Optical fiber connector and connector assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical fiber connector and a connector assembly, and the optical fiber connector comprises a connector housing, the front end of the connector housing is provided with a plug part, and the interior of the connector housing is provided with a through accommodation cavity in the axial direction; an insertion core is arranged at one end, close to the plug part, in the accommodating cavity, an optical cable is arranged at one end, away from the plug part, in the accommodating cavity, and at least one optical fiber is arranged in the optical cable and connected to the insertion core along the accommodating cavity; a conductive terminal is further arranged in the connector shell, at least one wire is further arranged in the accommodating cavity of the connector shell, the wire is separated from the optical cable or is integrated with the optical cable, and the wire is connected to the conductive terminal through the accommodating cavity; the conductive terminal part is positioned on the outer surface of the plug part to form a contact part; a locking elastic arm is arranged on the outer side of the connector shell; a butt joint surface is arranged at one end, far away from the locking elastic arm, of the plug part; and the contact part is positioned between the butt joint surface and the locking elastic arm. The connector realizes photoelectric transmission, the size is reduced, and the connector can be conveniently mounted on a vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of vehicle-mounted connectors, and in particular to an optical fiber connector and a connector assembly. Background Art

[0002] At present, optical fiber communication has become one of the main pillars of modern communication and plays a vital role in modern telecommunication networks. With the development of network technology, optical fiber has been increasingly widely used as a transmission medium for high-speed and broadband data communication. Optical fiber connectors are devices that can be detachably connected between optical fibers. They precisely connect the two end faces of optical fibers so that the light energy output by the transmitting optical fiber can be coupled to the receiving optical fiber to the maximum extent and the impact on the system caused by its involvement in the optical link can be minimized. In order to cope with the increase in data communication volume in vehicles, optical fiber connectors are gradually used in the vehicle field.

[0003] In the related technology, cameras on cars used to use copper wires for power supply and signal transmission. Now, optical fiber is installed in cars to replace copper wires for signal transmission. However, optical fiber cannot power the camera, so an additional electrical connector is needed to power the camera. In this way, one camera needs to be connected to two connectors, one optical fiber connector and one electrical connector. The size will be very large, which is inconvenient to install in the car.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to design a new optical fiber connector and connector assembly to overcome the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a fiber optic connector and a connector assembly, which can solve the technical problem in the related art that a camera is connected to two connectors, which is large in size and inconvenient to install in the space on the vehicle.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a fiber optic connector, comprising: a connector housing, wherein the front end of the connector housing is provided with a plug portion, and the interior of the connector housing is provided with a housing cavity extending through the connector housing in an axial direction; a ferrule is arranged in the housing cavity at one end close to the plug portion, and an optical cable is arranged in the housing cavity at one end away from the plug portion, wherein the optical cable has at least one optical fiber, and the optical fiber is connected to the ferrule along the housing cavity; a conductive terminal is also provided in the connector housing, and at least one conductive wire is also provided in the housing cavity of the connector housing, wherein the conductive wire is separately arranged from the optical cable, or is mixed and integrated with the optical cable, and the conductive wire is connected to the conductive terminal through the housing cavity; the conductive terminal is partially located on the outer surface of the plug portion to form a contact portion; a locking spring arm is provided on the outer side of the connector housing, and a mating surface is provided at the end of the plug portion away from the locking spring arm; and the contact portion is located between the mating surface and the locking spring arm.

[0007] In combination with the first aspect, in one embodiment, a plurality of convex ribs are provided on the outer surface of the plug portion, a concave conducting space is formed between two adjacent convex ribs, and the contact portion of the conductive terminal is located in the conducting space.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the core is located in the accommodating cavity by a fixing tube located in the accommodating cavity, and the fixing tube and the inner wall of the accommodating cavity form a glue injection channel, and the glue injection channel contains glue for fixing the optical cable to the connector housing.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the fixed tube includes: a fixed sleeve, which is snap-fitted with the connector shell, and the fixed sleeve cooperates with the connector shell to limit the core in the accommodating cavity; and an empty tube, which is plugged into the fixed sleeve, and the optical cable is passed through the empty tube and the fixed sleeve.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in one embodiment, a boss is provided in the fixing sleeve, and the boss divides the fixing sleeve into a first cavity and a second cavity distributed along the axial direction of the fixing sleeve; the insert is inserted into the first cavity, and one end of the empty tube is inserted into the second cavity.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the optical cable includes: an optical fiber, the optical fiber outer jacket is provided with a sleeve, the sleeve is inserted into the fixed sleeve and the empty tube; a cable outer sheath, the cable outer sheath is sleeved outside the sleeve, and the other end of the empty tube is inserted into the cable outer sheath.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the ferrule has a fixing platform, a step is provided in the connector housing, and the step is stopped at a side of the fixing platform away from the fixing sleeve, the step and the boss limit the movable space of the ferrule between the step and the boss, and the ferrule outer shell is provided with a spring, and the spring is located between the fixing platform and the fixing sleeve.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in one implementation, the connector housing is provided with a glue injection port, and the glue injection port is communicated with the glue injection channel.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the connector housing is also equipped with a secondary locking mechanism. When the connector housing is locked with the docking piece through the locking spring arm, the secondary locking mechanism stops at one side of the locking spring arm and prevents the locking spring arm from being unlocked from the docking piece.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the secondary locking mechanism is clamped between the locking spring arm and the connector shell, and the secondary locking mechanism is provided with an avoidance groove, and the secondary locking mechanism is provided with a stop surface on one side of the avoidance groove, and the stop surface and the avoidance groove are distributed along the axial direction of the connector shell; the locking spring arm is provided with a hook for locking with the docking piece, and the hook and the secondary locking mechanism are located on opposite sides of the locking spring arm; when the connector shell is inserted into the docking piece, the locking spring arm at least partially enters the avoidance groove; and when the secondary locking mechanism is pushed toward the direction close to the docking piece to a locked state, the stop surface stops between the locking spring arm and the connector shell.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the secondary locking mechanism has a locking protrusion, and the locking protrusion and the stop surface are located on opposite sides of the avoidance groove, and the secondary locking mechanism is also provided with a supporting protrusion; the locking spring arm is also provided with a spring arm protrusion, and when the connector shell is not inserted into the docking piece, the spring arm protrusion stops at the side of the locking protrusion away from the stop surface, and the secondary locking mechanism is in an unlocked state; when the connector shell is inserted into the docking piece, the protrusion of the docking piece presses against the supporting protrusion, so that the locking protrusion passes over the spring arm protrusion, and the stop surface stops between the locking spring arm and the connector shell, and the secondary locking mechanism is in a locked state.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the connector housing is further provided with a first fool-proofing portion, and the first fool-proofing portion at least partially overlaps with the contact portion along the axial direction of the connector housing.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the connector shell has N anti-foolproofing setting positions at different positions, and N / 2 or (N±1) / 2 of the N anti-foolproofing setting positions are arbitrarily selected to set the first anti-foolproofing part, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; when N is an even number, the connector shell is provided with N / 2 of the first anti-foolproofing parts; when N is an odd number, the connector shell is provided with (N±1) / 2 of the first anti-foolproofing parts.

[0019] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a connector assembly, which includes: the above-mentioned optical fiber connector and an adapter.

[0020] The beneficial effects brought by the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application include:

[0021] By arranging a core and an optical cable in the accommodating cavity of the connector housing, the optical fiber of the optical cable is plugged into the core, so that the optical fiber connector can realize the transmission of optical signals. At the same time, by arranging conductive terminals in the connector housing and electrically connecting the conductive terminals to the wires, the optical fiber connector can also realize the transmission of electrical signals. One connector realizes photoelectric transmission and reduces the volume, thereby solving the technical problem in the related art that the camera is connected to two connectors, which is large in size and inconvenient to install in the space on the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure of an optical fiber connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the combined structure of the optical fiber connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the back side of the optical fiber connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional view of an optical fiber connector provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the front sleeve and the fixed sleeve provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the combined structure of the front sleeve and the fixed sleeve provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure after the rear housing, optical cable and wires are assembled according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of the optical cable and the conductors provided in the embodiment of the present application assembled into the front sleeve;

[0031] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure when the front cover and the rear cover provided in the embodiment of the present application are not buckled together;

[0032] Fig.10 A schematic cross-sectional view of a front cover provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Fig.11A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the secondary locking mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Fig.12 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the secondary locking mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application in an unlocked state;

[0035] Fig.13 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the secondary locking mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application in a locked state;

[0036] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the structure in which six fool-proof setting positions are planned on the connector housing provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] In the figure:

[0038] 1. Connector housing; 11. Front cover; 111. Step; 112. Raised rib; 114. Fixing buckle;

[0039] 12. rear shell; 121. glue injection port; 13. glue injection channel; 14. plug part; 15. docking surface; 16. foolproof setting position; 17. first foolproof part;

[0040] 2. Insert core; 21. Fixing table;

[0041] 3. Fixed tube; 31. Fixed sleeve; 311. Boss; 312. Stopper; 313. Directional key; 32. Empty tube;

[0042] 4. Optical cable; 41. Optical fiber; 42. Casing; 43. Cable outer sheath;

[0043] 5. Spring; 6. Conductive terminal; 61. Contact portion; 7. Wire; 8. Outer sealing ring;

[0044] 9. Secondary locking mechanism; 91. Locking body; 911. Stop surface; 92. Elastic arm; 921. Avoidance groove; 922. Abutting convex point; 923. Locking convex point;

[0045] 10. Locking spring arm; 101. Hook; 102. Spring arm protrusion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present application, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0047] The embodiments of the present application provide a fiber optic connector and a connector assembly, which can solve the technical problem in the related art that a camera is connected to two connectors, which is large in size and inconvenient to install in the space on the vehicle.

[0048] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, an optical fiber connector provided by an embodiment of the present application may include: a connector housing 1, wherein the front end of the connector housing 1 is provided with a plug portion 14, and the connector housing 1 is provided with an accommodating cavity penetrating along the axial direction; a ferrule 2 is arranged in the accommodating cavity at one end close to the plug portion 14, and an optical cable 4 is arranged in the accommodating cavity at one end away from the plug portion 14, and at least one optical fiber 41 is arranged in the optical cable 4, and the optical fiber 41 is connected to the ferrule 2 along the accommodating cavity; a conductive terminal 6 is further provided in the connector housing 1, and at least one wire 7 is further arranged in the accommodating cavity of the connector housing 1, and the wire 7 is arranged separately from the optical cable 4, or is arranged in an integrated manner with the optical cable 4, and the wire 7 is connected to the conductive terminal 6 through the accommodating cavity; the conductive terminal 6 is partially located on the outer surface of the plug portion 14 to form a contact portion 61; a locking spring arm 10 is provided on the outer side of the connector housing 1, and a mating surface 15 is provided at one end of the plug portion 14 away from the locking spring arm 10; the contact portion 61 is located between the mating surface 15 and the locking spring arm 10.

[0049] In this embodiment, the locking spring arm 10 is used to lock with a docking member (such as an adapter), and the docking surface 15 is used to dock with the docking member. The docking surface 15 is located at the front end of the plug portion 14 .

[0050] In this embodiment, a core 2 and an optical cable 4 are arranged in the accommodating cavity of the connector housing 1, and the optical fiber 41 of the optical cable 4 is plugged into the core 2, so that the optical fiber connector can realize the transmission of optical signals. At the same time, a conductive terminal 6 is arranged in the connector housing 1, and the conductive terminal 6 is electrically connected to the wire 7, so that the optical fiber connector can also realize the transmission of electrical signals. One connector realizes photoelectric transmission and reduces the volume, thereby solving the technical problem in the related art that the camera is connected to two connectors, which is large in size and inconvenient to install in the space on the vehicle.

[0051] Further, in one embodiment, see Figure 2As shown, the outer surface of the plug portion 14 is provided with a plurality of convex ribs 112, and a concave conducting space is formed between two adjacent convex ribs 112, and the contact portion 61 of the conductive terminal 6 is located in the conducting space. In this embodiment, three convex ribs 112 are provided on the left side of the plug portion 14, and the three convex ribs 112 are spaced to form two conducting spaces, and the contact portion 61 of the conductive terminal 6 on the left side is exposed in the two conducting spaces on the left side. The right side of the plug portion 14 is also symmetrically provided with three convex ribs 112, and the three convex ribs 112 are spaced to form two conducting spaces (see Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 1 , the contact portion 61 of the right conductive terminal 6 is exposed in the two right conductive spaces. In this embodiment, a convex rib 112 is provided on the side of the plug portion 14. The convex rib 112 protrudes from the outside of the conductive terminal 6 to prevent people from accidentally touching the conductive terminal 6. In this embodiment, the conductive terminal 6 is preferably fixed to the plug portion 14 by injection molding.

[0052] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the core 2 is limited in the accommodating cavity by a fixing tube 3 located in the accommodating cavity, and the fixing tube 3 and the inner wall of the accommodating cavity form a glue injection channel 13, and the glue injection channel 13 contains glue for fixing the optical cable 4 to the connector housing 1.

[0053] In this embodiment, the connector housing 1 can be either one-piece or split. For ease of assembly, this embodiment preferably uses a split connector housing 1, wherein the accommodating cavity in the connector housing 1 penetrates the connector housing 1 from front to back; the ferrule 2 is limited in the accommodating cavity by the fixing tube 3, so that the ferrule 2 cannot escape from the accommodating cavity, and the ferrule 2 can have a certain amount of movable space in the axial direction; after the optical cable 4 is inserted into the fixing tube 3, the internal optical cable 4 can be separated from the external glue injection channel 13 by the fixing tube 3, wherein, before the optical cable 4 is inserted into the fixing tube 3, a portion of the optical cable 4 can be stripped, and the optical fiber 41 of the optical cable 4 and the sleeve 42 sleeved outside the optical fiber 41 are inserted into the fixing tube 3, and the portion of the cable outer sheath 43 outside the sleeve 42 can be located in the glue injection channel 13 and fixed by glue, and the aramid yarn can also be stripped out and fixed in the glue of the glue injection channel 13, so that not only the optical cable 4 can be fixed in the connector housing 1, but also the optical fiber 41 located in the fixing tube 3 can be movable in the fixing tube 3 without being fixed.

[0054] In this embodiment, the ferrule 2 and the fixing tube 3 are arranged in the accommodating cavity of the connector housing 1, and the ferrule 2 can be limited in the accommodating cavity by the fixing tube 3. At the same time, the optical cable 4 can be inserted into the fixing tube 3, and the glue is contained in the glue injection channel 13 formed by the fixing tube 3 and the inner wall of the accommodating cavity, and will not flow into the fixing tube 3 to fix the optical cable 4 in the fixing tube 3. The optical fiber 41 in the optical cable 4 in the fixing tube 3 can still be movable. When the optical fiber 41 is docked with the adapter or subjected to tension, the optical fiber 41 can be retreated, which solves the technical problem in the related art that when docking with the adapter, the optical fiber 41 in the optical cable 4 cannot be retreated, which will affect the optical performance of the optical fiber 41. The optical fiber connector in this embodiment is mainly used in the automotive field, and of course, it can also be used in other fields or scenarios where the optical fiber 41 is needed.

[0055] See also Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, in some optional embodiments, the fixed tube 3 includes: a fixed sleeve 31, which is snap-fitted with the connector housing 1, and the fixed sleeve 31 cooperates with the connector housing 1 to limit the core 2 in the accommodating cavity; and an empty tube 32, which is plugged into the fixed sleeve 31, and the optical cable 4 is passed through the empty tube 32 and the fixed sleeve 31.

[0056] In this embodiment, the fixing sleeve 31 can be provided with a snap-fit ​​position for snapping with the connector housing 1. After the fixing sleeve 31 is snapped with the connector housing 1, the fixing sleeve 31 and the connector housing 1 are relatively fixed. At the same time, the connector housing 1 and the fixing sleeve 31 can be provided with corresponding limiting structures, so that after the fixing sleeve 31 and the connector housing 1 are fixed, the ferrule 2 can be limited in the accommodating cavity by the connector housing 1 and the fixing sleeve 31. One end of the empty tube 32 can be inserted into the fixing sleeve 31, and the other end can extend out of the fixing sleeve 31. When the optical cable 4 is inserted into the fixing tube 3, it first passes through the empty tube 32 and then passes through the fixing sleeve 31. The optical fiber 41 at the end of the optical cable 4 is inserted into the ferrule 2. In this embodiment, the fixing tube 3 is split into two components, the fixing sleeve 31 and the empty tube 32, which is not only convenient for the processing and manufacturing of the fixing tube 3, but also, one end of the empty tube 32 is inserted into the fixing sleeve 31, so that it is not easy for glue to enter the empty tube 32 from this end, and it is not easy to fix the optical cable 4 in the empty tube 32.

[0057] Further, in one embodiment, see Figure 4As shown, a boss 311 is provided inside the fixing sleeve 31, and the boss 311 divides the fixing sleeve 31 into a first cavity and a second cavity distributed along the axial direction of the fixing sleeve 31; the insert 2 is plugged into the first cavity, and one end of the empty tube 32 is plugged into the second cavity. In this embodiment, the boss 311 protrudes from the inner wall of the fixing sleeve 31. The setting of the boss 311 can not only limit one end of the insert 2, but also the boss 311 is stopped at the end of the empty tube 32. Such a setting can prevent the empty tube 32 from moving forward, and even if glue enters between the empty tube 32 and the fixing sleeve 31, it will be stopped at the boss 311 and will not enter the empty tube 32 from the end of the empty tube 32.

[0058] Further, see Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment, the optical cable 4 includes: an optical fiber 41, the optical fiber 41 is provided with a sleeve 42, and the sleeve 42 is inserted into the fixed sleeve 31 and the empty tube 32; a cable outer sheath 43, the cable outer sheath 43 is sleeved outside the sleeve 42, and the other end of the empty tube 32 is inserted into the cable outer sheath 43. In this embodiment, a sleeve 42 is disposed outside the optical fiber 41, and a cable outer sheath 43 is disposed outside the sleeve 42, wherein the cable outer sheath 43 is located outside the empty tube 32, the sleeve 42 and the optical fiber 41 are inserted into the empty tube 32, the sleeve 42 can move inside the empty tube 32, and the optical fiber 41 can also move inside the sleeve 42 and the empty tube 32; the cable outer sheath 43 is located outside the empty tube 32, and can be fixed in the accommodating cavity by glue, and the end of the empty tube 32 is inserted into the cable outer sheath 43, which can further fix the optical cable 4, and at the same time, there can also be aramid yarn outside the sleeve 42, and the aramid yarn is also stripped outside the empty tube 32 and fixed with the glue in the glue injection channel 13. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the sleeve 42 is preferably set at about 0.6 mm, and the outer diameter of the cable outer sheath 43 is preferably set at about 1.8 mm.

[0059] Preferably, see Figure 4As shown, the ferrule 2 has a fixing platform 21, a step 111 is provided in the connector housing 1, and the step 111 is stopped at the side of the fixing platform 21 away from the fixing sleeve 31, the step 111 and the boss 311 limit the activity space of the ferrule 2 between the step 111 and the boss 311, and a spring 5 is provided on the outer sleeve of the ferrule 2, and the spring 5 is located between the fixing platform 21 and the fixing sleeve 31. In this embodiment, the step 111 is stopped at one end of the fixing platform 21, the boss 311 is stopped at the end of the ferrule 2 where the fixing platform 21 is not provided, and there is a gap between the boss 311 and the end of the ferrule 2, so that the ferrule 2 can have a certain amount of activity in the activity space, and at the same time, the spring 5 sleeved on the outside of the ferrule 2 is in a compressed state, and the elastic force of the spring 5 can drive the ferrule 2 to resist the step 111, and maintain a tight docking state with the docking member.

[0060] In one embodiment, see Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the connector housing 1 is provided with a glue injection port 121, and the glue injection port 121 is communicated with the glue injection channel 13. In this embodiment, the glue injection port 121 penetrates the connector housing 1 in the radial direction of the connector housing 1, and the accommodating cavity is communicated with the outside of the connector housing 1 through the glue injection port 121, so that glue is easily injected into the glue injection channel 13 through the glue injection port 121. In other embodiments, the glue injection port 121 may not be provided on the surface of the connector housing 1.

[0061] Further, in one embodiment, see Figure 2 As shown, the connector housing 1 is also equipped with a secondary locking mechanism 9. When the connector housing 1 is locked with the docking piece through the locking spring arm 10, the secondary locking mechanism 9 blocks one side of the locking spring arm 10 and prevents the locking spring arm 10 from being unlocked from the docking piece. In this embodiment, the locking spring arm 10 can be integrally formed with the connector housing 1, or can be assembled after being formed separately. In this embodiment, the locking spring arm 10 is preferably integrally formed with the connector housing 1. In order to prevent the locking spring arm 10 from being disengaged from the docking piece during use, the secondary locking mechanism 9 is also provided in this embodiment. After the locking spring arm 10 is locked with the docking piece, the secondary locking mechanism 9 can block one side of the locking spring arm 10, thereby preventing the locking spring arm 10 from being unlocked from the docking piece. When unlocking is required, the secondary locking mechanism 9 can be unlocked first, so that the secondary locking mechanism 9 no longer blocks the locking spring arm 10, and then the locking spring arm 10 is unlocked, which can improve the locking reliability of the connector housing 1 and the docking piece.

[0062] Further, in one embodiment, see Figures 11 to 13As shown, the secondary locking mechanism 9 is clamped between the locking spring arm 10 and the connector housing 1, and the secondary locking mechanism 9 is provided with an avoidance groove 921, and the secondary locking mechanism 9 is provided with a stop surface 911 on one side of the avoidance groove 921, and the stop surface 911 and the avoidance groove 921 are distributed along the axial direction of the connector housing 1; the locking spring arm 10 is provided with a hook 101 for locking with the docking piece, and the hook 101 and the secondary locking mechanism 9 are located on opposite sides of the locking spring arm 10; when the connector housing 1 is inserted into the docking piece, the locking spring arm 10 at least partially enters the avoidance groove 921; and when the secondary locking mechanism 9 is pushed toward the direction close to the docking piece to a locked state, the stop surface 911 stops between the locking spring arm 10 and the connector housing 1.

[0063] In this embodiment, the secondary locking mechanism 9 is preferably configured in a square frame shape, so that a avoidance groove 921 is formed in the middle of the secondary locking mechanism 9, and the avoidance groove 921 passes through the secondary locking mechanism 9 from top to bottom. Figure 5 As shown, the top surface of the locking spring arm 10 in this embodiment is provided with a hook 101 for locking with the mating piece. During the process of inserting the connector housing 1 into the mating piece, the inner wall of the mating piece will first contact the inclined surface on the hook 101, pressing the hook 101 and the locking spring arm 10 downward, and the locking spring arm 10 will elastically deform downward. Then, the connector housing 1 is further inserted, and the hook 101 will smoothly enter the locking groove of the mating piece. During this process, the locking spring arm 10 will enter the avoidance groove 921 when it is elastically deformed downward. The avoidance groove 921 provides a deformation space for the locking spring arm 10; after the hook 101 is locked into the locking groove, the secondary locking mechanism 9 can be pushed into the insertion direction of the connector housing 1. After the secondary locking mechanism 9 moves to the locked state, the stop surface 911 will stop under the locking spring arm 10, preventing the locking spring arm 10 from deforming downward, thereby preventing the hook 101 from escaping from the locking groove.

[0064] Further, in some optional embodiments, see Fig. 9 and Fig.11As shown, the secondary locking mechanism 9 has a locking protrusion 923, and the locking protrusion 923 and the stopping surface 911 are located on opposite sides of the avoidance groove 921, and the secondary locking mechanism 9 is also provided with a supporting protrusion 922; the locking spring arm 10 is also provided with a spring arm protrusion 102, when the connector housing 1 is not inserted into the docking piece, the spring arm protrusion 102 stops at the side of the locking protrusion 923 away from the stopping surface 911, and the secondary locking mechanism 9 is in an unlocked state; when the connector housing 1 is inserted into the docking piece, the protrusion of the docking piece presses against the supporting protrusion 922, so that the locking protrusion 923 passes over the spring arm protrusion 102, and the stopping surface 911 stops between the locking spring arm 10 and the connector housing 1, and the secondary locking mechanism 9 is in a locked state.

[0065] See also Fig.11 As shown, in this embodiment, the secondary locking mechanism 9 includes a locking body 91 and an elastic arm 92 connected to the locking body 91, the elastic arm 92 is bent and extended from the connection with the locking body 91, the elastic arm 92 is surrounded by a frame shape, and the elastic arm 92 forms an avoidance groove 921, and two locking protrusions 923 are symmetrically arranged at the free end of the elastic arm 92, and the supporting protrusions 922 are symmetrically arranged, and the stop surface 911 is arranged on the locking body 91. When the connector housing 1 is not inserted into the mating piece, the secondary locking mechanism 9 needs to be in the unlocked state so that the locking spring arm 10 can deform normally. If the secondary locking mechanism 9 is in the locked state when the connector housing 1 is not inserted into the mating piece, the locking spring arm 10 will be damaged during the automated assembly process. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the connector housing 1 is not inserted into the mating piece, the spring arm protrusion 102 stops at the side of the locking protrusion 923 away from the stop surface 911. At this time, the bottom of the locking spring arm 10 is exactly the avoidance groove 921, and the locking spring arm 10 can be elastically deformed downward, and the secondary locking mechanism 9 is in the unlocked state at this time; then gradually insert the connector housing 1 into the mating piece, and before the hook 101 is locked with the locking groove of the mating piece, the secondary locking mechanism 9 is in the unlocked state; during the insertion of the connector housing 1 During the insertion process, the inner wall of the docking piece will contact the hook 101, driving the locking spring arm 10 to bend and deform downward, and continue to insert the connector housing 1. The protrusion on the docking piece acts on the abutting protrusion 922, squeezing the abutting protrusion 922 downward, and the abutting protrusion 922 together with the elastic arm 92 bends and deforms downward, and continues to insert the connector housing 1. When the hook 101 moves to the locking groove, the hook 101 pops up and sinks into the locking groove of the docking piece, realizing the locking of the locking spring arm 10 and the docking piece. At this time, the protrusion on the docking piece continues to squeeze the abutting protrusion 922 downward. When the secondary locking mechanism 9 is pushed toward the direction close to the docking piece, the locking protrusion 923 can pass over the elastic arm protrusion 102 to reach the locking position, and the stopping surface 911 stops at the bottom of the locking spring arm 10. At this time, the secondary locking mechanism 9 is in a locked state, and the locking spring arm 10 cannot be deformed downward.

[0066] In this embodiment, a locking protrusion 923 is provided on the secondary locking mechanism 9, and an elastic arm protrusion 102 that cooperates with the locking protrusion 923 is provided on the locking elastic arm 10. Due to the blocking of the locking protrusion 923 by the elastic arm protrusion 102, when the connector housing 1 is not inserted into the docking part, directly pushing the secondary locking mechanism 9 cannot change the secondary locking mechanism 9 from the unlocked state to the locked state, that is, when the connector housing 1 is not docked, the secondary locking mechanism 9 can only be in the unlocked state, ensuring that the locking elastic arm 10 can be deformed normally, thereby reducing the damage of the locking elastic arm 10 during the automated assembly of the optical fiber connector; only when the connector housing 1 is docked with the docking part, can the secondary locking mechanism 9 be pushed to the locked state.

[0067] Further, see Figure 1 and Fig. 9 As shown, in some embodiments, the connector housing 1 includes a front sleeve 11 and a rear shell 12, the front sleeve 11 and the rear shell 12 are fixedly engaged with each other, and the interiors of the front sleeve 11 and the rear shell 12 together form the accommodating cavity, the glue injection port 121 is opened in the rear shell 12, and the conductive terminal 6 is fixed to the front sleeve 11. In order to facilitate the assembly of the internal components of the connector housing 1, the connector housing 1 is divided into two independent parts, namely the front sleeve 11 and the rear shell 12, and the front sleeve 11 and the rear shell 12 are fixedly engaged with each other to form the connector housing 1. The outer sleeve 11 is provided with an outer sealing ring 8 for sealing when mating with a mating member.

[0068] See also Figure 6 As shown, a fixing buckle 114 may extend from the bottom of the front sleeve 11, and a stopper 312 is provided on the outside of the fixing sleeve 31. When the fixing sleeve 31 is inserted into the front sleeve 11, the stopper 312 on the outside of the fixing sleeve 31 abuts against the end of the front sleeve 11, and the fixing buckle 114 of the front sleeve 11 is buckled in the groove of the fixing sleeve 31, so that the fixing sleeve 31 and the front sleeve 11 are fixed together; at the same time, an orientation key 313 may be provided at the bottom of the fixing sleeve 31, which is used to orient the fixing sleeve 31 when inserted into the front sleeve 11. The tail end of the rear shell 12 may be connected to a tail sheath, and the optical cable 4 and the wire 7 pass through the tail sheath and are inserted into the rear shell 12 and the front sleeve 11.

[0069] When assembling the above optical fiber connector, the optical cable 4 and the conductor 7 can be inserted into the tail sheath and the rear shell 12 ( Figure 7 As shown), the wire 7 is then welded to the conductive terminal 6 in the front sleeve 11, and then the empty tube 32 is inserted into the fixed sleeve 31 in the front sleeve 11, and the optical fiber 41 and the sleeve 42 are inserted into the empty tube 32 and the fixed sleeve 31 ( Figure 8As shown); then the rear shell 12 is buckled and fixed with the front cover 11; finally, glue is dispensed from the glue injection port 121 to achieve fixation and sealing at the same time. The optical fiber connector in this embodiment is sealed by the outer sealing ring 8 combined with glue dispensing, which can achieve IP68 and IP69K sealing as a whole, and the assembly operation of the optical fiber connector is simple, and the consistency and yield are high.

[0070] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the connector housing 1 is further provided with a first fool-proof portion 17, and the first fool-proof portion 17 at least partially overlaps with the contact portion 61 along the axial direction of the connector housing 1. Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, a first anti-foolproofing portion 17 is provided on both the front sleeve 11 and the rear shell 12. The first anti-foolproofing portion 17 is used to prevent the connector housing 1 from being inserted into the mating piece. At the same time, the first anti-foolproofing portion 17 on the front sleeve 11 will overlap with the contact portion 61 of the conductive terminal 6 along the axial direction of the connector housing 1, so that the connector housing 1 can prevent foolishness while achieving conductivity, thereby reducing the length of the connector housing 1.

[0071] Further, in one embodiment, see Fig.14 As shown, the connector housing 1 has N fool-proofing setting positions 16 at different positions, and N / 2 or (N±1) / 2 of the fool-proofing setting positions 16 are arbitrarily selected to set the first fool-proofing portion 17, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; when N is an even number, the connector housing 1 is provided with N / 2 of the first fool-proofing portions 17; when N is an odd number, the connector housing 1 is provided with (N±1) / 2 of the first fool-proofing portions 17.

[0072] In order to completely prevent the male connector (i.e. the above-mentioned optical fiber connector) and the female connector (or adapter) from being inserted incorrectly and to minimize the number of the first foolproofing parts 17, at the beginning of the design, it is necessary to plan the number and position of the foolproofing setting positions 16. In this embodiment, N foolproofing setting positions 16 are planned. The distribution positions of these N foolproofing setting positions 16 on the connector housing 1 are different, and they can be adjacent to each other or separated from each other. In order to maximize the combination of the first foolproofing part 17 and to achieve a one-to-one correspondence between the male connector and the female connector after the first foolproofing part 17 is set on the male connector, this embodiment selects N / 2 (N is an even number) or (N±1) / 2 (N is an odd number) foolproofing setting positions 16 from the planned N foolproofing setting positions 16 to set the first foolproofing part 17 for use in the connector of a specific scenario, so that the male connector and the female connector can not only be inserted into each other, but also achieve a one-to-one correspondence. N in this embodiment can be a positive integer such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.

[0073] By planning N foolproof setting positions 16 with different positions on the connector housing 1, the N foolproof setting positions 16 with different positions are arranged and combined to obtain a plurality of combination forms of each group of N / 2 or (N±1) / 2 foolproof setting positions 16, and different combination forms have at least one foolproof setting position 16 with different positions. Different connectors select different combinations of foolproof setting positions 16, that is, each connector housing 11 selects N / 2 or (N±1) / 2 foolproof setting positions 16, and sets the first foolproof setting positions 16 on these foolproof setting positions 16. Anti-idiot part 17, but different connector housings 1 have at least one first anti-idiot part 17 at a different position, so that multiple connectors can be distinguished by N / 2 or (N±1) / 2 first anti-idiot parts 17 thereon to dock with the only paired docking connector. The arrangement of the first anti-idiot part 17 in this embodiment can distinguish a large number of connectors one by one and has the most combination forms, thereby solving the technical problem in the related art that only one anti-idiot structure is provided on the male connector and the female connector, and a large number of male connectors and female connectors cannot correspond one to one.

[0074] The embodiment of the present application also provides a connector assembly, which may include: the above-mentioned optical fiber connector and an adapter. The optical fiber connector in this embodiment may adopt the optical fiber connector in any of the above-mentioned embodiments and realize the corresponding functions, which will not be repeated here. At the same time, the adapter here is also the above-mentioned docking piece.

[0075] In this embodiment, the adapter is provided with a locking groove that cooperates with the hook 101 of the above-mentioned locking spring arm 10, and a protrusion is also provided inside the adapter, which can act on the supporting protrusion 922 to squeeze the supporting protrusion 922 downward; the adapter is also provided with a second anti-foolproofing portion that cooperates with the above-mentioned first anti-foolproofing portion 17.

[0076] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. Unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be a connection between the two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0077] It should be noted that, in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0078] The above description is only a specific implementation of the present application, so that those skilled in the art can understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will conform to the widest range consistent with the principles and novel features applied for herein.

Claims

1. An optical fiber connector, characterized in that: It includes: A connector housing (1), wherein the front end of the connector housing (1) is provided with a plug portion (14), and the interior of the connector housing (1) is provided with a receiving cavity penetrating along the axial direction; a core (2) is arranged at one end of the receiving cavity close to the plug portion (14), and an optical cable (4) is arranged at one end of the receiving cavity away from the plug portion (14), and the optical cable (4) is provided with at least one optical fiber (41) inside, and the optical fiber (41) is connected to the core (2) along the receiving cavity; The connector housing (1) is further provided with a conductive terminal (6) inside, and at least one conductive wire (7) is further provided in the accommodating cavity of the connector housing (1), wherein the conductive wire (7) is provided separately from the optical cable (4) or is provided in an integrated manner with the optical cable (4), and the conductive wire (7) is connected to the conductive terminal (6) through the accommodating cavity; The conductive terminal (6) is partially located on the outer surface of the plug portion (14) to form a contact portion (61); A locking spring arm (10) is provided on the outside of the connector housing (1), and a butt joint surface (15) is provided on one end of the plug portion (14) away from the locking spring arm (10); The contact portion (61) is located between the butt joint surface (15) and the locking elastic arm (10).

2. The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein: The outer surface of the plug portion (14) is provided with a plurality of convex ribs (112), and a concave conducting space is formed between two adjacent convex ribs (112), and the contact portion (61) of the conductive terminal (6) is located in the conducting space.

3. The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein: The core (2) is limited in the accommodating cavity by a fixing tube (3) located in the accommodating cavity, and the fixing tube (3) and the inner wall of the accommodating cavity form a glue injection channel (13), and the glue injection channel (13) contains glue for fixing the optical cable to the connector housing (1).

4. The optical fiber connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fixed pipe (3) comprises: A fixing sleeve (31), the fixing sleeve (31) being snap-fitted to the connector housing (1), and the fixing sleeve (31) cooperates with the connector housing (1) to limit the insertion core (2) in the accommodating cavity; and an empty tube (32), wherein the empty tube (32) and the fixing sleeve (31) are plugged into each other, and the optical cable (4) is inserted into the empty tube (32) and the fixing sleeve (31).

5. The optical fiber connector according to claim 4, wherein: A boss (311) is provided in the fixing sleeve (31), and the boss (311) divides the fixing sleeve (31) into a first cavity and a second cavity distributed along the axial direction of the fixing sleeve (31); The insert (2) is plugged into the first cavity, and one end of the empty tube (32) is plugged into the second cavity.

6. The optical fiber connector according to claim 5, characterized in that: The optical cable (4) comprises: An optical fiber (41), wherein the outer cover of the optical fiber (41) is provided with a sleeve (42), and the sleeve (42) is inserted into the fixed sleeve (31) and the empty tube (32); The cable outer sheath (43) is sleeved outside the casing (42), and the other end of the empty tube (32) is inserted into the cable outer sheath (43).

7. The optical fiber connector according to claim 5, wherein: The ferrule (2) has a fixing platform (21), a step (111) is provided inside the connector housing (1), and the step (111) is stopped at a side of the fixing platform (21) away from the fixing sleeve (31), the step (111) and the boss (311) limit the movable space of the ferrule (2) between the step (111) and the boss (311), and a spring (5) is provided on the outer sleeve of the ferrule (2), and the spring (5) is located between the fixing platform (21) and the fixing sleeve (31).

8. The optical fiber connector according to claim 3, wherein: The connector housing (1) is provided with a glue injection port (121), and the glue injection port (121) is communicated with the glue injection channel (13).

9. The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein: The connector housing (1) is also provided with a secondary locking mechanism (9). When the connector housing (1) is locked with the mating piece via the locking spring arm (10), the secondary locking mechanism (9) stops at one side of the locking spring arm (10) and prevents the locking spring arm (10) from being unlocked from the mating piece.

10. The optical fiber connector according to claim 9, wherein: The secondary locking mechanism (9) is sandwiched between the locking elastic arm (10) and the connector housing (1), and the secondary locking mechanism (9) is provided with an escape groove (921), and the secondary locking mechanism (9) is provided with a stop surface (911) on one side of the escape groove (921), and the stop surface (911) and the escape groove (921) are distributed along the axial direction of the connector housing (1); The locking spring arm (10) is provided with a hook (101) for locking with the docking piece, and the hook (101) and the secondary locking mechanism (9) are located on opposite sides of the locking spring arm (10); When the connector housing (1) is inserted into the mating piece, the locking spring arm (10) at least partially enters the avoidance groove (921); and when the secondary locking mechanism (9) is pushed toward the direction close to the mating piece to a locked state, the stopping surface (911) stops between the locking spring arm (10) and the connector housing (1).

11. The optical fiber connector according to claim 10, wherein: The secondary locking mechanism (9) has a locking protrusion (923), the locking protrusion (923) and the stop surface (911) are located on opposite sides of the avoidance groove (921), and the secondary locking mechanism (9) is also provided with a supporting protrusion (922); The locking spring arm (10) is further provided with a spring arm protrusion (102); when the connector housing (1) is not inserted into the mating piece, the spring arm protrusion (102) stops at a side of the locking protrusion (923) away from the stop surface (911), and the secondary locking mechanism (9) is in an unlocked state; When the connector housing (1) is inserted into the docking piece, the protrusion of the docking piece presses against the abutting protrusion (922), causing the locking protrusion (923) to pass over the elastic arm protrusion (102), and the stopping surface (911) is stopped between the locking elastic arm (10) and the connector housing (1), and the secondary locking mechanism (9) is in a locked state.

12. The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein: The connector housing (1) is also provided with a first fool-proofing portion (17), wherein the first fool-proofing portion (17) at least partially overlaps with the contact portion (61) along the axial direction of the connector housing (1).

13. The optical fiber connector according to claim 12, wherein: The connector housing (1) has N fool-proofing setting positions (16) at different positions, and N / 2 or (N±1) / 2 of the fool-proofing setting positions (16) are arbitrarily selected from the N fool-proofing setting positions (16) to set the first fool-proofing portion (17), and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; When N is an even number, the connector housing (1) is provided with N / 2 of the first fool-proofing parts (17); when N is an odd number, the connector housing (1) is provided with (N±1) / 2 of the first fool-proofing parts (17).

14. A connector assembly, characterized in that: It includes: The optical fiber connector and adapter as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

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