Separable active optical cable structure and photoelectric equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of photoelectric equipment, in particular to a separable active optical cable structure and photoelectric equipment. Comprising a photoelectric conversion assembly and a butt joint optical fiber plug which are connected, and the photoelectric conversion assembly comprises a shell, an electric connector, a photoelectric conversion module and a butt joint port; one end of the photoelectric conversion module is connected with the electric connector, the other end of the photoelectric conversion module is connected with the butt joint port, a cavity is formed in the shell, and a first opening and a second opening are formed in the two opposite sides of the cavity respectively; according to the invention, the photoelectric conversion assembly is designed as an independent part, so that the photoelectric conversion assembly can be independently produced and tested, and the photoelectric conversion assembly can be completely separated from the optical cable assembly through the matched butt joint optical fiber plug; the butt-joint optical fiber plug is connected with the photoelectric conversion assembly in a pluggable mode, the tail fiber switching link is eliminated, optical signals can be directly transmitted to the photoelectric conversion assembly from the optical cable assembly through the butt-joint optical fiber plug, and energy loss of the optical signals in the transmission process is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of optoelectronic devices, and particularly to a separable active optical cable structure and an optoelectronic device. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of network technology and information technology, aircraft, unmanned systems, etc. have shown an obvious trend of networking and intelligence; the application of sensors and intelligent instruments has greatly enhanced the potential of weapon systems, and the response sensitivity and data analysis ability of weapon equipment have been greatly improved. This improvement is closely related to the communication of large amounts of data. Therefore, high-bandwidth data transmission is imperative. Compared with cables, optical fibers have gradually replaced cables in weapon equipment systems due to their advantages such as light weight, low loss, wide bandwidth, and strong anti-interference ability. However, the original old equipment was for electrical signal transmission, and changing to optical signal transmission requires a complete overhaul of the equipment, which is a large amount of work and has a long verification cycle. Implementing a smooth upgrade of the equipment through an active optical cable component is a simple and efficient upgrade method.

[0003] However, the existing active optical cable components have the following disadvantages: 1. The optoelectronic conversion part of the active optical cable cannot be effectively separated from the production of the optical cable component. In the production of existing active optical cable components on the market, the optoelectronic conversion part needs to be electrically installed, while the optical cable component is produced for optical cable networking. There are significant differences in the production environment, process flow, and quality control links between the two. During the production turnover of the optoelectronic conversion part, the protection of the optical fiber interface is insufficient, and phenomena such as damage to the optical fiber interface and deterioration of indicators are likely to occur; while the production of the optical cable component also needs to consider the docking problem with the optoelectronic conversion component and the protection of the electrical chip, which increases the complexity and difficulty of the production of the optical cable component. The existing production mode is equivalent to separately producing the optoelectronic conversion part and the optical cable component into semi-finished products, and then combining the two into a complete active optical cable component through subsequent assembly. During this process, due to the unstable state of the semi-finished products, the difficulty in precisely controlling the interface matching degree, and the complexity of the assembly process, product damage is extremely likely to occur, and the quality is difficult to meet the requirements.

[0004] 2. When the active optical cable component and the optical cable network are networked, reconnection is required for networking. Currently, active optical cable components on the market usually require a pigtail to be reserved at the tail, and the pigtail needs to be physically connected to the optical cable network through a special optical fiber connector to complete the construction of the optical signal transmission link; however, this networking method will introduce a reconnection loss in the optical signal transmission path, resulting in loss of some optical signal energy, thereby affecting the transmission performance and stability of the entire system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the problems mentioned in the prior art, the present invention proposes a separable active optical cable structure and an optoelectronic device, designs a separable optoelectronic conversion component, separates the production of the optoelectronic conversion component and the production of optical cable networking, and performs different index control and testing on the two respectively; designs a special optical fiber plug, which can be conveniently and reliably docked with the optoelectronic conversion component, reduces the production difficulty, and improves the yield.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: In a first aspect, the present invention proposes a separable active optical cable structure, including an optoelectronic conversion component and a docking optical fiber plug connected to each other. The optoelectronic conversion component includes a housing, an electrical connector, an optoelectronic conversion module, and a docking port. One end of the optoelectronic conversion module is connected to the electrical connector, and the other end is connected to the docking port. A cavity is provided in the housing, and a first opening and a second opening are respectively provided on two opposite sides of the cavity. The optoelectronic conversion module and the docking port are arranged in the cavity. The docking optical fiber plug passes through the second opening and is detachably connected to the docking port. The electrical connector passes through the first opening and is detachably connected to the optoelectronic conversion module.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the docking optical fiber plug includes a rear housing, an inner housing, and an optical cable. An inner cavity is provided in the rear housing, and both ends of the inner cavity extend outside the rear housing. A silica gel tube is provided in the inner cavity, and the silica gel tube abuts against the optical cable. The optical cable is connected to the rear housing through a crimping sleeve. The inner housing is connected to the rear housing through an elastic member.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, an MT pin is provided in the inner housing, and the central axis of the MT pin coincides with the central axis of the optical cable. A convex structure is further provided on the top of the inner housing.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, one side of the electrical connector is provided with pins, and the other side is provided with jacks. The pins pass through the first opening and are connected to the electrical conversion module.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, connection columns are further provided at both ends of the side of the electrical connector provided with pins, and the connection columns are adapted to the grooves provided on the housing.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, a heat sink is further included, and both the optoelectronic conversion module and the docking port are mounted on the heat sink.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the optoelectronic conversion module is a rigid-flexible printed board structure. One rigid board is welded to the pins of the electrical connector, and the other rigid-flexible board is mounted on the heat sink. The two rigid boards are connected by a flexible board.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the shell includes a tail cover and an upper cover, and the tail cover and the upper cover are detachably connected; the tail cover includes a bottom and a side wall connected to the bottom and surrounding the bottom, and a sealing strip is provided on the side wall.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, a side of the upper cover facing the tail cover is provided with an orientation groove. In a second aspect, the present invention provides an optoelectronic transmission device, comprising the above-mentioned detachable active optical cable structure.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical effects: The present invention designs the photoelectric conversion component as an independent component, so that the photoelectric conversion component can be independently produced and tested. During the production process, the production of the photoelectric conversion component does not need to be interfered by the optical cable component. At the same time, during the testing process, by testing the photoelectric conversion component, it can be ensured that the quality of the photoelectric conversion component meets the requirements; the present invention is also equipped with a docking optical fiber plug, which can match the photoelectric conversion component, so as to achieve complete separation of the photoelectric conversion component and the optical cable component. After the photoelectric conversion component is produced and tested, it can be stored and transported as an independent module, while the optical cable component and the docking optical fiber plug form another independent module for networking testing. During the networking test, the optical cable component and the docking optical fiber plug are taken as a whole to simulate the actual optical communication network environment and detect the performance of the optical cable. This structure not only improves the testing efficiency, but also improves the quality and reliability of the product.

[0016] The present invention constructs an integrated optical signal transmission link by connecting the butt optical fiber plug with the optoelectronic conversion component. Compared with the conventional optical communication networking which often uses pigtails for switching, the integrated optical signal transmission link of the present invention eliminates the pigtail switching link, so that the optical signal can be directly transmitted from the optical cable component to the optoelectronic conversion component through the butt optical fiber plug. This transmission method greatly optimizes the alignment accuracy of the optical signal and reduces the energy loss of the optical signal during the transmission process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a photoelectric conversion component of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the tail cover of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the connection between the electrical connector and the tail cover of the present invention; Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the upper cover of the present invention; Figure 6Another perspective schematic diagram of the directional groove of the present invention; Figure 7 Explosion schematic diagram of the optoelectronic conversion component of the present invention; Figure 8 Overall schematic diagram of the optoelectronic conversion component of the present invention; Figure 9 Connection diagram of the optoelectronic conversion component and the docking optical fiber plug of the present invention; Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the docking optical fiber plug of the present invention; Figure 11 Explosion diagram of the docking optical fiber plug of the present invention; Figure 12 Schematic structural diagram of the docking optical fiber plug of the present invention.

[0018] Reference numerals: 1, docking optical fiber plug; 2, electrical connector; 3, tail cover; 4, upper cover; 5, rigid plate; 6, heat dissipation hole; 7, heat sink; 8, docking port; 9, cavity; 10, sealing strip; 11, jack; 12, connecting column; 13, second opening; 14, directional groove; 15, groove; 16, first opening; 17, protruding structure; 18, MT pin; 19, inner housing; 20, elastic member; 21, rear housing; 22, silica gel tube; 23, crimping sleeve; 24, optical cable. Detailed implementation manners

[0019] In the following, only some exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art can recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and the description are considered to be exemplary in nature rather than restrictive.

[0020] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention 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 should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0021] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality of" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0022] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms such as "mounted", "connected", "coupled", "fixed", etc. shall be construed in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; it may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and may be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0023] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may include the direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through additional features therebetween. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely means that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "under", "beneath" and "underneath" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or merely means that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0024] It should be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" indicate the presence of the described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their combinations.

[0025] It should also be understood that the terms used in the specification of the present invention are merely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used in the specification of the present invention and the appended claims, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms.

[0026] It should be further understood that the term "and / or" used in the specification of the present invention and the appended claims refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0027] Schematic diagrams of various structures according to the disclosed embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. These figures are not drawn to scale, where for the purpose of clear illustration, certain details are enlarged and certain details may be omitted. The shapes of various regions and layers shown in the figures, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate in practice due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Those skilled in the art can additionally design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions according to actual requirements.

[0028] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a separable active optical cable structure provided for an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 Schematic diagram of an optoelectronic conversion component, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the separable active optical cable structure of this embodiment includes an optoelectronic conversion component and a docking fiber optic plug 1 connected to each other. The optoelectronic conversion component includes a housing, an electrical connector 2, an optoelectronic conversion module, and a docking interface 8. One end of the optoelectronic conversion module is connected to the electrical connector 2, and the other end is connected to the docking interface 8. A cavity 9 is provided inside the housing, and a first opening 16 and a second opening 13 are respectively provided on two opposite sides of the cavity 9; the optoelectronic conversion module and the docking interface 8 are arranged inside the cavity 9, and the docking fiber optic plug 1 passes through the second opening 13 and is detachably connected to the docking interface 8, and the electrical connector 2 passes through the first opening 16 and is detachably connected to the electrical conversion module.

[0030] As Figure 3 shown, in this embodiment, the housing is composed of an upper cover 4 and a tail cover 3. A cavity 9 is provided inside the tail cover 3, and this cavity 9 can be used to accommodate the optoelectronic conversion module, the docking interface 8, and a part of the structure of the docking fiber optic plug 1. The provided tail cover 3 can protect the structures of the optoelectronic conversion module, the docking interface 8, and a part of the docking fiber optic plug 1; in the embodiment, a sealing strip 10 is further provided on the inner wall of the cavity 9, and through the sealing strip 10, it can be ensured that the internal optoelectronic conversion module is prevented from dust, water vapor, moisture, etc. from entering the inside of the tail cover 3, and situations such as short - circuit of the internal circuit of the optoelectronic conversion module and corrosion of electronic components are prevented.

[0031] As Figure 4 shown, one end of the tail cover 3 of this embodiment away from the electrical connector 2 is provided with a second opening 13, where the size of the second opening 13 matches that of the docking fiber optic plug 1, which can ensure that the docking fiber optic plug 1 can be smoothly inserted into the cavity 9 and connected to the docking interface 8; corresponding threaded holes and screws are provided inside the cavity 9 to fixedly install the optoelectronic conversion module and the docking interface 8 inside the cavity 9; in addition, a sealing strip 10 is provided on the inner wall of the second opening 13, which can ensure protection during the insertion connection with the docking fiber optic plug 1.

[0032] AsFigure 2 As shown in the figure, the optoelectronic conversion module of this embodiment adopts a rigid-flex printed circuit board structure. In this embodiment, there are two rigid boards 5. One of the rigid boards 5 serves as a carrier for soldering to the pins of the electrical connector 2, capable of introducing electrical signals. The other rigid board 5 is installed on the heat sink 7. The rigid board integrates a chip circuit and pins, and the optical signals are exported through the pins. Through the good mechanical stability and electrical connection reliability of the rigid board 5, it can ensure that the solder joints remain firm under various environmental conditions and guarantee the stable transmission of electrical signals. The flexible board is interconnected with the two rigid boards 5, and the flexible board can avoid fatigue damage caused by resonance or impact between the rigid boards and can protect the components.

[0033] Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the heat sink 7 of this embodiment is preferably made of metal materials such as copper and aluminum. The heat sink 7 made of metal materials has good thermal conductivity and heat capacity, can quickly absorb the heat generated by the chip, and evenly distribute the heat on the tail cover 3 to achieve the export of the chip heat. Threaded holes are provided at the four corners of the heat sink 7, and the heat sink 7 can be installed in the cavity 9 through screws. Figure 2 A threaded hole is provided at one end of the heat sink 7 away from the electrical connector 2. Through the threaded hole, the heat sink 7 can be connected to the docking port 8, which can ensure the relative position stability between the docking port 8 and the heat sink 7, thereby ensuring the stability of the optical signal transmission.

[0034] As Figure 2 shown in Figure 3 the figure, pins are provided on one side of the electrical connector 2 of this embodiment, and jacks 11 are provided on the other side, which can build a two-way channel for signal transmission. The pin end is soldered and connected to the rigid board 5 to ensure the stability of signal input, and the jack 11 end serves as an external interface to support the plug-and-play of external devices.

[0035] As Figure 7 shown in Figure 8 the figure, a first opening 16 is further provided at one end of the tail cover 3 in this embodiment. The first opening 16 is specifically a plurality of connection holes installed on the tail cover 3. The position and quantity of the first opening 16 are both matched with the pins. The aperture of the first opening 16 is matched with the diameter of the pins, which can prevent the short-circuit risk caused by reverse plugging or misalignment. Threaded holes are provided at the four corners of the electrical connector 2 of this embodiment, and the electrical connector 2 can be connected to the tail cover 3 using screws.

[0036] Connection posts 12 are provided at both ends of the electrical connector 2, and the connection posts 12 cooperate with the grooves 15 provided on the tail cover 3. In this embodiment, the connection posts 12 are protruding parts, and their shapes and sizes are matched with the grooves 15. Through the guiding function of the connection posts 12 and the grooves 15, operators can also rely on the guidance of the connection posts 12 and the grooves 15 to accurately insert the electrical connector 2 into the tail cover 3, ensuring that the electrical connector 2 can be quickly and accurately positioned to the specified position during installation, and avoiding poor contact or electrical faults caused by installation deviation.

[0037] As Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, on one side of the upper cover 4 of this embodiment, there is a guiding groove 14, and the guiding groove 14 is preferably U-shaped and can match the convex structure 17 provided on the butt joint fiber optic plug 1, which can ensure that the butt joint fiber optic plug 1 is inserted into the docking port 8 in the correct direction, avoiding damage to the fiber end face or signal transmission failure caused by incorrect insertion; in addition, integrating the guiding groove 14 on the upper cover 4 simplifies the structure and improves the reliability; on the other side of the upper cover 4, there are also a plurality of heat dissipation holes 6 arranged in sequence, and the heat dissipation holes are used to discharge heat.

[0038] As Figure 9 、 Figure 10 and Figure 11 shown, the butt joint fiber optic plug 1 of the present invention includes a rear housing 21, an inner housing 19 and an optical cable 24. The inner cavity of the rear housing 21 penetrates through both ends to facilitate the insertion of the optical cable 24. In the embodiment, the inner diameter of the inner cavity is preferably 0.1 - 0.3 mm larger than the outer diameter of the optical cable 24 to reserve a compression space for the silica gel tube 22; in the embodiment, the silica gel tube 22 wraps the optical cable 24 through elastic deformation to buffer and protect the optical cable 24 and avoid excessive bending of the optical fiber; in the embodiment, the optical cable 24 is connected to the rear housing 21 through a crimping sleeve 23, and the crimping sleeve 23 is preferably made of a metal material and can provide tensile resistance for the optical cable 24.

[0039] As Figure 12 shown, in the embodiment, an MT ferrule 18 is provided in the inner housing 19. The inner housing 19 can protect the MT ferrule 18, and the MT ferrule 18 can be fixed in the inner housing 19 by means such as bonding or laser welding. The MT ferrule 18 can be docked with the ferrule in the optoelectronic conversion module; in the embodiment, the inner housing 19 is connected to the outer housing through an elastic member 20, and the elastic member 20 is preferably a spring, and the spring is used to provide a docking pre-tightening force for the MT ferrule 18; in the embodiment, the inner housing 19 and the outer housing are connected by screws, and the inner housing 19 is allowed to axially move relative to the rear housing 21 to offset the position error during the connection of the optoelectronic conversion components.

[0040] The rear housing 21, the inner housing 19 and the elastic member 20 of this embodiment can be detachably disassembled independently, which is convenient for replacing damaged components; the silica gel tube 22 and the crimping sleeve 23 can be reused, reducing the maintenance cost.

[0041] In the embodiment, a convex structure 17 is provided at the top of the inner housing 19, and the convex structure 17 cooperates with the guiding groove in the upper cover 4 to prevent reverse insertion or incorrect insertion.

[0042] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present invention. For a person skilled in the art, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments, and without departing from the spirit or basic features of the present invention, the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms. Therefore, from any point of view, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description. Therefore, all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims are intended to be embraced by the present invention. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the claims involved.

[0043] In addition, it should be understood that although this specification is described according to embodiments, not every embodiment only contains an independent technical solution. This narrative way of the specification is only for clarity. A person skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by a person skilled in the art. The above content is only to illustrate the technical idea of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention cannot be limited thereby. Any modification made on the basis of the technical solution according to the technical idea proposed by the present invention falls within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A separable active optical cable structure, characterized in that, It includes a connected optoelectronic conversion component and a docking optical fiber plug (1). The optoelectronic conversion component includes a housing, an electrical connector (2), an optoelectronic conversion module, and a docking interface (8). One end of the optoelectronic conversion module is connected to the electrical connector (2), and the other end is connected to the docking interface (8). A cavity (9) is provided in the housing, and a first opening (16) and a second opening (13) are respectively provided on two opposite sides of the cavity (9). The optoelectronic conversion module and the docking interface (8) are arranged in the cavity (9). The docking optical fiber plug (1) passes through the second opening (13) and is detachably connected to the docking interface (8), and the electrical connector (2) passes through the first opening (16) and is detachably connected to the optoelectronic conversion module.

2. The separable active optical cable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The docking optical fiber plug (1) includes a rear housing (21), an inner housing (19), and an optical cable (24). An inner cavity is provided in the rear housing (21), and both ends of the inner cavity extend outside the rear housing (21). A silica gel tube (22) is provided in the inner cavity, and the silica gel tube (22) abuts against the optical cable (24). The optical cable (24) is connected to the rear housing (21) through a crimping sleeve (23). The inner housing (19) is connected to the rear housing (21) through an elastic member (20).

3. The separable active optical cable structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, An MT pin (18) is provided in the inner housing (19), and the central axis of the MT pin (18) coincides with the central axis of the optical cable (24). A convex structure (17) is further provided on the top of the inner housing (19).

4. The separable active optical cable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, One side of the electrical connector (2) is provided with pins, and the other side is provided with jacks (11). The pins pass through the first opening (16) and are connected to the electrical conversion module.

5. The separable active optical cable structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, Connection posts (12) are further provided at both ends of the side of the electrical connector (2) provided with pins, and the connection posts (12) are adapted to grooves (15) provided on the housing.

6. The separable active optical cable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes a heat sink (7), and both the optoelectronic conversion module and the docking interface (8) are mounted on the heat sink (7).

7. The separable active optical cable structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The optoelectronic conversion module is a rigid-flexible printed board structure. One rigid board (5) is welded to the pins of the electrical connector (2), and the other rigid-flexible board is mounted on the heat sink (7). The two rigid boards (5) are connected by a flexible board.

8. The separable active optical cable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes a tail cover (3) and an upper cover (4), and the tail cover (3) is detachably connected to the upper cover (4). The tail cover (3) includes a bottom and a side wall connected to and surrounding the bottom. A sealing strip (10) is provided on the side wall.

9. The separable active optical cable structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, A directional groove (14) is provided on the side of the upper cover (4) facing the tail cover (3).

10. An optoelectronic transmission device, characterized in that, It includes a separable active optical cable structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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