Conversion assembly

Abstract

The invention discloses a conversion assembly, the conversion assembly is arranged on an optical fiber connector and is detachably connected with the optical fiber connector, the conversion assembly is used for detachably connecting the optical fiber connector with an optical fiber terminal, and the conversion assembly comprises a connecting piece used for being detachably connected with the middle part of the optical fiber connector; the protective cover unit is detachably connected with the connecting piece, so that at least part of the optical fiber connector is sleeved with the protective cover unit, and the protective cover unit comprises a shoulder part; and the connecting nut sleeves the outer side of the protective cover unit and slides on the protective cover unit along the axial direction, the first end of the connecting nut is restrained by the protective cover unit, and the second end of the connecting nut is restrained by the shoulder part, so that the crimping part and the guide part of the optical fiber connector are not interfered. According to the scheme, the small optical fiber connector can be converted, and the adapter and compatibility of the optical fiber connector are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of optical fiber connection equipment, and in particular to a conversion component. Background Art

[0002] Optical cables are widely used to transmit optical signals to achieve high-speed data transmission. In order to connect the optical cable to the optical fiber terminal, the end of the optical cable needs to be equipped with an optical fiber connector. The optical fiber terminal is provided with a port for fastening with the optical fiber connector. The optical fiber connector is inserted into the port of the optical fiber terminal to achieve optical fiber docking.

[0003] In the existing fiber optic infrastructure, large-diameter fiber optic connectors and larger-sized terminal boxes are being used. However, with the advancement of the telecommunications industry and the increase in the number of users, the size of the infrastructure needs to be reduced. However, it is not feasible to directly replace the entire large infrastructure with a new small infrastructure, so it is necessary to develop a small network that is compatible with the existing large network. For this purpose, a conversion component can be used, and the conversion component can be installed on a small fiber optic connector to convert the small fiber optic connector to a large fiber optic connector. In this way, the small fiber optic connector can be coupled to a new generation box or a small terminal, and the coupling port of the fiber optic connector and the terminal can have a smaller diameter. At the same time, the small fiber optic connector with the conversion component installed can also be coupled to an old generation box or a large terminal, and the coupling port of the fiber optic connector and the terminal has a larger diameter.

[0004] At present, reference may be made to U.S. Patent No. 11,543,600B2, which describes a conversion housing for converting a fiber optic connector from one package to another. However, the conversion housing has a large number of parts, which has an adverse effect on the cost of the conversion housing, the ease of manufacturing the conversion housing, etc. In addition, when using the conversion housing, some internal parts of the fiber optic connector must be modified, for example, the crimping part and / or the jacket part of the fiber optic connector must be modified, making the compatibility of the fiber optic connector insufficient.

[0005] Therefore, providing a conversion component to convert a small optical fiber connector and improving the adapter and compatibility of the optical fiber connector have become technical issues that need to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0006] Based on the above situation, the main purpose of the present invention is to provide a conversion component to convert a small optical fiber connector and improve the adapter and compatibility of the optical fiber connector.

[0007] To achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention discloses a conversion assembly, which is arranged on an optical fiber connector and detachably connected to the optical fiber connector, and is used to detachably connect the optical fiber connector to an optical fiber terminal, and the conversion assembly includes:

[0009] A connecting piece, used for detachably connecting to the middle part of the optical fiber connector;

[0010] A shield unit, the shield unit is detachably connected to the connector, so that the optical fiber connector is at least partially covered by the shield unit, the shield unit includes a shoulder, and the shield unit is defined by a shield length Ls and a shield diameter Ds;

[0011] A connecting nut, which is covered on the outside of the shield unit and slides axially on the shield unit. The connecting nut is defined by a nut length Ln and a nut diameter Dn. The nut length Ln is less than the shield length Ls and the nut diameter Dn is greater than the shield diameter Ds. The first end of the connecting nut is constrained by the shield unit, and the second end of the connecting nut is constrained by the shoulder to prevent the crimping part and the guiding part of the optical fiber connector from being interfered with.

[0012] Optionally, the shield unit is a first hollow cylindrical element, the shield unit includes a first inner surface, the first inner surface includes a first protrusion, and the first protrusion is used to cooperate with an alignment channel provided on the outer surface of the optical fiber connector to limit the relative rotational movement of the shield unit and the optical fiber connector.

[0013] Optionally, the shield unit includes a plurality of shield fingers at the front end of the shield unit, and the plurality of shield fingers are used to cooperate with a plurality of port channels in the port of the optical fiber terminal to enable alignment between the conversion assembly connected with the optical fiber connector and the port.

[0014] Optionally, the connecting piece is a second hollow cylindrical element, the connecting piece comprises a second inner surface, the second inner surface comprises a first twist locking member, and the first twist locking member is used to be detachably connected to a first reverse locking member arranged on the outer surface of the optical fiber connector.

[0015] Optionally, the first reverse locking member is an incomplete annular protrusion and the first twist locking member is a second protrusion that engages with the incomplete annular protrusion and provides a twist locking mechanism.

[0016] Optionally, the second inner surface of the connecting piece comprises a second locking member, and the second locking member is used to be detachably connected to a second reverse locking member provided on the first outer surface of the shield unit.

[0017] Optionally, at least a portion of the second reverse locking member is arc-shaped.

[0018] Optionally, the diameter of the optical fiber connector is D1, and the diameter of the port of the optical fiber terminal is D2, wherein the ratio of D1 to D2 ranges from 0.3 to 0.6.

[0019] Optionally, the conversion component also includes:

[0020] The conversion component cover is detachably connected to the shield unit.

[0021] Optionally, one of the plurality of shield fingers is provided with an identification position, which cooperates with at least one port channel formed inside the port of the optical fiber terminal to align the conversion assembly connected with the optical fiber connector with the port.

[0022] Beneficial effects:

[0023] The advantages of the present invention are that the number of parts of the conversion assembly is small, so the cost of the conversion assembly is low, and the manufacturing of the conversion assembly is relatively easy. The assembly and connection of the conversion assembly with the optical fiber connector also become relatively easy. Therefore, the time for connecting the conversion assembly and the optical fiber connector is reduced. In addition, the total time for connecting at least one optical fiber with the optical fiber terminal is very short.

[0024] Another advantage of the present invention is that the crimping portion and the guide portion of the optical fiber connector remain undisturbed. Therefore, no modification of the optical fiber connector is required.

[0025] Other beneficial effects of the present invention will be explained in the specific implementation manner through the introduction of specific technical features and technical solutions. Through the introduction of these technical features and technical solutions, those skilled in the art should be able to understand the beneficial technical effects brought about by the technical features and technical solutions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The preferred embodiment of the conversion assembly of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 An exploded view of an optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0028] Figure 2 An exploded view of a conversion assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, and a fiber optic connector having a fiber optic cable connected thereto is also shown;

[0029] Figure 3 A perspective view showing a connector of a conversion assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 A perspective view showing a shield unit of a conversion assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5A perspective view showing a transition assembly connected to a fiber optic connector and a transition assembly connected to a fiber optic terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 A perspective view showing a conversion assembly connected to a fiber optic connector and a fiber optic connector connected to a fiber optic cable according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 A flowchart showing a process of connecting a conversion assembly to a fiber optic connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0034] Figure 8 A flow chart showing a process of connecting a fiber optic connector connected with a conversion assembly to a fiber optic terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The present invention is described below based on embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In the following detailed description of the present invention, some specific details are described in detail. In order to avoid confusing the essence of the present invention, known methods, processes, procedures, and components are not described in detail.

[0036] In addition, persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the drawings provided herein are for illustration purposes and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0037] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the words "include", "comprising" and similar words should be interpreted in an inclusive sense rather than an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is, in the sense of "including but not limited to".

[0038] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. In addition, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0039] In the following paragraphs, one or more of the following technical terms may be used and have the following meanings:

[0040] Hardened connectors: Hardened connectors are fiber optic connectors that are specifically designed to provide a rugged, reliable connection in harsh conditions. These conditions can include extreme temperatures, humidity, dust, mechanical stress, and other environmental factors that would normally degrade the performance of standard fiber optic connectors. Hardened connectors are available in the following forms: hardened SC (H-SC) connectors, hardened LC (H-LC) connectors, and hardened MPO connectors.

[0041] All technical and scientific terms have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The devices, methods, and examples provided herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting.

[0042] Reference now Figure 1 and Figure 5 Typically, the optical cable 70 includes one or more optical fibers 72 and typically includes an optical fiber connector 50 attached to one end of the optical cable 70 for connecting at least one optical fiber 72 to an optical fiber terminal 90 (best seen in Figure 5 Specifically, the fiber optic terminal 90 includes a port 92 that receives the fiber optic connector 50 , thereby connecting at least one optical fiber 72 to the fiber optic terminal 90 .

[0043] Conventionally, the size of the port 92 of the fiber optic terminal 90 is slightly larger than the size of the fiber optic connector 50 , so that the fiber optic connector 50 can be directly coupled to the port 92 of the fiber optic terminal 90 .

[0044] On the other hand, when the size of the optical fiber connector 50 is much smaller than the size of the port 92 of the optical fiber terminal 90, a conversion assembly unit 100 must be used, such as Figure 2 See Figure 1 , the optical fiber connector 50 includes a main body portion 64; a connecting portion 66 detachably connected to the main body portion 64; and an optical fiber plug 68 configured to be detachably engaged with the connecting portion 66 at one end, and the optical fiber plug 68 is configured to be detachably engaged with the optical fiber terminal 90 through the conversion assembly unit 100. The optical fiber connector 50 also includes a crimping portion 54 attached to the main body portion 64 for coupling the optical cable 70 to the optical fiber connector 50. The optical fiber connector 50 also includes a guide portion 56, which is attached to the main body portion 64 and surrounds the crimping portion 54 and provides protection for at least one optical fiber 72 to prevent the optical fiber from bending. The optical fiber plug 68 also includes a ferrule 74 that terminates the optical fiber 72. The optical fiber connector 50 may also include a heat shrink tube 76 protruding rearward from the main body portion 64. The heat shrink tube 76 may be connected to the main body portion 64 and may be used to surround a portion of the optical cable 70 near the end connected to the optical fiber connector 50. The optical fiber connector 50 may also include a connector cover 78, which provides protection for the optical fiber plug 68 portion of the optical fiber connector 50.

[0045] Now special reference Figure 2, shows a perspective view of a fiber optic connector 50 with an optical cable 70 attached thereto, and an exploded view of a conversion assembly unit 100 disclosed in accordance with the present invention. The conversion assembly unit 100 particularly includes a connector 102 configured to be removably engaged with the middle portion 52 of the fiber optic connector 50; a shroud unit 104 configured to be removably engaged with the connector 102, so that the fiber optic connector 50 is at least partially encapsulated by the shroud unit 104; and a connecting nut 108 that can be slid on the shroud unit 104. The conversion assembly unit 100 also includes a conversion assembly unit cover 132 that is removably attached to the shroud unit 104. In addition, the shroud unit 104 and the connector unit 50 include one or more sealing elements, such as but not limited to O-rings, for providing an environmental seal between the conversion assembly unit 100, the connector unit 50, and the port 92 of the fiber optic terminal 90. See. Figure 6 , which shows a perspective view of a fiber optic connector 50 to which an optical cable 70 is attached and to which a conversion assembly unit 100 is connected. It can be seen that the conversion assembly unit 100 does not interfere with the crimping portion 54 or the guiding portion 56 of the fiber optic connector 50.

[0046] Reference again Figure 2 In one embodiment of the present invention, the shield unit 104 is defined by a shield length Ls and a shield diameter Ds, and the connecting nut 108 is defined by a nut length Ln and a nut diameter Dn, wherein the nut length Ln < shield length Ls and the nut diameter Dn > shield diameter Ds.

[0047] Now let’s refer to Figure 4 and Figure 2 In one embodiment of the present invention, the shield unit 104 includes a shoulder 106. The connecting nut 108 includes a first end 110 and a second end 112. The shoulder 106 provided in the shield unit 104 limits the second end 112 of the connecting nut 108 from moving beyond the end. Similarly, the shield unit 104 limits the first end 110 of the connecting nut from moving beyond the end.

[0048] See also Figure 4 and Figure 5 In one embodiment of the present invention, the shield unit 104 is a first hollow cylindrical element, including a first inner surface 114. The first inner surface 114 includes a first protruding portion 116 protruding in the axial direction. The first protruding portion 116 is configured to cooperate with the alignment channel 58 provided on the outer surface 60 of the optical fiber connector 50 (in Figure 1 and Figure 2 ), thereby limiting the relative rotational movement of the shield unit 104 and the optical fiber connector 50.

[0049] Reference again Figure 4 and Figure 5, the shield unit 104 further includes a plurality of shield fingers 118 located at the front end of the shield unit 104. The plurality of shield fingers 118 extend in the axial direction of the shield unit 104. The plurality of shield fingers 118 are configured to cooperate with at least one port channel 94 formed inside the port 92 of the optical fiber terminal 90, so that the conversion assembly 100 connected with the optical fiber connector 50 is aligned with the port 92. Specifically, one of the plurality of shield fingers 118 is provided with an identification position, and the identification position cooperates with at least one port channel 94 formed inside the port 92 of the optical fiber terminal 90, so that the conversion assembly 100 connected with the optical fiber connector 50 is aligned with the port 92.

[0050] Reference now Figure 3 In one embodiment of the present invention, the connector 102 may be a second hollow cylindrical element. The second hollow cylindrical element includes a second inner surface 120. The second inner surface 120 includes a first twist lock member 122 for detachably connecting to a first reverse locking member 62 (in the outer surface 60 of the optical fiber connector 50) provided on the outer surface 60. Figure 1 In one embodiment of the present invention, the first reverse locking member 62 provided on the outer surface 60 of the optical fiber connector 50 is an incomplete annular protrusion (in Figure 1 ), and the first twist lock member 122 is in the form of a second protrusion that engages with the incomplete annular protrusion and provides a twist lock mechanism.

[0051] Now let’s refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the second inner surface 120 of the connector 102 further includes a second locking member 126, and the first outer surface 130 of the shield unit 104 further includes a second reverse locking member 128. The second locking member 126 disposed on the second inner surface 120 of the connector 102 cooperates with the second reverse locking member 128 disposed on the first outer surface 130 of the shield unit 104, thereby detachably connecting the connector 102 and the shield unit 104. The second locking member 126 disposed on the second inner surface 120 of the connector 102 adopts the form of a snap-locking male component, and the second reverse locking member 128 disposed on the first outer surface 130 of the shield unit 104 adopts the form of a snap-locking female component. In the specific implementation process, at least part of the structure of the second reverse locking member 128 is arc-shaped. In the specific implementation process, the angle of the arc-shaped portion of the second reverse locking member 128 is not limited. In some other embodiments, the second locking member 126 and the second reverse locking member 128 can also be threadedly connected.

[0052] See now Figure 7, which shows a flow chart of a method 200 for connecting a conversion assembly unit 100 to a fiber optic connector 50. It can be noted that before connecting the conversion assembly unit 100 to the fiber optic connector 50, the optical cable 70, more specifically, one or more optical fibers 72 in the optical cable 70, can be connected to the fiber optic connector 50. The method 200 for connecting the conversion assembly unit 100 to the fiber optic connector 50 includes detachably engaging 202 the connector 102 to the middle portion 52 of the fiber optic connector 50. The method 200 also includes sliding 204 the connection nut 106 over the cover unit 104. The method 200 also includes detachably engaging 206 the cover unit 104 to the connector 102, so that the fiber optic connector 50 is at least partially encapsulated by the cover unit 104, and the first end 110 of the connection nut 108 is restrained by the connector 104, and the second end 112 of the connection nut 108 is restrained by the shoulder 106, thereby connecting the conversion assembly unit 100 to the fiber optic connector 50. Specifically, the main body portion 64 of the tubular hollow portion is configured to be detachably engaged with the connector 102 .

[0053] See now Figure 8 and Figure 5 , Figure 5 and Figure 8 A flow chart of a method 300 of connecting a conversion assembly 100 having a fiber optic connector 50 connected thereto to a fiber optic terminal 90 is provided for an embodiment of the present invention. The method 300 includes inserting a shroud 104 into a port 92 of a fiber optic terminal 90; aligning a plurality of shroud fingers 118 with a port channel 94; and connecting a coupling nut 108 to the port 92 of the fiber optic terminal 90.

[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fiber optic connector 50 is defined by a diameter D1 and the port 92 is defined by a diameter D2, wherein D1 / D2 is in the range of 0.3 to 0.6. If the ratio is not within the above range, the fiber optic connector 50 is not compatible with the port 92. In addition, if the ratio exceeds 0.6, the conversion assembly 100 becomes bulky.

[0055] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, under the premise of no conflict, the above-mentioned preferred solutions can be freely combined and superimposed. Among them, the flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, functions and operations of the systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each box in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment, or a part of a code, and the module, program segment, or a part of a code contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in an order different from that marked in the accompanying drawings, for example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flowchart, and the combination of boxes in the block diagram and / or flowchart can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions. The numbering of each step in this article is only for the convenience of description and reference, and is not used to limit the order of execution. The specific execution order is determined by the technology itself, and those skilled in the art can determine various allowable and reasonable orders based on the technology itself.

[0056] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, without conflict, the above-mentioned preferred solutions can be freely combined and superimposed.

[0057] It should be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Without departing from the basic principles of the present invention, various obvious or equivalent modifications or substitutions that can be made by those skilled in the art to the above-mentioned details will all be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A conversion component, characterized in that: The conversion assembly (100) is arranged on the optical fiber connector (50) and is detachably connected to the optical fiber connector (50). The conversion assembly (100) is used to detachably connect the optical fiber connector (50) to the optical fiber terminal (90). The conversion assembly (100) comprises: A connecting piece (102) for detachably connecting to the middle portion (52) of the optical fiber connector (50); A shield unit (104), the shield unit (104) being detachably connected to the connector (102), so that the optical fiber connector (50) is at least partially covered by the shield unit (104), the shield unit (104) comprising a shoulder (106), and the shield unit (104) is defined by a shield length (Ls) and a shield diameter (Ds); A connecting nut (108) is sleeved on the outside of the shield unit (104) and slides axially on the shield unit (104), the connecting nut (108) is defined by a nut length (Ln) and a nut diameter (Dn), the nut length (Ln) is smaller than the shield length (Ls) and the nut diameter (Dn) is larger than the shield diameter (Ds), the first end (110) of the connecting nut (108) is constrained by the shield unit (104), and the second end (112) of the connecting nut (108) is constrained by the shoulder (106) so that the crimping portion (54) and the guide portion (56) of the optical fiber connector (50) are not interfered.

2. The conversion assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shield unit (104) is a first hollow cylindrical element, and the shield unit (104) includes a first inner surface (114). The first inner surface (114) includes a first protrusion (116). The first protrusion (116) is used to cooperate with an alignment channel (58) provided on the outer surface (60) of the optical fiber connector (50) to limit the relative rotational movement of the shield unit (104) and the optical fiber connector (50).

3. The conversion assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shield unit (104) includes a plurality of shield fingers (118) located at the front end of the shield unit (104), and the plurality of shield fingers (118) are used to cooperate with a plurality of port channels (94) in the port (92) of the optical fiber terminal (90) to enable alignment between the conversion assembly (100) connected with the optical fiber connector (50) and the port (92).

4. The conversion assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connector (102) is a second hollow cylindrical element, and the connector (102) includes a second inner surface (120), and the second inner surface (120) includes a first twist locking member (122), and the first twist locking member (122) is used to be detachably connected to a first reverse locking member (62) provided on the outer surface (60) of the optical fiber connector (50).

5. The conversion assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first reverse locking member (62) is an incomplete annular protrusion, and the first twist locking member (122) is a second protrusion that engages with the incomplete annular protrusion and provides a twist locking mechanism.

6. The conversion assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second inner surface (120) of the connecting piece (102) includes a second locking member (126) for detachably connecting to a second reverse locking member (128) provided on the first outer surface (130) of the shield unit (104).

7. The conversion assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: At least a portion of the second reverse locking member (128) is arc-shaped.

8. The conversion assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the optical fiber connector (50) is D1, and the diameter of the port (92) of the optical fiber terminal (90) is D2, wherein the ratio of D1 to D2 ranges from 0.3 to 0.

6.

9. The conversion assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conversion component (100) further comprises: A conversion assembly cover (132), wherein the conversion assembly cover (132) is detachably connected to the shield unit (104).

10. The conversion assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that One of the plurality of shield finger-shaped members (118) is provided with an identification position, and the identification position cooperates with at least one port channel (94) formed inside the port (92) of the optical fiber terminal (90) to align the conversion assembly (100) connected with the optical fiber connector (50) with the port (92).

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