A fiber optic seal and contact assembly, connector

Abstract

The application relates to an optical fiber sealing structure, in particular to an optical fiber sealing joint, a contact assembly and a connector, the connector is provided with the contact assembly, the contact assembly is provided with a sintered shell and an optical cable penetrating the sintered shell, the gap between the sintered shell and the optical cable and the gap between the bare optical fibers in the optical cable are filled with a glass sintering structure, the glass sintering structure is a structure formed by heating, melting and extruding a glass tube and then solidifying, a ceramic pressing plate capable of extruding and melting the glass tube is arranged in the cavity of the sintered shell, the optical cable penetrates the ceramic pressing plate, supports are arranged at the two ends of the sintered shell, and optical fiber contact pieces connected with the optical cable are arranged at the other ends of the supports. The application has the advantages of high air tightness and low cost, and can meet the requirements of high air tightness and low loss of the optical cable glass sealing optical fiber connector.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an optical fiber sealing structure, specifically to an optical fiber sealing joint, contact assembly, and connector. Background Technology

[0002] Fiber optic sealing joints are products used for coupling various active and passive devices and for hermetically sealing between optical fibers and housings. They are widely used in active and passive devices in civilian high-speed communications, submarine communications, aerospace and other military and defense fields.

[0003] There are three main existing fiber optic sealing joint designs. The first uses a sealing ring to seal the sleeve, and screws are used to fix the sealing ring to the sleeve, sealing the gap between the fiber and the sleeve. This design has the advantages of high yield and simple processing, but its disadvantages include large size, the need for screws for fixation, and the inability of devices using this type of joint to operate in high-temperature environments. The second design uses a gold-plated sleeve externally, and adhesive is used internally to seal and fix the fiber inside the gold-plated sleeve. This design has the advantages of small size, but its disadvantages include poor sealing performance, susceptibility to aging, and poor resistance to high and low temperature shocks. The third design uses partial gold plating of the fiber, followed by sealing with gold-tin solder between the fiber and the gold-plated sleeve. This design has the advantages of small size and high sealing reliability, but its disadvantage is high cost. Therefore, this invention proposes a low-cost fiber optic sealing joint with high sealing reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the technical problems of the aforementioned fiber optic sealing joints in balancing size, operation in high-temperature environments, sealing effect, and cost, this invention provides a fiber optic sealing joint, contact components, and connectors.

[0005] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution. According to this invention, an optical fiber sealing joint includes a tube shell and an optical cable passing through the tube shell. The gaps between the tube shell and the optical cable, and the gaps between the bare optical fibers in the optical cable, are filled with a glass sintered structure. The glass sintered structure is formed by heating, melting, and pressing a glass tube fitted onto the optical cable, followed by solidification. A ceramic pressure plate capable of pressing and melting the glass tube is provided inside the cavity of the tube shell, and the optical cable passes through the ceramic pressure plate.

[0006] Furthermore, the portion of the optical cable that passes through the glass tube is a stripped fiber section with the coating removed, and the optical fiber in the stripped fiber section is a bare optical fiber.

[0007] Furthermore, the optical cable is fixed to the tube shell at both ends by an adhesive, and the ceramic pressure plate is fixed to the tube shell and the optical cable by an adhesive.

[0008] Furthermore, the optical cable is a ribbon optical cable, and the glass tube is provided with an optical fiber insertion hole II that matches the ribbon optical cable, and the ceramic pressure plate is provided with an optical fiber insertion hole III that matches the ribbon optical cable.

[0009] A contact assembly includes a sintered shell and an optical cable passing through the sintered shell. The gap between the sintered shell and the optical cable, and the gap between each bare optical fiber in the optical cable, are filled with a glass sintered structure. The glass sintered structure is formed by heating, melting, and pressing a glass tube fitted onto the optical cable and then solidifying it. A ceramic pressure plate capable of pressing and melting the glass tube is provided inside the cavity of the sintered shell. The optical cable passes through the ceramic pressure plate. Supports are provided at both ends of the sintered shell, and an optical fiber contact connected to the optical cable is provided at the other end of the support.

[0010] Furthermore, the portion of the optical cable that passes through the glass tube is a stripped fiber section with the coating removed, and the optical fiber in the stripped fiber section is a bare optical fiber.

[0011] Furthermore, the optical cable is fixed to the sintered shell at both ends by an adhesive, and the ceramic pressure plate is fixed to the sintered shell and the optical cable by an adhesive.

[0012] Furthermore, the optical cable is a ribbon optical cable, and the glass tube is provided with an optical fiber insertion hole II that matches the ribbon optical cable, and the ceramic pressure plate is provided with an optical fiber insertion hole III that matches the ribbon optical cable.

[0013] A connector includes a housing, a contact assembly is disposed inside the housing, and pressure plates I and II are respectively sleeved on both ends of the contact assembly. Pressure plates I are welded and fixed to the sintered housing and the circumference of the housing to achieve axial sealing. The housing and pressure plates II are circumferentially sealed and fixed.

[0014] Furthermore, the mating end of the contact assembly is located in the mating cavity of the housing, and the bottom edge of the mating cavity is provided with a sealing ring for sealing the mating interface when mated with the adapter connector. The outer wall of the housing is provided with a flange for connecting to the bulkhead, and one side of the flange is nested with a sealing ring for sealing with the bulkhead.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0016] After sample preparation and assembly, the leakage rate of this invention can reach 1×10⁻⁶. -12 Pa·m 3The insertion loss is ≤1.2dB. After undergoing temperature shock testing from -55℃ to 125℃, the connector still meets the above-mentioned performance requirements for leakage rate and insertion loss. This demonstrates that the low-temperature glass-sealed fiber optic connector has the advantages of high airtightness and low cost. The glass tube and fiber glass sintering sealing technology combined with the shell welding sealing technology can meet the high airtightness and low loss requirements of glass-sealed fiber optic connectors. The airtightness performance achieved by the sealing technology of this invention far exceeds the current international sealing level of hermetically sealed fiber optic connectors, meeting the airtightness requirements of existing equipment and providing an engineering solution for the widespread application of high-density all-optical networks. This invention can be widely applied in the coupling of various active and passive devices such as optical transceiver modules, as well as in the hermetically sealed packaging between optical fibers and shells.

[0017] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the purpose, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1a This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the optical fiber sealing joint of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 1b for Figure 1a A front view of the glass tube;

[0020] Figure 1c for Figure 1a A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the middle glass tube;

[0021] Figure 1d for Figure 1a A schematic diagram of the cross-section of a mid-strip optical cable;

[0022] Figure 1e for Figure 1a A schematic diagram showing the fit between the middle glass tube and the tube shell;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the connector of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3a for Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the contact component;

[0025] Figure 3b for Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the contact component from another perspective;

[0026] Figure 3c for Figure 3a A three-dimensional schematic diagram;

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 3a Schematic diagram of the optical fiber sealing joint;

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 3a A cross-sectional view of the contact component mating with pressure plate I;

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 3a A schematic diagram of the sealing structure between the contact components and the housing.

[0030] Figure label:

[0031] 1-Shell,

[0032] 101-Flange,

[0033] 102-Interlocking Cavity I,

[0034] 103-Interlocking Cavity II

[0035] 2-Contact components,

[0036] 21-Sintered shell,

[0037] 2101-Adhesive cavity,

[0038] 2102 - Sintering cavity,

[0039] 2103-Level 1 Step I,

[0040] 2104 - Second step,

[0041] 2105 - First Step II

[0042] 2106-Fiber Optic Through-hole I,

[0043] 2107-Bracket Mounting Slot I,

[0044] 2108-Bracket Mounting Slot II,

[0045] 22-glass tube,

[0046] 2201 - Fiber Optic Through-hole II

[0047] 23-Ceramic pressure plate,

[0048] 2301-Fiber Optic Through-hole III

[0049] 24-ribbon optical cable,

[0050] 25-Stent I,

[0051] 2501-key,

[0052] 2502-MT contact mounting slot,

[0053] 2503 - Support Plate

[0054] 2504-Connector Plate

[0055] 2505 - Stop protrusion,

[0056] 26-Stent II,

[0057] 27-MT contact element,

[0058] 2701-Stop Step,

[0059] 28 - High-frequency induction heating position,

[0060] 29-Fiber stripping section,

[0061] 210-Epoxy Adhesive I,

[0062] 211-Epoxy Adhesive II,

[0063] 3-Pressure plate I,

[0064] 301-Welding Step I,

[0065] 4-Pressure plate II,

[0066] 401-Limit Step,

[0067] 402-Welding Step II,

[0068] 5-Rubber ring,

[0069] 6-0 type ring,

[0070] 7-Silicone rubber adhesive,

[0071] 8-O-ring mounting slot,

[0072] 9-Tube shell,

[0073] 901 - Fiber Optic Hole. Detailed Implementation

[0074] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are some embodiments of this application, but not all embodiments.

[0075] An embodiment of the optical fiber sealing joint of the present invention, such as... Figures 1a to 1eAs shown. The fiber optic sealing joint includes a housing 9, a glass tube 22, and a ceramic pressure plate 23. The housing 9 has a fiber optic hole 901 for threading a ribbon optical cable 24. The ribbon optical cable 24 is a 12-core optical fiber. The fiber optic hole 901 is an oblong hole that matches the outer contour of the ribbon optical cable. The fiber optic hole 901 and the ribbon optical cable 24 have a small gap fit to prevent the ribbon optical cable 24 from shaking.

[0076] Both ends of the tube shell 9 are provided with cavities. The cavities are designed to be waist-shaped, and their inner contour dimensions are larger than the fiber optic hole 901. A glass tube 22 and a ceramic pressure plate 23 are sequentially inserted into the cavity at the front end of the tube shell 9. The ribbon optical cable 24 passes through the glass tube 22 and the ceramic pressure plate 23. The glass tube 22 is made of low-temperature glass solder. The glass tube 22 is provided with a fiber optic insertion hole II2201 that matches the outer contour of the ribbon optical cable 24. The ribbon optical cable 24 passes through the fiber optic insertion hole II2201. The fiber optic insertion hole II2201 is a waist-shaped hole. The size of the waist-shaped hole inside the glass tube 22 is designed to just pass through the 12-core ribbon optical cable 24, and it is designed to fit the ribbon optical cable 24 with a small gap. The ceramic pressure plate 23 is provided with an optical fiber passage hole III2301 that matches the outer contour of the ribbon optical cable 24. The ribbon optical cable 24 passes through the optical fiber passage hole III2301, which is also an oblong hole. The oblong hole inside the ceramic pressure plate 23 is designed to be just big enough to pass through the 12-core ribbon optical cable 24.

[0077] The outer contours of the glass tube 22 and ceramic pressure plate 23 match the inner contours of the front cavity of the tube shell 9, forming an oval design. The glass tube 22, ceramic pressure plate 23, and tube shell 9 are fitted with a small gap. The wall thickness of the glass tube 22 is uniform throughout to ensure consistent heat distribution and uniform molten glass during sintering. The ceramic pressure plate 23 is made of ceramic material and has the same shape as the glass tube 22. Its main functions are threefold: ① To protect the ribbon optical cable 24 during sintering, utilizing the excellent thermal insulation properties of ceramic to reduce the impact of heat on the coating layer of the optical fiber inside the tube shell 9 that has not been stripped; ② To apply force from the front end of the ceramic pressure plate 23 during sintering, squeezing the molten glass to fully fill the gaps between the optical fibers and between the optical fiber and the tube shell 9, increasing the density of the glass tube 22 during melting and resolidification, achieving a strict seal while increasing the strength of the sealing structure, and simultaneously preventing… ③ After sintering, the fiber optic insertion hole III2301 of the ceramic pressure plate 23 and the ribbon optical cable 24 are used to extend the length of the ribbon optical cable 24 in the small gap fit inside the tube shell 9, so as to prevent the optical fiber from breaking. When the contact parts at both ends of the ribbon optical cable 24 float, the ribbon optical cable 24 can be protected and its service life can be extended due to the sufficiently long small gap fit between the ribbon optical cable 24 and the tube shell 9. ④ The glass tube 22 is installed in the tube shell 9 and heated and squeezed. The molten glass fills the gap between each optical fiber and between the optical fiber and the tube shell. The gap will inevitably create an extra cavity inside the tube shell, allowing for an appropriate increase in the length of the ceramic pressure plate 23. After the glass tube 22 and ceramic pressure plate 23 are inserted into the tube shell 9, the ceramic pressure plate 23 protrudes from the tube shell 9. After heating and pressing, the ceramic pressure plate 23 can further penetrate into the tube shell 9. After solidification, the ceramic pressure plate 23 is flush with or protrudes from the end face of the tube shell 9, ensuring that the cavity inside the tube shell 9 is filled, supporting the tube shell 9, and improving the overall strength of the tube shell 9. Furthermore, the molten glass will enter the gap between the ceramic pressure plate 23 and the glass tube 22. In the process, the glass and ceramic pressure plate 23 are firmly bonded together, making the tube shell 9 and its internal structure form a whole, thus improving the overall strength; ⑤ After the glass tube 22 is heated and melted, the position of the ribbon optical cable 24 is prone to deflection. The ceramic pressure plate 23 can be used to set the ribbon optical cable 24 in the middle position of the tube shell 9; ⑥ When the tube shell 9 is processed and in use, the mechanical stress and / or the temperature stress of the adhesive itself or the external environment are directly applied to the ceramic pressure plate 23, and are not directly transmitted to the glass sintered structure formed by the glass tube 22, thus playing a role in protecting the glass sintered structure.

[0078] Before inserting the 12-core ribbon optical cable 24 into the tube shell 9, the sheath and coating are stripped from the middle section of the ribbon optical cable 24 to form the fiber stripping section 29. That is, a section of optical fiber at the fiber stripping section 29 is a bare optical fiber. After inserting the ribbon optical cable 24 into the tube shell 9, the fiber stripping section 29 can be located inside the glass tube 22. That is, the optical fiber of the ribbon optical cable 24 located in the glass tube is stripped into a bare optical fiber without coating and then inserted into the tube shell 9.

[0079] After the ribbon optical cable 24 is inserted into the tube shell 9, the stripped fiber section 29 with the coating removed is placed at the installation position of the glass tube 22. The cavity at the rear end of the tube shell 9 is provided with silicone rubber adhesive 7 for pre-fixing the ribbon optical cable 24.

[0080] After the ribbon optical cable 24 is pre-fixed, the glass tube 22 and the ceramic pressure plate 23 are sequentially installed into the tube shell 9 from the front end.

[0081] A high-frequency induction heating process is used (for example, a high-frequency induction coil is fitted onto the outside of the tube shell 9, positioned at the location of the glass tube 22) to heat the location of the glass tube 22. Force is applied to the ceramic pressure plate 23 from the front end of the tube shell 9. The ceramic pressure plate 23 compresses the molten glass tube 22, causing it to melt and fill the gaps between the ribbon optical cable 24 and the inner wall of the tube shell 9, as well as the gaps between the bare optical fibers in the ribbon optical cable 24, and then solidify. The structure formed by the melting, filling, and solidification of the glass tube 22 is a glass sintered structure. The glass sintered structure and the ribbon optical cable 24... The fiber stripping section 29 and the tube shell 9 are integrally set to achieve a good gas seal. The fiber stripping section 29 removes the coating layer, avoiding local damage or peeling of the fiber coating layer, and thus avoiding the formation of a new leakage channel between the bare fiber and the coating layer. In this embodiment, the ceramic pressure plate 23 is squeezed until the front end of the ceramic pressure plate 23 is flush with the front end of the tube shell 9, so that the glass tube 22 melts and solidifies the ribbon optical cable 24 and the tube shell 9 into one piece. The gas seal between the ribbon optical cable 24 and the tube shell 9 is achieved through the glass sintering structure between the tube shell 9 and the ribbon optical cable 22.

[0082] The front and rear ends of the sintered optical fiber sealing section are bonded and fixed with epoxy adhesive I210 and epoxy adhesive II211 respectively, so that the ribbon optical cable 24 inside the optical fiber sealing section is fixed relative to the tube shell 9. When the optical fiber sealing section vibrates in the use environment, or when the optical fiber sealing section is used as a connector and the connector vibrates during insertion and removal, the bare optical fiber at the sintering position can be prevented from breaking under stress, thus protecting the ribbon optical cable 24.

[0083] The housing 9 can be made of stainless steel, and the seal between the housing 9 and the sealing component is achieved by laser welding or electron beam welding. Alternatively, the housing 9 can be gold-plated, and the seal between the housing 9 and the sealing component is achieved by gold-tin welding.

[0084] Fiber optic sealing joints can be used on active devices such as optical modules or passive devices such as fiber optic connectors. When optical fibers need to pass through the housing of an optical module, the fiber optic sealing joint is placed on the housing, and a seal is achieved by welding the fiber optic sealing joint to the housing. When the front and rear ends of a fiber optic connector need to be sealed, the contact components inside the connector can be sealed using a fiber optic sealing joint. Fiber optic sealing joints can also be used in other structures where a seal is required between the optical fiber and the housing.

[0085] In other embodiments, the shape and size of the tube shell 9, glass tube 22, and ceramic pressure plate 23 in the fiber optic sealing joint can be adjusted according to specific needs. For example, when 24-core or 48-core optical fibers are required, i.e., two or four 12-core ribbon optical cables 24 are needed, the tube shell 9, glass tube 22, and ceramic pressure plate 23 can be provided with a corresponding number of waist-shaped holes for the ribbon optical cables 24 to pass through; or, if two ribbon optical cables 24 need to be provided, two fiber optic insertion holes II2201 can be provided on one glass tube 22. Two optical fiber penetration holes III2301 are provided on each ceramic pressure plate 23. Two ribbon optical cables 24 share a glass tube 22 and a ceramic pressure plate 23, and the glass tube 22 and ceramic pressure plate 23 are inserted into the cavity of the corresponding tube shell 9. If four ribbon optical cables 24 are required, two glass tubes 22 with two optical fiber penetration holes II2201 and two ceramic pressure plates 23 with optical fiber penetration holes III2301 can be provided on the tube shell 9. The two glass tubes 22 and ceramic pressure plates 23 are respectively inserted into the cavity of the corresponding tube shell 9.

[0086] In other embodiments, after the ribbon optical cable 24 is pre-fixed with silicone rubber adhesive 7, epoxy adhesive II211 can be placed at the rear end of the tube shell 9 to firmly fix the ribbon optical cable 24 to the tube shell 9 before sintering. During sintering, the silicone rubber adhesive 7 can play a sealing role to prevent the epoxy adhesive from directly contacting the glass being sintered. If the epoxy adhesive comes into direct contact with the glass and is exposed to high and low temperature environments, the stress of the epoxy adhesive may cause the glass to break, affecting the sealing effect.

[0087] In other embodiments, the epoxy adhesive may be replaced with other adhesives capable of bonding the ribbon optical cable 24, the housing 9, and the ceramic pressure plate.

[0088] In other embodiments, the ribbon optical cable 24 may also be replaced with other forms of optical cable, such as a bundled optical cable, with the structure that mates with the optical cable matching the outer contour of the bundled optical cable.

[0089] An embodiment of a connector according to the present invention, such as... Figures 2 to 6 As shown. The connector includes a contact assembly 2 capable of achieving an airtight seal, a housing 1, a pressure plate I3, and a pressure plate II4, as shown. Figure 2 As shown.

[0090] Both ends of the inner cavity of housing 1 are mating cavities, namely mating cavity I102 and mating cavity II103. A rubber ring 5 is provided at the bottom edge of each mating cavity. When the connector is mated with an adapter connector inside or outside the bulkhead, the rubber ring 5 seals the mating interface. The connector is mounted on the bulkhead via a flange 101 on the outer wall of housing 1, and the mounting interface is sealed with the bulkhead via an O-ring 6. In this embodiment, the O-ring 6 is nested within one side of the flange 101, and the connector is inserted into the bulkhead. The flange 101 abuts against the outer surface of the bulkhead, and the flange 101 and the bulkhead are sealed by the O-ring between them. The description will focus on the side facing the O-ring 6.

[0091] The reliable sealing inside the connector requires the gas seal of all leakage channels. The connector has two leakage channels: the leakage channel inside the contact component 2 and the leakage channel between the contact component 2 and the housing 1. Therefore, the gas tightness of the connector includes the gas seal inside the contact component 2 and the gas seal between the contact component 2 and the housing 1.

[0092] The internal gas seal of contact assembly 2 is mainly achieved through the aforementioned fiber optic sealing joint. The structural design of contact assembly 2 is as follows: Figure 3a , Figure 3b , Figure 3c As shown. The contact assembly 2 includes two 12-core MT contacts 27 distributed at both ends, two supports (support I 25, support II 26), a sintered shell 21, a glass tube 22, a ceramic pressure plate 23, and a 12-core ribbon optical cable 24. The optical fiber sealing section includes the sintered shell 21, the glass tube 22, and the ceramic pressure plate 23. The sintered shell 21 is the tube shell 9 in the above-mentioned optical fiber sealing section embodiment, which is modified according to the structural characteristics of the connector. The 12-core ribbon optical cable 24 can realize the transmission of 12-core signals, and each end of the ribbon optical cable 24 is connected to a 12-core MT contact.

[0093] When manufacturing the contact component 2, the sheath and coating are first stripped from the middle section of the ribbon optical cable 24. That is, the ribbon optical cable 24 at the position of the glass tube 22 is stripped into bare optical fiber without coating. Then, the ribbon optical cable 24 is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole I2106 in the sintered shell 21. The optical fiber insertion hole I2106 is an oblong hole. The inner diameter of the optical fiber insertion hole I2106 matches the outer size of the ribbon optical cable 24 and is a small clearance fit to prevent the ribbon optical cable 24 from shaking in the optical fiber insertion hole I2106.

[0094] The sintered shell 21 has a sintering cavity 2102 and an adhesive cavity 2101 at its front and rear ends, respectively. The sintering cavity 2102 and the adhesive cavity 2101 are connected through an optical fiber through hole I2106. After the ribbon optical cable 24 is inserted through the optical fiber insertion hole I2106, it is fixed to the sintered shell 21 at the rear end using silicone rubber adhesive 7 and epoxy adhesive II211. In this embodiment, silicone rubber adhesive 7 and epoxy adhesive II211 are poured into the bonding cavity 2101, with a portion of epoxy adhesive II211 disposed outside the bonding cavity 2101 and located on the rear end face of the sintered shell 21, thus firmly fixing the ribbon optical cable 24. Then, the glass tube 22 and ceramic pressure plate 23 are sequentially inserted into the sintered cavity 2102 at the front end of the sintered shell 21 from the front end of the sintered shell 21. The inner contour dimensions of the sintered cavity 2102 match the outer contour dimensions of the glass tube 22 and the glass pressure plate 23, and are in a small clearance fit. The ribbon optical cable 24 is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole II 2201 of the glass tube 22 and the optical fiber insertion hole III 2301 of the ceramic pressure plate 23. Both the optical fiber insertion hole II 2201 and the optical fiber insertion hole III 2301 are waist-shaped holes, which match the outer contour size of the ribbon optical cable 24 and are fitted with a small gap.

[0095] After the ribbon optical cable 24 is inserted into the glass tube 22, the fiber stripping section 29 of the ribbon optical cable 24, after the coating has been removed, is located inside the fiber insertion hole II 2201 of the glass tube 22, and then... Figure 4 The high-frequency induction heating position 28 shown is heated by a high-frequency induction coil, causing the glass tube 22 to melt simultaneously. During the sintering process, the ceramic pressure plate 23 is pressed, squeezing the molten glass tube 22. This allows the molten glass to flow fully into the gaps between the bare optical fibers in the ribbon optical cable 24 and the gap between the ribbon optical cable 24 and the sintering shell 21, preventing leakage. The fiber stripped section 29 of the ribbon optical cable 24 and the sintering shell 21 are solidified together through the glass tube 22, thus achieving a seal inside the contact assembly 2. After glass sintering, the fiber stripped section 29 of the ribbon optical cable 24 is integrally set with the sintering shell 21 through the glass, achieving a good gas seal and preventing localized damage or peeling of the fiber coating, thereby preventing the formation of new leakage channels between the bare optical fiber and the coating.

[0096] The wall thickness of the sintered shell 21 is uniform at the sintering position, thereby ensuring that the heat experienced by the glass tube 22 is consistent throughout the sintering process. During sintering, the high-frequency induction heating position 28 of the sintered shell 21 (the position where the glass tube 22 is located) is entirely placed inside the high-frequency induction coil.

[0097] Finally, the ceramic pressure plate 23 is bonded and fixed to the front end of the ribbon optical cable 24 and the sintered shell 21 using epoxy adhesive I210. When the connector is plugged in, the MT contact 27 is subjected to force, which can easily cause the ribbon optical cable 24 to shake. This force can then be easily transmitted to the joint between the bare optical fiber and the glass, which can easily cause the optical fiber to break and affect the transmission of optical signals. By fixing the ribbon optical cable 24 and the sintered shell 21 together with epoxy adhesive I210 and epoxy adhesive II211, the fiber breakage of the ribbon optical cable 24 can be prevented.

[0098] Both ends of the sintered shell 21 are provided with mounting steps. The front end of the sintered shell 21 is provided with two levels of mounting steps, namely the first level step I2103 and the second level step 2104, and the rear end of the sintered shell 21 is provided with the first level step II2105.

[0099] Supports I25 and II26 are respectively provided at both ends of the sintered shell 21. MT contact elements 27 are provided at the other end of both supports I25 and II26. Supports I25 and II26 have identical structures; one will be used as an example for explanation. Support I25 includes two opposing and extending support plates 2503. One side of the two support plates 2503 is connected to each other via a connecting plate 2504, making them a single unit. A key 2501 is provided at the end of each support plate 2503 near the sintered shell 21, and the two keys 2501 are positioned opposite each other. Two support mounting grooves I2107 are symmetrically provided on the outer wall of the first-level step I2103 of the sintered shell 21. The keys 2501 engage with the support mounting grooves I2107 for positioning and are then fixed by adhesive bonding. When mounting bracket I25 onto sintered shell 21, key 2501 on bracket I25 is pushed into bracket mounting groove I from one side of bracket mounting groove I107, and the ends of the two support plates 2503 are clamped to the outside of sintered shell 21. Key on bracket II26 is mounted in bracket mounting groove II2108 on first-stage step II2105.

[0100] The cavity between the two support plates 2503 forms an MT contact mounting groove 2502. Both sides of the front and rear ends of the MT contact mounting groove 2502 are provided with stop protrusions 2505. An MT contact 27 is installed within the MT contact mounting groove 2502. A stop step 2701 is provided on the outer wall of the MT contact 27. The rear end face of the MT contact 27 and the stop step 2701 are located between the stop protrusions 2505 at the front and rear ends within the MT contact mounting groove 2502, limiting the MT contact 27 in the front-rear direction. When installing the MT contact 27, it is pushed into the MT contact mounting groove 2502 from one side, allowing for quick installation and easy positioning of the MT contact 27. The dimensions between the rear end face of the MT contact 27 and the stop step 2701, and the dimensions between the corresponding front and rear stop protrusions 2505, are in a small clearance fit. The thickness of the MT contact 27 and the dimensions between the opposite side walls of the two support plates 2503 are also in a small clearance fit. The mating end of the MT contact 27 extends out of the MT contact mounting groove 2502. Another MT contact 27 is mounted on the bracket II 26. The floating structure with a small clearance fit between the MT contact 27 and the bracket allows the MT contact 27 to have appropriate movement within the MT contact mounting groove 2502, ensuring that the MT contact 27 has a self-adjusting function during mating and effectively reducing connector insertion loss.

[0101] After the glass sintering seal and bracket of contact assembly 2 are completed, and the MT contact 27 is assembled, it is integrated with the pressure plate I3, as follows. Figure 5 As shown, the pressure plate I3 is a cylindrical body with an inner hole. The front end of the sintered shell 21 is inserted into the inner hole of the pressure plate I3, and the inner hole of the pressure plate I3 is fitted onto the secondary step 2104 with a small clearance fit. The pressure plate I3 and the sintered shell 21 are welded together. The maximum outer diameter of the sintered shell 21 is the same as the outer diameter of the welded joint of the pressure plate I3. Axial (i.e., the direction of extension of the ribbon optical cable 24) sealing is achieved at the joint between the sintered shell 21 and the pressure plate I3 using circumferential laser welding (or electron beam welding). To reduce the impact of welding heat on the sintered sealing structure, the weld is welded in four segments. The pressure plate I3 can be fitted onto the bracket I25, preventing the MT contact 27 from coming out of the MT contact mounting groove 2502. The mating end of the MT contact 27 extends out of the pressure plate I3.

[0102] After the contact component 2 is welded to the pressure plate I3, it is installed into the housing 1. The front end of the pressure plate I3 extends out of the bottom surface of the mating cavity I102. The outer wall of the pressure plate I3 is provided with a welding step I301. The welding step I301 is flush with the bottom surface of the mating cavity I102 and is axially sealed by circumferential laser welding (or electron beam welding). To further improve the airtightness, corresponding O-ring mounting grooves 8 can also be provided on the outer wall of the pressure plate I3 and the inner wall of the housing 1. Axial sealing is achieved by setting O-rings in the O-ring sealing grooves 8. In this embodiment, two O-ring mounting grooves 8 are distributed axially on the outer wall of the pressure plate I3 and the inner wall of the housing 1. O-rings are installed in the O-ring mounting grooves 8 to achieve two-stage O-ring sealing.

[0103] Pressure plate II 4 is inserted into housing 1 from the rear end. Pressure plate II 4 is a cylindrical body with an inner hole. The inner hole of pressure plate II 4 is fitted onto sintered housing 21 and support II 26. The mating end of MT contact 27 on support II 26 extends out of pressure plate II 4. The outer wall of pressure plate II 4 is provided with a limiting step 401 for blocking against the inner wall of housing 1, thereby limiting the forward movement of pressure plate II 4. Before the pressure plate II 4 is installed into the housing 1, an adhesive can be applied to the outer wall of the pressure plate II 4 and / or the inner wall of the housing 1. After the pressure plate II 4 is installed and the adhesive cures, the pressure plate II 4 is bonded and fixed to the housing 1, achieving an axial seal. Alternatively, after the pressure plate II 4 is installed into the housing 1, the welding step II 402 on the outer wall of the pressure plate II 4 is flush with the bottom surface of the insertion cavity 102. The pressure plate II 4 can be welded and fixed to the housing 1 to achieve an axial seal. The welding method is the same as that of the pressure plate I 3. Figure 6 As shown.

[0104] After the pressure plate II4 is installed, rubber rings 5 ​​are installed at the bottom of the mating cavities at both ends of the housing 1, and O-rings are installed on the flange 101.

[0105] In another embodiment of the connector of the present invention, an O-ring may be used for further sealing between the pressure plate I14 and the housing 1, and an adhesive may be used for further sealing between the pressure plate I3 and the housing 1.

[0106] In another embodiment of the connector of the present invention, ribbon optical cables of different numbers and core counts can be selected as needed. Correspondingly, the sintered housing 21 is designed with a corresponding number and size of fiber optic penetration holes, sintering cavities, and bonding cavities. A glass tube and a ceramic pressure plate are installed inside the sintering cavity. The glass tube can be a double-cavity glass tube (with two fiber optic penetration holes), or a single-cavity or multi-cavity glass tube (with one or more fiber optic penetration holes). The size of the fiber optic penetration holes in the glass tube is designed according to the size of the ribbon optical cable. The ceramic pressure plate can be a double-cavity ceramic pressure plate (with two fiber optic penetration holes), or a single-cavity or multi-cavity ceramic pressure plate (with one or more fiber optic penetration holes). The size of the fiber optic penetration holes in the ceramic pressure plate is designed according to the size of the ribbon optical cable. The end of the bracket is equipped with MT contacts 27 of a corresponding number and core count according to the number and core count of the ribbon optical cable 12.

[0107] In another embodiment of the connector of the present invention, the ribbon optical cable 24 may be replaced with other forms of optical cable, such as a bundled optical cable, and the structure that mates with the optical cable matches the outer contour of the bundled optical cable.

[0108] In another embodiment of the connector of the present invention, the MT contact can be replaced with other forms of fiber optic contact.

[0109] In another embodiment of the connector of the present invention, the rubber ring 5 and the O-ring can be replaced with other types of sealing rings.

[0110] The technical features of the connector of the present invention are as follows:

[0111] ①The present invention designs a glass tube that matches the external dimensions of the 12-core ribbon optical cable 24 and a sintered shell 21 with a sintering cavity that matches the glass tube, and uses high-frequency induction local heating to achieve the sealing of the glass tube 22, the 12-core optical fiber, and the sintered shell 21.

[0112] ②This invention designs a ceramic pressure plate 23, which protects the ribbon optical cable 24 and ensures that the gaps in the ribbon optical cable 12 are fully filled by the glass during the glass sintering process.

[0113] ③The present invention achieves floating docking of the MT contact 27 through a floating structure in which the bracket cooperates with the MT contact 27;

[0114] ④ The contact component 2 and the pressure plate, and the pressure plate and the housing 1 of the present invention are welded by laser or electron beam welding, so that the metal substrate is fused into one body to achieve sealing;

[0115] ⑤ The casing 9 and sealing component of the present invention can be sealed using a variety of sealing methods, and have a wide range of applications;

[0116] ⑥ The glass seal of the present invention has a low cost advantage compared to the high price of gold-tin solder.

[0117] After sample preparation and assembly, the leakage rate of this invention can reach 1×10⁻⁶. -12 Pa·m 3 / s, insertion loss ≤1.2dB (insertion loss at two mating points, i.e., the insertion loss at two mating points formed after both ends of the connector are mated with the matched device). After undergoing a temperature shock test from -55℃ to 125℃, the leakage rate and insertion loss still meet the above specifications. This proves that the low-temperature glass-sealed fiber optic connector has the advantages of high airtightness and low cost. The glass tube and fiber glass sintering sealing technology combined with the shell welding sealing technology can meet the high airtightness and low loss requirements of the 12-core ribbon fiber optic cable glass-sealed fiber optic connector. The airtightness performance achieved by the sealing technology of this invention far exceeds the current international sealing level of hermetically sealed fiber optic connectors, meeting the airtightness requirements of existing equipment and providing an engineering solution for the widespread application of high-density all-optical networks. This invention can be widely applied in the coupling of various active and passive devices such as optical transceiver modules, as well as in the hermetically sealed packaging between optical fibers and shells.

[0118] This invention provides an embodiment of a contact component, which is the same contact component described in the above-described embodiment of a connector, and will not be repeated here.

[0119] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A fiber optic sealing joint, comprising a housing (9) and an optical cable passing through the housing (9), characterized in that: The gap between the tube shell (9) and the bare optical fiber in the optical cable, and the gap between each bare optical fiber in the optical cable are filled with a glass sintering structure. The glass sintering structure is formed by heating and melting the glass tube (22) fitted into the bare optical fiber in the optical cable and then solidifying it after extrusion. The cavity of the tube shell (9) is provided with a ceramic pressure plate (23) that can compress and melt the glass tube (22). The optical cable passes through the ceramic pressure plate (23). Before glass sintering, the cavity at the front end of the tube shell (9) is sequentially filled with the glass tube (22) and the ceramic pressure plate (23). The bare optical fiber of the optical cable passes through the glass tube (22). Before the glass tube (22) and the ceramic pressure plate (23) are inserted, the cavity at the rear end of the tube shell (9) is provided with a silicone rubber adhesive (7) for bonding and fixing the optical cable to the tube shell (9). The two ends of the tube shell (9) are fixed to the tube shell (9) by the adhesive, and the ceramic pressure plate (23) is fixed to the tube shell (9) and the optical cable by the adhesive.

2. The optical fiber sealing joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The portion of the optical cable that passes through the glass tube (22) is the fiber stripping section (29) with the coating removed, and the optical fiber in the fiber stripping section (29) is a bare optical fiber.

3. The optical fiber sealing joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical cable is a ribbon optical cable (24), and the glass tube (22) is provided with an optical fiber penetration hole II (2201) that matches the ribbon optical cable (24), and the ceramic pressure plate (23) is provided with an optical fiber penetration hole III (2301) that matches the ribbon optical cable (24).

4. A contact assembly, comprising a sintered housing (21) and an optical cable passing through the sintered housing (21), characterized in that: The gaps between the sintered shell (21) and the bare optical fibers in the optical cable, and the gaps between the bare optical fibers in the optical cable are filled with glass sintered structures. The glass sintered structures are formed by heating, melting, and extruding glass tubes (22) fitted into the bare optical fibers in the optical cable, followed by solidification. The cavity of the sintered shell (21) is provided with ceramic pressure plates (23) capable of extruding and melting the glass tubes (22). The optical cable passes through the ceramic pressure plates (23). Supports are provided at both ends of the sintered shell (21), and optical fiber contacts connected to the optical cable are provided at the other end of the supports. Before glass sintering, A glass tube (22) and a ceramic pressure plate (23) are sequentially inserted into the cavity at the front end of the sintered shell (21), and the bare optical fiber of the optical cable is inserted into the glass tube (22). Before inserting the glass tube (22) and the ceramic pressure plate (23), a silicone rubber adhesive (7) for bonding and fixing the optical cable to the sintered shell (21) is provided in the cavity at the rear end of the sintered shell (21). The optical cable is fixed to the sintered shell (21) at both ends by the adhesive, and the ceramic pressure plate (23) is fixed to the sintered shell (21) and the optical cable by the adhesive.

5. A contact assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The portion of the optical cable that passes through the glass tube (22) is the fiber stripping section (29) with the coating removed, and the optical fiber in the fiber stripping section (29) is a bare optical fiber.

6. A contact assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The optical cable is a ribbon optical cable (24), and the glass tube (22) is provided with an optical fiber penetration hole II (2201) that matches the ribbon optical cable (24), and the ceramic pressure plate (23) is provided with an optical fiber penetration hole III (2301) that matches the ribbon optical cable (24).

7. A connector, comprising a housing (1), characterized in that: The housing (1) is provided with a contact component (2) as described in any one of claims 4-6. Pressure plate I (3) and pressure plate II (4) are respectively sleeved on both ends of the contact component (2). Pressure plate I (3) is welded and fixed to the sintered housing (21) and the housing (1) circumferentially to achieve axial sealing. The housing (1) is circumferentially sealed and fixed with pressure plate II (4).

8. A connector according to claim 7, characterized in that: The mating end of the contact assembly (2) is located in the mating cavity of the housing (1). The bottom edge of the mating cavity is provided with a sealing ring for sealing the mating interface when mated with the adapter connector. The outer wall of the housing (1) is provided with a flange (101) for connecting to the bulkhead. One side of the flange (101) is nested with a sealing ring for sealing with the bulkhead.

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