Plug connector

Abstract

To easily perform replacement work when replacing a built-in photoelectric conversion module.SOLUTION: A plug connector includes an optical connector 60 and a photoelectric conversion module 50 connected to the optical connector 60. The optical connector 60 attached to an optical cable 200 is stored in an end bell 70; the photoelectric conversion module 50 is stored in a barrel 41 inserted into a mating receptacle connector; when fitting the end bell 70 into the barrel 41 to rotate the end bell 70 around the axial center (the Z-axis), the barrel 41 and the end bell 70 are in a fitting completion state (a locked state) by a Z axial direction locking mechanism and a rotation locking mechanism around the Z-axis; and the end bell 70 can be removed from the barrel 41 when rotating the end bell 70 in the reverse direction while operating a lock member 80 functioning as rotation lock to release the rotation lock.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] This invention relates to a plug connector incorporating an optical connector attached to an optical cable and an optoelectronic conversion module connected to the optical connector.

Background Art

[0002] Figs. 15 and 16 show a plug connector described in Patent Document 1 as a conventional example of this type of plug connector. The plug connector has a plug connector body 10 and a stopper 15. Fig. 15 shows a state in which the stopper 15 is removed from the plug connector body 10.

[0003] Fig. 16 shows a state in which the plug connector body 10 is separated into a front portion 11 and a rear portion 12. In the front portion 11, 21 indicates an optical module, and 22 indicates a front holder. Also, 23 indicates an operation portion. In the rear portion 12, 25 indicates an optical connector, and 26 indicates a rear holder. Also, 27 indicates a coupling nut, and 28 indicates a rear cap.

[0004] The optical connector 25 is attached to the tip of an optical fiber cable 30 and held by the rear holder 26. The optical module 21 is an SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) module and includes an optoelectronic conversion portion and an electrical connector. The optical module 21 is held by the front holder 22.

[0005] The optical module 21 is connected to the optical connector 25, and the front portion 11 and the rear portion 12 are fastened to each other by screwing the coupling nut 27 onto a male screw portion 22a formed on the outer periphery of the rear portion of the front holder 22. The stopper 15 is attached to the rear portion 12 of the plug connector body 10, thereby restricting the rearward movement of the coupling nut 27.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-32432 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] As with the plug connectors mentioned above, in plug connectors that incorporate a photoelectric conversion module, if functional changes (improvements) are necessary, for example, to accommodate changes in communication standards, this can be done by replacing the photoelectric conversion module, meaning that components other than the photoelectric conversion module can be reused as is.

[0008] Furthermore, if the plug connector is connected to a receptacle connector located on the base station's casing, then, for example, if the photoelectric conversion module fails, it can be replaced relatively easily compared to a case where the photoelectric conversion module is located on the base station's casing.

[0009] From this perspective, when considering the workability of replacing the photoelectric conversion module, the conventional plug connector with the configuration shown in Figures 15 and 16 requires the removal of the stopper 15 attached to the rear 12 of the plug connector body 10 and the unscrewing of the coupling nut 27 with the front holder 22. In particular, the work of removing the stopper 15, which is fitted in by elastic deformation, is difficult, and the workability cannot be said to be good.

[0010] In view of this point, the object of this invention is to provide a plug connector that allows for easier replacement of a photoelectric conversion module than in the conventional method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] According to this invention, in a plug connector that incorporates an optical connector attached to an optical cable and a photoelectric conversion module connected to the optical connector, the optical connector is housed in a cylindrical end bell, and the photoelectric conversion module is housed in a barrel that is inserted into a mating receptacle connector, and when the axis of the end bell is the Z axis, the cylindrical surface at the rear end of the barrel and the end bell, which is fitted with the cylindrical surface and the front end, are provided with a Z axis locking mechanism and a rotation locking mechanism about the Z axis, and the Z axis locking mechanism is provided with the cylindrical surface and the inner circumferential surface at the front end of the end bell The first protrusion is provided on one side and the second recess is provided on the other side, the recess is composed of a groove in the Z-axis direction that guides the first protrusion and a groove in the circumferential direction that extends from the inner end of the groove in the Z-axis direction, the rotation lock mechanism is provided on the cylindrical surface and the lock member is movably attached to the end bell in the Z-axis direction, the lock member is a main body extending in the Z-axis direction, a pair of spring pieces extending on both sides of the main body so as to increase the distance between them in the Z-axis direction and forming a V-shape, and extensions formed on both sides of the main body in the Z-axis direction forward, The front end comprises a pair of extension pieces located rearward in the Z-axis direction from the front end of the main trunk, and claws projecting outward from each other on the pair of extension pieces. The pair of spring pieces have an elastic restoring force against external forces that reduce the distance between them. The locking member is prevented from coming off forward in the Z-axis direction by the claws catching on a locking portion formed on the end bell. Furthermore, a pair of spring pieces are attached to the end bell by being sandwiched from the outside by the side walls of a groove formed on the circumferential wall of the end bell, which extends in the Z-axis direction and is formed so that the rear end in the Z-axis direction becomes narrower towards the rear. The end bell is positioned relative to the barrel. When fitted at a predetermined position around the Z axis, the first protrusion is inserted into the groove in the Z axis direction, and the front end of the main body of the locking member abuts against the second protrusion and is pushed backward in the Z axis direction, with the tips of the pair of spring pieces positioned in the narrow part of the groove. When the end bell is rotated by a predetermined angle in the direction of 1 around the Z axis from this state, the first protrusion is positioned in the groove in the circumferential direction, locking the barrel and the end bell in the Z axis direction, and the front end of the main body disengages from the second protrusion, and the locking member moves forward in the Z axis direction, biased by the elastic restoring force of the pair of spring pieces.The rotation of the end bell in the opposite direction to the orientation described in 1 is prevented when the main body abuts against the second protrusion in the rotational direction around the Z axis, resulting in a completed fitting state. In the completed fitting state, the locking member is operated to move it backward against the biasing force, and while releasing the abutment between the main body and the second protrusion in the rotational direction, the end bell is rotated in the opposite direction to the orientation described in 1 to position it in the predetermined position, thereby allowing the end bell to be removed from the barrel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to this invention, the plug connector allows for easy disconnection (unlocking) of the barrel housing the photoelectric conversion module and the end bell connected to the barrel, which forms the outer shell of the plug connector. Therefore, when replacing the photoelectric conversion module, the replacement work can be easily performed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] A is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a plug connector according to this invention, and B is a side view thereof. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the plug connector, seen from the front. [Figure 3] Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the plug connector, seen from the rear. [Figure 4] A is a front view of the barrel assembly in Figure 2, B is a side view thereof, C is a perspective view thereof, and D is a cross-sectional view of A along line EE. [Figure 5] A is a front view showing the barrel assembly shown in Figure 4 with the photoelectric conversion module attached, B is a side view thereof, C is a perspective view thereof, and D is a cross-sectional view of A along line EE. [Figure 6] A is a front view of the locking member in Figure 2, B is a side view thereof, C is a rear view thereof, D is a top view thereof, E is a perspective view thereof viewed from above, and F is a perspective view thereof viewed from below. [Figure 7]Figure A is a diagram for explaining the attachment of a locking member to an end bell, Figure B is a perspective view showing the state where the locking member is attached to the end bell, Figure C is a diagram with partial omission of the illustration of the end bell with respect to Figure A, and Figure D is a diagram with partial omission of the illustration of the end bell with respect to Figure B. [Figure 8] Figure A is a front view showing the state where the locking member is attached to the end bell, Figure B is a side view thereof, Figure C is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of Figure A, and Figure D is a plan view with partial omission of the illustration of the end bell in the state where the locking member is attached. [Figure 9] Figure A is a diagram for explaining the assembly of a plug connector, Figure B is a diagram for explaining the assembly of the plug connector, and Figure C is a diagram for explaining the assembly of the plug connector. [Figure 10] Figure A is a diagram for explaining the assembly of a plug connector, and Figure B is a diagram showing the state where the assembly of the plug connector is completed. [Figure 11] Figure A is a diagram for explaining the attachment of an end bell with a locking member attached thereto to a barrel, Figure B is a diagram for explaining the attachment of an end bell with a locking member attached thereto to a barrel, and Figure C is a diagram showing the state where the attachment of an end bell with a locking member attached thereto to a barrel is completed. [Figure 12] Figure A is a plan view corresponding to the perspective view of Figure 11A, Figure B is a plan view corresponding to the perspective view of Figure 11B, and Figure C is a plan view corresponding to the perspective view of Figure 11C. [Figure 13] Figure A is a perspective view corresponding to Figure 11C, Figure B is a front view thereof, and Figure C is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of Figure B. [Figure 14] Figure A is a diagram corresponding to Figure 12C, Figure B is a diagram where the locking member is moved backward with respect to Figure A, Figure C is a diagram where a ground nut is added with respect to Figure A, and Figure D is a diagram for explaining the state where the backward movement operation of the locking member is blocked by the ground nut. [Figure 15] A diagram showing a conventional plug connector with the stopper removed. [Figure 16] A diagram showing the state where the plug connector body in Figure 15 is separated into a front part and a rear part.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of examples with reference to the drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a plug connector according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 show the plug connector 100 shown in FIG. 1 disassembled into respective parts. Note that in FIG. 1, illustration of the optical cable to which the plug connector 100 is attached is omitted.

[0016] In this example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the plug connector 100 includes a barrel assembly 40, an optoelectronic conversion module 50, an optical connector 60, an end bell 70, a lock member 80, a ground nut 90, a bushing 110, and a ring 120. In FIGS. 2 and 3, 200 indicates an optical cable, and the optical connector 60 is attached to the terminal of the optical cable 200. In this example, the optical connector 60 is an LC two-core connector.

[0017] The barrel assembly 40 is a portion that mates and connects with a mating receptacle connector, and as shown in FIG. 4, includes a barrel 41, a lock ring 42, a slider 43, a leaf spring 44, and a screw 45. The front end side of the barrel 41 forms an insertion portion 41a to be inserted into the mating receptacle connector, and the insertion portion 41a has a U-shaped cross-sectional shape.

[0018] The lock ring 42 and the slider 43 are attached around a cylindrical surface 41c formed by the outer peripheral surface of a mounting portion 41b on the rear end side of the barrel 41. A mounting hole 41d that communicates with the inner space of the U-shape of the insertion portion 41a is formed to penetrate in the front-rear direction in the mounting portion 41b. One end of the leaf spring 44 is fixed to the barrel 41 by the screw 45 and is disposed in the mounting hole 41d. Note that in FIG. 4D, 46 and 47 indicate O-rings.

[0019] In this example, the photoelectric conversion module 50 is an SFP module and is inserted into the mounting hole 41d of the barrel 41 and housed and held within the barrel 41, as shown in Figure 5. The leaf spring 44 located in the mounting hole 41d of the barrel 41 functions as a means of fixing the photoelectric conversion module 50.

[0020] The end bell 70, which forms the outer shell of the plug connector 100, is cylindrical, and the locking member 80 is attached to the end bell 70 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. In the following description, the axis of the end bell 70 will be considered the Z-axis (see Figures 7 and 8 described later). The locking member 80 is movably attached to the end bell 70 in the Z-axis direction.

[0021] Figure 6 shows the detailed shape of the locking member 80. In this example, the locking member 80 is made of a single piece of resin and comprises a main shaft 81 extending in the Z-axis direction, a pair of spring pieces 82 extending in a V-shape on both sides of the main shaft 81 in the width direction so as to increase in distance from each other toward the rear (rearward in the Z-axis direction), a pair of extension pieces 83 extending forward (forward in the Z-axis direction) on both sides of the main shaft 81 in the width direction, with their front ends located behind the front end of the main shaft (rearward in the Z-axis direction), and claws 84 projecting outward from each other on the pair of extension pieces 83.

[0022] The pair of spring pieces 82 are designed to have an elastic restoring force against external forces that reduce the distance between them. In this example, the base ends of the pair of spring pieces 82 and the base ends of the pair of extension pieces 83 are connected and supported by a pair of arm portions 85 that protrude outward from the main trunk 81. An operating portion 86 is provided above the middle portion of the main trunk 81 in the extension direction, forming a two-tiered structure with the main trunk 81. In this example, the front end portion 81a of the main trunk 81 is shaped in a stepped manner in the width direction, resulting in a notch 81b at the front end. Furthermore, the front end portion 81a of the main trunk 81 is thicker than the portion following the front end portion 81a.

[0023] Figures 7A and 7B show how the locking member 80 is attached to the end bell 70, while Figures 7C and 7D are corresponding to Figures 7A and 7B, respectively, and are shown with some omissions from the illustration of the end bell 70 in order to explain the details of the attachment.

[0024] As shown in Figure 7C, which omits the illustration of a portion of the peripheral wall 71 of the end bell 70, a groove 72 is formed in the peripheral wall 71 of the end bell 70, extending in the front-rear direction (Z-axis direction). In other words, a portion of the peripheral wall 71 of the end bell 70 has a double structure with a narrow gap-like groove 72 in between. The rear end of the groove 72 in the Z-axis direction is formed to become narrower towards the rear.

[0025] The locking member 80 is attached by inserting the main body 81 and a pair of spring pieces 82 into the groove 72 from the front end of the end bell 70. As a result, as shown in Figure 7D, the pair of spring pieces 82 are sandwiched between the side walls 72a and 72b of the groove 72 from the outside of each other.

[0026] As described above, the pair of spring pieces 82 have an elastic restoring force against external forces that reduce the distance between them. That is, when the locking member 80 is attached to the end bell 70, when the tips of the pair of spring pieces 82 are pushed in until they are positioned in the narrow portion 72C of the groove 72, the elastic restoring force of the pair of spring pieces 82 biases the locking member 80 forward (forward in the Z-axis direction). However, the claws 84 protruding from the pair of extension pieces 83 catch on the locking portion 73 formed on the end bell 70, preventing it from coming off in the Z-axis direction. When the locking member 80 is attached to the end bell 70, the front end of the main body 81 and the operating portion 86 are exposed, as shown in Figure 7B.

[0027] Figure 8 shows the state in which the locking member 80 is secured and attached to the end bell 70, as described above. In Figure 8D, similar to Figure 7D, a portion of the peripheral wall 71 of the end bell 70 is omitted from the illustration, showing the state in which the pair of claws 84 are hooked onto the locking portion 73 of the end bell 70, securing the locking member 80. Figure 8C shows that a portion of the peripheral wall 71 of the end bell 70 has a double structure, with the groove 72 into which the locking member 80 is inserted in between.

[0028] The above describes the attachment of the photoelectric conversion module 50 to the barrel assembly 40 and the attachment of the locking member 80 to the end bell 70. Next, the assembly method of the entire plug connector 100 will be described.

[0029] Figures 9A-C and 10A,B sequentially show an overview of the assembly method for the plug connector 100.

[0030] 1) The end bell 70, which has a gland nut 90, ring 120, bushing 110, and locking member 80 attached, is threaded onto the optical cable 200 to which the optical connector 60 is attached (Figure 9A).

[0031] 2) Connect the optical connector 60 to the photoelectric conversion module 50 attached to the barrel assembly 40 (Figure 9B).

[0032] 3) Attach the end bell 70 to the barrel assembly 40. The optical connector 60 will be housed in the end bell 70 (Figure 9C).

[0033] 4) The bushing 110 and ring 120 are assembled on the rear end side of the end bell 70 (Figure 10A).

[0034] 5) Screw the gland nut 90 onto the male threaded portion 74 located on the rear end of the end bell 70 (Figure 10B).

[0035] This completes the assembly of the plug connector 100 and its attachment to the optical cable 200.

[0036] In the attachment of the end bell 70 to the barrel assembly 40 as described in 3) above, the front end of the end bell 70 is fitted to the cylindrical surface 41c at the rear end of the barrel 41, thereby providing locking in the Z-axis direction and rotational locking around the Z-axis. The locking by the Z-axis locking mechanism and the locking by the rotational locking mechanism around the Z-axis will be explained below with reference to Figures 11 to 13. Note that Figures 11 to 13 only show the barrel 41 with the O-rings 46 and 47 attached and the end bell 70 with the locking member 80 attached, and other parts are not shown.

[0037] The Z-axis locking mechanism consists of a first protrusion provided on one of the cylindrical surfaces 41c of the barrel 41 and the inner circumferential surface of the front end of the end bell 70, and a recess provided on the other. The recess is composed of a Z-axis groove that guides the first protrusion and a circumferential groove that extends circumferentially from the inner end of the Z-axis groove. In Figures 11A and 12A, although partially hidden, in this example, three first protrusions 41e are provided at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction on the cylindrical surface 41c of the barrel 41, and three recesses 75 are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the front end of the end bell 70 corresponding to these first protrusions 41e. 75a indicates the Z-axis groove of the recess 75, and 75b indicates the circumferential groove of the recess 75. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the same function may be achieved by providing the first protrusion on the inner circumferential surface of the front end of the end bell 70 and the recess on the cylindrical surface 41c of the barrel 41.

[0038] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the rotation locking mechanism around the Z axis consists of a second protrusion 41f provided on the cylindrical surface 41c of the barrel 41 and a locking member 80 that is movably attached to the end bell 70 in the Z axis direction, as described above.

[0039] When the end bell 70 is fitted to the barrel 41 at a predetermined position around the Z axis, the first protrusion 41e on the cylindrical surface 41c of the barrel 41 is inserted into the Z-axis groove 75a of the recess 75 on the inner circumferential surface of the end bell 70. The front end of the main body 81 of the locking member 80 abuts against the second protrusion 41f on the cylindrical portion 41c, as shown in Figures 11B and 12B, and is pushed backward in the Z axis direction. As a result, the tips of the pair of spring pieces 82 of the locking member 80 are positioned in the narrow portion 72c of the recess groove 72 of the end bell 70.

[0040] From this state, when the end bell 70 is rotated by a predetermined angle in the direction of 1 around the Z axis, as indicated by arrow a in Figure 11B, the first protrusion 41e moves from the groove 75a in the Z axis direction of the recess 75 to the groove 75b in the circumferential direction, thereby locking the barrel 41 and the end bell 70 in the Z axis direction. Figure 13C shows the state in which the first protrusion 41e is positioned in the groove 75b in the circumferential direction and the barrel 41 and the end bell 70 are locked in the Z axis direction.

[0041] Furthermore, by rotating the end bell 70 in this manner, the front end of the main body 81 of the locking member 80 disengages from the second protrusion 41f, and the abutment with the second protrusion 41f is released. As a result, the locking member 80 is biased by the elastic restoring force of the pair of spring pieces 82 and moves forward in the Z-axis direction as shown in Figures 11C and 12C. In this example, the second protrusion 41f is positioned in the notch 81b at the front end of the main body 81, and rotation of the end bell 70 in the opposite direction to that indicated by arrow a is prevented by the front end 81a of the main body 81 abutting against the second protrusion 41f in the direction of rotation. In other words, the rotation is locked, and the fitting between the end bell 70 and the barrel 41 is completed.

[0042] To remove the end bell 70 from the fitted state of the end bell 70 and barrel 41, and separate the end bell 70 from the barrel 41, the operating part 86 of the locking member 80 is operated to move the locking member 80 backward against the biasing force of the pair of spring pieces 82, and while releasing the abutment between the front end 81a of the main body 81 and the second protrusion 41f in the rotational direction, the end bell 70 is rotated in the opposite direction to the direction indicated by arrow a, and the end bell 70 is pulled out from the barrel 41 to the predetermined position.

[0043] As explained above, in this example, by fitting the end bell 70 onto the cylindrical surface 41c of the barrel 41 and rotating it, the Z-axis direction lock and rotation lock are achieved, allowing the barrel 41 and end bell 70 to be easily assembled. By moving the locking member 80 backward and rotating the end bell 70 in the opposite direction to when it was locked, the end bell 70 can be easily removed from the barrel 41. Therefore, when it is necessary to replace the photoelectric conversion module 50 housed in the barrel 41, the replacement work can be easily carried out.

[0044] In addition, the plug connector 100 having the configuration described above can provide the following benefits. - Unless the operator moves the locking member 80 backward, neither the rotational lock nor the Z-axis lock can be released, thus preventing unintended unlocking by the operator. The locking member 80 integrates the part that performs the locking function and the biasing means (spring) for maintaining the lock, and is composed of a single part. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced compared to, for example, a case where the part that performs the locking function and the spring part are composed of separate parts. A notch 81b is present at the front end of the main trunk 81 of the locking member 80. Rotation lock can be achieved by rotating the end bell 70 until the second protrusion 41f of the barrel 41 fits into this notch 81b. Therefore, by providing the notch 81b, the rotation angle of the end bell 70 required to perform rotation lock is smaller compared to when the notch 81b is not present, and the rotation operation of the end bell 70 is simplified accordingly.

[0045] Furthermore, in the state shown in Figure 10B, where the plug connector 100 is attached to the optical cable 200, if the lock is released and the end bell 70 is pulled out of the barrel 41, the optical cable 200 is fixed to the end bell 70 via the ring 120 and bushing 110 sandwiched between the end bell 70 and the gland nut 90 (rear end component) which is attached and fastened from the rear to the rear end of the end bell 70. Therefore, when the end bell 70 is pulled out, a tensile force acts on the optical cable 200, which in turn acts on the optical connector 60, which is attached to the optical cable 200 and remains connected to the photoelectric conversion module 50. This can result in damage to the optical connector 60 and the photoelectric conversion module 50 connected to the optical connector 60. In addition, such damage or poor connection between the optical connector 60 and the photoelectric conversion module 50 can also occur if the lock is released for some reason and the end bell 70 is pulled out of the barrel 41.

[0046] To prevent such a situation from occurring, for example, the lock can be released unless the gland nut 90 is removed. This configuration will be explained below with reference to Figure 14.

[0047] As shown in Figure 14B, when the locking member 80 is operated and moved backward, the rear end 81c of the main trunk 81 is positioned so that it protrudes slightly from the end bell 70 and overlaps with the male threaded portion 74. When the barrel 41 and the end bell 70 are fully fitted together (locked), the rear end 81c is positioned so that it does not overlap with the male threaded portion 74, as shown in Figure 14A.

[0048] If this configuration is adopted, when the gland nut 90 is attached in the state where the barrel 41 and the end bell 70 are fitted together, as shown in Figure 14C and Figure 14D (in which the end bell 70 is partially omitted), the rear end 81c of the main trunk 81 abuts against the gland nut 90, thereby restricting the rearward movement of the locking member 80, that is, preventing the locking member 80 from being operated backward. Thus, the lock cannot be released without removing the gland nut 90. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 10 Plug connector body 11 Front 12 Rear 15 Stopper 21 Optical module 22 Front holder 22a Male thread part 23 Operation part 25 Optical connector 26 Rear holder 27 Coupling nut 28 Rear cap 30 Fiber Optic Cables, 40 Barrel Assemblies 41 Barrel 41a Insertion part 41b Mounting part 41c Cylindrical surface 41d Mounting hole 41e First protrusion 41f Second protrusion 42 Lock ring 43 Slider 44 Leaf spring 45 Screw 46, 47 O-ring 50 Photoelectric conversion modules 60 Optical connectors 70 End bell 71 Perimeter wall 72 Groove 72a, 72b Side wall 72c Narrow part 73 Locking part 74 Male threaded portion 75 Recess 75a, 75b groove 80 locking member 81 Main trunk 81a Front end 81b Notch 81c Rear end 82 Spring piece 83 Extension piece 84 Claw 85 Arm 86 Operating section 90 Gland nut 100 Plug connector 110 Bushing 120 rings, 200 fiber optic cables

Claims

1. A plug connector that incorporates an optical connector attached to an optical cable and a photoelectric conversion module connected to the optical connector, The optical connector is housed in a cylindrical end bell, and the photoelectric conversion module is housed in a barrel that is inserted into the mating receptacle connector. When the axis of the end bell is defined as the Z-axis, the cylindrical surface at the rear end of the barrel and the end bell, which is fitted to the front end of the cylindrical surface, are provided with a Z-axis locking mechanism and a rotational locking mechanism around the Z-axis. The Z-axis locking mechanism comprises a first protrusion provided on one of the cylindrical surface and the inner circumferential surface on the front end side of the end bell, and a recess provided on the other, wherein the recess is composed of a Z-axis groove that guides the first protrusion and a circumferential groove formed by extending circumferentially from the inner end of the Z-axis groove. The rotation locking mechanism comprises a second protrusion provided on the cylindrical surface and a locking member movably attached to the end bell in the Z-axis direction, the locking member comprising a main body extending in the Z-axis direction, a pair of spring pieces extending on both sides of the main body so as to increase in distance from each other toward the rear in the Z-axis direction and forming a V-shape, a pair of extension pieces extending forward in the Z-axis direction from both sides of the main body, with their front ends located behind the front end of the main body in the Z-axis direction, and claws projecting outward from each other on the pair of extension pieces, the pair of spring pieces having an elastic restoring force against external forces that reduce the distance between them, The locking member is prevented from coming off in the forward direction in the Z-axis direction by the claw catching on a locking portion formed in the end bell, and the pair of spring pieces are attached to the end bell by being sandwiched from each other's outsides by the side walls of a groove formed on both sides of the circumferential wall of the end bell, which extends in the Z-axis direction and is formed so that the rear end in the Z-axis direction becomes narrower toward the rear. When the end bell is fitted to the barrel at a predetermined position around the Z axis, the first protrusion is inserted into the groove in the Z axis direction, the front end of the locking member abuts against the second protrusion and is pushed backward in the Z axis direction, and the tips of the pair of spring pieces are positioned in the narrow portion of the groove. When the end bell is rotated by a predetermined angle in direction 1 around the Z axis from the state described above, the first protrusion is positioned in the circumferential groove, locking the barrel and the end bell in the Z axis direction, and the front end of the main body disengages from the second protrusion. The locking member is then biased by the elastic restoring force of the pair of spring pieces to move forward in the Z axis direction, thereby preventing the end bell from rotating in the opposite direction to direction 1 by the main body striking the second protrusion in the rotational direction around the Z axis, thus completing the fitting. A plug connector characterized in that, in the completed fitting state, the end bell can be removed from the barrel by operating the locking member to move it backward against the biasing force, and rotating the end bell in the opposite direction to the orientation of the first part while releasing the abutment between the main body and the second protrusion in the rotational direction, thereby positioning it in the predetermined position.

2. In the plug connector according to claim 1, It includes a rear end component that can be attached to the end bell from behind the end bell, A plug connector characterized in that when the rear end component is attached to the end bell in the mating completed state, the rear end of the main body abuts against the rear end component, thereby restricting the rearward movement of the locking member and preventing the operation of the locking member backward.

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