A miniaturized high-density stacked connector and interconnect system therefor

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of connectors, in particular to a small high-density stacked connector and a middle plate interconnection system thereof, which comprises a first shell, a second shell, a plug core, a positioning seat, a spring and a tail sleeve; the first shell and the second shell are matched and spliced to form an internal accommodating cavity; the first shell is partially embedded in the second shell to form an embedded stacked structure; the plug core, the positioning seat and the spring are sequentially arranged in the accommodating cavity along an axial direction; the plug core is fixedly installed at a first end of the positioning seat; a plurality of groups of optical fiber channels extending along the axial direction are arranged in the plug core; the positioning seat is slidably installed in the accommodating cavity through an axial guide structure; the spring is in a pre-relaxed state in an initial state; during the butt joint process, an end thrust is transmitted to the positioning seat through the plug core; the positioning seat slides along the axial direction to compress the spring; the spring generates an elastic force which is reversely applied to the positioning seat and the plug core, thereby providing floating butt joint abutting force for the plug core; and the second end of the second shell is connected with the tail sleeve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of connector technology, and more particularly to a miniaturized high-density stacked connector and its mid-board interconnection system. Background Technology

[0002] Most existing connectors adopt a shell structure with front and rear segments, and the internal ferrule and elastic reset component are arranged in series along the axial direction. In order to realize the floating docking function of the ferrule, multiple independent shells and sliding components are usually provided.

[0003] The existing structure, which uses multiple shells for independent docking, results in a large overall stacking thickness of the connectors, making it difficult to compress the radial dimensions and thus unsuitable for high-density parallel installation scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a miniaturized, high-density stacked connector designed to address the problem that existing connectors cannot meet the needs of high-density connections in confined spaces.

[0005] This application provides a miniaturized, high-density stacked connector, including a first housing, a second housing, a ferrule, a positioning seat, a spring, and a tail sleeve. The first housing and the second housing are joined together to form an internal receiving cavity. The first housing is partially embedded inside the second housing to form a mating stacked structure. The ferrule, positioning seat, and spring are arranged sequentially along the axial direction inside the receiving cavity. The ferrule is fixedly installed at the first end of the positioning seat. Multiple sets of axially extending optical fiber channels are provided inside the ferrule. The positioning seat is slidably installed inside the receiving cavity through an axial guide structure. The spring abuts against the second end of the positioning seat and the inner wall of the second housing. The spring is initially in a pre-relaxed state. During the docking process, the thrust of the opposite end is transmitted to the positioning seat through the ferrule. The positioning seat slides along the axial direction to compress the spring, and the elastic force generated by the spring acts in the opposite direction on the positioning seat and the ferrule, providing a floating docking abutment force for the ferrule. The second end of the second housing is connected to the tail sleeve. The tail sleeve communicates with the receiving cavity, allowing the optical fiber bundle to pass through and connect to the ferrule.

[0006] In some embodiments, a mating slot is provided at the first end of the first housing; guide protrusions are provided on both the first and second sides of the first housing; guide grooves are provided at corresponding positions on the inner sidewall of the second housing; the cross-section of the guide protrusions adopts a rectangular structure; the single-sided fitting gap between the guide protrusions and the guide grooves is set to 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm; after the two are fitted together, the circumferential relative rotation of the first housing and the second housing is restricted.

[0007] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the second housing is provided with an axially extending sliding guide rail; two sliding guide rails are symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the receiving cavity; the first side and the second side of the positioning seat are respectively provided with a sliding groove; the sliding groove and the sliding guide rail cooperate with each other; the single-sided cooperation gap between the two is set to 0.03 mm to 0.15 mm; limiting the circumferential deflection and radial displacement of the positioning seat.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first end face of the ferrule is provided with multiple sets of fiber channel ports; the multiple sets of fiber channel ports are arranged in a row and column matrix; the center spacing between adjacent fiber channel ports is set to 0.8 mm to 2.54 mm; during docking, each fiber channel port floats synchronously with the ferrule to achieve end face optical coupling.

[0009] In some embodiments, two positioning posts are provided at the first end of the positioning seat; the two positioning posts are symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the positioning seat; positioning holes are provided at corresponding positions of the ferrule; the single-sided fitting clearance between the positioning post and the positioning hole is set to 0.02 mm to 0.1 mm; the positioning post passes into the positioning hole to achieve coaxial positioning and circumferential limiting of the ferrule.

[0010] In some embodiments, the spring is a cylindrical helical compression spring; the spring wire diameter is set to 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm; the spring mean diameter is set to 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm; a limiting boss is provided at the second end of the positioning seat; the first end of the spring is sleeved on the outside of the limiting boss; a limiting groove is provided at a corresponding position on the inner sidewall of the second housing; the second end of the spring is embedded in the limiting groove; the rated compression of the spring is set to 2 mm to 5 mm, and the corresponding rated abutment force is set to 3 N to 15 N.

[0011] In some embodiments, a snap-fit ​​structure is provided at the first end of the tail sleeve; a corresponding slot is provided at the second end of the second housing; the snap-fit ​​structure is snapped into the slot to achieve detachable fixation between the tail sleeve and the second housing; a gradually expanding optical fiber guide port is provided at the second end of the tail sleeve; the inner diameter of the guide port gradually increases from the first end to the second end to disperse the bending stress of the optical fiber bundle.

[0012] In some embodiments, the outer contours of the first housing and the second housing match each other; a portion of the structure of the first housing is embedded inside the second housing; the axial depth of the first housing embedded in the second housing accounts for 30% to 60% of the total axial length of the first housing; after the first housing and the second housing are fitted together, their outer surfaces are flush, which is suitable for scenarios where multiple sets of connectors are arranged in parallel with high density.

[0013] In some embodiments, the insert, the positioning seat, and the spring are arranged coaxially in sequence along the axial direction; the outer diameter of the insert, the outer diameter of the positioning seat, and the outer diameter of the spring are all adapted to the inner diameter of the receiving cavity; the maximum axial sliding stroke of the positioning seat is set to 1.0 mm to 4.5 mm.

[0014] Secondly, this application provides a mid-board interconnection system, including an adapter and at least one connector assembly; The adapter includes at least one component slot for placing a connector assembly; The connector assembly includes two connectors as provided in the first aspect, and the ferrules of the two connectors are connected to form the connector assembly.

[0015] The present invention forms a mating stack structure by embedding the first shell portion into the second shell. Compared with the traditional split shell with front and rear docking, it can significantly compress the overall stack thickness and radial dimensions of the connector, and can adapt to the application scenario of high-density parallel deployment of multiple connectors in a narrow space.

[0016] By fixing the insert to a sliding positioning seat and using a spring to abut against the axial structure of the positioning seat, the insert has axial floating docking capability. During docking, it can adaptively compensate for docking errors and ensure docking fit. At the same time, compared with the direct floating of the insert, the sliding of the positioning seat has a more controllable movement trajectory and improves the stability of the docking process.

[0017] The ferrule, positioning seat, and spring are sequentially integrated into the housing cavity along the axial direction, making full use of the internal space of the housing. This achieves complete functions of docking, elastic reset, and cable access within a compact volume, resulting in fewer overall parts and lower assembly complexity.

[0018] By setting a tail sleeve at the second end of the second housing that communicates with the receiving cavity, the external cable can be limited and protected, avoiding cable bending damage and improving the structural stability of the cable and ferrule connection.

[0019] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a first-view schematic diagram of a miniaturized high-density stacked connector provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a second-view schematic diagram of a miniaturized high-density stacked connector provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a third-view schematic diagram of a miniaturized high-density stacked connector provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is an exploded view of a first type of miniaturized high-density stacked connector provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is an exploded view of a second type of miniaturized high-density stacked connector provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a first-view schematic diagram of a first type of mid-plate interconnection system provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a second-view schematic diagram of a first type of mid-plate interconnection system provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a second type of mid-plate interconnection system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1000, Interconnected Mid-plate System; 100. Connector; 10. First housing; 20. Second housing; 30. Insert; 40. Tail sleeve; 50. Positioning seat; 60. Spring; 200. Adapter; 210. Component slot.

[0023] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Detailed Implementation

[0024] 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 only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0025] The flowchart shown in the attached diagram is for illustrative purposes only and does not necessarily include all content and operations / steps, nor does it necessarily have to be performed in the order described. For example, some operations / steps can be broken down, combined, or partially merged, so the actual execution order may change depending on the actual situation.

[0026] It should be understood that, in order to clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of the present invention to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0027] It should be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0028] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application specification and the appended claims means any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0029] Most existing connectors adopt a shell structure with front and rear segments, and the internal ferrule and elastic reset component are arranged in series along the axial direction. In order to realize the floating docking function of the ferrule, multiple independent shells and sliding components are usually provided.

[0030] The existing structure has the following shortcomings: First, the independent docking of multiple shells results in a large overall stacking thickness of the connector, making it difficult to compress the radial dimension and adapt to high-density parallel deployment installation scenarios; Second, the internal floating structure layout is scattered, with a lot of redundant space inside the shell, a large number of components and high assembly complexity, which restricts the miniaturization of the connector and cannot meet the needs of high-density connection in narrow spaces.

[0031] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the present invention provides a miniaturized high-density stacked connector 100, including a first housing, a second housing, a ferrule, a positioning seat, a spring, and a tail sleeve; the first housing and the second housing are joined together to form an internal receiving cavity; the first housing is partially embedded inside the second housing to form a mating stacked structure; the ferrule, the positioning seat, and the spring are arranged sequentially along the axial direction inside the receiving cavity; the ferrule is fixedly installed at the first end of the positioning seat; multiple sets of axially extending optical fiber channels are provided inside the ferrule; the positioning seat is slidably installed inside the receiving cavity through an axial guide structure; the spring abuts against the second end of the positioning seat and the inner wall of the second housing; the spring is initially in a pre-relaxed state; during the docking process, the thrust of the opposite end is transmitted to the positioning seat through the ferrule, the positioning seat slides along the axial direction to compress the spring, and the elastic force generated by the spring acts in the opposite direction on the positioning seat and the ferrule, providing a floating docking abutment force for the ferrule; the second end of the second housing is connected to the tail sleeve; the inside of the tail sleeve communicates with the receiving cavity, allowing the optical fiber bundle to pass through and connect to the ferrule.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this embodiment provides a miniaturized high-density stacked fiber optic connector 100, including a first housing 10, a second housing 20, a ferrule 30, a positioning seat 50, a spring 60, and a tail sleeve 40.

[0033] Both the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are integrally injection molded from high-temperature resistant, high-dimensional precision insulating engineering plastic. They are joined together axially to form a closed internal cavity. The second end portion of the first housing 10 is axially embedded into the internal cavity of the first end of the second housing 20, forming a nested stacked housing structure. Compared to the traditional structure where the two housing ends are directly connected, this nested stacked structure allows for partial overlap of the housing structure, with an axial overlap ratio of 30% to 60%. This effectively reduces the overall axial length and radial stacking thickness of the connector. Under the same internal space requirements, the overall axial dimension can be reduced by 25% to 40%, achieving miniaturization of the housing structure.

[0034] The cavity housing contains a ferrule 30, a positioning seat 50, and a spring 60 arranged sequentially along the connector's axial direction. The ferrule 30 is made of precision ceramic or rigid plastic and contains multiple axially continuous fiber optic channels for fixing the optical fibers and facilitating optical signal transmission. The ferrule 30 is fixedly mounted on the first end face of the positioning seat 50, with the mating end face of the ferrule 30 parallel to the first end face of the connector. The positioning seat 50 is made of rigid insulating material and supports the ferrule 30, transmitting axial force. The positioning seat 50 is mounted inside the cavity via an axial guide structure that allows for reciprocating sliding along the axial direction. The axial guide structure provides radial and circumferential constraints to the positioning seat 50, ensuring coaxiality during sliding.

[0035] Spring 60 is disposed between the second end of positioning seat 50 and the inner wall of second housing 20, with both ends of spring 60 abutting against the end face of the second end of positioning seat 50 and the end face of the inner wall of second housing 20, respectively. Spring 60 is initially in a pre-relaxed state, with an initial preload of only 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm, corresponding to an initial elastic force of 0.3 N to 2.0 N. At this time, the insert 30 is in a low-constraint floating state, allowing for a small range of radial position adjustment.

[0036] The docking process is divided into two continuous stages: the first stage is the alignment stage, where the mating surface of the opposite connector contacts the end face of the ferrule 30, and the thrust is transmitted to the positioning seat 50 through the ferrule 30. Due to the extremely low initial spring force, the ferrule 30 can be radially fine-tuned with the positioning seat 50 to complete the precise alignment of the mating end faces; the second stage is the pressing stage, where the continuously applied axial thrust pushes the positioning seat 50 to slide axially towards the second end, gradually compressing the spring 60. The elastic force generated by the spring 60 acts in the opposite direction on the positioning seat 50 and the ferrule 30, providing the ferrule 30 with a gradually increasing floating docking abutment force until the docking is in place, at which point the spring compression reaches the rated value, providing stable end face contact pressure and ensuring tight coupling of the fiber end faces.

[0037] The second end of the second housing 20 is connected to a tail sleeve 40. The interior of the tail sleeve 40 is a through hollow structure, and the internal cavity of the tail sleeve 40 is interconnected with the receiving cavity. The external optical fiber bundle can be inserted from the second end of the tail sleeve 40, pass through the internal cavity of the tail sleeve, enter the receiving cavity, and be fixed in the optical fiber channel of the ferrule 30. The tail sleeve 40 can form radial limit and protection for the inserted optical fiber bundle, reduce the stress when the optical fiber is bent, and improve the structural stability of the optical fiber connection.

[0038] The assembly process is as follows: First, fix the ferrule 30 to the first end of the positioning seat 50 to complete the pre-assembly of the ferrule assembly; Second, install the spring 60 on the limiting structure at the second end of the positioning seat 50; Third, insert the pre-assembled ferrule 30, positioning seat 50 and spring 60 together into the receiving cavity from the first end of the second housing 20; Fourth, align the second end of the first housing 10 with the first end of the second housing 20 and push it in axially to complete the splicing and fixing of the housing; Fifth, snap the tail sleeve 40 into the second end of the second housing 20 to complete the assembly of the entire fiber optic connector.

[0039] In some embodiments, a mating slot is provided at the first end of the first housing; guide protrusions are provided on both the first and second sides of the first housing; guide grooves are provided at corresponding positions on the inner sidewall of the second housing; the cross-section of the guide protrusions adopts a rectangular structure; the single-sided fitting gap between the guide protrusions and the guide grooves is set to 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm; after the two are fitted together, the circumferential relative rotation of the first housing and the second housing is restricted.

[0040] The first end of the first housing 10 is a mating end. The first end face of the first housing 10 is provided with a mating slot. The mating slot is a concave rectangular groove structure, which is used to cooperate with the mating boss of the opposite connector or the positioning structure of the adapter to achieve initial positioning during mating.

[0041] On the first and second sidewalls of the first housing 10, axially extending guide ridges are respectively provided; the first and second sidewalls are two radially opposite sidewalls of the first housing 10. The cross-section of the guide ridge is rectangular, and the radial protrusion height of the guide ridge can be set to 0.3 mm to 1.2 mm, which is 0.8 mm in this embodiment; the axial width of the guide ridge can be set to 0.8 mm to 1.5 mm, which is 1.2 mm in this embodiment; the axial extension length of the guide ridge accounts for 60% to 90% of the total axial length of the first housing 10, which is 80% in this embodiment.

[0042] On the inner wall of the second housing 20, a guide groove is provided at the position corresponding to the guide protrusion; the cross-sectional shape of the guide groove is adapted to the shape of the guide protrusion, and the size of the guide groove is slightly larger than the size of the guide protrusion, and the two form a clearance fit, with the single-sided fit clearance set to 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm, and 0.1 mm in this embodiment.

[0043] During housing assembly, the second end of the first housing 10 is aligned with the first end of the second housing 20, ensuring that the guide protrusions on both sides are aligned with the guide grooves. Then, the first housing 10 is pushed axially, causing the guide protrusions to slide into the guide grooves until the first housing 10 is fully engaged. The mutual engagement of the guide protrusions and guide grooves achieves circumferential positioning of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20, restricting their relative circumferential rotation, preventing radial misalignment during engagement, ensuring assembly accuracy of the stacked housings, avoiding dimensional deviations in the internal cavities due to housing misalignment, and improving the ease of housing assembly and consistency in mass production.

[0044] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the second housing is provided with an axially extending sliding guide rail; two sliding guide rails are symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the receiving cavity; the first side and the second side of the positioning seat are respectively provided with a sliding groove; the sliding groove and the sliding guide rail cooperate with each other; the single-sided cooperation gap between the two is set to 0.03 mm to 0.15 mm; limiting the circumferential deflection and radial displacement of the positioning seat.

[0045] The inner wall of the second housing 20 is provided with an axially extending sliding guide rail; there are two sliding guide rails, which are respectively provided on the first and second inner walls of the second housing 20, and the two sliding guide rails are symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the receiving cavity. The cross-section of the sliding guide rail is a convex strip structure, and the radial protrusion height of the guide rail can be set to 0.4 mm to 1.5 mm, which is 1.0 mm in this embodiment; the axial length of the guide rail covers the entire sliding stroke of the positioning seat 50, and a buffer margin is reserved at both ends. For example, when the sliding stroke is 3 mm, the total length of the guide rail is set to 8 mm, and a buffer section of 2.5 mm is reserved at each end to prevent the positioning seat from sliding out of its travel range.

[0046] On the first and second side walls of the positioning seat 50, there are grooves at positions corresponding to the sliding guide rail. The groove is an axially penetrating inner groove. The cross-sectional shape of the groove is adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the sliding guide rail. A clearance fit is formed between the groove and the sliding guide rail. The clearance on one side is set to 0.03 mm to 0.15 mm, and in this embodiment it is 0.08 mm.

[0047] When the positioning seat 50 is installed inside the receiving cavity, the sliding grooves on both sides respectively engage with the corresponding sliding guide rails. The sliding guide rails constrain the positioning seat 50 radially and circumferentially, allowing the positioning seat 50 to slide reciprocally only along the axial direction, thus limiting the circumferential deflection and radial displacement of the positioning seat 50. This structure ensures the coaxiality of the positioning seat 50 during the sliding process, preventing the positioning seat from wobbling, and thus ensuring that the mating end face of the ferrule 30 is always parallel to the opposite end face, improving the alignment accuracy and optical coupling efficiency of the fiber optic connection, and enhancing the stability and reliability of the connection.

[0048] In some embodiments, the first end face of the ferrule is provided with multiple sets of fiber channel ports; the multiple sets of fiber channel ports are arranged in a row and column matrix; the center spacing between adjacent fiber channel ports is set to 0.8 mm to 2.54 mm; during docking, each fiber channel port floats synchronously with the ferrule to achieve end face optical coupling.

[0049] The first end of the ferrule 30 is the mating end face, which is provided with multiple sets of fiber optic channel ports. The number of ports corresponds one-to-one with the internal fiber optic channels. The number of fiber optic channels can be configured according to the actual optical signal channel requirements. For example, it can be set to different specifications such as 4, 8, 12, 16, and 24 groups.

[0050] Multiple fiber optic channel ports are arranged in a row-column matrix; for example, when setting 12 fiber optic channels, a single-row matrix arrangement of 1 row and 12 columns can be used, or a double-row matrix arrangement of 2 rows and 6 columns can be used; the center-to-center spacing between adjacent fiber optic channel ports can be set from 0.8 mm to 2.54 mm, and a standard spacing of 1.27 mm is used in this embodiment. The mating end face of the ferrule 30 is precision polished, and the surface roughness reaches the nanometer level, ensuring a tight fit of the fiber end faces during mating and reducing insertion loss.

[0051] During the connection process, each fiber optic channel port floats synchronously with the ferrule. After the end face is properly aligned, the fiber optic channels at both ends are aligned one by one, achieving end face optical coupling. Through the matrix-style port arrangement, a greater number of fiber optic channels can be arranged within a limited ferrule end face area, effectively increasing the channel density per unit area, achieving high-density optical signal connections, and adapting to the needs of multi-channel, high-bandwidth optical transmission.

[0052] In some embodiments, two positioning posts are provided at the first end of the positioning seat; the two positioning posts are symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the positioning seat; positioning holes are provided at corresponding positions of the ferrule; the single-sided fitting clearance between the positioning post and the positioning hole is set to 0.02 mm to 0.1 mm; the positioning post passes into the positioning hole to achieve coaxial positioning and circumferential limiting of the ferrule.

[0053] Two positioning posts are provided on the first end face of the positioning seat 50, and the two positioning posts are symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the positioning seat 50. The positioning posts are cylindrical convex post structures and are integrally injection molded with the positioning seat body; the diameter of the positioning posts can be set to 0.6 mm to 2.0 mm, and is 1.2 mm in this embodiment; the protrusion height of the positioning posts relative to the end face of the positioning seat can be set to 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm, and is 2.0 mm in this embodiment.

[0054] Two positioning holes are respectively opened on the ferrule 30 at the positions corresponding to the two positioning posts; the positioning holes are cylindrical holes extending along the axial direction, and can be set as semi-through holes or full-through holes; the diameter of the positioning holes is slightly larger than the diameter of the positioning posts, and the two form a clearance fit, the fit clearance can be set to 0.02 mm to 0.1 mm, and in this embodiment it is 0.05 mm.

[0055] When assembling the ferrule 30 and the positioning seat 50, align the positioning hole on the ferrule 30 with the positioning post on the positioning seat 50, and press the ferrule 30 against the positioning seat 50 axially, so that the positioning post passes into the interior of the positioning hole. Then, use adhesive to further fix the ferrule and the positioning seat, thus completing the relative positioning of the ferrule and the positioning seat. Through the cooperation of the positioning post and the positioning hole, coaxial positioning and circumferential limiting of the ferrule 30 and the positioning seat 50 can be achieved, preventing the ferrule from rotating or radially offset relative to the positioning seat, and ensuring the installation position accuracy of the ferrule. At the same time, this structure can achieve pre-fixation of the ferrule without additional fasteners, making the assembly process simple and the production efficiency high.

[0056] In some embodiments, the spring is a cylindrical helical compression spring; the spring wire diameter is set to 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm; the spring mean diameter is set to 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm; a limiting boss is provided at the second end of the positioning seat; the first end of the spring is sleeved on the outside of the limiting boss; a limiting groove is provided at a corresponding position on the inner sidewall of the second housing; the second end of the spring is embedded in the limiting groove; the rated compression of the spring is set to 2 mm to 5 mm, and the corresponding rated abutment force is set to 3 N to 15 N.

[0057] Spring 60 is a cylindrical helical compression spring made of stainless steel spring wire or piano wire, possessing excellent fatigue resistance and elastic stability. The spring wire diameter is set to 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm, and in this embodiment, it is 0.4 mm; the spring mean diameter is set to 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm, and in this embodiment, it is 3.5 mm; the spring free length is set to 5.0 mm to 12.0 mm, and in this embodiment, it is 8.0 mm; the rated compression is set to 2 mm to 5 mm, and in this embodiment, it is 3 mm, corresponding to a rated resistance force of 3 N to 15 N, and in this embodiment, it is 8 N.

[0058] A limiting boss is provided on the second end face of the positioning seat 50. The limiting boss is a cylindrical boss structure, and its diameter is adapted to the inner diameter of the spring 60. Specifically, the diameter of the limiting boss is 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm smaller than the inner diameter of the spring 60, which is 0.2 mm in this embodiment. The protrusion height of the limiting boss relative to the end face of the positioning seat can be set to 1.5 mm to 4.0 mm, which is 2.5 mm in this embodiment. The first end of the spring 60 is sleeved on the outside of the limiting boss. The limiting boss can radially limit the first end of the spring to prevent radial deflection of the spring during compression.

[0059] A limiting groove is provided on the inner wall of the second housing 20 at a position corresponding to the second end of the spring 60. The limiting groove is a cylindrical inner groove, and its diameter is adapted to the outer diameter of the spring 60. Specifically, the diameter of the limiting groove is 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm larger than the outer diameter of the spring 60, which is 0.3 mm in this embodiment. The depth of the limiting groove can be set to 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm, which is 2.0 mm in this embodiment. The second end of the spring 60 is embedded in the interior of the limiting groove, and the sidewall of the groove can form a radial limit on the second end of the spring.

[0060] By using the limiting structures at both ends to constrain the spring 60, it can be ensured that the spring 60 always deforms axially during compression and rebound, avoiding radial movement or skew failure of the spring, improving the stability and service life of elastic reset, and ensuring that the axial elastic force is evenly transmitted to the positioning seat and the insert, so that the end face of the insert is evenly stressed, avoiding excessive local pressure that could lead to end face wear.

[0061] In some embodiments, a snap-fit ​​structure is provided at the first end of the tail sleeve; a corresponding slot is provided at the second end of the second housing; the snap-fit ​​structure is snapped into the slot to achieve detachable fixation between the tail sleeve and the second housing; a gradually expanding optical fiber guide port is provided at the second end of the tail sleeve; the inner diameter of the guide port gradually increases from the first end to the second end to disperse the bending stress of the optical fiber bundle.

[0062] The first end of the tail sleeve 40 is a connecting end, and the first end of the tail sleeve 40 is provided with a buckle structure; the buckle structure includes two elastic buckles, which are symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the tail sleeve; the first end of each elastic buckle is connected to the tail sleeve body, and the second end is a free end. A hook structure is provided on the outer side of the free end, and the radial protrusion height of the hook can be set from 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm, which is 0.6 mm in this embodiment.

[0063] On the second end sidewall of the second housing 20, a slot is provided at a position corresponding to the elastic buckle; the slot is a through-hole groove penetrating the sidewall of the housing, and the size of the slot is adapted to the size of the hook. When assembling the tail sleeve 40 and the second housing 20, the first end of the tail sleeve 40 is aligned with the second end of the second housing 20 and inserted. The elastic buckle undergoes radial inward elastic deformation due to the compression of the inner wall of the second housing; when the tail sleeve is fully inserted, the position of the hook aligns with the position of the slot, the elastic buckle springs back outward, and the hook engages with the inside of the slot, realizing a detachable and fixed connection between the tail sleeve 40 and the second housing 20. This buckle connection structure can withstand an axial tensile force of more than 10 Newtons, preventing the tail sleeve from falling off the second housing when pulled by the optical fiber.

[0064] The second end of the tail sleeve 40 is provided with a gradually expanding fiber optic guide port. The inner diameter of the guide port gradually increases from the first end to the second end. The minimum inner diameter of the guide port is consistent with the diameter of the internal channel of the tail sleeve, for example, 3 mm, and the maximum inner diameter can be set to 5 mm to 7 mm, which is 6 mm in this embodiment. The axial length of the guide port can be set to 4 mm to 8 mm, which is 5 mm in this embodiment. The gradually expanding guide port can guide the fiber optic bundle to pass smoothly, while dispersing the stress when the fiber is bent, avoiding breakage damage due to long-term bending, and improving the reliability and service life of the fiber optic connection.

[0065] In some embodiments, the outer contours of the first housing and the second housing match each other; a portion of the structure of the first housing is embedded inside the second housing; the axial depth of the first housing embedded in the second housing accounts for 30% to 60% of the total axial length of the first housing; after the first housing and the second housing are fitted together, their outer surfaces are flush, which is suitable for scenarios where multiple sets of connectors are arranged in parallel with high density.

[0066] The outer contours of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are matched. In this embodiment, both are rectangular parallelepipeds. The maximum radial dimension of the first housing 10 is exactly the same as the maximum radial dimension of the second housing 20.

[0067] Part of the structure of the first housing 10 is embedded inside the second housing 20. The axial depth of the first housing embedded in the second housing accounts for 30% to 60% of the total axial length of the first housing, which is 45% in this embodiment. After the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are fitted and assembled, their outer surfaces are flush with each other, there is no protruding step structure, and the sidewalls of the housings are a continuous and flat plane.

[0068] This structure makes the connector's overall shape neat and smooth, without protruding edges, which facilitates insertion and removal within the adapter's component slots and reduces interference and jamming during installation. On the other hand, the interlocking and stacking structure makes full use of the internal space of the second housing, accommodating part of the first housing's structure inside the second housing. Compared to the traditional end-to-end mating housing structure, it can effectively reduce the overall axial length of the connector while maintaining consistent radial dimensions, achieving overall miniaturization of the connector. This makes it suitable for high-density deployment of multiple connectors in parallel, allowing for a greater number of connector channels to be arranged within an adapter of the same width.

[0069] In some embodiments, the insert, the positioning seat, and the spring are arranged coaxially in sequence along the axial direction; the outer diameter of the insert, the outer diameter of the positioning seat, and the outer diameter of the spring are all adapted to the inner diameter of the receiving cavity; the maximum axial sliding stroke of the positioning seat is set to 1.0 mm to 4.5 mm.

[0070] The insert 30, the positioning seat 50 and the spring 60 are arranged coaxially along the central axis of the connector, and the central axis of the three coincides with the central axis of the receiving cavity.

[0071] The outer diameters of the insert 30, the positioning seat 50, and the spring 60 are all adapted to the inner diameter of the receiving cavity. Specifically, the outer diameter of the insert 30 is 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm smaller than the inner diameter of the receiving cavity, which is 0.3 mm in this embodiment; the outer diameter of the positioning seat 50 is 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm smaller than the inner diameter of the receiving cavity, which is 0.1 mm in this embodiment; and the outer diameter of the spring 60 is 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm smaller than the inner diameter of the receiving cavity, which is 0.4 mm in this embodiment.

[0072] The maximum axial sliding stroke of the positioning seat is set to 1.0 mm to 4.5 mm, and in this embodiment it is 3.0 mm; the two ends of the sliding stroke correspond to the initial pre-relaxation position and the maximum compression position of the spring, respectively, which completely covers the displacement required for the docking process.

[0073] The coaxial arrangement structure with the above-mentioned size adaptation can control the gap between the internal components and the inner wall of the cavity within a reasonable range. This ensures that the components can slide and assemble smoothly within the cavity, makes full use of the internal space of the cavity, eliminates unnecessary redundant gaps, effectively reduces the overall radial size of the connector, and further improves the miniaturization of the connector. At the same time, the coaxial arrangement structure can ensure the uniform transmission of axial force and avoid sliding jamming or misalignment caused by off-center loading.

[0074] In some embodiments, the first end face of the ferrule 30 is provided with two mating guide pins. The two mating guide pins are symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the ferrule and are processed synchronously with the optical fiber channel, achieving a positional accuracy down to the micrometer level. The first end of the mating guide pin is a tapered guide end, with a tapered angle of 15 to 30 degrees, 20 degrees in this embodiment; the diameter of the mating guide pin is 0.5 mm to 1.2 mm, 0.7 mm in this embodiment; the protrusion length of the mating guide pin relative to the end face of the ferrule is 1.5 mm to 3.0 mm, 2.2 mm in this embodiment. The corresponding position of the ferrule of the opposite connector is provided with a guide pin mating hole, and the entrance of the guide pin mating hole is provided with a 30-degree chamfered guide structure, which cooperates with the tapered guide end to achieve insertion.

[0075] The first and second sides of the positioning seat 50 are respectively provided with a front limiting protrusion and a rear limiting protrusion in their sliding grooves; the corresponding positions of the sliding guide rail on the inner wall of the second housing 20 are provided with a front limiting groove and a rear limiting groove. The front limiting protrusion and the front limiting groove cooperate to limit the foremost position of the positioning seat, that is, the initial position of the pre-relaxed state; the rear limiting protrusion and the rear limiting groove cooperate to limit the rearmost position of the positioning seat, that is, the maximum compression position.

[0076] The docking process strictly follows a two-stage control logic: The first stage is the pre-alignment stage. When the connector is first inserted into the opposite end structure, the ferrule is in a pre-relaxed state with a spring force of less than 2 Newtons. The ferrule can float radially within a small range with the positioning seat. The tapered end of the docking guide pin first contacts the chamfer of the opposite end guide pin hole, guiding the ferrule to automatically adjust its radial position and complete precise alignment. During this stage, the spring compression is less than 1 mm, and the radial friction force on the ferrule is extremely low. The alignment process will not wear down the inner wall of the guide pin hole. The second stage is the clamping docking stage. As the connector continues to be pushed forward, the positioning seat slides backward along the axial direction. The spring compression gradually increases, and the spring force gradually increases until the rear limit protrusion of the positioning seat is engaged with the rear limit groove, reaching the maximum stroke position. The spring reaches its rated compression, providing a stable docking force for the ferrule, ensuring a tight fit between the fiber end faces, and achieving low-loss optical coupling.

[0077] In some embodiments, spring 60 is a variable-pitch cylindrical helical compression spring, which is divided into two sections along the axial direction: a pre-relaxation section and a compression section. The pre-relaxation section is located on the side of the spring closer to the positioning seat, with a larger pitch and lower stiffness. Within a compression stroke of 0 to 1.5 mm, the spring force increases at a rate of 0.8 N / mm. The compression section is located on the side of the spring closer to the inner wall of the second housing, with a smaller pitch and higher stiffness. Within a compression stroke of 1.5 mm to 4.0 mm, the spring force increases at a rate of 3.5 N / mm. The two spring sections are integrally molded, requiring no additional assembly, resulting in high structural stability.

[0078] The first outer wall of the second housing 20 is provided with an elastic locking hook. One end of the elastic locking hook is integrally connected to the second housing body, and the other end is a free end with a locking protrusion on the outside. The inner wall of the adapter's component slot is provided with a corresponding locking slot. When the connector is inserted into the adapter component slot and the ferrule is mated and pressed, the locking protrusion of the elastic locking hook is engaged in the locking slot of the adapter, thereby achieving axial locking between the connector and the adapter.

[0079] In use, the spring is initially in the pre-relaxation stage with low elasticity, allowing the ferrule to float flexibly and facilitating alignment guided by the guide pin. Once the mating stroke exceeds 1.5 mm, the spring enters the clamping stage, and the elasticity increases rapidly. Only an additional 1.5 mm of stroke is needed to achieve the rated mating force, providing sufficient resistance without excessive mating stroke, further reducing the overall axial dimension of the connector. During adapter insertion, a single axial push simultaneously completes the ferrule pre-alignment, clamping, and adapter locking steps, eliminating the need for additional locking operations. This significantly improves assembly efficiency in automated mating scenarios, making it suitable for applications such as automated optical device testing and automated inter-board interconnection.

[0080] like Figures 6 to 8 As shown, this embodiment provides a mid-board interconnection system 1000, including an adapter 200 and at least one connector assembly.

[0081] The adapter 200 has an insulating housing structure, and at least one component slot 210 is provided inside the adapter 200. The component slot 210 is arranged through the axial direction of the adapter 200, and each component slot 210 is used to place a set of connector assemblies. The connector assembly includes two connectors 100 as described in any of the aforementioned embodiments. The two connectors 100 are respectively inserted into the same component slot 210 from both ends of the axial direction of the adapter 200. The ferrules 30 of the two connectors 100 are mated together, and the conductive contact terminals are connected one-to-one to form a complete electrical signal transmission path, which together constitute a set of connector assemblies.

[0082] The inner wall of the component slot 210 can be provided with a guide structure and a locking structure that are compatible with the housing of the connector 100. After the connector is inserted into the component slot, the locking structure can axially limit the connector to prevent the connector from being pulled out of the adapter by external force, thus ensuring the reliability of the mating connection.

[0083] In practical applications, the number of component slots and connector components can be flexibly configured according to actual channel requirements, as shown in the following examples: Single-channel configuration: The adapter 200 has one component slot 210 inside, which is used to place one set of connector components to realize the interconnection of the middle board of a single signal, which is suitable for single-channel signal transmission scenarios.

[0084] Dual-channel configuration: such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the adapter 200 has two component slots 210 inside, which are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. Each component slot is equipped with one set of connector components, for a total of two sets of connector components, to realize the interconnection of dual-channel parallel signal boards. This is suitable for transmission scenarios of dual-channel differential signals or dual-channel independent signals.

[0085] Four-channel configuration: such as Figure 8 As shown, the adapter 200 has four component slots 210 inside, arranged in a matrix of 2 rows and 2 columns. Each component slot corresponds to one set of connector components, for a total of four sets of connector components, realizing four-way parallel signal mid-board interconnection, which is suitable for multi-channel high-density mid-board interconnection scenarios.

[0086] Multi-channel expansion configuration: The adapter 200 can also be configured with 8, 12, 16 or even more component slots 210. The component slots can be arranged in various ways, such as single row arrangement or multi-row multi-column matrix arrangement. The number of connector components corresponds one-to-one with the number of component slots. The configuration can be flexibly selected according to the actual number of channels, installation space and layout requirements, to adapt to different scales of mid-board interconnection systems and meet the internal interconnection needs of different devices.

[0087] The mid-board interconnection system uses the aforementioned miniaturized, high-density stacked connectors, which can arrange more connection channels within a limited adapter space to achieve high-density mid-board signal interconnection. At the same time, the flexible floating docking structure of the connectors can ensure the reliability of the docking contact and improve the overall connection stability and service life of the system.

[0088] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0089] It should be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. It should be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as “on,” “adjacent to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” other elements or layers, it may be directly on, adjacent to, connected to, or coupled to other elements or layers, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as “directly on,” “directly adjacent to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” other elements or layers, there are no intervening elements or layers. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various elements, components, areas, layers, and / or portions, these elements, components, areas, layers, and / or portions should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element, component, area, layer, or portion from another element, component, area, layer, or portion. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of this application, the first element, component, area, layer, or portion discussed below may be referred to as a second element, component, area, layer, or portion.

[0090] Spatial relation terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “under,” “above,” “above,” etc., are used herein for convenience of description to describe the relationship between one element or feature shown in the figure and other elements or features. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the figure, spatial relation terms are intended to also include different orientations of the device in use and operation. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, then the element or feature described as “below,” “under,” or “below” other elements or features will be oriented “above” other elements or features. Therefore, the exemplary terms “below” and “under” can include both above and below orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or otherwise) and the spatial descriptive terms used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0091] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. When used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including,” when used in this specification, identify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. When used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0092] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application specification and the appended claims means any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0093] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A miniaturized, high-density stacked connector, characterized in that, The device includes a first housing, a second housing, a ferrule, a positioning seat, a spring, and a tail sleeve. The first housing and the second housing are joined together to form an internal receiving cavity. The first housing is partially embedded inside the second housing to form a mating stack structure. The ferrule, positioning seat, and spring are arranged sequentially along the axial direction inside the receiving cavity. The ferrule is fixedly installed at the first end of the positioning seat. Multiple sets of axially extending optical fiber channels are provided inside the ferrule. The positioning seat is slidably installed inside the receiving cavity through an axial guide structure. The spring abuts against the second end of the positioning seat and the inner wall of the second housing. The spring is initially in a pre-relaxed state. During the docking process, the thrust of the opposite end is transmitted to the positioning seat through the ferrule. The positioning seat slides along the axial direction to compress the spring, and the elastic force generated by the spring acts in the opposite direction on the positioning seat and the ferrule, providing a floating docking abutment force for the ferrule. The second end of the second housing is connected to the tail sleeve. The tail sleeve communicates with the receiving cavity, allowing the optical fiber bundle to pass through and connect to the ferrule.

2. The miniaturized high-density stacked connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first end of the first housing is provided with a docking slot; both the first and second sides of the first housing are provided with guide protrusions; the inner sidewall of the second housing is provided with guide grooves at corresponding positions; the cross-section of the guide protrusions is rectangular; the single-sided fitting gap between the guide protrusions and the guide grooves is set to 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm; after the two are fitted together, the circumferential relative rotation of the first housing and the second housing is restricted.

3. The miniaturized high-density stacked connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the second housing is provided with an axially extending sliding guide rail; two sliding guide rails are symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the receiving cavity; the first and second sides of the positioning seat are respectively provided with sliding grooves; the sliding grooves and the sliding guide rails cooperate with each other; the clearance between the two on one side is set to 0.03 mm to 0.15 mm; thus limiting the circumferential deflection and radial displacement of the positioning seat.

4. The miniaturized high-density stacked connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first end face of the ferrule is provided with multiple sets of fiber channel ports; the multiple sets of fiber channel ports are arranged in a row and column matrix; the center spacing between adjacent fiber channel ports is set to 0.8 mm to 2.54 mm; during docking, each fiber channel port floats synchronously with the ferrule to achieve end face optical coupling.

5. The miniaturized high-density stacked connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two positioning posts are provided at the first end of the positioning seat; the two positioning posts are symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the positioning seat; positioning holes are provided at the corresponding positions of the ferrule; the single-sided fitting clearance between the positioning post and the positioning hole is set to 0.02 mm to 0.1 mm; the positioning post passes into the interior of the positioning hole to achieve coaxial positioning and circumferential limiting of the ferrule.

6. The miniaturized high-density stacked connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spring is a cylindrical helical compression spring; the spring wire diameter is set to 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm; the spring mean diameter is set to 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm; a limiting boss is provided at the second end of the positioning seat; the first end of the spring is sleeved on the outside of the limiting boss; a limiting groove is provided at a corresponding position on the inner sidewall of the second housing; the second end of the spring is embedded in the limiting groove; the rated compression of the spring is set to 2 mm to 5 mm, and the corresponding rated abutment force is set to 3 N to 15 N.

7. The miniaturized high-density stacked connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first end of the tail sleeve is provided with a snap-fit ​​structure; the second end of the second housing is provided with a corresponding slot; the snap-fit ​​structure is snapped into the slot to achieve detachable fixation between the tail sleeve and the second housing; the second end of the tail sleeve is provided with a gradually expanding optical fiber guide port; the inner diameter of the guide port gradually increases from the first end to the second end to disperse the bending stress of the optical fiber bundle.

8. The miniaturized high-density stacked connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer contours of the first housing and the second housing match each other; a portion of the structure of the first housing is embedded inside the second housing; the axial depth of the first housing embedded in the second housing accounts for 30% to 60% of the total axial length of the first housing; after the first housing and the second housing are fitted together, their outer surfaces are flush, which is suitable for scenarios where multiple sets of connectors are deployed in parallel at high density.

9. The miniaturized high-density stacked connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insert, the positioning seat, and the spring are arranged coaxially in sequence along the axial direction; the outer diameter of the insert, the outer diameter of the positioning seat, and the outer diameter of the spring are all adapted to the inner diameter of the receiving cavity; the maximum axial sliding stroke of the positioning seat is set to 1.0 mm to 4.5 mm.

10. A mid-plate interconnection system, characterized in that, Includes an adapter and at least one connector component; The adapter includes at least one component slot for accommodating the connector assembly; The connector assembly includes two connectors as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the ferrules of the two connectors are connected to form the connector assembly.

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