Storage case for optical patch cord

Abstract

To provide a storage case for an optical patch cord which can be efficiently stored in the case, is convenient to carry, and is excellent in convenience and operability in use.SOLUTION: The rotation control mechanism (6) includes a meshing member (24) and a switch (25), the meshing member (24) and the switch (25) being provided in a lower portion of the case (1), the meshing member (24) and the switch (25) serving as a rotation control mechanism (6) that disables rotation of the take-up reel (2) in an optical patch cord rewinding direction by pressing and locking the gear (3) and enables free rotation of the take-up reel (2) by unlocking the gear (3).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage case for optical patch cords, and more particularly to a portable storage case for optical patch cords with an automatic rewinding mechanism that allows the length of the cord to be pulled out to be adjusted in stages. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, optical patch cords, which are optical fiber cords wound in a curled shape and have optical connectors connected to both ends, have been well known as devices used for optical connections in data centers, various measuring devices, etc. The length of the optical fiber cord in this type of patch cord varies depending on the connection distance between the two optical connectors, and is available in lengths of, for example, 1 meter, 1.5 meters, 2 meters, etc.

[0003] Therefore, the longer the optical fiber cord, the larger and heavier the overall size and weight become, making it very inconvenient to carry around.

[0004] In order to solve this problem, various storage devices for storing the above-mentioned optical patch cords have been proposed so far, as shown in the following patent documents.

[0005] First, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus in which an optical fiber ribbon exposed from an optical cable is introduced into a box-shaped housing, and fixed by a fixing part provided at an appropriate position on an inner cylinder integrally formed within the housing, an inlet part of the optical fiber ribbon is attached to the inner cylinder, and the optical fiber ribbon of a length required for operation work from the part of the optical fiber ribbon fixed to the fixing part to the end of the optical connector outside the housing is wound around the inner cylinder and an outer cylinder molded integrally with the housing with a curvature of a certain degree or more around the inlet part while maintaining a space between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, and an inlet / outlet control part for the optical fiber ribbon is provided in the housing to hold the optical fiber ribbon at the length required for operation work and process any excess length of the optical fiber ribbon.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses an optical cable slack handling tool that includes a reel having a winding section with a curvature radius equal to or greater than the minimum allowable bending radius of an optical fiber cable and a pair of flanges sandwiching the winding section, a reel case that is a bottomed cylindrical container having an opening that matches the flanges and that stores the reel around which the optical fiber cable is wound, the reel case having a notch that communicates with the opening, and a fixing member that fixes the reel within the reel case.

[0007] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses a storable optical fiber assembly having a housing, a spool rotatably disposed within the housing, and an optical waveguide wound around the spool. The optical waveguide has a central unjacketed optical fiber and short jacketed optical fibers at both ends, each terminated with an optical connector. The optical waveguide is wound around the spool and is wound on and unwound from the spool by rotating in the same direction. A torsion spring biases the spool in a first direction relative to the housing, providing a restoring force to the jacketed optical fiber. A mechanical stopper is provided to prevent rotation in a second direction opposite the first direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-109930 [Patent Document 2] JP 2008-33013 A [Patent Document 3] Special table number 2006-519419 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, the optical fiber surplus processing device shown in Patent Document 1 above is configured by winding an optical fiber ribbon core of an optical cable with an optical connector connected to one end around an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder fixed inside a rectangular housing while maintaining a constant space between them, and the rectangular housing is provided with an opening and a control section through which the optical fiber ribbon core can be inserted and removed.Therefore, it is fundamentally different from a storage device for an optical patch cord in which optical connectors are connected to both ends of a curled optical fiber cord, not only in terms of the purpose and function of the invention, but also in terms of the configuration itself, and the overall configuration is large, making it extremely inconvenient to carry.

[0010] Furthermore, the optical cable slack management tool shown in Patent Document 2 is configured so that an operator manually winds the optical fiber cable around the winding portion of the reel while the winding portion of the reel is exposed from the upper opening of the reel case using the biasing force of a spring, and then the operator pushes the reel into the reel case against the biasing force of the spring and turns a screw to secure the reel inside the reel case. Therefore, like Patent Document 1, this is fundamentally different from the optical patch cord storage device, and when pulling out the optical cable wound around the winding portion of the reel from the reel case, it is not possible to adjust the pulling length of the optical cable in stages, and it is not possible to easily pull the optical cable into the reel case with a one-touch operation, which means that it is lacking in convenience and operability.

[0011] Furthermore, although it is recognized that the optical fiber assembly shown in Patent Document 3 is basically a storage device for optical patch cords in which optical connectors are connected to both ends of a curled optical fiber cord, the entire optical patch cord is wound around a single spool and stored inside a housing consisting of a housing base and a housing cover, following multiple channels (paths) on the top surface of the spool, and mechanical stoppers that prevent the spool from rotating are arranged on the outer surface of the tubular wall of the housing base so as to be able to be freely engaged and disengaged with the curved spool flanges on both ends of the spool, and two optical fiber cords are configured to be pulled out and stored through a single entrance / exit provided on the side of the housing, making it complicated to store the optical patch cords inside the housing, taking time and effort and resulting in extremely poor workability.

[0012] Furthermore, the mechanical stopper in Patent Document 3 has a complex structure and is unable to smoothly stop the rotation of the spool, making it difficult to accurately pull out the optical fiber cord from the entrance / exit of the housing and adjust it to the desired length.

[0013] Furthermore, since there is only one entrance on the side of the housing, it is difficult to manually pull out two optical fiber cords simultaneously and smoothly, and there is a risk of them becoming tangled.

[0014] Therefore, the present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned conventional known technologies in order to solve various problems, and its object is to provide a storage case for optical patch cords that can efficiently store long optical patch cords that are wound in a curled shape and have optical connectors connected to both ends, is convenient to carry, and is easy to use and operate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an optical patch cord having optical connectors connected to both ends of an optical fiber cord, in which a take-up reel biased and held by a spring in a state in which the optical fiber cord is wound up, and a gear fixed to the take-up reel are rotatably housed inside a case, and a rotation control mechanism is provided at the bottom inside the case, which locks the gear by pressing it to disable rotation of the take-up reel in the direction in which the optical patch cord is unwound, and which unlocks the gear to allow free rotation of the take-up reel, The rotation control mechanism is characterized by being formed by an engaging member whose tip is held by the biasing force of a spring in a direction in which it is constantly pressed and locked against the outer peripheral surface of the gear, and a switch that can be selectively operated to press and lock the engaging member against the outer peripheral surface of the gear or to release the pressing and locking against the biasing force of the spring.

[0016] The engaging member has a base end rotatably supported on a protruding shaft provided on the inner wall of the case, and a tip end that is constantly held in a direction that presses and locks the gear by the biasing force of a spring, and is formed by a claw with a guide pin protruding from below the tip end.

[0017] The switch is characterized by comprising a manual operating body inserted into the lower wall of the case so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction, and a guide body for the claw provided above the manual operating body, penetrating the lower wall of the case, the guide body having a guide groove formed on its back surface that slopes upward from the front to the rear, and a guide pin for the claw being slidably inserted into the guide groove.

[0018] The gear is characterized by having alternating sliding sections consisting of inclined surfaces along which the tips of the claws, which are biased and held by springs around the entire outer circumference, slide, and locking sections consisting of vertical wall surfaces onto which the tips of the claws are locked.

[0019] The guide groove of the guide body is characterized by being formed by an upper frame that slopes upward from front to rear at the rear edge of the back plate, and vertical front and rear frames that are connected to both ends below the upper frame.

[0020] The guide groove is characterized in that the vertical width at its rear end is formed to be wide so as to function as a relief portion for the lock pin when the pawl pressed against the outer periphery of the rotating gear swings.

[0021] The case is formed by joining the open ends of two pairs of half cases, each roughly rectangular in side view, together like a lid, and is characterized in that an entrance and exit for the optical fiber cord wound onto the winding reel is formed on the front side of the switch of the rotation control mechanism.

[0022] A support shaft is provided on the inside of one of the half cases, the tip of which is inserted into a retaining hole in the other half case, and the take-up reel and gear housed inside the case are rotatably supported on the support shaft.

[0023] A circular recess is provided in the center of the gear, a through hole for the support shaft is provided in the center of the recess, and a power spring is loaded inside the recess to bias and hold the take-up reel when the optical fiber cord is wound around it.

[0024] The spindle that rotatably supports the take-up reel and the gear is characterized in that a slot is formed in which the inner end of the power spring is sandwiched and wound around and fixed.

[0025] The gear is characterized in that an arc-shaped protrusion is provided along the inner periphery of a circular recess in the center of the gear, and an arc-shaped guide groove is formed between the recess and the protrusion, into which the outer end of the power spring is inserted and wound around to be fixed.

[0026] The optical fiber cord is stored in two take-up reels in the case, and the optical fiber cord entrance and exit formed in the case are located at a lower position opposite each reel of the two take-up reels, so that the two optical fiber cords pulled out from each reel can be taken in and out side by side through the entrance and exit.

[0027] The double winding reel is characterized in that a central flange is provided between the gears arranged on both sides and the outer flanges, and two adjacent recesses for winding optical fiber cord are formed between the outer peripheral edge of the gear and the central flange and between the central flange and the outer flange.

[0028] The case is characterized in that a cord guide is provided at each of the pair of half cases constituting the case, at the corner edge directly above the entrance and exit for the two optical fiber cords.

[0029] Each cord guide provided in the pair of two half cases is characterized in that both bottom surfaces are formed into arc-shaped portions so as to maintain the minimum allowable bending radius of the optical fiber cord.

[0030] Each cord guide provided in the pair of half cases has a back portion erected behind both of the arc-shaped portions, an upper wall portion protruding from the central upper end of the back portion and extending toward the arc-shaped portion, and is formed in an approximately U-shape when viewed from the front with an opening in front of the back portion for inserting and removing the optical fiber cord.

[0031] The engaging member is characterized in that it is formed of a metal or plastic leaf spring that is approximately V-shaped in side view, consisting of an inclined spring plate that is held by the biasing force of a spring in a direction that always presses and locks against the gear, a holding frame that is approximately U-shaped in side view and is fitted and fixed to a support shaft that protrudes from the inner wall of the case on the spring plate base portion, and a horizontal spring plate that extends from the lower part of the holding frame.

[0032] The switch is characterized by comprising a manual operating body inserted into the lower wall of the case in the front-to-rear direction, and a press bar that penetrates the lower wall of the case at the top of the manual operating body and is provided horizontally at the rear of the upper part of the manual operating body, and by sliding the manual operating body of the switch in the direction of the leaf spring, the inclined spring plate above the switch is pressed down by the press bar, thereby releasing the pressure contact and lock on the outer circumferential surface of the gear.

[0033] The optical connectors connected to both ends of the optical fiber cord are any of the following types: LC type, FC type, SC type, MU type, ST type, KC type, MPO type, and MPX type. [Effects of the Invention]

[0034] The present invention provides an optical patch cord having optical connectors connected to both ends of an optical fiber cord, in which a take-up reel biased and held by a spring in a state in which the optical fiber cord is wound up, and a gear fixed to the take-up reel are rotatably housed inside a case, and a rotation control mechanism is provided at the bottom inside the case, which locks the gear by pressing it to disable rotation of the take-up reel in the direction in which the optical patch cord is unwound, and which unlocks the gear to allow free rotation of the take-up reel, The rotation control mechanism is formed by a meshing member whose tip is held by the force of a spring in a direction that constantly presses and locks it against the outer peripheral surface of the gear, and a switch that can be selectively operated to press and lock the meshing member against the outer peripheral surface of the gear or to release the lock against the spring force.Therefore, the overall structure is compact and convenient to carry, and the length of the optical fiber cord in the optical patch cord pulled out from the entrance / exit of the case can be adjusted in stages, and the optical fiber cord can be easily pulled into the case with a single touch, making it extremely convenient and easy to operate.

[0035] The engaging member has a base end rotatably supported on a protruding shaft provided on the inner wall of the case, and a tip end held by the biasing force of a spring in a direction in which it is always pressed against and locked to the gear, and is formed by a pawl with a guide pin protruding from below the tip end, while the switch comprises a manual operating body inserted into the lower wall of the case so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction, and a guide body for the pawl provided above the manual operating body, penetrating the lower wall of the case, and the guide body has a guide groove formed on its back surface that slopes upward from front to rear, and the guide pin for the pawl is slidably inserted into the guide groove, so that the manual operating body can be inserted into the case When the manual operating body is slid in one direction in the front-to-rear direction of the case lower wall, the guide pin of the claw inserted into the guide groove on the back surface of the guide body moves to the upper part of the guide groove due to the biasing force of the spring, and as a result, the claw rotates upward around the protruding shaft provided at its base end as a fulcrum, and is pressed against and locked to the gear. On the other hand, when the manual operating body is slid in the other direction in the front-to-rear direction of the case lower wall, the guide pin of the claw inserted into the guide groove on the back surface of the guide body moves to the lower part of the guide groove against the biasing force of the spring, and the claw rotates downward around the protruding shaft provided at its base end as a fulcrum, and is released from the pressure contact and lock to the gear.

[0036] The gear is formed by alternating sliding sections consisting of inclined surfaces along the entire outer periphery along which the tips of the claws, which are biased and held by springs, slide, and locking sections consisting of vertical wall surfaces against which the tips of the claws are locked, and the guide groove of the guide body is formed by an upper frame that slopes upward from front to rear at the rear edge of the back plate, and vertical front and rear frames that are connected to the lower ends of the upper frame, and the vertical width on the rear end side is formed wide so as to function as a relief section for the locking pin when the claws, which are pressed against the outer periphery of the rotating gear, swing, so that the swinging action of the claws can be performed smoothly and there is no risk of any problems occurring during work.

[0037] The engaging member is formed of a metal or plastic leaf spring that is generally V-shaped in side view and is made up of an inclined spring plate that is held by the biasing force of a spring in a direction that presses and locks the gear at all times, a holding frame that is generally U-shaped in side view and is fitted and fixed to a support shaft that protrudes from the inner wall of the case on the spring plate base portion, and a horizontal spring plate that extends below the holding frame. On the other hand, the switch is equipped with a manual operating body that is inserted in the front-to-rear direction into the bottom wall of the case, and a press bar that penetrates the bottom wall of the case at the top of the manual operating body and is provided horizontally at the top rear of the manual operating body, and is configured so that by sliding the manual operating body of the switch in the direction of the leaf spring, the inclined spring plate above the switch is pressed down by the press bar, thereby releasing the press-contact and lock against the outer circumferential surface of the gear. Therefore, the overall configuration is made smaller, simpler, and lighter, which not only makes it extremely convenient to carry but also enables a significant reduction in manufacturing costs.

[0038] Furthermore, the present invention forms two take-up reels for the optical fiber cord stored inside the case, and provides an entrance / exit for the optical fiber cord in the case at a lower position opposite each reel of the two take-up reels, so that the two optical fiber cords pulled out from each reel can be taken in and out side by side through the entrance / exit. In addition, a cord guide is provided at the edge directly above the optical fiber cord entrance / exit of the case, with an arc-shaped bottom surface to maintain the minimum allowable bending radius of the optical fiber cord. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent unforeseen accidents such as damage or breakage of the optical fiber cord when one of the two optical fiber cords hits a corner of the case during the process of pulling out the optical fiber cord to the rear of the case. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] 1 shows one form of storage case for optical patch cords for implementing the present invention, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a rear view, (c) is a plan view, (d) is a bottom view, (e) is a left side view, and (f) is a right side view. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a storage case for an optical patch cord. [Figure 3]2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] This shows one half case that constitutes the storage case for optical patch cords, where (a) is an inside view, (b) is a right side view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a bottom view, (e) is an outside view, and (f) is a B-B cross-sectional view of (a). [Figure 5] This shows the other half case that makes up the storage case for optical patch cords, where (a) is an inside view, (b) is a right side view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a bottom view, and (e) is an outside view. [Figure 6] This shows one form of geared take-up reel housed inside the case, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a rear view, (c) is a side view, and (d) is a CC cross-sectional view of (a). [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the geared take-up reel with the spiral spring loaded thereon. [Figure 8] This shows one form of mainspring, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a right side view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a plan view, and (e) is a rear view. [Figure 9] 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, and 1F show an embodiment of a pawl for locking a gear, in which (a) is a front view, (b) is a right side view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a plan view, and (e) is a bottom view. [Figure 10] This shows one embodiment of a slide switch that locks or unlocks a pawl to a gear, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a rear view, (c) is a right side view, (d) is a left side view, (e) is a plan view, (f) is a bottom view, and (g) is a perspective view seen from below the rear. [Figure 11] 1 shows one embodiment of a torsion spring that biases the pawl toward the gear, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a rear view. [Figure 12] 10 is a side view, partially in section, showing a state in which the guide pin of the pawl is inserted into a guide groove provided in a guide body above the slide switch. FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the attachment portion of the tab and slide switch in the case for storing the optical patch cord. FIG. [Figure 14]10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which a locking claw and a slider switch are attached to the attachment portion of the case for storing optical patch cords. FIG. [Figure 15] 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which a tab and a slider switch for unlocking are attached to the attachment portion of the case for storing optical patch cords. FIG. [Figure 16] This shows an example of the state of use when an optical fiber cord with an optical connector connected to the tip of the optical patch cord storage case is wound onto a take-up reel inside the case and two optical patch cords are pulled out from the case entrance / exit, (a) is a front view, (b) is a back view, (c) is a side view, (d) is a plan view, and (e) is a bottom view. [Figure 17] 10 is a side view showing another example of the state of use when one of the two optical patch cords is pulled out in the opposite direction from the case entrance. FIG. [Figure 18] 16, (b) is a side cross-sectional view showing the state in which the optical patch cord has been pulled out a little from the state in FIG. 16, and (c) is a side cross-sectional view showing the state in which the optical patch cord has been pulled out to the required length from the state in FIG. 16. [Figure 19] 19(a) is a side cross-sectional view of the state when the lock is released in the state of (c) in FIG. 18 above, and FIG. 19(b) is a side cross-sectional view of the state when the optical patch cord is pulled out to the length of (a) in FIG. 19 after the lock is released and is wound around the take-up reel and pulled in to the vicinity of the entrance / exit of the case. [Figure 20] This shows one embodiment of another example of a slide switch, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a rear view, (c) is a right side view, (d) is a plan view, (e) is a bottom view, and (f) is a perspective view seen from below the rear. [Figure 21] 10 is a partially enlarged front view showing the state in which a leaf spring and a slide switch are attached in a case for storing an optical patch cord according to another example. FIG. [Figure 22] 10 is a front view of another example of an optical patch cord storage case when the gears are locked. FIG. [Figure 23]10 is a front view of another example of an optical patch cord storage case when the gear lock is released. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of a housing case for optical patch cords according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] The present invention is composed of the following main components: a case 1 that is roughly rectangular when viewed from the side; a take-up reel 2 stored in the case 1; a gear 3 fixed to one side of the take-up reel 2; a long optical fiber cord 4 that is taken up onto the take-up reel 2; two optical connectors 5 connected to both ends of the optical fiber cord 4; and a rotation control mechanism 6 for the take-up reel 2 and the gear 3. The two optical connectors 5 connected to both ends of the optical fiber cord 4 may be any type of optical connector, such as LC type, FC type, SC type, MU type, ST type, MPO type, MPX type, etc., and the type is not important.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the case 1 is formed hollow so that it can be combined with the open ends of two pairs of half cases 1A and 1B, which are roughly rectangular when viewed from the side, in a lid-fitting manner, and can accommodate the take-up reel 2, gear 3, and their rotation control mechanism 6, etc.

[0043] That is, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, multiple (four in this example) fixing pins 7 protrude from the inner outer periphery of the other half case 1A, and the fixing pins 7 fit into the same number of support holes 8 drilled in the opposing location of one half case 1B, thereby firmly connecting the two half cases 1A and 1B and combining them into a single case 1.

[0044] A support shaft 9 that rotatably supports the take-up reel 2 and gear 3 is protruded from the center of the inside of the half case 1B, slightly above, while a corresponding location on the half case 1A is provided with a retaining hole 10 into which the tip of the support shaft 9 of the half case 1B is inserted. By configuring it in this manner, the support shaft 9 is stably supported within the case 1, preventing shaking when the take-up reel 2 and gear 3 rotate, allowing the take-up reel 2 and gear 3 to rotate smoothly.

[0045] In Figures 1 to 5, 11 indicates an entrance / exit for the optical fiber cord 4 formed at the lower front of the case 1, 12 indicates a cord guide provided at the corner edge directly above the entrance / exit 11 of the case 1, and 13 indicates a split groove provided in the support shaft 9. The entrance 11, the cord guide 12 and the slot 13 will be described in detail later.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 6, the take-up reel 2 is integral with a gear 3 and is formed in two series. That is, the take-up reel 2 of this embodiment has a central flange 15 between the gears 3 arranged on both sides and the outer flanges 14, and two adjacent concave portions 17 for winding the optical fiber cord 4 are formed between the outer peripheral edge 16 of the gear 3 and the central flange 15, and between the central flange 15 and the outer flange 14.

[0047] In this embodiment, the outer peripheral edge 16 of the gear 3 also serves as the flange of the take-up reel 2, but it is also possible to use a single take-up reel 2 with two flanges on both sides and one in the center, with the gear 3 separately fixed to one side. It is also possible to use a single take-up reel 2 equipped with one concave portion 17 for taking up the optical fiber cord 4.

[0048] On the outer peripheral edge 16 of the gear 3, sliding portions 3a consisting of inclined surfaces along which the tips of the claws, which are biased and held by springs described later, slide, and locking portions 3b consisting of vertical wall surfaces on which the tips of the claws are locked are alternately formed around the entire circumference.

[0049] As shown in Figure 7, a recess 18 with a graphic shape is provided in the center of the gear 3, and a through hole 19 is provided in the center of the recess 18 through which the support shaft 9 of the half case 1B passes together with the take-up reel 2. A power spring 20 is loaded inside the recess 18 to bias and hold the take-up reel 2 in a state in which the optical fiber cord 4 is wound around it.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 8, the power spring 20 is wound in a coil shape, and at its inner end, a stopper portion 21a is formed which is wound around the outer periphery of the support shaft 9 and fixed thereto after being sandwiched in the split groove 13 of the support shaft 9, and at its outer end, a stopper portion 21b is formed which is wound around the rear end of the protruding portion 21 of the recess 18, which will be described later, and fixed thereto.

[0051] The protrusion 21 is formed in an arc shape near the inner periphery of the recess 18 via a narrow guide groove 22, and at its rear end is provided an inwardly protruding locking protrusion 23 that is wound and fixed by a winding stopper 21 b after the outer periphery of the spiral spring 20 is inserted into the guide groove 22.

[0052] As shown in Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15, the rotation control mechanism 6 for the take-up reel 2 and gear 3 is composed of a claw 24a as an engaging member 24 for the gear 3, a slide switch 25 and a torsion spring 26.

[0053] As shown in Figure 9, the claw 24a has a shaft hole 28 formed at its base end that is rotatably supported on a protruding shaft 27 provided on the inner wall of the half case 1B, and its tip is held in the direction of locking it to the gear 3 (the direction of the arrow in Figure 14) by the biasing force of a torsion spring 26 wound around the other protruding shaft 29 provided near the protruding shaft 27 of the half case 1B, and a guide pin 30 is provided protruding below the tip.

[0054] As shown in Figures 10, 12, 14 and 15, the slide switch 25 comprises a manual operation body 31, a sliding body 32 provided on the upper surface of the manual operation body 31, and a guide body 33 provided behind the upper surface of the sliding body 32.

[0055] As shown in Figures 1(d), 10, 12, 14 and 15, the manual operation body 31 is formed of a rectangular plate 31a, the upper surface of which is flat, and the lower surface of which is formed with a concave portion 31b for finger operation and provided with serrations (not shown) for preventing slipping.

[0056] As shown in Figures 10, 12, 14 and 15, the sliding body 32 has a rectangular block 32a fixed to the center of the upper surface of the manual operation body 31, and a rectangular support plate 32b extending in the forward and rearward directions of the rectangular plate 31a of the manual operation body 31 fixed to the upper part of the rectangular block 32a.

[0057] As shown in Figures 10, 12, 14 and 15, the guide body 33 has a guide groove 34 formed on its back surface, which is inclined upward from the front to the rear, and the guide pin 30 of the claw 24a is slidably inserted into the guide groove 34.

[0058] That is, the guide body 33 comprises an upper frame 33b that slopes upward from the front to the rear at the rear edge of the back plate 33a, and vertical front and rear frames 33c and 33d that are connected to both ends below the upper frame 33b, and the upper frame 33b, front frame 33c and rear frame 33d form a guide groove 34 at the rear of the back plate 33a that has an opening 33e into which the guide pin 30 of the claw 24a is slidably inserted.

[0059] The guide groove 34 has a front end height width that is approximately equal to the diameter of the guide pin 30, while a rear end height width that is greater than the diameter of the guide pin 30. This allows the guide pin 30 of the claw 24a to move up and down at the rear end of the guide groove 34, and its function will be described later.

[0060] Next, the mounting state of the claw 24a, which is the engaging member 24 of the rotation control mechanism 6, and the slide switch 25 to the case 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. A shallow guide hole 36, rectangular in plan view, into which the upper surface of the manual operating body 31 of the slide switch 25 fits, is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the lower wall 35 of the case 1 on the entrance / exit 11 side for the optical fiber cord 4.

[0061] The rectangular guide hole 36 in plan view has a width (depth) that is approximately the same as the width of the manual operating body 31 of the slide switch 25, and a vertical width (front-to-back width) that is long enough to allow the claw 24a to slide relative to the gear 3 within a range between the locking position and the unlocking position.

[0062] As shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, the case 1 is formed by joining the open ends of half case 1A and half case 1B, and therefore the rectangular guide hole 36 formed in the center of the bottom wall 35 of case 1 is also formed by joining a pair of cutout holes 36a, 36a formed in the bottom wall ends of both half cases 1A and 1B.

[0063] Furthermore, above the shallow guide hole 36 in the bottom wall 35 of the case 1, a guide hole is formed that communicates with the guide hole 36, allowing the sliding body 32 fixed to the top surface of the slide switch 25 to move in the forward and backward directions, as shown in Figures 13 to 15.

[0064] The guide hole 37 is formed to a length that allows the rear end of the rectangular block 32a and the front end of the rectangular support plate 32b to abut against it as the manual operating body 31 of the slide switch 25 slides between the lock position and the unlock position of the claw 24a.

[0065] In Fig. 13, 37a denotes the rear edge of the guide hole 37 against which the rear surface of the rectangular block 32a abuts, and 37b denotes the front edge against which the tip of the rectangular support plate 32b abuts. In Figs. 13 to 15, 38 denotes an inclined pressing plate of the upper frame 33b of the guide body 33 fixed to the upper part of the rectangular support plate 32b.

[0066] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5, the entrance / exit 11 for the optical fiber cord 4 provided at the lower front of the case 1 is formed by combining the entrance / exit halves 11a and 11b opened respectively in the half case 1A and half case 1B, and is combined into one unit at a position opposite each reel (two concave portions 17) of the twin winding reels 2 so that two optical fiber cords 4 pulled out from each reel can be inserted and removed side by side.

[0067] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5, two cord guides 12 are formed on each side of the case 1, i.e., on the upper corner edges of the halves 11a and 11b of the entrances and exits 11 for the two optical fiber cords 4 in the half cases 1A and 1B that make up the case 1.

[0068] That is, the pair of cord guides 12 provided in the half case 1A and the half case 1B have arc-shaped portions 12a formed on both bottom surfaces so as to maintain the minimum allowable bending radius of the optical fiber cord 4, and have back portions 12b erected behind the arc-shaped portions 12a, and upper wall portions 12c protruding from the central upper ends of the back portions 12b and extending toward the arc-shaped portions 12a, and are formed in a roughly U-shape when viewed from the front with openings 12d for inserting and removing the optical fiber cord 4 in front of the back portions 12b.

[0069] Next, the use and operation of the embodiment configured as above will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0070] 18(a), within case 1, optical fiber cord 4 of the optical patch cord is wound around take-up reel 2, which rotates counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow in the figure due to the biasing force of power spring 20. When optical connector 5 is positioned at a predetermined position near cord entrance 11 of case 1, take-up reel 2 stops rotating, and simultaneously gear 3, which is integral with take-up reel 2, also stops rotating. At this time, pawl 24a, which is an engaging member 24 of rotation control mechanism 6 for gear 3, is pressed against the outer periphery of gear 3. FIG. 18(a) shows a state in which pawl 24a, pressed against the outer periphery of gear 3, locks locking portion 3b on the outer periphery of gear 3.

[0071] The operation of the gear 3 and the rotation drive mechanism 6 for operating to the state shown in FIG. 18(a) will be described in detail below in the order of steps.

[0072] As shown in Figure 14, place your fingers on the concave portion 31b of the manual operating body 31 of the slide switch 25 that is fitted into the guide hole 36 of the bottom wall 35 of the case 1, and move the manual operating body 31 of the slide switch 25 toward the front of the case 1 (towards the cord entrance / exit 11).

[0073] When the slide switch 25 is moved in this manner, the rectangular block 32a of the sliding body 32 fixed to the upper surface of the manual operating body 31 slides forward within the guide hole 37 provided in the bottom wall 35 of the case 1, and the tip of the rectangular support plate 32b extending forward of the rectangular block 32a hits the front edge 37b of the guide hole 37, preventing the slide switch 25 from moving forward.

[0074] At the same time, the guide body 33 fixed to the upper end of the sliding body 32 also moves forward, and the inclined upper surface of the upper frame 33b is pressed and held by the inclined press plate .

[0075] In this state, as shown in Figures 12 and 14, the guide pin 30 of the claw 24a inserted into the guide groove 34, which is provided on the back surface of the guide body 33 and slopes upward from front to rear, is pressed and held against the inner edge of the intersecting curved portion of the upper frame 33b and rear frame 33d of the guide groove 34 by the biasing force of the torsion spring 26.

[0076] In this way, the claw 24a rotatably supported on the protruding shaft 27 on the inner wall of the case 1 rotates upward in the direction of the arrow in FIG.

[0077] 18(b) and 18(c), when the optical fiber cord 4 of the optical patch cord is in the state of FIG. 18(a) inside the case 1 and has been wound around the take-up reel 2 by the biasing force of the power spring 20, the optical connector 5 is picked up with the fingertips and pulled outward from the cord entrance 11 of the case 1. Then, when the optical connector 5 reaches a predetermined length from the cord entrance 11, the pulling of the optical connector 5 is stopped. Accordingly, the rotation of the take-up reel 2 stops, and at the same time, the rotation of the gear 3 integrated with it also stops.

[0078] During this process, while the optical fiber cord 4 is being pulled out from the take-up reel 2, the claw 24a pressed against the outer periphery of the gear 3 swings slightly around the protruding shaft 27 as it alternately slides between the sliding portion 3a and the locking portion 3b provided on the outer periphery of the gear 3.

[0079] At this time, as shown in Figures 14 and 18, the guide pin 30 of the claw 24a is formed wide so that the vertical width of the rear end of the guide groove 34 into which it is inserted functions as a relief portion, allowing for smooth swinging motion. In other words, the rear frame 33d of the guide body 33 is formed longer than the front frame 33c, and the guide pin 30 has room to descend in the direction of the arrow as shown in Figure 12, so that the swinging of the claw 24a is not hindered.

[0080] Finally, as shown in Figure 18(c), when the optical connector 5 is pulled out slightly from the predetermined length position and the optical fiber cord 4 is pulled back slightly, the spring force of the power spring 20 acts to rotate the take-up reel 2 and gear 3 clockwise, and the claw 24a pressed against the outer periphery of the gear 3 slides over the sliding portion 3a provided on the outer periphery of the gear 3 and is then locked by the locking portion 3b.

[0081] In the above example of use, as shown in Figure 16, the optical connectors 5 at the ends of two optical fiber cords 4 are shown to be parallel and pulled out in the same direction in front of the entrance / exit 11 of the case 1, but as shown in Figure 17, it is also possible to pull out the optical connector 5 at the end of one optical fiber cord 4 in the same direction as above, while pulling out the other optical connector 5 from the entrance / exit 11 of the case 1 in the opposite direction (towards the rear of the case 1).

[0082] At this time, one of the optical connectors 5 of the two optical fiber cords 4 pulled out from the entrance 11 of the case 1 is selected. Then, the optical connector 5 of the selected optical fiber cord 4 is picked up with the fingertips and inserted into the opening 12d on the outside of the cord guide 12 corresponding to the external optical connector 5, and the optical fiber cord 4 is pulled backward to a predetermined length while being wound around the arc-shaped portion 12a formed on the bottom wall inside the cord guide 12. The subsequent operations are the same as those described above.

[0083] Next, the process of pulling out the optical connector 5 of the optical fiber cord 4 from the cord entrance 11 of the case 1 to a predetermined position as described above, and rewinding the optical fiber cord 4 from the state shown in Figure 18(c) in which the claw 24a is locked by the locking portion 3b provided on the outer periphery of the gear 3 will be described with reference to Figures 15 and 19.

[0084] As shown in Figure 15, place your fingers on the concave portion 31b of the manual operating body 31 of the slide switch 25 that is fitted into the guide hole 36 of the bottom wall 35 of the case 1, and move the manual operating body 31 of the slide switch 25 to the rear of the case 1 (the opposite side of the cord entrance / exit 11).

[0085] When the slide switch 25 is moved in this manner, the rectangular block 32a fixed to the upper surface of the manual operating body 31 slides rearward within the guide hole 37 provided in the bottom wall 35 of the case 1, and the rear surface of the rectangular block 32a abuts against the rear edge 37a of the guide hole 37, preventing the slide switch 25 from moving rearward.

[0086] At the same time, the guide body 33 fixed to the upper end of the sliding body 32 also moves rearward, and the inclined upper surface of the upper frame 33b is released from the pressure of the inclined press plate 38.

[0087] In this state, as shown in Figure 15, the guide pin 30 of the claw 24a inserted into the guide groove 34, which is provided on the back surface of the guide body 33 and slopes downward from rear to front, is fixed and held at the inner edge of the intersecting curved portion of the upper frame 33b and front frame 33c of the guide groove 34 against the biasing force of the torsion spring 26.

[0088] In this way, the pawl 24a rotatably supported on the protruding shaft 27 on the inner wall of the case 1 rotates downward in the direction of the arrow in Figure 15, with the protruding shaft 27 as a fulcrum, and the pressure contact and lock on the outer periphery of the pawl 24a is released. In other words, as shown in Figure 19, the pawl 24a and the gear 3 are completely separated.

[0089] Next, when the fingers holding the optical connector 5 that has been pulled out to the state shown in Figure 19(a) are released, the optical fiber cord 4 is automatically wound up by the winding reel 2 inside the case 1 to the state shown in Figure 19(b) due to the biasing force of the power spring 20.

[0090] Next, other examples of the rotation control mechanism 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first example described above, the claws 24a are used as the engaging members 24 that constitute the rotation control mechanism 6, but in this example, a leaf spring 40 is used.

[0091] That is, as shown in Figures 21 to 23, the interlocking member 24 is formed of a metal or plastic leaf spring 40 that is approximately V-shaped in side view and is made up of an inclined spring plate 40a that is always pressed against and locked by the force of a spring in a direction to press against the gear 3, a retaining frame 40b that is approximately U-shaped in side view and is fitted and fixed to a support shaft 39 that protrudes from the inner wall of the case 1 on the spring plate base portion, and a horizontal spring plate 40c that extends from the lower part of the retaining frame 40b. In the drawing, 40d denotes a folded plate obtained by bending the tip of the inclined spring plate 40a inward, which is formed so as to be easily engaged with the locking portion 3b on the outer periphery of the gear 3 smoothly.

[0092] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 20, the slide switch 25 used in the leaf spring 40 of this example includes a manual operating body 31 inserted in the front-to-rear direction into the bottom wall of the case 1, and a press bar 41 that penetrates the bottom wall of the case 1 at the top of the manual operating body 31 and is provided horizontally at the upper rear of the manual operating body 31.

[0093] The press bar 41 is formed to extend rearward from the rear end of the manual operation body 31 by a length substantially equal to the width of the leaf spring 40. As a result, the leaf spring 40, which is fitted and fixed to the support shaft 39 protruding from the inner wall of the case 1, is disposed adjacent to the rear end of the slide switch 25, so that the inclined spring leaf 40a of the leaf spring 40 does not encounter any obstacles when moving up and down.

[0094] Thus, as shown in FIG. 22, when the slide switch 25 is moved in the direction of the arrow (leftward) and separated from the leaf spring 40, the folded plate 40d at the tip of the inclined spring plate 40a located above the leaf spring 40 is pressed against and locked to the outer peripheral surface of the gear 3 by its biasing force. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 23, when the manual operating body 31 of the slide switch 25 is slid in the direction of the arrow (rightward) of the leaf spring 40, the retaining frame 40b of the leaf spring 40 is positioned below the press bar 41 of the slide switch 25, and the inclined spring plate 40a of the leaf spring 40 is pressed downward by the press bar 41, and the pressing against and locking of the leaf spring 40 against the outer peripheral surface of the gear 3 is released. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1 case 1A Half Case 1B Half Case 2 take-up reels 3 gears 3a sliding part 3b Lock section 4 Optical Fiber Cord 5 Optical Connector 6 Rotation control mechanism 7 fixing pin 8 Support hole 9 Spindle 10 retaining holes 11 Entrance / exit 11a Entrance / exit half 11b Entrance / exit half 12 Chord Guide 12a Arc-shaped part 12b back 12c Upper wall 12d opening 13 Warizo 14 Outer flange 15 Center flange 16 outer edge 17 Concave part 18 dent 19 Through hole 20 Mainspring 21 Projection part 21a Inner end winding stop 21b Outer end winding stop 22 Guide groove 23 Locking flange 24 Interlocking member 24a Claw 25 Slide switch 26 Torsion Spring 27 Protruding shaft 28 Shaft hole 29 Protruding shaft 30 guide pin 31 Manual operation body 31a Rectangular plate 31b Concave part 32 Sliding body 32a Rectangular block 32b Rectangular support plate 33 Guide body 33a back plate 33b Upper frame 33c Front frame 33d rear frame 33e opening 34 Guide groove 35 Lower wall 36 Guide hole 36a Notched hole 37 Guide hole 37a rear edge 37b Front edge 38 Inclined presser plate 39 Spindle 40 Leaf spring 40a Inclined spring plate 40b Retaining frame 40c horizontal spring plate 40d folded sheet 41 Press Bar

Claims

1. An optical patch cord having optical connectors connected to both ends of an optical fiber cord, in which a take-up reel biased and held by a spring in a state in which the optical fiber cord is wound up, and a gear fixed to the take-up reel are rotatably housed inside a case, and a rotation control mechanism is provided at the bottom inside the case, which presses and locks the gear to prevent the take-up reel from rotating in the direction in which the optical patch cord is unwound, and which unlocks the gear to allow the take-up reel to rotate freely, The rotation control mechanism is characterized in that it is formed by a meshing member whose tip is held by the force of a spring in a direction that constantly presses and locks it against the outer peripheral surface of the gear, and a switch that can be selectively operated to press and lock the meshing member against the outer peripheral surface of the gear or to release the press and lock against the force of the spring.

2. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 1, characterized in that the engaging member has a base end rotatably supported on a protruding shaft provided on the inner wall of the case, and a tip end that is constantly held in a direction that presses and locks it against the gear by the force of a spring, and is formed by a claw with a guide pin protruding below the tip.

3. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 1, characterized in that the switch comprises a manual operating body inserted into the bottom wall of the case so as to be slidable in the forward and backward directions, and a guide body for the claw that passes through the bottom wall of the case and is provided above the manual operating body, and the guide body has a guide groove formed on its back surface that slopes upward from front to rear, and the guide pin of the claw is slidably inserted into the guide groove.

4. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 1, characterized in that the gear is formed by alternating sliding portions consisting of inclined surfaces along which the tips of the claws, which are biased and held by springs around the entire outer circumference, slide, and locking portions consisting of vertical wall surfaces along which the tips of the claws are locked.

5. 4. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 3, wherein the guide groove of the guide body is formed by an upper frame that slopes upward from front to rear at the rear edge of the back plate, and vertical front and rear frames that are connected to both ends below the upper frame.

6. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 5, characterized in that the vertical width of the guide groove at its rear end is formed wide so as to function as an escape area for the lock pin when the claw pressed against the outer periphery of the rotating gear oscillates.

7. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 1, characterized in that the case is formed by combining the open ends of two pairs of half cases that are approximately rectangular when viewed from the side, and an entrance / exit for the optical fiber cord wound on the take-up reel is formed on the front side of the switch of the rotation control mechanism.

8. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 7, characterized in that a support shaft is provided on the inside of one of the half cases, the tip of which is inserted into a retaining hole in the other half case, and the take-up reel and gear stored inside the case are rotatably supported on the support shaft.

9. 9. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 8, wherein a circular recess is provided in the center of the gear, a through hole for the support shaft is provided in the center of the recess, and a power spring is loaded inside the recess to bias and hold the take-up reel when the optical fiber cord is wound on it.

10. 9. The optical patch cord storage case according to claim 8, wherein a slot is formed in the support shaft that rotatably supports the take-up reel and the gear, and into which the inner end of the power spring is inserted and wound to fix it.

11. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 9, characterized in that an arc-shaped protrusion is provided along the inner circumference of the circular recess in the center of the gear, and an arc-shaped guide groove is formed between the recess and the protrusion, into which the outer end of the power spring is inserted and wound around to secure it.

12. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 7, characterized in that the optical fiber cord storage case is configured with two take-up reels for the optical fiber cord stored inside the case, and the optical fiber cord entrance and exit formed in the case is located at a lower position opposite each reel of the two take-up reels, so that two optical fiber cords pulled out from each reel can be inserted and removed side by side through the entrance and exit.

13. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 12, characterized in that the dual winding reel has a central flange between the gears arranged on both sides and the outer flanges, and two adjacent recesses for winding the optical fiber cord are formed between the outer peripheral edge of the gear and the central flange and between the central flange and the outer flange.

14. 8. The optical patch cord storage case according to claim 7, wherein a cord guide is provided at each of the two half cases constituting said case at a corner edge directly above the entrance and exit for said two optical fiber cords.

15. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 14, characterized in that each cord guide provided in the pair of half cases has both bottom surfaces formed into an arc-shaped portion so as to maintain the minimum allowable bending radius of the optical fiber cord.

16. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 12, characterized in that each cord guide provided in the pair of half cases has a back portion erected behind both of the arc-shaped portions, an upper wall portion protruding from the central upper end of the back portion and extending toward the arc-shaped portion, and is formed in an approximately U-shape when viewed from the front with an opening in front of the back portion for inserting and removing the optical fiber cord.

17. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 1, characterized in that the engaging member is formed from a metal or plastic leaf spring that is approximately V-shaped in side view, consisting of an inclined spring plate that is held by the spring force in a direction that always presses and locks it against the gear, a holding frame that is approximately U-shaped in side view and is fitted and fixed to a support shaft protruding from the inner wall of the case on the spring plate base portion, and a horizontal spring plate that extends from the bottom of the holding frame.

18. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 1, characterized in that the switch comprises a manual operating body inserted in the front-to-rear direction into the bottom wall of the case, and a press bar that passes through the bottom wall of the case at the top of the manual operating body and is horizontally located at the rear of the upper part of the manual operating body, and by sliding the manual operating body of the switch in the direction of the leaf spring, the inclined spring plate above the switch is pressed down by the press bar, thereby releasing the pressure contact and lock against the outer peripheral surface of the gear.

19. 2. The optical patch cord storage case of claim 1, wherein the optical connectors connected to both ends of the optical fiber cord are any of the following types of optical connectors: LC type, FC type, SC type, MU type, ST type, KC type, MPO type, and MPX type.

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