Optical fiber connector shell, optical fiber connector and optical fiber butt joint device

Abstract

The utility model discloses an optical fiber connector housing, the optical fiber connector housing is formed by metal plate molding of metal materials, the optical fiber connector housing comprises a front side wall, a first elastic arm, a second elastic arm, a rear side wall, an upper side wall and a bottom wall, the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are provided with first through holes, and the bottom wall is provided with second through holes. Clamping parts are arranged on the two sides of the rear side wall and penetrate into the first through holes after sheet metal machining, and the clamping parts and the first through holes are fixed in a matched mode. The optical fiber connector made of the metal material is not easy to damage, the fatigue performance is good, the plugging performance is not easy to influence, and the service life of the optical fiber connector made of the metal material is longer; meanwhile, the sheet metal process and stamping are convenient for automatic production and manufacturing; and moreover, the sheet metal process and the stamping process do not need to use heat, so that the heat energy cost and the equipment cost are greatly reduced, and the production and manufacturing cost of the optical fiber connector is greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of optical fiber connectors, and in particular to an optical fiber connector housing, an optical fiber connector and an optical fiber docking device. Background Art

[0002] Fiber optic connectors (also known as fiber optic jumpers) are connector plugs installed on both ends of optical cables to achieve active connection of optical paths. They are generally used for connection between optical terminals and terminal boxes, and are applied in fiber optic communication systems, fiber optic access networks, fiber optic data transmission, local area networks, and other fields. For some application scenarios inside the cabinets of fiber optic communication systems, such as the application of fiber optic connections such as on-board optics, another type of multi-fiber connector based on MT ferrules is required, called ferrule-type multi-fiber connectors. This ferrule-type multi-fiber connector does not need to prevent the optical fiber from being stretched, but requires that the total length of the fiber optic connector after docking is shorter and more compact than that of the MPO fiber optic connector.

[0003] Existing fiber optic connectors, such as Figure 1 It is seen that it includes a connector body A1, a male plug A2 and a female plug A3 that cooperate with each other, a spring A4, two elastic buckles A5, a positioning guide pin A21 and a guide pin bracket A6. The connector body A1 has a precise alignment tunnel that runs through the front and back. The male plug A2 and the female plug A3 extend into the alignment tunnel from both ends of the connector body A1 respectively. The male plug A2 and the female plug A3 are connected to the connector body A1 through the elastic buckle A5. The end of the positioning guide pin A21 of the male plug A2 extends into the matching positioning hole of the female plug A3 to achieve the docking of the male plug A2 and the female plug A3.

[0004] Figure 1 A plastic optical fiber connector in which the shell is made of plastic injection molding, but due to the low strength, poor elongation and poor fatigue performance of the plastic itself, it is easy to cause fatigue failure due to repeated pressing after multiple operations, or it is directly damaged by the user's inadvertent excessive force. Therefore, a fiber optic connector with high structural strength and good fatigue performance is needed. Utility Model Content

[0005] The utility model provides an optical fiber connector housing, an optical fiber connector and an optical fiber docking device to solve the problem that the plastic optical fiber connector housing is prone to fatigue failure.

[0006] In a first aspect, a fiber optic connector housing is formed by metal molding.

[0007] Preferably, the material of the optical fiber connector housing is selected from any one of 304 stainless steel, 302 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel, SPCC, A1100P, Q195, Q215, and Q235.

[0008] Preferably, the optical fiber connector housing is formed by sheet metal processing.

[0009] Preferably, the optical fiber connector housing includes a front side wall, a first elastic arm, a second elastic arm, a rear side wall, an upper side wall and a bottom wall, the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are provided with a first through hole, and there are clamping parts on both sides of the rear side wall, and after sheet metal processing, the clamping parts are inserted into the first through hole, and the two are matched and fixed.

[0010] In another embodiment, the optical fiber connector housing is made by one or more processes of metal stamping, forging, or casting.

[0011] Furthermore, the bottom wall of the optical fiber connector housing also has a notch that provides elasticity for the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm, and the outer side of the notch coincides with the inner side of the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm.

[0012] Furthermore, the outer corners of the notch are rounded.

[0013] In a second aspect, the utility model provides a fiber optic connector, which includes a ferrule assembly, a fiber optic connector housing, an elastic providing member, and a ferrule bracket, and the fiber optic connector housing adopts the above-mentioned fiber optic connector housing.

[0014] Preferably, the ferrule bracket 14 is made of metal.

[0015] Preferably, the ferrule bracket includes a ferrule base, the ferrule base is a groove structure, and after the ferrule bracket is processed by sheet metal, the four side surfaces of the groove structure are only connected to the bottom surface of the groove structure.

[0016] In a third aspect, the utility model further provides an optical fiber docking device, the optical fiber docking device comprising an optical fiber connector, a second optical fiber connector and an adapter, the optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector are both the optical fiber connectors described above;

[0017] The optical fiber connector is a male connector, wherein the ferrule assembly further includes a guide pin and a guide pin bracket, the guide pin is fixed on the guide pin bracket and passes through the guide pin hole of the ferrule body, and the front end of the guide pin is exposed from the ferrule body.

[0018] Furthermore, the adapter includes a docking channel, and the docking channel includes a guide column hole, a blocking portion, a plurality of guide grooves, and a step portion.

[0019] Beneficial effects:

[0020] Compared with plastic parts, metal has high material strength, good toughness, and excellent fatigue performance. This makes metal fiber optic connectors less likely to be damaged when used cyclically, and has good fatigue performance, and the plugging and unplugging performance is not easily affected, so the service life of metal fiber optic connectors is longer.

[0021] In addition, sheet metal processing and stamping processes are low-cost and easy to automate production. Moreover, sheet metal processing and stamping processes do not require the use of heat, which greatly reduces thermal energy costs and equipment costs, which will greatly reduce the production and manufacturing costs of optical fiber connectors. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the utility model, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the utility model will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an optical fiber connector in the prior art;

[0024] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a fiber optic connector housing in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a handle in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0026] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a handle subjected to pressure in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0027] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of a sheet metal blank of an optical fiber connector housing in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0028] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the optical fiber connector housing in another embodiment of the utility model;

[0029] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of an optical fiber connector in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of the ferrule assembly in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0031] Fig. 9 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of an insert bracket in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0032] Fig.10It is a schematic diagram of another viewing angle of the optical fiber connector housing in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0033] Fig.11 It is a structural schematic diagram of a sheet metal blank of an insert bracket in one embodiment of the utility model;

[0034] Fig.12 is a front view of an optical fiber connector in another embodiment of the utility model;

[0035] Fig.13 It is a right side view of the optical fiber connector housing in another embodiment of the utility model;

[0036] Fig.14 It is a structural schematic diagram of the docking device in Example 5 of the utility model;

[0037] Fig.15 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adapter in Embodiment 5 of the present utility model;

[0038] Fig.16 yes Fig.15 Enlarged view of part A of the middle adapter;

[0039] Fig.17 It is the position state of the optical fiber connector of the utility model when it is docked in the adapter.

[0040] Description of reference numerals:

[0041] A1, connector body; A2, male plug; A3, female plug; A4, spring; A5, elastic buckle; A21, positioning guide pin; guide pin bracket A6;

[0042] 100. Optical fiber docking device; 10. Optical fiber connector; 20. Second optical fiber connector; 30. Adapter;

[0043] 1. Optical fiber connector; 11. Ferrule assembly; 111. Ferrule body; 112. Guide pin; 113. Guide pin bracket; 114. Optical fiber; 115. Flange;

[0044] 12. Optical fiber connector housing; 121. Front side wall; 1211. Second opening; 1212a / 1212b. First positioning hole; 122a. First elastic arm; 122b. Second elastic arm; 1221. Position limiting protrusion; 1222a / 1222b. First through hole; 1223. Slide groove; 123. Rear side wall; 1231. Third opening; 1232a / 1232b. Clamping portion; 124. First opening; 125. Bottom wall; 1251a / 1251b. Notch; 12511a / 12511b. Corner; 1252a / 1252b. Slide groove;

[0045] 13. Elasticity provider;

[0046] 14, ferrule bracket; 141, ferrule base; 142, bracket wing; 1421a / 1421b, first leg; 1422a / 1422b, second leg; 143, bracket opening; 144a / 144b, guide hole;

[0047] 15. handle; 151a. first hand-held portion; 151b. second hand-held portion; 152. connecting portion; 153. upper notch; 154. anti-drop portion; 16. guide column;

[0048] 31. Docking channel; 311a / 311b. Guide column hole; 312. Blocking portion; 313. Guide groove; 314. Step portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects solved by the utility model more clear, the utility model is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the utility model and are not used to limit the utility model.

[0050] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "radial", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0051] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0052] The optical fiber connector housing, the optical fiber connector and the optical fiber docking device in the present invention are described below respectively.

[0053] Example 1

[0054] This embodiment provides a fiber optic connector housing 12, which can be Figure 2and Figure 3 It can be seen that the fiber optic connector housing 12 includes a front side wall 121, a first elastic arm 122a, a second elastic arm 122b, a rear side wall 123, an upper side wall and a bottom wall 125. The upper side wall of the connector is provided with a first opening 124. The core assembly, spring and other components that need to be placed in the fiber optic connector such as the fiber optic connector housing can be directly installed into the interior of the fiber optic connector housing 12 from the first opening 124. The front side wall 121 is provided with a second opening 1211, and the rear side wall 123 is provided with a third opening 1231.

[0055] The first opening 124 may completely cover the upper side wall, in which case the upper side wall does not exist; or may partially cover the upper side wall. The size of the first opening 124 may be adjusted according to the needs of the designer.

[0056] In this embodiment, the first opening 124 completely covers the upper side wall, and the upper side wall does not exist at this time.

[0057] The optical fiber connector is a frame structure formed by the front side wall, the rear side wall, the upper side wall, and the bottom wall. The first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b are connected to the front side wall and respectively cover at least the blank areas on both sides of the frame structure. The shapes of the front side wall, the rear side wall, the upper side wall, and the bottom wall are not defined here, as long as the front side wall, the rear side wall, the upper side wall, and the bottom wall can form a frame structure.

[0058] The first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b are both provided with a limiting protrusion 1221 for cooperating with the adapter 30. The first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b are both provided with a handle 15. The handle 15 includes a first hand-held portion 151a and a second hand-held portion 151b. When the first hand-held portion 151a and the second hand-held portion 151b are subjected to finger pressure, the two hand-held portions drive the side walls of the optical fiber connector housing to elastically deform inward, and the limiting protrusion retracts inward. At this time, the optical fiber connector housing and the adapter are unlocked.

[0059] In order to make it more convenient for the operator to disassemble a single connector in a high-density optical fiber connector, the handle 15 also includes a connecting portion 152, which connects the first elastic arm 122a and the first hand-held portion 151a and the second elastic arm 122b and the second hand-held portion 151b. The connecting portion 152 is formed by extending inward from the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b, which is beneficial for leaving more space on both sides of the hand-held portion to facilitate fingers to press the hand-held portion. The width W1 between the two hand-held portions 151a and 151b of the optical fiber connector handle 15 is smaller than the width W2 of the two side walls of the optical fiber connector housing. In the present embodiment, W1=6.4mm, W2=13.8mm.

[0060] The narrow handle design leaves ample space for the user to grasp the handle, making it easy and convenient to pick up and place a single connector. In addition, the narrow handle solves the problem of the distance between the optical fiber connector and the ground in a one-dimensional optical fiber connector array being too small and the operating gap between rows in a two-dimensional optical fiber connector array being too small, making it difficult for fingers to reach in and contact the pressing arm, which helps users to easily pick up and place any optical fiber connector in the optical fiber connector array.

[0061] In actual operation, the researchers found that when the relationship between W1 and W2 satisfies 0.9≥W1 / W2≥0.1, the above technical effects can be achieved to varying degrees.

[0062] In addition, an upper notch 153 is formed between the first gripping portion 151a and the second gripping portion 151b, and the notch shape of the upper notch 153 is a trapezoidal shape. Figure 4 As shown, when the fingers apply pressure to the gripping part, the two oblique sides of the trapezoid are brought together and overlapped, the first gripping part 151a and the second gripping part 151b abut against each other, and the two handles are closed to form a rigid structure with limited position. In this way, on the one hand, it is not necessary to pay attention to controlling the force when pinching, and strong force will not damage the elastic structure. On the other hand, grasping a rigid structure is much more stable than grasping two elastic arms with variable positions, and it is easier to manipulate the connector to insert or remove its adapter interface.

[0063] Anti-dropping parts 154 are also provided at the ends of the first gripping part and the second gripping part to prevent the user's fingers from slipping when removing the optical fiber connector.

[0064] On the other hand, the optical fiber connector housing 12 can be formed of plastic or metal. In this embodiment, the optical fiber connector housing 12 is made of metal and can be selected from many metals, such as 304 stainless steel, 302 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel, SPCC, CRS, A1100P, AL5052, Q195, Q215, Q235, and Q275. More specifically, the optical fiber connector housing 12 is made of 302 stainless steel plate through sheet metal processing.

[0065] like Figure 5 The plate shown in the figure is the processed blank of the optical fiber connector housing 12, and the blank is formed into a front side wall 121, a rear side wall 123, a bottom wall 125, a handle 15, a first elastic arm 122a, and a second elastic arm 122b in sequence. The first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b are provided with a first through hole 1222a / 1222b, and there are clamping parts 1232a / 1232b on both sides of the rear side wall. After sheet metal processing, the clamping parts 1232a / 1232b are inserted into the first through holes 1222a / 1222b, and the two are matched and fixed so that the above-mentioned side walls form a stable frame structure.

[0066] Compared with the split housing, the optical fiber connector housing has fewer parts, a simpler production process, and a more stable overall structure. In addition, due to the existence of the first opening, parts such as the ferrule bracket and the spring can be directly installed into the housing. In other words, the first opening allows other optical fiber connector accessories to be installed in the connector housing first, so that pre-installation is achieved. When replacing the ferrule or installing the ferrule on site, there is no need to disassemble the optical fiber connector and reassemble it, which avoids the loss of spare parts during the assembly process and makes it extremely convenient to install and replace the ferrule on site. At the same time, the first opening makes the entire installation process completely visible, which is convenient for accurate installation and adjustment of the ferrule assembly.

[0067] In addition, the narrow handle design leaves ample space for the user to grasp the handle, making it easier to apply force when taking and placing. At the same time, the reserved space for taking and placing operations helps to reduce the volume occupied by the optical fiber docking device.

[0068] Furthermore, compared with plastic parts, metals have higher material strength, better toughness, and excellent fatigue performance. In the case of cyclic plugging and unplugging, metal fiber optic connectors have a long life, and the cost will be greatly reduced by sheet metal manufacturing.

[0069] Example 2

[0070] Based on Example 1, Example 2 provides a processing solution for metal material processing using any one or more of the processes of stamping, forging, or casting.

[0071] This embodiment provides a fiber optic connector housing 12, such as Figure 6 As shown, the optical fiber connector housing 12 is generally of a square structure, including a front side wall 121, a first elastic arm 122a, a second elastic arm 122b, a rear side wall 123, an upper side wall and a bottom wall 125. The upper side wall of the connector is provided with a first opening 124, and the core assembly and the spring can be directly installed into the interior of the optical fiber connector housing 12 from the first opening 124. The front side wall 121 is provided with a second opening 1211, and the rear side wall 123 is provided with a third opening 1231; the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b are both provided with a limiting protrusion 1221 for cooperating with the adapter 30, and a handle 15 is provided at the end of the side wall 122. The difference is that the bottom wall 125 of the optical fiber connector housing 12 also has notches 1251a / 1251b for providing elasticity for the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b, and the outer edges of the notches 1251a / 1251b coincide with the inner edges of the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b.

[0072] The side wall 122a / second elastic arm 122b and bottom wall 125 of the optical fiber connector housing that is stamped, forged, or cast are formed together, so that the notch 1251a / 1251b can allow the side wall to be at least partially separated from the bottom wall. At this time, the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b can bend inward after being subjected to pressure, thereby achieving the purpose of unlocking.

[0073] The outer corners 12511a / 12511b of the notch 1251a / 1251b are rounded to prevent stress concentration and damage inside the notch after the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b are repeatedly compressed.

[0074] Example 3

[0075] like Figure 7 As shown, embodiment 3 provides a fiber optic connector 10, the fiber optic connector 10 includes a ferrule assembly 11, a fiber optic connector housing 12, an elastic providing member 13, and a ferrule bracket 14, and the fiber optic connector housing 12 adopts the fiber optic connector housing in the above embodiments 1-2;

[0076] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of a ferrule assembly in the utility model, the ferrule assembly 11 includes a ferrule body 111 and an optical fiber 114, the optical fiber 114 is arranged in the optical fiber hole of the ferrule body 111; the ferrule body 111 is arranged in the second opening 1211, and the size D1 of the second opening 1211 is smaller than the size D2 of the flange portion of the ferrule; the optical fiber 114 is arranged through the third opening 1231;

[0077] Fig. 9 It is a structural schematic diagram of a core insert bracket in the utility model, the core insert bracket 14 has a core insert base 141, bracket wings 142 arranged on both sides of the core insert base 141, and a bracket opening 143 arranged on the core insert base 141. The core insert base 141 is a groove structure, and the groove structure here means that the groove includes at least a part of the bottom surface and four parts of the side surface, so that the freedom of the components placed in the core insert base 141 can be limited from five directions.

[0078] The ferrule assembly 11 is disposed in the ferrule base 141; the bracket opening 143 allows the optical fiber 114 to pass through;

[0079] The elastic providing member 13 is two springs in this embodiment. The two springs 13 are respectively mounted on the guide posts 16. Fig.10It can be seen that the front side wall 121 also has two first positioning holes 1212a / 1212b, the rear side wall 123 has two second positioning holes 1232a / 1232b, and the bracket wings on both sides have guide holes 144a / 144b; the guide column 16 passes through the second positioning hole, the spring, the guide hole, and the first positioning hole in sequence, thereby limiting the ferrule bracket 14 so that it can only slide along the axial direction of the guide column 16;

[0080] As described above, the two springs 13 in a compressed state push the ferrule assembly 11 placed in the ferrule base 141 to cling to the front side wall 121 . At this time, the flange portion of the ferrule body 111 is stuck on the edge of the second opening 1211 of the front side 121 .

[0081] To facilitate the installation and replacement of the ferrule assembly, the inventor provides a very simple special tool, which has a structure similar to the blocking part on the adapter. When in use, the connector is inserted into the special tool, and the structure similar to the blocking part can easily pull the ferrule bracket 14 to create enough space for the ferrule assembly to fly in, so that the installation and replacement of the ferrule assembly can be completed very simply and quickly.

[0082] When the ferrule assembly needs to be replaced, it is only necessary to insert the connector into the special tool and press the ferrule bracket 14 downward along the guide column 16 for a certain distance. At this time, the ferrule body 111 is no longer close to the front side wall 121, and there is enough space between the ferrule bracket 14 and the front side 121, allowing the flange part of the ferrule body 111 to detach from the ferrule base 141 and be taken out from the first opening.

[0083] When installing a new ferrule assembly, similarly, first insert the connector into the special tool, press down the ferrule bracket 14, there is enough space between the ferrule bracket 14 and the front side 121, put the ferrule assembly 11 directly into the fiber optic connector from the first opening, then pinch the handle and take out the connector from the special tool. At this time, the restriction on the ferrule bracket 14 is released, and the spring 13 will release the elastic force to push the ferrule assembly 11 close to the front side wall 121. At this time, the new ferrule assembly is successfully installed.

[0084] In addition, the bracket wings 142 on both sides of the core bracket 14 are respectively provided with a first support leg 1421a / 1421b and a second support leg 1422a / 1422b, and the first support leg and the second support leg are both perpendicular to the bottom wall 125. The bottom wall 125 is provided with sliding grooves 1252a, 1252b. The sliding grooves 1252a / 1252b are through holes provided on the bottom wall 125. The first support legs 1421a / 1421b pass through the sliding grooves 1252a / 1252b respectively and are exposed on the back side of the bottom wall 125.

[0085] The first leg and the second leg are used to cooperate with the adapter 30. When the fiber optic connector is pushed into the adapter, the ferrule holder can move forward to a certain position and stop. On the one hand, it can avoid the situation that the fiber optic connector inserted first is inserted too much and the fiber optic connector inserted later is difficult to insert and dock. On the other hand, after the ferrule holder stops at a certain position, when the connector housing continues to enter, the tight state between the ferrule and the front side wall is released. At this time, the ferrule body is constrained by the inner cavity of the adapter and will not separate from the fiber optic connector housing. It is in a relatively active or pre-relaxed state. When docking with the ferrule inserted later, the relative positions of the two ferrules can be easily adjusted under the guidance of the guide pin to complete the precise docking of the fiber optic connector.

[0086] In addition, the ferrule bracket 14 can be formed of plastic or metal. In this embodiment, the ferrule bracket 14 is made of metal, which can be selected from many metals with good room temperature elongation, such as 304 stainless steel, 302 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel, SPCC, A1100P, Q195, Q215, Q235. The many metals with good room temperature elongation here refer to metals with elongation greater than or equal to 20% at 25 degrees. More specifically, the ferrule bracket 14 is made of 302 stainless steel plate through sheet metal processing.

[0087] The original blank of the ferrule bracket 14 is as follows Fig.11 As shown in , after sheet metal processing, the four side surfaces of the groove structure are only connected to the bottom surface of the groove structure.

[0088] In other embodiments, the insert bracket 14 may also be made of metal material by any one or more processes such as stamping, forging, or casting.

[0089] The structure of the optical fiber connector adopts an optical fiber connector, which can be pre-assembled. When the ferrule assembly is not installed, the various parts and the connector housing can be assembled into a whole, avoiding the possibility of loss of a single part. When installing the ferrule assembly, the ferrule assembly can be directly installed from the first opening of the connector housing. The entire on-site installation process is simple to operate, and there will be no situation where the installation cannot be performed due to the loss of parts.

[0090] In addition, the double spring structure applies force to the bracket wings of the ferrule bracket from both sides, and the supporting force is distributed more evenly and balanced, which is conducive to keeping the ferrule bracket in a horizontal state and avoiding the problem of spring twisting. At the same time, the springs are installed on both sides of the ferrule, which is conducive to reducing the length of the optical fiber connector.

[0091] Example 4

[0092] Embodiment 4 provides another optical fiber connector 10, such as Figure 12-13As shown, the optical fiber connector 10 includes a ferrule assembly 11, an optical fiber connector housing 12, an elastic providing member 13, and an ferrule bracket 14. The optical fiber connector housing 12 adopts the optical fiber connector housing in the above-mentioned embodiments 1-2; in this embodiment, the elastic providing member 13 is a spring with an elliptical cross section;

[0093] In other embodiments, the elasticity providing member 13 may also be a pair of magnetic members, which also provide thrust to both sides of the magnetic member. The number and structure of the magnetic members may be arranged according to requirements.

[0094] Since a spring 13 centrally supports the ferrule bracket 14, it is inevitable that the spring will bend, so a slide groove 1223 is respectively provided on the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b, and the slide groove 1223 is an L-shaped through groove;

[0095] The bracket wing 142 is respectively provided with a first leg 1421a / 1421b, a second leg 1422a / 1422b and a third leg 1423a / 1423b. The first leg 1421a / 1421b and the second leg 1422a / 1422b are both perpendicular to the bottom wall 125, the third leg 1423a / 1423b is parallel to the bottom wall 125 and extends outward from the bracket wing 142, and the third leg 1423a / 1423b can be installed from the L-shaped through groove into the interior of the optical fiber connector and slide along the L-shaped through groove.

[0096] The bottom wall 125 is provided with a sliding groove 1252a / 1252b, which is a through hole provided on the bottom wall 125, and a portion of the sliding groove 1223 is parallel to the sliding grooves 1252a, 1252b; the first legs 1421a / 1421b pass through the sliding grooves 1252a / 1252b respectively and are exposed on the back side of the bottom wall 125, and the third legs 1423a / 1423b are provided in the sliding groove 1223, so that the freedom of the ferrule bracket in the direction perpendicular to the optical fiber axis is constrained, and the ferrule bracket can slide up and down along the center line direction of the spring after the ferrule assembly is installed. This design can still retain the pre-relaxation function of the optical fiber connector.

[0097] Example 5

[0098] This embodiment provides an optical fiber docking device 100, such as Figure 14-16 As shown, the optical fiber docking device 100 includes an optical fiber connector 10, a second optical fiber connector 20 and an adapter 30, and the optical fiber connector 10 and the second optical fiber connector 20 are the optical fiber connectors in the above-mentioned embodiment 3 or 4;

[0099] The optical fiber connector 10 is a male connector, wherein the ferrule assembly further includes a guide pin 112 and a guide pin bracket 113. The guide pin 112 is fixed on the guide pin bracket 113 and passes through the guide pin hole of the ferrule body 111. The front end of the guide pin 112 is exposed from the ferrule body 111 and is used to be inserted into the guide pin hole on the ferrule to be docked therewith, so as to achieve accurate docking of the ferrule assembly.

[0100] The adapter 30 includes a plurality of docking channels 31, which can be arranged in multiple rows and columns as needed. In this embodiment, the adapter 30 has 16 docking channels, which are divided into 8 rows and 2 columns. Each docking channel 31 allows a pair of optical fiber connectors to dock. The docking channel 31 and the optical fiber connector housing 12 have clearance fit, and the gap range G between the connector housing 12 and the inner wall of the channel satisfies 0.2 mm ≤ G ≤ 0.05 mm.

[0101] Each docking channel 31 of the adapter 30 includes a guide column hole 311a / 311b, a blocking portion 312, a plurality of guide grooves 313, and a step portion 314. The step portions 314 on both sides of the docking channel are located above the channel and below the channel, respectively. This arrangement is because the designer considers that the docking surface of the ferrule is often an inclined surface at an angle of 8 degrees. When two ferrules are docked, the ferrules need to be flipped over each other for correct docking.

[0102] The guide post holes 311a / 311b are used to cooperate with the guide post 16 to relatively fix the position of the optical fiber connector housing in the docking channel 31, so as to facilitate the docking of the two ferrule bodies;

[0103] During the connector docking process, when the optical fiber connector is pushed into the docking channel 31, the first leg 1421a / 1421b and the second leg 1422a / 1422b both enter along the guide groove 313, and the blocking portion 312 is located at the end of the guide groove 313. Fig.17 As shown, when the fiber optic connector enters the docking channel 31 for a certain distance, the first leg 1421a / 1421b and the second leg 1422a / 1422b hit the blocking portion 312, and the ferrule bracket 14 is blocked and no longer pushes the ferrule assembly forward, and the ferrule assembly 11 stays near the position to be docked, so that the fiber optic connector inserted later will not be difficult to dock because the fiber optic connector inserted earlier extends too long in the docking channel; and at this time, the close contact between the ferrule assembly 11 and the front side wall 121 is released, and the ferrule body is constrained by the inner cavity of the adapter and will not separate from the fiber optic connector housing, and is in a relatively active or pre-relaxed state. When docking with the ferrule inserted later, the relative positions of the two ferrules can be easily adjusted under the guidance of the guide pin to complete the precise docking of the fiber optic connector.

[0104] In addition, the step portion 314 can be provided in conjunction with the stepped appearance of the back of the connector housing 12 to achieve a fool-proof function, thereby preventing the user from making installation errors due to carelessness.

[0105] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments may still be modified, or some of the technical features may be replaced by equivalents. Such modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optical fiber connector housing, characterized in that: The optical fiber connector housing includes a front side wall, a first elastic arm, a second elastic arm, a rear side wall, an upper side wall and a bottom wall. The front side wall, the rear side wall, the upper side wall and the bottom wall together form a frame structure. The upper side wall is provided with a first opening. The components of the optical fiber connector can be directly installed into the optical fiber connector housing from the first opening. The front side wall is provided with a second opening. The rear side wall is provided with a third opening. The optical fiber connector housing is formed of metal.

2. The optical fiber connector housing according to claim 1, wherein: The material of the optical fiber connector housing is selected from any one of 304 stainless steel, 302 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel, SPCC, A1100P, Q195, Q215, and Q235.

3. The optical fiber connector housing according to claim 1, wherein: The optical fiber connector housing is processed by a sheet metal process.

4. The optical fiber connector housing according to claim 3, wherein: The optical fiber connector housing includes a front side wall, a first elastic arm, a second elastic arm, a rear side wall, an upper side wall and a bottom wall. The first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are provided with a first through hole. There are clamping parts on both sides of the rear side wall. After sheet metal processing, the clamping parts are inserted into the first through hole, and the two are matched and fixed.

5. The optical fiber connector housing according to claim 1, wherein: The optical fiber connector housing is made by one or more processes of metal stamping, forging, or casting.

6. The optical fiber connector housing according to claim 5, wherein: The bottom wall of the optical fiber connector housing also has a notch for providing elasticity for the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm, and the outer side edge of the notch coincides with the inner side edge of the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm.

7. The optical fiber connector housing according to claim 6, wherein: The outer corners of the notch are rounded.

8. An optical fiber connector, characterized in that: The optical fiber connector comprises a ferrule assembly, an optical fiber connector housing, an elastic providing member and an ferrule bracket. The optical fiber connector housing is the optical fiber connector housing as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The optical fiber connector according to claim 8, wherein: The material of the ferrule bracket is metal.

10. The optical fiber connector according to claim 9, wherein: The ferrule bracket comprises a ferrule base, and the ferrule base is a groove structure. After the ferrule bracket is processed by sheet metal, the four side surfaces of the groove structure are only connected to the bottom surface of the groove structure.

11. An optical fiber docking device, comprising an optical fiber connector, a second optical fiber connector and an adapter, characterized in that: The optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector are both optical fiber connectors according to any one of claims 9 to 10, The optical fiber connector is a male connector, and the ferrule assembly further includes a guide pin and a guide pin bracket, the guide pin is fixed on the guide pin bracket and passes through the guide pin hole of the ferrule body, and the front end of the guide pin is exposed from the ferrule body.

12. The optical fiber docking device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The adapter comprises a plurality of docking channels, wherein the docking channels comprise a guide column hole, a blocking portion, a plurality of guide grooves, and a step portion.

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