Optical connector plug

Abstract

To guarantee safety while reducing the size of an optical connector plug.SOLUTION: An optical connector plug comprises at least: a ferrule that holds an optical fiber; a plug frame that holds the ferrule; an adapter connection member that accommodates the plug frame and is slidable relative to the plug frame; and a pinch member that accommodates the adapter connection member when the adapter connection member slides backward in an axial direction. The adapter connection member includes a shield plate on an inner peripheral side of the adapter connection member. A part of the shield plate is displaced to a position where it covers an apical surface of the ferrule and a position where it does not cover the apical surface of the ferrule, according to the slide of the adapter connection member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an optical connector plug provided with a shielding plate that shields light irradiated from a ferrule at the tip of an optical fiber.

Background Art

[0002] An optical signal irradiated from the end of an optical fiber affects the human eye. To prevent such an influence, an optical connector plug provided with a shielding plate (also referred to as a “shutter”) on the tip side of a ferrule that houses the optical fiber has been disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the case of an optical connector plug as disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the shutter member fixed inside the housing member opens and closes in the axial direction of the optical connector, it becomes difficult to miniaturize the components as an optical connector plug. The present disclosure has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to provide an optical connector plug provided with a plurality of shielding plates, which can reduce the influence on the human body by an optical signal irradiated from an optical fiber to ensure safety and can be miniaturized.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To achieve the above objective, one aspect of the present disclosure provides an optical connector plug comprising at least a ferrule for holding an optical fiber, a plug frame for holding the ferrule, an adapter connecting member for housing the plug frame and slidable relative to the plug frame, and a knob member for housing the adapter connecting member when the adapter connecting member slides axially rearward, wherein the adapter connecting member is provided with a shielding plate on its inner circumference, and a portion of the shielding plate is displaced between a position that shields the tip surface of the ferrule and a position that does not shield the tip surface of the ferrule in accordance with the sliding of the adapter connecting member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to this disclosure, an optical connector plug equipped with a shielding plate can be realized that ensures safety by reducing the effects on the human body from optical signals emitted from an optical fiber, while also enabling miniaturization. Furthermore, by equipping it with multiple shielding plates and providing double protection to the tip surface of the ferrule, the function of blocking light emitted from the ferrule can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is an external view of an optical connector plug according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an external view of an optical connector plug and an optical connector adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an example of a top view and a cross-sectional view of an optical connector plug according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is another example of a top view and cross-sectional view of an optical connector plug according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is yet another example of a top view and a cross-sectional view of an optical connector plug according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is an exploded perspective view of an optical connector plug according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]This is an exploded perspective view of an optical connector plug according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The following description of preferred embodiments is essentially illustrative and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0009] Figure 1 is an external view of an optical connector plug according to an embodiment of the present invention. The optical connector plug 1 of this embodiment is a push-pull type SC optical connector plug and has a shape that can be coupled to an SC type optical connector adapter, as shown in Figure 1(a). The optical connector plug 1 comprises an adapter connection member 2 that houses a plug frame, which will be described later, which constitutes the housing, and a knob member 3 that can house the adapter connection member 2 which is slidable in the axial direction (forward and backward in the axial direction) relative to the plug frame (of the optical fiber). The optical connector plug 1 is also connected to a boot 4 through which an optical fiber cord 5 is inserted. Here, the optical fiber cord 5 consists of a multilayer structure of a resin layer, a cladding layer, and an optical fiber core. A slit 25 is provided at the tip of the adapter connection member 2 to confirm that the shielding plate 10, which will be described later, is shielding the ferrule 6. The slit 20 is provided to confirm that the adapter connection member 2 is fitted with the knob member 3 via a colored (described later) shielding plate holding member 30.

[0010] Furthermore, in the optical connector plug of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1(b), when the adapter connecting member 2 described above slides axially backward and is housed in the knob member 3, the tip surface of the ferrule 6 that houses the optical fiber (not shown) is exposed to the outside, and the tip of the plug frame 17 that houses the ferrule 6 is also exposed to the outside. Here, the shielding plate holding member 30, which will be described later, slides axially backward as it is pressed by the adapter connecting member 2 and is displaced (and fitted) to a position corresponding to the slit (or coupling recess) 20, so that the operator can see the color marking applied to the shielding holding member 30 (or the protrusion 31, which will be described later) or marked with a seal, etc., through the slit 20.

[0011] When mating with the optical connector adapter 7 from the state shown in Figure 2(a), the ferrule 6 is exposed to the outside, and as shown in Figure 2(b), the optical connector plug 1 and the optical connector adapter 7 engage, enabling optical connection with the optical connector adapter 7. Here, the optical connector adapter 7 can be an SC type optical connector adapter.

[0012] Figure 3 shows an example of a top view and a cross-sectional view of an optical connector plug according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3(a) is a top view of the optical connector plug 1, showing the adapter connecting member 2 positioned axially forward relative to the knob member 3. Figure 3(b) is a cross-sectional view thereof.

[0013] The ferrule 6 has a substantially cylindrical shape, penetrates axially, and houses and adhesively fixes the optical fiber. The ferrule 6 is inserted from the axial rear of the plug frame 17 and is housed within the plug frame 17. The plug frame 17 has a hollow rectangular prism shape and has an insertion hole into which the ferrule 6 and the elastic member 12 (hereinafter referred to as spring 12) can be inserted axially.

[0014] The spring 12 is inserted from the axial rear side of the flange member 13, so that the spring 12 is positioned around the outer circumference of the flange member 13. One end of the spring 12 abuts against the flange member 13 on the axial rear side of the ferrule 6, and the other end abuts against the axial front side of the rear frame 14, so that the ferrule 6 is held in a state biased forward relative to the plug frame 17 and is also able to slide axially relative to the rear frame 14.

[0015] Furthermore, a pair of engaging protrusions 18 are provided around the axial front periphery of the rear frame 14, and the plug frame 17 and the rear frame 14 engage with each other. The rear frame 14 has an insertion hole into which the optical fiber core 11 can be inserted and is made of a cylindrical metal or resin material. An elastic member 15 (hereinafter referred to as spring 15) is arranged inside the knob member 3 on the outer circumference of the rear frame 14, and the adapter connecting member 2, which is located axially in front of the shielding plate holding member 30 and the shielding part holding member 30, is biased to be pushed axially forward relative to the knob member 3. Here, by using a torsion coil spring as the spring 15, it is possible to generate a constant load (torsion coil spring characteristics) regardless of the amount of displacement in a miniaturized part, and thus it can contribute to the miniaturization of optical connector plug 1 which has mechanical parts with large amounts of displacement and movement, such as the sliding of the adapter connecting member 2, as in this example.

[0016] Crimping rings 16 and 19 are crimped and fixed to the axial rear side of the rear frame 14, and the optical fiber cord 5, which encloses the optical fiber core 11, is fixed to the optical connector plug 1 by the crimping rings 16 and 19. In addition, a boot 4, which encloses the crimping rings 16 and 19 inside, is fitted to the rear of the rear frame 14, and the optical fiber cord 5 is inserted through the inside of the boot 4. The boot 4 is made of an elastic material or a resin material.

[0017] Here, a shielding plate 10 is provided on the inner peripheral side of the adapter connection member 2 and on the outer peripheral side of the plug frame 17. The shielding plate 10 is plate-shaped and made of a metal material such as stainless steel. It is provided on the inner peripheral side of the adapter connection member 2 and is held by a shielding plate holding member 30 provided along the outer periphery of the plug frame 17. In order to reduce the number of parts and the number of manufacturing steps, the shielding plate 10 can be formed into an integral structure by connecting the rear end side, which is different from the front end side that shields the ferrule 6. When the shielding plate 10 is formed into an integral structure, the shielding plate 10 can be attached to the plug frame 17 by fixing the rear end side of the shielding plate 10 to wrap around the rearward side in the axial direction of the plug frame 17.

[0018] The shielding plate 10 is held in a curved state at its tip so as to shield the front end face of the ferrule 6 when the adapter connection member 2 protrudes forward in the axial direction with respect to the front end face of the ferrule 6. Also, in the present embodiment, the shielding plate 10 is characterized in that a plurality (in this example, two) are provided on the inner peripheral side of the shielding plate holding portion 2 so as to face each other, and the curved portion at the tip of one shielding plate 10 is arranged so as to be close to the ferrule 6 with respect to the curved portion at the tip of the other shielding plate 10. In this way, by doubly shielding the front end face of the ferrule 6 with the shielding plate 10 (in other words, by adopting a double shutter structure), it is possible to protect the human body (especially the eyes) from the optical signal irradiated from the ferrule 6 while forming the shielding plate in a compact manner. Also, by providing a slit in the front portion in the axial direction of the adapter connection member 2, the shielding state of the shielding plate 10 can be visually confirmed through the slit.

[0019] FIG. 4 is another example of a top view and a cross-sectional view of an optical connector plug according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4(a) is a view of the optical connector plug 1 seen from above, showing a state in which the adapter connection member 2 is located rearward in the axial direction relative to the plug frame 17. FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view thereof.

[0020] In order to connect the optical connector plug 1 to the optical connector adapter 7, while gripping the knob member 3 and pushing the adapter connection member 2 axially rearward, the adapter connection member 2 slides axially rearward, and by this sliding, the spring 15 is compressed by the rear end of the adapter connection member 2.

[0021] As the adapter connection member 2 moves while sliding axially rearward, the front end portion of the adapter connection member in the axial forward direction is displaced rearward with respect to the front end surface of the ferrule 6 and the front end portion of the plug frame 17, whereby the front end surface of the ferrule 6 and the front end portion of the plug frame 17 are exposed to the outside. Thereby, the ferrule 6 can be optically connected to the optical fiber provided on the optical connector adapter 7 side.

[0022] In a state where the adapter connection member 2 slides and displaces axially rearward relative to the ferrule 6 and the plug frame 17, a part (front end portion) of the shielding plate 10 that was arranged to cover the front end surface of the ferrule 6 is deformed from a curved shape to a linear shape while contacting the end portion on the outer peripheral side of the plug frame 17, and is housed along the outer periphery of the plug frame 17 on the inner peripheral side of the adapter connection member 2 as a plate-like member. Further, when the adapter connection member 2 is slid, the shielding plate holding member 30 provided on the axially rearward side of the plug frame 17 so as to abut against the adapter connection member 2 is displaced axially rearward as the adapter connection member 2 slides, and the convex portion 31 provided on the shielding plate holding member 30 is fitted into the coupling concave portion 20 of the knob member 3. Thereby, the adapter connection member 2 can be fixedly held with respect to the knob member 3. Also, by coloring the convex portion 31 of the shielding holding member 30 with paint, a sealing material, etc., in a state where the convex portion 31 is fitted into the coupling concave portion 20, the operator can confirm the fitted state by color through the coupling concave portion 20 (or slit).

[0023] Figure 5 shows another example of a top view and a cross-sectional view of an optical connector plug according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5(a) is a top view of the optical connector plug 1, showing the state in which the optical connector plug 1 and the optical connector adapter 7 are fitted together, with the adapter connecting member 2 positioned axially rearward relative to the plug frame 17. Figure 5(b) is a cross-sectional view thereof.

[0024] When the optical connector plug 1 is inserted into the optical connector adapter 7, the end of the adapter connecting member 2 of the optical connector plug 1 comes into contact with the outer casing member 21 of the optical connector adapter 7. The adapter connecting member 2 slides axially backward due to the reaction force, and a projection provided on the upper surface near the tip of the adapter connecting member 2 engages with a guide groove provided on the upper surface near the rear end of the optical connector adapter 7, thereby fixing it in a predetermined position.

[0025] Simultaneously, the ferrule 6 engages with the ferrule holding portion 22 of the optical connector adapter 7, establishing an optical connection with the optical fiber inserted into the optical connector adapter 7. Even at this point, the shielding plate 10 is housed and held on the inner surface of the adapter connecting member 2, having changed from a shielded state that shields the ferrule 6 to an unshielded state that does not shield it.

[0026] Figures 6 and 7 are exploded perspective views of an optical connector plug according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] As shown in Figure 6, a shielding plate 10 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the plug frame 17 that houses the ferrule 6. The shielding plate 10 is held by a shielding plate holding member 30 located axially rear of the plug frame 17 and axially front of the rear frame 14. Figure 7 is a further exploded view of the shielding plate holding member 30, which is formed along the outer circumferential surface of the rear frame 14 and has a structure that is integrated with the shielding plate 10.

[0028] The plug frame 17 is provided with a through hole into which the ferrule 6 can be inserted. Once the ferrule 6 is inserted, the plug frame 17 engages with the rear frame 14, which houses the optical fiber core 11, in the axial rearward direction. A spring 15 is provided on the outer circumference of the rear frame 14, and a crimping ring 16 and a ring 19 are provided behind the rear frame 14 to secure the optical fiber cord 5 that houses the optical fiber core 11.

[0029] In this way, by using the shielding plate holding member of this embodiment to configure the optical connector plug, it is possible to reduce the number of parts related to the shielding plate while miniaturizing the optical connector plug. Furthermore, by providing a shielding plate that double-protects the ferrule, it is possible to prevent interference from optical signals irradiated from the optical fiber. [Industrial applicability]

[0030] As described above, the optical connector plug according to the present invention can be used for connection with an optical connector adapter. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0031] 1 Optical connector plug 2 Adapter connection member 3. Knob component 4 Boots 5. Fiber optic cord 6 ferrules 7 Optical connector adapter 10 Shield plate 30 Shielding plate holding member

Claims

1. An optical connector plug comprising at least a ferrule for holding an optical fiber, a plug frame for holding the ferrule, an adapter connecting member for housing the plug frame and slidable relative to the plug frame, and a knob member for housing the adapter connecting member when the adapter connecting member slides axially rearward, The adapter connecting member has an inner circumference side, which is provided on the outer circumference side of the plug frame and is held by a shielding plate holding member, A portion of the shielding plate is characterized by being displaced between a position that shields the tip surface of the ferrule and a position that does not shield the tip surface of the ferrule in accordance with the sliding of the adapter connecting member and the shielding plate holding member, and the shielding plate holding member is provided with a second shielding plate on the inner circumferential surface of the adapter connecting member, along the outer circumferential side of the plug frame, so as to face the shielding plate. The optical connector plug is characterized in that the shielding plate holding member is displaced axially rearward as the adapter connecting member slides axially rearward, and engages with a coupling recess provided in the knob member.

2. An optical connector plug according to Claim 1, wherein the optical connector plug is an SC type optical connector plug.

3. The optical connector plug according to claim 1, An optical connector plug characterized in that an elastic member, composed of either a torsion coil spring or a coil spring, is provided axially rear of the adapter connecting member, and the adapter connecting member and the elastic member slide in conjunction with each other.

4. An optical connector plug according to claim 1, characterized in that when a part of the shielding plate and a part of the second shielding plate are positioned to shield the tip surface of the ferrule, the part of the shielding plate is closer to the tip surface of the ferrule than the part of the second shielding plate.

5. An optical connector plug according to claim 1, characterized in that the shielding plate is made of a plate-shaped metal.

6. An optical connector plug according to claim 1, wherein, when in the mating state, a part of the shielding plate holding member can be seen through the coupling recess.

7. An optical connector plug according to claim 1, characterized in that when a part of the shielding plate shields the ferrule, the shielding state can be visually confirmed through a slit provided in a part of the adapter connecting member.

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