An optical fiber connector

Abstract

The application discloses an optical fiber connector, which comprises a sleeve and a plug pin, and the end of the sleeve is provided with a supporting part, a cleaning block slidingly arranged in the supporting part and a sealing mechanism for abutting against an optical fiber to seal the optical fiber, and the cleaning block is used for abutting against the optical fiber and scraping off dirt on the plug pin; the optical fiber connector has the advantages that the structure is simple, the design is reasonable, dirt and water vapor and other dirt on the plug pin are scraped off through the cleaning block on the supporting part, the connecting position of the plug pin and the sleeve is sealed through the sealing mechanism, dirt and water vapor and other dirt are not easily transmitted into the sleeve, the dirt in the sleeve is further reduced, the optical fiber and the plug pin are not easily damaged and corroded by the dirt, the plug pin and the optical fiber are protected, the service life of the plug pin and the optical fiber is prolonged, and the maintenance cost of dismounting and replacing is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical fiber connection technology, specifically to an optical fiber connector. Background Technology

[0002] Fiber optic connectors are key precision components in fiber optic communication systems used to achieve repeatable, fast, and low-loss connections between optical fibers, optical fibers and optical modules, switches, routers, optical transceivers, and other devices. The primary function of a fiber optic connector is to precisely align the cores of two optical fibers, enabling efficient transmission of optical signals from one fiber to the other or to the optical interface of a device.

[0003] The shortcomings of existing technology:

[0004] The aforementioned fiber optic connector includes a sleeve and two pins for insertion into the sleeve. The two pins are located on opposite sides of the sleeve, and each pin is used to mount the end of an optical fiber. Through the sleeve and the two pins, optical signals from one optical fiber are transmitted to the other. When the fiber optic connector is in use, dust and water vapor in the air can easily move from the pins into the sleeve, causing oxidation and corrosion of the optical fiber and pins. This reduces the lifespan of both the optical fiber and the connector, requiring frequent replacement of both, increasing equipment and labor costs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an optical fiber connector to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] An optical fiber connector includes a sleeve and a ferrule. The sleeve has a support portion at its end, a cleaning block slidably disposed within the support portion, and a sealing mechanism for abutting against an optical fiber to seal the optical fiber. The cleaning block is used to abut against the optical fiber and to scrape off dirt from the ferrule.

[0008] Preferably, the support portion includes a support plate connected to the end of the sleeve, the support plate having a support groove for optical fibers to pass through, and a plurality of cleaning blocks, all of which are slidably disposed within the support groove.

[0009] Preferably, the bottom of the support groove is provided with a rotating groove, and an elastic plate for connecting with the cleaning block is rotatably arranged in the rotating groove. When the elastic plate is in its natural state, it is elongated, and when the elastic plate is compressed by the optical fiber, it is arc-shaped. An elastic groove is provided on the side of the elastic plate near the cleaning block. A connecting shaft and a connecting block are arranged in the elastic groove. The end of the connecting shaft is connected to the side wall of the elastic groove, and the connecting block is sleeved on the connecting shaft and connected to the cleaning block.

[0010] Preferably, a connecting groove is provided on the side wall of the support groove, and a rotating block assembly and an arc plate are provided in the connecting groove. The rotating block assembly includes a plurality of rotating blocks distributed along the circumference of the support groove and fixed to the elastic plate. The two ends of the arc plate are fixed to the rotating blocks located at the two ends of the elastic plate.

[0011] Preferably, there are multiple elastic plates, connecting shafts, connecting blocks, rotating block groups, and arc-shaped plates, and these multiple elastic plates, connecting shafts, connecting blocks, rotating block groups, and arc-shaped plates are evenly distributed along the circumference of the support groove, with each elastic plate, connecting shaft, connecting block, rotating block group, and arc-shaped plate corresponding to one another.

[0012] Preferably, each of the cleaning blocks is provided with a magnetic element, and the magnetic poles of each magnetic element are the same on the side facing the optical fiber.

[0013] Preferably, the bottom of the rotating groove is provided with a first sealing groove, and the side of the support plate near the sleeve is provided with a second sealing groove. The sealing mechanism includes a first sealing airbag, a second sealing airbag, and a delay element for delaying the deformation of the first sealing airbag. The first sealing airbag is connected to the side wall of the first sealing groove, and the second sealing airbag is located in the second sealing groove and communicates with the first sealing airbag. When the second sealing airbag is inflated and deformed, the second sealing airbag wraps the side wall of the optical fiber in a circular shape.

[0014] Preferably, the delay element includes a spring and an abutment portion slidably disposed in the first sealing groove. The bottom of the spring is used to abut against the side wall of the elastic plate away from the cleaning block, the top of the spring is connected to the abutment portion, and the abutment portion is connected to the top of the first sealing airbag.

[0015] Preferably, the delay element further includes a piston plate slidably disposed within the first sealing airbag. The piston plate is used to divide the first sealing airbag into two cavities. When one cavity of the first sealing airbag is compressed, the piston plate moves and compresses the other cavity, moving the gas in the other cavity into the second sealing airbag.

[0016] Preferably, each of the elastic plates has a transverse groove on the side away from the sleeve, and a connecting rod is provided on the side of the elastic plate away from the sleeve. One end of the connecting rod extends into the transverse groove and is inserted into the transverse groove, and the other end of the connecting rod extends out of the support portion.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0018] 1. The fiber optic connector includes a support, a cleaning block, and a sealing mechanism on the sleeve. When the ferrule moves the optical fiber into the sleeve, the cleaning block scrapes away dust and water vapor from the ferrule, and the sealing mechanism seals the connection between the ferrule and the sleeve. This prevents dust and water vapor from easily entering the sleeve, further reducing contamination inside the sleeve. This makes it less likely for contaminants to damage or corrode the optical fiber and ferrule, thus protecting the ferrule and optical fiber, extending their service life, and reducing maintenance costs associated with disassembly and replacement.

[0019] 2. In this fiber optic connector, a first sealing airbag and a second sealing airbag are provided on the support plate. When the ferrule and the optical fiber are transmitted to the set position in the sleeve, the ferrule squeezes the elastic plate, causing the elastic plate to deform from a long strip shape to an arc shape. The elastic plate squeezes the first sealing airbag, causing the gas in the first sealing airbag to be transmitted to the second sealing airbag. The second sealing airbag is in the shape of a ring and wraps around the connection between the ferrule and the sleeve, thereby sealing the connection between the ferrule and the sleeve. This makes it difficult for dust and water vapor to be transmitted into the sleeve and damage or corrode the ferrule and the optical fiber, and further extends the service life of the ferrule and the optical fiber.

[0020] 3. In this fiber optic connector, when the elastic plate deforms and squeezes the first sealing airbag, the second sealing airbag does not deform immediately. This allows the second sealing airbag to slowly deform when the operator moves the ferrule and optical fiber to the set position, through the piston plate and spring, until the ferrule and optical fiber are transmitted to the set position before sealing the ferrule and optical fiber. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of part of the structure of the present invention, mainly showing the support plate;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the present invention, mainly showing the first sealing groove;

[0024] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of part of the structure of the present invention, mainly showing the arc-shaped plate;

[0025] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of part of the structure of the present invention, mainly showing the connecting block;

[0026] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of part of the structure of the present invention, mainly showing the magnetic components;

[0027] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of part of the structure of the present invention, mainly showing the sealing mechanism.

[0028] In the diagram: 11. Sleeve; 12. Pin; 13. Optical fiber; 2. Support part; 21. Support groove; 22. Rotating groove; 23. Connecting groove; 24. First sealing groove; 25. Second sealing groove; 26. Drive groove; 31. Cleaning block; 32. Elastic plate; 33. Elastic groove; 34. Connecting shaft; 35. Connecting block; 36. Magnetic component; 37. Transverse groove; 41. Rotating block; 42. Arc plate; 5. Sealing mechanism; 51. First sealing airbag; 52. Second sealing airbag; 53. Delay component; 531. Spring; 532. Abutment part; 533. Piston plate; 6. Connecting rod. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0031] In the description of this patent, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "setting" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection or setting, a detachable connection or setting, or an integrated connection or setting. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this patent according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] Furthermore, 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 number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a number" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0033] Please see Figure 1-7 As shown, the present invention provides a fiber optic connector technical solution:

[0034] An optical fiber 13 connector includes a sleeve 11 and two pins 12. The two pins 12 are located on both sides of the sleeve 11. One end of each pin 12 is used to insert into the sleeve 11, and the other end of each pin 12 is used to wrap the end of the optical fiber 13, so that the two optical fibers 13 are connected to the sleeve 11 through the pins 12.

[0035] Support parts 2 are installed on both sides of the sleeve 11. The support parts 2 include support plates. The side walls of the two support plates are fixedly connected to the two sides of the sleeve 11. Each support plate has a horizontal support groove 21 through which the insertion pin 12 can pass. The bottom of the support groove 21 has a rotating groove 22. An elastic plate 32, a connecting shaft 34 and a connecting block 35 are installed in the rotating groove 22. There are several elastic plates 32. Specifically, there are two elastic plates 32, and the two elastic plates 32 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the support groove 21. The side wall of each elastic plate 32 is slidably connected to the side wall of the rotating groove 22. When the elastic plate 32 is in its natural state, it is long and located in the support groove 21. When the elastic plate 32 is squeezed by the insertion pin 12, it becomes arc-shaped and partially moves into the rotating groove 22. Each elastic plate 32 has an elastic groove 33 on the side near the optical fiber 13. Several connecting shafts 34 are evenly distributed along the length of the elastic groove 33. Each connecting shaft 34 is located within the elastic groove 33 and is integrally formed with the sidewall of the elastic groove 33. The material of each connecting shaft 34 is the same as that of the elastic plate 32. Several connecting blocks 35 are evenly distributed along the length of the elastic groove 33. Each connecting block 35 corresponds one-to-one with each connecting shaft 34. Each connecting block 35 is sleeved on the connecting shaft 34 and slidably connected to it. The sidewall of each connecting block 35 abuts against the sidewall of the elastic groove 33. A cleaning block 31 is installed on the side of each connecting block 35 near the pin 12. The sidewall of the cleaning block 31 abuts against the sidewall of the pin 12 to scrape away dirt from the pin 12. Each cleaning block 31 has a magnetic component 36 installed on its side wall, and the magnetic properties of each magnetic component 36 facing the pin 12 are the same, so that the magnetic components 36 on the two elastic plates 32 repel each other, so that there is a gap between the two elastic plates 32 in the natural state, which makes it convenient for the staff to insert the pin 12 and the optical fiber 13 along the gap, and thus facilitates the movement of the pin 12 and the optical fiber 13 to the set position in the sleeve 11.

[0036] A connecting groove 23 is provided on the side of the support groove 21 near the sleeve 11. A set of rotating blocks 41 and an arc plate 42 are installed in the connecting groove 23. There are several sets of rotating blocks 41 and arc plates 42. Specifically, there are two sets of rotating blocks 41 and two arc plates 42. The two sets of rotating blocks 41, the two arc plates 42 and the two elastic plates 32 correspond one-to-one. Each set of rotating blocks 41 includes two rotating blocks 41. The two rotating blocks 41 are located at the ends of the elastic plate 32 on the same side and are fixedly connected to the elastic plate 32. The horizontally set arc plate 42 is arc-shaped, and the two ends of the arc plate 42 are fixedly connected to the two rotating blocks 41 on the same elastic plate 32. The two ends of the elastic plate 32 are fixed by the arc plate 42 and the two rotating blocks 41 on each elastic plate 32, so that the distance between the two ends of the elastic plate 32 is constant, thereby causing the elastic plate 32 to undergo elastic deformation along the radial direction of the support groove 21. In addition, a drive groove 26 is horizontally opened on the side of the support plate away from the sleeve 11. The drive groove 26 is arc-shaped and communicates with the rotation groove 22. A transverse groove 37 is horizontally opened on the side of the elastic plate 32 away from the sleeve 11. A connecting rod 6 is detachably connected to the support plate. One end of the connecting rod 6 is used to pass through the drive groove 26 and then be inserted into the transverse groove 37. The other end of the connecting rod 6 extends to the outside of the support plate.

[0037] When the ferrule 12 moves the optical fiber 13 towards the sleeve 11, the end of the ferrule 12 first abuts against the cleaning block 31. At this time, the two elastic plates 32, which are elongated in their natural state, continue to deform under pressure as the ferrule 12 continues to move. Through the arc plate 42 and the two rotating blocks 41, the distance between the two ends of each elastic plate 32 remains constant, causing the two elastic plates 32 to gradually deform into an arc shape. Part of each elastic plate 32 deforms from the support groove 21 into the rotating groove 22. At this time, as the ferrule 12 and optical fiber 13 continue to move, the operator moves the connecting rod 6... The end of the connecting rod 6 is inserted into the transverse groove 37 on the elastic plate 32, and the connecting rod 6 is rotated along the rotation axis of the support groove 21, thereby driving the elastic plate 32 to rotate synchronously. The rotation of the elastic plate 32 drives the connecting shaft 34 and the connecting block 35 to rotate synchronously, thereby driving the cleaning block 31 to rotate synchronously. This further increases the contact area between the cleaning block 31 and the pin 12, expands the cleaning range of the cleaning block 31, and makes it difficult for dirt on the pin 12 to be transferred into the sleeve 11. This prevents dirt from accumulating in the sleeve 11 and damaging the fiber optic 13 and the fiber optic 13 processor, thus extending the service life of the fiber optic 13 and the fiber optic 13 processor.

[0038] To further improve the sealing between the pin 12 and the sleeve 11, a first sealing groove 24 is provided at the bottom of the rotating groove 22, and a second sealing groove 25 is provided on the side wall of the first sealing groove 24. The first sealing groove 24 and the second sealing groove 25 are connected, and an L-shape is formed between the first sealing groove 24 and the second sealing groove 25. A sealing mechanism 5 is installed in the first sealing groove 24 and the second sealing groove 25. The sealing mechanism 5 includes a delay element 53, a first sealing airbag 51 and a second sealing airbag 52. The delay element 53 includes an abutment part 532, a spring 531 and a piston plate 533. The abutment part 532 is located in the first sealing groove 24 and is slidably connected to the side wall of the first sealing groove 24. The bottom of the spring 531 abuts against the elastic plate 32 and the top of the spring 531 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the abutment part 532. The first sealing airbag 51 is located in the first sealing groove 24 and is located on the side of the abutment part 532 away from the pin 12. The top of the first sealing airbag 51 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the first sealing groove 24 and the bottom of the first sealing airbag 51 is used to abut against the top of the abutment part 532. The piston plate 533 is slidably disposed in the first sealing airbag 51 and the moving direction of the piston plate 533 is consistent with the moving direction of the pin 12 and the optical fiber 13. The second sealing airbag 52 is located on the side of the first sealing airbag 51 near the sleeve 11 and is located in the second sealing groove 25. Of the six sides of the second sealing airbag 52, except for the side that contacts the pin 12, the other sides abut against the side wall of the second sealing groove 25.

[0039] When the first sealing airbag 51 is squeezed by the elastic plate 32, some of the gas inside the first sealing airbag 51 gradually moves into the second sealing airbag 52 under the action of the piston. At this time, the second sealing airbag 52 gradually expands, so that the two second sealing airbags 52 wrap around the connection between the pin 12 and the sleeve 11 in a ring shape, improving the airtightness of the connection between the pin 12 and the sleeve 11, making it difficult for dust, water and other dirt to move into the sleeve 11 and corrode and damage the sleeve 11, further protecting the sleeve 11 and extending the service life of the optical fiber 13 and the pin 12. At the same time, through the delay element 53, when the pin 12 and the optical fiber 13 come into contact with the cleaning block 31 on the elastic plate 32, the second sealing airbag 52 is not likely to deform immediately. After a set time, the two second sealing airbags 52 wrap around the pin 12 in a ring shape.

[0040] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0041] In this embodiment, when using an optical fiber 13 connector, the operator moves the pin 12 and the optical fiber 13 along the direction close to the sleeve 11 until the pin 12 contacts the cleaning block 31 on the elastic plate 32. As the pin 12 and the optical fiber 13 continue to move, the pin 12 lifts the cleaning block 31, thereby causing the elastic plate 32 to deform synchronously, so that the elastic plate 32 deforms from a long strip shape to an arc shape, and the middle part of the elastic plate 32 moves from the support groove 21 to the rotation groove 22. Since the cleaning block 31 abuts against the side wall of the pin 12, when the pin 12 moves along the direction close to the sleeve 11, the cleaning block 31 is used to clean the dirt on the pin 12. When the elastic plate 32 deforms to the set angle, the operator adjusts the connecting rod 6 so that the connecting rod 6 is inserted into the transverse groove 37 on the elastic plate 32. The operator rotates the connecting rod 6, thereby driving the elastic plate 32, the connecting shaft 34, the connecting block 35 and the cleaning block 31 to rotate synchronously, thereby expanding the contact area between the cleaning block 31 and the pin 12, further expanding the cleaning range of the cleaning block 31, further reducing the dirt on the pin 12, reducing the damage caused by dirt to the pin 12 and the optical fiber 13 in the sleeve 11, and extending the service life of the sleeve 11 and the pin 12.

[0042] Furthermore, when the elastic plate 32 deforms from a long strip shape into an arc shape, the elastic potential energy of the spring 531 causes the abutment plate to move away from the elastic plate 32, thereby squeezing the first sealing airbag 51. This causes some of the gas in the first sealing airbag 51 to be transferred into the second sealing airbag 52, thereby causing the second sealing airbag 52 to deform and causing the two second sealing airbags 52 to wrap around the connecting groove 23 of the insert pin 12 and the sleeve 11 in a ring shape. Meanwhile, due to the elastic potential energy of the elastic plate 32 and the time delay effect of the piston plate 533, there is a time interval between the deformation of the elastic plate 32 and the deformation of the first sealing airbag 51 and the second sealing airbag 52. This allows the first sealing airbag 51 and the second sealing airbag 52 to deform to the set degree only after the operator has transmitted the pin 12 and the optical fiber 13 to the set position in the sleeve 11. This causes the two second sealing airbags 52 to form a ring shape to delay the sealing of the pin 12, making it easier to seal the connection groove 23 between the pin 12 and the sleeve 11 after the pin 12 and the optical fiber 13 have been transmitted to the set position. This makes it difficult for water and other contaminants to be transmitted to the connection groove 23 between the pin 12 and the sleeve 11, further reducing the risk of contaminants damaging the pin 12 and the sleeve 11, thus protecting the sleeve 11 and the pin 12 and extending their service life. At the same time, it eliminates the need for frequent disassembly and replacement of the optical fiber connector, reducing equipment and labor costs.

[0043] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An optical fiber connector, comprising a sleeve and a ferrule, characterized in that: The end of the sleeve is provided with a support part, a cleaning block slidably disposed in the support part, and a sealing mechanism for abutting the optical fiber to seal the optical fiber. The cleaning block is used to abut against the optical fiber and to scrape off dirt on the ferrule. The support part includes a support plate connected to the end of the sleeve. The support plate has a support groove for optical fibers to pass through. There are several cleaning blocks, and the cleaning blocks are slidably disposed in the support groove. The bottom of the support groove is provided with a rotating groove, and an elastic plate for connecting with the cleaning block is rotatably arranged in the rotating groove. When the elastic plate is in its natural state, it is elongated. When the elastic plate is compressed by the optical fiber, it is arc-shaped. An elastic groove is provided on the side of the elastic plate near the cleaning block. A connecting shaft and a connecting block are arranged in the elastic groove. The end of the connecting shaft is connected to the side wall of the elastic groove. The connecting block is sleeved on the connecting shaft and connected to the cleaning block. A connecting groove is provided on the side wall of the support groove. A rotating block assembly and an arc plate are provided in the connecting groove. The rotating block assembly includes a number of rotating blocks distributed along the circumference of the support groove and fixed to the elastic plate. The two ends of the arc plate are fixed to the rotating blocks located at the two ends of the elastic plate. The bottom of the rotating groove is provided with a first sealing groove, and the support plate is provided with a second sealing groove on the side near the sleeve. The sealing mechanism includes a first sealing airbag, a second sealing airbag and a delaying element for delaying the deformation of the first sealing airbag. The first sealing airbag is connected to the side wall of the first sealing groove, and the second sealing airbag is located in the second sealing groove and communicates with the first sealing airbag. When the second sealing airbag is inflated and deformed, the second sealing airbag wraps the side wall of the optical fiber in a ring shape. Each of the elastic plates has a transverse groove on the side away from the sleeve, and a connecting rod is provided on the side of the elastic plate away from the sleeve. One end of the connecting rod extends into the transverse groove and is inserted into the transverse groove, and the other end of the connecting rod extends out of the support.

2. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are several elastic plates, connecting shafts, connecting blocks, rotating block groups, and arc plates, and several elastic plates, connecting shafts, connecting blocks, rotating block groups, and arc plates are evenly distributed along the circumference of the support groove, and each elastic plate, connecting shaft, connecting block, rotating block group, and arc plate corresponds to one another.

3. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the cleaning blocks is provided with a magnetic element, and the magnetic poles of each magnetic element are the same on the side facing the optical fiber.

4. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The delay element includes a spring and an abutment portion slidably disposed in the first sealing groove. The bottom of the spring is used to abut against the side wall of the elastic plate away from the cleaning block, the top of the spring is connected to the abutment portion, and the abutment portion is connected to the top of the first sealing airbag.

5. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The delay component further includes a piston plate slidably disposed within the first sealing airbag. The piston plate is used to divide the first sealing airbag into two cavities. When one cavity of the first sealing airbag is compressed, the piston plate moves and compresses the other cavity, moving the gas in the other cavity into the second sealing airbag.

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