A floating fiber optic plug and fiber optic connector assembly

Abstract

The application belongs to the field of optical fiber connectors, and particularly relates to a floating optical fiber plug and an optical fiber connector assembly. The floating optical fiber plug is used to solve the technical problem that the existing optical fiber plug is easy to damage the optical fiber pin and the optical fiber socket when being inserted into the optical fiber socket. The optical fiber connector assembly is used to solve the technical problem that the existing optical fiber connector assembly is easy to damage the optical fiber pin and the optical fiber socket when being inserted. The floating optical fiber plug comprises a plug shell, wherein a first mounting cavity is arranged on the plug shell, and a pin mounting seat is mounted in the first mounting cavity. A second mounting cavity is arranged on the pin mounting seat, and an optical fiber pin is arranged in the second mounting cavity. A first radial floating gap is arranged between the pin mounting seat and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity, a second radial floating gap is arranged between the cavity wall of the second mounting cavity and the optical fiber pin, a first guide structure is arranged on the pin mounting seat, and a second guide structure is arranged on the optical fiber pin.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of fiber optic connectors, and specifically relates to a floating fiber optic plug and a fiber optic connector assembly. Background Technology

[0002] Fiber optic connectors are a crucial hardware component in modern communication networks. They consist of fiber optic plugs and sockets, and the connection between them establishes the fiber optic signal loop. To ensure optimal signal transmission, the interface between the fiber optic plug's ferrule and the socket's jack must be highly clean to prevent moisture, condensation, dust, and other impurities from affecting signal transmission. This means that the mating points of the plug and socket must maintain a good seal during insertion.

[0003] For existing fiber optic connector assemblies with good sealing capabilities, please refer to the fiber optic plug. Figure 1 As shown, the device includes a plug housing 3 and a pin mounting base 5 installed inside the plug housing 3. The plug housing 3 and the pin mounting base 5 are fixedly held within the plug housing 3 by a surface-fitting fit, and a first sealing ring 12 is provided at the surface-fitting fit to achieve a seal between them. An optical fiber pin 14 is mounted on the pin mounting base 5 via a pin spring claw 18. One end of the pin 14 protrudes from the pin mounting base 5 to form a plug insertion end 19 for mating with the optical fiber socket 2, and the other end connects to the optical fiber cable 20. A plug sealing body 21 is provided on the side of the pin mounting base 5 facing away from the plug insertion end 19 to achieve a seal between the optical fiber cable 20 and the pin mounting base 5. A second sealing ring 22 is provided on the outer side of the plug housing 3 corresponding to the end of the plug insertion end 19, and its inner cavity corresponding to the end of the plug insertion end 19 forms a first insertion cavity 39 for the corresponding end of the socket mounting base 34 to be inserted.

[0004] Correspondingly, the structure of the fiber optic socket can be referenced. Figure 2As shown, the device includes a socket housing 33 and a socket mounting base 34 installed within the socket housing 33. The socket housing 33 and the socket mounting base 34 are fixedly held within the socket housing 33 through a surface-fitting fit, and a third sealing ring 35 is provided at the surface-fitting fit to achieve a seal between them. The fiber optic socket 41 is fixedly mounted on the socket mounting base 34 by a socket spring claw 36, with one end protruding from the socket mounting base 34 to form a socket insertion end 37 for merging with a fiber optic plug, and the other end connected to the fiber optic cable 20. A socket sealing body 38 is provided on the side of the socket mounting base 34 facing away from the socket insertion end 37 to achieve a seal between the fiber optic cable 20 and the socket mounting base 34. The inner cavity of the socket housing 33, corresponding to the end of the socket insertion end 37, forms a second insertion cavity 40 for the corresponding end of the plug housing 3 to be inserted. After the fiber optic plug and fiber optic socket are inserted into place, the second sealing ring 22 seals between the inner wall of the second insertion cavity 40 and the outer wall of the plug housing 3 to achieve a seal at the insertion point of the fiber optic plug and fiber optic socket.

[0005] In the above structure, to ensure a sealing effect, the ferrule mounting base 5 and the plug housing 3, as well as the jack mounting base 34 and the socket housing 33, are fixedly connected. This means that when the fiber optic plug and socket are inserted, technicians can only guide and align the fiber optic ferrule and jack by using the fit between the plug housing and the socket housing. Since the fiber optic ferrule and jack are made of ceramic, which has high hardness but poor toughness, the alignment precision required during insertion is very high. Furthermore, the plug housing and socket housing have a clearance fit; during insertion or separation, the fiber optic ferrule or jack is easily damaged due to relative misalignment or displacement between the fiber optic plug and socket, thus affecting the normal conduction of the optical path in the fiber optic connector assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a floating fiber optic plug to solve the technical problem of existing fiber optic plugs where the fiber optic ferrule is easily misaligned and damaged when inserted into a fiber optic socket due to the gap fit between the plug housing and the socket housing and the fixed fit between the fiber optic ferrule and the socket housing. The purpose of this invention is to provide a fiber optic connector assembly to solve the technical problem of existing fiber optic connector assemblies easily damaging the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic socket when inserted.

[0007] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A floating fiber optic connector includes a connector housing with a first mounting cavity and a pin mounting seat installed therein. The pin mounting seat has a second mounting cavity with a fiber optic pin inside. A first radial floating gap is provided between the pin mounting seat and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity, allowing the pin mounting seat to float within the connector housing. A second radial floating gap is provided between the cavity wall of the second mounting cavity and the fiber optic pin, allowing the fiber optic pin to float on the pin mounting seat. The pin mounting seat has a first guiding structure for guiding engagement with a first guiding mating structure on a fiber optic socket, and the fiber optic pin has a second guiding structure for guiding engagement with a second guiding mating structure on a fiber optic socket.

[0009] Furthermore, a floating retaining elastic element is provided inside the second mounting cavity, which is used to elastically retain the fiber optic ferrule at the center of the second mounting cavity.

[0010] Furthermore, the floating retaining elastic element is an elastic spring coil.

[0011] Furthermore, the elastic spring coil is a C-shaped cylindrical structure with an opening on one side.

[0012] Furthermore, the elastic spring includes a fixing part disposed at both ends of the elastic spring and an arched spring wire that is fixedly connected to the fixing part at both ends.

[0013] Furthermore, the second mounting cavity includes a first cavity segment and a second cavity segment. The first cavity segment is used for axial positioning and engagement with the ferrule on the optical fiber ferrule, and the second cavity segment is used for mounting the elastic spring and pressing it against the elastic spring from both ends in the axial direction.

[0014] Furthermore, the first sealing ring disposed between the plug housing and the pin mounting seat is a hollow sealing ring.

[0015] Furthermore, an axial floating gap is provided between the pin mounting seat and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity.

[0016] Furthermore, the axial floating gap is provided with an axial elastic retaining structure for providing an elastic retaining force toward the insertion side to the pin mounting seat.

[0017] Furthermore, the axial elastic retaining structure includes a pressing elastic member with one end axially disposed on one of the cavity walls of the pin mounting seat and the first mounting cavity, and a spherical crown pressing end disposed on the other end of the pressing elastic member, wherein the ball head of the spherical crown pressing end abuts against the other of the cavity walls of the pin mounting seat and the first mounting cavity.

[0018] Furthermore, one of the pin mounting base and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity is provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the axial elastic retaining structure, and the depth of the receiving groove is not less than the maximum height of the axial elastic retaining structure under extreme compression.

[0019] Furthermore, the axial elastic retaining structure is provided in multiple parts along the circumferential direction.

[0020] Furthermore, the axial floating gap is equal in width to the first radial floating gap.

[0021] Beneficial Effects: This invention improves upon existing fiber optic plugs by proposing a floating fiber optic plug. Compared to existing fiber optic plugs, the key difference lies in the fact that a first radial floating gap is provided between the ferrule mounting base and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity; a second radial floating gap is provided between the cavity wall of the second mounting cavity and the fiber optic ferrule. The ferrule mounting base is provided with a first guiding structure for guiding engagement with a first guiding mating structure on the fiber optic socket, and the fiber optic ferrule is provided with a second guiding structure for guiding engagement with a second guiding mating structure on the fiber optic socket. During the insertion process of the floating fiber optic plug with the fiber optic socket, due to the first radial floating gap between the ferrule mounting base and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity, and under the guidance of the first guiding structure and the first guiding mating structure, the ferrule mounting base can always float and maintain a position corresponding to the jack mounting base of the fiber optic socket. Therefore, the positional deviation between the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack on the jack mounting base is relatively small. Because a second radial floating gap is provided between the cavity wall of the second mounting cavity and the fiber optic ferrule, the fiber optic ferrule can float with the fiber optic jack, minimizing the impact of positional deviation on the mating of the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack. Therefore, this structure eliminates the influence of the mating gap between the plug housing and the socket housing on the mating of the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack, thus preventing damage to the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack due to positional deviation during mating. This ensures reliable optical signal transmission between the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack, giving the fiber optic connector assembly reliable transmission performance.

[0022] An optical fiber connector assembly includes a floating optical fiber plug and an optical fiber socket. The floating optical fiber plug includes a plug housing with a first mounting cavity in which a pin mounting seat is installed. The pin mounting seat has a second mounting cavity in which an optical fiber pin is installed. A first radial floating gap is provided between the pin mounting seat and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity, so that the pin mounting seat is floatingly installed in the plug housing. A second radial floating gap is provided between the cavity wall of the second mounting cavity and the optical fiber pin, so that the optical fiber pin is floatingly installed on the pin mounting seat. The pin mounting seat has a first guiding structure for guiding and engaging with a first guiding and engaging structure on the optical fiber socket. The optical fiber pin has a second guiding structure for guiding and engaging with a second guiding and engaging structure on the optical fiber socket. The first guiding structure and the first guiding and engaging structure engage with each other before the second guiding structure and the second guiding and engaging structure engage when the floating optical fiber plug and the optical fiber socket are inserted.

[0023] Furthermore, a floating retaining elastic element is provided inside the second mounting cavity, which is used to elastically retain the fiber optic ferrule at the center of the second mounting cavity.

[0024] Furthermore, the floating retaining elastic element is an elastic spring coil.

[0025] Furthermore, the elastic spring coil is a C-shaped cylindrical structure with an opening on one side.

[0026] Furthermore, the elastic spring includes a fixing part disposed at both ends of the elastic spring and an arched spring wire that is fixedly connected to the fixing part at both ends.

[0027] Furthermore, the second mounting cavity includes a first cavity segment and a second cavity segment. The first cavity segment is used for axial positioning and engagement with the ferrule on the optical fiber ferrule, and the second cavity segment is used for mounting the elastic spring and pressing it against the elastic spring from both ends in the axial direction.

[0028] Furthermore, the first sealing ring disposed between the plug housing and the pin mounting seat is a hollow sealing ring.

[0029] Furthermore, an axial floating gap is provided between the pin mounting seat and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity.

[0030] Furthermore, the axial floating gap is provided with an axial elastic retaining structure for providing an elastic retaining force toward the insertion side to the pin mounting seat.

[0031] Furthermore, the axial elastic retaining structure includes a pressing elastic member with one end axially disposed on one of the cavity walls of the pin mounting seat and the first mounting cavity, and a spherical crown pressing end disposed on the other end of the pressing elastic member, wherein the ball head of the spherical crown pressing end abuts against the other of the cavity walls of the pin mounting seat and the first mounting cavity.

[0032] Furthermore, one of the pin mounting base and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity is provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the axial elastic retaining structure, and the depth of the receiving groove is not less than the maximum height of the axial elastic retaining structure under extreme compression.

[0033] Furthermore, the axial elastic retaining structure is provided in multiple parts along the circumferential direction.

[0034] Furthermore, the axial floating gap is equal in width to the first radial floating gap.

[0035] Beneficial Effects: This invention improves upon existing fiber optic connector assemblies. The fiber optic connector assembly of this invention includes a floating fiber optic plug and a fiber optic socket. Compared to existing fiber optic connector assemblies, the key difference lies in the fact that a first radial floating gap is provided between the ferrule mounting seat of the floating fiber optic plug and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity; a second radial floating gap is provided between the cavity wall of the second mounting cavity and the fiber optic ferrule. The ferrule mounting seat is provided with a first guiding structure for guiding engagement with a first guiding mating structure on the fiber optic socket, and the fiber optic ferrule is provided with a second guiding structure for guiding engagement with a second guiding mating structure on the fiber optic socket. During the insertion process of the floating fiber optic plug into the fiber optic socket, due to the first radial floating gap between the ferrule mounting seat and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity, and under the guidance of the first guiding structure and the first guiding mating structure, the ferrule mounting seat can always float and maintain a position corresponding to the socket mounting seat of the fiber optic socket. Therefore, the positional deviation between the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic socket on the socket mounting seat is relatively small. As the floating fiber optic plug and fiber optic socket continue to engage, the second guiding structure and the second guiding mating structure engage. Because a second radial floating gap is provided between the cavity wall of the second mounting cavity and the fiber optic ferrule, the fiber optic ferrule can float with the fiber optic jack, minimizing the impact of positional deviations on the engagement of the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack. Therefore, this structure eliminates the influence of the mating gap between the plug housing and the socket housing on the engagement of the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack, thus preventing damage to the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack due to positional deviations during engagement. This ensures reliable optical signal transmission between the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack, giving the fiber optic connector assembly reliable transmission performance. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an existing fiber optic connector;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an existing fiber optic socket;

[0038] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fiber optic connector assembly described in this invention;

[0039] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the floating fiber optic connector;

[0040] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the fiber optic connector assembly of the present invention during mating;

[0041] Figure 6 for Figure 4 External view of the intermediate elastic spring coil;

[0042] Figure 7 for Figure 4 A magnified view of part A in the middle;

[0043] Figure 8 for Figure 4 A magnified view of part B in the middle section;

[0044] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a floating fiber optic connector with an axial floating gap and a first radial floating gap width equal;

[0045] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the fiber optic connector assembly with an axial elastic retention structure described in Example 2;

[0046] Figure 11 for Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure when the floating fiber optic plug and fiber optic socket are properly aligned and inserted.

[0047] Figure 12 for Figure 10 External view of the floating fiber optic connector;

[0048] Figure 13 for Figure 12 A magnified view of part C in the middle;

[0049] Figure 14 for Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the structure when the axial floating gap is equal to the width of the first radial floating gap;

[0050] The components corresponding to the reference numerals in the figure are named as follows: 1. Floating fiber optic plug; 2. Fiber optic socket; 3. Plug housing; 4. First mounting cavity; 5. Pin mounting base; 6. Main housing; 7. Plug baffle; 8. Large-diameter cavity; 9. Small-diameter cavity; 10. Stopping step; 11. Floating protrusion; 12. First sealing ring; 13. Second mounting cavity; 14. Fiber optic pin; 15. Front positioning protrusion; 16. Positioning step; 17. Rear positioning protrusion; 18. Pin spring claw; 19. Plug insertion end; 20. Fiber optic cable; 21. Plug sealing body; 22. Second sealing ring; 23. First radial floating gap; 24. Second radial floating gap 25. First guiding structure; 26. First guiding mating structure; 27. Second guiding structure; 28. Second guiding mating structure; 29. ​​Elastic spring ring; 30. First cavity section; 31. Second cavity section; 32. Axial floating clearance; 33. Socket housing; 34. Socket mounting base; 35. Third sealing ring; 36. Socket spring claw; 37. Socket insertion end; 38. Socket sealing body; 39. First insertion cavity; 40. Second insertion cavity; 41. Fiber optic jack; 42. Fixing part; 43. Arched spring wire; 44. Axial elastic retaining structure; 45. Top pressure elastic element; 46. Spherical crown top pressure end; 47. Ball head; 48. Receiving groove; 49. Waist. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The features and performance of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments.

[0052] The principle of the fiber optic connector assembly in this invention is as follows:

[0053] A fiber optic connector assembly includes a floating fiber optic plug and a fiber optic socket. The floating fiber optic plug includes a plug housing with a first mounting cavity in which a ferrule mounting seat is mounted; the ferrule mounting seat has a second mounting cavity in which a fiber optic ferrule is mounted.

[0054] Compared to existing technologies, the key feature of this invention is that a first radial floating gap is provided between the ferrule mounting base and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity, allowing the ferrule mounting base to float within the plug housing. A second radial floating gap is provided between the cavity wall of the second mounting cavity and the fiber optic ferrule, allowing the fiber optic ferrule to float on the ferrule mounting base. The ferrule mounting base is provided with a first guiding structure, and the fiber optic socket mounting base is provided with a first guiding engagement structure that mates with the first guiding structure. The fiber optic ferrule is provided with a second guiding structure, and the fiber optic socket is provided with a second guiding engagement structure that mates with the second guiding structure. The first guiding structure and the first guiding engagement structure engage with the second guiding structure before the second guiding structure and the second guiding engagement structure when the floating fiber optic plug is inserted into the fiber optic socket.

[0055] During the insertion process of the floating fiber optic plug with the fiber optic socket, the first guiding structure and the first guiding mating structure engage before the second guiding structure and the second guiding mating structure. Therefore, under the guidance of the first guiding structure and the first guiding mating structure, the ferrule mounting base can always float and maintain its position corresponding to the socket mounting base of the fiber optic socket, thus completing the coarse adjustment of the relative position between the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic socket. At this time, there may still be a small positional deviation between the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic socket. As the floating fiber optic plug continues to be inserted into the fiber optic socket, the second guiding structure and the second guiding mating structure engage, causing the fiber optic ferrule to float with the fiber optic socket, thereby minimizing the impact of the aforementioned positional deviation on the insertion of the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic socket.

[0056] Therefore, the above structure ensures good alignment between the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack during mating, thereby eliminating the influence of misalignment stress caused by the mating gap between the plug housing and the socket housing on the mating of the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack. The misalignment stress is not transmitted to the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack, thus preventing damage to them due to positional misalignment during mating. This ensures reliable optical signal transmission between the fiber optic ferrule and the fiber optic jack, giving the fiber optic connector assembly reliable transmission performance.

[0057] Based on the above-described principle, Embodiment 1 of the optical fiber connector assembly of the present invention is as follows:

[0058] A fiber optic connector assembly includes a floating fiber optic plug 1 and a fiber optic socket 2. The fiber optic socket 2 is a conventional fiber optic socket 2, and its main structure can be referenced from the relevant content described in the background art. Figure 2 The structure is shown in the diagram. For ease of explanation, the end of the floating fiber optic plug 1 that mates with the fiber optic socket 2 is designated as the front end of the floating fiber optic plug 1, and the other end is designated as the tail end. Similarly, the end of the fiber optic socket 2 that mates with the floating fiber optic plug 1 is designated as the front end of the fiber optic socket 2, and the other end is designated as the tail end. It should be emphasized that the front end and tail end mentioned in this embodiment are independent of the actual orientation of the product.

[0059] The overall structure of the fiber optic connector assembly can be referenced. Figure 3 As shown, the structure of the floating fiber optic connector 1 can be referred to Figure 4As shown, the plug housing 3 specifically includes a plug housing 3. A through first mounting cavity 4 is provided on the plug housing 3, and a pin mounting seat 5 is installed within the first mounting cavity 4. In this embodiment, the plug housing 3 specifically includes a main housing 6 and a plug baffle 7 disposed at the tail end of the main housing 6. The first mounting cavity 4 can be specifically divided into a large-diameter cavity 8 and a small-diameter cavity 9 located at the tail end of the main housing 6, with a stop step 10 between the large-diameter cavity 8 and the small-diameter cavity 9. A floating protrusion 11 is provided on the outer surface of the pin mounting seat 5. This floating protrusion 11 is gapped within the large-diameter cavity 8, and one side engages with the aforementioned stop step 10 to prevent the pin mounting seat 5 from dislodging from the front end of the main housing 6. A first sealing ring 12 is provided between the floating protrusion 11 and the large-diameter cavity 8 to ensure a seal between the plug housing 3 and the pin mounting seat 5. The plug baffle 7 is fastened to the tail end of the main housing 6 by fasteners, and it engages with the other side of the aforementioned floating protrusion 11 to prevent the pin mounting seat 5 from dislodging from the tail end of the main housing 6.

[0060] The ferrule mounting base 5 has a through second mounting cavity 13, within which an optical fiber ferrule 14 is disposed. A positioning step 16 is provided at the front end of the optical fiber ferrule 14, and a front positioning flange 15 is provided at the front end of the second mounting cavity 13. The positioning step 16 and the front positioning flange 15 engage to position the optical fiber ferrule 14 toward the front end of the second mounting cavity 13. The optical fiber ferrule 14 also has a ferrule spring claw 18 extending toward the rear end of the second mounting cavity 13, and a rear positioning flange 17 is provided at the rear end of the second mounting cavity 13. The ferrule spring claw 18 and the rear positioning flange 17 engage to position the optical fiber ferrule 14 toward the rear end of the second mounting cavity 13. This ensures that the optical fiber ferrule 14 is reliably axially held within the second mounting cavity 13, preventing axial movement within the cavity. The front end of the optical fiber ferrule 14 protrudes from the second mounting cavity 13 to form a plug-in end 19 for mating with the optical fiber socket 2, and the other end connects to the optical fiber cable 20. A plug sealing body 21 is sealed on the side of the pin mounting base 5 facing away from the plug insertion end 19. The fiber optic cable 20 passes through the plug sealing body 21 and extends outward to achieve a seal between the fiber optic cable 20 and the pin mounting base 5. A second sealing ring 22 is provided on the outer side of the plug housing 3 corresponding to the end of the plug insertion end 19. Its inner cavity, corresponding to the end of the plug insertion end 19, forms a first insertion cavity 39 for the corresponding end of the socket mounting base 34 to be inserted. After the floating fiber optic plug 1 and the fiber optic socket 2 are inserted into place, the second sealing ring 22 seals between the inner wall of the second insertion cavity 40 and the outer wall of the plug housing 3 to achieve a seal at the insertion point of the floating fiber optic plug 1 and the fiber optic socket 2.

[0061] A first radial floating gap 23 is provided between the pin mounting base 5 and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity 4, so that the pin mounting base 5 is floatingly mounted within the plug housing 3. Similarly, a second radial floating gap 24 is provided between the cavity wall of the second mounting cavity 13 and the fiber optic pin 14, so that the fiber optic pin 14 is floatingly mounted on the pin mounting base 5. The pin mounting base 5 is provided with a first guiding structure 25. Correspondingly, the jack mounting base 34 of the fiber optic socket 2 is provided with a first guiding engagement structure 26 that guides and engages with the first guiding structure 25; the fiber optic pin 14 is provided with a second guiding structure 27, and the fiber optic jack 41 of the fiber optic socket 2 is correspondingly provided with a second guiding engagement structure 28 that guides and engages with the second guiding structure 27. (See reference...) Figure 5 As shown, when the floating fiber optic plug 1 is inserted into the fiber optic socket 2, the first guiding structure 25 and the first guiding mating structure 26 engage before the second guiding structure 27 and the second guiding mating structure 28, so that the ferrule mounting base 5 can always float and maintain the position corresponding to the socket mounting base 34 of the fiber optic socket 2. At this time, the coarse adjustment of the relative position between the fiber optic ferrule 14 and the fiber optic socket 41 is achieved. However, at this time, there is still a certain positional deviation between the fiber optic ferrule 14 and the fiber optic socket 41. As the floating fiber optic plug 1 continues to be inserted into the fiber optic socket 2, the second guiding structure 27 and the second guiding mating structure 28 engage, so that the fiber optic ferrule 14 floats with the fiber optic socket 41, so as to eliminate as much as possible the influence of the aforementioned positional deviation on the insertion of the fiber optic ferrule 14 and the fiber optic socket 41. In this embodiment, the first guiding structure 25 is a guide hole or a guide pin, and the first guiding mating structure 26 is a mating pin adapted to the guide hole, or a mating hole adapted to the guide pin. The second guiding structure 27 is a guiding bevel or guiding arc surface opened at the front end of the optical fiber ferrule 14, and the second guiding mating structure 28 is a guiding chamfer or guiding fillet opened at the front end edge of the optical fiber ferrule 41.

[0062] The key feature of this embodiment is that a floating retaining elastic element is provided within the aforementioned second mounting cavity 13. This floating retaining elastic element can elastically hold the fiber optic ferrule 14 at the center of the second mounting cavity 13. This facilitates, on the one hand, that technicians align the fiber optic ferrule 14 with the fiber optic socket 41 before connecting the floating fiber optic plug 1 and the fiber optic socket 2; on the other hand, after disconnecting the floating fiber optic plug 1 and the fiber optic socket 2, the fiber optic ferrule 14 can automatically return to the center under the action of the floating elastic retaining element, allowing for the next insertion operation.

[0063] Since the floating fiber optic connector 1 is generally small in size, the aforementioned floating retaining elastic element is preferably an elastic spring 29. Compared to other elastic elements, the elastic spring 29 can maintain better elastic force in a smaller volume. Therefore, using an elastic spring 29 as the floating retaining elastic element is more conducive to the miniaturization design of the floating fiber optic connector 1. Of course, the floating retaining elastic element can also be a rubber ring or an elastic element such as a ball spring or a conical spring. (See reference...) Figure 6 As shown, the elastic spring coil 29 preferably adopts a C-shaped cylindrical structure with an opening on one side. This makes it easier to adjust the diameter of the elastic spring coil 29, allowing it to fit the size of the second mounting cavity 13 as closely as possible, thus greatly facilitating the installation of the elastic spring coil 29. Of course, the aforementioned elastic spring coil 29 can also be a complete cylindrical structure. Specifically, the elastic spring coil 29 includes fixing portions 42 at both ends and arched spring wires 43 fixedly connected to the fixing portions 42 at both ends. This structure is simple while ensuring sufficient structural strength and elastic deformation capability.

[0064] Based on the aforementioned structure, the second mounting cavity 13 can specifically include a first cavity section 30 and a second cavity section 31. The first cavity section 30 is used for axial positioning and engagement with the pin claw 18 on the fiber optic ferrule 14, and the second cavity section 31 is used to mount the elastic spring coil 29 and abut against the elastic spring coil 29 from both axial ends. (See reference...) Figure 7 As shown, in this way, on the one hand, the axial position of the elastic spring ring 29 in the second mounting cavity 13 can be fixed by the second cavity section 31, and on the other hand, the two end walls of the second mounting cavity 13 can be used to press against the two ends of the elastic spring ring 29 from the axial direction, so that the elastic spring ring 29 can have sufficient elastic deformation capacity.

[0065] For reference Figure 8 As shown, the aforementioned first sealing ring 12 is preferably a hollow sealing ring. Compared with the existing solid sealing ring, the hollow sealing ring can have a larger compression amount while ensuring sealing ability, which can reduce the influence of the sealing ring on the floating amount of the pin mounting seat 5 in the plug housing 3, and thus better adapt to the first radial floating gap 23 between the pin mounting seat 5 and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity 4. Of course, if the floating amount of the pin mounting seat 5 in the plug housing 3 is small, the aforementioned first sealing ring 12 can also be a solid sealing ring, or the first sealing ring 12 can also be replaced with a circular inclined spring.

[0066] An axial floating gap 32 is also provided between the ferrule mounting base 5 and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity 4 to allow the ferrule mounting base 5 to float axially within the plug housing 3. This design enables the fiber optic ferrule 14 of the floating fiber optic plug 1 of the present invention to float axially and tilt relative to the axial direction during insertion, making it more flexible in use and further preventing damage to the fiber optic ferrule 14 and the fiber optic socket 41 due to positional deviations during insertion. (See reference...) Figure 9 As shown, the axial floating gap 32 and the first radial floating gap 23 are equal in width to ensure that the floating amount of the pin mounting seat 5 within the plug housing 3 remains consistent in all directions. For details, please refer to... Figure 9 The gap width K marked in the figure refers to both the axial floating gap width and the first radial floating gap width, both of which are K, and K is greater than 0. This design facilitates control over the floating amount between the pin mounting base 5 and the plug housing 3, and also simplifies the processing and assembly of the pin mounting base 5 and the plug housing 3. Of course, the axial floating gap 32 and the first radial floating gap 23 can also be different, such as making the axial floating gap 32 larger than the first radial floating gap 23, or making the axial floating gap 32 smaller than the first radial floating gap 23.

[0067] Embodiment 2 of the fiber optic connector assembly of the present invention is as follows:

[0068] Based on the embodiments, reference can be made to Figure 10-12 As shown, an axial elastic retaining structure 44 is provided within the aforementioned axial floating gap 32. The axial elastic retaining structure 44 can provide an elastic retaining force towards the insertion side to the ferrule mounting base 5, so that the fiber optic ferrule 14 on the ferrule mounting base 5 can be held in a predetermined axial position. This further facilitates the technician in aligning the position of the fiber optic ferrule 14 and the fiber optic socket 41 before inserting the floating fiber optic plug 1 and the fiber optic socket 2; on the other hand, after disconnecting the floating fiber optic plug 1 and the fiber optic socket 2, the fiber optic ferrule 14 can automatically reset under the action of the floating elastic retaining structure, so as to perform the next insertion operation.

[0069] For reference Figure 13As shown, the aforementioned axial elastic retaining structure 44 includes a pressing elastic member 45 with one end fixed axially to one of the pin mounting seat 5 and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity 4, and a spherical crown pressing end 46 fixed to the other end of the pressing elastic member 45. The ball head 47 of the spherical crown pressing end 46 abuts against the other of the cavity wall of the pin mounting seat 5 and the first mounting cavity 4. Specifically, in this embodiment, the pressing elastic member 45 is a compression spring. One end of the compression spring is fixed to the pin mounting seat 5, and the other end is axially disposed towards the plug baffle 7, so that the spherical crown pressing end 46 fixed to this end can elastically float axially. The spherical crown pressing end 46 is specifically a pin-shaped structure with a ball head 47, which abuts against the plug baffle 7. The ball head 47 of the ball crown pressing end 46 makes point contact with the plug baffle 7. Therefore, this arrangement can reduce the friction area between the axial elastic retaining structure 44 and the plug housing 3, thereby reducing the frictional resistance between the axial elastic retaining structure 44 and the plug housing 3, and preventing the frictional resistance between the axial elastic retaining structure 44 and the plug housing 3 from affecting the radial floating of the pin mounting seat 5 on the plug housing 3. Of course, in other embodiments, one end of the aforementioned compression spring can be fixed to the plug baffle 7, and the other end can be axially oriented towards the pin mounting seat 5. The axial elastic retaining structure 44 can also be simply a pressing elastic element 45, in which case the free end of the pressing elastic element 45 directly abuts against the other of the pin mounting seat 5 and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity 4.

[0070] One of the cavity walls of the pin mounting base 5 and the first mounting cavity 4 is provided with a receiving groove 48 for accommodating the axial elastic retaining structure 44. The depth of the receiving groove 48 is not less than the maximum height of the axial elastic retaining structure 44 under extreme compression, so that when the pin mounting base 5 floats axially to its extreme position within the plug housing 3, the axial elastic retaining structure 44 can be completely embedded in the receiving groove 48. The receiving groove 48 can be formed on one of the cavity walls of the pin mounting base 5 and the first mounting cavity 4 where the axial elastic retaining structure 44 is provided, in which case the fixed end of the axial elastic retaining structure 44 is fixed in the receiving groove 48. Alternatively, the receiving groove 48 can be formed on the other cavity wall of the pin mounting base 5 and the first mounting cavity 4, in which case the floating end of the axial elastic retaining structure 44 abuts against the bottom of the receiving groove 48. When the fixed end of the axial elastic retaining structure 44 is fixed in the receiving groove 48, a retaining lip 49 can be provided at the opening of the receiving groove 48 to prevent the axial elastic retaining structure 44 from coming out of the opening of the receiving groove 48.

[0071] Multiple axial elastic retaining structures 44 are provided circumferentially to ensure that the pin mounting seat 5 remains balanced in the axial direction when no force is applied. Alternatively, only one axial elastic retaining structure 44 may be provided; in this case, a wave spring or an elastic annular washer is preferably selected. The axial direction of the wave spring or elastic annular washer is aligned with the axial direction of the pin mounting seat 5.

[0072] For reference Figure 14 As shown, in this embodiment, the axial floating gap 32 and the first radial floating gap 23 are equal in width to ensure that the floating amount of the pin mounting seat 5 within the plug housing 3 remains consistent in all directions. Specifically, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 14 The gap width K marked in the figure is K, the gap width of the axial floating gap and the gap width of the first radial floating gap are both K, and K is greater than 0.

[0073] The principle and embodiments of the floating fiber optic connector described in this invention are as follows:

[0074] The principle and implementation of the floating fiber optic plug in this invention are the same as those of the floating fiber optic plug 1 in embodiments 1 and 2 of the fiber optic connector assembly in this invention, so they will not be repeated here.

[0075] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of patent protection of the present invention shall be determined by the claims. Similarly, any equivalent structural changes made based on the description and drawings of the present invention shall also be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A floating optical fiber plug, comprising a plug housing (3), a first mounting cavity (4) is arranged on the plug housing (3), a pin mounting seat (5) is mounted in the first mounting cavity (4); a second mounting cavity (13) is arranged on the pin mounting seat (5), and an optical fiber pin (14) is arranged in the second mounting cavity (13), characterized in that, The first radial floating gap (23) is arranged between the pin mounting seat (5) and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity (4) to allow the pin mounting seat (5) to be floatingly mounted in the plug shell (3); the second radial floating gap (24) is arranged between the cavity wall of the second mounting cavity (13) and the optical fiber pin (14) to allow the optical fiber pin (14) to be floatingly mounted on the pin mounting seat (5); the first guide structure (25) is arranged on the pin mounting seat (5) to be guided in cooperation with the first guide cooperation structure (26) on the optical fiber socket (2); the second guide structure (27) is arranged on the optical fiber pin (14) to be guided in cooperation with the second guide cooperation structure (28) on the optical fiber socket (2); the first guide structure and the second guide structure are arranged in a manner that meets the requirement that the first guide structure and the first guide cooperation structure are guided in cooperation before the second guide structure and the second guide cooperation structure when the floating optical fiber plug is inserted into the optical fiber socket.

2. The floating fiber optic plug of claim 1, wherein, The second mounting cavity (13) is provided with a floating retaining elastic member, which is used to elastically retain the optical fiber pin (14) at the center of the second mounting cavity (13).

3. The floating fiber optic plug of claim 2, wherein, The floating retaining elastic member is an elastic spring ring (29).

4. The floating fiber optic plug of claim 3, wherein, The elastic spring ring (29) is a C-shaped cylindrical structure with one side open.

5. The floating fiber optic plug of claim 4, wherein, The elastic spring ring (29) includes fixed portions (42) arranged at both ends of the elastic spring ring (29) and arched spring wires (43) fixedly connected to the fixed portions (42) at both ends, respectively.

6. The floating optical plug according to any of claims 3-5, wherein, The second mounting cavity (13) includes a first cavity section (30) and a second cavity section (31), the first cavity section (30) is used to be axially positioned and cooperated with the pin elastic claw (18) on the optical fiber pin (14), and the second cavity section (31) is used to mount the elastic spring ring (29) and abut against the elastic spring ring (29) from both axial ends.

7. The floating optical plug according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The first sealing ring (12) arranged between the plug shell (3) and the pin mounting seat (5) is a hollow sealing ring.

8. The floating optical plug according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, An axial floating gap (32) is arranged between the pin mounting seat (5) and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity (4).

9. The floating fiber optic plug of claim 8, wherein, The axial floating gap (32) is provided with an axial elastic retaining structure (44) for providing an elastic retaining force of the pin mounting seat (5) towards the plug-in side.

10. The floating fiber optic plug of claim 9, wherein, The axial elastic retaining structure (44) includes a top pressing elastic member (45) arranged at one end along the axis on one of the pin mounting seat (5) and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity (4), and a spherical cap top pressing end (46) arranged at the other end of the top pressing elastic member (45), wherein a spherical head (47) of the spherical cap top pressing end (46) abuts against the other one of the pin mounting seat (5) and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity (4).

11. The floating fiber optic plug of claim 9, wherein, One of the pin mounting seat (5) and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity (4) is provided with an accommodating groove (48) for accommodating the axial elastic retaining structure (44), and the groove depth of the accommodating groove (48) is not less than the maximum height of the axial elastic retaining structure (44) in the limit compression state.

12. The floating fiber optic plug of claim 9, wherein, The axial elastic retaining structure (44) is arranged circumferentially in multiple.

13. The floating fiber optic plug of claim 8, wherein, The axial floating gap (32) is equal in gap width to the first radial floating gap (23).

14. An optical fiber connector assembly comprising a floating optical fiber plug (1) and an optical fiber receptacle (2), characterized in that, The floating optical fiber plug (1) comprises a plug shell (3) provided with a first mounting cavity (4), and a pin mounting seat (5) mounted in the first mounting cavity (4); the pin mounting seat (5) is provided with a second mounting cavity (13), and an optical fiber pin (14) is arranged in the second mounting cavity (13); characterized in that a first radial floating gap (23) is arranged between the pin mounting seat (5) and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity (4), so that the pin mounting seat (5) is floatingly mounted in the plug shell (3); a second radial floating gap (24) is arranged between the cavity wall of the second mounting cavity (13) and the optical fiber pin (14), so that the optical fiber pin (14) is floatingly mounted on the pin mounting seat (5); the pin mounting seat (5) is provided with a first guide structure (25) for guiding cooperation with a first guide cooperation structure (26) on the optical fiber socket (2), and the optical fiber pin (14) is provided with a second guide structure (27) for guiding cooperation with a second guide cooperation structure (28) on the optical fiber socket (2); the first guide structure (25) and the first guide cooperation structure (26) are guided and cooperated before the second guide structure (27) and the second guide cooperation structure (28) when the floating optical fiber plug (1) is inserted into the optical fiber socket (2).

15. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 14, wherein, The second mounting cavity (13) is provided with a floating retaining elastic member for elastically retaining the optical fiber pin (14) at the center of the second mounting cavity (13).

16. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 15, wherein, The floating retaining elastic member is an elastic spring ring (29).

17. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 16, wherein, The elastic spring ring (29) is a C-shaped cylindrical structure with one side open.

18. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 17, wherein, The elastic spring ring (29) comprises a fixed portion (42) arranged at two ends of the elastic spring ring (29) and an arc spring wire (43) fixedly connected to the fixed portion (42) at two ends respectively.

19. The fiber optic connector assembly of any of claims 16-18, wherein, The second mounting cavity (13) comprises a first cavity section (30) for axially positioning and cooperating with a pin elastic claw (18) on the optical fiber pin (14) and a second cavity section (31) for mounting the elastic spring ring (29) and abutting against the elastic spring ring (29) from two axial ends.

20. The fiber optic connector assembly of any of claims 14-18, wherein, The first sealing ring (12) arranged between the plug shell (3) and the pin mounting seat (5) is a hollow sealing ring.

21. The fiber optic connector assembly of any of claims 14-18, wherein, An axial floating gap (32) is arranged between the pin mounting seat (5) and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity (4).

22. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 21, wherein, The axial floating gap (32) is provided with an axial elastic retaining structure (44) for providing an elastic retaining force of the pin mounting seat (5) towards the plug-in side.

23. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 22, wherein, The axial elastic retaining structure (44) comprises a top pressing elastic member (45) arranged at one end along the axis on one of the pin mounting seat (5) and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity (4), and a spherical cap top pressing end (46) arranged at the other end of the top pressing elastic member (45), wherein a spherical head (47) of the spherical cap top pressing end (46) abuts against the other one of the pin mounting seat (5) and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity (4).

24. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 22, wherein, The pin mounting seat (5) and the cavity wall of the first mounting cavity (4) are provided with an accommodation groove (48) for accommodating the axial elastic retaining structure (44) on one of them, and the groove depth of the accommodation groove (48) is not less than the maximum height of the axial elastic retaining structure (44) in the limit compression state.

25. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 22, wherein, The axial elastic retaining structure (44) is provided with a plurality of circumferential arrangements.

26. The fiber optic connector assembly of claim 21, wherein, The axial floating gap (32) and the first radial floating gap (23) have equal gap widths.

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