Optical connector, optical module, plug, receptacle, method for manufacturing plug, and method for connecting optical connector.

Abstract

The present invention provides a compact optical connector that exhibits low loss and minimal variation in connection loss, as well as minimal ferrule damage during connection; an optical module to which the optical connector can be connected; an optical connector plug; and a method for connecting the optical connector. [Solution] An optical connector 10 to which a receptacle 100 and a plug 200 can be connected, wherein the receptacle 100 is made of a magnetic material and has a recess on its connection surface to which a first ferrule 110 can be fixed, and the plug 200 comprises a thin plate 220, a magnet 230 that can attract the receptacle 100 via the thin plate 220, a guide part 250 that slidably houses a second ferrule 210, and a spring 265 that presses the second ferrule 210 toward the receptacle 100, and when the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 are connected, the attractive force between the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 is greater than the pressing force of the spring 265.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical connector for optically connecting optical waveguide components that transmit optical signals to each other, an optical module including a receptacle, a plug of the optical connector, a receptacle, a method for manufacturing the plug, and a method for connecting the optical connector.

Background Art

[0002] As a method for connecting optical waveguide components such as optical fibers, various methods have been proposed in addition to standardized methods such as conventional MPO. For example, Patent Document 1 (International Publication No. 2021 / 111773) discloses a small optical connection component that holds and presses optical waveguide components against each other with a magnet.

[0003] The optical connection component described in Patent Document 1 is an optical connection component that connects to other optical connection components, and includes an optical waveguide component, an alignment component that fixes the optical waveguide component, and a magnetic structure integrated with the alignment component. A positioning structure for determining the relative position between the connection end face and the connection end face of the alignment component provided in another optical connection component is provided on the connection end face of the alignment component. As an embodiment of Patent Document 1, a form having a pair of connecting components, and the connecting components being composed of divided parts is disclosed. These divided parts face each other on two surfaces, one surface is magnetized to the N pole, the other surface is magnetized to the S pole, and is magnetized in the outer circumferential direction of the optical fiber alignment component.

[0004] Further, Patent Document 2 (International Publication No. 2022 / 074866) discloses an optical connector capable of suppressing wear of a ferrule when the optical connectors are attached and detached, and an optical connector that optically connects optical communications with a magnet. The optical connector described in Patent Document 2 has a fiber hole through which a first optical fiber can be inserted and a connection end face where the fiber hole opens, and further has a material that generates a magnetic force inside, and is configured to optically connect the first optical fiber to a second optical fiber by the magnetic force, and includes a main body part. In an embodiment disclosed in Patent Document 2, the main body portion has a guide hole for a guide pin that extends along the axial direction of the fiber hole and opens to the connecting end face, and a housing portion for housing a permanent magnet.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-026956) discloses an optical connector that can be miniaturized. The optical connector described in Patent Document 3 is an optical connector system comprising a receptacle-side optical connector having an openable and closable shutter at its insertion port, and a plug-side optical connector that opens the shutter at the insertion port and connects to the receptacle-side optical connector. The plug-side optical connector has a locking portion that the shutter catches on. When the receptacle-side optical connector and the plug-side optical connector are connected, the shutter opens so that its outer surface when closed faces the plug-side optical connector, and the shutter catches on the locking portion, thereby latching the plug-side optical connector to the receptacle-side optical connector.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-078740) also discloses a technology that enables miniaturization of an optical connector receptacle that is mounted on a circuit board and used to relay optical fibers wired along the circuit board with optical fibers outside the board. The optical connector receptacle in Patent Document 4 houses a tapered spring within a housing that contains a ferrule provided at the tip of the optical fiber on the substrate side. This tapered spring acts as a spring that biases the ferrule and generates a butt force between the optical connector plug inserted into the housing and the ferrule. A spring-receiving member is removably fitted into the housing of the optical connector receptacle. The spring-receiving member has a latch, which is an elastic piece that removably engages with the housing, and the latch has a release lever portion that protrudes to the outside of the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 111773 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2022 / 074866 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-026956 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-078740 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The optical connectors described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above all utilize the attractive force of magnets to bring optical waveguide components into contact with each other. However, the attractive force of magnets is strongly affected by the distance between them (the attractive force between magnets is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them). In order to obtain sufficient pressing force for optical communication using magnets, it is necessary to bring the magnets close together, and in this case, there is a problem that even slight variations in the distance between magnets have a large impact on the variation in connection loss. In particular, tolerances that occur during the manufacturing of optical connectors affect the variation in the distance between magnets, and as a result, there is a problem that this has a large impact on the variation in connection loss. In recent years, with the increasing capacity and speed of communications, variations in connection loss in optical connectors have become significant and have a major impact on communication performance. Furthermore, in high-density communications using multi-core ferrules, it is necessary to apply a uniform pressing force across the entire connection end face. In particular, when optical connection terminals are provided on electronic circuit boards such as servers, and high-speed, high-capacity information communication is performed using optical communication for communication between servers or between circuit boards, controlling the contact force at the connection end face becomes an important technology. Furthermore, in conventional optical connectors that use the pressing force of a spring to bring optical waveguide components into contact with each other, pressing the plug body increases the pressing force of the spring, ultimately applying a specified contact force between the contact surfaces of the ferrules. In contrast, in the optical connectors described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a magnetic force close to the specified contact force is already applied between the contact surfaces of the ferrules, or between the guide pin and the guide hole, at the start of connection. As a result, there are problems such as damage to the contact surfaces of the ferrules during connection, or damage to the inner wall of the guide hole due to the tip of the guide pin getting caught on the inner wall of the guide hole.

[0009] On the other hand, the optical connectors described in Patent Documents 3 to 4 above all use the pressing force of a spring to bring the optical waveguide components into contact with each other. In this case, since the pressing force of the spring is proportional to the amount of spring compression, the variation in contact force due to the variation in distance caused by tolerances etc. that occur during the manufacturing of the optical connector is small, and the variation in connection loss is also small. Furthermore, when connecting the receptacle and the plug, the receptacle and the plug initially come into contact with a small pressing force, and then the pressing force gradually increases, so the risk of damage to the contact surface of the ferrule and the inner wall of the guide hole is small. However, when optical waveguide components are brought into contact with each other by the pressing force of a spring, a latch that engages with the spring in a compressed state and a release mechanism that releases the spring are necessary to engage and disengage the spring when attaching and detaching the optical connector. The optical connector system described in Patent Document 3 is an optical connector system that connects multiple ferrules by arranging them adjacently with the guide pins facing vertically, and requires locking and releasing parts on both the upper and lower sides of the optical connector. This makes it difficult to miniaturize the connector. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide locking and releasing parts on the lower side as well, and since space is required to operate the releasing part, the receptacle cannot be directly fixed to the substrate. For this reason, in Patent Document 3, the receptacle is fixed not to the substrate but to a front panel that has space in the vertical direction. Furthermore, in the optical connector described in Patent Document 4, latches are positioned on the left and right sides of the receptacle in the lateral direction. In this case, miniaturization of the connector is difficult. Also, although it is possible to fix the receptacle to the substrate, it is necessary to position the latches laterally on the receptacle, and space is required for the latch release operation, so it is not possible to place multiple plugs adjacent to each other laterally on a single receptacle. In particular, when optical connection terminals are provided on electronic circuit boards such as servers, and high-speed, high-capacity information communication is performed using optical communication for communication between servers or between circuit boards, it may be necessary that receptacles can be mounted on the circuit board, and that multiple receptacles can be mounted adjacent to each other, with multiple plugs connected to each receptacle.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a compact optical connector that has low loss and minimal variation in connection loss, and minimizes damage to the ferrule during connection; an optical module to which the optical connector can be connected; an optical connector plug; a receptacle; a method for manufacturing the plug; and a method for connecting the optical connector. Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact optical module that can mount multiple receptacles adjacent to each other on a substrate and connect multiple plugs to each receptacle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] (1) An optical connector conforming to one plane is an optical connector to which a receptacle and a plug can be connected, wherein the receptacle is made of a magnetic material and has a recess on its connection surface to which a first ferrule can be fixed, and the plug comprises a connection part, a magnet that can attract the receptacle through the connection part, a guide part that slidably houses a second ferrule, and a spring that presses the second ferrule toward the receptacle, wherein when the receptacle and the plug are connected, the connection part transmits the magnetic force of the magnet to the receptacle, thereby exerting an attractive force between the receptacle and the plug, and the attractive force is greater than the pressing force of the spring.

[0012] As illustrated in Patent Documents 1 and 2, in conventional optical connectors using magnets, the magnet is built into the optical connector and the contact force is obtained by magnetic force, so there is no need for a latch to fix the spring when connecting the receptacle and the plug, and a release mechanism to release the latch when disconnecting. Therefore, it is advantageous for miniaturizing the optical connector. However, the attractive force of magnets is strongly affected by the distance between magnets (the attractive force between magnets is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them), so in order to obtain sufficient pressing force for optical communication with magnets, it is necessary to bring the magnets close together, and in this case, there is a problem that even slight variations in the distance between magnets have a large effect on the variation in connection loss.

[0013] On the other hand, as illustrated in Patent Documents 3 to 4, conventional optical connectors using springs utilize the pressing force of the springs to bring optical waveguide components into contact with each other. In this case, since the pressing force of the springs is proportional to the amount of spring compression, the variation in contact force due to distance variations caused by tolerances etc. during the manufacturing of the optical connectors is small, and the variation in connection loss is also small. However, when using the pressing force of springs to bring optical waveguide components into contact with each other, a latch to fix the spring when connecting the receptacle and the plug, and a release mechanism to release the latch when disconnecting are required. Therefore, volume is required for the latch and release mechanism, making it difficult to miniaturize the optical connector. Furthermore, if the latch and release mechanism are arranged in the vertical direction of the optical connector, it becomes difficult to fix the receptacle to the substrate. On the other hand, if the latch and release mechanism are arranged in the horizontal direction of the optical connector, it becomes impossible to arrange multiple plugs adjacent to one receptacle in the horizontal direction.

[0014] In optical connectors conforming to a single plane, the pressing force of a spring is used to bring the optical waveguide components into contact with each other. This reduces the variation in contact force due to distance variations caused by tolerances during the manufacturing of the optical connector, and as a result, the variation in connection loss can also be reduced. Furthermore, since the pressing force is determined by the extension and contraction distance of the spring, and variations in pressing force are less likely to occur at the connection surface of the ferrule, the pressing force can be applied perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the connection surface. Furthermore, in a single-curve optical connector, when connecting, the plug is attracted to the receptacle by magnetic force, compressing a spring built into the plug and bringing the optical waveguide components into contact with each other through the spring's pressure. When disconnecting, the plug is pulled away from the receptacle against the magnetic force, releasing the contact between the optical waveguide components. Therefore, a single-curve optical connector does not require a latch and release mechanism, nor does it require space to operate a release mechanism. As a result, a single-curve optical connector enables miniaturization of the optical connector, mounting of the receptacle onto a circuit board, and the realization of a receptacle that connects to multiple adjacently placed plugs. In this case, for the optical waveguide components to come into contact with each other by the pressure of the springs, the attractive force due to the magnetic force of the magnets must be greater than the spring pressure required for the optical waveguide components to come into contact with each other.

[0015] In particular, in a single-curve optical connector, at the start of connection (i.e., when the guide pin is being inserted into the guide hole), there is almost no force between the contact surfaces of the two ferrules, and between the guide pin and the guide hole. Then, as the two ferrules come into contact and the plug body is pushed towards the receptacle, the spring pressure increases, and finally the specified contact force is applied between the contact surfaces of the ferrules. Therefore, in a single-curve optical connector, damage to the contact surfaces of the ferrules and damage to the inner wall of the guide hole by the tip of the guide pin getting caught on the inner wall of the guide hole are prevented during connection. In addition, in an optical connector according to one aspect, the second ferrule is slidably incorporated in the guide component. When the plug and the receptacle are connected, the first ferrule and the second ferrule are guided by the guide component and come into contact with each other, so that problems such as the guide pin colliding with the contact surface of the ferrule during connection can be avoided. That is, in a magnetic connector according to one aspect, even after the insertion of the guide pin is completed and the two ferrules come into contact, the distance between the plug body and the receptacle still decreases. Therefore, at the stage where the guide pin is guided by the guide component and inserted into the guide hole, the distance between the magnet of the plug and the receptacle is farther than in the conventional case, and the attractive force of the magnetic force is not large, so the guide pin is prevented from colliding with the contact surface. In addition, the optical connector according to one aspect is provided with a magnet and a spring in the plug, and since the receptacle is formed of a magnetic material, by using, for example, SUS430, a soft magnetic material with excellent heat resistance, as the magnetic material, an optical connector capable of substrate mounting including a heating process can be obtained.

[0016] (2) The optical connector according to the second invention is the optical connector according to one aspect, wherein the magnet has a north pole and a south pole along the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide component, and includes a first magnet and a second magnet configured to face each other and include the optical waveguide component. The connection part is a plate-shaped magnetic material, and may be arranged so that an attractive force acts between the first magnet, the second magnet and the receptacle.

[0017] Thereby, when the optical connector is connected, a magnetic circuit of the path of the first magnet - connection part - receptacle - connection part - second magnet - first magnet can be formed (see FIG. 1). That is, a magnetic force reaches from the first magnet having a north pole and a south pole along the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide component, through the connection part, to the receptacle. Then, a magnetic force reaches from the receptacle, through the connection part, to the second magnet having a south pole and a north pole along the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide component. Therefore, by connecting the optical connector receptacle and plug, a magnetic circuit is formed, which reduces leakage of magnetic field lines and allows the plug to be fixed to the receptacle even if it is small. In particular, since a magnetic circuit is formed within the optical connector, the attractive force between the receptacle and the plug can be mainly determined by the distance between the connection surface of the receptacle and the connection surface of the connector, and the attractive force can be made to be reliably greater than the spring pressing force required for the contact between the optical waveguide components. The spring pressing force is mainly determined by the amount of compression of the spring when the optical waveguide components are in contact with each other.

[0018] (3) The optical connector according to the third invention is an optical connector according to the first or second invention, wherein the plug further comprises a yoke located on the opposite side from the magnet connection portion, and the yoke is a magnetic material and may be arranged so as to exert an attractive force between the first magnet and the second magnet.

[0019] This allows for the formation of a magnetic circuit with the following path when connecting the optical connector: first magnet - connector - receptacle - connector - second magnet - yoke (see Figure 1). Specifically, a magnetic force is exerted from the first magnet, which has a north pole and a south pole along the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide component, to the receptacle via the connector. Then, a magnetic force is exerted from the receptacle, via the connector, to the second magnet, which also has a north pole and a south pole along the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide component. Furthermore, a magnetic force is exerted on the first magnet via the yoke, thereby forming a closed magnetic circuit. Therefore, by connecting the optical connector receptacle and plug, a closed magnetic circuit is formed, which reduces leakage of magnetic field lines and allows for sufficient attractive force between the plug and receptacle, even in a small size.

[0020] (4) The optical connector according to the fourth invention includes, in the optical connector according to any of the first to third inventions, a first connecting portion that contacts a first magnet and a second connecting portion that contacts a second magnet, and the same gap may be provided between the first magnet and the second magnet, and between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion.

[0021] This ensures that a magnetic circuit with a path of first magnet - receptacle - second magnet is reliably formed when connecting the optical connector. In other words, there are connection points between the first magnet and the receptacle, and between the receptacle and the second magnet. These connection points transmit magnetism to reduce the tolerance of the magnets and prevent damage to the magnets, but this can sometimes form a circuit (shortcut) where magnetism flows directly from the first magnet to the second magnet. Therefore, by providing a gap between the first and second connection points that is the same as the gap between the first and second magnets, the magnetic circuit that would create a shortcut is limited, and the magnetic circuit via the receptacle is reliably configured, thereby providing a sufficient attractive force between the plug and the receptacle.

[0022] (5) The optical connector according to the fifth invention is an optical connector according to any of the first to fourth inventions, wherein the plug further comprises a plug pin keeper that fits into the side of the second ferrule opposite to the side that connects to the first ferrule, and a boot that holds in parallel an optical waveguide component that penetrates the yoke and extends from the second ferrule, the receptacle has a recess for fitting the first ferrule and a hole through which an optical waveguide component can be inserted, the plug pin keeper comprises a guide pin that is inserted into the guide hole of the second ferrule, the magnet is U-shaped and arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the optical waveguide component, and the spring has a space through which an optical waveguide component can be inserted and may be disposed between the plug pin keeper and the yoke. Note that the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide component is the same direction as the connection direction of the optical waveguide component, and the central axis of the longitudinal direction is the perpendicular line passing through the center of the connection surface of the optical waveguide component. Since the first magnet and the second magnet are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide component, the magnetic attraction force is uniformly applied to the entire connection surface between the receptacle and the plug.

[0023] In this case, the first ferrule is fitted into the recess of the receptacle, and the second ferrule is connected to the yoke via a plug pin keeper and a spring. The yoke, magnet, and connection are held in close contact by magnetic force, so the amount of spring compression is mainly determined by the distance between the connection and the receptacle. Since the spring's pressing force is proportional to the amount of spring compression, variations in the spring's pressing force can be reduced by reducing variations in the distance between the connection and the receptacle. Furthermore, the plug pin keeper presses the second ferrule with the guide pin inserted into the guide hole of the second ferrule, allowing for more uniform pressure on the second ferrule.

[0024] Furthermore, the guide component, which contains the first and second ferrules, allows for the precise and easy placement of adjacent connection parts and the U-shaped first and second magnets. This enables the application of an even attractive force to the connection end faces of the connection parts. The first and second magnets are positioned facing each other in a U-shape with their magnetic poles opposite each other, and are fixed together by attracting each other via a guide component. In this case, the guide component is preferably made of a non-magnetic material such as aluminum or plastic, from the viewpoint of ease of assembly.

[0025] (6) The optical connector according to the sixth invention is an optical connector according to any one of the first to fifth inventions, in which the first magnet and the second magnet may be arranged symmetrically spaced apart with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the optical waveguide component.

[0026] As a result, the first and second magnets are positioned symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the optical waveguide component, allowing the two bar magnets to be positioned parallel to the axial direction of the optical waveguide component and evenly spaced apart from the axis. Furthermore, since the same gap exists between the two magnets as between the two magnets themselves at the two contact points, the formation of a short-circuit magnetic circuit is sufficiently limited, and a magnetic circuit following the path of first magnet-receptacle-second magnet can be formed more reliably.

[0027] (7) The optical connector according to the seventh invention is an optical connector according to any of the first to sixth inventions, wherein the guide component is made of a non-magnetic material and has a first protrusion projecting parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the optical waveguide component on the upper and lower surfaces of the end opposite to the receptacle, and a second protrusion perpendicular to the central axis on both sides of the end opposite to the receptacle, and the end on the receptacle side fits with the receptacle, the first protrusion is formed to extend further from the end of the guide component and is inserted between the first magnet and the second magnet, and the second protrusion may be inserted between the magnet and the connector.

[0028] The guide component is configured to slidably house the first and second ferrules during connection, with the second protrusion inserted between the magnet and the connection. In other words, each component of the plug can be positioned around the guide component as follows. Since the first protrusion of the guide component is inserted between the first magnet and the second magnet, the magnets can be positioned accurately. Furthermore, since the second protrusion of the guide component is inserted between the magnet and the connector, the positional relationship between the magnet, the connector, and the guide component in the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide component can be precisely defined. In this case, a recess may be formed on the side of the connector that contacts the magnet, and the second protrusion may be inserted into this recess. Furthermore, since the receptacle-side end of the guide component engages with the receptacle, and the second protrusion of the guide component is inserted between the magnet and the connector, the distance between the connector and the receptacle when connecting the receptacle and the plug is determined by the distance between the second protrusion of the guide component and the end on the receptacle side. On the other hand, since the amount of spring compression is mainly determined by the distance between the connector and the receptacle, the amount of spring compression, and consequently the spring's pressing force, is determined by the shape of the guide component, thus reducing variations in the contact force and connection loss of the optical connector.

[0029] (8) An optical module following another aspect is an optical module to which an optical connector according to any seventh invention can be connected from one aspect, wherein multiple receptacles are mounted adjacent to each other, and plugs can be connected to each receptacle.

[0030] When optical connection terminals are provided on electronic circuit boards such as servers, and high-speed, high-capacity information communication is performed using optical communication for communication between servers or between circuit boards, it may be necessary that receptacles can be mounted on the circuit board, and that multiple receptacles can be mounted adjacent to each other, with multiple plugs connected to each receptacle. However, while the optical connector described in Patent Document 3 allows for the mounting of multiple receptacles adjacent to each other and the connection of multiple plugs to each receptacle, the latch and release mechanisms are arranged in the vertical direction, making it impossible to mount the receptacles onto a substrate. Furthermore, although the optical connector described in Patent Document 4 can be mounted on a substrate, the latch and release mechanisms are arranged in the left-right direction, making it impossible to mount multiple receptacles adjacent to each other. In contrast, optical modules following other orientations use magnets as latches, eliminating the need to place latching and releasing mechanisms on the left, right, top, or bottom of the connector. This allows the receptacle to be mounted on the substrate, multiple receptacles to be mounted adjacent to each other, and multiple plugs to be connected to each receptacle.

[0031] (9) Furthermore, plugs conforming to other aspects are plugs used in optical connectors conforming to any seventh invention from one aspect to the seventh invention, and are connectable to a receptacle.

[0032] Furthermore, plugs conforming to other orientations reduce variations in contact force due to machining errors by applying pressing force with a spring, and achieve miniaturization by using a magnet for the latching function. Furthermore, by incorporating springs and magnets with low heat resistance into the plug side, the heat resistance of the optical connector receptacle is enhanced. Therefore, by using plugs that conform to other aspects, it is possible to realize a compact optical connector with low loss and minimal variation in connection loss.

[0033] (10) Furthermore, a receptacle conforming to another aspect is a receptacle that can be used in an optical connector according to any of the seven inventions from one aspect to the seventh, and can be mounted on an electronic circuit board.

[0034] (11) Furthermore, a plug manufacturing method according to other aspects is a plug manufacturing method in which a first ferrule and an optical fiber are attached to a plug according to any of the seven inventions from one aspect to the seventh.

[0035] (12) Furthermore, a connection method according to another aspect is a method of connecting an optical connector according to any of the seventh inventions from one aspect, wherein a receptacle and a plug are connected.

[0036] As a result, when connecting, the contact force between the ferrules is determined by a pressing force proportional to the amount of spring compression, thus reducing variations in contact force due to machining errors. Furthermore, since the ferrules come into contact with each other under low spring pressure at the start of connection, the risk of damage to the ferrule contact surfaces and guide holes can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0037] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing the optical connector of this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a partially exploded view illustrating the structure of the optical connector in this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic perspective view showing the receptacle of this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic perspective view showing the plug of this embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical connector of this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic perspective view showing the optical module of this embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a schematic graph showing the relationship between the position of the plug and the force applied to the plug when connecting it to a receptacle. [Figure 8] Figure 8(a) is a schematic top view of the ferrule used in the embodiment, Figure 8(b) is a schematic side view seen from the left, Figure 8(c) is a schematic side view seen from the right, and Figure 8(d) is a schematic cross-sectional view of plane AA of Figure 8(a). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0038] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Although multiple embodiments of the present invention are shown, each embodiment may be implemented independently or in combination of one or more embodiments. In the following description, identical parts are denoted by the same reference numeral. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions of them will not be repeated.

[0039] [This Circumstance] (Optical connector 10) Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the optical connector 10 of this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a partially exploded view illustrating the structure of the optical connector 10 of this embodiment. The optical connector 10 of this embodiment is configured to allow connection between a receptacle 100 and a plug 200. The receptacle 100 and the plug 200 are each configured to allow the introduction of optical waveguide components, and by connecting the receptacle 100 and the plug 200, the respective optical waveguide components can be optically connected to each other. In this embodiment, the optical connector 10 has a spring 265 inside the plug 200, and when the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 are connected, a contact force is applied between the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 due to the pressing force of the spring 265. In conventional optical connectors that use the pressing force of a spring, a latch is required to keep the spring compressed when connected, and a release mechanism is required to release the latch when disconnecting. In contrast, in this embodiment, the optical connector 10 has a magnet 230 in the plug 200, and when connected, the magnet 230 applies a magnetic force stronger than the pressing force of the spring 265 between the receptacle 100 and the plug 200, keeping the spring 265 compressed. Furthermore, when disconnecting, the magnetic force can be weakened by moving the plug 200 backward relative to the receptacle 100 or by using a removable jig, thereby disconnecting the connection between the receptacle 100 and the plug 200. Since magnetic force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them, the plug 200 can be easily disconnected from the receptacle 100 by moving the plug 200 slightly away from the receptacle 100.

[0040] Optical waveguide components can include optical fibers, optical waveguides, or optical communication elements. Optical fibers transmit optical signals using a core-clad structure with different refractive indices, typically made of fibrous quartz glass. Optical waveguides are formed by creating optical signal transmission paths on electronic substrates using semiconductor processing technology. Optical communication elements are light-emitting elements, photodetectors, optical modulators, or parts thereof, for converting electrical signals into optical signals. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which optical fibers 140 and 280 bundled in a tape-like shape are used as optical waveguide components.

[0041] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the optical connector 10 of this embodiment is configured to allow connection between a receptacle 100 and a plug 200. Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the optical connector 10 of this embodiment, excluding the receptacle 100, the second magnet 232, and the second yoke 242. The receptacle 100 of this embodiment has a ferrule 110 to which an optical fiber 140 is connected on the connection side, a guide pin 120 that determines the connection position of the ferrule 110 and the ferrule 210, and a pin keeper 130 for holding the guide pin 120. The receptacle 100 can also be disassembled into an upper first receptacle 101 and a lower second receptacle 102. The plug 200 of this embodiment comprises a thin plate 220, a magnet 230 positioned adjacent to the back surface (the surface facing the connection surface) of the thin plate 220, and a yoke 240 positioned behind the magnet 230 (on the opposite side from the thin plate 220). The thin plate 220 is divided in the left-right direction and consists of a first thin plate 221 and a second thin plate 222. A gap M is left between the first thin plate 221 and the second thin plate 222. Furthermore, the plug 200 of this embodiment includes a guide component 250 provided inside the thin plate 220 and slidably housing the ferrule 210, a spring 265 that presses the ferrule 210 toward the receptacle 100, a plug pin keeper 260 that transmits the pressing force of the spring 265 to the ferrule 210, and a boot 270 that holds the optical fiber 280 in parallel, extending from the ferrule 210 through the recess of the plug pin keeper 260, the space in the center of the spring 265, and the recess of the yoke 240. Furthermore, the ferrules 110 and 210 are equipped with optical fiber insertion holes 114 and 214 for inserting optical fibers and guide holes 113 and 213 for inserting guide pins 120. In this embodiment, the guide pin 120 and pinkeeper 130 are shown as being provided on the receptacle 100 side, but they may also be provided on the plug 200 side.

[0042] As shown in Figure 1, the magnet 230 of this embodiment consists of a first magnet 231 and a second magnet 232 arranged symmetrically (in a U-shape) with respect to the central axis in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber 280, and each is arranged so that its polarity is opposite. In addition, the thin plate 220, receptacle 100, and yoke 240 of this embodiment are made of magnetic material. Therefore, as illustrated in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the magnetic force generated from the north pole of the first magnet 231 reaches the receptacle 100 via the first thin plate 221. Then, the magnetic force is transmitted from the receptacle 100 to the south pole of the second magnet 232 via the second thin plate 222. Furthermore, the magnetic force generated from the north pole of the second magnet 232 reaches the south pole of the first magnet 231 via the yoke 240. In other words, when the plug 200 is connected to the receptacle 100, a closed magnetic circuit is formed, causing the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 to attract each other strongly, thus keeping the spring 265 in a compressed state. In conventional optical connectors using spring pressure, a latch to secure the spring when connecting the receptacle to the plug, and a release mechanism to release the latch when disconnecting, were provided in either the left-right or up-down direction of the optical connector. When the latch and release mechanism were arranged in the left-right direction, space was required between the optical connectors to accommodate the latch and release mechanism, as well as to operate the release mechanism, making it impossible to place multiple optical connectors close together. On the other hand, when the latch and release mechanism were arranged in the up-down direction, it was difficult to directly mount the optical connector receptacle onto the circuit board. In contrast, in this embodiment, the optical connector 10 has a magnet 230 that performs a function equivalent to a latch, so there is no need to arrange the latch and release mechanism in the left-right or up-down direction of the optical connector. Therefore, a compact and low-loss optical connector 10 can be made.

[0043] (Receptacle 100) Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the structure of the receptacle 100 in this embodiment. Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical connector 10 including the receptacle 100. The receptacle 100 of this embodiment has a recess 103 into which a ferrule 110 can be fitted on the connection surface, and a hole 104 through which an optical fiber 140 can be inserted (see Figure 5). Furthermore, since the receptacle 100 of this embodiment is made of a magnetic material, an attractive force acts between it and the magnet 230, thereby providing an attractive force to compress the spring 265 between the receptacle 100 and the plug 200. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, a pinkeeper pin 130 is housed inside the receptacle 100, and two guide pins 120 are held in place by the pinkeeper pin 130. In this embodiment, the receptacle 100 has two guide pins 120 protruding from the connection surface, which allows the ferrule 110 of the receptacle 100 and the ferrule 210 of the plug 200 to be precisely positioned and optically connected.

[0044] The receptacle 100 of this embodiment is made of a magnetic material, preferably a ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material. The magnetic material can be a soft magnetic material or a hard magnetic material. Examples of soft magnetic materials include iron, silicon-iron, permalloy, soft ferrite, Sendust, Permendur, and electromagnetic stainless steel. Examples of electromagnetic stainless steel include ferritic stainless steel, martensitic stainless steel, and precipitation-hardening stainless steel. Examples of hard magnetic materials include ferrite magnets, alnico magnets, and rare-earth magnets. Examples of rare-earth magnets include samarium-cobalt magnets, neodymium magnets, praseodymium magnets, and samarium-iron-nitrogen magnets. The receptacle 100 in this embodiment may be subjected to a heating process during substrate mounting, and therefore it is preferable to use SUS430, a soft magnetic material with excellent heat resistance. SUS430 is a stainless steel alloy containing 16% or more by weight of chromium, and has a low coefficient of volume expansion and excellent machinability. Therefore, precise machining of recesses such as 103 can be performed. Furthermore, SUS630, a martensitic precipitation-hardening stainless steel, is also a preferred material. SUS630 is a copper-containing stainless steel alloy that can be given high strength and hardness and reduced distortion through solution heat treatment. In addition, complex shapes can be manufactured in large quantities with high precision using MIM (Metal Injection Molding). In this embodiment, a soft magnetic material is used for the receptacle 100, but a hard magnetic material may also be used. In this case, the attractive force between the plug 200 and the magnet 230 can be strengthened. Also, since the plug 200 will be attracted to the receptacle 100 according to the polarity that appears on the connection surface, the connection direction (up and down direction) of the plug 200 can be fixed in one direction.

[0045] (Plug 200) Figure 2 is a partially exploded view illustrating the structure of the optical connector 10 in this embodiment, showing the optical connector 10 excluding the receptacle body, the second magnet 232, and the second yoke 242. Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the structure of the plug 200 in this embodiment. Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical connector 10 including the plug 200. The plug 200 of this embodiment includes a thin plate 220, a magnet 230 on the back side of the thin plate 220 (the side facing the connection surface), and a yoke 240. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2, 4, and 5, the plug 200 includes a guide component 250 provided inside the thin plate 220 and slidably housing a ferrule 210, a spring 265 that presses the ferrule 210 toward the receptacle 100, a plug pin keeper 260 that transmits the pressing force of the spring 265 to the ferrule 210, and a boot 270 that holds the optical fiber 280 in parallel, extending from the ferrule 210 through the recess of the plug pin keeper 260, the space in the center of the spring 265, and the recess of the yoke 240.

[0046] (Guide part 250) The guide component 250 of this embodiment has a first protrusion 251 projecting parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the optical waveguide component from the upper and lower surfaces of the end opposite to the receptacle 100, and a second protrusion 252 perpendicular to the central axis from both sides of the end opposite to the receptacle 100. The first protrusion 251 is inserted into the gap between the first magnet 231 and the second magnet 232, defining the gap M between the first magnet 231 and the second magnet 232. Note that the gap M between the first thin plate 221 and the second thin plate 222 is the same as the gap M between the first magnet 231 and the second magnet 232. The second protrusion 252 is inserted between the recess of the first thin plate 221 and the first magnet 231, and between the recess of the second thin plate 222 and the second magnet 232, defining the longitudinal relative positions of the optical waveguide components, the guide component 250, the magnet 230, and the thin plate 220. When the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 are connected, the end of the guide component 250 on the receptacle 100 side abuts against the first fitting portion 105 of the receptacle 100 (see Figure 5), thereby determining the distance between the thin plate 220 and the receptacle 100, and ensuring a constant magnetic force between the thin plate 220 and the receptacle 100. The guide component 250 is preferably made of a non-magnetic material for ease of assembly. Suitable non-magnetic materials include copper, austenitic stainless steel, aluminum, and plastic, with aluminum being preferred from the standpoint of processing accuracy and cost.

[0047] (Spring 265) The spring 265 is inserted between the yoke 240 and the plug pin keeper 260, and presses against the ferrule 210 via the plug pin keeper 260. When the connection between the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 begins, that is, when the guide pin 120 is being inserted into the guide hole 213, the spring 265 is compressed by only about 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm, and the slidably housed ferrule 210 is positioned closer to the receptacle 100 than when the connection is complete. Then, when the plug 200 is pushed toward the receptacle 100, the spring 265 is compressed, and the pressing force of the spring 265 presses against the ferrule 210 via the plug pin keeper 260. In this case, since the plug pin keeper 260 has the plug pin 261 fitted into the guide hole 113 of the ferrule 210, the pressing force of the spring 265 can be applied uniformly to the ferrule 210. Furthermore, as the plug 200 is pushed toward the receptacle 100, the end of the guide component 250 on the receptacle 100 side comes into contact with the first mating portion 105 of the receptacle 100, thereby defining the distance between the thin plate 220 and the receptacle 100, and consequently defining the compression amount of the spring 265 and thus the pressing force. This pressing force corresponds to the contact force between the ferrule 110 and the ferrule 210. However, in this case, it is necessary that the attractive force due to the magnet when the end of the guide component 250 on the receptacle 100 side comes into contact with the first mating portion 105 of the receptacle 100 is greater than the pressing force of the spring 265.

[0048] Thus, when the connecting end face of ferrule 110 and the connecting end face of ferrule 210 come into contact, the insertion of the guide pin 120 into the guide hole 213 is completed. Furthermore, when the plug 200 is pushed toward the receptacle 100, causing the ferrule 210 to slide toward the yoke 240, and the spring 265 is compressed to a predetermined pressing force, the connection between the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 is completed. Therefore, when the guide pin 120 is being inserted into the guide hole 213, the distance between the connecting surface of receptacle 100 and the connecting surface of plug 200 (thin plate 220) is large, so the attractive force of the magnet 230 is smaller compared to when the connection is complete. In this embodiment, the spring 265 is preferably made of a non-magnetic material from the viewpoint of ease of assembly, etc. For example, SUS316, which can maintain its non-magnetic properties even after machining, is a good choice.

[0049] (Magnet 230) The plug 200 has a magnet 230 positioned adjacent to the back surface of a thin plate 220. The magnet 230 has a north pole and a south pole along the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber 280 and is positioned so that an attractive force acts between it and the receptacle 100. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the magnet 230 of this embodiment is composed of a first magnet 231 and a second magnet 232. The first magnet 231 and the second magnet 232 face each other along the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber 280 and have a U-shape that encloses the spring 265. In this case, the gap M between the first magnet 231 and the second magnet 232 is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less, and more preferably 0.1 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less. This allows for an effective configuration of the magnetic circuit and facilitates the attachment and detachment of the receptacle 100 and plug 200.

[0050] The magnet 230 in this embodiment can be made of a hard magnetic material (permanent magnet) or an electromagnet. Examples of hard magnetic materials include ferrite magnets, alnico magnets, and rare earth magnets. Examples of rare earth magnets include samarium cobalt magnets, neodymium magnets, praseodymium magnets, and samarium iron nitrogen magnets. It is preferable to use a rare earth magnet as the material for the magnet 230. Rare earth magnets have high residual magnetic flux density and coercivity, and can provide a small size and strong pressing force. In this embodiment, the magnet 230 is preferably a samarium-cobalt magnet or a neodymium magnet, among the rare earth magnets. This allows for low thermal demagnetization and a high magnetic flux density, resulting in a powerful magnetic force. Furthermore, of the two magnets mentioned above, a neodymium magnet is even more preferable. This allows for a magnet 230 with even better impact resistance. If the plug 200 is exposed to high temperatures, a neodymium magnet with added dysprosium may be used as appropriate. The magnet 230 in this embodiment has a residual magnetic flux density Br of 12 × 10 -1 T or higher is preferred, 13 × 10 -1 A value of T or higher is more preferable. Furthermore, the magnet 230 of this embodiment preferably has a holding force Hcj of 800 kA / m or higher, and more preferably 950 A / m or higher. This allows for excellent heat resistance and the generation of a strong magnetic force even with a flattened shape, so that a sufficient pressing force can be stably applied even in a small size.

[0051] In Figures 1 and 2, the magnets 230 are shown with the first magnet 231 having the north pole on the connection side and the second magnet 232 having the south pole on the connection side; however, this polarity may be reversed. Furthermore, although the magnet 230 illustrated in this embodiment is shown as being composed of two magnets, a first magnet 231 and a second magnet 232, it is not limited to this and may be composed of four magnets. When composed of four magnets, four polarities will appear on the connection surface side: S pole, N pole, S pole, N pole in the upper, lower, left, and right directions. In this case, four slits may be provided as needed.

[0052] (York 240) As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 5, the plug 200 of this embodiment is equipped with a yoke 240 on the side opposite to the thin plate 220 of the magnet 230. In this embodiment, the yoke 240 is made of a magnetic material, thereby enabling magnetic coupling of the first magnet 231 and the second magnet 232. That is, as shown in Figure 1, in a plan view, the first magnet 231 and the second magnet 232 are arranged like bar magnets with opposite polarities, and by placing the magnetic yoke 240 on the rear end face, the first magnet 231, the yoke 240, and the second magnet 232 become like a single U-shaped magnet. Therefore, the yoke 240 allows the entire plug to behave like one large magnet. The yoke 240 is divided in the left-right direction into a first yoke 241 and a second yoke 242, each of which is equipped with boot insertion portions 245 and 246 for inserting the optical fiber 280 and boot 270, and protrusions 247 and 248 for fixing the ends of the spring 265.

[0053] In this embodiment, the magnetic material of the yoke 240 can be a soft magnetic material or a hard magnetic material, and examples of soft magnetic materials and hard magnetic materials and their magnetic properties are the same as those of the receptacle 100. In this embodiment, the thin plate 220 is made of SUS430.

[0054] (Boots 270) In this embodiment, the plug 200 is provided with a boot 270 that fits into the boot insertion portion of the yoke 240. The boot 270 has a hole 271 through which an optical fiber 280 is inserted. The boot 270 also has protrusions 272 in the left-right direction, and is fixed by fitting the protrusions 272 into the holes 243 and 244 of the yoke 240 (see Figures 2 and 5). The boot 270 is made of an elastic material such as resin or rubber and has a hole that is approximately the same size as the fiber tape of the optical fiber 280. This reduces the load on the optical fiber 280 and prevents the core from breaking by holding the core wires of the optical fiber 280 extending from the ferrule 210 in parallel. Furthermore, the boot 270 in this embodiment is formed to extend from the rear end face of the plug 200 (the side of the yoke 240 opposite to the magnet 230 side). This protects the optical fiber 280 from bending. The boot 270 protects the optical fiber 280 extending from the rear end face of the plug 200, and reduces the load that occurs particularly at the edge of the yoke 240.

[0055] (Compression amount of spring 265) The contact force of the optical connector 10 is determined by the pressing force of the spring 265, and the pressing force of the spring 265 is mainly determined by the amount of compression of the spring 265 (length of the spring 265 when fully extended - length of the spring 265 when connected). Here, the length of the spring 265 when connected will be explained with reference to Figure 5. In Figure 5, when the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 are connected, the side of the ferrule 110 opposite to the connection surface abuts against the second mating portion 106 of the receptacle 100 via the pin keeper 130. On the other hand, the end of the guide component 250 on the receptacle 100 side abuts against the first mating portion 105 of the receptacle 100. Therefore, when the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 are connected, the position of the spring 265 on the receptacle 100 side (right side in Figure 5) is moved to the left from the second mating portion 106 by (thickness of the pinkeeper 130) + (longitudinal length of the ferrules 110 and 210) × 2 + (longitudinal length of the plug pinkeeper 260). On the other hand, the position of the spring 265 on the yoke 240 side (left side in Figure 5) is located at a position moved to the left from the first fitting portion 105 by (longitudinal length of guide part 250) + (longitudinal length of magnet 230) - (longitudinal length of protrusions 247 and 248 of yoke 240). Therefore, the length of the spring 265 at the time of connection can be determined based on the lengths of these parts, and the length of the spring 265 in its fully extended state can be determined based on the contact force required at the time of connection, the length of the spring 265 at the time of connection, and the modulus of elasticity of the spring 265. Furthermore, since the spring compression amount is insufficient with only the compression amount at connection, the plug is designed to be compressed by 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm during assembly.

[0056] (Optical module 300) Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the optical module 300 of this embodiment. Figure 6 shows an optical module 300 that can accommodate two receptacles 100 adjacent to each other, but the optical module 300 may incorporate one receptacle 100 or three or more receptacles 100. Note that Figure 6 is a perspective view of an optical module 300 that can incorporate two receptacles 100, with one receptacle 100 incorporated into it. In Figure 6, the optical module 300 consists of a housing 310, a cover 320, and one or more receptacles 100. The housing 310 is mounted on a substrate and may contain optical communication elements such as a photodetector or an optical modulator. In this embodiment, the optical module 300 can be assembled without subjecting the receptacle 100 to the housing 310 during the heat treatment process performed on the housing 310 during substrate mounting, as the lid 320 can be removed from the housing 310 to attach the receptacle 100 to the optical module 300.

[0057] (How to connect optical connector 10) When connecting the receptacle 100 and plug 200 of the optical connector 10, the plug 200 is first positioned relative to the receptacle 100 fixed to a circuit board or the like by aligning the outer circumference of the guide component 250 of the plug 200 with the inner circumference of the receptacle 100 for inserting the guide component 250. Next, the inner circumference of the guide component 250 (the part that contacts the outer circumference of the ferrule 110) is positioned relative to the outer circumference of the ferrule 110 on the receptacle 100 side. Finally, the guide hole 213 of the plug 200 is aligned with the guide pin 120 of the receptacle 100, and the plug 200 is pushed into the receptacle 100 until the tip of the guide component 250 contacts the first mating portion 105 of the receptacle 100. In the optical connector 10 of this embodiment, the magnetic force between the thin plate 220 and the receptacle 100 is designed to be stronger than the pressing force of the spring 265 (corresponding to the specified contact force between the ferrule 110 and the ferrule 210) when connected, so that the connected receptacle 100 and plug 200 can maintain a stable connection. Figure 7 is a schematic graph showing the force applied to the plug 200 from the start of connection (when the guide hole 213 of the plug 200 and the guide pin 120 of the receptacle 100 are aligned) to the completion of connection (when the plug 200 is pushed in and the tip of the guide part 250 contacts the first mating portion 105 of the receptacle 100). In Figure 7, "spring" is the repulsive force (pressing force) exerted by the spring 265 on the plug 200 (yoke 240), "magnet" is the attractive force (magnetic force) exerted by the magnet 230 between the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 (thin plate 220), and "total" is the sum of these repulsive and attractive forces. However, the frictional force between the guide hole 213 and the guide pin 120 is not taken into account in these forces.

[0058] The repulsive force of spring 265 is slight at the start of connection, and increases in proportion to the amount of compression of spring 265 as plug 200 is pushed into receptacle 100 and spring 265 is compressed. On the other hand, the attractive force between the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 (thin plate 220) increases rapidly as the plug 200 is pushed into the receptacle 100 and the thin plate 220 approaches the receptacle 100. This is because the magnetic force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. The sum of these forces is almost equal to the repulsive force of spring 265 at the start of connection, but decreases rapidly as the thin plate 220 approaches the receptacle 100, and becomes an attractive force when connection is complete.

[0059] As illustrated in Patent Documents 3 or 4, compared to conventional optical connectors composed of springs and latches, the conventional optical connector composed of springs and latches corresponds to the "spring" case in Figure 7, where the repulsive force of the spring increases from the start of connection to the completion of connection, requiring the plug to be pushed in with greater force. In contrast, the optical connector 10 of this embodiment has an attractive force acting along the way, so the force required to push in the plug 200 is less than that of conventional optical connectors. However, care must be taken because the plug 200 is pulled towards the receptacle 100 before the connection is completed. Furthermore, as illustrated in Patent Document 1 or 2, compared to conventional optical connectors that use magnetic force as the contact force, in the case of optical connectors that use magnetic force as the contact force, the distance between the plug and the tip of the ferrule is constant, and the horizontal axis in Figure 7 corresponds to the distance between the ferrule on the receptacle side and the ferrule on the plug side, and "magnet" corresponds to the attractive force at that distance. Therefore, just before the ferrule on the plug side contacts the ferrule on the receptacle side, an attractive force close to the specified contact force is applied, and at the time of contact, the contact surface of the ferrule may be damaged, or the tip of the guide pin may get caught on the inner wall of the guide hole, damaging the inner wall of the guide hole. In contrast, in the optical connector 10 of this embodiment, at the start of connection (start of contact) between the ferrule 110 on the receptacle 100 side and the ferrule 210 on the plug 200 side, the pressing force between the ferrule 210 on the plug 200 side and the ferrule 110 on the receptacle 100 side is small. Therefore, at the start of connection, the contact surfaces and the guide hole 213 and guide pin 120 are smoothly aligned, and then the pressing force is gradually increased, so that the contact surfaces of the ferrules 110 and 210 are not damaged, and the tip of the guide pin 120 does not get caught on the inner wall of the guide hole 213, preventing damage to the inner wall of the guide hole 213. Furthermore, in conventional optical connectors that use magnetic force as the contact force, the magnetic force corresponding to (magnet) in Figure 7 is applied as the contact force, so the contact force varies greatly depending on the distance between the receptacle and the plug when the connection is completed. And since this distance between the receptacle and the plug depends on the machining accuracy of each component of the optical connector, the contact force varies depending on the machining accuracy, and as a result the connection loss varies. In contrast, in the optical connector 10 of this embodiment, the pressing force corresponding to (spring) in Figure 7 is applied as the contact force, so the variation in the contact force due to the distance between the receptacle and the plug when the connection is completed is small. Therefore, the variation in connection loss is also small.

[0060] (Examples) In this embodiment, the thin plate 220 is made of SUS430 and has a shape of 8.0 mm in width x 7.0 mm in height x 1.0 mm in thickness (connection area 44 mm2), with a distance of 0.5 mm between the first thin plate 221 and the second thin plate 222. Furthermore, the receptacle 100 was made of SUS430, with a connection surface shaped at 8.0 mm wide x 7.0 mm high x 5.0 mm deep (connection area 44 mm²), and the depth of the recess 103 was 0.42 mm. Furthermore, the first magnet 231 and the second magnet 232 in this embodiment are made of neodymium magnets (residual magnetic flux density 1.33-1.36T, coercivity 955kA / m or more), with one side measuring 4.05mm (width) x 7.0mm (height) x 10.0mm (depth) (cross-sectional area 23mm). 2 The shape was as shown, and the gap M between the first magnet 231 and the second magnet 232 was set to 0.5 mm.

[0061] (Ferrule 110, 210) Figure 8(a) is a schematic top view of the ferrule 110 used in the embodiment, Figure 8(b) is a schematic side view seen from the left, Figure 8(c) is a schematic side view seen from the right, and Figure 8(d) is a schematic cross-sectional view of surface AA of Figure 8(a). Since the ferrule 210 has the same shape as the ferrule 110, only the ferrule 110 will be described here. As shown in Figure 8, the ferrule 110 of this embodiment consists of a ferrule body 117 and a flange portion 118 formed relative to the ferrule body 117. In the following description of this specification, the direction connecting the front end surface 110a and the rear end surface 110b (the left-right direction in Figure 8(a)) is referred to as the length direction, the direction perpendicular to the length direction (the up-down direction in Figure 8(a)) is referred to as the width direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the length direction and the width direction is referred to as the up-down direction.

[0062] Furthermore, the ferrule body 117 is formed from the front end surface 110a to the rear end surface 110b of the ferrule body 117, with a plurality of optical fiber insertion holes 114 for inserting, positioning, and fixing the portion of the optical fiber 140 from which the coating has been removed, a plurality of optical fiber guide holes 115 that communicate with the rear ends of the plurality of optical fiber insertion holes 114 and are parallel to each other, and a plurality of U-shaped or V-shaped optical fiber guide grooves 116 that communicate with the rear ends of the plurality of optical fiber guide holes 115 and are parallel to each other.

[0063] The flange portion 118 of the ferrule 110 is provided with an optical fiber tape insertion hole 119 for inserting the optical fiber tape and an adhesive filling portion 111 for injecting adhesive to fix the optical fiber 140 to the ferrule body 117. Furthermore, the ferrule 110 has two guide holes 113 formed near both ends in the lateral direction, parallel to the multiple optical fiber insertion holes 114, for inserting guide pins 120. In this embodiment, the ferrule 110 is positioned with the adhesive-filled portion 111 facing upwards, while the ferrule 210 is positioned so that its vertical orientation is reversed compared to the ferrule 110. This is to align the port numbers of the optical fibers.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, small ferrules 110 and 210 with a short length were used to miniaturize the optical connector 10. However, the dimensions may be designed so that a standardized MT ferrule can be used by adjusting the shape of the receptacle 100 and plug 200, provided that the shapes of the optical fiber insertion hole 114 and the guide hole 113 match. Alternatively, a small MT ferrule with a plate-shaped ferrule fixed to its connecting end face may be incorporated into the receptacle 100 and / or plug 200 for use. Thus, the ferrules 110 and 210 are not particularly limited in shape, and the septacle 100 and plug 200 only need to be dimensionally designed so that the ferrules 110 and 210 can be fixed to them.

[0065] In the present invention, the optical connector 10 corresponds to "optical connector", the receptacle 100 corresponds to "receptacle", the plug 200 corresponds to "plug", the ferrule 110 corresponds to "first ferrule", the ferrule 210 corresponds to "second ferrule", the thin plate 220, the first thin plate 221, and the second thin plate 222 correspond to "connection part", the magnet 230, the first magnet 231, and the second magnet 232 correspond to "magnet", the guide part 250 corresponds to "guide part", and the spring 265 corresponds to "spring", and optical Fibers 140 and 280 correspond to "optical waveguide components," yoke 240, first yoke 241, and second yoke 242 correspond to "yokes," plug pin keeper 260 corresponds to "plug pin keeper," boot 270 corresponds to "boot," optical fiber insertion hole 114 corresponds to "insertion hole," guide pin 120 corresponds to "guide pin," guide holes 113 and 213 correspond to "guide holes," first protrusion 251 corresponds to "first protrusion," second protrusion 252 corresponds to "second protrusion," and optical module 300 corresponds to "optical module."

[0066] While the above describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be understood that various other embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, although the operation and effects of the configuration of the present invention are described in this embodiment, these operation and effects are examples and do not limit the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 10 Optical Connectors 100 receptacles 110 ferrule 113 Guide holes 114 Optical fiber insertion hole 120 guide pins 140 optical fibers 200 plugs 210 ferrule 213 Guide hole 220 Thin Plate 221 First thin plate 222 Second thin plate 230 magnets 231 The first magnet 232 The second magnet 240 York 241 First York 242 Second York 250 guide parts 251 First convex part 252 Second convex part 260 Plug Pinky 265 Spring 270 Boots 280 Fiber Optics 300 Optical Modules

Claims

1. An optical connector to which a receptacle and a plug can be connected, The receptacle is made of a magnetic material and has a recess on its connection surface that can secure a first ferrule. The plug comprises a connecting portion, a magnet capable of attracting the receptacle via the connecting portion, a guide component slidably housing a second ferrule, and a spring that presses the second ferrule toward the receptacle. An optical connector wherein, when the receptacle and the plug are connected, the connecting portion transmits the magnetic force of the magnet to the receptacle, thereby exerting an attractive force between the receptacle and the plug, and the attractive force is greater than the pressing force of the spring.

2. The magnets include a first magnet and a second magnet, each having an N pole and a S pole along the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide component, facing each other and configured to enclose the optical waveguide component. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion is a plate-shaped magnetic material and is arranged such that an attractive force acts between the first magnet and the second magnet and the receptacle.

3. The plug further comprises a yoke positioned on the opposite side of the magnet from the connection portion, The optical connector according to claim 2, wherein the yoke is a magnetic material and is arranged such that an attractive force acts between it and the first magnet and the second magnet.

4. The optical connector according to claim 3, wherein the connecting portion includes a first connecting portion that contacts the first magnet and a second connecting portion that contacts the second magnet, and the same gap is provided between the first magnet and the second magnet, and between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion.

5. The plug further comprises a plug pin keeper that fits into the side of the second ferrule opposite to the connection surface with the first ferrule, and a boot that penetrates the yoke and holds the optical waveguide component in parallel, extending from the second ferrule. The receptacle has a recess for fitting the first ferrule and a hole through which the optical waveguide component can be inserted. The plug pin keeper comprises a guide pin that is inserted into the guide hole of the second ferrule, The magnet is U-shaped and arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the optical wave guide component. The optical connector according to claim 4, wherein the spring has a space inside through which the optical waveguide component can be inserted and is disposed between the plug pin keeper and the yoke.

6. The optical connector according to claim 5, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are arranged symmetrically spaced apart with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the optical waveguide component.

7. The guide component is formed of a non-magnetic material and has a first protrusion on the upper and lower surfaces of the end opposite to the receptacle that projects parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the optical waveguide component, and a second protrusion on both sides of the end opposite to the receptacle that is perpendicular to the central axis, and the end on the receptacle side fits with the receptacle. The first protrusion is formed to extend further from the end of the guide part and is inserted between the first magnet and the second magnet. The optical connector according to claim 6, wherein the second protrusion is inserted between the magnet and the connecting portion.

8. An optical module to which the optical connector described in claim 1 can be connected, An optical module in which multiple receptacles are mounted adjacent to each other, and the plug can be connected to each of the receptacles.

9. Used in the optical connector described in claim 1, A plug that can be connected to the aforementioned receptacle.

10. Used in the optical connector described in claim 1, A receptacle that can be mounted on an electronic circuit board.

11. A method for manufacturing a plug, comprising attaching the first ferrule and optical fiber to the plug according to claim 1.

12. A method for connecting an optical connector according to claim 1, A method for connecting an optical connector, which connects the receptacle and the plug.

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