Optical fiber connector

Abstract

The present application is a fiber optic connector, which comprises a housing, a ferrule, a retaining member and a boot. At least one optical fiber is fixed in the ferrule, the ferrule is assembled in the housing and a part of the ferrule extends out of the housing from a first end of the housing. An end of the optical fiber away from the ferrule extends out of the housing from a second end of the housing, the first end and the second end are opposite ends of the housing. The retaining member is sleeved outside the housing and has a first retaining portion. The boot is sleeved outside the housing from the second end to cover the second end and the optical fiber extending out of the second end. The boot has a second retaining portion buckled to the first retaining portion, so that the boot is suitable for being forced to drive the retaining member to pull out the fiber optic connector from an adapter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to an optical fiber connector. Background Technology

[0002] In fiber optic networks, signals are typically paired, one for transmission and one for reception. Optical transmission tools can connect short fiber optic segments into longer ones, connect fibers to active components such as light sources or detectors, or connect fibers to passive components such as optical switches or attenuators. The primary function of a fiber optic connector is to align the core of the fiber with the optical path of the mating element. In this way, the beam of light in the fiber can be coupled with the optical path of the mating element.

[0003] Fiber optic connectors come in many varieties. Among them, the MPO (Multi-Fiber Push-On) connector is a type of multi-core, multi-channel connector suitable for laying high-density fiber optic cables in limited spaces. It typically includes a housing and a ferrule to secure one or more fibers. The ferrule extends outside the housing, allowing the fiber inside the ferrule to be coupled to the optical path of the mating component when the connector is mated with other components.

[0004] Conventional MPO-type multi-fiber connectors have guide pins at the front end, while the female connector has corresponding guide holes. When the two fiber connectors are in the two opposing openings of the adapter, the hooks on the adapter engage with the two recesses on the fiber connectors, and the guide pins are inserted into the guide holes. When these connectors are used in high-density environments within equipment racks, with multiple connectors close together and filling the instrument panels, it is not easy for users to remove the connectors. Therefore, conventional methods typically require an additional pull handle, which is attached to the fiber connector, allowing the user to remove the fiber connector using the pull handle. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides an optical fiber connector that achieves the action of pulling and unlocking the optical fiber connector through a tail sleeve.

[0006] The fiber optic connector of the present invention includes a housing, a sleeve, a retaining member, and a tail sleeve. At least one optical fiber is fixed inside the sleeve, the sleeve is assembled within the housing, and a portion of the sleeve extends out of the housing from a first end. The end of the optical fiber away from the sleeve extends from a second end of the housing, the first end and the second end being opposite ends of the housing. The retaining member is sleeved outside the housing and has a first retaining portion. The tail sleeve is sleeved outside the housing from the second end to cover the second end and the optical fiber extending from the second end. The tail sleeve has a second retaining portion that engages with the first retaining portion, allowing the tail sleeve to be subjected to force and to actuate the retaining member, thereby pulling the fiber optic connector out of the adapter.

[0007] Based on the above, the optical fiber of the fiber optic connector is assembled inside the housing after being fixed by the sleeve. More importantly, since the tail sleeve of the fiber optic connector extends from the second end of the housing to the first end and at least covers the housing and the fastening member sleeved on the housing, and the first fastening part of the fastening member and the second fastening part of the tail sleeve fasten each other, the tail sleeve, the fastening member, the housing and even the sleeve and the optical fiber inside it become a linked (or synchronous) structure.

[0008] Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: When the user holds and applies force to the tail sleeve, the other components (clip, housing, sleeve, and fiber) are correspondingly driven, smoothly driving the fiber optic connector to perform insertion and removal actions relative to the adapter. This allows the user to complete the required insertion and removal actions by applying force only to the tail sleeve, effectively keeping the user's point of force away from the first end of the housing (i.e., near the adapter). This is advantageous because when fiber optic connectors and adapters are densely arranged (i.e., when these fiber optic connectors are close together and plugged into the device's panel), it is difficult for the user's hand to reach the adjacent parts of the fiber optic connectors and adapters (i.e., the first end of the housing), thus hindering operation. This design, for the aforementioned reason, moves the point of force away from the first end to the tail sleeve, providing convenience for related actions, and also avoiding the possibility of damage to components due to insertion and removal actions due to the interconnectivity (synchronization) between components. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connector mating via an adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a fiber optic connector.

[0011] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded view of the fiber optic connector.

[0012] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Drawing from different perspectives Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a fiber optic connector.

[0013] Symbol Explanation 100, 200: Fiber optic connectors 110: Shell 120: Sleeve 130: Fiber optic cable 140: Fastener 141: First fastening part 141a: Gentle slope 141b: Cliff 142: Spear arm structure 150: Tail Shelter 151: Second buckling part 152: Conical surface 153: Force application groove 161, 162: First elastic element 163: Second elastic element 170: Receiving Block 171, 172: Side arm 171a: step difference 173: Screw tube 180: Fixed tube 190: Support 191, 192: Salesperson 193: Notch 300: Adapter D1: First Direction D2: Second Direction E1: First end E2: Second end R1, R2: containment rooms. Detailed Implementation

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connector mating via an adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the fiber optic connector. Please also refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the fiber optic connectors 100 and 200 are, for example, MPO (Multi-Fiber Push On) connectors, which are connected to each other through the adapter 300. The fiber optic connector 100 is, for example, a male connector, and the fiber optic connector 200 is, for example, a female connector. They are inserted into the adapter 300 through the two opposite openings of the adapter 300 to complete the connection.

[0015] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded view of the fiber optic connector. Please also refer to... Figures 1 to 3The fiber optic connector 100 includes a housing 110, a sleeve 120, a retaining member 140, and a tail sleeve 150. At least one optical fiber (in this embodiment, multiple optical fibers 130 are used as an example) is fixed inside the sleeve 120. The sleeve 120 is assembled inside the housing 110, and a portion of the sleeve 120 extends out of the housing 110 from its first end E1. The end of the optical fiber 130 away from the sleeve 120 extends from the second end E2 of the housing 110. The first end E1 and the second end E2 are opposite ends of the housing 110. The retaining member 140 is sleeved on the outside of the housing 110 and has a first retaining portion 141. The tail sleeve 150 is sleeved on the outside of the housing 110 from the second end E2 to cover the second end E2 and the optical fiber 130 extending from the second end E2. The tail sleeve 150 has a second holding part 151 that is snapped into the first holding part 141, so that the tail sleeve 150 is adapted to be subjected to force and drive the holding part 140 to pull the fiber optic connector 100 out of the adapter 300.

[0016] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Drawing from different perspectives Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the fiber optic connector. Please also refer to... Figures 3 to 5 Furthermore, the fiber optic connector 100 also includes a receiving block 170, a fixing tube 180, a bearing 190, first elastic elements 161 and 162, and a second elastic element 163. Two side arms 171 and 172 extend from the front surface of the receiving block 170 and are snapped onto the inner wall of the housing 110. A threaded tube 173 extends from the rear surface of the receiving block 170, and the fixing tube 180 is screwed onto the threaded tube 173. The outer wall of the fixing tube 180 abuts against the inner wall of the tail sleeve 150.

[0017] The bearing 190 is disposed within the housing 110 and positioned between the receiving block 170 and the sleeve 120. The second elastic element 163 is disposed between the two side arms 171 and 172 and abuts against the sleeve 120. The two side arms 171 and 172 each have a step 171a and 172a to abut one end of the second elastic element 163. More specifically, the second elastic element 163 abuts between the two step 171a and 172a of the two side arms 171 and 172 and the recess 193 of the bearing 190. Furthermore, the bearing 190 also has two guide pins 191 and 192. As the bearing 190 abuts against the sleeve 120, the two guide pins 191 and 192 pass through and partially protrude from the sleeve 120 and the housing 110. Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown.

[0018] For example Figure 5As shown, after the fastener 140 is combined with the housing 110, it forms a pair of receiving chambers R1 and R2, located on opposite sides of the housing 110. The aforementioned pair of first elastic elements 161 and 162 are located in receiving chambers R1 and R2 respectively, and each of the first elastic elements 161 and 162 abuts between the housing 110 and the fastener 140. After one end of the optical fiber 130 is fixed to the sleeve 120, the remaining part passes sequentially through the support 190, the second elastic element 163, the space between the two side arms 171 and 172, the receiving block 170 and the subsequent screw tube 173, the fixing tube 180 and the tail sleeve 150.

[0019] Please refer to this again. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first holding portion 141 is one of the holding protrusion and the holding hole, and the second holding portion 151 is the other of the holding protrusion and the holding hole. This embodiment uses the first holding portion 141 (which is a holding protrusion) and the second holding portion 151 (which is a holding hole) as examples. In another embodiment not shown, the aforementioned structure can be reversed to achieve the holding effect smoothly. Furthermore, the holding member 140 in this embodiment also has a spring arm structure 142, and the first holding portion 141 (which is a holding protrusion) is located at the tail end of the spring arm structure 142. Furthermore, the first side of the latching protrusion is a gentle slope 141a, and the second side is a steep cliff 141b. Therefore, when the latching hole (second latching part 151) moves along the gentle slope 141a in the first direction D1 until it falls onto the steep cliff 141b, it engages with the latching protrusion (first latching part 141) in the second direction D2. This means that the force applied by the latching member 140 and the tail sleeve 150 in the second direction D2 will create a structural interference effect. The first direction D1 and the second direction D2 are opposite to each other. Accordingly, when the user applies force to the tail sleeve 150 in the first direction D1 (equivalent to providing a pushing force to the fiber optic connector 100), it can achieve mutual latching with the latching member 140 or allow the fiber optic connector 100 to be inserted into the adapter 300 (see reference). Figure 1 When the user applies force in the second direction D2 to the tail sleeve 150 (equivalent to providing a pulling force), the fiber optic connector 100 can be smoothly connected to the adapter 300 (see reference). Figure 1 Pull it out.

[0020] Furthermore, the tail sleeve 150 of this embodiment has a tapered surface 152 that gradually tapers inward away from the housing 110. The tail sleeve 150 also has a plurality of force-applying grooves 153 located on the tapered surface 152, which provide a gripping area for the user when applying force, thereby increasing the friction when the user grips the device through structural features. Therefore, with the housing 110 as a reference (considered as a fixed structure that does not move), when the fastening member 140 moves along the second direction D2, it compresses and deforms the first elastic members 161 and 162 and accumulates elastic force. When the elastic force is released, it drives the fastening member 140 to move along the first direction D1, wherein the second direction D2 is the direction in which the fiber optic connector 100 is pulled out of the adapter 300. In other words, because the tail sleeve 150 and the fastener 140 are structurally interfering with each other along the second direction D2, when the user wants to pull the fiber optic connector 100 out of the adapter 300, the user applies a force in the second direction D2 to the tail sleeve 150, which in turn activates the fastener 140 and causes it to perform the aforementioned action, so as to smoothly and continuously drive the housing 110 and the related components assembled in the housing 110 away from the adapter 300 to complete the pulling action. The latching direction of the first fastener 141 and the second fastener 151 is consistent with the direction in which the fiber optic connector 100 is pulled out of the adapter 300, that is, the aforementioned second direction D2.

[0021] Please refer to this again. Figures 3 to 5 The smooth insertion and removal of the aforementioned components is achieved because, in the fiber optic connector 100 of this embodiment, the tail sleeve 150, the fastening member 140, the housing 110, and the sleeve 120 are arranged in a layered, overlapping structure from the outside in. Using the housing 110 as a boundary, the sleeve 120, the support 190, the second spring 163, and the receiving block 170 are essentially held by the outer hooks 171b and 172b of the two side arms 171 and 172 of the receiving block 170 against the inner wall of the housing 110 (e.g., ...). Figure 5 (As shown) and the outer snap-fit ​​part of the sleeve 120 snaps onto the inner wall of the housing 110, thereby completing the assembly and fixation of the components inside the housing 110.

[0022] Correspondingly, the tail sleeve 150 of this embodiment includes a head section L2 and a tail section L1. The head section L2 has a second fastening portion 151 and is stacked over the housing 110 and the fastening member 140. The tail section L1 is constricted relative to the head section L2 to cover the optical fiber 130 extending from the housing 110. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the portion of the optical fiber 130 extending from the housing 110 is protected by the solenoid 173, fixing tube 180, and tail sleeve 150 of the receiving block 170.

[0023] In this way, through the aforementioned correspondence between the tail sleeve, the fastener, and the housing, when the user applies force to the tail sleeve, it is equivalent to applying force to the housing and the components inside it simultaneously. In other words, the user only needs to apply force to the tail sleeve to smoothly drive the overall structure of the fiber optic connector without worrying about relative displacement between components causing structural damage or detachment.

[0024] It should be noted that although the above example uses fiber optic connector 100, it is not limited to this, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the fiber optic connector 200 may also have the above-mentioned components to facilitate its easy insertion and removal relative to the adapter 300.

[0025] In summary, in the above embodiments of the present invention, the optical fiber of the fiber optic connector is assembled in the housing after being fixed by the sleeve, and the tail sleeve of the fiber optic connector extends from the second end of the housing to the first end, at least covering the housing and the fastening member sleeved on the housing. At the same time, the first fastening part of the fastening member and the second fastening part of the tail sleeve fasten each other, thus achieving a linked (or synchronous) structure of the tail sleeve, the fastening member, the housing, and even the sleeve and optical fiber inside. In particular, the layered covering structure formed by the tail sleeve, the housing, and the fastening member ensures that when the user holds the tail sleeve, the force applied can be effectively transmitted through the layered covering structure, thereby allowing the user to smoothly pull out (or insert) the fiber optic connector from the adapter.

[0026] In other words, the user only needs to apply force to the tail sleeve to complete the required insertion and removal action, effectively keeping the user's point of force away from the first end of the housing (i.e., near the adapter). This is advantageous because when fiber optic connectors and adapters are densely packed (i.e., when these fiber optic connectors are close together and plugged into the device's panel), it is difficult for the user's hand to reach the adjacent parts of the fiber optic connectors and adapters (i.e., the first end of the housing), thus hindering operation. This design, for the aforementioned reason, moves the point of force away from the first end to the tail sleeve, providing convenience for related actions, and also avoiding the possibility of damage to components due to insertion and removal actions due to the interconnectivity (synchronization) between components.

Claims

1. An optical fiber connector, characterized in that... : A shell; A tube containing at least one optical fiber is assembled inside a housing, with a portion of the tube extending out of the housing from a first end of the housing, and the end of the optical fiber away from the tube extending out from a second end of the housing, the first end and the second end being opposite ends of the housing. A fastening element is sleeved on the outside of the housing, and the fastening element has a first fastening portion; as well as A tail sleeve is fitted over the housing from the second end to cover the second end and the optical fiber extending from the second end. The tail sleeve has a second fastening part that is snapped into the first fastening part so that the tail sleeve is adapted to be subjected to force and drive the fastening member to pull the optical fiber connector out of the adapter.

2. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that... The first fastening part is one of the fastening protrusion and the fastening hole, and the second fastening part is the other of the fastening protrusion and the fastening hole.

3. The fiber optic connector according to claim 2, characterized in that... The fastening member or the tail sleeve has a spring arm structure, and the fastening protrusion is located at the tail end of the spring arm structure.

4. The fiber optic connector according to claim 2, characterized in that... The first side of the buckling protrusion is a gentle slope, and the second side of the buckling protrusion is a cliff, so that the buckling hole moves along the gentle slope in a first direction until the buckling hole falls down the cliff and then locks into the buckling protrusion in a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other.

5. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that... The tail sleeve has a conical surface that gradually tapers inward away from the housing, and the tail sleeve also has multiple force-applying grooves located on the conical surface.

6. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that... The fastener and the housing combine to form a pair of receiving chambers located on opposite sides of the housing. The fiber optic connector also includes a pair of first elastic members located in the pair of receiving chambers, with each first elastic member abutting between the housing and the fastener.

7. The fiber optic connector according to claim 6, characterized in that... With the housing as a reference, when the fastener moves along the second direction, it compresses and deforms the first elastic member and accumulates elastic force, and when the elastic force is released, it drives the fastener to move along the first direction, which is opposite to the second direction, and the second direction is the direction in which the fiber optic connector is pulled out of the adapter.

8. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that... The locking direction of the first and second locking parts is consistent with the direction in which the fiber optic connector is pulled out of the adapter.

9. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that... It also includes a receiving block and a fixing tube. The front surface of the receiving block extends into two arms, which are snapped into the inner wall of the housing. The rear surface of the receiving block extends into a spiral tube, and the fixing tube is screwed into the spiral tube. The outer wall of the fixing tube abuts against the inner wall of the tail sleeve. The optical fiber passes through the receiving block, the fixing tube and the tail sleeve in sequence.

10. The fiber optic connector according to claim 9, characterized in that... It also includes a second elastic element disposed between the two side arms and abutting between the two side arms and the sleeve, wherein the two side arms each have a step to abut one end of the second elastic element.

11. The fiber optic connector according to claim 10, characterized in that... It also includes a bearing, disposed within the housing and located between the receiving block and the sleeve, wherein the second elastic member abuts against the two steps of the two side arms and the bearing.

12. The fiber optic connector according to claim 11, characterized in that... The bearing also has two guide pins, which are inserted through and partially protrude from the sleeve and the housing as the bearing abuts against the sleeve.

13. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that... The tail sleeve, the fastener, the housing, and the sleeve are arranged in a layered, overlapping structure from the outside in.

14. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that... The tail sleeve includes a head section and a tail section. The head section has a second fastening portion and overlaps the housing and the fastening member. The tail section is tapered relative to the head section to cover the optical fiber extending from the housing.

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