Multi-core optical fiber connector shell, multi-core optical fiber connector and butt joint unit

Abstract

The utility model discloses a multi-core optical fiber connector shell, a front side wall of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell limits forward separation of an insertion core assembly from the multi-core optical fiber connector shell, and an insertion core installed in place is adjacent to the front side wall, the left side wall, the right side wall and the lower side wall; the upper side wall is provided with a first opening, the upper side wall is also provided with a fixing part, and the fixing part prevents the inserting core assembly which is installed in place from being separated from the multi-core optical fiber connector shell from the first opening. On one hand, the structure greatly improves the problem that an insertion core assembly of an existing optical fiber connector is inconvenient to fly in and replace; and on the other hand, no other parts are arranged between the insertion core and the side walls of the multi-core connector shell, so that the boundary dimension of the optical fiber connector in the width and thickness directions is compressed, the optical fiber connector can be made smaller, and the optical fiber connector can be more easily applied to a high-density and large-capacity use environment.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of optical communication, specifically relates to multi -core optical fiber connector shell, multi -core optical fiber connector and butt joint unit. BACKGROUND

[0002] Optical fiber connector is the most commonly used passive device in optical fiber communication, used to realize the connection between two optical paths, and can be widely applied in various optical fiber communication networks.

[0003] A multi -core optical fiber connector shell, optical fiber connector and optical fiber butt joint device are disclosed in Chinese patent CN118011567A, Figure 1 It is the structural diagram of the multi -core optical fiber connector shell in the patent, as Figure 1 Indicated, the multi -core optical fiber connector shell includes front side wall A11, first elastic arm A12, second elastic arm A13, rear side wall A14, upper side wall (the upper side wall is all hollow) and bottom wall A15, the upper side wall is equipped with first opening, and other components of the optical fiber connector can be directly installed to the inside of the multi -core optical fiber connector shell from the first opening.Due to the existence of the first opening, other optical fiber connector accessories (such as main spring) can be installed into the connector shell, realizing pre-installation;When replacing or installing the ferrule on site, the ferrule can be inserted into the connector shell from the first opening, without disassembling and reassembling the optical fiber connector, avoiding the loss of small parts during assembly, and being more convenient;In addition, the first opening makes the entire installation process completely visible, facilitating accurate installation of the ferrule assembly and adjustment.

[0004] However, the connector in CN118011567A still faces the following problems in actual use:

[0005] 1. The product thickness, width direction size is large, and it is difficult to apply to high-density large-capacity use environment

[0006] The rapid development of artificial intelligence technology puts forward higher requirements for high-speed communication transmission technology, and demands greater transmission capacity, and the density of interface installation on the current data center is higher and higher, which puts forward more stringent requirements on the size of the optical fiber connector.

[0007] In the optical fiber connector in the above patent, the ferrule bracket limits the ferrule assembly from five directions, that is, the bottom and left and right directions of the ferrule assembly have two wall thicknesses, and two main springs are arranged on the left and right sides of the ferrule assembly, which makes the size of the optical fiber connector in the above patent still large in the cross section perpendicular to the insertion direction, and there is a lot of room for improvement.

[0008] 2. The insertion and replacement of the ferrule assembly is troublesome, and the replacement parts are low in efficiency

[0009] The accessory of the fiber connector in the patent can be pre-assembled, which avoids the problem of small accessory loss in the process of replacing the ferrule assembly. However, the pre-assembled fiber connector encounters problems such as Figure 2 as shown, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the force state of the ferrule assembly when the ferrule assembly is pushed to the removal position in a top view state.

[0010] When manually replacing the ferrule assembly, since the connector ferrule bracket part does not have a good force point, we often use the method of pushing the ferrule assembly hard to make the ferrule bracket move backward to expose the space that can make the ferrule assembly directly taken out, and then take out the ferrule assembly. However, the specification 0016 records that "the ferrule base is a groove structure, and the ferrule body is arranged in the groove structure", such a structure still limits the ferrule assembly in the front, back, left, right, up and down six directions in the process of pushing the ferrule assembly to make the ferrule bracket move backward, so it cannot be taken out. Another person is needed to temporarily fix the backward moved ferrule bracket, and then the ferrule assembly can be inserted or replaced. This makes the insertion or replacement of the ferrule assembly more troublesome, and the efficiency of replacing the ferrule assembly is low.

[0011] 3. The product size precision is difficult to control, and the product structure stability is poor

[0012] The multi-core fiber connector housing in CN118011567A is directly made by sheet metal process, and after assembly is completed, each structural feature is basically in a free state without structural features to fix and constrain each other.

[0013] The springback after bending of the sheet metal process is relatively serious, and different batches of materials will cause product springback after bending of the sheet metal process due to different hardness, and even millimeter level dimensional error may occur. The multi-core fiber connector housing is a relatively precise structural part, and such millimeter level dimensional error is unacceptable. In addition, before the guide column, main spring and ferrule bracket accessories are installed, the elastic handle and two elastic arms of the multi-core fiber connector housing are in a state of no constraint, which leads to the condition that excessive force is easily used to cause plastic deformation of the structure during installation.

[0014] 4. The existing pre-relaxation fiber connector structure is complex and requires additional operation steps

[0015] CN115453693B discloses a pre-relaxation MPO optical fiber connector. It includes: a ferrule capable of accommodating an optical fiber, the optical fiber end face terminates at the front end of the ferrule; an inner housing sleeved on the ferrule and capable of limiting the ferrule; a guide pin support arranged at the rear end of the ferrule; a spring arranged at the rear end of the guide pin support; a rear housing for interfacing with the inner housing; a component for repeatedly controlling the expansion and contraction of the spring.

[0016] And the description records in paragraph 0062, "The component of the present application can repeatedly control the expansion and contraction of the spring. When the optical fiber harness needs to be connected, the spring is elongated, the elastic force applied by the spring to the ferrule is reduced, the ferrule can move more easily inside the inner housing to find a suitable position for interfacing, the resistance of the ferrule during position adjustment is reduced, the wear of the guide pin hole caused by resistance or friction is reduced, and the service life of the optical fiber connector and the components of the optical fiber connector is increased." That is, before interfacing, the spring is in a state of less than standard interfacing force, which facilitates the alignment of the ferrule and reduces the wear of the guide pin on the guide pin hole. After interfacing, the spring force is controlled by a component that repeatedly controls the expansion and contraction of the spring, and the loading of the standard interfacing force is completed.

[0017] This makes the pre-relaxation MPO optical fiber connector in CN115453693B at least one more component than the ordinary optical fiber connector, and additional operation steps are required during the interfacing of the optical fiber connector.

[0018] Therefore, the present patent proposes an optical fiber connector to solve the above problems. Utility model content

[0019] The utility model provides a kind of multi-core optical fiber connector shell, multi-core optical fiber connector and interfacing unit, solve the size of multi-core optical fiber connector in prior art, size precision is difficult to control, product structure stability is poor, ferrule assembly flies in and is inconvenient to replace and the problems such as the structure of existing pre-relaxation optical fiber connector is complex, and additional operation steps are required.

[0020] Firstly, the utility model provides a kind of multi-core optical fiber connector shell, including front side wall, left side wall, right side wall, rear side wall, upper side wall and lower side wall, front side wall limits the forward disengagement of ferrule assembly from the multi-core optical fiber connector shell, and the ferrule assembly installed in place is adjacent to front side wall, left side wall, right side wall and lower side wall;

[0021] The upper side wall is provided with a first opening, and the ferrule assembly of the optical fiber connector can be directly installed into the accommodation space C of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell from the first opening, and the upper side wall is also provided with a fixing portion, which prevents the ferrule assembly installed in place from disengaging from the multi-core optical fiber connector shell from the first opening;

[0022] The front side wall is provided with a second opening, and the rear side wall is provided with a third opening.

[0023] Further, the distance L between the fixing portion and the front side wall is 0.3mm-5.8mm.

[0024] Further, the plurality of guide pillar holes are provided with notches on the hole walls, and the guide pillars can be directly installed in the guide pillar holes through the notches.

[0025] Further, the elastic arm is provided on the left side wall or the right side wall or the lower side wall, one end of the elastic arm is fixedly connected to the shell, and the other end of the elastic arm is in a free state.

[0026] Further, the other end of the elastic arm is provided with protrusions on both sides, and the surface of the elastic arm is provided with sliding grooves in the thickness direction of the wall, the protrusions are clamped into the sliding grooves and can slide in the sliding grooves.

[0027] Further, the left side wall is provided with a first limiting groove, and the right side wall is provided with a second limiting groove.

[0028] Further, the lower side wall is provided with a plurality of unlocking grooves, and the unlocking grooves pass through the wall thickness of the lower side wall.

[0029] In the second aspect, the utility model provides a multi-core optical fiber connector which comprises the multi-core optical fiber connector shell, a plurality of main springs, a plurality of guide pillars, a spring frame and a ferrule assembly.

[0030] The ferrule assembly comprises a ferrule and an optical fiber ribbon arranged in the ferrule, the ferrule comprises a ferrule body and a flange portion, the optical fiber ribbon contains N optical fibers, N is greater than or equal to 2, the ferrule assembly is installed inside the multi-core optical fiber connector shell, the front end of the ferrule body is exposed from the second opening to the multi-core optical fiber connector shell, and the optical fiber ribbon passes through the third opening.

[0031] The main spring is arranged on the guide pillar, one end of the guide pillar is clamped and fixed on the spring frame, and the other end is inserted into the guide pillar hole; one end of the main spring abuts against the spring frame, and the other end abuts against the end face adjacent to the accommodation space C on the outer periphery of the guide pillar hole.

[0032] Further, the number of the main springs is two.

[0033] Further, the main springs are completely located at the rear side of the ferrule flange portion.

[0034] Further, the spring frame is provided with a first limiting wing and a second limiting wing on both sides respectively, the first limiting wing extends into the first limiting groove, and the second limiting wing extends into the second limiting groove.

[0035] In a third aspect, the utility model provides a kind of multicore fiber connector, including the multicore fiber connector shell and ferrule assembly as described above, the multicore fiber connector shell is made using the process of integrally formed, the ferrule assembly includes ferrule and optical fiber ribbon arranged in the ferrule, the ferrule includes ferrule body and flange portion, N root optical fibers are included in the optical fiber ribbon, N is greater than or equal to 2, in the direction of parallel to the center line of N optical fiber end face, the width d1 of the flange portion and the size d2 of the multicore fiber connector satisfy: 0.6mm≤d2-d1≤4mm.

[0036] In a fourth aspect, the utility model provides a kind of multicore fiber connector, including multicore fiber connector shell, several main springs and ferrule assembly,

[0037] The ferrule assembly includes ferrule and optical fiber ribbon arranged in the ferrule, the ferrule includes ferrule body and flange portion, N root optical fibers are included in the optical fiber ribbon, N is greater than or equal to 2, one end of the main spring is abutted to the flange portion of ferrule, the other end of the main spring is abutted to the shell,

[0038] When the optical fiber connector is docked, the main spring is in pre-relaxation state, at this time, the spring force of main spring is F1, when the optical fiber connector is completed and docked, the main spring is in tight state, at this time, the spring force of main spring is F2, F1 and F2 satisfy: F1≤1 / 2 F2.

[0039] In the optical fiber connector of the application, the main spring has two states, i.e. pre-relaxation state and tight state. At the beginning of docking, the main spring is in pre-relaxation state, and the spring force of the main spring is small, so that the static friction force on the ferrule is small, facilitating the alignment of the ferrule. After alignment, the main spring is adjusted to the tight state, and the spring force of the main spring reaches the standard docking force.

[0040] Further, N is less than 16, and the spring force F1 of the main spring satisfies: 0≤F1≤5N.

[0041] Further, N is greater than or equal to 16, and the spring force F1 of the main spring satisfies: 0≤F1≤10N.

[0042] In a fifth aspect, the utility model provides a kind of multicore fiber connector, including multicore fiber connector shell, several main springs and ferrule assembly,

[0043] The ferrule assembly includes ferrule and optical fiber ribbon arranged in the ferrule, the ferrule includes ferrule body and flange portion, N root optical fibers are included in the optical fiber ribbon, N is greater than or equal to 2, one end of the main spring is abutted to the flange portion of ferrule, the other end of the main spring is abutted to the multicore fiber connector shell,

[0044] The height of the ferrule body protruding from the multi-core fiber connector shell at the mating end face is h1 before the fiber connector is mated, and the height of the ferrule body protruding from the multi-core fiber connector shell at the mating end face is h2 after the fiber connector is mated, and h1 and h2 satisfy: h1 > h2.

[0045] Further, 1.0mm ≤ h1-h2 ≤ 4.5mm.

[0046] In a sixth aspect, the utility model provides a kind of docking unit, including several as described above multi-core fiber connector.

[0047] Beneficial effects:

[0048] Compared with the prior art, the multi-core fiber connector shell in the present patent can position the installed ferrule assembly adjacent to the front side wall, left side wall, right side wall and lower side wall, and there is also a fixing portion on the upper side wall, which prevents the installed ferrule assembly from being separated from the multi-core fiber connector shell through the first opening. Such a structure has the following advantages:

[0049] 1. The restriction of the multi-core connector shell and the spring on the installed ferrule assembly in the present patent is increased from the original 3 directions (front, rear, and lower) to 6 directions (front, rear, left, right, upper, and lower). The ferrule assembly only sticks to the spring frame, so when replacing the ferrule assembly, the ferrule assembly is only restricted in the front, rear, left, right, and lower directions during the process of pushing it backward, and it can be easily removed from the top. This greatly improves the problem of the ferrule assembly flying into the existing fiber connector and the inconvenience of replacement.

[0050] 2. After the multi-core connector shell restricts the ferrule assembly in 5 directions, the spring frame only needs to provide a forward thrust to the ferrule assembly, and there is no need for a ferrule base with a groove structure. This makes the ferrule assembly and the several side walls of the multi-core connector shell without other components in between, and the installed ferrule assembly is adjacent to the front side wall, left side wall, right side wall, and lower side wall. This compresses the outer dimensions of the fiber connector in the width and thickness directions, which is beneficial to making the fiber connector smaller in size and better applied to high-density and large-capacity environments.

[0051] In the optical fiber connector, one end of the main spring abuts against the flange portion of the ferrule, the other end of the main spring abuts against the shell, and the elastic force of the main spring before the ferrule assembly is connected is less than half of the elastic force after the ferrule assembly is connected, so that the ferrule assembly is in a pre-relaxed state before the ferrule assembly is connected, and the ferrule assembly can be easily adjusted to an aligned position when the ferrule assembly is connected.

[0052] In addition, the main spring originally located on both sides of the ferrule assembly is moved to the rear side of the flange portion of the ferrule assembly, so that the size of the optical fiber connector in the width direction can be significantly compressed, and the size of the optical fiber connector in the width direction can be extremely compressed in cooperation with the multi-core connector shell in the patent.

[0053] Finally, the multi-core optical fiber connector shell can be further manufactured by an integral molding process, which not only has high structural strength between each feature, but also is conducive to making the connector wall thickness size thinnest, and is conducive to controlling the size stability of each feature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0054] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical scheme of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0055] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a prior art multi-core optical fiber connector shell;

[0056] Figure 2 is a force state schematic diagram of the ferrule assembly when the ferrule assembly is pushed to the taking-out position in the top view state of the prior art;

[0057] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell of the present application;

[0058] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell of the present application and the installation of the ferrule assembly;

[0059] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell of the present application;

[0060] Figure 6 Structure diagram of another specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell of the utility model;

[0061] Figure 7 Structure diagram of another specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell of the utility model;

[0062] Figure 8 Structure diagram of another specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell of the utility model;

[0063] Figure 9 Structure diagram of another specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell of the utility model;

[0064] Figure 10 Structure diagram of another specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell of the utility model;

[0065] Figure 11 Structure diagram of a specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector of the utility model;

[0066] Figure 12 Explosion diagram of a specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector of the utility model;

[0067] Figure 13 Structure diagram of the ferrule assembly of the utility model;

[0068] Figure 14 Structure diagram of a specific embodiment of the spring frame of the utility model;

[0069] Figure 15 Structure diagram of the multi-core optical fiber connector in the state before and after the butt joint of the utility model;

[0070] Figure 16 Butt joint diagram of the multi-core optical fiber connector and the existing MT ferrule connector of the utility model;

[0071] Figure 17 State diagram of the multi-core optical fiber connector and the MT ferrule connector in the adapter before the butt joint of the utility model;

[0072] Figure 18 State diagram of the multi-core optical fiber connector and the MT ferrule connector in the adapter after the butt joint of the utility model;

[0073] Figure 19 Structure diagram of a specific embodiment of the butt joint device of the utility model.

[0074] Explanation of reference signs:

[0075] 100. Multi-core fiber optic connector; 1. Multi-core fiber optic connector housing; 11. Front sidewall; 111. Second opening; 12. Left sidewall; 13. Right sidewall; 14. Rear sidewall; 141. Third opening; 15. Lower sidewall; 161. First opening; 162. Fixing part; 17. Guide post hole; 171. Slot; 18. Elastic arm; 181. Protrusion; 19. Sliding groove; 1101. First limiting groove; 1102. Second limiting groove; 1111. Unlocking groove; 2. Ferrule assembly; 21. Ferrule; 211. Ferrule body; 212. Flange; 22. Fiber optic ribbon; 3. Guide post; 4. Spring frame; 41. First limiting wing; 42. Second limiting wing; 5. Main spring; 200. Connecting unit. Detailed Implementation

[0076] To make the technical problems solved, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model.

[0077] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0078] The following sections will provide a detailed description of the multi-core fiber optic connector housing, the multi-core fiber optic connector, and the docking unit of this utility model.

[0079] Example

[0080] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the multi-core fiber optic connector housing of this utility model, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown, the multi-core fiber optic connector housing 1 includes a front sidewall 11, a left sidewall 12, a right sidewall 13, a rear sidewall 14, an upper sidewall, and a lower sidewall 15. The front sidewall 11 limits the forward disengagement of the ferrule assembly 2 from the multi-core fiber optic connector housing 1. The installed ferrule assembly is adjacent to the front sidewall 11, the left sidewall 12, the right sidewall 13, and the lower sidewall 15. The upper sidewall is provided with a first opening 161, through which the components of the fiber optic connector can be directly installed into the accommodating space C of the multi-core fiber optic connector housing 1.

[0081] Figure 4 For the specific embodiment of the multi-core fiber connector shell and the structure diagram of the installed ferrule assembly, the upper side wall also has a fixing part 162, and the fixing part 162 prevents the installed ferrule assembly 2 from being separated from the multi-core fiber connector shell 1 from the first opening 161.

[0082] The front side wall 11 is provided with a second opening 111, and the rear side wall 14 is provided with a third opening 141.

[0083] In the embodiment, the fixing part is removed from the upper side wall, and the other parts are all absent, forming a first opening. In this way, the first opening is large enough, and the part of the fiber connector is convenient to install into the multi-core fiber connector shell from the first opening.

[0084] It should be noted that in other embodiments, in addition to the fixing part, the upper side wall also has other features, that is, the first opening part covers the upper side wall. At this time, the size of the first opening can be adjusted according to the needs of the designer, as long as the components of the fiber connector can be directly installed into the accommodation space of the multi-core fiber connector shell from the first opening.

[0085] It should be noted that the “installed ferrule adjacent to the front side wall, the left side wall, the right side wall and the lower side wall” means that there is no other component between the ferrule and the front side wall, the left side wall, the right side wall and the lower side wall of the multi-core fiber connector shell.

[0086] The upper side wall has a fixing part, which prevents the installed ferrule assembly from being separated from the multi-core fiber connector shell from the first opening, and the installed ferrule assembly is adjacent to the front side wall, the left side wall, the right side wall and the lower side wall. The limitation of the multi-core fiber connector shell and the spring to the installed ferrule assembly is increased from the original 3 directions (front, rear, lower) to 6 directions (front, rear, left, right, upper, lower). The ferrule assembly is attached to the spring frame. In this way, when replacing the ferrule assembly, the ferrule assembly is only limited in the front, rear, left, right and lower directions during the process of pushing the ferrule assembly to move backward, and the ferrule assembly can be easily taken out from the upper side. This greatly improves the problem of inconvenience of the existing multi-core fiber connector ferrule assembly flying in and replacing.

[0087] In addition, after the multi-core connector shell limits the plug-in core assembly in five directions, the spring frame only needs to provide a forward thrust to the plug-in core assembly, and the plug-in core base does not need to form a groove structure, so that the plug-in core is not separated from other components between the several side walls of the multi-core connector shell, the plug-in core assembly installed in place is adjacent to the front side wall, the left side wall, the right side wall and the lower side wall, so that the size of the optical fiber connector in the width and thickness directions is compressed, and the size of the optical fiber connector is made smaller, and the optical fiber connector can be better applied to a high-density and large-capacity use environment.

[0088] Figure 5 A structure diagram of another specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell of the utility model is shown in FIG. 6. Figure 5 The distance L between the fixed part and the front side wall is 0.3mm-5.8mm. In the width direction of the connector, the fixed part generally only clamps the flange part of the plug-in core assembly. When the plug-in core assembly is taken out, it only needs to be moved backward. When the flange part of the plug-in core assembly exits the range of the fixed part, the plug-in core assembly can be taken out from the first opening on the upper side of the shell. The existence of the fixed part can prevent the plug-in core assembly from separating from the shell in the use state, but the length of the fixed part also affects the distance that needs to be moved backward during the plug-in core assembly taking-out process. The distance L between the fixed part and the front side wall is 0.3mm-5.8mm, which is the best range determined by the technical personnel through a large number of experiments. It will not make it difficult to replace the plug-in core assembly, and the fixed part can also limit the plug-in core assembly in the use state. In a specific embodiment, the distance L between the fixed part and the front side wall is 1.7mm. L can also be 2.0mm, 2.5mm, 3.0mm.

[0089] Figure 6 A structure diagram of another specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell of the utility model is shown in FIG. 6. Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 6, the multi-core optical fiber connector shell 1 further comprises a plurality of guide pillar holes 17. The hole wall of the guide pillar hole 17 is provided with a notch 171. The guide pillar can be directly assembled into the guide pillar hole 17 through the notch 171.

[0090] In a specific embodiment, the number of guide pillar holes is 2.

[0091] The notch is provided on the guide pillar hole, which facilitates the direct assembly of the guide pillar into the guide pillar hole, and then the guide pillar is clamped in the guide pillar hole. Such assembly operation is simple and convenient, and the efficiency of the guide pillar installation is greatly improved.

[0092] Figure 7 A structure diagram of another specific embodiment of the multi-core optical fiber connector shell of the utility model is shown in FIG. 6. Figure 7As shown in the figure, the multi-core fiber connector housing 1 further comprises a resilient arm 18, which is arranged on the left side wall or the right side wall or the lower side wall, one end of the resilient arm 18 is fixedly connected to the housing, and the other end of the resilient arm is in a free state.

[0093] In one specific embodiment, the resilient arm 18 is arranged on the right side wall.

[0094] The resilient arm is used for cooperating with and locking the corresponding structure on the adapter, and the resilient arm can be unlocked by pressing or lifting. The resilient arm can be arranged on the adapter, which helps to reduce the size of the connector; or the resilient arm can be arranged on the connector. Since other components of the multi-core fiber connector housing in the utility model need to be directly loaded from the first opening on the upper side, the resilient arm is arranged on the left side wall or the right side wall or the lower side wall of the multi-core connector housing, so as to avoid affecting the loading of other components into the multi-core fiber connector housing.

[0095] In the prior art, the resilient arm is suspended in the air, and when the connector with such a design is applied in a high-density use environment, the resilient arm will hook the fiber ribbon, and in the case of excessive dragging force, the fiber ribbon will be torn, causing unnecessary communication failure or accidental loss.

[0096] Figure 8 The structure diagram of another specific embodiment of the multi-core fiber connector housing of the utility model is shown in the figure, wherein the other end of the resilient arm 18 has a protrusion 181, and a sliding groove 19 is arranged in the thickness direction of the wall surface of the resilient arm, and the protrusion 181 is clamped into the sliding groove 19 and can slide in the sliding groove 19. Figure 8

[0097] In this way, one end of the resilient arm is fixedly connected to the multi-core connector housing, and the other end is clamped into the sliding groove, so that the resilient arm becomes an arch-shaped structure, forming a relatively closed structure with the housing, so that the free end of the resilient arm will not hook the fiber ribbon during the taking-out process.

[0098] Figure 9 The structure diagram of another specific embodiment of the multi-core fiber connector housing of the utility model is shown in the figure, wherein the left side wall has a first limiting groove 1101, and the right side wall has a second limiting groove 1102.

[0099] Figure 10 The structure diagram of another specific embodiment of the multi-core fiber connector housing of the utility model is shown in the figure, wherein the lower side wall 15 has a plurality of unlocking grooves 1111, and the unlocking grooves 1111 penetrate the wall thickness of the lower side wall 15.

[0100] ​The arrangement of the unlocking slot allows the installation and dismounting tool to pass through the unlocking slot and drive the spring holder to retreat after tightening the main spring, thus leaving space for the installation of the ferrule assembly, facilitating the assembly of the ferrule assembly, and thus effectively improving the production and assembly efficiency of the multi-core fiber connector.

[0101] Figure 11 is a structural schematic view of a specific embodiment of the multi-core fiber connector of the utility model, Figure 12 is an exploded schematic view of a specific embodiment of the multi-core fiber connector of the utility model, wherein the multi-core fiber connector 100 comprises the multi-core fiber connector shell 1, the ferrule assembly 2, the guide posts 3, the spring holder 4 and the main springs 5 as above,

[0102] Figure 13 is a structural schematic view of the ferrule assembly, wherein the ferrule assembly 2 comprises the ferrule 21 and the fiber ribbon 22 arranged in the ferrule, the ferrule 21 comprises the ferrule body 211 and the flange part 212, the fiber ribbon contains N optical fibers, N≥2, the ferrule assembly 2 is installed inside the multi-core fiber connector shell 1, the front end of the ferrule body 211 is exposed from the second opening 111 of the multi-core fiber connector shell, and the fiber ribbon 22 passes through the third opening 141.

[0103] The main spring 5 is arranged on the guide post 3, one end of the guide post 3 is clamped and fixed on the spring holder 4, and the other end of the guide post 3 is inserted into the guide post hole; one end of the main spring 5 abuts against the spring holder 4, and the other end of the main spring 5 abuts against the end face adjacent to the accommodation space C outside the periphery of the guide post hole.

[0104] Compared with the prior art, the ferrule assembly of the multi-core fiber connector of the utility model can be very conveniently installed and taken out, which greatly improves the problem that the ferrule assembly of the existing fiber connector is inconvenient to install and replace.

[0105] In addition, the installed ferrule assembly is adjacent to the front side wall, the left side wall, the right side wall and the lower side wall, and there is no other component between the ferrule assembly and the several side walls of the multi-core connector shell, so that the outer dimensions of the fiber connector in the width and thickness directions are compressed, and the fiber connector can be made smaller, which can be better applied to high-density and large-capacity use environments.

[0106] In another embodiment of the multi-core fiber connector of the utility model, the multi-core fiber connector shell is made by an integral molding process, in the width and thickness directions, the ferrule assembly is adjacent to the front side wall, the left side wall, the right side wall and the lower side wall of the multi-core fiber connector shell, and the flange part width d1 of the ferrule assembly plus twice the thickness t of the side wall of the connector shell is the minimum total width of the connector.

[0107] The width d1 of the flange portion and the size d2 of the multi-core fiber connector satisfy 0.6mm≤d2-d1≤4mm in the direction of the line parallel to the center of the end face of the N optical fibers.

[0108] The multi-core fiber connector shell can be further manufactured by an integral molding process, which not only has high structural strength between each feature, but also is conducive to making the connector wall thickness size thinnest and controlling the size stability of each feature

[0109] In some embodiments, the number of main springs is 2. The number of specific main springs used can be set according to the design requirements of the technician.

[0110] In some embodiments, the main spring is completely located at the rear side of the ferrule flange portion. Compared with the prior art technical solution in which the main spring is located on the left and right sides of the ferrule, the technical solution in the embodiment can significantly compress the size of the multi-core fiber connector in the width direction, and in combination with the multi-core fiber connector shell in the patent, the size of the multi-core fiber connector in the width direction can be extremely compressed.

[0111] When the main spring is completely located at the rear side of the ferrule flange portion, the projection of the main spring in the width direction is completely in the projection of the ferrule flange portion in the width direction, and the size of the multi-core fiber connector in the width direction is the smallest.

[0112] Figure 14 is a structural schematic diagram of a spring holder according to an embodiment of the utility model, as shown in the figure, wherein the two sides of the spring holder are respectively provided with a first limiting wing 41 and a second limiting wing 42, the first limiting wing 41 extends into a first limiting groove 1101, and the second limiting wing 42 extends into a second limiting groove 1102. Figure 14

[0113] The limiting wing of the spring holder extends into the limiting groove, and in the compression process of the main spring, the limiting wing of the spring holder slides along the limiting groove, so that the stability of the spring holder in the retreat process can be maintained.

[0114] In some embodiments, the first limiting groove and the second limiting groove penetrate the wall thickness of the wall surface.

[0115] Figure 15 is a structural schematic diagram of a multi-core fiber connector before and after butt joint, as shown in the figure, one end of the main spring of the multi-core fiber connector abuts against the flange portion of the ferrule, the other end of the main spring abuts against the shell, when the fiber connector is before butt joint (left figure), the main spring is in a pre-relaxed state, Figure 15

[0116] ​​At this time, the main spring force is F1, when the fiber connector is connected (right), the main spring is in a tight state, at this time, the main spring force (i.e. the connection pressure) is F2, F1 and F2 satisfy: F1≤1 / 2 F2.

[0117] In some embodiments, F1=1 / 2 F2, in other embodiments, F1 can also be equal to 1 / 3 F2, 1 / 4 F2, 1 / 5 F2.

[0118] Such a main spring force setting can make the ferrule assembly in a pre-relaxed state before connection, and the ferrule assembly can be easily adjusted to an aligned position when the ferrule assembly is connected.

[0119] Compared with the pre-relaxed structure of the forward pushing spring in the prior art, the spring is compressed by the retreat of the ferrule, so that the moving structure for controlling the extension and contraction of the spring in the prior art is omitted, and the pre-relaxed function can still be maintained; and the fiber connector of the embodiment does not need to perform other operations in addition to the connection operation during the connection process.

[0120] It should be noted that the other end of the main spring abuts against which component depends on the design of the technician, and only needs to satisfy that the main spring provides a pushing force for the ferrule.

[0121] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the multi-core fiber connector of the utility model and the existing MT ferrule connector connection, Figure 17 is a state schematic diagram of the multi-core fiber connector of the utility model and the MT ferrule connector before connection in an adapter; Figure 18 is a state schematic diagram of the multi-core fiber connector of the utility model and the MT ferrule connector after connection in an adapter.

[0122] As Figures 16-18 shown, the multi-core fiber connector 100 of the utility model is connected with the MT ferrule connector 102 through an adapter 101.

[0123] It should be noted that Figures 17-19 the multi-core fiber connector and the MT ferrule connector are adapted and connected, which only shows the use state of the multi-core fiber connector of the utility model, and does not limit the multi-core fiber connector of the utility model. The multi-core fiber connector of the utility model can be adapted and connected with any fiber connector according to the needs of the user.

[0124] According to the international standard IEC 61754-7, different core number ferrule assemblies require different connection pressures after connection, and the developer can select different connection pressures according to the actual needs according to the above rules.

[0125] In some embodiments, N<16, the main spring elastic force F1 satisfies: 0≤F1≤5N.

[0126] In some embodiments, N≥16, the main spring elastic force F1 satisfies: 0≤F1≤10N.

[0127] It should be noted that, according to the inventive idea of the present application, the person skilled in the art will set F1 to a value slightly exceeding the range edge, which should also be considered as implementing the present application.

[0128] As shown in Figures 16-18 the height of the ferrule body protruding from the multi-core fiber connector shell is h1 before the optical fiber connector is mated; after the optical fiber connector is mated, the ferrule body retreats relative to the multi-core fiber connector shell, the height of the ferrule body protruding from the multi-core fiber connector shell is h2, and h1 and h2 satisfy: h1>h2.

[0129] In some embodiments, 1.0mm≤h1-h2≤4.5mm, h1-h2 is the retreat distance of the ferrule, and the retreat distance can also be 1.5mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm, 3.0mm, 3.5mm, 4.0mm.

[0130] Compared with the pre-relaxation structure of the forward pushing spring in the prior art, the present application realizes the compression of the spring by the retreat of the ferrule assembly, which omits the pushing structure and fixing structure of the forward pushing spring in the prior art, and still maintains the pre-relaxation function; moreover, the optical fiber connector of the present embodiment does not need to perform other operations in addition to the mating operation during the mating process

[0131] Figure 19 is a structural schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the mating device of the present application, as shown in Figure 19 the present application provides a mating unit 200, which comprises a plurality of multi-core fiber connectors 100 as described above.

[0132] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent replacements to some technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A multi-fiber fiber optic connector housing, comprising: The front side wall, the left side wall, the right side wall, the rear side wall, the upper side wall and the lower side wall, the front side wall limits the forward disengagement of the ferrule assembly from the multi-core fiber connector housing, the installed ferrule is adjacent to the front side wall, the left side wall, the right side wall and the lower side wall; The upper side wall is provided with a first opening, and the components of the fiber connector can be directly installed inside the accommodation space C of the multi-core fiber connector housing from the first opening, and the upper side wall is also provided with a fixing portion, which prevents the installed ferrule assembly from disengaging from the multi-core fiber connector housing from the first opening; The front side wall is provided with a second opening, and the rear side wall is provided with a third opening.

2. The housing of claim 1, wherein The distance L between the fixing portion and the front side wall is 0.3mm-5.8mm.

3. The case according to claim 1, characterized by It also includes a number of guide pillar holes, the hole wall of the guide pillar hole is provided with a notch, and the guide pillar can be directly installed in the guide pillar hole through the notch.

4. The case according to claim 1, characterized by It also includes an elastic arm, which is arranged on the left side wall or the right side wall or the lower side wall, one end of the elastic arm is fixedly connected to the housing, and the other end of the elastic arm is in a free state.

5. The housing of claim 4, wherein, The other end of the elastic arm has a protrusion, and the wall thickness direction of the surface on which the elastic arm is arranged is provided with a sliding groove, the protrusion is clamped into the sliding groove and can slide in the sliding groove.

6. The case of claim 1, wherein, The left side wall has a first limiting groove, and the right side wall has a second limiting groove.

7. The case of claim 1, wherein, The lower side wall has a plurality of unlocking grooves, which penetrate the wall thickness of the lower side wall.

8. A multi-fiber fiber optic connector, comprising: It includes a multi-core fiber connector housing according to any one of claims 1-7, a plurality of main springs, a plurality of guide pillars, a spring holder and a ferrule assembly, The ferrule assembly includes a ferrule and an optical fiber ribbon arranged in the ferrule, the ferrule includes a ferrule body and a flange portion, the optical fiber ribbon contains N optical fibers, N≥2, the ferrule assembly is installed inside the multi-core fiber connector housing, the front end of the ferrule body is exposed from the second opening of the multi-core fiber connector housing, and the optical fiber ribbon passes through the third opening; The main spring is arranged on the guide pillar, one end of the guide pillar is clamped and fixed on the spring holder, one end of the main spring abuts against the spring holder, the other end of the guide pillar is inserted into the guide pillar hole, and the other end of the main spring abuts against the end face adjacent to the accommodation space C outside the guide pillar hole.

9. The multi-fiber optical fiber connector of claim 8, wherein, The number of main springs is 2.

10. The multi-fiber optical fiber connector of claim 8, wherein, The main spring is completely located at the rear side of the ferrule flange portion.

11. The multi-fiber fiber optic connector of claim 8, wherein, The two sides of the spring holder are respectively provided with a first limiting wing and a second limiting wing, the first limiting wing extends into the first limiting groove, and the second limiting wing extends into the second limiting groove.

12. A multi-fiber fiber optic connector, comprising: It includes a multi-core fiber connector housing according to any one of claims 1-7 and a ferrule assembly, the multi-core fiber connector housing is made by an integral molding process, the ferrule assembly includes a ferrule and an optical fiber ribbon arranged in the ferrule, the ferrule includes a ferrule body and a flange portion, the optical fiber ribbon contains N optical fibers, N≥2, and in the direction parallel to the connecting line of the center of the end face of the N optical fibers, the width d1 of the flange portion and the size d2 of the multi-core fiber connector satisfy: 0.6mm≤d2-d1≤4mm.

13. A multi-fiber fiber optic connector, comprising: The multi-core fiber connector comprises a connector housing, a plurality of main springs and a ferrule assembly, The ferrule assembly comprises a ferrule and a fiber ribbon arranged in the ferrule, the ferrule comprises a ferrule body and a flange portion, the fiber ribbon contains N optical fibers, N≥2, one end of the main spring abuts against the flange portion of the ferrule, and the other end of the main spring abuts against the connector housing. Before the fiber connector is mated, the main spring is in a pre-relaxed state, and the elastic force of the main spring is F1; after the fiber connector is mated, the main spring is in a tight state, and the elastic force of the main spring is F2, F1 and F2 satisfy: F1≤1 / 2 F2.

14. The multi-fiber optical fiber connector of claim 13, wherein, N<16, the elastic force of the main spring is F1, and 0≤F1≤5N.

15. The multi-fiber optical fiber connector of claim 13, wherein, N≥16, the elastic force of the main spring is F1, and 0≤F1≤10N.

16. A multi-fiber fiber optic connector, comprising: The multi-core fiber connector comprises a connector housing, a plurality of main springs and a ferrule assembly, The ferrule assembly comprises a ferrule and a fiber ribbon arranged in the ferrule, the ferrule comprises a ferrule body and a flange portion, the fiber ribbon contains N optical fibers, N≥2, one end of the main spring abuts against the flange portion of the ferrule, and the other end of the main spring abuts against the connector housing. Before the fiber connector is mated, the height of the mating end face of the ferrule body protruding from the multi-core fiber connector housing is h1; after the fiber connector is mated, the ferrule body retreats relative to the multi-core fiber connector housing, and the height of the mating end face of the ferrule body protruding from the multi-core fiber connector housing is h2, h1 and h2 satisfy: h1>h2.

17. The multi-fiber optical fiber connector of claim 16, wherein, 1.0mm≤h1-h2≤4.5mm.

18. A docking unit, characterized by The multi-core fiber connector comprises a plurality of multi-core fiber connectors as claimed in any one of claims 8-17.

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