotating the coupling nut. In this way, the space beside the coupling nut does not need to be left for the user to hold, so that the installation density of the connector can be improved.

[0009] In order to make the purposes, technical features and technical effects of the present application more obvious, the following embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and the accompanying drawings are used for description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 A known connector system is shown;

[0011] Figure 2 An exploded view of a connector protection cover according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0012] Figure 3a , 3b A perspective view of an inner housing of a connector protection cover according to an embodiment of the present application is shown from different angles;

[0013] Figure 4a , 4b A perspective view of a coupling nut of a connector protection cover according to an embodiment of the present application is shown from different angles;

[0014] Figure 5a , 5b A perspective view of a locking ring of a connector protection cover according to an embodiment of the present application is shown from different angles;

[0015] Figure 6a 、 6bFIG. 7a is a perspective view of a cam of a connector cover according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 7a , 7b FIG. 7b is a perspective view of a connector cover according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 8 FIG. 8a is a perspective view of a known adapter;

[0018] Figure 9 , 10 FIG. 11 shows a method of using a connector cover according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0019] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] 18, coupling nut; 26, locking ring;

[0021] 100, cable connector;

[0022] 200, inner housing; 210, ring groove; 220, protrusion; 222, notch; 230, control guide groove; 231, protrusion; 232, protrusion; 240, cam groove; 242, protrusion;

[0023] 300, coupling nut; 310, tab; 311, side surface; 312, side surface; 316, gap; 320, pin; 330, guide groove; 340, inclined surface;

[0024] 400, locking ring; 410, first pin; 420, second pin; 430, opening; 440, cantilever; 450, extension;

[0025] 500, cam; 510, opening;

[0026] 800, adapter; 810, screw thread; 840, guide groove; 841, guide groove portion; 841e, entrance; 842, retaining groove portion;

[0027] 911, longitudinal direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Referring to Figure 2 A connector cover according to an embodiment of the present application includes a cable connector 100, an inner housing 200, a coupling nut 300, a locking ring 400, and a cam 500. The cable connector 100, the inner housing 200, the coupling nut 300, and the locking ring 400 can be integrally formed by plastic molding.

[0029] The cable joint 100 can be made of a soft material and provide strain relief for the cable (not shown) using materials and connection techniques known in the art. The cable joint 100 is a hollow structure, and its length direction is parallel to the longitudinal direction 911. The inner surface of the front end of the cable joint 100 is threaded to be connected to the inner housing 200.

[0030] Please refer to Figure 3a and Figure 3b The inner housing 200 is a hollow cylinder, and both ends thereof have openings. The length direction of the inner housing 200 is parallel to the longitudinal direction 911, and the opposite ends of the inner housing 200 along the longitudinal direction 911 are the front end and the rear end, respectively. An annular protrusion 220 is formed on the outer surface of the inner housing 200 near the front end, and the protrusion 220 protrudes outward from the outer surface of the inner housing 200 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 911 and forms a top surface opposite to the outer surface of the inner housing 200 and two side surfaces connected to the two ends of the top surface along the longitudinal direction 911, respectively, and both of the two side surfaces are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 911. Three notches 222 are formed on the protrusion 220, and the three notches 222 are equidistantly arranged along the circumferential direction of the inner housing 200. Two control guide grooves 230 are further formed on the outer surface of the inner housing 200, and the two control guide grooves 230 are symmetrically arranged in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 911, each of the control guide grooves 230 extends toward the longitudinal direction 911, and the control guide grooves 230 are recessed inward from the outer surface of the inner housing 200, and the groove bottoms of the control guide grooves 230 are formed with a protrusion 231 and a protrusion 232. The protrusions 231 and 232 extend along the circumferential direction of the inner housing 200 and are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 911, and the protrusion 231 is located on the side of the protrusion 232 close to the protrusion 220. In addition, a cam groove 240 is further formed on the outer surface of the inner housing 200, and the cam groove 240 is a rectangular recess, and the groove bottom of the cam groove 240 is formed with a cylindrical protrusion 242.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 4a and Figure 4bThe coupling nut 300 is hollow cylindrical in shape, and is configured to be fitted over the inner housing 200. The coupling nut 300 has a plurality of prongs 320 formed on the inner surface of the front end of the coupling nut 300. The plurality of prongs 320 are equally spaced along the circumference of the inner surface of the coupling nut 300. The coupling nut 300 has two tabs 310 symmetrically formed on the rear end of the coupling nut 300. Each tab 310 has two opposite side surfaces 311 and 312. The side surface 311 of one tab 310 is opposite to the side surface 312 of the other tab 310, and there is a gap 316 between the side surface 311 of one tab 310 and the side surface 312 of the other tab 310. Each tab 310 has a guide slot 330 formed thereon. The two guide slots 330 are symmetrically formed on the two tabs 310. The guide slot 330 extends from the rear end of the tab 310 to the front end of the coupling nut 300. The extension direction of the guide slot 330 is not parallel to the longitudinal direction 911, and is not perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 911. In addition, one of the tabs 310 has a bevel 340 formed thereon. The bevel 340 is adjacent to the guide slot 330 and the side surface 311 of the tab 310.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 5a and Figure 5b The locking ring 400 is hollow cylindrical in shape, and is configured to be fitted over the inner housing 200, and to cover the tabs 310 of the coupling nut 300. The inner surface of the locking ring 400 has two second prongs 420 symmetrically formed near the front end of the locking ring 400. The inner surface of the locking ring 400 also has two first prongs 410 symmetrically formed thereon. In another embodiment, the locking ring 400 has two apertures 430 symmetrically formed thereon. Each aperture 430 has a cantilever 440 extending in the longitudinal direction 911. The root of each cantilever 440 is connected to the side wall of the locking ring 400. The two first prongs 410 are respectively arranged at the front end of the two cantilevers 440. In addition, the inner surface of the locking ring 400 has an elongated extension 450 extending in the longitudinal direction 911.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 6a and Figure 6b The cam 500 has a triangular shape combined with a quadrilateral shape. One of the corners of the quadrilateral shape is inside the triangular shape, and the other three corners of the quadrilateral shape are outside the triangular shape. The quadrilateral shape has a circular aperture 510 formed therein, and is configured to receive the protrusion 242 of the inner housing 200. The center of gravity of the cam 500 is designed to be outside the aperture 510. The cam 500 is configured to be arranged in the cam groove 240 of the inner housing 200, and the protrusion 242 of the inner housing 200 is configured to be inserted into the aperture 510.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 7a , 7band 7c, the cable connector 100 is connected to the inner housing 200 by the threads on the inner surface of the front end of the cable connector 100. The cam 500 is placed in the cam groove 240 of the inner housing 200, and the protrusion 242 in the cam groove 240 is inserted into the opening 510. The cam 500 is pivoted to the protrusion 242, which serves as the rotation axis, so that the cam 500 can rotate around the protrusion 242. The coupling nut 300 is sleeved on the front section of the inner housing 200. The locking ring 400 is sleeved on the middle section of the inner housing 200, and covers the cam 500 and the tabs 310 on the rear end of the coupling nut 300. The two first prongs 410 on the inner surface of the locking ring 400 are respectively located in the two control grooves 230 of the inner housing 200, and the two second prongs 420 on the inner surface of the locking ring 400 are respectively located in the two guide grooves 330 of the coupling nut 300. The connector to be protected is placed in the inner housing 200 (not shown).

[0035] Figure 8 A known adapter 800 is shown, which is used to be locked on a device so that the connector arranged on the device can be mated with an external connector. The adapter 800 is hollow cylindrical, and a thread 810 is arranged on the outer surface of the adapter 800, so that the adapter 800 can be locked on the device by a nut. A plurality of guide grooves 840 are further arranged on the adapter 800, each of which includes a guide groove portion 841 and a retaining groove portion 842. The guide groove portion 841 extends in a longitudinal direction 911, and has an entrance 841e at the rear end of the adapter 800, which is used to accommodate the prong 320 of the coupling nut 300. The retaining groove portion 842 is connected to the guide groove portion 841, and extends along the circumference of the adapter 800 and perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction 911.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 9 , 10 and 11, the connector protection cover provided by the present application can be coupled with an object, for example, with Figure 8The adapter 800 is coupled such that the connectors inside the connector protection cover can be mated with the connectors behind the adapter 800 (not shown). When coupling, the inner housing 200 of the connector protection cover is inserted into the adapter 800, and the prongs 320 on the inner surface of the coupling nut 300 are placed into the guide slot portion 841 from the entrance 841e. Then the coupling nut 300 is rotated, and the prongs 320 are slid into the retaining slot portion 842 from the guide slot portion 841. At this time, the coupling nut 300 has been coupled with the adapter 800, and the connector protection cover has been connected with the adapter 800. During the rotation of the coupling nut 300, the inner housing 200 is restricted from rotating with the coupling nut 300. If the connector protection cover is to be uncoupled from the adapter 800, the coupling nut 300 is rotated in the opposite direction, and the prongs 320 are slid out of the guide slot 840 from the entrance 841e. In other embodiments, the coupling nut 300 is not limited to coupling with the adapter 800, but can be designed to couple with other objects.

[0037] Referring again to Figure 7a , according to the connector protection cover provided by the present application, the two first prongs 410 on the inner surface of the locking ring 400 can slide back and forth in the two control guide slots 230 of the inner housing 200. When the first prongs 410 pass the protrusions 231, the user will feel a change in resistance, thereby providing tactile feedback to the user.

[0038] According to the connector protection cover provided by the present application, the two second prongs 420 on the inner surface of the locking ring 400 are located in the two guide slots 330 of the coupling nut 300, respectively. When the locking ring 400 is pushed forward, the second prongs 420 will move along the guide slots 330. During the movement of the second prongs 420 along the guide slots 330, the second prongs 420 will exert a pressing force on the slot walls of the guide slots 330, and the pressing force has a component along the circumference of the coupling nut 300, which will drive the coupling nut 300 to rotate clockwise and lock. When the locking ring 400 is pulled backward, the force direction is opposite to that when the locking ring 400 is pushed forward, thereby driving the coupling nut 300 to rotate counterclockwise and unlock.

[0039] Referring again to Figure 9 , 10 and 11, the cam 500 is located in the gap 316 between the two tabs 310. As shown in Figure 9 , when the locking ring 400 is pushed toward the adapter 800, the extension 450 of the locking ring 400 will collide with the cam 500. As shown in Figure 10 , the force generated by the collision of the extension 450 and the cam 500 will drive the cam 500 to rotate around the protrusion 242 on the inner housing 200. As shown in Figure 11As shown, then, the cam 500 continues to rotate and presses against the inclined surface 340 of the tab 310, thereby exerting a force on the coupling nut 300 that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 911, which helps to lock the coupling nut 300 by rotating the coupling nut 300 clockwise.

[0040] According to the connector protection cover provided by the present application, the coupling nut 300 can be rotated by the cam 500 during the process of moving the front locking ring 400 forward, so that the coupling nut 300 is locked more easily. In addition, the cam 500 is designed to be not centered on the protruding column 242, so that the cam 500 can be rotated back to the initial position by its own gravity through the inclined connector protection cover.

[0041] According to the connector protection cover provided by the present application, the user can move the locking ring 400 forward and backward to control the rotation of the coupling nut 300, without the need to directly rotate the coupling nut 300 by hand, so that the space beside the coupling nut 300 where the user can hold does not need to be left empty, thereby improving the installation density of the connector.

[0042] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined in any manner. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described, but it should be considered that any combination of the technical features is within the scope of the present disclosure, as long as the combination does not result in contradictions.

[0043] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation manners of the present application, and the description is more specific and detailed, but it should not be understood as a limitation on the patent scope of the present application. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, without departing from the concept of the present application, a number of modifications and improvements can be made, which are all within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of the present application should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A connector protective cover, characterized in that, include: The inner shell is hollow and has a control guide groove on its outer surface. The length direction of the inner shell is defined as the longitudinal direction, and the control guide groove extends in the longitudinal direction. A cam, which is disposed on the inner housing and is rotatable on the inner housing; A coupling nut, which is hollow and sleeved on the outer side of the inner shell, has one end for coupling with an object and the other end provided with a protrusion. The protrusion is provided with a guide groove, and the extension direction of the guide groove is not parallel to the longitudinal direction. as well as A locking ring, which is hollow and sleeved on the outer side of the inner housing, has a first pin and a second pin on its inner surface. The first pin can move within the control guide groove, and the second pin can move within the guide groove. When the second pin is located in the guide groove, moving the locking ring can drive the coupling nut to rotate. When the first pin moves in the control guide groove in the longitudinal direction, the locking ring touches the cam and causes the cam to rotate. The rotating cam applies a force perpendicular to the longitudinal direction to the tab of the coupling nut, causing the coupling nut to rotate.

2. The connector protective cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner shell is provided with protruding posts; The cam is pivotally connected to the protrusion so that the cam can rotate about the protrusion.

3. The connector protective cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner housing is provided with a cam groove and a protrusion; The protrusion is located within the cam groove; The cam is located in the cam groove and is pivotally connected to the protrusion so that the cam can rotate about the protrusion.

4. The connector protective cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner surface of the locking ring is provided with an extension portion that extends in the longitudinal direction and is used to contact the cam to rotate the cam.

5. The connector protective cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking ring has an opening, and a cantilever is provided in the opening, with the cantilever extending in the longitudinal direction; The first pin is located on the cantilever.

6. The connector protective cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control guide groove is provided with a protrusion. When the locking ring is moved so that the first pin passes over the protrusion in the control guide groove, the resistance of the locking ring during movement changes.

7. The connector protective cover according to claim 2, characterized in that, The center of gravity of the cam does not fall on the protrusion.

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