A POF connector with a power supply

Abstract

The application discloses a power-supply POF connector, which comprises a POF female connector and a POF male connector. The POF female connector comprises an insulating base provided with a plug-in groove and a power-supply groove, and the bottom of the insulating base is provided with a mounting position; two electrode terminals are fixed in the insulating base, the upper ends of the electrode terminals are exposed in the power-supply groove and form a power-supply socket with the power-supply groove; a lens module is mounted in the mounting position; the lens module comprises a plastic optical fiber lens, the input end of a lens body in the plastic optical fiber lens is exposed in the plug-in groove, and the output end of the lens body is exposed at the lower end of the insulating base; the POF male connector comprises an insulator, a plastic core barrel and an optical fiber wire; the front part of the insulator is provided with a plug-in protrusion, the front end of the plastic core barrel is exposed at the front end surface of the plug-in protrusion, and a power-supply plug is further arranged outside the plug-in protrusion; the plug-in protrusion is inserted into the plug-in groove, the optical fiber wire corresponds to the input end of the lens body, the power-supply plug is inserted into the power-supply groove, and the power-supply terminals are connected with the electrode terminals in conduction.

Description

Technical fields:

[0001] This invention relates to the field of connector technology, and specifically to a POF connector with power supply. Background technology:

[0002] With the continuous development of optical fiber communication technology, the requirements for supporting optical fiber cables and optical fiber connectors are also becoming increasingly stringent.

[0003] Plastic optical fiber, or POF, is a type of optical fiber (optical waveguide fiber) made of highly transparent polymers such as polystyrene (PS), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), or polycarbonate (PC) as the core material, and PMMA, fluoroplastics, etc., as the cladding material. As an alternative to silica optical fiber, POF is a low-cost, lightweight, and easy-to-install data transmission medium. It is particularly suitable for short-distance, small-to-medium capacity systems with many connectors (such as access networks). Compared to multimode silica fiber, plastic optical fiber (POF) is more flexible, has better mechanical flexibility, is dust-resistant, and is easier to install and maintain. Crucially, POF core diameters are typically 0.5 mm or larger, while multimode silica fiber core diameters are 62.5 μm or 50 μm. POF, with its core diameter approximately ten times larger, is easier to align. For step-index POF with a core diameter of 980 μm and graded-index POF with a core diameter of 500 μm, even a ±30 μm offset during connection does not significantly affect coupling loss (increasing loss by approximately 0.03 dB). Inexpensive injection-molded connectors can be used, significantly reducing the overall system cost. Plastic optical fiber is widely used in civilian fields such as power, medical, and automotive industries.

[0004] Chinese invention patent (CN205562890U) discloses a plastic fiber optic socket structure, comprising: a plastic fiber optic socket including two grooves and fiber optic holes respectively located in the grooves; each groove has a notch on its lower sidewall; each side has a slot; and the bottom includes a fixing buckle; a fiber optic chip including a body and pins; the body includes a fiber optic chip receiver port, which is accommodated in the groove; and the pins extend through the notch in the groove; a plastic fiber optic cover plate with a buckle on each side, the buckles being fixed in the slots, such that the front end of the plastic fiber optic cover plate abuts against the body of the fiber optic chip; a PCB including fixing holes for fixing the fixing buckles and soldering holes for soldering to the pins; a plastic fiber optic cable passing through the fiber optic hole and connected to the fiber optic chip receiver port; and a plastic fiber optic handle for fixing the plastic fiber optic cable to the plastic fiber optic socket.

[0005] However, the aforementioned plastic fiber optic socket structure can only achieve optical signal transmission and does not have a power conduction function, which cannot meet the usage scenarios that require power conduction and causes great inconvenience to users.

[0006] In addition, Chinese invention patent number ZL202320232951.6 discloses an optical fiber plug structure, which includes: an optical cable, a fixing sleeve fixedly installed on the outer surface of the optical cable, an installation component provided on the outer surface of the optical cable near one end, and a plug body provided at one end of the optical cable. The plug body is used to insert into the slot of the optical fiber socket and form an optical signal transmission.

[0007] However, the aforementioned fiber optic plug structure can only achieve optical signal transmission and does not have a power-on function, which cannot meet the usage scenarios that require power-on and causes great inconvenience to users.

[0008] In view of the above, the inventors propose the following technical solution. Summary of the Invention:

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a POF connector with power supply.

[0010] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: The powered POF connector includes a POF female connector and a POF male connector that mates with the POF female connector. The POF female connector includes: an insulating base having a mating slot for mating with the POF male connector and a power slot located beside the mating slot and communicating with the mating slot; the bottom of the insulating base has a mounting position communicating with the mating slot; two electrode terminals fixed in the insulating base, the upper ends of the electrode terminals exposed in the power slot and forming a power socket with the power slot, the lower ends of the electrode terminals extending out of the lower end face of the insulating base; and a lens module installed in the mounting position; the lens module includes a plastic optical fiber lens, the plastic optical fiber being transparent... The input end of the lens body is exposed in the slot, and the output end of the lens body is exposed at the lower end of the insulating base. The POF male connector includes an insulator, a plastic core installed inside the insulator, and an optical fiber fixed inside the plastic core. The front part of the insulator is provided with a mating protrusion, and the front end of the plastic core is exposed at the front end face of the mating protrusion. A power plug is also provided on the outside of the mating protrusion. The power plug includes a plastic shell fixed to the outside of the mating protrusion, a power terminal fixed inside the plastic shell, and a first wire connected to the power terminal and extending out of the plastic shell. The mating protrusion is inserted into the slot, the optical fiber corresponds to the input end of the lens body, the power plug is inserted into the power slot, and the power terminal is connected to the electrode terminal.

[0011] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the lens module also includes a bracket, in which the plastic fiber optic lens is fixed; wherein, the bracket has an inverted buckle on its outer side, and the mounting position has a locking hole on its inner wall, the inverted buckle being inserted into the locking hole and being able to move up and down relative to the locking hole, and a metal spring is also provided between the bracket and the mounting position, the metal spring elastically supporting the bracket relative to the insulating base, so that the bracket is fixed in the mounting position in a way that allows it to float elastically.

[0012] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the lower end of the bracket is provided with a mounting groove, and the upper end of the bracket is provided with a docking window that passes through the mounting groove. The plastic fiber optic lens is installed in the mounting groove, with the input end of the plastic fiber optic lens exposed in the docking window and the output end of the plastic fiber optic lens exposed outwards. The metal spring is embedded in the limiting groove provided at the upper end of the bracket. The metal spring is formed with multiple upwardly protruding elastic arms, all of which are in contact with the bottom surface of the mounting position. A non-circular positioning buckle is also provided in the mounting groove. The plastic fiber optic lens is provided with a through second positioning hole, through which the positioning buckle passes to engage and position with the plastic fiber optic lens. Multiple pressing protrusions are also formed inside the mounting groove, which abut against the periphery of the plastic fiber optic lens to limit the plastic fiber optic lens.

[0013] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the plastic fiber optic lens includes a base and a lens body integrally fixed on the base. The lens body has an input end and an output end, which are distributed correspondingly. The insulating base is mounted on the PCB board, and the output end of the lens body is connected to the fiber optic chip mounted on the PCB board. The lower end of the electrode terminal is electrically connected to the PCB board.

[0014] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the lower end face of the bracket is also provided with a clearance groove for accommodating the optical fiber chip, and the output end of the plastic optical fiber lens is exposed in the clearance groove; the lower end face of the insulating base is formed with a plurality of positioning protrusions; the positioning protrusions have upward opening grooves along their bottom surfaces, dividing the positioning protrusions into a first positioning post and a second positioning post, and the lower periphery of the second positioning post is also formed with an outwardly protruding buckle; the four corners of the insulating base are all provided with guide grooves that pass through the mounting position; the four corners of the bracket are all provided with guide blocks, which are embedded in the guide grooves.

[0015] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the power plug and the mating protrusion are detachable; wherein, the outer side of the plastic shell is provided with a T-shaped guide groove, and the rear end of the guide groove is provided with a first positioning groove; the outer side of the mating protrusion is integrally formed with a T-shaped anti-derailment rail, and the rear end of the anti-derailment rail is provided with a first positioning buckle; the plastic shell is sleeved on the anti-derailment rail through the guide groove, and the first positioning buckle is engaged and fixed with the first positioning groove, so that the plastic shell is fixed to the outer side of the mating protrusion, and the rear end face of the plastic shell is in contact with the front part of the insulator.

[0016] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the plastic shell is provided with a terminal hole that extends through the front and rear ends. The power terminal is inserted and fixed in the terminal hole, and the first wire extends partially into the terminal hole. A first sealing ring is provided between the outside of the first wire and the terminal hole. A second sealing ring is also provided on the front end of the plastic shell. An annular groove and an anti-rotation groove located beside and connected to the annular groove are provided on the outer side of the front end of the mating protrusion. The sealing ring is fitted in the annular groove, and the anti-rotation protrusion on the outer side of the sealing ring is embedded in the anti-rotation groove. The front end of the mating protrusion is in sealed contact with the bottom of the mating slot through the sealing ring.

[0017] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the insulator is formed with a spring arm, and the spring arm is provided with a buckle; the rear end of the insulator is also provided with a secondary buckle seat that can be pushed and pulled back and forth and is used to push the spring arm upward to achieve support for the spring arm.

[0018] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the front end of the secondary buckle is provided with a secondary buckle, and the top surface of the front end of the secondary buckle is provided with an inclined surface. The secondary buckle is placed in the guide groove on the lower end face of the spring arm. When the secondary buckle is pushed forward, the inclined surface of the secondary buckle contacts the lower end face of the spring arm and pushes the spring arm upward to provide support for the spring arm. The rear end of the insulator is provided with a sliding groove, and the inner walls on both sides of the sliding groove are provided with rail grooves. The secondary buckle is provided with protruding rails on both sides that are adapted to the rail grooves. The secondary buckle is slidably installed in the sliding groove, wherein the protruding rails are embedded in the rail grooves, and the anti-slip pushing part on the secondary buckle is exposed outside the upper end face of the insulator. The bottom surface of the sliding groove is also provided with stroke grooves on both sides. The lower end of the secondary buckle is also provided with inclined sliders adapted to the stroke grooves, and the inclined sliders are placed in the stroke grooves.

[0019] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the rear end of the plastic core tube is provided with an O-ring and a positioning ring groove located at the rear end of the O-ring, and is sealed and assembled with the insulator through the O-ring; the insulator has a core hole that passes through the front end face along its rear end face, and the lower end face of the insulator is also provided with a snap-fit ​​groove that passes through the core hole and is in the shape of a semi-square frame, and a limiting seat is also snapped and fixed in the snap-fit ​​groove on the lower end face of the insulator, and the limiting protrusion formed in the limiting seat is embedded in the positioning ring groove to prevent the plastic core tube from moving backward; elastic buckles are formed on both sides of the limiting seat, and buckle grooves are formed on both sides of the snap-fit ​​groove, and the elastic buckles are snapped and fixed with the buckle grooves.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0021] 1. The power socket formed by the electrode terminals of the POF female connector and the power slot in this invention can be used to connect to the power plug to achieve the power conduction function. That is, this invention can realize optical signal transmission and power transmission at the same time, meet the application scenarios that require power conduction and optical signal transmission, and meet different usage requirements, without the need to add an additional set of independent power plugs and power sockets, which can simplify the product structure and make it more convenient to use.

[0022] 2. The POF female connector in this invention does not have an optical fiber chip and does not require an additional structure to fix the optical fiber chip. Its structure is relatively simple. It only connects to the optical fiber chip through the lens body in the plastic optical fiber lens and transmits the optical signal to the optical fiber chip. Finally, the optical fiber chip receives the optical signal. Moreover, the POF female connector in this invention is particularly suitable for application in scenarios where the optical fiber chip has been soldered and fixed on the PCB board and only the transmission of optical signals is required.

[0023] 3. In this invention, the bracket of the POF female connector and the plastic optical fiber lens fixed on the bracket can elastically float relative to the insulating base. So, in actual use, after the POF female connector of this invention is fixedly installed on the PCB board, the plastic optical fiber lens and the optical fiber chip on the PCB board form elastic contact, which can avoid the formation of gaps between the two. This ensures the optical signal transmission quality of the plastic optical fiber lens, and also avoids rigid contact that could damage the plastic optical fiber lens or the optical fiber chip, thus ensuring the service life and quality of the product.

[0024] 4. The POF male connector of this invention has the power plug located on the outside of the mating protrusion, making the POF male connector have a built-in power plug. When this invention is in use, the mating protrusion and the power plug are simultaneously inserted into the mating slot and power slot of the POF female connector. The optical fiber corresponds to the input end of the lens body, and the power plug is inserted into the power slot. The power terminal is connected to the electrode terminal, thereby realizing simultaneous optical signal transmission and power transmission. This meets the needs of application scenarios that require both power conduction and optical signal transmission, satisfying different usage requirements without the need for an additional set of independent power plugs and power sockets. This simplifies the product structure and makes it more convenient to use. Attached image description:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the POF female connector in this invention from a first-view perspective;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the POF female connector in this invention from a second angle;

[0027] Figure 3 This is an exploded perspective view of the POF female connector in this invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the POF female connector in this invention from a third-angle perspective;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the insulating base in this invention;

[0030] Figure 6 This is an assembly diagram of the lens module in this invention;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the bracket in this invention;

[0032] Figure 8 This is a perspective view of the POF female connector and the optical fiber chip mating in this invention;

[0033] Figure 9 This is an assembly diagram of the POF female connector and the PCB board in this invention.

[0034] Figure 10 This is a perspective view of the POF male connector in this invention;

[0035] Figure 11 This is a perspective view of the POF male connector in this invention from another angle;

[0036] Figure 12 This is an exploded perspective view of the POF male connector in this invention;

[0037] Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional view of the POF male connector in this invention;

[0038] Figure 14 This is a perspective view of the POF male connector after the limiting seat has been removed in this invention;

[0039] Figure 15 This is a perspective view of the secondary fastener in this invention;

[0040] Figure 16 This is a perspective view of the POF male connector in this invention after the power plug has been removed;

[0041] Figure 17 This is a perspective view of the present invention. Detailed implementation method:

[0042] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0043] See Figure 17 As shown, a POF connector includes a POF female connector 100 and a POF male connector 200 that is mated to the POF female connector 100.

[0044] Combination Figure 1-9 As shown, the powered POF female connector 100 is mounted on the PCB board 4 and is used to transmit optical signals to the optical fiber chip 41 mounted on the PCB board 4, which receives the optical signals.

[0045] The POF female connector 100 includes: an insulating base 1, a lens module 300, and two electrode terminals 16.

[0046] The insulating base 1 has a mating slot 12 for mating with a POF male connector and a power slot 15 located beside and communicating with the mating slot 12. The bottom of the insulating base 1 has a mounting position 11 communicating with the mating slot 12. Two electrode terminals 16 are fixed in the insulating base 1. The upper ends of the electrode terminals 16 are exposed in the power slot 15 and together with the power slot 15 form a power socket. The lower ends of the electrode terminals 16 extend out of the lower end face of the insulating base 1. A lens module 300 is installed in the mounting position 11. The lens module 300 includes a plastic fiber optic lens 2. The input end 221 of the lens body 22 of the plastic fiber optic lens 2 is exposed in the mating slot 12, and the output end 222 of the lens body 22 is exposed at the lower end of the insulating base 1. The insulating base 1 is mounted on a PCB board 4, and the output end 222 of the lens body 22 is connected to the fiber optic chip 41 mounted on the PCB board 4. In other words, the POF female connector 100 of this invention does not include the fiber optic chip 41 and does not require an additional structure to fix the fiber optic chip. Its structure is relatively simple. It only connects to the fiber optic chip 41 through the lens body 22 in the plastic fiber optic lens 2, transmits the optical signal to the fiber optic chip 41, and finally receives the optical signal. This invention is particularly suitable for scenarios where the fiber optic chip has been soldered and fixed on the PCB board and only optical signal transmission is required. In addition, the power socket formed by the electrode terminal 16 and the power slot 15 of the POF female connector 100 of this invention can be used to connect to the power plug to achieve power conduction. That is, this invention can realize both optical signal transmission and power transmission at the same time, meeting the needs of application scenarios that require both power conduction and optical signal transmission, thus satisfying different usage requirements without the need for an additional set of independent power plugs and power sockets. This simplifies the product structure and makes it more convenient to use.

[0047] The insulating base 1 is provided with a mounting flange 18 on its periphery. The mounting flange 18 is provided with a groove, and an O-ring 17 is provided in the groove. In use, the insulating base 1 is inserted into the mounting hole of the housing, and the O-ring 17 contacts the surface of the housing to achieve a sealed assembly.

[0048] The lens module 300 also includes a bracket 3, in which the plastic fiber optic lens 2 is fixed. The bracket 3 has an inverted buckle 31 on its outer side, and a locking hole 111 on the inner wall of the mounting position 11. The inverted buckle 31 engages with the locking hole 111 and can move up and down relative to the locking hole 111. A metal spring 32 is also provided between the bracket 3 and the mounting position 11, elastically supporting the bracket 3 relative to the insulating base 1, allowing the bracket 3 to be fixed in the mounting position 11 in a flexible, floating manner. In other words, the bracket 3 and the plastic fiber optic lens 2 fixed on it can elastically float relative to the insulating base 1. Therefore, in actual use, after the POF female connector 100 of this invention is fixedly mounted on the PCB board, the plastic fiber optic lens 2 and the fiber optic chip 41 on the PCB board 4 form elastic contact, avoiding gaps between them. This ensures the optical signal transmission quality of the plastic fiber optic lens 2 and prevents rigid contact that could damage the plastic fiber optic lens or fiber optic chip, thus guaranteeing the product's lifespan and quality.

[0049] The specific assembly structure of the bracket 3 and the plastic fiber optic lens 2 is as follows:

[0050] The bracket 3 has a mounting groove 33 at its lower end and a docking window 34 through the mounting groove 33 at its upper end. The plastic fiber optic lens 2 is installed in the mounting groove 33, with its input end 221 exposed in the docking window 34 and the slot 12, and its output end 222 exposed outwards. A non-circular positioning buckle 331 is also provided within the mounting groove 33. The plastic fiber optic lens 2 has a through second positioning hole 201, through which the positioning buckle 331 passes to engage and position with the plastic fiber optic lens 2, ensuring stable installation of the plastic fiber optic lens 2 within the mounting groove 33. To further improve the stability of the assembly structure, multiple pressing protrusions 332 are formed inside the mounting groove 33. These pressing protrusions 332 abut against the periphery of the plastic fiber optic lens 2 to confine it, thereby improving the stability of the assembly structure.

[0051] The metal spring 32 is embedded in the limiting groove 35 provided at the upper end of the bracket 3. Multiple upwardly protruding elastic arms 321 are formed on the metal spring 32. All elastic arms 321 are in contact with the bottom surface of the mounting position 11, thereby eliminating the gap between the bracket 3 and the mounting position 11, and at the same time, it can stably elastically support the bracket 3, so that the bracket 3 can elastically float relative to the insulating seat 1.

[0052] The plastic fiber optic lens 2 includes a base 21 and a lens body 22 integrally fixed on the base 21. The lens body 22 has an input end 221 and an output end 222, which are distributed correspondingly.

[0053] The lower end face of the bracket 3 is also provided with a relief groove 36 for accommodating the optical fiber chip 41. The output end 222 of the plastic optical fiber lens 2 is exposed in the relief groove 36, thereby achieving the effect of light shielding and improving the transmission performance of optical signals.

[0054] The lower end face of the insulating base 1 is formed with a plurality of positioning protrusions 13, which are used to be embedded and fixed with the PCB board. The positioning protrusions 13 have an upward-opening groove 130 along their bottom surface, which divides the positioning protrusions 13 into a first positioning post 131 and a second positioning post 132. The lower periphery of the second positioning post 132 is also formed with an outwardly protruding buckle 133. This not only realizes the function of embedding and fixing with the PCB board, but also prevents the insulating base 1 from accidentally detaching from the PCB board.

[0055] The insulating base 1 has guide grooves 14 that pass through the mounting position 11 at each of its four corners; the bracket 3 has guide blocks 37 at each of its four corners, which are embedded in the guide grooves 14, thereby ensuring that the bracket 3 is stably assembled in the mounting position 11 and can play a guiding role.

[0056] In summary, the POF female connector 100 of this invention does not include the fiber optic chip 41 and does not require an additional structure to fix the fiber optic chip. Its structure is relatively simple; it only connects to the fiber optic chip 41 through the lens body 22 in the plastic fiber optic lens 2, transmitting the optical signal to the fiber optic chip 41, which then receives the optical signal. Furthermore, the POF female connector 100 of this invention is particularly suitable for scenarios where the fiber optic chip has already been soldered and fixed on the PCB board and only optical signal transmission is required. In addition, the power socket formed by the electrode terminals 16 and the power slot 15 of the POF female connector 100 can be used to connect to a power plug, thereby achieving power conduction. That is, this invention can simultaneously achieve optical signal transmission and power transmission, meeting the needs of application scenarios requiring both power conduction and optical signal transmission, thus satisfying different usage requirements without the need for an additional set of independent power plugs and sockets. This simplifies the product structure and makes it more convenient to use.

[0057] Combination Figure 10-16 As shown, the POF male connector 200 includes an insulator 5, two plastic core tubes 6 installed inside the insulator 5, and an optical fiber 7 fixed inside the plastic core tubes 6.

[0058] The insulator 5 has a mating protrusion 51 at its front. The front end of the plastic core 6 is exposed at the front end face of the mating protrusion 51. In order to enable the present invention to transmit power, the following design is also made: a power plug 9 is provided on the outside of the mating protrusion 51. The power plug 9 includes a plastic shell 91 fixed to the outside of the mating protrusion 51, a power terminal 92 fixed inside the plastic shell 91, and a first wire 93 connected to the power terminal 92 and extending out of the plastic shell 91. In other words, the POF male connector 200 of this invention has the power plug 9 located outside the mating protrusion 51, making the POF male connector 200 self-contained with the power plug 9. When this invention is in use, the mating protrusion 51 and the power plug 9 are simultaneously inserted into the mating slot 12 and the power slot 15 of the POF female connector 100. The optical fiber 7 corresponds to the input end 221 of the lens body 22, and the power plug 9 is inserted into the power slot 15. The power terminal 92 is connected to the electrode terminal 16, thereby simultaneously realizing optical signal transmission and power transmission, meeting the usage scenarios that require both power conduction and optical signal transmission, and satisfying different usage requirements. It eliminates the need for an additional set of independent power plugs and power sockets, simplifying the product structure and making it more convenient to use.

[0059] The power plug 9 and the mating protrusion 51 are detachable, meaning that when the power conduction function is not needed, the power plug 9 can be detached from the mating protrusion 51, making it extremely convenient to use.

[0060] The assembly structure of the power plug 9 and the mating protrusion 51 is as follows: the outer side of the plastic shell 91 is provided with a T-shaped guide groove 911, and the rear end of the guide groove 911 is provided with a first positioning groove 912; the outer side of the mating protrusion 51 is integrally formed with a T-shaped anti-derailment rail 513, and the rear end of the anti-derailment rail 513 is provided with a first positioning buckle 514. The plastic shell 91 is sleeved on the anti-derailment rail 513 through the guide groove 911, and the first positioning buckle 514 is fastened and fixed with the first positioning groove 912, so that the plastic shell 91 is fixed to the outer side of the mating protrusion 51. The assembly structure is simple and easy to assemble. In addition, the rear end face of the plastic shell 91 is in contact with the front part of the insulator 5, thereby ensuring that the power plug 9 will not move backward and ensuring the stability of the assembly structure.

[0061] The plastic shell 91 is provided with a terminal hole 913 that runs through the front and rear ends. The power terminal 92 is inserted and fixed in the terminal hole 913, and the first wire 93 extends partially into the terminal hole 913. A first sealing ring 94 is provided between the outside of the first wire 93 and the terminal hole 913, thereby achieving the effect of dustproof and waterproof. A second sealing ring 95 is also provided at the front end of the plastic shell 91.

[0062] The insulator 5 has a spring arm 52 formed on it, and a fastener 521 is provided on the spring arm 52. The rear end of the insulator 5 is also provided with a secondary fastener 8, which can be pushed and pulled back and forth and is used to push the spring arm 52 upward to support the spring arm 52. In use, the powered POF male connector 200 is plugged into the POF female connector 100. The spring arm 52 and the mating protrusion 51 of the powered POF male connector 200 are inserted into the slot 12 of the POF female connector 100, and the fastener 521 is engaged and fixed with the fastening hole 120 of the POF female connector 100, so that the powered POF male connector 200 and the POF female connector 100 form a stable connection. The plastic core 6 corresponds to the plastic optical fiber lens inside the POF female connector 100 to realize the transmission of optical signals. In addition, the secondary latch 8 added to the insulator 5 can be pushed, pulled and slid back and forth and is used to push the spring arm 52 upward to support the spring arm 52, thereby achieving secondary locking of the spring arm 52. This can effectively prevent the spring arm 52 from being pressed down and achieve the purpose of locking. This can prevent the latch body 521 of the spring arm 52 from disengaging from the latching hole 120 of the POF female connector 100 and causing accidental unlocking. This ensures a stable connection between the powered POF male connector 200 and the POF female connector 100, preventing accidental disengagement and further guaranteeing the quality of optical signal transmission of the present invention.

[0063] Specifically, the secondary buckle 8 has a secondary buckle 81 formed at its front end. The top surface of the front end of the secondary buckle 81 has a slope 811, which serves as a guide. The secondary buckle 81 is placed in the guide groove 522 on the lower end face of the spring arm 52. When the secondary buckle 8 is pushed forward, the slope 811 of the secondary buckle 81 contacts the lower end face of the spring arm 52 and pushes the spring arm 52 upward to support it. This achieves secondary locking of the spring arm 52, effectively preventing the spring arm 52 from being pressed down and achieving the purpose of locking. This avoids the buckle body 521 of the spring arm 52 from disengaging from the buckle hole 120 of the POF female connector 100, thus preventing accidental unlocking. This ensures a stable connection between the powered POF male connector 200 and the POF female connector 100, preventing accidental disengagement and further guaranteeing the quality of optical signal transmission of the present invention.

[0064] A groove 60 is formed between the front end of the plastic core tube 6 and the front end face of the interlocking protrusion 51, which prevents the fiber core 71 in the plastic core tube 6 from being exposed and damaged, thus providing good protection.

[0065] The insulator 5 has a sliding groove 53 at its rear end that connects to the guide groove 522. The inner walls of both sides of the sliding groove 53 are provided with rail grooves 531. The secondary buckle 8 has protruding rails 82 on both sides that are adapted to the rail grooves 531. The secondary buckle 8 is slidably installed in the sliding groove 53. The protruding rails 82 are embedded in the rail grooves 531 and can achieve stable sliding action. The anti-slip pushing part 85 on the secondary buckle 8 is exposed outside the upper end surface of the insulator 5, so that the anti-slip pushing part 85 can be pressed to unlock the secondary buckle 8 from the spring arm 52, making the operation more convenient.

[0066] The sliding groove 53 is also provided with travel grooves 532 on both sides of the bottom surface; the lower end of the secondary buckle 8 is also provided with inclined sliders 83 adapted to the travel grooves 532. The inclined sliders 83 are placed in the travel grooves 532, so that the inclined sliders 83 can only slide in the travel grooves 532, thereby limiting the forward and backward travel of the secondary buckle 8 and achieving the function of preventing backlash. This can prevent the secondary buckle 8 from accidentally coming out of the sliding groove 53 and ensure the quality of the product.

[0067] The outer surface of the front end of the mating protrusion 51 is provided with an annular groove 511 and an anti-rotation groove 512 located beside and connected to the annular groove 511. The sealing ring 54 is fitted inside the annular groove 511, and the anti-rotation protrusion 541 on the outer side of the sealing ring 54 is embedded in the anti-rotation groove 512, thereby preventing the sealing ring 54 from rotating, ensuring the stability of the assembly structure, and achieving a better sealing effect. The front end of the mating protrusion 51 is in sealing contact with the bottom of the mating slot 12 through the sealing ring 54, thereby achieving an effective waterproof function.

[0068] The plastic core 6 is provided with an O-ring 61 and a positioning ring groove 63 at the rear end of the O-ring 61. The O-ring 61 is used to seal and assemble with the insulator 5, thereby achieving waterproofing. The insulator 5 has a core hole 55 that passes through the front end face along its rear end face. The lower end face of the insulator 5 is also provided with a snap-fit ​​groove 56 that passes through the core hole 55 and is in the shape of a semi-square frame. A limiting seat 58 is also snapped and fixed in the snap-fit ​​groove 56 on the lower end face of the insulator 5. The limiting protrusion 581 formed in the limiting seat 58 is embedded in the positioning ring groove 63 to prevent the plastic core 6 from moving backward. This further stabilizes the plastic core 6 in the insulator 5 and better protects the plastic core 6, preventing accidental damage to the plastic core 6.

[0069] A sealing ring 72 is also fitted on the optical fiber 7, which is also embedded in the core hole 55 and forms a sealing contact.

[0070] Both sides of the limiting seat 58 are formed with elastic buckle bodies 582, and both sides of the fastening groove 56 are formed with fastening groove bodies 561. The elastic buckle bodies 582 and fastening groove bodies 561 are snapped together to ensure the stability of the assembly structure.

[0071] The elastic arm 52 is J-shaped, and the arc-shaped end 523 of the elastic arm 52 is integrally connected to the insulator 5. The arc-shaped end 523 is also provided with strip-shaped holes 524 distributed along its length direction to enhance its elastic deformation capability.

[0072] In summary, the POF male connector 200 of this invention has the power plug 9 located outside the mating protrusion 51, making the POF male connector 200 self-contained with the power plug 9. When this invention is in use, the mating protrusion 51 and the power plug 9 are simultaneously inserted into the mating slot 12 and the power slot 15 of the POF female connector 100. The optical fiber 7 corresponds to the input end 221 of the lens body 22, and the power plug 9 is inserted into the power slot 15. The power terminal 92 is connected to the electrode terminal 16, thereby simultaneously realizing optical signal transmission and power transmission, meeting the application scenarios that require both power conduction and optical signal transmission, and satisfying different usage requirements. It eliminates the need for an additional set of independent power plugs and power sockets, simplifying the product structure and making it more convenient to use.

[0073] Of course, the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made to the structure, features and principles described in the claims of the present invention should be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A powered POF connector, comprising a POF female connector (100) and a POF male connector (200) mating with the POF female connector (100), characterized in that: The POF female connector (100) includes: an insulating base (1) having a mating slot (12) for mating with a POF male connector and a power slot (15) located beside and communicating with the mating slot (12), the bottom of the insulating base (1) having a mounting position (11) communicating with the mating slot (12); and two electrode terminals (16) fixed in the insulating base (1), the upper ends of the electrode terminals (16) being exposed in the power slot (15). The electrode terminal (16) extends out of the lower end of the insulating base (1) and forms a power socket with the power slot (15); the lens module (300) is installed in the mounting position (11); the lens module (300) includes a plastic fiber optic lens (2), the input end (221) of the lens body (22) of the plastic fiber optic lens (2) is exposed in the slot (12), and the output end (222) of the lens body (22) is exposed at the lower end of the insulating base (1). The lens module (300) also includes a bracket (3), in which the plastic fiber lens (2) is fixed. The bracket (3) has a buckle (31) on its outer side and a buckle hole (111) on the inner wall of the mounting position (11). The buckle (31) is inserted into the buckle hole (111) and can move up and down relative to the buckle hole (111). A metal spring (32) is also provided between the bracket (3) and the mounting position (11). The metal spring (32) elastically supports the bracket (3) relative to the insulating seat (1), so that the bracket (3) is fixed in the mounting position (11) in an elastic floating manner. The POF female connector does not have a fiber chip (41). The fiber chip (41) is mounted on the PCB board (4). When the POF female connector is mounted on the PCB board (4), the lens body (22) inside the POF female connector is connected to the fiber chip (41) and transmits the optical signal to the fiber chip (41). The POF male connector (200) includes an insulator (5), a plastic core (6) installed inside the insulator (5), and an optical fiber (7) fixed inside the plastic core (6). The insulator (5) has a mating protrusion (51) at the front. The front end of the plastic core (6) is exposed at the front end face of the mating protrusion (51). A power plug (9) is also provided on the outside of the mating protrusion (51). The power plug (9) includes a plastic shell (91) fixed on the outside of the mating protrusion (51), a power terminal (92) fixed inside the plastic shell (91), and a first wire (93) connected to the power terminal (92) and extending out of the plastic shell (91). The interlocking protrusion (51) is inserted into the interlocking slot (12), the optical fiber (7) corresponds to the input end (221) of the lens body (22), and the power plug (9) is inserted into the power slot (15), and the power terminal (92) is connected to the electrode terminal (16); the power plug (9) and the interlocking protrusion (51) are detachable, and when the power conduction function is not needed, the power plug (9) can be removed from the interlocking protrusion (51).

2. A POF connector with power supply according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket (3) has a mounting groove (33) at its lower end and a docking window (34) through the mounting groove (33) at its upper end. The plastic fiber optic lens (2) is installed in the mounting groove (33), with its input end (221) exposed in the docking window (34) and its output end (222) exposed outwards. The metal spring (32) is embedded in the limiting groove (35) at the upper end of the bracket (3), and multiple upwardly protruding elastic pieces are formed on the metal spring (32). The lever arm (321) is in contact with the bottom surface of the mounting position (11); a non-circular positioning buckle (331) is also provided in the mounting groove (33); the plastic fiber lens (2) is provided with a through second positioning hole (201), and the positioning buckle (331) passes through the second positioning hole (201) to engage and position with the plastic fiber lens (2); a plurality of pressing protrusions (332) are also formed inside the mounting groove (33), and the pressing protrusions (332) abut against the periphery of the plastic fiber lens (2) to limit the plastic fiber lens (2).

3. A POF connector with power supply according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plastic fiber optic lens (2) includes a base (21) and a lens body (22) integrally fixed on the base (21). The lens body (22) has an input end (221) and an output end (222), with the input end (221) and the output end (222) correspondingly distributed. The insulating base (1) is mounted on the PCB board (4), and the output end (222) of the lens body (22) is connected to the fiber optic chip (41) mounted on the PCB board (4). The lower end of the electrode terminal (16) is electrically connected to the PCB board (4).

4. A POF connector with power supply according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end face of the bracket (3) is also provided with a relief groove (36) for accommodating the optical fiber chip (41), and the output end (222) of the plastic optical fiber lens (2) is exposed in the relief groove (36); the lower end face of the insulating seat (1) is formed with a plurality of positioning protrusions (13); the positioning protrusions (13) have an upward opening groove (130) along their bottom surface, so that the positioning protrusions (13) are divided into a first positioning post (131) and a second positioning post (132), and the lower periphery of the second positioning post (132) is also formed with an outwardly protruding buckle (133); the four corners of the insulating seat (1) are all provided with a guide groove (14) that passes through the mounting position (11); the four corners of the bracket (3) are all provided with a guide block (37), and the guide block (37) is embedded in the guide groove (14).

5. A powered POF connector according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The outer side of the plastic shell (91) is provided with a T-shaped guide groove (911), and the rear end of the guide groove (911) is provided with a first positioning groove (912); the outer side of the interlocking protrusion (51) is integrally formed with a T-shaped anti-derailment rail (513), and the rear end of the anti-derailment rail (513) is provided with a first positioning buckle (514). The plastic shell (91) is sleeved on the anti-derailment rail (513) through the guide groove (911), and the first positioning buckle (514) is fastened and fixed with the first positioning groove (912), so that the plastic shell (91) is fixed on the outer side of the interlocking protrusion (51), and the rear end face of the plastic shell (91) is also in contact with the front part of the insulator (5).

6. A POF connector with power supply according to claim 5, characterized in that: The plastic shell (91) is provided with a terminal hole (913) that runs through the front and rear ends. The power terminal (92) is inserted and fixed in the terminal hole (913). The first wire (93) extends partially into the terminal hole (913). A first sealing ring (94) is provided between the outside of the first wire (93) and the terminal hole (913). A second sealing ring (95) is also sleeved on the front end of the plastic shell (91). An annular groove (511) and an anti-rotation groove (512) located beside and connected to the annular groove (511) are provided on the outer side of the front end of the mating protrusion (51). A sealing ring (54) is sleeved in the annular groove (511). The anti-rotation protrusion (541) on the outside of the sealing ring (54) is embedded in the anti-rotation groove (512). The front end of the mating protrusion (51) is in sealed contact with the bottom of the mating slot (12) through the sealing ring (54).

7. A powered POF connector according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The insulator (5) has a spring arm (52) formed on it, and a buckle (521) is provided on the spring arm (52); the rear end of the insulator (5) is also provided with a secondary buckle (8) that can be pushed and pulled back and forth and is used to push the spring arm (52) upward to achieve support for the spring arm (52).

8. A POF connector with power supply according to claim 7, characterized in that: The secondary buckle (8) has a secondary buckle (81) formed at its front end, and the top surface of the front end of the secondary buckle (81) has an inclined surface (811). The secondary buckle (81) is placed in the guide groove (522) on the lower end face of the spring arm (52). When the secondary buckle (8) is pushed forward, the inclined surface (811) of the secondary buckle (81) contacts the lower end face of the spring arm (52) and pushes the spring arm (52) upward to support it. The insulator (5) has a sliding groove (53) at its rear end, and the inner walls on both sides of the sliding groove (53) are provided with rail grooves (531). The secondary fastener (8) is provided with convex rails (82) on both sides that are adapted to the rail groove (531). The secondary fastener (8) is slidably installed in the sliding groove (53). The convex rails (82) are embedded in the rail groove (531). The anti-slip pushing part (85) on the secondary fastener (8) is exposed outside the upper end surface of the insulator (5). The sliding groove (53) is also provided with stroke grooves (532) on both sides of the bottom surface. The lower end of the secondary fastener (8) is also provided with inclined sliders (83) that are adapted to the stroke grooves (532). The inclined sliders (83) are placed in the stroke grooves (532).

9. A POF connector with power supply according to claim 8, characterized in that: The plastic core tube (6) is provided with an O-ring (61) and a positioning ring groove (63) located at the rear end of the O-ring (61), and is sealed and assembled with the insulator (5) through the O-ring (61); the insulator (5) has a core hole (55) that passes through the front end face along its rear end face, and the lower end face of the insulator (5) is also provided with a snap-fit ​​groove (56) that passes through the core hole (55) and is in the shape of a semi-square frame. The snap-fit ​​groove (56) on the lower end face of the insulator (5) is also snapped and fixed with a limiting seat (58), and the limiting protrusion (581) formed in the limiting seat (58) is embedded in the positioning ring groove (63) to prevent the plastic core tube (6) from moving backward; elastic buckles (582) are formed on both sides of the limiting seat (58), and buckle grooves (561) are formed on both sides of the snap-fit ​​groove (56), and the elastic buckles (582) are snapped and fixed with the buckle grooves (561).

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