Opto-electric composite connector

Abstract

To provide an opto-electric composite connector which is easy to assemble.SOLUTION: An opto-electric composite connector 1 comprises: at least one optical ferrule 5 to which an optical fiber 81 of an optical cable 8 is coupled; at least one electric connection terminal 7 to which a wire 9 is coupled; a sub housing 3 in which the at least one optical ferrule 5 is stored; a spring member 6 which is stored in the sub housing 3 and energizes the optical ferrule 5 toward a front end side; and a main housing 2 in which the sub housing 3 and the electric connection terminal 7 can be collectively stored. The sub housing 3 constitutes an optical sub connector S by storing the optical ferrule 5 and the spring member 6 therein, and the optical sub connector S and the electric connection terminal 7 are stored and fixed in the main housing 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a combination optical-electrical connector. [Background technology]

[0002] Optical cables using optical fibers are widely used for information communication in households, industries, etc., because they are capable of transmitting large amounts of information at high speed. In addition, automobiles are equipped with various electronic devices such as car navigation systems, and optical communication using optical cables has begun to be used for communication in these devices. In particular, in recent years, the speed of communication has been increasing rapidly in the automotive field, but there are many challenges in performing high-speed communication exceeding several Gbps using electric cables, and as communication speeds increase, the importance of optical cables capable of high-speed communication is increasing in on-board communication devices. In particular, optical cables equipped with glass optical fibers can be suitably used for high-speed communication.

[0003] On the other hand, optical cables are not suitable for applications that require the supply of energy to operate communication devices, and electric wires having metal wires are also used in combination with optical cables. Therefore, in order to easily connect optical cables and electric wires to devices such as communication devices, connectors that can connect optical cables and electric wires together to devices have been developed. Such optical-electrical composite connectors are disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the like, and some have already been put to practical use. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2007 / 088863 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described above, optical-electrical composite connectors have been developed as a means for connecting optical cables and electric wires together to devices such as communication devices, but such composite connectors tend to be more difficult to manufacture than optical connectors that connect only optical cables or electric connectors that connect only electric wires. One of the reasons is that optical connectors and electric connectors usually have completely different manufacturing processes and manufacturing equipment, and it is difficult to manufacture a composite connector that has an optical cable connection part and an electric wire connection part integrated on the same manufacturing line. In particular, it is easy to encounter difficulties in accurately positioning optical communication members such as optical ferrules at a predetermined position in a connector housing and assembling them together with electric wires. Furthermore, as the speed of communication in automobiles increases, the replacement of conventionally used plastic optical fibers (POFs) with glass optical fibers (AGFs) has been progressing in recent years, but since AGFs have a smaller diameter than POFs, optical communication members for AGFs are smaller than optical communication members for POFs, and it is particularly difficult to correctly position them in the connector housing. Moreover, in order to obtain high communication performance, high accuracy is required in the placement of optical communication components for AGF.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical-electrical composite connector that is easy to assemble. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The optical-electrical composite connector of the present disclosure comprises at least one optical ferrule to which an optical fiber of an optical cable is respectively coupled, at least one electrical connection terminal to which an electric wire is respectively coupled, a sub-housing that accommodates the at least one optical ferrule, a spring member that is accommodated within the sub-housing and biases each of the optical ferrules toward the tip side, and a main housing that can accommodate the sub-housing and the electrical connection terminal together, wherein the sub-housing accommodates the optical ferrule and the spring member to form an optical sub-connector, and the main housing accommodates and fixes the optical sub-connector and the electrical connection terminal. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The combined optical and electrical connector according to the present disclosure is an easy-to-assemble combined optical and electrical connector. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are perspective views showing an entire optical-electrical composite connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with Fig. 1A showing the connector as seen from the front and Fig. 1B showing the connector as seen from the rear. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the above-mentioned optical-electrical composite connector. [Diagram 3] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing an optical sub-connector included in the optical-electrical composite connector, with Fig. 3A being a perspective view and Fig. 3B being a partial cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line AA in Fig. 3A. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are side views showing the results of a simulation estimating the deformation amount of a sub-housing in an optical sub-connector, in which Fig. 4A shows a configuration having the engagement structure by the rib portion shown in Fig. 3A, and Fig. 4B shows a configuration not having the engagement structure by the rib portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The optical-electrical composite connector of the present disclosure comprises at least one optical ferrule to which an optical fiber of an optical cable is respectively coupled, at least one electrical connection terminal to which an electric wire is respectively coupled, a sub-housing that accommodates the at least one optical ferrule, a spring member that is accommodated within the sub-housing and biases each of the optical ferrules toward the tip side, and a main housing that can accommodate the sub-housing and the electrical connection terminal together, wherein the sub-housing accommodates the optical ferrule and the spring member to form an optical sub-connector, and the main housing accommodates and fixes the optical sub-connector and the electrical connection terminal.

[0011] In the above optical-electrical composite connector, the optical ferrule is not directly accommodated in the main housing that accommodates the electrical connection terminal, but the optical ferrule is accommodated in a sub-housing separately from the electrical connection terminal to configure the optical sub-connector, and the optical sub-connector is then accommodated in the main housing. The optical sub-connector can be manufactured using the manufacturing process and manufacturing equipment of conventional optical connectors, and the process of assembling the completed optical sub-connector together with the electrical connection terminal into the main housing can be performed more easily than the process of directly assembling the optical ferrule together with the electrical connection terminal into the housing. Furthermore, by providing a spring member inside the sub-housing in the optical sub-connector that biases the optical ferrule toward the tip side, the optical ferrule can be easily maintained in the sub-housing in a regular position and posture pressed toward the tip side, thereby improving the manufacturability of the optical sub-connector. The effect of improving manufacturability due to the presence of the spring member is particularly noticeable when using an optical ferrule with a small area of ​​the tip surface that is coupled to a thin optical fiber, such as an AGF.

[0012] Here, when the optical-electrical composite connector is connected to a mating connector including an optical ferrule, the spring member preferably presses the tip end face of the optical ferrule constituting the optical sub-connector toward the tip end face of the optical ferrule of the mating connector. Then, the urging force of the spring member causes the optical ferrules to butt against each other at their tip ends, and the butted state is more likely to be maintained. As a result, reflection loss of optical signals between the optical ferrules is suppressed, and good optical connection is obtained. This effect is particularly noticeable when using an optical ferrule with a small area of ​​the tip end face to be coupled to a thin optical fiber, such as an AGF.

[0013] The sub-housing may be composed of two divided members, an upper member and a lower member, divided in a top-bottom direction perpendicular to a front-to-back direction along the axis of the optical ferrule to be accommodated, the sub-housing having a cable holding part at its rear end for sandwiching and fixing a cable fixing member attached to the optical cable coupled to the optical ferrule between the two divided members, and in the optical sub-connector, the optical ferrule coupled to the optical cable is accommodated in the sub-housing in a state in which the optical ferrule is biased forward by the spring member and the cable fixing member is sandwiched by the cable holding part. Then, since the sub-housing is composed of two divided members, the process of arranging the optical ferrule and the spring member in the sub-housing to fabricate the optical sub-connector can be easily performed. In addition, by maintaining the optical ferrule in a forward-biased state by a spring member within the sub-housing and by holding the cable fixing member attached to the optical cable between the two divided members, the optical ferrule can be held in the correct position within the sub-housing, and the arrangement of the optical ferrule can be kept stable even if the optical cable is subjected to tension. This improves the ease of fabricating the optical sub-connector and assembling it into the main housing, as well as the convenience of using the manufactured optical-electrical hybrid connector.

[0014] In this case, the upper member and the lower member are joined together in a state where two edges, the lower edge along the front-rear direction of the upper member and the upper edge along the front-rear direction of the lower member, are butted against each other, and one of the two edges has a rib portion at a midpoint in the front-rear direction that protrudes toward the other edge, and the other edge has a rib housing portion at a midpoint in the front-rear direction as a recess that houses and engages with the rib portion. In this way, the upper member and the lower member can be firmly joined together in the sub-housing by the engagement of the rib portion and the rib housing portion. Furthermore, even if the restoring force of the spring member that is housed in the sub-housing and biases the optical ferrule is transmitted to the sub-housing, the state in which the upper member and the lower member are firmly joined together is stably maintained, and the force transmitted to the sub-housing is distributed, thereby suppressing the occurrence of bending deformation in the front-rear direction of the sub-housing.

[0015] Furthermore, in the sub-housing, when the upper member and the lower member are joined together, it is preferable that the engagement portion that engages the rib portion with the rib receiving portion does not protrude outwardly from a central axis along the front-rear direction compared to other portions. This makes it possible to prevent the optical sub-connector from becoming large even if the rib portion is provided, and to keep the overall size of the optical-electrical composite connector small. Also, when assembling the optical sub-connector to the main housing, the rib portion is unlikely to interfere with the assembly work, improving the workability of the assembly.

[0016] When the upper and lower members are joined together, the outer peripheral surface of the sub-housing may be flush with the engaging portion where the rib portion and the rib receiving portion are engaged, and with the front and rear portions of the engaging portion, which can effectively prevent the optical sub-connector from becoming large and can improve the ease of assembly.

[0017] Alternatively, the sub-housing may be composed of two divided members, a front member and a rear member, which are divided in the front-rear direction along the axis of the optical ferrule to be accommodated, and the rear member may have a cable holding portion at its rear end for fixing and holding a cable fixing member attached to the optical cable coupled to the optical ferrule, and in the optical sub-connector, the optical ferrule coupled to the optical cable may be accommodated in the sub-housing in a state in which the optical ferrule is biased forward by the spring member and the cable fixing member is fixed to the cable holding portion. In this case, too, since the sub-housing is composed of two divided members, the manufacturing process of the optical sub-connector can be easily performed. Furthermore, the optical ferrule can be held in a regular position in the sub-housing by the biasing of the optical ferrule forward by the spring member and the fixing of the cable fixing member by the cable holding portion, and even if the optical cable is subjected to tension, the arrangement of the optical ferrule can be stably maintained. Therefore, the workability of manufacturing the optical sub-connector and assembling it to the main housing is improved, and the convenience of using the manufactured optical-electrical composite connector is improved.

[0018] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] The optical-electrical composite connector according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the terms "circular", "rectangular tube", "center", "parallel", "flush", and other terms indicating the shape and arrangement of components include not only a geometrically strict concept but also a generally acceptable range of error for an optical-electrical composite connector.

[0019] <Outline of the structure of the optical-electrical hybrid connector> 1A, 1B, and 2 show an optical-electrical composite connector (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as a composite connector) 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in a perspective view and an exploded perspective view, respectively. The composite connector 1 according to this embodiment is connected to the tip of an assembly of an optical cable 8 and an electric wire 9, and simultaneously performs an optical connection for optical communication and an electrical connection for conduction. The composite connector 1 according to this embodiment is not fixed to a member such as a communication device or a printed circuit board, but is configured as a cable connector that is detachable from a mating connector together with the optical cable 8 and the electric wire 9.

[0020] The composite connector 1 according to this embodiment includes at least one optical ferrule 5 as an optical communication portion, and at least one electrical connection terminal 7 as an electrical connection portion. The composite connector 1 also includes a sub-housing 3 as a housing member for housing the optical ferrule 5. The sub-housing 3 houses the optical ferrule 5 and a spring member 6 to form an optical sub-connector S. The composite connector 1 also includes a main housing 2 capable of housing the sub-housing 3 and the electrical connection terminal 7 together, and the optical sub-connector S and the electrical connection terminal 7 are housed and fixed in the main housing 2.

[0021] In this specification, the direction in which the optical-electrical composite connector 1 is connected to the mating connector is defined as the front, and the direction in which the optical cable 8 and the electric wire 9 are connected is defined as the rear, and the front-rear direction (direction a) is defined. In other words, the axial direction of the optical ferrule 5 and the electrical connection terminal 7 is the front-rear direction, and the tip side of the optical ferrule 5 and the electrical connection terminal 7 is the front. The direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, in which the pair of electrical connection terminals 7 and the sub-housing 3 accommodating the optical ferrule 5 are arranged side by side, is defined as the up-down direction (direction c), and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction is defined as the width direction (direction b).

[0022] The optical ferrule 5 is made of a known ferrule for optical fiber, and the optical cable 8 is fixed thereto. Here, the types of the optical cable 8 and the optical ferrule 5 are not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of application to high-speed communication, it is preferable to use an optical cable 8 equipped with a glass optical fiber (AGF). AGFs that are generally widely used have a cladding diameter of 125 μm, and even in the case of multimode types, the core diameter is often small, at 100 μm or less, and the area of ​​the tip surface of the compatible optical ferrule is also small. The optical cable 8 is coupled and fixed to the optical ferrule 5 with the optical fiber 81 exposed at the tip portion being flush with the tip surface of the optical ferrule 5.

[0023] Furthermore, a cable fixing member 82 consisting of a stop ring 83 and a crimping ring 84 is provided at the tip of the optical cable 8 coupled to the optical ferrule 5 and fixed to the outer periphery of the optical cable 8. The stop ring 83 is an annular member. The crimping ring 84 is a cylindrical member with a step, and has a large diameter portion 841 at the front and a small diameter portion 842 at the rear, which is continuous with the large diameter portion 841 and has a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion 841. A reinforcing wire (not shown) drawn from the optical cable 8 is sandwiched between the stop ring 83 and the large diameter portion 841 of the crimping ring 84 arranged on its outer periphery, and the crimping ring 84 is fixed onto the outer sheath of the optical cable 8 at the small diameter portion 842.

[0024] In the illustrated embodiment, the composite connector 1 includes one optical ferrule 5, but may include multiple optical ferrules. When multiple optical ferrules 5 are included, each optical ferrule 5 is independently coupled to an optical fiber 81. When multiple optical ferrules 5 are included in the composite connector 1, the multiple optical ferrules 5 may be housed in a common sub-housing 3 together with their corresponding spring members 6 to form an optical sub-connector S. Also, the main housing 2 may house multiple optical sub-connectors S, each configured by housing one or multiple sets of optical ferrules 5 and spring members 6 in the sub-housing 3.

[0025] The electrical connection terminal 7 is configured as an electrical connection terminal for a known insulated wire. The electrical connection terminal 7 is fixed to the tip of the insulated wire 9 and is electrically connected to the wire conductor exposed at the tip side of the insulated wire 9. The type of the electrical connection terminal 7 is not particularly limited, but a mating type female terminal can be preferably applied. In the illustrated embodiment, the composite connector 1 includes one pair (two) of electrical connection terminals 7, but the number is not particularly limited as long as the composite connector 1 includes at least one electrical connection terminal 7.

[0026] The optical ferrule 5 coupled with the optical cable 8 is housed in the sub-housing 3 together with the spring member 6 to form the optical sub-connector S. The structures of the sub-housing 3 and the optical sub-connector S will be described in detail later, but in the illustrated embodiment, one optical ferrule 5 is disposed on the central axis of the sub-housing 3. A connection sub-opening 3a is formed in the front of the sub-housing 3, facing the tip face of the optical ferrule 5, as an opening through which the optical connection part of the mating connector including the optical ferrule can enter.

[0027] The main housing 2 is configured as a resin member having a generally rectangular cylindrical shape with a front end surface 2c at the front and an open rear. The main housing 2 is formed into a rectangular cylindrical shape by joining two members, a housing body 10 and a retainer member 20. The housing body 10 has a cylindrical portion 12 at the front, and an open portion 13 that is integral with the cylindrical portion 12 and has a shape that is open on one side in the width direction (-b direction) at the rear of the cylindrical portion 12. The retainer member 20 has a shape that covers the open portion 13 of the housing body 10 from the outside in the width direction (-b direction), and by joining the retainer member 20 to the open portion 13 of the housing body 10, the generally rectangular cylindrical main housing 2 is formed.

[0028] The retainer member 20 is provided with loop-shaped locking tabs 21 on the upper and lower wall surfaces. The housing body 10 is provided with locking projections 14 capable of locking the locking tabs 21 at positions corresponding to the locking tabs 21 when the retainer member 20 is joined. The housing body 10 and the retainer member 20 can be joined by covering the open portion 13 of the housing body 10 with the retainer member 20 and locking the loop structure of the locking tabs 21 to the locking projections 14. Once locked, the locking structure between the locking tabs 21 and the locking projections 14 cannot be easily released. Furthermore, the main housing 2 may be provided with a supplementary member for maintaining the connection between the housing body 10 and the retainer member 20 in addition to the set of the locking tabs 21 and the locking projections 14. For example, a claw 15 may be provided on the outer wall surface of the housing main body 10 forward of the locking tab 21 and the locking projection 14, and a claw (not shown) that engages with the claw 15 may be provided at a corresponding position on the retainer member 20.

[0029] The internal space of the main housing 2, which is composed of the housing body 10 and the retainer member 20, is vertically divided by the partition wall 2a into a lower sub-connector accommodating space 2f and an upper space including the terminal accommodating space 2g. The sub-connector accommodating space 2f accommodates the sub-housing 3 that is an optical sub-connector S accommodating an optical ferrule 5 and the like, and the terminal accommodating space 2g accommodates an electrical connection terminal 7 to which an electric wire 9 is connected. The electrical connection terminal 7 and the optical ferrule 5 accommodated in the sub-housing 3 are arranged in the main housing 2 with their respective axial directions facing the front-rear direction. An optical connection opening 2d is formed in the front end surface 2c of the main housing 2 at a position in front of the connection sub-opening 3a of the sub-housing 3, and the optical connection part of the mating connector including the optical ferrule can enter the inside of the sub-housing 3 through the optical connection opening 2d and the connection sub-opening 3a. Furthermore, an electrical connection opening 2e is formed in the front end face 2c at a position in front of each electrical connection terminal 7, allowing the electrical connection portion of the mating connector including the electrical connection terminal to enter the terminal accommodating space 2g.

[0030] In the main housing 2, the opening width 2b at the rear end of the sub-connector receiving space 2f has a size and shape that allows the sub-housing 3 to be received without rattling. Furthermore, the retainer member 20 is provided with an internal locking protrusion 22 that protrudes inward (+b direction) from the inner wall surface on the side (-b direction) and also serves as a part of the partition wall 2a, and this internal locking protrusion 22 is locked in the front-rear direction with a locking protrusion 31 provided on the outer wall surface of the sub-housing 3 received in the sub-connector receiving space 2f. Furthermore, the sub-housing 3 has a stepped structure 3c at its front end, with a small cross-sectional area at the front and a large cross-sectional area at the rear (see FIG. 3A), and this stepped structure 3c prevents the sub-housing 3 from coming off the optical connection opening 2d. By setting the size and shape of the opening width 2b, forming a locking structure between the locking inner protrusion 22 and the locking protrusion 31, and providing a locking structure at the front end of the sub-housing 3, the optical sub-connector S accommodated in the sub-connector accommodating space 2f in the main housing 2 is positioned and fixed in a predetermined position within the main housing 2.

[0031] Meanwhile, in the main housing 2, the electrical connection terminal 7 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating space 2g. The retainer member 20 constituting the main housing 2 is provided with a terminal locking piece 24 at the tip of an extension portion 23 that extends forward to a position corresponding to the middle of the cylindrical portion 12 of the housing body 10. This terminal locking piece 24 can be locked with a step structure 71 formed on the outer surface of the electrical connection terminal 7 accommodated in the terminal accommodating space 2g. The electrical connection terminal 7 accommodated in the terminal accommodating space 2g is positioned and fixed at a predetermined position within the main housing 2 by the locking structure between the terminal locking piece 24 of the retainer member 20 and the step structure 71 of the electrical connection terminal 7.

[0032] When manufacturing the composite connector 1 according to this embodiment, the optical ferrule 5 to which the optical cable 8 is coupled and the spring member 6 are housed in the sub-housing 3 to assemble the optical sub-connector S in advance. Then, the optical sub-connector S and the electrical connection terminal 7 to which the electric wire 9 is coupled are assembled into the main housing 2. When assembling into the main housing 2, the optical sub-connector S and the electrical connection terminal 7 are disposed in the locations of the housing body 10 corresponding to the sub-connector accommodating space 2f and the terminal accommodating space 2g, respectively, and then the retainer member 20 is coupled to the housing body 10. At this time, the retaining inner protrusion 22 and the terminal locking piece 24 of the retainer member 20 may be engaged with the locking protrusion 31 of the sub-housing 3 and the step structure 71 of the electrical connection terminal 7, respectively.

[0033] In this manner, in the composite connector 1 according to the present embodiment, the optical ferrule 5 is not directly fixed to the main housing 2, but the optical sub-connector S is assembled together with the electrical connection terminal 7 to the main housing 2 and fixed thereto, instead of the optical ferrule 5 being accommodated in the sub-housing 3. This makes it easier to assemble the optical communication part of the composite connector 1. Normally, the manufacturing process and manufacturing equipment are significantly different between optical connectors and electrical connectors, and it is difficult to manufacture a connector including both an optical ferrule and an electrical connection terminal on the same manufacturing line. However, as in the present embodiment, if the optical ferrule 5 is accommodated in the sub-housing 3 and assembled as the optical sub-connector S, and the optical ferrule 5 is assembled to the main housing 2 in the form of the optical sub-connector S, the optical sub-connector S can be assembled independently of the assembly of the electrical connection part by applying the manufacturing process and manufacturing equipment for conventional optical connectors. The process of assembling the optical sub-connector S assembled in this manner together with the electrical connection terminal 7 to the main housing 2 can be performed without great difficulty by applying the manufacturing process and manufacturing equipment for conventional electrical connectors. In particular, if the optical ferrule 5 has a small diameter for an AGF, it can be difficult to handle during the connector assembly process; however, if it is prepared in advance as an optical sub-connector S, difficulties due to the small diameter of the optical ferrule 5 are less likely to arise in the subsequent assembly process.

[0034] <Optical sub-connector structure> In the composite connector 1 according to this embodiment, as described above, the optical ferrule 5 is attached to the main housing 2 in the form of the optical sub-connector S. The configuration of this optical sub-connector S and the sub-housing 3 that constitutes the optical sub-connector S will be described in detail. The configuration of the optical sub-connector S is shown in Figs. 3A and 3B. Fig. 3A is a perspective view, and Fig. 3B is a cross-sectional view showing the AA cross section in Fig. 3A.

[0035] The sub-housing 3, which is the outer shell of the optical sub-connector S, is configured as a hollow cylindrical resin member having openings at the front and rear, and can accommodate at least one optical ferrule 5 connected to an optical cable 8 inside. The sub-housing 3 is configured of two divided members, an upper member 30 and a lower member 40, of which the lower member 40 is the main member. The lower member 40 has a cylindrical portion 41 at the front, and has an open portion 42 with an open upper portion, integral with the cylindrical portion 41, behind the cylindrical portion 41. The upper member 30 has a shape that covers the open portion 42 of the lower member 40 from above, and by joining the upper member 30 to the open portion 42 of the lower member 40, the cylindrical sub-housing 3 is formed.

[0036] The lower member 40 has a rear engagement piece 43 that protrudes upward at the rear end of the upper edge 44 of the smooth open portion 42 along the front-rear direction. A lock claw 431 is integrally formed at the upper end of the rear engagement piece 43. The upper member 30 has a rear engagement recess 32 at the rear end of the smooth lower edge 33 along the front-rear direction. The rear engagement recess 32 is formed as a recess that can accommodate the rear engagement piece 43 and can engage the lock claw 431. The upper member 30 and the lower member 40 are joined together with the lower edge 33 of the upper member 30 and the upper edge 44 of the lower member 40 butted against each other, and the rear engagement piece 43 is accommodated and engaged in the rear engagement recess 32, thereby forming a cylindrical sub-housing 3. In the sub-housing 3, the engagement between the rear engagement piece 43 and the rear engagement recess 32 maintains the upper member 30 and the lower member 40 in a joined state. The engagement structure between the rear engagement piece 43 and the rear engagement recess 32 cannot be easily released once they are engaged.

[0037] Furthermore, the upper member 30 has a rib portion 34 integrally protruding downward at the midpoint of the lower edge 33 in the front-rear direction. The lower member 40 has a rib accommodating portion 45 at the midpoint of the upper edge 44 of the lower member 40 in the front-rear direction. The rib accommodating portion 45 is formed as a recess for accommodating the rib portion 34 protruding from the upper member 30, and can engage with the rib portion 34. When the lower edge 33 of the upper member 30 and the upper edge 44 of the lower member 40 are butted against each other to join the upper member 30 and the lower member 40, the rib portion 34 is accommodated in the rib accommodating portion 45, and an engagement is formed. The engagement between the rib portion 34 and the rib accommodating portion 45 assists the engagement between the rear engagement piece 43 and the rear engagement recess 32, thereby maintaining the joined state of the upper member 30 and the lower member 40, and suppresses deformation of the sub-housing 3, as will be described later. From the viewpoint of enhancing the function of these rib portions 34, it is preferable that the rib portions 34 are formed so as to occupy a larger area in the front-rear direction than the rear engagement piece 43. Unlike the rear engagement piece 43, the rib portions 34 are not provided with a claw-like structure for engagement, and the rib portions 34 and the rib accommodating portion 45 engage with each other in a state in which the smooth edge of the rib portion 34 protruding as a plate-like tab from the lower end edge 33 of the upper member 30 comes into contact with the smooth edge of the rib accommodating portion 45 formed as a recessed structure facing the upper end edge 44 of the lower member 40.

[0038] A cable holding portion 3b that holds the cable fixing member 82 is formed at the rear end of the sub-housing 3. As the cable holding portion 3b, first, a recess 35 is formed at the rear end of the upper member 30 as a semi-cylindrical recess that can accommodate the small diameter portion 842 of the cable fixing member 82 (crimping ring 84). A window portion 36 is provided in front of the recess 35 as an opening into which an upper part of the large diameter portion 841 of the cable fixing member 82 (crimping ring 84) can be fitted. In addition, a window portion 46 is formed at the rear end of the lower member 40 as well, into which a lower part of the large diameter portion 841 of the cable fixing member 82 can be fitted, similar to the window portion 36 of the upper member 30. The recess 35 and the two windows 36, 46 form the cable holding portion 3b, and the cable fixing member 82 holds the optical cable 8. In other words, the cable fixing member 82 attached to the optical cable 8 is placed on the rear end of the lower member 40, the recess 35 provided in the upper member 30 is aligned with the small diameter portion 842 of the fixing member 82, and the large diameter portion 841 is fitted into the window portions 36, 46. In this state, the cable fixing member 82 is sandwiched between the upper member 30 and the lower member 40, whereby the optical ferrule 5 is connected and the optical cable 8 with the cable fixing member 82 attached is firmly held to the sub-housing 3 by the cable fixing member 82.

[0039] In the optical sub-connector S, as shown in the exploded perspective view of Fig. 2 and the vertical cross-sectional view of Fig. 3B, an optical ferrule 5 coupled to an optical cable 8 and a spring member 6 are housed inside a sub-housing 3. In the sub-housing 3, a ferrule holding portion 47 is provided inside a cylindrical portion 41 of a lower member 40 as a tapered space that follows the tapered shape of a flange portion 52 in the middle of the optical ferrule 5, and the optical ferrule 5 is positioned within the sub-housing 3 by the ferrule holding portion 47.

[0040] A spring member 6 made of a coil spring is disposed behind the optical ferrule 5. The spring member 6 has a telescopic axis facing the front-rear direction, and a part of the front side is housed in the cylindrical portion 41. A spring insertion portion 51 at the rear end of the optical ferrule 5 is inserted from the front into the hollow portion of the spring member 6. The rear end of the spring member 6 is positioned by contacting with a spring holding protrusion 37 protruding downward from the inside of the upper member 30. In the sub-housing 3, the distance between the rear end face of the flange portion 52 of the optical ferrule 5 positioned by the ferrule holding portion 47 and the spring holding protrusion 37 is set to be shorter than the natural length of the spring member 6, and the spring member 6 is held in a compressed state between the flange portion 52 of the optical ferrule 5 and the spring holding protrusion 37 in the sub-housing 3. When the spring member 6 is compressed, the flange portion 52 pushes the optical ferrule 5 forward by the restoring force, and urges the optical ferrule 5 forward. When the composite connector 1 is mated with a mating connector, the spring member 6 serves to abut the tip face of the optical ferrule 5 against the tip face of the mating optical ferrule, and further press it.

[0041] In this way, in the optical sub-connector S, by disposing the spring member 6 capable of biasing the optical ferrule 5 toward the tip side in the sub-housing 3 together with the optical ferrule 5, the composite connector 1 can be easily assembled. First, when assembling the optical sub-connector S, the optical ferrule 5 can be easily kept in the correct position and posture in the sub-housing 3, biased toward the tip side, and high manufacturability can be obtained. Also, even if there is some error in the position and posture of the optical ferrule 5 in the sub-housing 3 and in the position and posture for fixing the sub-housing 3 in the main housing 2, when the composite connector 1 is connected to the counterpart connector, the biasing force of the spring member 6 can bias the tip face of the optical ferrule 5 in the sub-housing 3 against the tip face of the counterpart optical ferrule, thereby realizing an appropriate optical connection between the two optical ferrules. In particular, when a small-diameter optical ferrule 5 for AGF is used as the optical ferrule 5, it is more difficult to arrange the optical ferrule 5 in a predetermined position and posture than when a large-diameter optical ferrule for POF is used, and therefore the effects of providing the spring member 6 can be particularly highly obtained.

[0042] Furthermore, since the sub-housing 3 is divided into two members, the upper member 30 and the lower member 40, the optical ferrule 5 and the spring member 6 can be arranged in the correct position in the sub-housing 3, and then the sub-housing 3 can be assembled into a cylindrical shape, improving the ease of assembly of the optical sub-connector S. For example, when assembling the sub-housing 3, the optical ferrule 5 and the spring member 6 may be placed on the lower member 40 in a state in which the spring insertion portion 51 of the optical ferrule 5 to which the optical cable 8 is coupled is fitted into the spring member 6. At this time, the optical ferrule 5 is positioned by the ferrule holding portion 47. Then, the upper member 30 may be placed above the lower member 40, and the upper member 30 and the lower member 40 may be joined together with the engagement between the rear engagement piece 43 and the rear engagement recess 32, and the engagement between the rib portion 34 and the rib housing portion 45, to form the sub-housing 3. At this time, the cable fixing member 82 is sandwiched from above and below by the cable holding portion 3b at the rear end of the sub-housing 3. Furthermore, while the upper member 30 is being joined to the lower member 40, the spring member 6 is pressed against the flange portion 52 of the optical ferrule 5 by the spring holding projection 37 on the inside of the upper member 30, thereby compressing the spring member 6.

[0043] In the assembled optical sub-connector S, the optical ferrule 5 is biased forward by the compressed spring member 6, making it easier to hold the optical ferrule 5 in the correct position and posture within the sub-housing 3, and also because the cable fixing member 82 attached to the optical cable 8 is fixed by the cable holding portion 3b, the optical ferrule 5 coupled to the optical cable 8 is easier to hold in its correct position and posture even if the optical cable 8 is subjected to tension. Therefore, during the process of assembling the optical sub-connector S, the process of incorporating the optical sub-connector S into the main housing 2, and during use of the manufactured composite connector 1, concerns that the optical ferrule 5 will become displaced due to application of tension to the optical cable 8 are reduced, and the manufacturability and convenience in use of the optical-electrical composite connector 1 are improved.

[0044] Here, the sub-housing 3 is composed of two divided members 30, 40 divided in the vertical direction, but may be composed of two divided members, a front member and a rear member, divided in the front-rear direction. In that case, a cable holding part for fixing and holding the cable fixing member 82 may be provided at the rear end of the rear member. Then, as in the above-mentioned case of vertical division, the optical ferrule 5 coupled to the optical cable 8 may be housed in the sub-housing formed by combining the front member and the rear member with the optical ferrule 5 being biased forward by the spring member 6 and the cable fixing member 82 being fixed to the cable holding part. As such, an LC connector is known as an optical connector in which the housing is divided into front and rear parts, and here, the same form as the LC connector may be applied as the optical sub-connector.

[0045] <Ribs prevent deformation of the sub-housing> As described above, in the composite connector 1 according to this embodiment, an engagement structure between the rib portion 34 and the rib accommodating portion 45 is provided in the midway portion in the front-rear direction of the sub-housing 3 constituting the optical sub-connector S. This engagement structure serves to suppress deformation of the sub-housing 3 in the optical sub-connector S.

[0046] In the optical sub-connector S, a spring member 6 is housed in the sub-housing 3 and biases the optical ferrule 5 forward. When the composite connector 1 is mated with the mating connector and the optical ferrule 5 is butted against the mating optical ferrule, the spring member 6 receives a pressing force from the mating optical ferrule and is compressed backward. This increases the restoring force acting on the spring member 6 in the front-to-rear direction. The restoring force of the spring member 6 is transmitted to the sub-housing 3 via the combination of the optical ferrule 5 and the optical cable 8, mainly the cable fixing member 82, and acts as a force in a direction that pushes the sub-housing 3 forward and backward. Here, since the sub-housing 3 is formed by joining two separate members, the upper member 30 and the lower member 40, and the upper and lower division states are not symmetrical at the front and rear, that is, the front part of the sub-housing 3 is composed of a cylindrical part 41 that is not divided into the top and bottom, while the rear part is divided into the open part 42 of the lower member 40 and the upper member 30, the force applied to the sub-housing 3 by the restoring force of the spring member 6 is not symmetrical in the front-to-rear direction. When a force that is asymmetric in the front-to-rear direction is applied to the sub-housing 3, there is a possibility that the sub-housing 3 will be deflected and deformed in the front-to-rear direction.

[0047] However, in this embodiment, by providing the upper and lower divided members 30, 40 with the rib portion 34 and the rib housing portion 45, respectively, at the midpoint of the sub-housing 3 in the front-rear direction and engaging the two, it is possible to alleviate the asymmetry in the front-rear direction of the force applied from the spring member 6 to the sub-housing 3. This is because the force applied from the spring member 6 to the sub-housing 3 can be dispersed between the upper member 30 and the lower member 40 via the engagement portion between the rib portion 34 and the rib housing portion 45. By alleviating the asymmetry in the distribution of force, deformation of the sub-housing 3 in the front-rear direction is suppressed.

[0048] 4A and 4B show the results of simulating the deformation of the sub-housing 3 when the spring member 6 is compressed in the optical sub-connector S. The simulation was performed by stress analysis using the finite element method. The figure shows a side view of the optical sub-connector S seen from the outside in the width direction, with the deformed outer shape illustrated by outlines and the amount of vertical deflection at each position shown by a color scale (see color images submitted separately). Additionally, the amount of downward deflection of the lower end of the rear end is shown by a numerical value. FIG. 4A shows a form in which the engagement portion consisting of the rib portion 34 and the rib housing portion 45 is provided in the sub-housing 3 as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, while FIG. 4B shows a form in which the rib portion 34 and the rib housing portion 45 are not provided in the sub-housing 3, and the smooth lower end edge 33 of the upper member 30 is simply butted against the smooth upper end edge 44 of the lower member 40.

[0049] 4A and 4B, in both configurations, when looking at the shape of the sub-housing 3, it can be seen that the rear portion (right side in the figure) is deformed to a shape that is bent downward. The color scale also shows that the amount of bending increases toward the rear. However, compared to the configuration in which the rib portion 34 is not provided in FIG. 4B, the bending deformation of the rear portion is smaller in the configuration in which the rib portion 34 is provided in FIG. 4A, and the bending amount at the rear end shown in numerical value is suppressed to 70% or less of the case in FIG. 4B. Also, according to the color scale, in FIG. 4B, the area with the large amount of bending is concentrated in a very narrow area at the rear end of the lower member 40 along the front-rear direction, whereas in FIG. 4A, the concentration of bending at the rear end of the lower member 40 is alleviated. More specifically, the difference in the distribution of the amount of bending between the lower member 40 and the upper member 30 becomes smaller, and the amount of bending changes and is distributed gradually along the front-rear direction.

[0050] These simulation results show that by providing the rib portion 34 and the rib housing portion 45 at the midpoint in the front-rear direction of the joint between the upper member 30 and the lower member 40 of the sub-housing 3 and forming an engagement structure therebetween, deformation in the front-rear direction of the sub-housing 3 caused by compression of the spring member 6 can be suppressed. This is interpreted as being because the force applied from the compressed spring member 6 to the sub-housing 3 in the direction of expanding it in the front-rear direction is distributed between the upper member 30 and the lower member 40 and along the front-rear direction by the engagement structure of the rib portion 34 and the rib housing portion 45.

[0051] It is believed that the larger the area that the rib portion 34 and the rib receiving portion 45 occupy, the more effectively the bending deformation of the sub-housing 3 in the optical sub-connector S can be suppressed. However, if the rib portion 34 is formed too large, the optical sub-connector S becomes large, which leads to an increase in the size of the entire composite connector 1, which is not preferable. Furthermore, if a large rib portion 34 is provided on the sub-housing 3, the engagement portion consisting of the rib portion 34 and the rib receiving portion 45 is likely to have a structure that protrudes outward compared to the surrounding area, and such a structure may interfere with the work of assembling the optical sub-connector S and the process of attaching it to the main housing 2, and may impair the manufacturability of the composite connector 1.

[0052] In order to avoid such a situation, in this embodiment, the shapes of the rib portion 34 and the rib housing portion 45 are set so that the engaging portion consisting of the rib portion 34 and the rib housing portion 45 does not become large and does not have a protruding shape. Specifically, the rib portion 34 extends from the lower end edge 33 in the same plane as the side surface 38 of the upper member 30. The rib housing portion 45 is provided as a concave structure in which an outer part of the thickness is cut out downward from the upper end edge 44 on the side surface 48 of the lower member 40. By making the rib portion 34 and the rib housing portion 45 have such a simple shape, when the upper member 30 and the lower member 40 are joined and the rib portion 34 and the rib housing portion 45 are engaged, the engaging portion where the rib portion 34 and the rib housing portion 45 are engaged does not protrude outward from the central axis of the sub-housing 3 along the front-rear direction (which coincides with the central axis of the optical ferrule 5 in the illustrated embodiment), i.e., does not protrude in the vertical direction or width direction, compared to other portions. In addition, the engaging portion is flush with the front and rear portions of the engaging portion on the outer peripheral surface (side surfaces 38, 48) of the sub-housing 3. With this configuration, the rear portion of the sub-housing 3 formed by the open portion 42 of the lower member 40 and the upper member 30 has a shape that approximates a simple rectangular tube, and does not have any locally enlarged or protruding portions. As a result, the optical sub-connector S and the composite connector 1 as a whole can be made smaller, and the assembly and installation process of the optical sub-connector S is simplified.

[0053] <Other forms> In the above embodiment, the upper member 30 of the sub-housing 3 is provided with the rib portion 34, and the lower member 40 is provided with the rib receiving portion 45, but the rib portion and the rib receiving portion may be provided in reverse. That is, of the two edges, the lower edge 33 of the upper member 30 and the upper edge 44 of the lower member 40, a rib portion protruding toward the other edge may be formed in the middle of the front-rear direction of one edge. Then, the rib receiving portion may be provided in the middle of the other edge in the front-rear direction as a recess that can receive and engage with the rib portion.

[0054] As described above, the type and number of the electrical connection terminals 7 are not particularly limited. For example, either a general terminal that is not expected to comply with a specific standard or a terminal that meets a specified standard such as the Ethernet (registered trademark) standard may be used as the electrical connection terminal 7. The configuration using the general terminal is superior in terms of low cost, while the configuration using the terminal that meets the specified standard is superior in terms of being able to guarantee the performance of the electrical connection part, such as communication performance.

[0055] When a plurality of electrical connection terminals 7 are provided, the direction in which the electrical connection terminals 7 are arranged is not particularly limited. In the above embodiment, as shown in the figure, a pair of electrical connection terminals 7 are arranged in the vertical direction (c direction) together with the sub-housing 3 housing the optical ferrule 5 (hereinafter referred to as a series arrangement), but for example, the pair of electrical connection terminals 7 may be arranged in the vertical direction (c direction) together with the sub-housing 3 housing the optical ferrule 5 in a state where they are arranged in the width direction (b direction) (hereinafter referred to as a parallel arrangement). Whether the serial arrangement or the parallel arrangement is adopted may be selected according to the use of the composite connector 1 and the type of the electrical connection terminals 7. In addition, the composite connector according to this embodiment is a cable connector, and the serial arrangement or the parallel arrangement may be selected according to the arrangement of the electrical connection part and the optical connection part in the mating connector, such as a substrate connector (PCB connector), to be fitted. However, the parallel arrangement is superior in terms of space saving, as it is easier to set the overall composite connector 1 to a small size.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the composite connector 1 is not waterproofed, but the composite connector 1 may be configured as a waterproof connector. For example, a configuration is conceivable in which the opening at the rear end of the main housing 2, including the sub-connector accommodating space 2f and the terminal accommodating space 2g, is blocked with a waterproof plug.

[0057] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 (Optical-electrical) composite cable 2 Main housing 2a Bulkhead 2b Opening width at rear end of sub-connector housing space 2c Front end surface 2d Optical connection aperture 2e Electrical connection opening 2f Sub-connector housing space 2g Terminal accommodating space 3 Sub-housing 3a Connection sub-opening 3b Cable holder 3c Stepped structure 5 Optical Ferrule 6 Spring member 7 Electrical connection terminal 8 Optical Cable 9 (Insulated) Wire 10 Housing body 12 Cylindrical part 13 Open area 14 Locking protrusion 15 Claws 20 Retainer member 21 Locking tab 22 Inner protrusion for locking 23 Extension 24 Terminal locking piece 30 Upper member 31 Locking protrusion 32 Rear engagement recess 33 Bottom edge 34 Rib section 35 Depression 36 Window section 37 Spring retaining protrusion 38 Lateral view 40 Lower member 41 Cylindrical part 42 Open area 43 Rear engagement piece 431 Locking Claw 44 Top edge 45 Rib housing 46 Window section 47 Ferrule holder 48 Lateral view 51 Spring insertion part of optical ferrule 52 Flange of optical ferrule 71 Step structure of electrical connection terminal 81 Optical Fiber 82 Cable fixing member 83 Stop ring 84 Crimping ring 841 Large diameter section 842 Small diameter section a Anteroposterior direction b Width direction c Vertical direction S Optical Sub-Connector

Claims

1. At least one optical ferrule to which an optical fiber of each optical cable is coupled; At least one electrical connection terminal to which an electric wire is respectively coupled; a sub-housing that houses the at least one optical ferrule; a spring member accommodated in the sub-housing and biasing each of the optical ferrules toward a tip end thereof; a main housing that can accommodate the sub-housing and the electrical connection terminals together, the sub-housing accommodates the optical ferrule and the spring member to form an optical sub-connector; the main housing accommodates and fixes the optical sub-connector and the electrical connection terminal, the sub-housing is composed of two divided members, an upper member and a lower member, which are divided in a vertical direction perpendicular to a front-rear direction along the axis of the optical ferrule to be accommodated, the sub-housing has a cable holding portion at a rear end thereof for sandwiching and fixing a cable fixing member attached to the optical cable coupled to the optical ferrule between the two divided members; In the optical sub-connector, the optical ferrule to which the optical cable is coupled is biased forward by the spring member, and the cable fixing member is sandwiched by the cable holding portion, and is accommodated in the sub-housing, In the sub-housing, the upper member and the lower member are joined together in a state in which two edges, i.e., a lower edge of the upper member along the front-rear direction and an upper edge of the lower member along the front-rear direction, are abutted against each other, One of the two edges has a rib portion at a midpoint in the front-rear direction that protrudes toward the other edge, the other end edge has a rib accommodating portion at a midpoint in the front-rear direction as a recess that accommodates the rib portion and engages with the rib portion, the rib portion protrudes from the one edge as a plate-like tab and has a smooth edge; the rib accommodating portion is formed as a recessed structure facing the other edge and has a smooth edge; When the upper member and the lower member are joined together, the smooth edge of the rib portion is in contact with the smooth edge of the rib receiving portion, and the rib portion and the rib receiving portion are engaged with each other, The sub-housing has a stepped structure at its front end, with a smaller cross-sectional area at the front and a larger cross-sectional area at the rear.

2. The optical-electrical composite connector of claim 1, wherein when the optical-electrical composite connector is connected to a mating connector including an optical ferrule, the spring member presses the tip surface of the optical ferrule constituting the optical sub-connector toward the tip surface of the optical ferrule of the mating connector.

3. The optical-electrical composite connector of claim 1, wherein in the sub-housing, when the upper member and the lower member are connected to each other, the engagement portion that engages the rib portion with the rib accommodating portion does not protrude outward from a central axis along the front-to-rear direction compared to other portions.

4. The optical-electrical composite connector of claim 3, wherein when the upper member and the lower member are connected to each other, the outer peripheral surface of the sub-housing is flush with the engaging portion where the rib portion and the rib accommodating portion are engaged, and with the points before and after the engaging portion.

5. The optical-electrical composite connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein one of the upper member and the lower member is provided with a rear engagement piece at its rear end, with a locking claw integrally formed therewith, and the other member is provided with a rear engagement recess that accommodates the rear engagement piece and serves as a recess in which the locking claw can be engaged.

6. 6. The optical-electrical combination connector according to claim 5, wherein said rib portion occupies an area larger in the front-rear direction than said rear engagement piece.

Images