Optical connector for inspection, inspection system, and inspection method

Abstract

This optical connector for inspection includes: an optical fiber; a ferrule having a fiber hole into which the optical fiber is inserted, and a connection end face at which the optical fiber is exposed; a housing for holding the ferrule; a latch mechanism having a movable member that moves relative to the housing in the longitudinal direction of the fiber hole; and an extension member that is linked to the latch mechanism and holds the optical fiber therein. The length of the extension member in the longitudinal direction is longer than the length of an allowable bending radius of the optical fiber.

Description

Optical connector for inspection, inspection system, and inspection method

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-060704, filed on April 4, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Conventionally, patch panels such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1 have been used to construct optical networks in data centers and the like. The patch panel includes a large number of adapters, to which optical connectors are connected. In data centers, maintenance and inspection work on optical propagation paths is performed periodically. Specifically, an inspection optical connector is connected to the patch panel, and inspection light is input to the optical propagation path via the inspection optical connector. By detecting the intensity of the inspection light that has passed through the optical propagation path, it is possible to measure the transmission loss of light in the optical propagation path, etc.

[0003] U.S. Patent No. 8,116,434

[0004] In recent years, optical connectors have been arranged at high density on patch panels. When optical connectors are arranged at high density, it is difficult to attach and detach the optical connector for inspection to and from the patch panel during maintenance and inspection work. More specifically, the cords of the many optical connectors connected to the patch panel can sometimes hinder the attachment and detachment of the optical connector for inspection. As a result, there has been a problem of reduced efficiency in inspection work.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector for inspection, an inspection system, and an inspection method that can make the inspection work more efficient.

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the inspection optical connector of aspect 1 of the present invention comprises an optical fiber, a ferrule having a fiber hole through which the optical fiber is inserted and a connection end face from which the optical fiber is exposed, a housing that holds the ferrule, a latch mechanism having a movable member that moves relative to the housing in the longitudinal direction of the fiber hole, and an extension member connected to the latch mechanism and holding the optical fiber therein, wherein the length of the extension member in the longitudinal direction is longer than the length of the allowable bending radius of the optical fiber.

[0007] Aspect 2 of the present invention is an optical connector for inspection according to aspect 1, wherein the extension member has a first member and a second member that are C-shaped in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the optical fiber is held in a space formed by the first member and the second member.

[0008] Aspect 3 of the present invention is an optical connector for inspection according to Aspect 2, wherein the first member has a first side wall and a first clamping portion protruding from the first side wall toward the connection end face in the longitudinal direction, and the second member has a second side wall opposite the first side wall and a second clamping portion protruding from the second side wall toward the connection end face in the longitudinal direction, and the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion clamp the movable member.

[0009] Aspect 4 of the present invention is an optical connector for inspection according to Aspect 3, wherein the movable member has a first recess and a second recess, the first clamping portion has a first convex portion that extends inside the first recess, and the second clamping portion has a second convex portion that extends inside the second recess.

[0010] Aspect 5 of the present invention is an optical connector for inspection according to aspect 3 or 4, wherein the latch mechanism includes a locking protrusion protruding toward one side in a first orthogonal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion clamp the other end of the movable member in the first orthogonal direction.

[0011] A sixth aspect of the present invention is the optical connector for inspection according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the Young's modulus of the extension member is greater than the Young's modulus of the housing.

[0012] An inspection system according to aspect 7 of the present invention includes an inspection optical connector according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, a light source that outputs inspection light to the inspection optical connector, a patch panel to which the inspection optical connector is connected, an optical connector that is optically connected to the inspection optical connector by the patch panel, and a detector that detects the inspection optical connector and the inspection light propagated by the optical connector.

[0013] Aspect 8 of the present invention is an inspection system according to aspect 7, further comprising a cord clamp that regulates the position of the cord of another optical connector connected to the patch panel, and the front end of the extension member is located closer to the front than the cord clamp.

[0014] An inspection method according to aspect 9 of the present invention involves grasping an extension member of an inspection optical connector to connect the inspection optical connector to a patch panel to which multiple optical connectors are connected, inputting inspection light into an optical propagation path including the patch panel via the inspection optical connector, detecting the inspection light that has passed through the optical propagation path, and grasping and pulling the portion of the extension member that protrudes forward beyond each cord of the multiple optical connectors to disconnect the inspection optical connector from the patch panel.

[0015] According to the optical connector for inspection, the inspection system, and the inspection method according to the above aspects of the present invention, it is possible to make the inspection work more efficient.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical connector for inspection according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows IV-IV in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a view showing the optical connector for inspection of FIG. 1 connected to a patch panel. FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an inspection system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an inspection system according to a modified example of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an optical connector for inspection according to a modified example of FIG. 1.

[0017] The optical connector for inspection, the inspection system, and the inspection method of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the optical connector for inspection 10 has two ferrules 11, two optical fibers 12, a housing 13, a boot 15, an extension member 16, and a latch mechanism L. However, the number of ferrules 11 and optical fibers 12 included in the optical connector for inspection 10 may be one, or three or more. The latch mechanism L has a locking protrusion 14, a movable member 17, and a holding member 18.

[0018] As shown in Figure 2, the ferrule 11 has a connection end face 11a and a fiber hole 11b. The connection end face 11a is configured to be able to abut against a connection target (e.g., another optical connector). An optical fiber 12 is inserted through the fiber hole 11b. The fiber hole 11b opens to the connection end face 11a. The optical fiber 12 is exposed at the connection end face 11a. Although detailed description will be omitted, the inspection optical connector 10 has a biasing member for biasing the ferrule 11 toward the connection end face 11a. The housing 13 houses the biasing member, the ferrule 11, etc.

[0019] (Directional Definition) In this specification, the direction in which the fiber hole 11b extends is referred to as the longitudinal direction Y. The side of the splicing end face 11a in the longitudinal direction Y (+Y side) is referred to as the tip side or rear side. The opposite side (-Y side) is referred to as the base side or front side. A direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Y is referred to as the first orthogonal direction Z. The first orthogonal direction Z is also the direction in which the two ferrules 11 are arranged. One side (+Z side) in the first orthogonal direction Z is referred to as the upper side, and the other side (-Z side) is referred to as the lower side. The locking projection 14 protrudes upward from the holding member 18. A direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction Y and the first orthogonal direction Z is referred to as the second orthogonal direction X. One side (+X side) in the second orthogonal direction X is referred to as the right side, and the other side (-X side) is referred to as the left side. However, the first orthogonal direction Z does not have to coincide with the vertical direction.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, the locking projection 14 and the holding member 18 are disposed on the upper side of the housing 13. The holding member 18 holds the locking projection 14 between itself and the housing 13. The holding member 18, together with the movable member 17, is movable relative to the housing 13 in the longitudinal direction Y. In this embodiment, the holding member 18 and the movable member 17 are separate members. However, the holding member 18 and the movable member 17 may also be integrated. In other words, the movable member 17 may have the locking projection 14 between itself and the housing 13.

[0021] The locking protrusion 14 protrudes upward from the holding member 18. The locking protrusion 14 is a portion that is locked to the adapter 3 (see FIG. 5 ). When the locking protrusion 14 is locked to the adapter 3, movement of the inspection optical connector 10 relative to the adapter 3 is restricted, and the position of the inspection optical connector 10 in the longitudinal direction Y is determined. When no external force is acting on the movable member 17, the locking protrusion 14 is restricted from displacing downward. Therefore, the inspection optical connector 10 remains connected to the adapter 3. When the movable member 17 moves toward the front (-Y side) with respect to the housing 13, the locking protrusion 14 can be displaced downward. This allows the inspection optical connector 10 to be removed from the adapter 3.

[0022] The extension member 16 is a member that is gripped by a user when connecting the inspection optical connector 10 to the adapter 3. As shown in Fig. 1 , the extension member 16 has a first member 20 and a second member 30. The dimension (total length) of the extension member 16 in the longitudinal direction Y is represented as dimension D1. The first member 20 and the second member 30 of this embodiment are formed by processing a metal plate.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3 , the first member 20 and the second member 30 are C-shaped when viewed from the longitudinal direction Y. The first member 20 has a first side wall 21, a first upper wall 22, a first lower wall 23, and a first clamping portion 24. The second member 30 has a second side wall 31, a second upper wall 32, a second lower wall 33, and a second clamping portion 34. The first side wall 21 and the second side wall 31 are plate-shaped and extend in the longitudinal direction Y and the first orthogonal direction Z. The first side wall 21 and the second side wall 31 face each other in the second orthogonal direction X. The first upper wall 22 protrudes to the right (+X side) from the upper end of the first side wall 21. The first lower wall 23 protrudes to the right from the lower end of the first side wall 21. The second upper wall 32 protrudes to the left (−X side) from the upper end of the second side wall 31. The second lower wall 33 protrudes to the left from the lower end of the second side wall 31.

[0024] The first clamping portion 24 protrudes from the lower end of the first side wall 21 toward the tip side (+Y side). The second clamping portion 34 protrudes from the lower end of the second side wall 31 toward the tip side (+Y side). The first clamping portion 24 and the second clamping portion 34 clamp the lower end of the movable member 17. The first clamping portion 24 is formed with a first protrusion 24a that protrudes toward the right side. The second clamping portion 34 is formed with a second protrusion 34a that protrudes toward the left side. The first protrusion 24a and the second protrusion 34a are linear protrusions extending in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4 , the movable member 17 is formed with a first recess 17a and a second recess 17b. The first recess 17a and the second recess 17b are located at the lower end of the movable member 17. The first protrusion 24a enters the inside of the first recess 17a, and the second protrusion 34a enters the inside of the second recess 17b. This structure connects the extension member 16 and the movable member 17. When the user pushes the extension member 16 toward the rear (+Y side) or pulls it toward the front (-Y side), the operating force is also transmitted to the movable member 17.

[0026] The first protrusion 24a and the second protrusion 34a may be formed by the following method. First, a first member 20 without the first protrusion 24a and a second member 30 without the second protrusion 34a are prepared. Next, the movable member 17 is clamped between the first clamping unit 24 and the second clamping unit 34 so as to cover the first recess 17a and the second recess 17b. Next, using a tool or the like, the portions of the first clamping unit 24 and the second clamping unit 34 that cover the first recess 17a and the second recess 17b are plastically deformed to form the first protrusion 24a and the second protrusion 34a. In other words, the first protrusion 24a and the second protrusion 34a are formed by bulging the first clamping unit 24 and the second clamping unit 34. This method allows the extension member 16 and the movable member 17 to be firmly fixed together.

[0027] Alternatively, the first convex portion 24 a and the second convex portion 34 a may be formed when press working is performed in manufacturing the first member 20 and the second member 30. In this case, when assembling the extension member 16, the extension member 16 and the movable member 17 can be fixed by inserting the convex portions 24 a, 34 a into the recesses 17 a, 17 b.

[0028] However, it is not essential that the extension member 16 be fixed to the movable member 17. The optical connector for inspection 10 will function as long as the extension member 16 and the movable member 17 are connected to each other and have a structure in which force is transmitted to the movable member 17 when a user operates the extension member 16. For example, the extension member 16 and the movable member 17 may be connected via another member.

[0029] When the inspection optical connector 10 is connected to or disconnected from the adapter 3, the locking protrusion 14 receives a downward external force. When the inspection optical connector 10 receives an external force, the coupling position (position of the first convex portion 24a, etc.) between the extension member 16 and the movable member 17 can become the center of relative rotation between the extension member 16 and the movable member 17. In this embodiment, the coupling position is at the lower end of the inspection optical connector 10 (the opposite side from the locking protrusion 14 in the first orthogonal direction Z), which provides the effect of making it difficult for relative rotation to occur between the extension member 16 and the movable member 17.

[0030] The first member 20 and the second member 30 may be fixed together with an adhesive. The extension member 16 and the movable member 17 may be fixed together by filling an end of the distal end of the extension member 16 with an adhesive. The extension member 16 and the boot 15 may be fixed together by filling an end of the proximal end of the extension member 16 with an adhesive. As shown in FIG. 3 , a space is formed inside the extension member 16 by combining the two C-shaped members 20, 30. The optical fiber 12 is housed in this space. In this embodiment, a sheath S is provided around the portion of the optical fiber 12 housed in the extension member 16. However, the sheath S is not necessary.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the extension member 16 (first member 20 and second member 30) has a larger dimension in the longitudinal direction Y than the housing 13 and the like. A member having such a long shape tends to have low rigidity. Therefore, in this embodiment, a material with a large Young's modulus is used for the first member 20 and the second member 30. A specific material that can be used for the first member 20 and the second member 30 is, for example, an aluminum alloy. The Young's modulus of the aluminum alloy is, for example, 68 to 75×10 ９ [N / m ２ ]. In addition to combining the C-shaped members 20 and 30, the use of such a material can further increase the rigidity of the extension member 16. Furthermore, by using an aluminum alloy as the material for the extension member 16, the inspection optical connector 10 can be made lightweight and easy to handle. Furthermore, the inspection optical connector 10 connected to the adapter 3 can be prevented from tilting downward due to its own weight. Note that if the inspection optical connector 10 tilts, a problem may arise in which the connection end face 11a of the ferrule 11 does not properly abut against the connection target.

[0032] The material of the housing 13 is hard plastic (Young's modulus: about 4500 [N / m ２ The movable member 17 may be made of soft plastic (Young's modulus: about 1700 [N / m ２]) can be used. In other words, the Young's modulus of the housing 13 is greater than that of the movable member 17, and the Young's modulus of the first member 20 and the second member 30 are greater than that of the housing 13. However, the material of the first member 20 and the second member 30 may be a metal other than an aluminum alloy, or may not be a metal at all. The material of the housing 13 and the movable member 17 can also be changed.

[0033] Next, an inspection system 1 and an inspection method using the inspection optical connector 10 will be described.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 5, the inspection optical connector 10 is connected to a patch panel 2 when used. The patch panel 2 includes a plurality of adapters 3, and an optical connector 200 is connected to each adapter 3. These optical connectors 200 and the patch panel 2 are part of an optical propagation path N. The inspection optical connector 10 has the same structure as the optical connector 200, except that it includes an extension member 16. In other words, the number and shape of the ferrules 11 of the inspection optical connector 10 match the number and shape of the ferrules of the optical connector 200. When performing an inspection, the inspection optical connector 10 is connected to the adapter 3 instead of the optical connector 200.

[0035] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the inspection system 1. As shown in Fig. 6, a patch panel 2 optically connects a plurality of optical connectors 200 to a plurality of other optical connectors 100. The inspection system 1 includes a light source 5, an inspection optical connector 10, the patch panel 2, and a detector 6. The light source 5 is optically connected to the inspection optical connector 10. The light source 5 outputs inspection light I for inspecting an optical propagation path N. The detector 6 is connected to the optical connector 100 of the optical propagation path N to be inspected.

[0036] The inspection light I output from the light source 5 passes through the inspection optical connector 10 and the optical connector 100 and is detected by the detector 6. By comparing the intensity of the inspection light I output from the light source 5 with the intensity of the inspection light I detected by the detector 6, it is possible to measure the transmission loss of light in the optical propagation path N. As shown in FIG. 7 , the optical propagation path N to be inspected may include multiple patch panels 2. In this case, inspection can also be performed by the inspection system 1.

[0037] Here, a large number of optical connectors 200 may be densely connected to the patch panel 2. For this reason, in the conventional configuration, it may be difficult to connect an optical connector for inspection to the patch panel 2 instead of the optical connectors 200. In particular, the cords 201 of the large number of optical connectors 200 are densely arranged on the front side of the patch panel 2 (the area on the -Y side in FIG. 5 ). For this reason, in the conventional configuration, it is not easy to perform inspection. Therefore, the optical connector for inspection 10 of this embodiment is provided with an extension member 16. The extension member 16 protrudes further to the -Y side than the cords 201 of the optical connectors 200.

[0038] More specifically, the length D1 of the extension member 16 is greater than the allowable bending radius R of the optical fiber included in the cord 201. The bending radius of the cord 201 when it hangs down under its own weight is approximately equal to the allowable bending radius R of the optical fiber 12. Therefore, the length D1 of the extension member 16 being greater than the allowable bending radius R of the optical fiber 12 results in the protruding region A shown in FIG. 5 being obtained. The protruding region A is the portion of the extension member 16 that protrudes toward the -Y side beyond the cord 201. By grasping the protruding region A of the extension member 16, the user can easily attach and detach the inspection optical connector 10 to and from the adapter 3. Therefore, inspection can be performed efficiently even when the cords 201 are densely packed.

[0039] The condition for ensuring the protruding region A can also be expressed as follows. In Figure 5, the positions of the optical connector 200 and the inspection optical connector 10 in the longitudinal direction Y are determined by the engagement of their respective locking protrusions with the adapter 3. Therefore, the length from the locking protrusion (the portion that locks with the adapter 3) of the optical connector 200 to the end on the -Y side is defined as dimension D2. The length from the locking protrusion 14 of the inspection optical connector 10 to the end on the -Y side of the extension member 16 is defined as dimension D3. The starting point for sagging of the cord 201 due to its own weight is the end on the -Y side of the optical connector 200. Therefore, if D3 > D2 + R is satisfied, the protruding region A is ensured.

[0040] 5, the patch panel 2 may also include a cord clamp 4 for restricting the position of the cord 201. The cord clamp 4 is configured to hold the cord 201 and restricts the cord 201 from being positioned on the -Y side beyond a predetermined range. In this case, the front (-Y side) end of the extension member 16 connected to the patch panel 2 can be positioned closer to the front than the front end of the cord clamp 4. This ensures the protruding area A. However, the cord clamp 4 is not necessary.

[0041] As described above, the optical connector for inspection 10 of this embodiment includes an optical fiber 12, a ferrule 11 having a fiber hole 11b through which the optical fiber 12 is inserted and a connection end face 11a where the optical fiber 12 is exposed, a housing 13 that holds the ferrule 11, a latch mechanism L having a movable member 17 that moves relative to the housing 13 in the longitudinal direction Y of the fiber hole 11b, and an extension member 16 that is connected to the latch mechanism L and holds the optical fiber 12 therein. The length D1 of the extension member 16 in the longitudinal direction Y is greater than the length of the allowable bending radius R of the optical fiber 12. With this configuration, a protruding region A (see FIG. 5 ) is provided on the extension member 16. By gripping the protruding region A and operating the optical connector for inspection 10, the efficiency of the inspection work can be improved.

[0042] The extension member 16 also has a first member 20 and a second member 30 that are C-shaped in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Y. The optical fiber 12 is held in the space formed by the first member 20 and the second member 30. By combining the two C-shaped members 20 and 30 in this manner, the rigidity of the extension member 16 can be ensured even if the length D1 of the extension member 16 is large. Therefore, the optical fiber 12 held inside the extension member 16 can be effectively protected.

[0043] The first member 20 has a first side wall 21 and a first clamping portion 24 that protrudes from the first side wall 21 toward the connecting end face side (+Y side) in the longitudinal direction Y, and the second member 30 has a second side wall 31 that faces the first side wall 21 and a second clamping portion 34 that protrudes from the second side wall 31 toward the connecting end face side in the longitudinal direction Y, and the first clamping portion 24 and the second clamping portion 34 clamp the movable member 17. With this configuration, the extension member 16 and the movable member 17 can be connected.

[0044] Furthermore, the movable member 17 is formed with a first recess 17a and a second recess 17b, the first clamping portion 24 is formed with a first protrusion 24a that extends inside the first recess 17a, and the second clamping portion 34 is formed with a second protrusion 34a that extends inside the second recess 17b. This configuration can further strengthen the connection between the movable member 17 and the extension member 16. Therefore, the operation of the extension member 16 by the user can be more reliably transmitted to the movable member 17. Furthermore, when the movable member 17 is made of soft plastic, this also has the effect of reinforcing the movable member 17.

[0045] Furthermore, the latch mechanism L includes a locking protrusion 14 that protrudes toward one side (+Z side) in a first orthogonal direction Z that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction Y, and the first clamping portion 24 and the second clamping portion 34 clamp the end of the movable member 17 on the other side (-Z side) in the first orthogonal direction Z. With this configuration, when attaching or detaching the inspection optical connector 10 to or from the adapter 3, it is possible to prevent the movable member 17 and the extension member 16 from rotating relative to each other about the coupling position.

[0046] Furthermore, the Young's modulus of the first member 20 and the Young's modulus of the second member 30 are greater than the Young's modulus of the housing 13. In this way, by increasing the Young's modulus of the first member 20 and the second member 30, the rigidity of the extension member 16 can be further increased.

[0047] The inspection system 1 of this embodiment also includes an inspection optical connector 10, a light source 5 that outputs inspection light I to the inspection optical connector 10, a patch panel 2 to which the inspection optical connector 10 is connected, an optical connector 100 that is optically connected to the inspection optical connector 10 by the patch panel 2, and a detector 6 that detects the inspection light I propagated by the inspection optical connector 10 and the optical connector 100. The inspection system 1 described above can inspect an optical propagation path N that includes the patch panel 2.

[0048] The inspection system 1 may further include a cord clamp 4 that regulates the position of the cord 201 of the other optical connector 200. In this case, in the longitudinal direction Y, the end of the extension member 16 on the front side (-Y side) may be located closer to the front than the cord clamp 4. With this configuration, a protruding region A can be provided on the extension member 16, as shown in FIG. 5 .

[0049] This embodiment also proposes the following inspection method. Specifically, by grasping the extension member 16 of the inspection optical connector 10, the inspection optical connector 10 is connected to a patch panel 2 to which multiple optical connectors 200 are connected. Inspection light I is input to an optical propagation path N including the patch panel 2 via the inspection optical connector 10. The inspection light I that has passed through the optical propagation path N is detected. The portion of the extension member 16 that protrudes forward beyond the cords 201 of the multiple optical connectors 200 (protruding region A) is grasped and pulled to disconnect the inspection optical connector 10 from the patch panel 2. According to this inspection method, even if the cords 201 are densely packed in a patch panel 2 to which multiple optical connectors 200 are connected, the presence of the protruding region A makes it easy to operate the inspection optical connector 10. Therefore, the optical propagation path N can be efficiently inspected.

[0050] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0051] For example, the extension member 16 in the above embodiment is composed of two members 20 and 30. However, the extension member 16 may be composed of one member, or may be composed of three or more members.

[0052] In addition, in the inspection system 1 of the above embodiment, the light source 5 and the detector 6 are separate devices. However, the light source 5 and the detector 6 may be included in a single inspection device. In this case, the inspection device may be connected to the inspection optical connector 10, the light source 5 may output inspection light I, and the detector 6 may detect the inspection light I (reflected light) that returns after traveling back and forth along the optical propagation path N. Inspection can also be performed by detecting the reflected light in this way.

[0053] The structure of the ferrule 11 included in the optical connector for inspection 10 may also be changed. For example, in the example of Fig. 8, the ferrule 11 has a plurality of fiber holes 11b, and an optical fiber 12 is inserted into each of the fiber holes 11b. Furthermore, two positioning holes 11c are formed in the ferrule 11, and positioning pins 19 protrude from these positioning holes 11c. With this type of optical connector for inspection 10, the same effects as those of the above embodiment can be obtained.

[0054] In addition, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described embodiments and variations may be combined as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0055] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1... Inspection system 2... Patch panel 3... Adapter 4... Cord clamp 5... Light source 6... Detector 10... Inspection optical connector 11... Ferrule 11a... Connection end face 11b... Fiber hole 12... Optical fiber 13... Housing 14... Locking protrusion 16... Extension member 17... Movable member 17a... First recess 17b... Second recess 20... First member 21... First side wall 24... First clamping portion 24a... First convex portion 30... Second member 31... Second side wall 34... Second clamping portion 34a... Second convex portion 100, 200... Optical connector 201... Cord I... Inspection light L... Latch mechanism N... Light propagation path R... Allowable bending radius Y... Longitudinal direction Z... First orthogonal direction

Claims

1. An optical fiber; a ferrule having a fiber hole through which the optical fiber is inserted and a connection end surface from which the optical fiber is exposed; a housing for holding the ferrule; a latch mechanism having a movable member that moves relative to the housing in the longitudinal direction of the fiber hole; an extension member connected to the latch mechanism and holding the optical fiber therein; The length of the extension member in the longitudinal direction is longer than the allowable bending radius of the optical fiber.

2. the extension member has a first member and a second member that are C-shaped in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, 2. The optical connector for inspection according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is held in a space formed by the first member and the second member.

3. the first member has a first side wall and a first clamping portion protruding from the first side wall toward the connection end surface in the longitudinal direction, the second member has a second side wall facing the first side wall and a second clamping portion protruding from the second side wall toward the connection end surface in the longitudinal direction, 3. The optical connector for inspection according to claim 2, wherein the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion clamp the movable member.

4. The movable member has a first recess and a second recess formed therein, The first clamping portion has a first protrusion formed thereon that is intruded into the first recess, 4. The optical connector for inspection according to claim 3, wherein the second clamping portion is formed with a second convex portion that extends into the second concave portion.

5. the latch mechanism includes a locking projection that projects toward one side in a first orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, 5. The optical connector for inspection according to claim 3, wherein the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion clamp an end portion of the movable member on the other side in the first orthogonal direction.

6. 5. The optical connector for inspection according to claim 1, wherein the Young's modulus of the extension member is greater than the Young's modulus of the housing.

7. The optical connector for inspection according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a light source that outputs inspection light to the inspection optical connector; a patch panel to which the inspection optical connector is connected; an optical connector optically connected to the inspection optical connector by the patch panel; an inspection system comprising: the inspection optical connector; and a detector that detects the inspection light propagated by the optical connector.

8. a cord clamp for restricting the position of a cord of another optical connector connected to the patch panel; The inspection system of claim 7 , wherein a proximal end of the extension member is located proximal to the cord clamp.

9. By gripping the extension member of the inspection optical connector, the inspection optical connector is connected to a patch panel to which a plurality of optical connectors are connected; inputting test light into an optical propagation path including the patch panel via the test optical connector; Detecting the inspection light that has passed through the light propagation path; An inspection method in which the connection of the inspection optical connector to the patch panel is disconnected by grasping and pulling the portion of the extension member that protrudes forward beyond each cord of the plurality of optical connectors.