Optical splitter and optical distribution network

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model belongs to the field of optoelectronic equipment, and particularly relates to an optical splitter and an optical distribution network. The optical splitter comprises an optical fiber connector and a body, the optical fiber connector is arranged in the body and connected with the body, the optical fiber connector comprises an optical fiber insertion core and an optical fiber which are connected, and the outer wall of the optical fiber insertion core is in direct contact with the body. Therefore, the optical fiber connector in the optical branching device does not comprise a shell, the outer wall of the optical fiber insertion core is in direct contact connection with the body, the optical fiber insertion core can be directly used as a connector to be applied to the optical branching device, the shell does not need to be produced for the optical fiber connector, and correspondingly, the optical fiber insertion core and the shell do not need to be assembled, so that the production cost is reduced. Therefore, the production efficiency of the optical splitter can be improved, and the arrangement cost of the optical distribution network can be reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of optoelectronic devices, and in particular to an optical splitter and an optical distribution network. BACKGROUND

[0002] The optical splitter is used to split a single optical signal into multiple optical signals in a passive manner, or to couple multiple optical signals into a single optical signal, and is one of the key devices in an optical distribution network (ODN). With the development of the ODN, the number of optical splitters deployed in the ODN has reached tens of millions per year.

[0003] Many components in the optical splitter have complex structures and are difficult to process and assemble, which results in low production efficiency of the optical splitter. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an optical splitter and an optical distribution network, which can improve the production efficiency of the optical splitter and thus reduce the deployment cost of the optical distribution network. The corresponding technical solutions are as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, an optical splitter is provided, which includes a fiber connector and a body. The fiber connector is arranged in the interior of the body and connected to the body. The fiber connector includes a fiber ferrule and an optical fiber connected to each other. The outer wall of the fiber ferrule directly contacts the body.

[0006] In this way, the fiber connector in the optical splitter no longer includes a shell. The outer wall of the fiber ferrule directly contacts and connects to the body. The fiber ferrule can be directly applied as a connector in the optical splitter. For the fiber connector, there is no need to produce a shell. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to assemble the fiber ferrule and the shell. The production efficiency of the optical splitter can be improved, and the deployment cost of the optical distribution network can be reduced.

[0007] In a possible implementation, the body of the optical splitter can include a shell and an adapter. The shell and the adapter contact the outer wall of the fiber ferrule, respectively. The connection mode between the fiber ferrule and the shell and the connection mode between the fiber ferrule and the adapter can be the same or different. The fiber ferrule and the shell can be connected by clamping, or the fiber ferrule and the adapter can be connected by bonding.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the outer wall of the fiber ferrule has a first clamping groove, and the inner part of the shell has a first clamping protrusion, the first clamping protrusion and the first clamping groove are clamped, the number of the first clamping grooves can be multiple, the number of the first clamping protrusions can also be multiple, the shapes and sizes of the first clamping grooves and the first clamping protrusions are matched respectively, and the fiber ferrule can be clamped through the multiple first clamping grooves. In this way, the connection reliability between the fiber ferrule and the body can be improved.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the fiber ferrule includes a tail handle and a ferrule body, the tail handle is at least partially sleeved outside the ferrule body, the ferrule body is in contact with the adapter, and the tail handle is in contact with the shell. In this way, the fiber ferrule is arranged as two independent components, and the processing difficulty of the fiber ferrule can be reduced.

[0010] The shapes of the tail handle and the ferrule body can be the same or different. For example, the tail handle and the ferrule body can both have a cylindrical structure, or the tail handle and the ferrule body can both have a cubic structure, or the shapes of the tail handle and the ferrule body can also be different, for example, the tail handle has a cylindrical structure and the ferrule body has a cubic structure. One end of the tail handle is provided with an accommodating cavity for accommodating the ferrule body, and the shape and size of the accommodating cavity are matched with the shape and size of the outer wall of the ferrule body, and the ferrule body is inserted into the accommodating cavity.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the fiber ferrule includes a tail handle and a ferrule body, the tail handle includes a first handle segment and a second handle segment connected to each other, and the outer wall of the first handle segment has a ring-shaped protrusion. The inner part of the shell has a first support plate and a second support plate arranged oppositely, and a first accommodating space is formed between the first support plate, the second support plate and the inner surface of the shell, and the first accommodating space is used for accommodating the ring-shaped protrusion on the outer wall of the first handle segment. In this way, the first support plate and the second support plate can be arranged to limit the tail handle in the axial direction. The first handle segment and the second handle segment can be an integrally formed component, the first handle segment and the second handle segment can both have a cylindrical structure, the outer diameter of the first handle segment is greater than that of the second handle segment, and the number of the first clamping grooves on the ring-shaped protrusion can be multiple.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the outer wall of the ring-shaped protrusion has a first clamping groove, and the first accommodating space is provided with a first clamping protrusion, and the first clamping protrusion and the first clamping groove are clamped. In this way, the first clamping protrusion and the first clamping groove are arranged to limit the tail handle in the circumferential direction.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the inner surface of the shell is further provided with a second clamping protrusion, and the optical fiber ferrule comprises a tail handle and a ferrule body, and the second clamping protrusion is used for clamping the tail handle. The tail handle comprises a first handle section and a second handle section that can be connected, and the second clamping protrusion can be used for clamping the second handle section. The second handle section can have a cylindrical structure, and correspondingly, the inner surface of the shell can have a plurality of second clamping structures, and the opposite walls of each adjacent two second clamping protrusions can be arc-shaped, and the two opposite arc-shaped walls are respectively attached to the outer wall of the second handle section. In this way, by providing the first clamping structure and the second clamping structure, the first handle section and the second handle section of the tail handle can be clamped respectively, thereby improving the connection reliability between the shell and the optical fiber ferrule.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the body of the optical splitter comprises a shell and an adapter connected to each other, the adapter comprises a sleeve, the shape and size of the outer wall of the sleeve are respectively matched with the shape and size of the shell, and the sleeve is in contact with the shell. In this way, since the shape and size of the outer wall of the sleeve are respectively matched with the shape and size of the shell, the sleeve can be directly connected to the shell, and no other component for reinforcing the connection between the sleeve and the shell is needed, which can improve the production efficiency of the optical splitter and reduce the layout cost of the optical distribution network.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the body of the optical splitter comprises a shell and an adapter, the shell comprises a first shell part and a second shell part, the first shell part is in sliding connection with the second shell part, and the first shell part and the second shell part form an accommodation space for accommodating the light splitting member and the connector. In this way, the assembly efficiency of the shell can be improved, and the processing difficulty of the shell can be reduced.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the shell further comprises a fixing member, the fixing member is integrally formed with the first shell part of the shell, or the fixing member is integrally formed with the second shell part of the shell. The fixing member has a first accommodation through hole for accommodating the adapter. The fixing member can be provided with a plurality of first accommodation through holes, and the number of the first accommodation through holes can be equal to the number of the adapters provided in the optical splitter. Since a plurality of adapters are usually provided in the optical splitter, by providing the fixing member and a plurality of first accommodation through holes on the fixing member, only one fixing member needs to be provided in the optical splitter to realize the fixed connection of the plurality of adapters, and the production efficiency and assembly difficulty of the optical splitter can be reduced.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the optical splitter further includes a light splitting piece. The inner surface of the shell has a mounting boss, and the light splitting piece is connected to the mounting boss at least partially. The connection between the light splitting piece and the mounting boss can be adhesion or clamping. The light splitting piece can be a light waveguide type light splitting piece or a fused taper coupler. In this way, by arranging the mounting boss on the inner surface of the shell, a positioning reference for assembly of the light splitting piece is provided, and the performance consistency of multiple optical splitters is ensured.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the inner surface of the shell has a mounting boss, and the light splitting piece includes a first optical fiber array, a light waveguide and a second optical fiber array connected in sequence, the light waveguide is connected to the mounting boss, and the first optical fiber array and the second optical fiber array have a gap with the inner surface. In this way, when the optical splitter falls, the gap between the first optical fiber array and the inner surface and the gap between the second optical fiber array and the inner surface provide space for deformation of the light splitting piece, and the falling performance of the optical splitter is improved.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the mounting boss is provided with oppositely arranged first and second limiting plates, and the first and second limiting plates are used to clamp and fix the light splitting piece. The first and second limiting plates and the mounting boss can be integrally formed, or the first and second limiting plates are first machined and then connected to the mounting boss. In this way, the mounting boss has a limiting effect on the light splitting piece, and the connection reliability between the light splitting piece and the shell is improved.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the optical fiber of the optical fiber connector in the optical splitter is a bare optical fiber. In this way, during assembly of the optical splitter, the assembly step of sleeving the optical fiber sleeve on the outer circle of the bare optical fiber can be omitted, the production efficiency of the optical splitter is improved, and the layout cost of the optical distribution network is reduced.

[0021] In a second aspect, an optical distribution network is provided, which includes the optical splitter according to the third aspect and possible implementation manners thereof. The fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides the beneficial effects as described in the third aspect of the present disclosure, and details are not repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an optical splitter provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of an optical fiber ferrule provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a light splitting piece provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of an optical splitter provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of an optical splitter provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of an optical splitter provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of an optical splitter provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of an optical fiber ferrule provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 9 is a structural schematic diagram of an optical fiber ferrule provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 10 is a structural schematic diagram of an optical fiber ferrule provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 11 is a structural schematic diagram of an optical fiber ferrule provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Legend

[0034] 01, optical fiber connector;

[0035] 1, optical fiber ferrule; 2, optical fiber;

[0036] 11, tail handle; 12, ferrule body;

[0037] 11a, first handle section; 11b, second handle section;

[0038] 111, first clamping groove; 112, accommodating cavity; 113, second accommodating through hole; 114, guide groove structure; 111a, annular protrusion;

[0039] 121, third accommodating through hole;

[0040] 100, fourth accommodating through hole; 101, first hole section; 102, second hole section;

[0041] 02, body;

[0042] 3, shell;

[0043] 31, first shell part; 32, second shell part; 33, fixing member; 310, first accommodating space; 320, second accommodating space;

[0044] 331、first accommodating through hole;

[0045] 311、first wall surface; 3111, mounting boss;

[0046] 3111a, first limiting plate; 3111b, second limiting plate; 3111c, third limiting plate;

[0047] 3a, first clamping protrusion; 3c, first support plate; 3d, second clamping protrusion; 3e, second support plate;

[0048] 4, adapter;

[0049] 41, sleeve;

[0050] 03, light splitting piece;

[0051] 031, first optical fiber array; 032, optical waveguide; 033, second optical fiber array. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, the following will further describe the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Unless otherwise defined, technical terms or scientific terms used herein should be understood as having the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The terms "first", "second", "third" and similar terms used in the patent disclosure and claims of the present disclosure do not represent any order, number or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, "one" or "a" and similar terms do not represent a quantity limitation, but represent the existence of at least one. The terms "including", "containing" and similar terms mean that the elements or objects appearing before "including" or "containing" cover the elements or objects listed after "including" or "containing" and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. The terms "connected" or "connected" and similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to represent relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0054] Nowadays, with the development of ODN, the number of optical splitters used in ODN increases rapidly every year. In ODN, the optical splitter is used to decompose a single optical signal into multiple optical signals, or to couple multiple optical signals into one optical signal. In the related art, the optical splitter includes a body, a light splitting assembly and a connector, wherein the body includes a shell, a mounting flange and an adapter, the adapter includes an adapter shell and a ceramic sleeve, the adapter shell is connected with the shell through the mounting flange, and the ceramic sleeve is arranged inside the adapter shell and used to connect the connector with an external interface. The connector includes a first shell and a fiber ferrule, the first shell is connected with the adapter shell of the adapter, and the fiber ferrule is arranged inside the first shell and used to accommodate and fix the optical fiber. The light splitting assembly includes a second shell, a light splitting piece and a plug, the second shell is arranged inside the shell and bonded with the shell, and the light splitting piece is arranged inside the second shell and fastened with the second shell through the plug. In the above optical splitter, on the one hand, the first shell and the fiber ferrule of the connector need to be produced by independent production lines, and the second shell, the plug and the light splitting piece of the light splitting assembly also need to be produced by independent production lines, on the other hand, since the connector and the light splitting assembly have many components, the assembly difficulty thereof is also large, which leads to low production efficiency of the optical splitter and increases the layout cost of the optical distribution network.

[0055] The embodiment of the present disclosure provides an optical splitter, as shown in the figure, which comprises a body 02 and a fiber connector 01. Wherein, the fiber connector 01 is arranged inside the body 02, and the fiber connector 01 comprises a fiber ferrule 1 and an optical fiber 2 connected with each other, and the outer wall of the fiber ferrule 1 is in contact with the body 02. Figure 1

[0056] In this way, the fiber connector in the optical splitter no longer includes a shell, the outer wall of the fiber ferrule is directly connected with the body, and the fiber ferrule can be directly applied to the optical splitter as a connector. For the fiber connector, there is no need to produce a shell, and accordingly, there is no need to assemble the fiber ferrule and the shell, thereby the production efficiency of the optical splitter can be improved, and the layout cost of the optical distribution network can be reduced.

[0057] Next, each component of the optical splitter will be introduced respectively:

[0058] I. Fiber connector 01

[0059] ​The optical fiber connector 01 includes an optical fiber ferrule 1 and an optical fiber 2, wherein the optical fiber ferrule 1 is generally provided with a through-hole structure for accommodating and connecting the optical fiber 2. The number of the optical fiber connectors 01 in the optical splitter can be multiple, and the specific number of the optical fiber connectors 01 corresponds to the splitting ratio of the optical splitter. The splitting ratio of the optical splitter can be set as required, for example, the splitting ratio of the optical splitter is set to 5, or the splitting ratio of the optical splitter is set to 6, and the like, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the splitting ratio of the optical splitter. As shown in Figure 4 The optical splitter includes a plurality of optical fiber connectors 01 (the number of the optical fiber connectors 01 is generally greater than or equal to 3), and the optical fiber connectors 01 include the optical fiber ferrule 1, and the plurality of optical fiber connectors 01 are connected with the body 02.

[0060] Figure 4 is an assembly schematic view of an optical fiber connector 01 and a body 02 provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to Figure 4 The optical fiber connector 01 includes the optical fiber ferrule 1 and the optical fiber 2 connected with each other, wherein the outer wall of the optical fiber ferrule 1 has a first clamping groove 111, the inside of the shell 3 has a first clamping protrusion 3a, and the optical fiber ferrule 1 and the shell 3 are clamped through the cooperation between the first clamping groove 111 and the first clamping protrusion 3a.

[0061] Next, some possible structures of the optical fiber ferrule 1 are introduced respectively:

[0062] In some possible embodiments, the optical fiber ferrule 1 is an integrally formed component.

[0063] Figure 9 is a structural schematic view of an optical fiber connector 01 provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 9 The optical fiber connector 01 includes the optical fiber ferrule 1, and the optical fiber ferrule 1 can have a cylindrical structure.

[0064] The material of the optical fiber ferrule 1 can be a ceramic material. The optical fiber ferrule 1 can be processed and formed through a fusion sintering process, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the processing process of the optical fiber ferrule 1. The optical fiber ferrule 1 can also be other reasonable structures, for example, the optical fiber ferrule 1 is a cubic structure, and the technical personnel can set it as required, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit it.

[0065] In an example, the body 02 is provided with a clamping protrusion, the outer wall of the optical fiber ferrule 1 is provided with a first clamping groove 111, the first clamping groove 111 is matched with the first clamping protrusion 3a provided on the shell 3 of the body 02, and the optical fiber ferrule 1 is clamped through the first clamping groove 111 and the first clamping protrusion 3a.

[0066] Further, referring to Figure 9The first clamping groove 111 can be a through groove extending along the circumferential direction of the fiber ferrule 1. The number of the first clamping groove 111 can be one or multiple, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0067] As shown in the example, Figure 2 the outer wall of the tail handle 11 has four first clamping grooves 111, which are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction on the outer wall of the fiber ferrule 1. In this way, the machining difficulty of the first clamping groove 111 can be reduced.

[0068] In implementation, the first clamping groove 111 can be machined by a cutting process or directly formed when the fiber ferrule 1 is processed by a melting sintering process, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The fiber ferrule 1 can be moved along the direction perpendicular to the axis thereof towards the housing 3, so that the first clamping groove 111 is at least partially sleeved on the first clamping protrusion 3a of the housing 3, and the assembly of the fiber ferrule 1 and the housing 3 is completed.

[0069] In an example, the fiber ferrule 1 is provided with a through hole for accommodating an optical fiber. As shown in the example, Figure 10 Figure 10 a cross-sectional view of a fiber ferrule 1 shown in the embodiments of the present disclosure), the fiber ferrule 1 has a fourth accommodation through hole 100 for accommodating an optical fiber, the fourth accommodation through hole 100 can be a circular through hole, and the axis of the fourth accommodation through hole 100 coincides with the axis of the fiber ferrule 1.

[0070] Optionally, the end of the fourth accommodation through hole 100 can be provided with a guide groove structure 114, as shown in the example, Figure 11 Figure 11 a cross-sectional view of a fiber ferrule 1 shown in the embodiments of the present disclosure), the guide groove structure 114 is a tapered structure coaxially arranged with the fourth accommodation through hole 100. In this way, the convenience of the optical fiber entering the fourth accommodation through hole 100 can be improved.

[0071] Optionally, the fourth accommodation through hole 100 can include a first hole section 101 and a second hole section 102. As shown in the example, Figure 11 the fourth accommodation through hole 100 includes a first hole section 101 and a second hole section 102, and the first hole section 101 and the second hole section 102 can be coaxially arranged circular through holes.

[0072] ​​In implementation, the optical fiber splitter is provided with an optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber comprises a bare optical fiber and an optical fiber sleeve, the optical fiber sleeve is wrapped around the outer periphery of the bare optical fiber and serves to protect the bare optical fiber. The optical fiber sleeve wrapped around the bare optical fiber penetrates into the first hole section 101, the bare optical fiber penetrates through the second hole section 102 and extends out of the optical fiber ferrule 1, the outer periphery of the bare ferrule extending out of the optical fiber ferrule 1 and the optical fiber ferrule 1 are ground to form a smooth surface, which is used to be engaged with an external interface.

[0073] Optionally, the second hole section 102 can have a guide groove structure 114 at one end close to the first hole section 101, as shown in Figure 11 The guide groove structure 114 is in a tapered structure and is coaxially arranged with the first hole section 101. In this way, the convenience of the bare optical fiber entering the first hole section 101 can be improved.

[0074] In some possible embodiments, the optical fiber ferrule 1 comprises a tail handle 11 and a ferrule body 12.

[0075] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of an optical fiber connector 01 provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 2 The optical fiber connector 01 comprises an optical fiber ferrule 1, the optical fiber ferrule 1 comprises a tail handle 11 and a ferrule body 12, the tail handle 11 is at least partially sleeved on the outer periphery of the ferrule body 12, the outer wall of the tail handle 11 is provided with a first clamping groove 111, and the tail handle 11 is clamped with the shell 3 through the first clamping groove 111.

[0076] In an example, as shown in Figure 8 ( Figure 8 is a sectional view of an optical fiber ferrule), the ferrule body 12 has a cylindrical structure, the tail handle 11 comprises a first handle section 11a and a second handle section 11b connected to each other, the outer wall of the first handle section 11a is provided with the first clamping groove 111, the first handle section 11a and the second handle section 11b both have a cylindrical structure, and the outer diameter of the first handle section 11a is greater than the outer diameter of the ferrule body 12. The first handle section 11a is provided with a receiving cavity 112 at one end close to the ferrule body 12, the shape of the receiving cavity 112 is matched with the shape of the ferrule body 12, and the inner diameter of the cylindrical receiving cavity 112 is equal to the outer diameter of the ferrule body 12. Of course, the tail handle 11 and the ferrule body 12 can also have other reasonable shapes, for example, the tail handle 11 and the ferrule body 12 are both in a cubic structure, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0077] In implementation, the ferrule body 12 is inserted into the receiving cavity 112 to realize the connection between the ferrule body 12 and the tail handle 11.

[0078] Optionally, the receiving cavity 112 and the outer wall of the ferrule body 12 can be in interference fit. In this way, the connection stability between the ferrule body 12 and the tail handle 11 can be improved.

[0079] Optionally, the first shank segment 11a and the second shank segment 11b can be coaxially arranged, and the axis of the accommodating cavity 112 can coincide with the axis of the first shank segment 11a. In this way, after the ferrule body 12 is inserted into the accommodating cavity 112, the coaxiality between the ferrule body 12 and the tail shank 11 can be improved.

[0080] In an example, the optical fiber ferrule 1 is provided with a through hole for accommodating an optical fiber. As shown in Figure 8 , the tail shank 11 is provided with a second accommodating through hole 113, and the ferrule body 12 is provided with a third accommodating through hole 121. The second accommodating through hole 113 and the third accommodating through hole 121 are coaxially arranged and connected. The second accommodating through hole 113 is used to accommodate an optical fiber jacket, and the third accommodating through hole 121 is used to accommodate a bare optical fiber.

[0081] In implementation, the optical fiber splitter is provided with an optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber includes a bare optical fiber and an optical fiber jacket, and the optical fiber jacket is wrapped around the outer circle of the bare optical fiber to protect the bare optical fiber. The optical fiber jacket wrapped with the bare optical fiber is inserted into the second accommodating through hole 113 of the tail shank 11, the bare optical fiber passes through the third accommodating through hole 121 of the ferrule body 12 and extends out of the end of the ferrule body 12 away from the tail shank 11, and the bare ferrule extending out of the ferrule body 12 and the end of the ferrule body 12 away from the tail shank 11 are polished to form a smooth surface, which is used to engage with an external interface.

[0082] Optionally, the end of the third accommodating through hole 121 close to the second accommodating through hole 113 can have a guide groove structure 114, as shown in Figure 8 The guide groove structure 114 is a tapered structure, and the tapered structure is coaxially arranged with the second accommodating through hole 113 and the third accommodating through hole 121. In this way, the convenience of the optical fiber entering the third accommodating through hole 121 can be improved.

[0083] In an example, the body 02 includes a housing 3 and an adapter 4. The inner wall of the housing 3 is provided with a first clamping protrusion 3a, and the outer wall of the first shank segment 11a has a ring-shaped protrusion 111a, as shown in Figure 8 The outer wall of the ring-shaped protrusion 111a has a first clamping groove 111, which is matched with the first clamping protrusion 3a, and the tail shank 11 is clamped with the body 02 through the first clamping groove 111. In this way, by first providing the ring-shaped protrusion 111a on the outer wall of the first shank segment 11a, and then providing the first clamping groove 111 on the outer wall of the ring-shaped protrusion 111a, the overall strength of the tail shank 11 can be guaranteed.

[0084] Exemplarily, the ring-shaped protrusion 111a can be formed by cutting process.

[0085] Optionally, the first clamping groove 111 can be a through groove. As shown in Figure 2As shown, the tail handle 11 has a cylindrical structure, and an annular protrusion is arranged at the outer ring of the cylindrical structure, and a through groove extending along the axis direction of the tail handle 11 is arranged on the annular protrusion, which is the first clamping groove 111. The number of the first clamping groove 111 can be multiple, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0086] In the implementation, the assembly of the fiber ferrule 1 is completed by inserting the ferrule body 12 into the accommodating cavity 112, and then the fiber ferrule 1 can be moved along the axis to the body 02, so that the first clamping groove 111 is clamped with the clamping protrusion structure on the body 02, and the assembly of the fiber ferrule 1 and the body 02 is completed.

[0087] Exemplarily, as shown in the figure, Figure 2 As shown, the outer wall of the tail handle 11 has four first clamping grooves 111, which are uniformly distributed along the circumference of the tail handle 11. In this way, the machining difficulty of the first clamping groove 111 can be reduced.

[0088] The machining mode of the first clamping groove 111 can be cutting forming, stamping forming, or casting forming, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0089] The material of the tail handle 11 and the ferrule body 12 can be the same or different, for example, the tail handle 11 is made of aluminum or stainless steel, and the ferrule body 12 is made of ceramic material, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0090] In the above fiber connector 01, since the fiber connector 01 does not include a shell, and the outer wall of the fiber ferrule 1 directly contacts the body 02 of the optical distribution unit, the fiber ferrule 1 can be directly applied to the optical distribution unit as the fiber connector 01. For the fiber connector 01, there is no need to produce a shell, and accordingly, there is no longer a need to assemble the fiber ferrule 1 and the shell, thereby improving the production efficiency of the optical distribution unit and reducing the layout cost of the optical distribution network.

[0091] II. Splitting member 03

[0092] The splitting member 03 is a component for splitting a single optical signal into multiple optical signals or coupling multiple optical signals into a single optical signal in a passive manner in the optical distribution unit.

[0093] In an example, the splitting member 03 is an optical waveguide type splitting member. The connection mode of the optical waveguide type splitting member with the body 02 and the fiber connector 01 will be introduced below, which is not described here.

[0094] Figure 3 is a structure schematic diagram of an optical waveguide type splitting member 03 provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 3As shown, the light splitting piece 03 includes a first fiber array 031, an optical waveguide 032, and a second fiber array 033, which are sequentially connected. The first fiber array 031 can serve as an input fiber array, and the second fiber array 033 can serve as an output fiber array. Referring to Figure 4 The optical splitter includes a plurality of fiber connectors 01, each of which includes a fiber ferrule 1, and each of which is connected to the body 02. One of the fiber connectors 01 is connected to the first fiber array 031 of the light splitting piece 03 through an optical fiber, and the remaining fiber connectors 01 are respectively connected to the second fiber array 033 through a plurality of optical fibers. The number of fiber connectors 01 can be set according to the actual required splitting ratio. When the splitting ratio of the optical splitter is 5, six fiber connectors 01 are provided in the optical splitter. That is, when the splitting ratio of the optical splitter is M (M is a positive integer, and M≥2), M+1 fiber connectors 01 are provided in the optical splitter.

[0095] The specific structure of the fiber connector 01 can refer to the description above, which will not be repeated here.

[0096] In one example, the light splitting piece 03 is connected to the body 02, the first fiber array 031, the optical waveguide 032, and the second fiber array 033 all have a plate-like structure, the first fiber array 031 is bonded to one end of the optical waveguide 032, and the second fiber array 033 is bonded to the other end of the optical waveguide 032. The specific structure of the body 02 will be described below, which will not be described here.

[0097] The manufacturing process of the light splitting piece 03 is as follows:

[0098] (1) Manufacturing of the fiber array. Glass is cut into a glass plate base and a glass plate cover having a plate-like structure by a cutting process, and a groove for placing an optical fiber is cut in the wall surface of the glass plate base. The structure of the groove can be V-shaped, and the number of grooves is associated with the splitting ratio of the optical splitter. That is, the input fiber array corresponds to one groove, and the output fiber array corresponds to a plurality of grooves. The ratio of the number of grooves in the output fiber array to the number of grooves in the input fiber array is equal to the above-mentioned splitting ratio. Then, the optical fiber is placed in the groove, the glass plate cover is placed above the glass plate base, so that the glass plate cover and the groove completely cover the optical fiber in the circumferential direction, and the portion of the optical fiber extending out of the groove is polished smooth.

[0099] (2) Optical waveguide coupling. The above-mentioned input fiber array, output fiber array, and optical waveguide chip are placed on an automatic coupling device, and the three are aligned and coupled by the automatic coupling device.

[0100] (3) Curing. Apply curing adhesive to the connection point between the input fiber array and the optical waveguide chip, and apply curing adhesive to the connection point between the output fiber array and the optical waveguide chip. After applying the adhesive, use ultraviolet light to cure it to obtain the beam splitter 03.

[0101] The beam splitter 03 provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure is adapted to the body 02 of the optical splitter by its outer wall. The beam splitter 03 can be directly connected to the body 02 of the optical splitter without the need to produce a housing for the beam splitter. Correspondingly, it is no longer necessary to assemble the beam splitter and the housing, thereby improving the production efficiency of the optical splitter and reducing the layout cost of the optical distribution network.

[0102] In some possible embodiments, the beam splitter 03 is a fused biconical taper (FBT).

[0103] A fused tapered coupler consists of multiple optical fibers, one of which serves as the input fiber and the rest as the output fibers.

[0104] In practice, one end of the input optical fiber is connected to an external interface via a connector, and one end of each output optical fiber is connected to an external interface via a corresponding connector. The other ends of the input optical fiber and the other ends of multiple output optical fibers are connected by a fused taper process.

[0105] III. Main Body 02

[0106] The main body 02 is a component in the optical splitter used to connect the fixed splitter 03 and the fiber optic connector 01, and to connect the fiber optic connector 01 to the external interface.

[0107] In some possible embodiments, the body 02 includes a housing 3 and an adapter 4.

[0108] like Figure 4 As shown, the main body 02 includes a housing 3 and an adapter 4, which are connected together.

[0109] Housing 3

[0110] The housing 3 is a component in the main body 02 used to fix the beam splitter 03 and limit and fix the fiber optic connector 01.

[0111] In some possible embodiments, the fiber optic ferrule 1 includes a tail shank 11 and a ferrule body 12, with a housing 3 for engaging with the tail shank 11.

[0112] like Figure 5As shown, the fiber optic ferrule 1 includes a tail shank 11 and a ferrule body 12. The housing 3 has a first snap-fit ​​protrusion 3a, which is adapted to a first snap-fit ​​groove 111 on the tail shank 11. The housing 3 is snapped into place by the first snap-fit ​​protrusion 3a and the first snap-fit ​​groove 111 on the tail shank 11.

[0113] In one example, the tailstock 11 includes a first handle segment 11a and a second handle segment 11b connected together. The outer wall of the first handle segment 11a has an annular protrusion 111a, and the outer wall of the annular protrusion 111a has a first snap-fit ​​groove 111. The inner wall of the housing 3 is provided with a first support plate 3c and a second support plate 3e arranged opposite to each other. A first receiving space 310 is formed between the first support plate 3c, the second support plate 3e and the inner surface of the housing 3. The first receiving space 310 is used to receive the annular protrusion 111a.

[0114] In this way, by setting the first support plate 3c and the second support plate 3e to form the first receiving space 310, the tail shank 11 can be limited in the axial direction.

[0115] Optionally, the interior of the first receiving space 310 has a first engaging protrusion 3a, and the outer wall of the annular protrusion 111a has a first engaging groove 111, and the first engaging protrusion 3a and the first engaging groove 111 engage with each other.

[0116] In this way, by providing a first snap-fit ​​protrusion 3a inside the first receiving space 310, the tail shank 11 can be circumferentially limited.

[0117] In one example, there are multiple first snap-fit ​​protrusions 3a.

[0118] like Figure 5 As shown, the housing 3 has multiple pairs of opposing first support plates 3c and second support plates 3e. A first snap-fit ​​protrusion 3a is provided on the opposing wall surfaces of the first support plate 3c and the second support plate 3e, and a first snap-fit ​​protrusion 3a is provided on the housing 3 at a position between the first support plate 3c and the second support plate 3e.

[0119] In implementation, refer to Figure 2 The outer wall of the tailstock 11 has four first engaging grooves 111, which are evenly spaced along the circumference of the tailstock 11. (Reference) Figure 5 Three first snap-fit ​​protrusions 3a are provided between each pair of support plates 3c. These three first snap-fit ​​protrusions 3a correspond to three adjacent first snap-fit ​​grooves 111 on the tailstock 11 to achieve snap-fit ​​between the tailstock 11 and the housing 3.

[0120] This improves the ease of assembly between the fiber optic ferrule 1 and the housing 3.

[0121] Optionally, the shell 3 is internally provided with a second clamping protrusion 3d, which is used for clamping the second shank segment 11b of the tail handle 11.

[0122] As shown in Figure 5 , the shell 3 comprises a plurality of pairs of oppositely arranged second clamping protrusions 3d, and the opposite wall surfaces of each pair of second clamping protrusions 3d are arc-shaped surfaces that are in close contact with the outer wall of the second shank segment 11b.

[0123] In this way, the shell 3 is respectively provided with the first clamping protrusion 3a and the second clamping protrusion 3d, which respectively limit and fix different parts of the tail handle 11, thereby improving the connection reliability between the fiber ferrule 1 and the shell 3.

[0124] Next, some optional structural features of the shell 3 will be introduced:

[0125] Feature 1: In some possible embodiments, the shell 3 comprises a first shell part 31 and a second shell part 32.

[0126] As shown in Figure 7 , the shell 3 comprises the first shell part 31 and the second shell part 32, and the first shell part 31 and the second shell part 32 are in sliding connection, as shown in Figure 4 , the first shell part 31 and the second shell part 32 have a second accommodating space 320 therebetween.

[0127] In an example, the first shell part 31 and the second shell part 32 are both formed by four connected wall plates, that is, the first shell part 31 and the second shell part 32 are equivalent to a hollow cube structure with two adjacent wall plates removed, and the first shell part 31 and the second shell part 32 can form a hollow cube structure through sliding connection.

[0128] In this way, the processing difficulty of the shell 3 can be reduced.

[0129] Feature 2: In some possible embodiments, the inner surface of the shell 3 has a mounting boss 3111, which is used for limiting and fixing the light splitting piece 03.

[0130] As shown in Figure 4 , the first shell part 31 and the second shell part 32 form the second accommodating space 320 therebetween, and the second accommodating space 320 has a first wall surface 311, the first wall surface 311 is provided with the mounting boss 3111, and the mounting boss 3111 is connected to at least part of the light splitting piece 03. The first wall surface 311 can be the wall surface where the first clamping protrusion 3a is located.

[0131] In this way, by arranging the mounting boss 3111 on the inner surface of the shell 3, a positioning reference can be provided for the assembly of the light splitting piece 03, thereby ensuring the performance consistency of the plurality of optical splitters.

[0132] In one example, as shown in Figure 4 The light splitting piece 03 includes a first optical fiber array 031, an optical waveguide 032 and a second optical fiber array 033 connected in sequence, the optical waveguide 032 is connected with the mounting boss 3111, the first optical fiber array 031 has a gap with the inner surface, and the second optical fiber array 033 has a gap with the inner surface. In this way, the drop performance of the optical splitter can be improved.

[0133] Exemplarily, the optical waveguide 032 and the mounting boss 3111 can be bonded by adhesive.

[0134] In one example, the mounting boss 3111 is provided with oppositely arranged first and second limiting plates 3111a and 3111b, which are used to clamp and fix the light splitting piece 03.

[0135] In implementation, the spacing between the first and second limiting plates 3111a and 3111b can be adapted to the size of the light splitting piece 03, so as to achieve clamping and fixing of the light splitting piece 03 by the first and second limiting plates 3111a and 3111b, and the upper wall surface of the mounting boss 3111 can be bonded with the light splitting piece 03, further improving the connection reliability between the light splitting piece 03 and the shell 3.

[0136] Optionally, the mounting boss 3111 can further be provided with a third limiting plate 3111c.

[0137] As shown in Figure 4 The third limiting plate 3111c is located on the side of the second limiting plate 3111b away from the first limiting plate 3111a and is connected with the mounting boss 3111, and the spacing between the third limiting plate 3111c and the second limiting plate 3111b is equal to the spacing between the first limiting plate 3111a and the second limiting plate 3111b.

[0138] In this way, when the light splitting piece 03 is assembled to the shell 3, the position of the light splitting piece 03 can be adjusted to control the bending degree of the optical fibers in the optical splitter, thereby reducing the light splitting loss value of the optical splitter.

[0139] Adapter 4

[0140] The adapter 4 is a component in the body 02 for connecting the optical fiber connector 01 with an external interface.

[0141] As shown in Figure 4As shown, the adapter 4 is connected with the shell 3 and is sleeved on at least part of the ferrule body 12 of the optical fiber ferrule 1.

[0142] In some possible embodiments, the adapter 4 comprises a sleeve 41, and an outer wall of the sleeve 41 is adapted to and connected with the shell 3.

[0143] As shown, the adapter 4 comprises a sleeve 41, and the sleeve 41 has a hollow cylindrical structure, and an outer wall of the cylindrical structure is connected with the shell 3. Figure 6

[0144] In an example, the shell 3 comprises a first shell part 31, a second shell part 32 and a fixing part 33, and the fixing part 33 can be integrally formed with the first shell part 31 or the second shell part 32. The fixing part 33 has a first accommodating through hole 331 for accommodating the sleeve 41 of the adapter 4.

[0145] As shown, the body 02 comprises the shell 3 and the adapter 4, the shell 3 comprises a first shell part 31, a second shell part 32 and a fixing part 33, and the fixing part 33 is integrally formed with the second shell part 32. The adapter 4 only comprises a sleeve 41, the sleeve 41 has a hollow cylindrical structure, the fixing part 33 is spaced apart and provided with a plurality of first accommodating through holes 331, the first accommodating through holes 331 are circular through holes, each sleeve 41 is arranged inside one first accommodating through hole 331, and an outer wall of the sleeve 41 is connected with an inner wall of the first accommodating through hole 331. Figure 6 In the related art, the adapter not only comprises a sleeve but also comprises an adapter shell, each sleeve is arranged inside one adapter shell, and each adapter shell is connected with the shell of the optical distribution frame through one mounting flange to realize fixed connection of the plurality of adapters. In the above example, the fixing part 33 and the second shell part 32 are integrally formed components, and the fixing part 33 is provided with a plurality of first accommodating through holes 331 for accommodating the sleeve 41, and the sleeve 41 is directly assembled with the fixing part 33. Compared with the related art, the example removes the adapter shell in the adapter 4 and removes the mounting flange for connecting the adapter shell and the shell of the optical distribution frame, which makes the structure of the corresponding optical distribution frame more simple, the number of parts required for production of the optical distribution frame is less, and the assembly process of the optical distribution frame is simpler, thereby the production efficiency of the optical distribution frame can be improved.

[0146] In an example, the fixing part 33 and the second shell part 32 can be integrally formed through an injection molding process, and the fixing part 33 and the second shell part 32 can be made of plastic.

[0147] In an example, the fixing part 33 and the second shell part 32 can be integrally formed through an injection molding process, and the fixing part 33 and the second shell part 32 can be made of plastic.

[0148] Figure 7 ​​The splitting ratio of the optical splitter is 5, and correspondingly, the optical splitter is provided with six optical fiber connectors 01 and six adapters 4. The first accommodating through holes 331 are arranged on the fixing member 33 at intervals, and each first accommodating through hole 331 is used for accommodating one adapter 4.

[0149] In this way, only one fixing member needs to be arranged in the optical splitter to realize the fixed connection of the plurality of adapters 4, which can reduce the production efficiency and assembly difficulty of the optical splitter, and further reduce the arrangement cost of the optical distribution network.

[0150] Optionally, the fixing member 33 can include a plurality of fixed single plates, and each fixed single plate can be provided with a plurality of first accommodating through holes 331. In this way, when the number of adapters required to be arranged in the optical splitter is large, the fixing member 33 can be arranged as a plurality of fixed single plates, so as to improve the overall strength of each fixed single plate.

[0151] Exemplarily, the material of the fixing member 33 can be plastic, and the fixing member 33 can be processed and formed by an injection molding process.

[0152] In implementation, the optical fiber connector 01 is at least partially located in the adapter 4, and the external interface can be connected with the optical fiber connector 01 by being plugged into the inside of the adapter 4.

[0153] In some possible embodiments, the optical fibers used for connecting the splitting member 03 and the optical fiber connector 01 in the optical splitter are all bare optical fibers.

[0154] Exemplarily, the bare optical fibers are all 250-micron bare optical fibers.

[0155] In this way, by connecting the splitting member 03 and the optical fiber connector 01 in the optical splitter through the bare optical fibers, the step of manually assembling the bare optical fibers into the inside of the optical fiber sleeve is omitted, and thus the production efficiency of the optical splitter can be improved, and the arrangement cost of the optical distribution network can be reduced.

[0156] In an example, the bare optical fiber is subjected to a fiber winding treatment. The fiber winding treatment can be double-side fiber winding, odd-numbered circle fiber winding, or even-numbered circle fiber winding, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0157] Exemplarily, the curvature radius of the fiber winding is not less than 25 mm.

[0158] In this way, the loss rate of the optical signal can be low, and thus the overall performance of the optical splitter can be improved.

[0159] The optical splitter provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a body 02, an optical fiber connector 01 and a light splitting piece 03. In the optical fiber connector 01, the outer wall of the optical fiber ferrule 1 is matched with the body 02, the optical fiber ferrule 1 can be directly connected with the body 02 of the optical splitter, that is, the optical fiber ferrule 1 can be directly applied to the optical splitter as the optical fiber connector 01. For the optical fiber connector 01, there is no need to produce a shell, and accordingly, there is no need to assemble the optical fiber ferrule 1 and the shell, thereby improving the production efficiency of the optical splitter and reducing the layout cost of the optical distribution network.

[0160] The embodiment of the present disclosure provides an optical distribution network, which comprises the optical splitter described above.

[0161] The above description is only a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited to this. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present disclosure, and these modifications or replacements should be covered within the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An optical splitter, characterized by, The optical splitter comprises a fiber connector (01) and a body (02); The fiber connector (01) is located inside the body (02), and the fiber connector (01) comprises a fiber ferrule (1) and a fiber (2) connected with each other, and an outer wall of the fiber ferrule (1) is in contact with the body (02). The body (02) comprises a shell (3), and the shell (3) comprises a first shell part (31) and a second shell part (32), and the first shell part (31) is in sliding connection with the second shell part (32).

2. An optical splitter as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, The body (02) further comprises an adapter (4), and the shell (3) and the adapter (4) are in contact with the outer wall of the fiber ferrule (1) respectively.

3. An optical splitter as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that, An outer wall of the fiber ferrule (1) is provided with a first clamping groove (111), and an inner part of the shell (3) is provided with a first clamping protrusion (3a), and the first clamping protrusion (3a) is clamped with the first clamping groove (111).

4. An optical splitter as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that, The fiber ferrule (1) comprises a tail handle (11) and a ferrule body (12). The ferrule body (12) is in contact with the adapter (4), the tail handle (11) is at least partially sleeved on the ferrule body (12), and the tail handle (11) is in contact with the shell (3).

5. An optical splitter as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that, The tail handle (11) comprises a first handle section (11a) and a second handle section (11b), and an outer wall of the first handle section (11a) is provided with an annular protrusion (111a). An inner part of the shell (3) is provided with a first support plate (3c) and a second support plate (3e) arranged oppositely, and a first containing space (310) is formed between the first support plate (3c), the second support plate (3e) and an inner surface of the shell (3), and the first containing space (310) is used for containing the annular protrusion (111a).

6. An optical splitter as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that, The first containing space (310) is provided with a first clamping protrusion (3a) inside, an outer wall of the annular protrusion (111a) is provided with a first clamping groove (111), and the first clamping protrusion (3a) is clamped with the first clamping groove (111).

7. An optical splitter as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, characterised in that, An inner part of the shell (3) is provided with a second clamping protrusion (3d), and the second clamping protrusion (3d) is used for clamping the tail handle (11).

8. An optical splitter as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that, The adapter (4) comprises a sleeve (41), an outer wall of the sleeve (41) is in contact with the shell (3), and the sleeve (41) is connected with the shell (3).

9. An optical splitter as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that, The shell (3) further comprises a fixing member (33) which is integrally formed with the shell (3), and the fixing member (33) is provided with a first containing through hole (331) which is used for containing the adapter (4).

10. An optical splitter as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, The optical splitter further comprises a light splitting member (03); An inner surface of the shell (3) is provided with a mounting boss (3111), and the light splitting member (03) is at least partially connected with the mounting boss (3111).

11. An optical splitter as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that, The light splitting piece (03) comprises a first optical fiber array (031), an optical waveguide (032) and a second optical fiber array (033) connected in sequence, the optical waveguide (032) is connected with the mounting boss (3111), the first optical fiber array (031) has a gap with the inner surface, and the second optical fiber array (033) has a gap with the inner surface.

12. An optical splitter as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that, First and second limiting plates (3111a and 3111b) are oppositely arranged on the mounting boss (3111), and the first and second limiting plates (3111a and 3111b) are used for clamping and fixing the light splitting piece (03).

13. An optical splitter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, 8 to 12, characterised in that, The optical fiber (2) is a bare optical fiber.

14. An optical distribution network, characterized by The optical distribution network comprises the optical splitter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13.

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