Optical fiber connector
The linkage structure between the tail sleeve and the fastener solves the problem of difficult insertion and removal of fiber optic connectors in high-density fiber optic layout environments, achieving convenient insertion and removal and component protection, thus avoiding component damage.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520131216.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-26
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-01-20
AI Technical Summary
In high-density fiber optic deployment environments, traditional fiber optic connectors are difficult to plug and unplug conveniently, especially in densely packed deployments, which can make them difficult for users to operate and may lead to component damage.
An optical fiber connector was designed. Through the linkage structure of the tail sleeve and the fastening member, the tail sleeve extends from the second end of the housing and covers the housing and the fastening member. The fastening part of the tail sleeve and the fastening member fasten each other to realize the insertion and removal action of the optical fiber connector.
It provides convenient plugging and unplugging operation, avoiding damage to components. Especially in densely packed environments, users only need to apply force to the tail sleeve to plug and unplug smoothly, reducing reliance on the first end of the housing and improving operational convenience and component synchronization.
Smart Images
Figure CN223728021U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The utility model relates to a connector, in particular to an optical fiber connector. BACKGROUND
[0002] In an optical fiber network, signals are usually paired, one for transmission and one for reception. Optical fibers can be used to connect a short length of fiber to a longer length, or to connect a fiber to an active device such as a light source or detector, or to a passive device such as a switch or attenuator. The primary function of an optical fiber connector is to align the core of the fiber with the optical path of the mating device. In this way, the light beam in the fiber will be coupled to the optical path of the mating device.
[0003] There are many types of optical fiber connectors, one of which is the MPO (Multi-Fiber Push On) connector, which is a multi-core, multi-channel connector suitable for high-density fiber deployment in limited space. It usually includes a housing and a ferrule to secure one or more optical fibers. The ferrule extends out of the housing so that when the connector is mated with another device, the optical fiber in the ferrule can be coupled to the optical path of the mating device.
[0004] The front end of the known male MPO multi-fiber connector has a guide pin, and the front end of the female connector has a corresponding guide hole. When the two optical fiber connectors are inserted into the two opposite openings of the adapter, the hooks on the adapter will hook into the two recesses on the two optical fiber connectors, and the guide pins will also be inserted into the guide holes. When the above-mentioned connectors are used in a high-density environment in a cabinet, multiple connectors are inserted close to each other on the panel of the equipment, and the user cannot easily pull out the connectors. Therefore, the general conventional method needs to provide an additional pull handle mounted on the optical fiber connector, and the optical fiber connector is pulled out through the pull handle. SUMMARY
[0005] The utility model provides a kind of optical fiber connector, and the action of pulling out optical fiber connector is achieved by tail cover.
[0006] The optical fiber connector of the utility model includes a housing, a ferrule, a retaining member and a tail cover. At least one optical fiber is fixed in the ferrule, and the ferrule is assembled in the housing with a part of the ferrule extending out of the housing from a first end of the housing. An end of the optical fiber away from the ferrule extends out of a second end of the housing, and the first end and the second end are opposite ends of the housing. The retaining member is sleeved outside the housing, and the retaining member has a first retaining portion. The tail cover is sleeved outside the housing from the second end to cover the second end and the optical fiber extending out of the second end. The tail cover has a second retaining portion, which is buckled to the first retaining portion, so that the tail cover is suitable for being stressed and driving the retaining member to pull out the optical fiber connector from the adapter.
[0007] Based on the above, the optical fiber of the optical fiber connector is fixed in the sleeve and assembled in the shell, and more importantly, the tail sleeve of the optical fiber connector extends from the second end of the shell to the first end to at least cover the shell and the retaining member sleeved on the shell, and the first retaining part of the retaining member and the second retaining part of the tail sleeve are retained with each other, so that the tail sleeve, the retaining member, the shell and the sleeve and the optical fiber in the shell become a linkage (or considered as synchronous) structure.
[0008] Due to the adoption of the above technical scheme, the utility model has the following beneficial effects:
[0009] When the user holds and exerts force on the tail sleeve, the remaining components (the retaining member, the shell, the sleeve and the optical fiber) can be correspondingly driven, and the optical fiber connector can be smoothly driven to perform insertion, extraction and other actions relative to the adapter. This allows the user to complete the required insertion and extraction actions by exerting force on the tail sleeve, effectively keeping the user's force application point away from the first end of the shell (i.e., adjacent to the adapter). This is advantageous because when the optical fiber connector and the adapter are in a densely packed arrangement (i.e., when the optical fiber connectors are inserted closely into the panel of the device), it is difficult for the user's hand to reach the abutting position of the optical fiber connector and the adapter (i.e., the first end of the shell), making it difficult to operate. The present application allows the force application point to be away from the first end and to the tail sleeve, providing convenience for related actions, and also avoids the possibility of damage to the components due to the linkage (synchronization) between the components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the connector according to an embodiment of the present application through the docking of the adapter.
[0011] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the optical fiber connector.
[0012] Figure 3 is Figure 2 an exploded schematic diagram of the optical fiber connector.
[0013] Figure 4 and Figure 5 the cross-sectional view of the optical fiber connector is drawn from different perspectives. Figure 2
[0014] SYMBOL EXPLANATION
[0015] 100, 200: optical fiber connector
[0016] 110: shell
[0017] 120: sleeve
[0018] 130: optical fiber
[0019] 140: catch
[0020] 141: first catch portion
[0021] 141a: ramp
[0022] 141b: cliff
[0023] 142: spring arm structure
[0024] 150: tail sleeve
[0025] 151: second catch portion
[0026] 152: taper surface
[0027] 153: force application slot
[0028] 161, 162: first elastic member
[0029] 163: second elastic member
[0030] 170: receiving block
[0031] 171, 172: side arm
[0032] 171a: step difference
[0033] 173: screw tube
[0034] 180: fixing tube
[0035] 190: seat
[0036] 191, 192: guide pin
[0037] 193: notch
[0038] 300: adapter
[0039] D1: first direction
[0040] D2: second direction
[0041] E1: first end
[0042] E2: second end
[0043] R1, R2: receiving chamber DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the connection of the connector according to an embodiment of the present application via the adapter. Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the fiber connector of Figure 1 and Figure 2In this embodiment, the fiber optic connectors 100 and 200 are, for example, MPO (Multi-Fiber Push On) connectors, which are connected to each other through the adapter 300. The fiber optic connector 100 is, for example, a male connector, and the fiber optic connector 200 is, for example, a female connector. They are inserted into the adapter 300 through the two opposite openings of the adapter 300 to complete the connection.
[0045] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded view of the fiber optic connector. Please also refer to... Figures 1 to 3 The fiber optic connector 100 includes a housing 110, a sleeve 120, a retaining member 140, and a tail sleeve 150. At least one optical fiber (in this embodiment, multiple optical fibers 130 are used as an example) is fixed inside the sleeve 120. The sleeve 120 is assembled inside the housing 110, and a portion of the sleeve 120 extends out of the housing 110 from its first end E1. The end of the optical fiber 130 away from the sleeve 120 extends from the second end E2 of the housing 110. The first end E1 and the second end E2 are opposite ends of the housing 110. The retaining member 140 is sleeved on the outside of the housing 110 and has a first retaining portion 141. The tail sleeve 150 is sleeved on the outside of the housing 110 from the second end E2 to cover the second end E2 and the optical fiber 130 extending from the second end E2. The tail sleeve 150 has a second holding part 151 that is snapped into the first holding part 141, so that the tail sleeve 150 is adapted to be subjected to force and drive the holding part 140 to pull the fiber optic connector 100 out of the adapter 300.
[0046] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Drawing from different perspectives Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the fiber optic connector. Please also refer to... Figures 3 to 5 Furthermore, the fiber optic connector 100 also includes a receiving block 170, a fixing tube 180, a bearing 190, first elastic elements 161 and 162, and a second elastic element 163. Two side arms 171 and 172 extend from the front surface of the receiving block 170 and are snapped onto the inner wall of the housing 110. A threaded tube 173 extends from the rear surface of the receiving block 170, and the fixing tube 180 is screwed onto the threaded tube 173. The outer wall of the fixing tube 180 abuts against the inner wall of the tail sleeve 150.
[0047] The seat 190 is disposed in the housing 110 and between the receiving block 170 and the sleeve 120, and the second elastic member 163 is disposed between the two side arms 171, 172 and abuts between the two side arms 171, 172 and the sleeve 120, wherein the two side arms 171, 172 respectively have a step 171a, 172a to abut one end of the second elastic member 163, and further, the second elastic member 163 is abutted between the two steps 171a, 172a of the two side arms 171, 172 and the notch 193 of the seat 190. Furthermore, the seat 190 also has two guide pins 191, 192, and when the seat 190 abuts against the sleeve 120, the two guide pins 191, 192 are respectively threaded and partially protrude from the sleeve 120 and the housing 110, and as shown in Figure 2 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 .
[0048] As shown in Figure 5 , the retaining member 140 and the housing 110 combine to form a pair of accommodation chambers R1, R2 on opposite sides of the housing 110, and the aforementioned pair of first elastic members 161, 162 are respectively located in the accommodation chambers R1, R2, and each first elastic member 161, 162 abuts between the housing 110 and the retaining member 140. After one end of the optical fiber 130 is fixed to the sleeve 120, the remaining portion sequentially passes through the seat 190, the second elastic member 163, the space between the two side arms 171, 172, the receiving block 170 and the threaded sleeve 173 thereafter, the fixed tube 180 and the tail sleeve 150.
[0049] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the first retaining portion 141 is one of the retaining protrusions and the retaining holes, and the second retaining portion 151 is the other one of the retaining protrusions and the retaining holes. The present embodiment takes the first retaining portion 141 as a retaining protrusion and the second retaining portion 151 as a retaining hole as an example. In another embodiment not shown, the aforementioned structure is reversed and the retaining effect can still be achieved. Furthermore, the retaining member 140 of the present embodiment also has a spring arm structure 142, and the first retaining portion 141 as a retaining protrusion is located at the tail end of the spring arm structure 142. Further, the first side of the retaining protrusion is a ramp 141a, and the second side of the retaining protrusion is a cliff 141b, so that the retaining hole (the second retaining portion 151) moves along the ramp 141a in the first direction D1 until it falls off the cliff 141b and is buckled in the second direction D2 in the retaining protrusion (the first retaining portion 141), that is, the retaining member 140 and the tail sleeve 150 have structural interference effect when force is applied in the second direction D2. Among them, the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 are opposite to each other. Accordingly, the user applies force to the tail sleeve 150 (equivalent to providing a pushing force to the optical fiber connector 100) in the first direction D1, so that the tail sleeve 150 and the retaining member 140 are mutually retained or the optical fiber connector 100 is inserted into the adapter 300 (please refer toFigure 1 ), while when the user applies force to the boot 150 in the second direction D2 (equivalent to providing a pulling force), the fiber optic connector 100 can be smoothly pulled out of the adapter 300 (see Figure 1 ).
[0050] In addition, the boot 150 of the present embodiment has a tapered surface 152 gradually narrowing away from the housing 110, and a plurality of force application grooves 153 are provided on the tapered surface 152, which provide a holding place for the user to apply force, and the friction when the user holds is increased by the structural features. Thus, with the housing 110 as the reference (regarding it as a fixed structure and not moving), when the retaining member 140 moves in the second direction D2 to compress and deform the first elastic members 161, 162 and accumulate elastic force, and when the elastic force is released to drive the retaining member 140 to move in the first direction D1, the second direction D2 is the direction in which the fiber optic connector 100 is pulled out of the adapter 300. In other words, because the aforementioned boot 150 and the retaining member 140 are in a state of structural interference with each other in the second direction D2, when the user wants to pull the fiber optic connector 100 out of the adapter 300, the user applies force to the boot 150 in the second direction D2, thereby driving the retaining member 140 and causing it to perform the aforementioned action, to smoothly and sequentially drive the housing 110 and the related components assembled in the housing 110 away from the adapter 300 to complete the pulling action, wherein the clamping direction of the first and second retaining portions 141, 151 is consistent with the direction in which the fiber optic connector 100 is pulled out of the adapter 300, i.e. the aforementioned second direction D2.
[0051] Please refer to Figures 3 to 5 , which can make the aforementioned plugging and unplugging actions smooth, that is, in the fiber optic connector 100 of the present embodiment, the boot 150, the retaining member 140, the housing 110, and the sleeve 120 are in a layering and covering structure from the outside to the inside. With the housing 110 as the boundary, the sleeve 120, the seat 190, the second spring 163, and the receiving block 170 inside it are essentially clamped to the inner wall of the housing 110 (as shown in Figure 5 ) by the outer hook portions 171b, 172b of the two side arms 171, 172 of the receiving block 170, and the outer clamping portion of the sleeve 120 is clamped to the inner wall of the housing 110, to jointly complete the assembly and fixation of the components inside the housing 110.
[0052] Correspondingly, the boot 150 of the present embodiment includes a head section L2 and a tail section L1. The head section L2 has the second retaining portion 151 and is overlaid on the housing 110 and the retaining member 140, and the tail section L1 is contracted relative to the head section L2 to cover the fiber 130 extending out of the housing 110. As shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the portion of the fiber 130 extending out of the housing 110 is protected by the solenoid 173 of the receiving block 170, the fixed tube 180, and the boot 150.
[0053] In this way, through the aforementioned correspondence between the tail sleeve, the fastener, and the housing, when the user applies force to the tail sleeve, it is equivalent to applying force to the housing and the components inside it simultaneously. In other words, the user only needs to apply force to the tail sleeve to smoothly drive the overall structure of the fiber optic connector without worrying about relative displacement between components causing structural damage or detachment.
[0054] It should be noted that although the above example uses fiber optic connector 100, it is not limited to this, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the fiber optic connector 200 may also have the above-mentioned components to facilitate its easy insertion and removal relative to the adapter 300.
[0055] In summary, in the above embodiments of this utility model, the optical fiber of the fiber optic connector is assembled inside the housing after being fixed by the sleeve, and the tail sleeve of the fiber optic connector extends from the second end of the housing to the first end, at least covering the housing and the fastening member sleeved on the housing. At the same time, the first fastening part of the fastening member and the second fastening part of the tail sleeve fasten each other, thus achieving a linked (or synchronous) structure of the tail sleeve, the fastening member, the housing, and even the sleeve and optical fiber inside. In particular, the layered covering structure formed by the tail sleeve, the housing, and the fastening member ensures that when the user holds the tail sleeve, the force applied can be effectively transmitted through the layered covering structure, thereby allowing the user to smoothly pull out (or insert) the fiber optic connector from the adapter.
[0056] In other words, the user only needs to apply force to the tail sleeve to complete the required insertion and removal action, effectively keeping the user's point of force away from the first end of the housing (i.e., near the adapter). This is advantageous because when fiber optic connectors and adapters are densely packed (i.e., when these fiber optic connectors are close together and plugged into the device's panel), it is difficult for the user's hand to reach the adjacent parts of the fiber optic connectors and adapters (i.e., the first end of the housing), thus hindering operation. This design, for the aforementioned reason, moves the point of force away from the first end to the tail sleeve, providing convenience for related actions, and also avoiding the possibility of damage to components due to insertion and removal actions due to the interconnectivity (synchronization) between components.
Claims
1. An optical fiber connector, characterized by : A housing; A ferrule having at least one optical fiber fixed therein, the ferrule being assembled in the housing and a portion of the ferrule extending out of the housing from a first end of the housing, the optical fiber extending out of a second end of the housing from an end of the ferrule away from the ferrule, the first end and the second end being opposite ends of the housing; A retaining member being sleeved outside the housing, the retaining member having a first retaining portion; And A boot being sleeved outside the housing from the second end to cover the second end and the optical fiber extending out of the second end, the boot having a second retaining portion being buckled to the first retaining portion to make the boot adapted to be forced and drive the retaining member to pull the fiber optic connector out of the adapter.
2. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein The first retaining portion is one of a retaining protrusion and a retaining hole, and the second retaining portion is the other of the retaining protrusion and the retaining hole.
3. The fiber optic connector of claim 2, wherein The retaining member or the boot has a spring arm structure, and the retaining protrusion is located at a tail end of the spring arm structure.
4. The fiber optic connector of claim 2, wherein A first side of the retaining protrusion is a ramp, and a second side of the retaining protrusion is a cliff, so that the retaining hole moves along the ramp in a first direction until the retaining hole falls off the cliff to be buckled to the retaining protrusion in a second direction, the first direction and the second direction being opposite to each other.
5. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein The boot has a tapered surface away from the housing and gradually inwardly, and the boot further has a plurality of force applying grooves located on the tapered surface.
6. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein The retaining member and the housing combine to form a pair of accommodation chambers located on opposite sides of the housing, and the fiber optic connector further includes a pair of first elastic members respectively located in the pair of accommodation chambers, and each of the first elastic members abuts between the housing and the retaining member.
7. The fiber optic connector of claim 6, wherein With reference to the housing, when the retaining member moves in the second direction to compress and deform the pair of first elastic members and accumulate elastic force, and when the elastic force is released to drive the retaining member to move in the first direction, the first direction is opposite to the second direction, and the second direction is the direction in which the fiber optic connector is pulled out of the adapter.
8. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein The buckling directions of the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion are consistent with the direction in which the fiber optic connector is pulled out of the adapter.
9. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein Further comprising a receiving block and a fixing tube, a front surface of the receiving block extending two side arms buckled to inner walls of the housing, and a rear surface of the receiving block extending a screw tube, the fixing tube being screwed to the screw tube, an outer wall of the fixing tube abutting an inner wall of the boot, and the optical fiber sequentially passing through the receiving block, the fixing tube and the boot.
10. The fiber optic connector of claim 9, wherein Further comprising a second elastic member arranged between the two side arms and abutting between the two side arms and the ferrule, wherein the two side arms respectively have steps to abut one end of the second elastic member.
11. The fiber optic connector of claim 10, wherein Further comprising a receiving seat arranged in the housing and located between the receiving block and the ferrule, the second elastic member abutting between the two steps of the two side arms and the receiving seat.
12. The fiber optic connector of claim 11, characterized by The receiving seat further has two guide pins which are respectively threaded and partially protrude from the ferrule and the housing when the receiving seat abuts against the ferrule.
13. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, characterized by The tail cover, the retaining member, the housing and the sleeve are in a layering and covering structure from outside to inside.
14. The fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein The tail cover includes a head section and a tail section, wherein the head section has the second retaining portion and is layering and covering on the housing and the retaining member, and the tail section is contracted relative to the head section to cover the optical fiber protruding from the housing.