Outdoor field assembly type optical connector

Abstract

The present invention relates to an outdoor on-site assembly type optical connector, and more particularly, to an outdoor on-site assembly type optical connector which can prevent unnecessary waste of optical cables by performing connector connection and optical fiber fusion splicing on site and assembling an optical fiber connector according to a length set on site. According to the present invention, a waterproof welding connector which can be used outdoors can be manufactured by applying sealing members to an assembly portion of the connector, i.e., applying sealing members to a plug and a housing, to a plug and a protective cover, and to a screw cap and a protective cover, by preventing unaesthetic factors caused by excess length processing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an outdoor field-assembled optical connector, that is, the length of the optical cable can be adjusted according to the on-site installation length, so that optical fiber fusion and cable assembly can be performed, and sealing components are applied to multiple parts to achieve a waterproof effect when installed outdoors. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the emergence of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) systems has enabled optical cables to be connected to ordinary households to provide a variety of information including broadcasting and communications, and thus to be applied and set up in apartments, houses and other places. In the FTTH system, the optical cable is connected to the inside of the home, and the end is processed in the form of a connector. In this case, considering the connection between the optical cables, the FTTH staff sets the optical cable to be several meters longer than the actual required length to introduce it into the home. Then, the staff cuts the optical cable to the required length at the construction site (inside the home), assembles the optical connector at its end, and connects it to the optical fiber adapter to complete the setting inside the home.

[0003] On the other hand, a general optical fiber includes a core layer and a cladding layer, the diameter of the cladding layer is about 125 μm, and the outer side of such an optical fiber is covered with a coating layer (hereinafter referred to as a core wire) with a thickness of about 250 μm or 900 μm. The outer side of the coating layer is covered with an outer sheath (hereinafter referred to as a cable).

[0004] The outer side of the core wire is covered with a sheath made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or the like through a cushioning material such as Kevlar (aramid yarn) in order to enhance the tensile strength.

[0005] Such optical fiber can send and receive the required signal through the light transmitted by the core layer. Therefore, in order to minimize the transmission loss of light in the optical cable construction, it is necessary to accurately align the connecting optical fibers.

[0006] As described above, in order to accurately align and connect optical fibers on site, various technologies are being developed, such as field assembly type optical connectors.

[0007] However, these various existing field-assembly type optical connectors have the problem of a large number of parts and a long working time. In addition, due to the large number of parts, assembly errors by workers may occur.

[0008] Furthermore, in the past, since the connector part and the optical fiber connection were manufactured in the factory and supplied as a whole, when this optical cable was used on site, it was set up according to the installation length on site, and there were many long parts that were discarded because they could not be used, which increased the installation cost.

[0009] Furthermore, when installing an optical fiber connector outdoors, it needs to be waterproof. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an optical fiber connector that takes waterproof requirements into consideration and can be assembled on site.

[0010] Prior art literature

[0011] Patent Literature

[0012] Patent Document 1: Korean domestic patent No. 10-610148 (granted on August 1, 2006)

[0013] Patent Document 2: Korean Publication Patent No. 10-2011-0050335 (published on May 13, 2011) Summary of the invention

[0014] Technical issues

[0015] The present invention is used to solve the above-mentioned problems. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an outdoor field-assembled optical connector. Instead of using the existing optical fiber connector manufactured in the factory with the connector connected, the staff can connect the connector and connect the optical fiber on site according to the on-site setting length for use, thereby preventing unnecessary cable waste. By applying sealing components to multiple parts of the assembly part, the optical connector has a waterproof effect that can be used outdoors.

[0016] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be described below and will be understood through the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the objects and advantages of the present invention can be achieved by the methods and combinations described in the scope of the invention claims.

[0017] Technical Solution

[0018] As a technical solution to the technical problem as described above, the present invention is characterized in that it includes: a frame 10, in which the optical cable A inserted into the interior along the length direction is exposed to the front; a subassembly 20, in which the optical fiber B connected to the optical cable A passing through the frame 10 at the work site is protruded backward, and the subassembly 20 can be assembled into an integral type by a first plug frame 21 and a second plug frame 22, the first plug frame 21 accommodates a ring 23 with the optical fiber B assembled inside, and the second plug frame 22 accommodates a spring; a connecting protection component 30, which performs heat shrinkage at the fusion joint of the optical fiber B of the subassembly 20 to protect the fusion joint; a plug 40, which is inserted into the inner side to tighten the subassembly 20 and the frame 10 in sequence; a shell 50, which is inserted into the outer periphery of the frame 10 and tightened behind the plug 40; a screw cap 60, which is arranged on the outer periphery of the connection between the plug 40 and the housing 50, and forms a thread on the front inner periphery; and a protective cover 70, which is threadedly fastened with the screw cover 60 in a manner of surrounding the outer periphery of the subassembly 20, the first sealing component R1 is arranged on the rear outer periphery of the plug 40 combined with the housing 50, the second sealing component R2 is arranged on the front outer periphery of the plug 40 combined with the protective cover 70, and the third sealing component R3 is arranged on the front end of the thread of the rear outer periphery of the protective cover 70 combined with the screw cover 60, so as to seal the joint surface. According to the setting length on site, even if no long optical cable is left, optical fiber fusion and optical fiber connector assembly and tightening can be carried out, and the optical fiber connector set outdoors can be made waterproof through the first sealing component R1, the second sealing component R2, and the third sealing component R3.

[0019] Effects of the Invention

[0020] As described above, the present invention does not use optical cables with connectors installed in the factory. Instead, the workers directly set up the optical connectors and assemble the optical fibers by fusion splicing on site without leaving any long optical cables. This prevents unnecessary waste of cables and the unsightly effect caused by the long parts of the winding.

[0021] Furthermore, the present invention has the effect that by applying a plurality of sealing members to the connection portion constituting the waterproof welding connector, it is possible to assemble a connector having a waterproof effect even when it is installed outside. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of an outdoor field assembly type optical connector of the present invention.

[0023] Figures 2 to 4 It is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an outdoor field assembly type optical connector of the present invention.

[0024] Figures 5 to 7 It is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an outdoor field assembly type optical connector of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an adapter and a coupling lock according to the present invention.

[0026] Fig. 9 It is a working diagram showing an embodiment of the disassembly and assembly structure of the adapter of the present invention.

[0027] Fig.10 The figure shows an embodiment of an outdoor field assembly type optical connector to which an adapter is mounted according to the present invention.

[0028] Description of Reference Numerals

[0029] 10: Frame 11: Clamping ring

[0030] 20: Subassembly 21: First plug frame

[0031] 22: Second plug frame 23: Ferrule

[0032] 24: Dust protection cover 30: Connection protection component

[0033] 40: Plug 41: Fastening slot

[0034] 42: Locking groove 50: Housing

[0035] 60: Screw cap 61: Fastening protrusion

[0036] 70: Protective cover 71: Belt

[0037] 80: Sealing tube 90: Protective sleeve

[0038] 100: Adapter 101: Locking ball

[0039] 102: Coupling 103: Coupling lock

[0040] 104: Ceramic sleeve

[0041] A: Optical cable B: Optical fiber

[0042] R1: First sealing member R2: Second sealing member

[0043] R3: The third sealing component DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Before describing in detail various embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the details of the structure and arrangement of the structural elements described in the following detailed description or shown in the accompanying drawings are not limited by the application. The present invention can be implemented and implemented by other embodiments, and can also be performed in a variety of ways. In addition, for the direction of the device or element (for example, "front", "back", "up", "down", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "lateral") and other terms, the expressions and terms used in this article are only used to simplify the description of the present invention, and do not mean or imply that the relevant device or element must have only a specific direction. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used for illustration in the scope of protection of the invention claimed herein and attached, and are not intended to indicate or mean relative importance or subject matter.

[0045] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following features.

[0046] Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms or words used in this specification and the scope of protection of the invention should not be interpreted in a limited manner to the conventional meaning or the meaning in the dictionary, but should be interpreted in a meaning and concept that conforms to the technical idea of ​​the present invention based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term in order to best explain his invention.

[0047] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the structures shown in the accompanying drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all the technical ideas of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that at the time of this application, there may be multiple equivalent technical solutions and variations to replace them.

[0048] Below, refer to Figures 1 to 10 A preferred embodiment of the outdoor field assembly type optical connector of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0049] The outdoor field-assembled optical connector of the present invention can adjust the optical fiber connection length according to the on-site setting length to achieve optical fiber fusion and assembly and tightening of the optical fiber connector. Through the first sealing component R1, the second sealing component R2, and the third sealing component R3 (O-Ring), the optical fiber connector set outdoors has a waterproof function. The present invention includes a frame 10 (Frame), a sub-assembly 20 (Sub-Ass'y), a connection protection component 30 (Protection Sleeve), a plug 40 (Plug), a housing 50 (Housing), a screw cap 60 (Screw Cap), a protection cover 70 (Cap), a sealing tube 80 (Sealing Tube), and a protective sleeve 90 (Boot).

[0050] The frame 10 is in the shape of a tube, and the optical cable A is inserted into the frame 10 along the length direction, and the optical cable A is exposed to the front and rear.

[0051] In addition, a cutout is formed at the rear of the frame 10 along the length direction, and an annular clamp ring 11 (Clamp Ring) with a preset width is inserted and installed on the outer periphery of the cutout, so as to crimp and assemble the optical cable A inserted into the frame 10 in a fixed and immovable manner.

[0052] Such a frame accommodates an optical fiber connection portion which is a space contacting the optical fiber and a connection protection member 30 therein, and fixes the optical cable to maintain a tensile force. The optical fiber connection portion is a space contacting the optical fiber.

[0053] The subassembly 20 is a portion that is inserted into the inner side of the plug 40 and allows the optical fiber B to protrude rearward. The optical fiber B is used to be fused with the optical cable A that passes through the frame 10 at the work site.

[0054] This subassembly 20 has different shapes and is composed of a fastening structure of a first plug frame 21 and a second plug frame 22 (Plug Frame) that can be separated and assembled from each other. The optical fiber B passes through the interior of the subassembly 20 along the length direction and is exposed on both sides. The subassembly 20 accommodates a ferrule 23 (Ferrule) inside. The cross section of the ferrule 23 is protected by a detachable dustproof protective cover 24. The rear side optical fiber B is used by peeling off the sheath during welding.

[0055] Furthermore, at the portion where the optical fiber B and the optical cable A of the subassembly 20 are fused together, a connection protection component 30 made of a heat-shrinkable material surrounds the outer periphery of the optical fiber from which the sheath has been stripped, thereby protecting the fusion portion by heat shrinkage.

[0056] The plug 40 is a portion that is inserted into the outer periphery of the subassembly 20 and then fastened to the front of the frame 10 .

[0057] The housing 50 is a portion that is inserted and fastened to the rear of the plug 40 so as to be located around the outer periphery of the frame 10 , and the subassembly 20 is combined with the frame 10 inside the plug 40 .

[0058] The screw cap 60 is a part provided at the outer periphery of the connection portion between the plug 40 and the housing 50 and can be detached from the protective cover 70 described later by forming a thread on the front inner periphery. In more detail, an annular fastening protrusion 61 is formed on the inner periphery of the screw cap 60, and an annular fastening groove 41 corresponding to the fastening protrusion 61 is formed on the front outer periphery of the first sealing member R1 formed on the rear outer periphery of the plug 40, so that the position of the screw cap 60 is fixed on the plug 40 and fastened to the front of the housing 50.

[0059] The protective cover 70 is threadedly fastened to the screw cover 60 in a manner of surrounding the outer periphery of the plug 40 combined with the subassembly 20, and another thread corresponding to the thread of the screw cover 60 is formed around the rear outer periphery, thereby protecting the subassembly 20 and the plug 40.

[0060] In order to be detachable and prevent loss, the protective cover 70 can be connected to the housing 50 via a strap 71 (Strap).

[0061] The sealing tube 80 is a tube that surrounds the outer periphery of the outer shell 50 and the optical cable A at the rear of the outer shell 50 and seals the outer shell 50 . The protective sleeve 90 is a portion that protects the rear end portion of the outer periphery of the sealing tube 80 .

[0062] When the assembled outdoor waterproof optical connector is fastened to the adapter 100, after removing the protective cover 70, it is pushed axially toward the adapter 100 to fasten it, as shown below. The adapter 100 (Adaptor) includes a locking ball 101 (Locking Ball), a coupling portion 102 (Coupling), a coupling lock 103 (Coupling Locker), and a ceramic sleeve 104 (Ceramic Sleeve).

[0063] The locking ball is a ball formed on the outer periphery of the plug 40 so as to correspond to a locking groove 42 (Locking Groove) formed concavely on the outer periphery of the front side of the plug 40.

[0064] The coupling part 102 is formed as an integral body on the outside of the adapter 100, and is connected to the outside of the adapter 100 in a manner that it can move forward and backward along the axial direction. The coupling part 102 is moved and fastened by the screw cover 60. When the coupling part 102 is pulled, the fastening of the outdoor waterproof optical connector will be released and separated.

[0065] The coupling lock 103 is protrudingly formed on the inner circumference of the coupling portion 102 . When the optical connector is combined with the adapter 100 , the coupling lock 103 fixes the adapter 100 to the plug 40 by pushing the locking ball 101 into the locking groove 42 .

[0066] The ceramic ferrule 104 is housed in the adapter 100 as a component that is inserted into the ferrule 23 of the assembled optical connector to be aligned with the ferrule of the optical connector on the opposite side.

[0067] Of course, this adapter 100 is structured so as to be assembled and disassembled in front of the outdoor waterproof optical connector. If the outdoor waterproof optical connector fastened to the adapter 100 is pulled backward, the position of the locking ball 101 pressed by the coupling lock 103 will move to a position not corresponding to the coupling lock 103, so that the adapter 100 is separated from the coupling lock 103, thereby making it possible to disassemble the outdoor waterproof optical connector from the adapter 100.

[0068] Moreover, in the present invention, by applying multiple sealing components, it has a waterproof form that can be used externally, including: a first sealing component R1, which is formed separately at the rear outer periphery of the plug 40 in contact with the shell 50 to seal the connection between the plug 40 and the shell 50; a second sealing component R2, which is formed separately at the front outer periphery of the plug 40 in contact with the protective cover 70 to seal the connection between the plug 40 and the protective cover 70; a third sealing component R3, which is formed at the front end of the thread of the rear outer periphery of the protective cover in contact with the screw cover 60 to seal the threaded fastening part of the screw cover 60 and the protective cover 70. These sealing components are respectively formed on the outer periphery of the present invention, so that the contact parts for combination (plug 40 and shell 50, plug 40 and protective cover 70, screw cover 60 and protective cover 70) can be waterproofed.

[0069] As described above, although the present invention is illustrated by limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto. Of course, various modifications and changes can be made by ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present invention belongs within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention and the equivalent scope of the attached invention claims.

Claims

1. An outdoor field assembly type optical connector, characterized in that: A plug frame (22) containing a ferrule (23) with assembled optical fiber is assembled between the inner side of the plug (40) and the frame (10) to determine the position of the ferrule. A connection portion and a connection protection component (30) are provided inside the frame (10) to protect the connection portion. The optical cable (A) is crimped and clamped to the frame (10) by a clamping ring (11). A first sealing component (R1) and a second sealing component (R2) are provided on the plug (40). A sealing tube (80) is provided on the housing (50) and the optical cable (A) to provide waterproof properties for preventing water from penetrating into the inside of the connector.

2. The outdoor field assembly type optical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ferrule (23) of the assembled optical fiber is integrated with the plug frame (22) accommodating the spring to form a subassembly (20).

3. The outdoor field assembly type optical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection protection component (30) is composed of a heat shrinkable sleeve, an adhesive protection component or a mechanical connection component.

4. The outdoor field assembly type optical connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The optical fiber is supplied pre-stripped and cleaved at the factory (B).

5. The outdoor field assembly type optical connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The optical fibers are then stripped and cleaved on site for connection (B).

6. The outdoor field assembly type optical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: A locking groove (42) is provided on the outer side of the plug (40), and the locking groove (42) has the function of fastening and releasing the fastening with the adapter. When the connector is inserted into the adapter (100), the locking ball (101) provided on the adapter (100) moves to the locking groove (42), and the fastening is achieved by preventing the locking ball (101) from being disengaged outward through the coupling lock (103). When releasing the fastening, if the coupling part (102) of the adapter (100) is pulled along the axial direction of the connector, the coupling lock (103) moves accordingly, so that the coupling ball (101) can move toward the outer side of the connector, thereby separating the connector from the adapter (100).

7. An outdoor optical connector, characterized in that: A plug frame (22) containing a ferrule (23) with assembled optical fiber is assembled between the inner side of the plug (40) and the frame (10) to determine the position of the ferrule, clamp the optical cable (A) on the frame (10), set a first sealing component (R1) and a second sealing component (R2) on the plug (40), and set a sealing tube (80) on the housing (50) and the optical cable (A) to have waterproof properties to prevent water from penetrating into the inside of the connector.

8. The outdoor optical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that: A locking groove (42) is provided on the outer side of the plug (40), and the locking groove (42) has the function of fastening and releasing the fastening with the adapter. When the connector is inserted into the adapter (100), the locking ball (101) provided on the adapter (100) moves to the locking groove (42), and the fastening is achieved by preventing the locking ball (101) from being disengaged outward through the coupling lock (103). When releasing the fastening, if the coupling part (102) of the adapter (100) is pulled along the axial direction of the connector, the coupling lock (103) moves accordingly, so that the coupling ball (101) can move toward the outer side of the connector, thereby separating the connector from the adapter (100).

9. The outdoor field assembly type optical connector and the outdoor optical connector according to claims 1 and 7, characterized in that: A clamping ring (11) is used in the clamping method, and the clamping ring (11) is made of stainless steel or aluminum.

10. The outdoor optical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that: Adhesives are used in the clamping method.

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