Optical fiber connector and optical cable assembly

Abstract

The application provides an optical fiber connector and an optical cable assembly, and relates to the technical field of optical communication. The optical fiber connector comprises a shell, a ferrule and a fixing tube. At least a part of the ferrule and at least a part of the fixing tube are located in the shell, the front end of the ferrule is in the length direction of the shell, the tail end of the fixing tube is in the length direction of the shell, and a part of the fixing tube protrudes out of the shell. The fixing tube has a glue pouring hole on the tube wall protruding out of the shell, and the glue pouring hole is used for pouring glue into the fixing tube. The optical fiber connector can avoid the risk of crimping damage of the optical fiber and the reinforcing member, can solve the connection between the invisible butterfly cable and the optical fiber connector, the connection operation is simple, mass production can be realized, and the glue pouring and bonding mode has higher connection reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to an optical fiber connector and optical cable assembly. Background Technology

[0002] In optical communication systems, drop cables are typically used in the section from the fiber distribution box to the user's home optical network terminal (ONT). There are various types of drop cables, among which the invisible butterfly cable has a thinner outer diameter, a completely transparent structure, and good concealment and aesthetics, making it very suitable for scenarios where users have high requirements for the aesthetics and concealment of indoor wiring.

[0003] However, the connectors provided by related technologies usually use a crimping method to connect with optical cables, while the invisible butterfly cable uses glass fiber and carbon fiber as reinforcements, which makes the crimping process difficult and unable to be mass-produced, and its tensile and repeated bending performance is poor. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a connector and optical cable assembly that can solve the technical problems existing in related technologies.

[0005] Specifically, the technical solution is as follows.

[0006] On the one hand, an optical fiber connector is provided, the optical fiber connector including a housing, a ferrule and a fixing tube; At least a portion of the insert and at least a portion of the fixing tube are located in the housing, with the insert at the front end of the housing along its length and the fixing tube at the rear end of the housing along its length, and a portion of the fixing tube extending out of the housing. The fixing tube has a glue-filling hole on the tube wall extending from the housing, which is used to inject glue into the fixing tube.

[0007] In this embodiment, the fiber optic connector has a ferrule located at the front end of the housing, and a fixing tube for connecting the optical cable located at the rear end of the housing. A portion of the fixing tube extends rearward, and a potting hole is provided on the extended tube wall. Adhesive can be injected into the fixing tube through this potting hole. The adhesive can wrap the optical cable inside the fixing tube. After the adhesive solidifies, it can bond the optical cable to the fixing tube, thereby realizing the connection between the fixing tube and the entire fiber optic connector and the optical cable. Compared with the traditional crimping method, it can avoid the risk of the reinforcing members in the optical cable being damaged by crimping. It can solve the connection problem between the invisible butterfly cable and the fiber optic connector. The connection operation is simple, mass production is possible, and the adhesive bonding method has higher connection reliability.

[0008] In some embodiments, the glue-filling hole is elongated and its length direction is aligned with the axial direction of the fixing tube.

[0009] With the above arrangement, the glue-filling holes make full use of the axial space of the fixing tube and are arranged in a long strip shape. This increases the area of ​​the glue-filling holes, which helps to reduce the difficulty of glue filling and further reduces the difficulty of connecting optical cables and fiber optic connectors.

[0010] In addition, the length direction of the glue-filling hole is consistent with the axial direction of the fixing tube, which can avoid forming a large structural segment of the fixing tube in the cross-sectional direction and will not cause significant damage to the structural strength of the fixing tube.

[0011] In some embodiments, the fixed tube extending from the wall of the housing also has an observation hole, which is axially distributed with the glue-filling hole.

[0012] With the above arrangement, an observation hole is also arranged on the fixing tube. The purpose of the observation hole is to observe the amount of glue poured into the fixing tube and avoid too much or too little glue being poured into the fixing tube.

[0013] When the amount of glue in the fixing tube is too small, the fiber optic connector and the optical cable may not be properly connected. When the amount of glue in the fixing tube is too large, the excess glue may contaminate the end face of the optical fiber or the ferrule in the optical cable, causing the ferrule and the optical fiber to fail to connect properly.

[0014] In some embodiments, the observation hole is closer to the housing than the glue-filling hole.

[0015] In this embodiment, the observation hole is located on the side of the glue-filling hole closest to the housing, that is, the observation hole is located on the front side of the glue-filling hole. Thus, during the glue-filling operation, the fiber optic connector is first attached to the end of the optical cable. Then, the optical cable and the fiber optic connector are placed vertically with the front end of the fiber optic connector facing upwards and the rear end facing downwards. At this time, glue is poured into the fixing tube through the glue-filling hole. Under the action of gravity, the glue accumulates at the rear end of the fixing tube, filling the entire rear end, and then gradually overflows upwards towards the front end of the fixing tube until it reaches the height that can be observed through the observation hole. This indicates that the amount of glue poured has reached the target, and the glue is sufficient to achieve the bonding connection between the fiber optic connector and the optical cable. The glue-filling can then be stopped.

[0016] This glue-filling operation not only allows the glue to fill the rear space of the fixing tube first, but also keeps the optical cable on the axis of the fixing tube, thus ensuring the alignment of the optical fiber and the ferrule, and also helps to control the amount of glue filling in the fixing tube.

[0017] In some embodiments, the observation hole and the glue-filling hole are located on the same side of the fixing tube.

[0018] With the above arrangement, during the encapsulation process of the fiber optic connector, the amount of encapsulation in the fixing tube can be observed in real time through the observation hole, eliminating the need to select the fiber optic connector, thereby further simplifying the connection operation of the fiber optic connector and the optical cable.

[0019] In some embodiments, the diameter of the observation hole is less than or equal to the diameter of the glue-filling hole.

[0020] With the above arrangement, during the encapsulation process of the fiber optic connector, the amount of encapsulation in the fixing tube can be observed in real time through the observation hole, eliminating the need to select the fiber optic connector, thereby further simplifying the connection operation of the fiber optic connector and the optical cable.

[0021] In some embodiments, the fixing tube includes a stop seat and a press-fit tube, at least a portion of the stop seat is located inside the housing, and a portion of the stop seat extends out of the tail end of the housing; The pressure tube is coaxially and fixedly connected to the portion of the stop seat located outside the housing.

[0022] With the above arrangement, the fixed tube is inserted into the tail end of the housing through the stop seat, and the stop seat and the housing are reliably axially connected. The housing can provide connection limit and other functions for the stop seat. The crimping tube is coaxially sleeved on the tail end of the stop seat, the optical cable is inserted into the crimping tube, and the tail end of the ferrule is inserted into the stop seat and coaxially connected with the optical cable.

[0023] In some embodiments, the glue-filling hole is disposed on the wall of the pressure fitting.

[0024] With the above arrangement, the glue injection hole is opened on the crimping tube, which allows glue to be injected into the crimping tube to fix and bond the optical cable to the crimping tube.

[0025] In some embodiments, the length of the fixing adhesive located inside the fixing tube is greater than or equal to 8 mm.

[0026] When the axial length of the fixing adhesive inside the fixing tube is greater than or equal to 8mm, it can not only ensure that the optical cable is reliably bonded to the fixing tube, but also prevent the adhesive from contaminating the end face of the optical cable and the ferrule.

[0027] In some embodiments, the fiber optic connector further includes a spring and a guide tube, the guide tube being sleeved outside the ferrule, the spring being sleeved outside the guide tube, and one end of the spring abutting against the outer wall of the guide tube, and the other end abutting against the fixing tube.

[0028] With the above arrangement, the ferrule is movably assembled in the housing by a spring and a guide tube. The ferrule can extend and retract axially. The spring is sleeved on the outside of the guide tube and abuts against the guide hanger and the fixing tube respectively. When the fiber optic connector is plugged in, the ferrule needs to mate with another ferrule. The preload of the spring will push the end face of the ferrule to fit tightly. At the same time, it allows the ferrule to adaptively adjust its position within a small range, offsetting the alignment deviation during plugging and unplugging and the errors caused by component processing tolerances. This ensures that the cores of the two optical fibers are precisely coaxial, minimizing the reflection and leakage of optical signals.

[0029] In addition, the spring can absorb some of the mechanical stress, preventing stress from being directly transmitted to the bonding point between the optical fiber and the ferrule, thus preventing fiber breakage or ferrule loosening. The thermal expansion and contraction of components caused by temperature changes can also be offset by the spring's extension and contraction allowance, maintaining the stability of the connection and reducing the impact of environmental factors on transmission quality.

[0030] In some embodiments, the front end of the housing and the outer wall of the housing have a retaining fin for engaging with the fiber optic adapter; the fiber optic connector further includes a retaining buckle, which is sleeved on the outside of the housing and located at the rear end of the housing, and the buckle on the outer wall of the retaining buckle overlaps the retaining fin.

[0031] With the above arrangement, the clips and retaining buckles are mechanical locking components, mainly responsible for ensuring a stable connection between the fiber optic connector and the fiber optic adapter (such as fiber optic adapter, optical module port), preventing it from falling off, and optimizing the convenience of plugging and unplugging operations.

[0032] In some embodiments, the fiber optic connector further includes a protective tube and a tail sleeve; A portion of the protective tube is fitted over the portion of the fixed tube that extends out of the housing and at least covers the potting hole; the other portion of the protective tube is used to fit over the optical cable. The tail sleeve is fitted over the protective tube.

[0033] With the above arrangement, the protective tube is sleeved on the fixed tube, which can protect the fixed tube and cover the glue hole and / or observation hole to prevent foreign objects from entering. A part of the protective tube also extends and is sleeved on the optical cable to protect the optical cable and prevent it from being damaged by excessive bending. In addition, a tail sheath is sleeved on the outside of the protective tube, which can further improve the protection effect on the fixed tube and the optical cable.

[0034] On the other hand, an optical cable assembly is provided, the optical cable assembly including an optical cable and the optical fiber connector described in this application; The optical cable is fixed in the fixing tube by adhesive, and the fiber core of the optical cable is used to connect to the ferrule.

[0035] The optical cable assembly in this embodiment uses the optical fiber connector of this application, which has all the beneficial technical effects of this application. Compared with the traditional crimping solution, it can avoid the risk of damage to the optical fiber and the reinforcing member by crimping. It can solve the connection between the invisible butterfly cable and the optical fiber connector. The connection operation is simple and can be mass-produced. Moreover, the glue-bonding method has higher connection reliability.

[0036] In some embodiments, a portion of the optical cable near its end has an optical fiber located outside the outer sheath, and both the optical fiber located outside the outer sheath and the outer sheath are fixed in the fixing tube by adhesive.

[0037] With the above arrangement, the end of the optical cable facing the fixing tube has an outer sheath and an optical fiber extending beyond the outer sheath. The outer sheath and the optical fiber can be fixed inside the fixing tube by adhesive bonding, achieving a reliable connection between the optical cable and the optical fiber connector. In this embodiment, simultaneously bonding the optical fiber and the outer sheath prevents axial misalignment of the outer sheath and the optical fiber during the stretching process of the optical cable.

[0038] In some embodiments, the axial length A of the outer sheath located inside the fixed tube is greater than or equal to 3 mm.

[0039] With the above arrangement, the length A of the outer sheath inside the fixing tube is greater than or equal to 3mm, so that the outer sheath has sufficient size to contact the adhesive inside the fixing tube, resulting in a better adhesive effect.

[0040] In some embodiments, the axial length B of the optical fiber fixed by adhesive is greater than or equal to 4 mm.

[0041] With the above arrangement, the length B of the optical fiber inside the fixing tube is greater than or equal to 4mm, so that the optical fiber has sufficient size to contact the adhesive inside the fixing tube, resulting in a better adhesive effect.

[0042] In some embodiments, a portion of the optical cable near its end has an optical fiber and a reinforcing member located outside the cable sheath, both of which are fixed in the fixing tube by adhesive bonding.

[0043] With the above arrangement, the end of the optical cable facing the fixing tube has an outer sheath and an optical fiber extending beyond the outer sheath, as well as a reinforcing member extending beyond the outer sheath. The reinforcing member and the optical fiber can be fixed in the fixing tube by adhesive bonding, thereby achieving a reliable connection between the optical cable and the optical fiber connector.

[0044] In some embodiments, the reinforcing element is an optical fiber or a glass filament.

[0045] By using the above arrangement and employing optical fiber structure as a reinforcing component, the transparent characteristics of optical fiber structure can be utilized to form a transparent optical cable, which has better aesthetics and concealment.

[0046] In some embodiments, the optical cable is a transparent optical cable. Using a transparent optical cable offers better aesthetics and concealment, making it suitable for scenarios where users have high requirements for the aesthetics and concealment of indoor wiring. Attached Figure Description

[0047] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connector structure provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connector structure provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the connector provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 This is a structural cross-sectional view of the connector provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a structural cross-sectional view of a connector provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the connector provided in another embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a structural cross-sectional view of a connector provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0048] The reference numerals in the attached figures represent: 1. Shell; 101. Coupling cap; 102. Fixing buckle; 103. Dust cap; 104. Clip fin; 2. Insert; 3. Fixed pipe; 31. Glue filling hole; 32. Inspection hole; 301. Stop seat; 302. Press-fit connector; 4. Spring; 5. Guide tube; 6. Protective tube; 7. Tail cover; 100. Optical fiber cable; 1001. Fiber core; 1002. Outer sheath; 1003. Optical fiber; 1004. Reinforcing element. Detailed Implementation

[0049] On the one hand, combined with Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides an optical fiber connector, which includes a housing 1, a ferrule 2, and a fixing tube 3.

[0050] At least a portion of the insert 2 and at least a portion of the fixing tube 3 are located in the housing 1, with the insert 2 at the front end in the length direction of the housing 1 and the fixing tube 3 at the rear end in the length direction of the housing 1, and a portion of the fixing tube 3 extending out of the housing 1.

[0051] The fixing tube 3 has a glue-filling hole 31 extending from the wall of the housing 1. The glue-filling hole 31 is used to inject glue into the fixing tube 3.

[0052] In this embodiment, the fiber optic connector has a ferrule 2 located at the front end of the housing 1, and a fixing tube 3 for connecting the optical cable located at the rear end of the housing 1. A portion of the fixing tube 3 extends rearward, and an injection hole 31 is provided on the extended tube wall. Glue can be injected into the fixing tube 3 through this injection hole 31. The glue can wrap the optical cable inside the fixing tube 3. After the glue solidifies, it can bond the optical cable to the fixing tube 3, thereby realizing the connection between the fixing tube 3 and the entire fiber optic connector and the optical cable. Compared with the traditional crimping method, it can avoid the risk of the reinforcing member inside the optical cable being damaged by crimping. It can solve the connection between the invisible butterfly cable and the fiber optic connector. The connection operation is simple, mass production is possible, and the glue-bonding method has higher connection reliability.

[0053] In some possible implementations, the solidified adhesive (also known as fixative) can fix the optical cable to the axis of the fixing tube 3.

[0054] For example, the surface of the solidified adhesive is perpendicular to the axis of the fixing tube 3 and the optical cable. At this time, the solidified adhesive is in the form of a cylindrical adhesive column with an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the fixing tube 3, and the cylindrical adhesive column is located at the rear end of the fixing tube 3 facing away from the housing 1.

[0055] In some possible implementations, the number of glue-filling holes 31 on the fixing tube 3 can be one or more, and this application does not limit this.

[0056] In addition, the shape of the glue-filling hole 31 can be circular, polygonal, or slit-shaped.

[0057] In some possible implementations, fiber optic connectors are used to connect invisible drop cables (also known as invisible optical cables). Invisible drop cables are a type of bow-type drop cables for access networks, a core product for the user drop section of fiber optic access networks such as Fiber to the Home (FTTH) and Fiber to the Office (FTTO), and are widely used in cabling scenarios for intelligent buildings, digital communities, and local area networks. Compared to ordinary bow-type optical cables, invisible drop cables use colorless materials such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, and optical fiber as reinforcement, replacing the steel wire reinforcement in bow-type cables. They are completely transparent, offering better concealment and aesthetics, making them ideal for scenarios where users have high requirements for the aesthetics and concealment of indoor cabling.

[0058] In some possible implementations, the fiber optic connector is an LC connector, SC connector, XC connector, ST connector, etc.

[0059] Combination Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the glue-filling hole 31 is elongated and its length direction is consistent with the axial direction of the fixing tube 3.

[0060] With the above arrangement, the glue-filling hole 31 makes full use of the axial space of the fixing tube 3 and is arranged in a long strip shape. In this way, the area of ​​the glue-filling hole 31 can be increased, which helps to reduce the difficulty of glue filling and further reduces the difficulty of connecting optical cables and optical fiber connectors.

[0061] In addition, the length direction of the glue-filling hole 31 is consistent with the axial direction of the fixing tube 3, which can avoid forming a large structural segment of the fixing tube 3 in the cross-sectional direction and will not cause significant damage to the structural strength of the fixing tube 3.

[0062] In some possible implementations, the opening area of ​​the potting hole 31 depends on the fluidity of the adhesive and / or the curing time. For adhesives with low fluidity or fast curing, a potting hole 31 with a large opening area can be used, without worrying about the adhesive overflowing from the potting hole 31, and the large opening area facilitates potting. For adhesives with high fluidity or slow curing, a potting hole 31 with a small opening area is required to prevent the adhesive from overflowing from the potting hole 31.

[0063] In addition, the adhesive can be a thermosetting adhesive, which requires heating to cure after being poured in, or it can be a room temperature curing adhesive, which requires standing for a certain period of time to cure naturally after being poured in.

[0064] Combination Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the fixed tube 3 extending from the wall of the housing 1 also has an observation hole 32, which is distributed axially with the glue-filling hole 31.

[0065] With the above arrangement, an observation hole 32 is also arranged on the fixing tube 3. The function of the observation hole 32 is to observe the amount of glue poured into the fixing tube 3, so as to avoid too much or too little glue poured into the fixing tube 3.

[0066] When the amount of glue in the fixing tube 3 is too small, the fiber optic connector and the optical cable may not be properly connected. When the amount of glue in the fixing tube 3 is too large, the excess glue may contaminate the end face of the optical fiber or the ferrule 2 in the optical cable, causing the ferrule 2 and the optical fiber to fail to connect smoothly.

[0067] In some possible implementations, the observation hole 32 can be located on either side of the axial direction of the glue-filling hole 31.

[0068] Combination Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the observation hole 32 is closer to the housing 1 than the potting hole 31.

[0069] In this embodiment, the observation hole 32 is arranged on the side of the glue-filling hole 31 near the housing 1, that is, the observation hole 32 is arranged on the front side of the glue-filling hole 31. Thus, when performing the glue-filling operation, the fiber optic connector is first sleeved on the end of the optical cable. Then, the optical cable and the fiber optic connector are vertically arranged with the front end of the fiber optic connector facing upward and the rear end facing downward. At this time, glue is poured into the fixing tube 3 through the glue-filling hole 31. Under the action of gravity, the glue accumulates at the rear end of the fixing tube 3, filling the entire rear end, and then gradually overflows upward towards the front end of the fixing tube 3 until it reaches the height that can be observed through the observation hole 32. This indicates that the amount of glue has reached the target, and the glue is sufficient to achieve the bonding connection between the fiber optic connector and the optical cable. The glue-filling can then be stopped.

[0070] This glue-filling operation not only allows the glue to fill the rear space of the fixing tube 3 first, but also keeps the optical cable on the axis of the fixing tube 3, thus ensuring the alignment and connection between the optical fiber and the ferrule 2, and also helps to control the amount of glue in the fixing tube 3.

[0071] Combination Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the observation hole 32 and the glue-filling hole 31 are located on the same side of the fixing tube 3.

[0072] With the above arrangement, during the encapsulation process of the fiber optic connector, the amount of encapsulation in the fixing tube 3 can be observed in real time through the observation hole 32, without the need to select the fiber optic connector, thereby further simplifying the connection operation of the fiber optic connector and the optical cable.

[0073] Combination Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the diameter of the observation hole 32 is less than or equal to the diameter of the potting hole 31.

[0074] In this embodiment, the function of the observation hole 32 is to observe the amount of adhesive injected into the fixing tube 3. Therefore, only a small diameter is needed. On the one hand, it can prevent the adhesive from overflowing from the observation hole 32. On the other hand, it can control the loss of structural strength of the fixing tube 3 due to the opening of the observation hole 32 as much as possible.

[0075] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the fixing tube 3 includes a stop seat 301 and a pressure tube 302, at least a portion of the stop seat 301 is located inside the housing 1, and a portion of the stop seat 301 extends out of the tail end of the housing 1.

[0076] The pressure tube 302 and the stop seat 301 located outside the housing 1 are coaxially fixedly connected.

[0077] With the above arrangement, the fixed tube 3 is inserted into the tail end of the housing 1 through the stop seat 301. The stop seat 301 and the housing 1 are reliably axially connected. The housing 1 can provide connection limit and other functions for the stop seat 301. The crimping tube 302 is coaxially sleeved on the tail end of the stop seat 301. The optical cable 100 is inserted into the crimping tube 302. The tail end of the ferrule 2 is inserted into the stop seat 301 and coaxially connected with the optical cable 100.

[0078] The crimping tube 302 is not directly connected to the housing 1. Different sizes of the crimping tube 302 can be selected based on the model of the optical cable 100 to be connected. For example, crimping tubes 302 with different outer diameters and axial lengths can be selected to adapt to different models of optical cables 100. For instance, when the optical cable 100 is a concealed butterfly cable, the concealed butterfly cable can be 1.2mm × 1.6mm thick and 3mm × 1.2mm wide, etc. For a 1.2mm × 1.6mm concealed butterfly cable, a crimping tube 302 with a smaller diameter and larger axial dimension can be selected; for a 3mm × 1.2mm concealed butterfly cable, a crimping tube 302 with a larger diameter and smaller axial dimension can be selected.

[0079] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the glue-filling hole 31 is provided on the wall of the pressure tube 302.

[0080] With the above arrangement, the glue injection hole 31 is opened on the crimping tube 302, which can inject glue into the crimping tube 302 to fix and bond the optical cable 100 to the crimping tube 302 together.

[0081] In some embodiments, the length of the fixing adhesive located inside the fixing tube 3 is greater than or equal to 8 mm. The fixing adhesive is a solidified liquid adhesive.

[0082] When the axial length of the fixing adhesive inside the fixing tube 3 is greater than or equal to 8mm, it can not only ensure that the optical cable 100 is reliably bonded to the fixing tube 3, but also prevent the adhesive from contaminating the end face of the light and the ferrule 2.

[0083] In some possible implementations, the axial length of the fixing adhesive inside the fixing tube 3 is 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 11mm, 12mm, etc.

[0084] In some possible implementations, the axial length of the fixing adhesive is L1, and the axial length of the fixing tube 3 is L2, wherein the value of L1 / L2 ranges from 0.2 to 0.8.

[0085] Combination Figure 4As shown, in some embodiments, the fiber optic connector further includes a spring 4 and a guide tube 5. The guide tube 5 is sleeved outside the ferrule 2, and the spring 4 is sleeved outside the guide tube 5. One end of the spring 4 abuts against the outer wall of the guide tube 5, and the other end abuts against the fixing tube 3.

[0086] With the above arrangement, the ferrule 2 is movably assembled in the housing 1 by the spring 4 and the guide tube 5. The ferrule 2 can extend and retract axially. The spring 4 is sleeved on the outside of the guide tube 5 and abuts against the guide hanger and the fixing tube 3 respectively. When the fiber optic connector is plugged in, the ferrule 2 needs to be mated with another ferrule 2. The preload of the spring 4 will push the end face of the ferrule 2 to fit tightly. At the same time, it allows the ferrule 2 to adaptively adjust its position within a small range, offsetting the alignment deviation during plugging and unplugging and the error caused by the component processing tolerance, ensuring that the fiber cores of the two optical fibers are precisely coaxial, and minimizing the reflection and leakage of optical signals.

[0087] In addition, spring 4 can absorb some mechanical stress, preventing stress from being directly transmitted to the bonding point between the optical fiber and the ferrule, thus preventing optical fiber breakage or ferrule 2 loosening. The thermal expansion and contraction of components caused by temperature changes can also be offset by the extension and contraction allowance of spring 4, maintaining the stability of the connection and reducing the impact of environmental factors on transmission quality.

[0088] Combination Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the front end of the housing 1 and the outer wall of the housing 1 have a clasp 104 for engaging with the fiber optic adapter; the fiber optic connector also includes a retaining buckle 102, which is fitted over the housing 1 and located at the rear end of the housing 1, with the buckle on the outer wall of the retaining buckle 102 overlapping the clasp 104.

[0089] With the above arrangement, the clip 104 and the fixing buckle 102 are mechanical locking components, mainly responsible for achieving a stable connection between the fiber optic connector and the fiber optic adapter (such as fiber optic adapter, optical module port), preventing it from falling off, and optimizing the convenience of plugging and unplugging operations.

[0090] When the fiber optic connector is inserted into the fiber optic adapter (such as an SC-LC adapter or the LC port of an optical module), the 104 clip will precisely engage with the slot inside the interface of the fiber optic adapter to form a rigid lock, preventing the fiber optic connector from falling off due to vibration, cable pulling or accidental contact, and ensuring the continuity and stability of the fiber optic adapter connection.

[0091] The clip 104 has elastic deformation characteristics. When it is necessary to perform insertion and removal maintenance on the fiber optic connector, simply press the clip 104, and the clip will disengage from the slot, allowing the fiber optic connector to be easily pulled out. This "press-to-unlock" design is suitable for high-density cabling scenarios (such as high-density patch panels in data centers), and can be operated quickly even in confined spaces, improving maintenance efficiency.

[0092] The buckle 102 is attached to the clip 104, which can lock the clip 104 a second time to prevent accidental insertion and removal. It locks the clip 104 so that it cannot be accidentally pressed, thus achieving "double locking" and completely eliminating accidental unlocking caused by accidental contact with the clip 104.

[0093] Combination Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the fiber optic connector also includes a protective tube 6 and a tail sleeve 7.

[0094] A portion of the protective tube 6 is fitted onto the portion of the fixing tube 3 that extends out of the housing 1 and at least covers the glue-filling hole 31. Another portion of the protective tube 6 is fitted onto the optical cable 100. The tail sheath 7 is fitted onto the outside of the protective tube 6.

[0095] With the above arrangement, the protective tube 6 is sleeved on the fixed tube 3, which can protect the fixed tube 3 and cover the glue hole 31 and / or observation hole 32 to prevent foreign objects from entering. A part of the protective tube 6 also extends and is sleeved on the optical cable 100 to protect the optical cable 100 and prevent the optical cable 100 from being damaged by excessive bending. In addition, a tail sheath 7 is sleeved on the outside of the protective tube 6, which can further improve the protection effect on the fixed tube 3 and the optical cable 100.

[0096] Combination Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the housing 1 includes a coupling cap 101 and a dust cap 103. The coupling cap 101 is connected to the front end of the fixing tube 3, and the ferrule 2 is located inside the coupling cap 101. The coupling cap 101 is an auxiliary component for the mating of the fiber optic connector, which can ensure the connection reliability of the fiber optic connector.

[0097] The dust cap 103 is placed on the front end of the coupling cap 101. The dust cap 103 is used to protect the ferrule 2 when the fiber optic connector is not connected, and to prevent the end face of the ferrule 2 from being contaminated by dust.

[0098] On the other hand, combining Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment provides an optical cable assembly, which includes an optical cable 100 and an optical fiber connector of this application; the optical cable 100 is fixed in the fixing tube 3 by adhesive, and the fiber core 1001 of the optical cable 100 is used to connect to the ferrule 2.

[0099] The optical cable assembly of this embodiment uses the optical fiber connector of this application, which has all the beneficial technical effects of this application. Compared with the traditional crimping scheme, it can avoid the risk of damage to the optical fiber 1003 and the reinforcing member 1004 by crimping. It can solve the connection between the invisible butterfly cable and the optical fiber connector. The connection operation is simple and can be mass-produced. Moreover, the glue-bonding method has higher connection reliability.

[0100] In some possible implementations, optical cable 100 is a butterfly optical cable.

[0101] Combination Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the portion of the optical cable 100 near the end has an optical fiber 1003 located outside the outer sheath 1002, and both the optical fiber 1003 located outside the outer sheath 1002 and the outer sheath 1002 are fixed in the fixing tube 3 by adhesive.

[0102] With the above arrangement, the end of the optical cable 100 facing the fixing tube 3 has an outer sheath 1002 and an optical fiber 1003 extending beyond the outer sheath 1002. The outer sheath 1002 and the optical fiber 1003 can be fixed inside the fixing tube 3 by adhesive bonding, thereby achieving a reliable connection between the optical cable 100 and the optical fiber connector. In this embodiment, simultaneously adhesive bonding the optical fiber 1003 and the outer sheath 1002 can prevent axial misalignment of the outer sheath 1002 and the optical fiber 1003 during the stretching process of the optical cable 100.

[0103] For example, the adhesive injected into the fixing tube 3 covers at least part of the outer sheath 1002 and the optical fiber 1003. After the adhesive solidifies, the outer sheath 1002 and the optical fiber 1003 can be glued and fixed to the fixing tube 3.

[0104] Combination Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the axial length A of the outer sheath 1002 located inside the fixed tube 3 is greater than or equal to 3 mm.

[0105] With the above arrangement, the length A of the outer sheath 1002 inside the fixing tube 3 is greater than or equal to 3mm, so that the outer sheath 1002 has sufficient size to contact the adhesive inside the fixing tube 3, resulting in a better adhesive effect.

[0106] For example, the axial length A of the outer sheath 1002 located inside the fixed tube 3 can be, for example, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, etc.

[0107] In some embodiments, the axial length B of the adhesively fixed optical fiber 1003 is greater than or equal to 4 mm.

[0108] With the above arrangement, the length B of the optical fiber 1003 inside the fixing tube 3 is greater than or equal to 4mm, so that the optical fiber 1003 has sufficient size to contact the adhesive inside the fixing tube 3, resulting in a better adhesive effect.

[0109] For example, the axial length B of the optical fiber 1003 located in the fixed tube 3 can be 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, etc.

[0110] Combination Figure 7As shown, in some embodiments, the portion of the optical cable 100 near the end has an optical fiber 1003 and a reinforcing member 1004 located outside the outer sheath 1002, and the optical fiber 1003 and the reinforcing member 1004 located outside the outer sheath 1002 are both fixed in the fixing tube 3 by adhesive.

[0111] With the above arrangement, the end of the optical cable 100 facing the fixing tube 3 has an outer sheath 1002 and an optical fiber 1003 extending beyond the outer sheath 1002, as well as a reinforcing member 1004 extending beyond the outer sheath 1002. The reinforcing member 1004 and the optical fiber 1003 can be fixed in the fixing tube 3 by adhesive bonding, so as to realize a reliable connection between the optical cable 100 and the optical fiber connector.

[0112] In some embodiments, the reinforcing member 1004 is an optical fiber or a glass filament.

[0113] With the above arrangement, using optical fiber as the reinforcing element 1004, the transparent characteristics of optical fiber can be utilized to form a transparent optical cable 100, which has better aesthetics and concealment.

[0114] In some embodiments, the optical cable 100 is a transparent optical cable. Using a transparent optical cable offers better aesthetics and concealment, making it suitable for scenarios where users have high requirements for the aesthetics and concealment of indoor wiring.

[0115] The above description is only for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to understand the technical solution of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An optical fiber connector, characterized in that, The fiber optic connector includes a housing (1), a ferrule (2), and a fixing tube (3); At least a portion of the insert (2) and at least a portion of the fixing tube (3) are located in the housing (1), and the insert (2) is at the front end of the housing (1) in the length direction, the fixing tube (3) is at the rear end of the housing (1) in the length direction, and a portion of the fixing tube (3) extends out of the housing (1). The fixing tube (3) has a glue-filling hole (31) on the tube wall extending from the housing (1), and the glue-filling hole (31) is used to inject glue into the fixing tube (3).

2. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The glue-filling hole (31) is elongated and its length direction is consistent with the axial direction of the fixing tube (3).

3. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed tube (3) extending out of the wall of the housing (1) also has an observation hole (32), which is axially distributed with the glue-filling hole (31).

4. The fiber optic connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The observation hole (32) is closer to the housing (1) than the glue-filling hole (31).

5. The fiber optic connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The observation hole (32) and the glue-filling hole (31) are located on the same side of the fixing tube (3).

6. The fiber optic connector according to claim 5, characterized in that, The diameter of the observation hole (32) is less than or equal to the diameter of the glue-filling hole (31).

7. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed tube (3) includes a stop seat (301) and a press tube (302), at least a portion of the stop seat (301) is located inside the housing (1), and a portion of the stop seat (301) extends out of the tail end of the housing (1); The pressure tube (302) is coaxially and fixedly connected to the portion of the stop seat (301) located outside the housing (1).

8. The fiber optic connector according to claim 7, characterized in that, The glue-filling hole (31) is located on the wall of the pressure tube (302).

9. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The length of the fixing adhesive located inside the fixing tube (3) is greater than or equal to 8 mm.

10. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fiber optic connector also includes a spring (4) and a guide tube (5). The guide tube (5) is sleeved outside the ferrule (2), and the spring (4) is sleeved outside the guide tube (5). One end of the spring (4) abuts against the outer wall of the guide tube (5), and the other end abuts against the fixing tube (3).

11. The fiber optic connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The front end of the housing (1) and the outer wall of the housing (1) have a clip (104) for fastening with the fiber optic adapter; the fiber optic connector also includes a retaining clip (102), which is fitted over the housing (1) and located at the tail end of the housing (1), and the fastening position on the outer wall of the retaining clip (102) overlaps the clip (104).

12. The fiber optic connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The fiber optic connector also includes a protective tube (6) and a tail sleeve (7); A portion of the protective tube (6) is sleeved on the portion of the fixed tube (3) that extends out of the housing (1) and at least covers the glue-filling hole (31). The other portion of the protective tube (6) is used to sleeve on the optical cable (100). The tail sleeve (7) is fitted over the protective tube (6).

13. An optical cable assembly, characterized in that, The optical cable assembly includes an optical cable and an optical fiber connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 12; The optical cable (100) is fixed in the fixing tube (3) by adhesive bonding, and the fiber core (1001) of the optical cable (100) is used to connect to the ferrule (2).

14. The optical cable assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that, The portion of the optical cable (100) near its end has an optical fiber (1003) located outside the outer sheath (1002), and both the optical fiber (1003) located outside the outer sheath (1002) and the outer sheath (1002) are fixed in the fixing tube (3) by adhesive bonding.

15. The optical cable assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that, The axial length A of the outer sheath (1002) located inside the fixed tube (3) is greater than or equal to 3 mm.

16. The optical cable assembly according to claim 15, characterized in that, The axial length B of the optical fiber (1003) fixed by adhesive is greater than or equal to 4 mm.

17. The optical cable assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that, The portion of the optical cable (100) near its end has an optical fiber (1003) and a reinforcing member (1004) located outside the outer sheath (1002), and the optical fiber (1003) and the reinforcing member (1004) located outside the outer sheath (1002) are both fixed in the fixing tube (3) by adhesive bonding.

18. The optical cable assembly according to claim 17, characterized in that, The reinforcing member (1004) is an optical fiber or a glass fiber.

19. The optical cable assembly according to any one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that, The optical cable (100) is a transparent optical cable.

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