A ferrule bendable optical connector

Abstract

The utility model relates to optical communication technical field especially is related to a tail cover can be bent optical connector, this tail cover can be bent optical connector includes optical connector and sets up in the tail cover tail end of optical connector, the optical connector tail end side wall is provided with at least one first fixed part, the tail cover front end is provided with at least two second fixed parts, the first fixed part is coupled with different second fixed parts, to change the installation angle of tail cover relative to the optical connector tail end, the tail cover surface is provided with the support strip that can change shape, to make tail cover's tail portion can be bent along the predetermined direction and keep in predetermined direction, the tail cover installation angle rotatable and can bend to the predetermined direction, make in the case where the inside space of bottom box is limited, the tail cover provides enough space to make the optical fiber coiling bending through rotation and bending, reduces the risk of optical fiber bending.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to an optical connector with a bendable tail sleeve. Background Technology

[0002] Fiber optic adapter panels are user terminal products that enable fiber-to-the-desktop solutions. They facilitate the access and output of dual-core fiber optic cables and must fully meet the requirements for fiber bending radius, while protecting the incoming and outgoing fibers and providing safe protection for the fiber core. Currently, the depth of the panel's back box is between 30 and 70 mm, while the length of the optical connector and tail sleeve is approximately 55 mm. After the connector is inserted into the adapter, due to the inability to bend the tail sleeve and the limited internal space of the back box, the fiber extending from the tail sleeve may directly abut against the inner wall of the back box and cannot be coiled or bent. Insufficient bending angle can easily lead to increased optical attenuation or even fiber breakage. The existing solution is to remove the tail sleeve to provide space for fiber coiling and bending; however, removing the tail sleeve is detrimental to fiber protection and poses a risk of fiber bending.

[0003] Therefore, overcoming the shortcomings of the existing technology is an urgent problem to be solved in this technical field. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem this invention aims to solve is that existing tail sleeves cannot provide sufficient space inside the bottom box to allow the optical fiber to be coiled and bent, which leads to the risk of the optical fiber bending.

[0005] The present invention adopts the following technical solution: This utility model provides a bendable tail sleeve optical connector, including an optical connector 1 and a tail sleeve 2 disposed at the tail end of the optical connector 1; At least one first fixing member 10 is provided on the side wall of the tail end of the optical connector 1, and at least two second fixing members 20 are provided at the front end of the tail sleeve 2. The first fixing member 10 is coupled to different second fixing members 20 to change the installation angle of the tail sleeve 2 relative to the tail end of the optical connector 1. The tail sleeve 2 is provided with a deformable support strip 21 on its surface, so that the tail of the tail sleeve 2 can be bent in a predetermined direction and kept in the predetermined direction.

[0006] Furthermore, the first fixing member 10 is a locking protrusion, and the second fixing member 20 is a snap-fit ​​groove, wherein the locking protrusion snaps into the corresponding snap-fit ​​groove.

[0007] Furthermore, the number of locking protrusions is four, and they are equally spaced on the side wall of the tail end of the optical connector 1; the number of snap-fit ​​slots is four, and they are equally spaced on the front end of the tail sleeve 2.

[0008] Furthermore, the deformable support strip 21 is a support strip formed of steel wire, aluminum wire or copper wire.

[0009] Furthermore, the optical connector 1 is provided with a guide tube 13 at its tail end. The outer diameter of the guide tube 13 is less than or equal to the inner diameter of the tail sleeve 2, and the guide tube 13 is accommodated in the tail sleeve 2.

[0010] Furthermore, the bendable optical connector at the tail also includes an adapter 3 and a panel 4; The front end of the optical connector 1 is inserted into the adapter 3, and the adapter 3 is mounted on the panel 4 and protrudes from the panel 4 to connect with external optical devices.

[0011] Furthermore, the panel 4 is provided with a first fixing groove 40 and a second fixing groove 41. The first fixing groove 40 is used to fix the adapter 3, and the second fixing groove 41 is used to fix the copper module 5 to achieve photoelectric separation.

[0012] Furthermore, the back of the panel 4 is set as a slope 42 at a preset angle, and the optical connector 1 is tilted to obtain a larger operating space.

[0013] Furthermore, a base box 6 is provided on the front side of the panel 4, and the tail end of the optical connector 1 and the tail sleeve 2 are both housed in the base box 6 to protect the optical connector 1 and the tail sleeve 2.

[0014] Furthermore, at least two through holes 60 are provided on the side wall of the bottom box 6, and when the tail sleeve 2 is bent in different directions, the optical fiber can be led out from different through holes 60.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: by setting a first fixing member at the tail end of the optical connector and a second fixing member at the front end of the tail sleeve, the optical connector and the tail sleeve can be connected. Furthermore, the tail sleeve can be rotated by the cooperation of the first fixing member and different second fixing members. In addition, the tail sleeve is provided with a support strip that can be bent in a predetermined direction. Combined with the rotation function, the tail sleeve can provide sufficient space for the optical fiber to be coiled and bent by rotating and bending when the internal space of the bottom box is limited, thereby reducing the risk of optical fiber bending. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments of this utility model will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a bendable tailpiece optical connector provided in an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the overall structure of a bendable tailpiece optical connector provided in this embodiment of the utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a tail sleeve structure provided in an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 4 This is a first-view structural diagram of a connector provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a first-view structural diagram of an adapter provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a connector structure from a second perspective according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the second-view structure of an adapter provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a fiber optic adapter panel provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the overall structure of a fiber optic adapter panel provided in an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a panel structure provided in an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a bottom box structure provided in an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating the usage method of a bendable tailpiece optical connector provided in this embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings are: Optical connector 1, first fixing component 10, limiting groove 11, guide strip 12, guide tube 13, tail sleeve 2, second fixing component 20, support strip 21, adapter 3, snap-fit ​​plate 30, guide groove 31, fixing component 32, panel 4, first fixing groove 40, second fixing groove 41, slope 42, copper module 5, bottom box 6, through hole 60. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages 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.

[0020] Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprising" is interpreted as openly inclusive, meaning "including, but not limited to." In the description of the specification, terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic associated with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. The illustrative representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics mentioned may be included in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples; that is, although they may be incorporated into embodiments or examples using the above terms for reasons such as order and position, it does not limit them to be incorporated in combination by a single embodiment or example.

[0021] In the description of this utility model, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Furthermore, for example, the description may use the prefix "A" or "B" to describe the same type of nouns as two independent entities. In this case, the features defined with "A" and "B" are used only to distinguish between similar entities and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features.

[0022] In describing some embodiments, the terms "coupled," "coupled," and "connected," and their derivative expressions, may be used. For example, the term "connected" may be used in describing some embodiments to indicate that two or more components have direct physical or electrical contact with each other. Similarly, the term "coupled" may be used in describing some embodiments to indicate that two or more components have direct physical or electrical contact. However, the terms "connected" or "coupled" may also refer to two or more components that do not have direct contact with each other but still cooperate or interact with each other, such as "optical coupling" or "wireless connection." The embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to the scope of this invention.

[0023] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of this utility model described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0024] Example 1: Embodiment 1 of this utility model provides a flexible tailpiece optical connector, see reference. Figure 1 and Figure 2The bendable optical connector includes an optical connector 1 and a tail sleeve 2 disposed at the tail end of the optical connector 1. At least one first fixing member 10 is disposed on the side wall of the tail end of the optical connector 1, and at least two second fixing members 20 are disposed at the front end of the tail sleeve 2. The first fixing member 10 is coupled to different second fixing members 20 to change the installation angle of the tail sleeve 2 relative to the tail end of the optical connector 1. The surface of the tail sleeve 2 is provided with a deformable support strip 21 so that the tail of the tail sleeve 2 can be bent in a predetermined direction and held in the predetermined direction.

[0025] By providing a first fixing member 10 at the tail end of the optical connector 1 and a second fixing member 20 at the front end of the tail sleeve 2, the optical connector 1 and the tail sleeve 2 can be connected. The first fixing member 10 and the different second fixing members 20 cooperate with each other, allowing the tail sleeve 2 to rotate 360 ​​degrees. Furthermore, the tail sleeve 2 is provided with a support strip 21 that can be bent in a predetermined direction. Combined with the rotation function, this allows the tail sleeve 2 to provide sufficient space for the optical fiber to coil and bend, reducing the risk of fiber bending, even in situations with limited internal space in the base box 6. The predetermined direction includes, but is not limited to, up, down, left, and right directions, essentially covering any direction.

[0026] It should be noted here that, with Figure 1 Taking a specific perspective as an example, the tail end of the optical connector 1 refers to the right end of the optical connector 1, and the front end of the tail sleeve 2 refers to the left end of the tail sleeve 2. In this embodiment, the front end and tail end are based on... Figure 1 The directions shown are described only for the convenience of describing the present invention and are not intended to require the present invention to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0027] In one embodiment, the number of the first fixing member 10 is set to one, and the number of the second fixing member 20 is set to two, with the two second fixing members 20 symmetrically arranged on the outer side wall of the tail sleeve 2. The first fixing member 10 can cooperate with one of the second fixing members 20 to fix the optical connector 1 and the tail sleeve 2. The tail sleeve 2 can be rotated 180 degrees to allow the first fixing member 10 to be connected with another second fixing member 20. That is, when the first fixing member 10 is connected with different second fixing members 20, the tail sleeve 2 rotates by 180 degrees each time.

[0028] See Figure 3 and Figure 4In order to allow the tail sleeve 2 to have more rotation angles, in a preferred embodiment, there are two first fixing members 10 and four second fixing members 20. The first fixing members 10 are symmetrically arranged on the outer wall of the optical connector 1, and the second fixing members 20 are symmetrically distributed on the outer wall of the tail sleeve 2. When the first fixing member 10 is connected to different second fixing members 20, the tail sleeve 2 rotates by 90 degrees each time.

[0029] Continue reading Figure 3 The deformable support strip 21 is made of steel wire, aluminum wire, or copper wire. In practical applications, the support strip 21 can be a metal that is easily deformable, such as steel wire, copper wire, or aluminum wire. To ensure that the support strip 21 maintains its working performance under long-term bending, in a preferred embodiment, the support strip 21 is made of steel wire. The tail sleeve 2 is made of an elastic material to ensure that the tail sleeve 2 can undergo elastic deformation together with the support strip 21. In a preferred embodiment, the tail sleeve 2 is made of rubber, and a rubber tube of the same length as the tail sleeve 2 is provided on the tail sleeve 2 to accommodate the support strip 21, so that the support strip 21 and the tail sleeve 2 form an integral whole. The support strip 21 can drive the tail sleeve 2 to undergo elastic deformation together and fix the tail sleeve 2 in a preset position.

[0030] To achieve tool-free operation, in a preferred embodiment, see [reference needed]. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first fixing member 10 is a locking protrusion, and the second fixing member 20 is a snap-fit ​​groove, wherein the locking protrusion snaps into the corresponding snap-fit ​​groove.

[0031] The number of locking protrusions is four, and they are equally spaced on the side wall of the tail end of the optical connector 1; the number of snap-fit ​​slots is four, and they are equally spaced on the front end of the tail sleeve 2.

[0032] In practical applications, the locking protrusion can be cylindrical, triangular, or quadrangular. For ease of installation, in a preferred embodiment, the locking protrusion is a triangular prism with the inclined surface facing upwards, allowing the sidewall of the snap-fit ​​groove to slide forward along the inclined surface. This allows the tail sleeve 2 and the optical connector 1 to be fixed without the need for tools. Furthermore, the locking protrusion and different snap-fit ​​grooves cooperate with each other, enabling the tail sleeve 2 to rotate 360 ​​degrees.

[0033] See Figure 5 The optical connector 1 is provided with a guide tube 13 at its tail end. The outer diameter of the guide tube 13 is less than or equal to the inner diameter of the tail sleeve 2. The guide tube 13 is accommodated in the tail sleeve 2.

[0034] The guide tube 13 is provided with a first fixing member 10. The guide tube 13 is snapped together with the tail sleeve 2 through the first fixing member 10. In one embodiment, the outer diameter of the guide tube 13 is set to d1, the inner diameter of the tail sleeve 2 is set to d2, and the height of the first fixing member 10 is set to d3. In order to ensure that the first fixing member 10 can be snapped into the snap-fit ​​groove, the sum of d1 and d3 should be greater than d2, and d1 should be less than or equal to d2, so that the guide tube 13 can be accommodated and fixed in the tail sleeve 2.

[0035] See Figure 5 and Figure 6 The optical connector 1 is connected to an adapter 3 at its front end. The adapter 3 has a snap-fit ​​plate 30 inside. The optical connector 1 has limit grooves 11 on both side walls for accommodating the snap-fit ​​plate 30.

[0036] The optical connector 1 and the adapter 3 are fixed together by a snap-fit ​​structure, see reference. Figure 7 The adapter 3 has a guide groove 31 on its upper surface and the optical connector 1 has a corresponding guide strip 12 on its upper surface to achieve positioning when the adapter 3 and the optical connector 1 are docked.

[0037] See Figure 8 and Figure 9 The bendable optical connector also includes an adapter 3 and a panel 4; the front end of the optical connector 1 is inserted into the adapter 3, the adapter 3 is mounted on the panel 4 and protrudes from the panel 4 to connect with external optical devices.

[0038] See Figure 10 The panel 4 is provided with a first fixing groove 40 and a second fixing groove 41. The first fixing groove 40 is used to fix the adapter 3, and the second fixing groove 41 is used to fix the copper module 5 to achieve photoelectric separation.

[0039] The front end of the adapter 3 is fixed in the first fixing slot 40, and the rear end of the adapter 3 is connected to the optical connector 1 to realize optical signal transmission; the front end of the copper module 5 is fixed in the second fixing slot 41, and the rear end of the copper module 5 is connected to the cable to realize electrical signal transmission.

[0040] Combination Figure 7 The adapter 3 is fixed to the panel 4 by a fixing component 32. In order to ensure the fixing effect, in a preferred embodiment, the fixing component 32 can be a threaded hole and a threaded rod. The threaded hole and the threaded rod are connected by threads to fix the adapter 3 and the panel 4 together.

[0041] It should be noted here that, with Figure 9Taking a specific perspective as an example, the front end of the optical connector 1 refers to the left end of the optical connector 1. In this embodiment, the front end is based on... Figure 9 The directions shown are described only for the convenience of describing the present invention and are not intended to require the present invention to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0042] In practical applications, the optical connector 1 is horizontally positioned, and a base box 6 is connected below the panel 4. The limited internal space of the base box 6 causes the tail sleeve 2 of the optical connector 1 to abut against the inner wall of the base box 6, resulting in fiber optic bending or even breakage. To optimize space utilization, combined with… Figure 10 The back of the panel 4 is set at a preset angle as a slope 42, and the optical connector 1 is tilted to obtain a larger operating space.

[0043] In one embodiment, the first fixing groove 40 and the second fixing groove 41 are formed on the slope 42 so that the optical connector 1 is set at an angle.

[0044] In one embodiment, the angle between the slope 42 and the horizontal plane can be set to 45 degrees to 60 degrees. If the angle is too small, the difference in space that the tail sleeve 2 can utilize is small compared to the horizontal setting. If the angle is too large, the cable connected to the front end of the adapter 3 is prone to bending due to gravity.

[0045] See Figure 11 A base box 6 is provided on the front side of the panel 4, and the tail end of the optical connector 1 and the tail sleeve 2 are both housed in the base box 6 to protect the optical connector 1 and the tail sleeve 2.

[0046] The bottom box 6 has at least two through holes 60 on its side wall. When the tail sleeve 2 is bent in different directions, the optical fiber can be led out from different through holes 60.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, the bottom box 6 is a hollow cube with one open side (towards panel 4). Through holes 60 are provided on each of the five side walls of the bottom box 6. The number and size of the through holes 60 are determined according to the actual situation to ensure that when the tail sleeve 2 is bent in a predetermined direction, the optical fiber can be led out from the nearest through hole 60 without bending, or the cable can be introduced from the nearest through hole 60 to couple with the optical fiber and the cable.

[0048] Example 2: See Figure 12 Embodiment 2 of this utility model provides a method of using a flexible tail sleeve optical connector, applicable to an optical connector with a flexible tail sleeve, comprising: In step 101, the front end of the optical connector 1 is aligned with the rear end of the adapter 3, and the optical connector 1 is pushed forward so that the optical connector 1 and the adapter 3 are mated together.

[0049] The optical connector 1 and the adapter 3 are fixed together by a snap-fit ​​structure. Pushing the optical connector 1 forward aligns the guide groove 31 on the upper surface of the adapter 3 with the guide strip 12 on the upper surface of the optical connector 1 to achieve positioning when the adapter 3 and the optical connector 1 are docked. The adapter 3 has two symmetrical snap-fit ​​plates 30 inside, which snap onto the optical connector 1 to fix the optical connector 1 and the adapter 3 together.

[0050] In step 102, the tail sleeve 2 is rotated at a certain angle by the cooperation of the first fixing member 10 and the second fixing member 20, and the tail sleeve 2 is bent to a preset direction according to the space of the bottom box 6.

[0051] Select the rotation angle of the tail sleeve 2 according to the actual situation, and snap the second fixing member 20 into the first fixing member 10. Determine the through hole 60 for cable lead-out or lead-in according to the direction of cable connection, and bend the tail sleeve 2 to the direction of the through hole 60.

[0052] In step 103, the adapter 3 and the copper module 5 are fixed to the panel 4 by the fixing component 32.

[0053] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A flexible optical connector with a bendable tail sleeve, characterized in that, Includes an optical connector (1) and a tail sleeve (2) disposed at the tail end of the optical connector (1); At least one first fixing member (10) is provided on the side wall of the tail end of the optical connector (1), and at least two second fixing members (20) are provided at the front end of the tail sleeve (2). The first fixing member (10) is coupled to different second fixing members (20) to change the installation angle of the tail sleeve (2) relative to the tail end of the optical connector (1). The tail sleeve (2) is provided with a deformable support strip (21) on its surface so that the tail of the tail sleeve (2) can be bent in a predetermined direction and kept in the predetermined direction.

2. The bendable optical connector with tail sleeve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first fixing member (10) is a locking protrusion, and the second fixing member (20) is a snap-fit ​​groove, wherein the locking protrusion snaps into the corresponding snap-fit ​​groove.

3. The bendable optical connector with tail sleeve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The number of locking protrusions is four, and they are equally spaced on the side wall of the tail end of the optical connector (1); the number of snap-fit ​​slots is four, and they are equally spaced on the front end of the tail sleeve (2).

4. The bendable optical connector with tail sleeve according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The deformable support strip (21) is a support strip formed of steel wire, aluminum wire or copper wire.

5. The bendable optical connector with tail sleeve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical connector (1) is provided with a guide tube (13) at its tail end. The outer diameter of the guide tube (13) is less than or equal to the inner diameter of the tail sleeve (2). The guide tube (13) is accommodated in the tail sleeve (2).

6. The bendable optical connector with tail sleeve according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an adapter (3) and a panel (4); The front end of the optical connector (1) is inserted into the adapter (3), the adapter (3) is mounted on the panel (4) and protrudes from the panel (4) to connect with external optical devices.

7. The bendable optical connector with tail sleeve according to claim 6, characterized in that, The panel (4) is provided with a first fixing groove (40) and a second fixing groove (41). The first fixing groove (40) is used to fix the adapter (3), and the second fixing groove (41) is used to fix the copper module (5) to achieve photoelectric separation.

8. The bendable optical connector with tail sleeve according to claim 6, characterized in that, The back of the panel (4) is set as a slope (42) at a preset angle, and the optical connector (1) is set at an angle to obtain a larger operating space.

9. The bendable optical connector with tail sleeve according to claim 8, characterized in that, A bottom box (6) is provided on the front side of the panel (4), and the tail end of the optical connector (1) and the tail sleeve (2) are both housed in the bottom box (6) to protect the optical connector (1) and the tail sleeve (2).

10. The bendable optical connector with tail sleeve according to claim 9, characterized in that, The bottom box (6) has at least two through holes (60) on its side wall. When the tail sleeve (2) bends in different directions, the optical fiber can be led out from different through holes (60).

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