POF connector

Abstract

A POF connector, comprising a POF female connector (100) and a POF male connector (200). The POF female connector (100) comprises: an insulating base (1) having a mating slot (12) and an mounting position (11); and a lens module (300) mounted in the mounting position (11), wherein the lens module (300) comprises a plastic optical fiber lens (2), an input end (221) of a lens body (22) in the plastic optical fiber lens (2) being exposed in the mating slot (12), and an output end (222) of the lens body (22) being exposed at the lower end of the insulating base (1), and the insulating base (1) being mounted on a PCB (4), and the output end (222) of the lens body (22) being docked with an optical fiber chip (41) mounted on the PCB (4). The POF male connector (200) comprises an insulator (5), a plastic core tube (6), and an optical fiber wire (7), wherein a mating protrusion (51) is provided at the front part of the insulator (5), and an elastic arm (52) is formed on the insulator (5); a secondary buckle seat (8) is provided at the rear end of the insulator (5); and the mating protrusion (51) and the elastic arm (52) are inserted into the mating slot (12), the optical fiber wire (7) corresponds to the input end (221) of the lens body (22), a buckle body (521) on the elastic arm (52) is engaged and fixed with a buckle hole (120) formed in an inner wall of the mating slot (12), and the secondary buckle seat (8) slides in the direction of the elastic arm (52) and pushes the elastic arm (52) upwards to support the elastic arm (52).

Description

A POF connector Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of connectors, in particular to a POF connector. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of fiber optic communication technology, the requirements for supporting fiber optic cables and fiber optic connectors are becoming higher and higher.

[0003] Plastic optical fiber (POF) is a type of optical fiber (optical fiber) made of a highly transparent polymer core material, such as polystyrene (PS), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), or polycarbonate (PC), and a sheath material, such as PMMA or fluoroplastics. As an alternative to quartz fiber, POF offers a low-cost, lightweight, and easy-to-install data transmission medium. It is particularly well-suited for short-distance, small- to medium-capacity systems (such as access networks) that utilize numerous connectors. Compared to multimode quartz fiber, plastic optical fiber is softer, more mechanically flexible, dust-resistant, and easier to install and maintain. Of particular importance is the fact that POF core diameters are typically 0.5 mm or larger, while multimode quartz fiber core diameters are 62.5 or 50 microns. POF, with a core diameter approximately ten times larger, is easier to align. For step-index POF with a core diameter of 980 microns and graded-index POF with a core diameter of 500 microns, even a ±30 micron offset in the connection does not significantly affect coupling loss (increasing loss by approximately 0.03 dB), allowing the use of inexpensive injection-molded connectors, significantly reducing total system costs. Plastic optical fiber is widely used in civilian applications such as power, medical, and automotive. Technical issues

[0004] A Chinese invention patent (CN205562890U) discloses a plastic fiber optic socket structure, which includes: a plastic fiber optic socket, including two grooves and fiber holes respectively located in the grooves, the lower side walls of the grooves each having a notch, the left and right sides each including a card slot, and the bottom including a fixed buckle position; an optical fiber chip, including a main body and a tube pin, the main body including an optical fiber chip receiving port, which is accommodated in the groove, and the tube pin extends through the notch of the groove; a plastic fiber optic cover plate, each having a clip on both sides, the clip fixed in the card slot so that the front end surface of the plastic fiber optic cover plate supports the main body of the optical fiber chip; a PCB, including a fixing hole for fixing the fixing buckle position and a welding hole for welding to the tube pin; a plastic optical fiber line, which passes through the optical fiber hole and is connected to the optical fiber chip receiving port; a plastic optical fiber handle, which fixes the plastic optical fiber line to the plastic fiber optic socket.

[0005] However, since the plastic fiber optic socket structure directly uses a plastic fiber optic socket in conjunction with a plastic fiber optic cover to fix the fiber optic chip, the pins of the fiber optic chip are welded and fixed to the PCB. In other words, the plastic fiber optic socket structure directly comes with the fiber optic chip and requires an additional structure to fix the fiber optic chip. The structure becomes complicated and is not suitable for scenarios where the fiber optic chip has been welded and fixed on the PCB board and only optical signals need to be transmitted.

[0006] In addition, Chinese invention patent number ZL202320232951.6 discloses a fiber optic plug structure, which includes: an optical cable, a fixing sleeve fixedly mounted on the outer surface of the optical cable, a mounting assembly provided on the outer surface of the optical cable near one end, and a plug body provided at one end of the optical cable, which is used to be inserted into the slot of the optical fiber socket to form optical signal transmission. However, the plug body does not have a locking structure, so after being plugged into the optical fiber socket, it cannot achieve a stable connection. It is easily affected by external factors, causing relative separation, and thus cannot achieve stable optical signal transmission. Technical Solutions

[0007] In view of this, the inventors propose the following technical solutions. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a POF connector.

[0009] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: the POF connector includes a POF female connector and a POF male connector plugged into the POF female connector, the POF female connector includes: an insulating seat, which has a mating slot for mating with the POF male connector and a mounting position connected to the mating slot; a lens module, which is installed in the mounting position; the lens module includes a plastic optical fiber lens, the input end of the lens body in the plastic optical fiber lens is exposed in the mating slot, and the output end of the lens body is exposed at the lower end of the insulating seat; the insulating seat is installed on the PCB board, and the output end of the lens body is connected to the optical fiber chip installed on the PCB board; the POF male connector includes an insulator, A plastic core barrel is installed in the insulator, and an optical fiber is fixedly installed in the plastic core barrel. A mating protrusion is provided at the front of the insulator, and the front end of the plastic core barrel is exposed at the front end surface of the mating protrusion. A spring arm for mating with the mating slot is formed on the insulator, and a buckle body is provided on the spring arm; the rear end of the insulator is also provided with a secondary buckle seat that can be pushed and pulled back and forth and is used to push the spring arm upward to support the spring arm; the mating protrusion and the spring arm of the POF male connector are inserted into the pair of slots, the optical fiber corresponds to the input end of the lens body, and the buckle body on the spring arm is fixed with the buckle hole provided on the inner wall of the slot, and the secondary buckle seat slides toward the spring arm and pushes the spring arm upward to support the spring arm.

[0010] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the lens module also includes a bracket, and the plastic optical fiber lens is fixed in the bracket; wherein, an undercut is provided on the outer side of the bracket, and a buckle hole is provided on the inner wall of the mounting position, the undercut is snapped into the buckle hole and can move up and down relative to the buckle hole, and a metal spring is also provided between the bracket and the mounting position, and the metal spring elastically supports the bracket relative to the insulating seat, so that the bracket is fixed in the mounting position in an elastically floating manner.

[0011] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, a mounting groove is provided at the lower end of the bracket, and a docking window is provided at the upper end of the bracket that passes through the mounting groove. The plastic fiber optic lens is installed in the mounting groove, the input end of the plastic fiber optic lens is exposed in the docking window, and the output end of the plastic fiber optic lens is exposed outside the surface; the metal spring is embedded in the limit groove provided at the upper end of the bracket, and a plurality of elastic force arms protruding upward are formed on the metal spring, and the elastic force arms are all in contact with the bottom surface of the mounting position.

[0012] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, a non-circular positioning buckle is also provided in the installation groove; the plastic fiber optic lens is provided with a through second positioning hole, and the positioning buckle passes through the second positioning hole to engage with the plastic fiber optic lens for positioning; a plurality of pressing protrusions are also formed inside the installation groove, and the pressing protrusions are pressed against the periphery of the plastic fiber optic lens to limit the plastic fiber optic lens.

[0013] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the plastic optical fiber lens includes a base and a lens body integrally fixed to the base, the lens body having an input end and an output end, the input end and the output end being distributed correspondingly; the lower end surface of the bracket is also provided with a recess for accommodating the optical fiber chip, and the output end of the plastic optical fiber lens is exposed in the recess.

[0014] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, a plurality of positioning bosses are formed on the lower end surface of the insulating seat; guide grooves that pass through the mounting position are provided at the four corners of the insulating seat; guide blocks are provided at the four corners of the bracket, and the guide blocks are embedded in the guide grooves; the positioning bosses are divided into a first positioning column and a second positioning column by a slit that opens upward along the bottom surface of the positioning bosses, and a buckle that protrudes outward is also formed on the outer periphery of the lower end of the second positioning column.

[0015] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, a secondary buckle is formed at the front end of the secondary buckle seat, and a slope is provided on the top surface of the front end of the secondary buckle; the secondary buckle is placed in the guide groove of the lower end surface of the elastic arm. When the secondary buckle seat is pushed forward, the slope of the secondary buckle contacts the lower end surface of the elastic arm and pushes the elastic arm upward to support the elastic arm.

[0016] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, a sliding groove is provided at the rear end of the insulator, and rail grooves are provided on the inner walls on both sides of the sliding groove. Protruding rails adapted to the rail grooves are provided on both sides of the secondary buckle seat, and the secondary buckle seat is slidably installed in the sliding groove, wherein the protruding rail is embedded in the rail groove, and the anti-slip pushing portion on the secondary buckle seat is exposed outside the upper end surface of the insulator; travel grooves are also provided on both sides of the bottom surface of the sliding groove; inclined sliders adapted to the travel grooves are also provided on both sides of the lower end of the secondary buckle seat, and the inclined sliders are placed in the travel grooves.

[0017] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, an annular groove and a rotation-stop groove located beside and connected to the annular groove are provided on the outer side surface of the front end of the plug-in protrusion; a sealing ring is sleeved in the annular groove, and the rotation-stop protrusion on the outer side of the sealing ring is embedded in the rotation-stop groove, and the front end of the plug-in protrusion is in sealing contact with the bottom of the slot through the sealing ring.

[0018] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the rear end of the plastic core tube is provided with an O-ring and a positioning ring groove located at the rear end of the O-ring, and is sealed and assembled with the insulator through the O-ring; the insulator is provided with a core hole passing through the front end face along the front end face of the rear end face, and the lower end face of the insulator is also provided with a buckle groove passing through the core hole and in the shape of a semi-square frame, and the buckle groove of the lower end face of the insulator is also snap-fitted with a limiting seat, and the limiting protrusion formed in the limiting seat is embedded in the positioning ring groove to prevent the plastic core tube from retreating; elastic buckle bodies are formed on both sides of the limiting seat, and buckle groove bodies are formed on both sides of the buckle groove, and the elastic buckle body is snap-fitted to the buckle groove body. Beneficial effects

[0019] After adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0020] 1. When the present invention is used, the POF male connector and the POF female connector are plugged into each other, and the elastic arm and the plug-in protrusion of the POF male connector are inserted into the slot of the POF female connector, and the buckle body is buckled and fixed with the buckle hole of the POF female connector, so that the POF male connector and the POF female connector form a stable connection, and the plastic core tube corresponds to the plastic optical fiber lens in the POF female connector to achieve the transmission of optical signals. In addition, the secondary buckle seat added to the insulator of the present invention can be pushed and pulled and slid back and forth and used to push the elastic arm upward to support the elastic arm, thereby achieving a secondary locking of the elastic arm, which can effectively prevent the elastic arm from being pressed down, achieving the purpose of locking, and avoiding the phenomenon of accidental unlocking caused by the buckle body of the elastic arm being separated from the buckle hole of the POF female connector, so that the POF male connector and the POF female connector form a stable connection and will not be accidentally separated, which can further ensure the quality of the optical signal transmission of the present invention.

[0021] 2. The POF female connector in the present invention does not carry an optical fiber chip and does not require an additional structure to fix the optical fiber chip. Its structure is relatively simple. It only connects to the optical fiber chip through the lens body in the plastic optical fiber lens, and transmits the optical signal to the optical fiber chip, and finally the optical fiber chip receives the optical signal. The POF female connector in the present invention is particularly suitable for use in scenarios where the optical fiber chip has been soldered and fixed on the PCB board and only needs to transmit the optical signal.

[0022] 3. The bracket of the POF female connector in the present invention and the plastic optical fiber lens fixed on the bracket can float elastically relative to the insulating seat, so that in actual use, after the POF female connector in the present invention is fixedly installed on the PCB board, elastic contact is formed between the plastic optical fiber lens and the optical fiber chip on the PCB board, which can avoid the formation of a gap between the two, thereby ensuring the optical signal transmission quality of the plastic optical fiber lens, and preventing rigid contact from causing damage to the plastic optical fiber lens or optical fiber chip, thereby ensuring the service life and quality of the product. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG1 is a perspective view of a POF female connector from a first perspective in the present invention;

[0024] FIG2 is a perspective view of the POF female connector of the present invention from a second perspective;

[0025] FIG3 is an exploded perspective view of the POF female connector of the present invention;

[0026] FIG4 is a perspective view of the POF female connector of the present invention from a third perspective;

[0027] FIG5 is a perspective view of the insulating seat of the present invention;

[0028] FIG6 is an assembly diagram of the lens module of the present invention;

[0029] FIG7 is a perspective view of the bracket of the present invention;

[0030] FIG8 is a perspective view of the present invention docking with an optical fiber chip;

[0031] FIG9 is an assembly diagram of the present invention and a PCB board.

[0032] FIG10 is a perspective view of a POF male connector according to the present invention;

[0033] FIG11 is a perspective view of the POF male connector of the present invention from another perspective;

[0034] FIG12 is an exploded perspective view of the POF male connector of the present invention;

[0035] FIG13 is a cross-sectional view of the POF male connector of the present invention;

[0036] FIG14 is a perspective view of the POF male connector of the present invention after the limit seat is removed;

[0037] Figure 15 is a perspective view of the secondary buckle seat of the present invention;

[0038] FIG16 is a perspective view of the present invention. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0039] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1-16 , a POF connector is shown, which includes a POF female connector 100 and a POF male connector 200 that is plugged into the POF female connector 200 .

[0041] 1-9 , the POF female connector 100 is mounted on a PCB board 4 and is used to transmit optical signals to an optical fiber chip 41 mounted on the PCB board 4 , and the optical fiber chip 41 receives the optical signals.

[0042] The POF female connector 100 includes an insulating seat 1 and a lens module 300 .

[0043] Among them, the insulating seat 1 has a mating slot 12 for mating with the POF male connector 200 and a mounting position 11 connected to the mating slot 12; the lens module 300 is installed in the mounting position 11; the lens module 300 includes a plastic optical fiber lens 2, the input end 221 of the lens body 22 in the plastic optical fiber lens 2 is exposed in the mating slot 12, and the output end 222 of the lens body 22 is exposed at the lower end of the insulating seat 1; the insulating seat 1 is installed on the PCB board 4, and the output end 222 of the lens body 22 is connected to the optical fiber chip 41 installed on the PCB board 4. That is to say, the POF female connector 100 in the present invention does not carry the optical fiber chip 41, and does not require an additional structure to fix the optical fiber chip. Its structure is relatively simple. It only connects with the optical fiber chip 41 through the lens body 22 in the plastic optical fiber lens 2, and transmits the optical signal to the optical fiber chip 41, and finally the optical fiber chip 41 receives the optical signal. The POF female connector 100 in the present invention is particularly suitable for use in scenarios where the optical fiber chip has been soldered and fixed on the PCB board and only needs to transmit the optical signal.

[0044] The lens module 300 also includes a bracket 3, in which the plastic optical fiber lens 2 is fixed. The bracket 3 has an undercut 31 on its outer side, and a retaining hole 111 on the inner wall of the mounting position 11. The undercut 31 engages with the retaining hole 111 and can move up and down relative to the retaining hole 111. A metal spring 32 is also provided between the bracket 3 and the mounting position 11. The metal spring 32 elastically supports the bracket 3 relative to the insulating seat 1, allowing the bracket 3 to be fixed to the mounting position 11 in an elastically floating manner. In other words, the bracket 3 and the plastic optical fiber lens 2 fixed thereto can elastically float relative to the insulating seat 1. In actual use, after the POF female connector 100 of the present invention is fixedly mounted on the PCB board 4, elastic contact is formed between the plastic optical fiber lens 2 and the optical fiber chip 41 on the PCB board 4, thereby avoiding the formation of a gap between the two. This ensures the optical signal transmission quality of the plastic optical fiber lens 2 and prevents rigid contact that could damage the plastic optical fiber lens or optical fiber chip, thereby ensuring the product's service life and quality.

[0045] The specific assembly structure of the bracket 3 and the plastic optical fiber lens 2 is as follows:

[0046] The bracket 3 has a mounting groove 33 at its lower end and a docking window 34 extending through the mounting groove 33 at its upper end. The plastic fiber lens 2 is mounted in the mounting groove 33, with the input end 221 of the plastic fiber lens 2 exposed in the docking window 34 and in the docking slot 12, while the output end 222 of the plastic fiber lens 2 is exposed. A non-circular positioning buckle 331 is also provided within the mounting groove 33. The plastic fiber lens 2 has a second positioning hole 201 extending therethrough, and the positioning buckle 331 passes through the second positioning hole 201 to engage with the plastic fiber lens 2 for positioning, thereby ensuring that the plastic fiber lens 2 is stably mounted within the mounting groove 33. To further enhance the stability of the assembly structure, a plurality of pressing protrusions 332 are formed within the mounting groove 33. The pressing protrusions 332 abut against the periphery of the plastic fiber lens 2 to constrain the plastic fiber lens 2, thereby enhancing the stability of the assembly structure.

[0047] The metal spring piece 32 is embedded in the limiting groove 35 provided at the upper end of the bracket 3. The metal spring piece 32 is formed with multiple elastic force arms 321 protruding upward. The elastic force arms 321 are all in contact with the bottom surface of the mounting position 11, thereby eliminating the gap between the bracket 3 and the mounting position 11, and at the same time can stably elastically support the bracket 3, so that the bracket 3 can achieve elastic floating relative to the insulating seat 1.

[0048] The plastic optical fiber lens 2 includes a base 21 and a lens body 22 integrally fixed to the base 21 . The lens body 22 has an input end 221 and an output end 222 . The input end 221 and the output end 222 are correspondingly distributed.

[0049] The lower end surface of the bracket 3 is further provided with a recess 36 for accommodating the optical fiber chip 41 , and the output end 222 of the plastic optical fiber lens 2 is exposed in the recess 36 , thereby achieving a light shielding effect, thereby improving the transmission performance of the optical signal.

[0050] The lower end surface of the insulating seat 1 is formed with a plurality of positioning protrusions 13, which are used to be embedded and fixed with the PCB board. The positioning protrusions 13 are divided into a first positioning post 131 and a second positioning post 132 by a slit 130 opening upward along the bottom surface of the positioning protrusion 13. The lower end of the second positioning post 132 is also formed with a buckle 133 protruding outward. This not only realizes the function of being embedded and fixed with the PCB board, but also prevents the insulating seat 1 from accidentally detaching from the PCB board.

[0051] The four corners of the insulating seat 1 are each provided with a guide groove 14 that passes through the mounting position 11; the four corners of the bracket 3 are each provided with a guide block 37, which is embedded in the guide groove 14 to ensure that the bracket 3 is stably assembled in the mounting position 11 and can play a guiding role.

[0052] To sum up, the POF female connector 100 in the present invention does not carry the optical fiber chip 41, and does not require an additional structure to fix the optical fiber chip. Its structure is relatively simple. It only connects with the optical fiber chip 41 through the lens body 22 in the plastic optical fiber lens 2, and transmits the optical signal to the optical fiber chip 41, and finally the optical fiber chip 41 receives the optical signal. The POF female connector 100 in the present invention is particularly suitable for use in scenarios where the optical fiber chip has been soldered and fixed on the PCB board and only needs to transmit the optical signal.

[0053] 10-16 , the POF male connector 200 includes an insulator 5 , two plastic core barrels 6 inserted into the insulator 5 , and an optical fiber 7 fixedly inserted into the plastic core barrels 6 .

[0054] The front of the insulator 5 is provided with a mating protrusion 51, and the front end of the plastic core tube 6 is exposed at the front end surface of the mating protrusion 51. The insulator 5 is formed with an elastic arm 52, and the elastic arm 52 is provided with a buckle body 521; the rear end of the insulator 5 is also provided with a secondary buckle seat 8 that can be pushed and slid forward and backward and is used to push the elastic arm 52 upward to support the elastic arm 52. When the POF male connector 200 is in use, the POF male connector 200 is plugged into the POF female connector 100, and the elastic arm 52 and the plug-in protrusion 51 of the POF male connector 200 are both inserted into the plug-in slot 12 of the POF female connector 100, and the buckle body 521 is buckled and fixed with the buckle hole 120 of the POF female connector 100, so that the POF male connector 200 and the POF female connector 100 form a stable connection, and the plastic core tube 6 corresponds to the plastic optical fiber lens in the POF female connector 100 to realize the transmission of optical signals. In addition, the secondary buckle seat 8 added to the insulator 5 of the POF male connector 200 can be pushed and slid back and forth and is used to push the elastic arm 52 upward to support the elastic arm 52, thereby achieving secondary locking of the elastic arm 52, which can effectively prevent the elastic arm 52 from being pressed down, thereby achieving the purpose of locking, and avoiding the buckle body 521 of the elastic arm 52 from being disengaged from the buckle hole 120 of the POF female connector 100 and the phenomenon of accidental unlocking, so that the POF male connector 200 and the POF female connector 100 form a stable connection and will not be accidentally disengaged, which can further ensure the quality of the optical signal transmission of the present invention.

[0055] Specifically, the front end of the secondary buckle seat 8 is provided with a secondary buckle 81, and the top surface of the front end of the secondary buckle 81 is provided with a slope 811, which plays a guiding role; the secondary buckle 81 is placed in the guide groove 522 of the lower end surface of the elastic arm 52. When the secondary buckle seat 8 is pushed forward, the slope 811 of the secondary buckle 81 contacts the lower end surface of the elastic arm 52, and pushes the elastic arm 52 upward to support the elastic arm 52, thereby achieving secondary locking of the elastic arm 52, which can effectively prevent the elastic arm 52 from being pressed down, achieving the purpose of locking, and avoiding the buckle body 521 of the elastic arm 52 from being disengaged from the buckle hole 120 of the POF female connector 100 and the phenomenon of accidental unlocking, so that the POF male connector 200 and the POF female connector 100 form a stable connection and will not be accidentally disengaged, which can further ensure the quality of the optical signal transmission of the present invention.

[0056] A groove 60 is formed between the front end of the plastic core tube 6 and the front end surface of the inserting protrusion 51 , which prevents the fiber core 71 in the plastic core tube 6 from being exposed and damaged, thereby playing a good protective role.

[0057] The rear end of the insulator 5 is provided with a sliding groove 53 connected to the guide groove 522, and the inner walls on both sides of the sliding groove 53 are provided with rail grooves 531. The two sides of the secondary buckle seat 8 are provided with convex rails 82 adapted to the rail groove 531. The secondary buckle seat 8 is slidably installed in the sliding groove 53, wherein the convex rail 82 is embedded in the rail groove 531 and can achieve a stable sliding action. The anti-slip push part 85 on the secondary buckle seat 8 is exposed outside the upper end surface of the insulator 5, so that the anti-slip push part 85 can be pressed to unlock the secondary buckle seat 8 and the elastic arm 52, which is more convenient to operate.

[0058] Travel grooves 532 are also provided on both sides of the bottom surface of the sliding groove 53; inclined sliders 83 adapted to the travel groove 532 are also provided on both sides of the lower end of the secondary buckle seat 8, and the inclined slider 83 is placed in the travel groove 532, so that the inclined slider 83 can only slide in the travel groove 532, thereby limiting the forward and backward sliding stroke of the secondary buckle seat 8 and achieving a stop-retreat effect, which can prevent the secondary buckle seat 8 from accidentally falling out of the sliding groove 53, thereby ensuring the quality of the product.

[0059] The outer side of the front end of the mating protrusion 51 is provided with an annular groove 511 and a rotation-stopping groove 512 located adjacent to and connected to the annular groove 511. A sealing ring 54 is sleeved within the annular groove 511, and the rotation-stopping protrusion 541 on the outer side of the sealing ring 54 engages with the rotation-stopping groove 512. This prevents the sealing ring 54 from rotating, ensuring the stability of the assembly structure and achieving a better sealing effect. The front end of the mating protrusion 51 is in sealing contact with the bottom of the mating slot 12 via the sealing ring 54, thereby achieving effective waterproofing.

[0060] The rear end of the plastic core tube 6 is provided with an O-ring 61 and a positioning ring groove 63 located at the rear end of the O-ring 61, and is sealed and assembled with the insulator 5 through the O-ring 61, thereby achieving a waterproof effect; the insulator 5 is provided with a core hole 55 that passes through the front end face along its rear end face, and the lower end face of the insulator 5 is also provided with a buckle groove 56 that passes through the core hole 55 and is in the shape of a semi-square frame. The buckle groove 56 of the lower end face of the insulator 5 is also snap-fitted and fixed with a limiting seat 58, and the limiting protrusion 581 formed in the limiting seat 58 is embedded in the positioning ring groove 63 to prevent the plastic core tube 6 from retreating, further stably positioning the plastic core tube 6 in the insulator 5, and better protecting the plastic core tube 6 to prevent the plastic core tube 6 from being accidentally damaged.

[0061] The optical fiber 7 is also covered with a sealing ring 72 , which is also embedded in the core hole 55 to form a sealed contact.

[0062] Elastic buckle bodies 582 are formed on both sides of the limiting seat 58, and buckle groove bodies 561 are formed on both sides of the buckle groove 56. The elastic buckle bodies 582 are buckled and fixed to the buckle groove bodies 561 to ensure the stability of the assembly structure.

[0063] The elastic arm 52 is J-shaped, and the arcuate end 523 of the elastic arm 52 is integrally connected to the insulator 5. The arcuate end 523 is also provided with strip holes 524 distributed along its length and used to enhance its elastic deformation ability, so as to enhance its elastic deformation ability.

[0064] To sum up, when the present invention is in use, the POF male connector 200 is plugged into the POF female connector 100, and the elastic arm 52 and the plug-in protrusion 51 of the POF male connector 200 are both inserted into the plug-in slot 12 of the POF female connector 100, and the buckle body 521 is buckled and fixed with the buckle hole 120 of the POF female connector 100, so that the POF male connector 200 and the POF female connector 100 form a stable connection, and the plastic core tube 6 corresponds to the plastic optical fiber lens in the POF female connector 100 to realize the transmission of optical signals. In addition, the front end of the secondary buckle seat 8 is provided with a secondary buckle 81, and the top surface of the front end of the secondary buckle 81 is provided with a slope 811; the secondary buckle 81 is placed in the guide groove 522 of the lower end surface of the elastic arm 52. When the secondary buckle seat 8 is pushed forward, the slope 811 of the secondary buckle 81 contacts the lower end surface of the elastic arm 52, and pushes the elastic arm 52 upward to support the elastic arm 52, thereby achieving secondary locking of the elastic arm 52, which can effectively prevent the elastic arm 52 from being pressed down, achieving the purpose of locking, and avoiding the buckle body 521 of the elastic arm 52 from being disengaged from the buckle hole 120 of the POF female connector 100 and the phenomenon of accidental unlocking, so that the POF male connector 200 and the POF female connector 100 form a stable connection and will not be accidentally disengaged, which can further ensure the quality of the optical signal transmission of the present invention.

[0065] Of course, the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made based on the structure, features and principles described in the scope of the patent application of the present invention should be included in the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

Claims

1. A POF connector, comprising a POF female connector (100) and a POF male connector (200) plugged into the POF female connector (200), characterized in that: The POF female connector (100) comprises: an insulating seat (1) having a mating slot (12) for mating with a POF male connector and a mounting position (11) connected to the mating slot (12); a lens module (300) mounted in the mounting position (11); the lens module (300) comprising a plastic optical fiber lens (2), the input end (221) of a lens body (22) in the plastic optical fiber lens (2) being exposed in the mating slot (12), and the output end (222) of the lens body (22) being exposed at the lower end of the insulating seat (1); the insulating seat (1) being mounted on a PCB board (4), and the output end (222) of the lens body (22) being mated with an optical fiber chip (41) mounted on the PCB board (4); The POF male connector (200) comprises an insulator (5), a plastic core barrel (6) inserted and installed in the insulator (5), and an optical fiber (7) fixedly inserted in the plastic core barrel (6); the front portion of the insulator (5) is provided with an inserting protrusion (51), the front end of the plastic core barrel (6) is exposed at the front end surface of the inserting protrusion (51), the insulator (5) is formed with an elastic arm (52) for inserting into the slot (12), and the elastic arm (52) is provided with a buckle body (521); the rear end of the insulator (5) is also provided with a secondary buckle seat (8) which can be pushed and slid forward and backward and is used to push the elastic arm (52) upward to achieve support for the elastic arm (52); The plug-in protrusion (51) and the elastic arm (52) of the POF male connector (200) are inserted into the pair of slots (12), the optical fiber line (7) corresponds to the input end (221) of the lens body (22), and the buckle body (521) on the elastic arm (52) is buckled and fixed with the buckle hole (120) provided on the inner wall of the slot (12), and the secondary buckle seat (8) slides in the direction of the elastic arm (52) and pushes the elastic arm (52) upward to achieve support for the elastic arm (52).

2. A POF connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lens module (300) further comprises a bracket (3), wherein the plastic optical fiber lens (2) is fixed in the bracket (3); wherein an undercut (31) is arranged on the outer side of the bracket (3), and a buckle hole (111) is arranged on the inner wall of the mounting position (11); the undercut (31) is inserted into the buckle hole (111) and can move up and down relative to the buckle hole (111); and a metal spring (32) is further arranged between the bracket (3) and the mounting position (11); the metal spring (32) elastically supports the bracket (3) relative to the insulating seat (1), so that the bracket (3) is fixed in the mounting position (11) in an elastically floating manner.

3. A POF connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lower end of the bracket (3) is provided with a mounting groove (33), and the upper end of the bracket (3) is provided with a docking window (34) penetrating the mounting groove (33); the plastic optical fiber lens (2) is installed in the mounting groove (33); the input end (221) of the plastic optical fiber lens (2) is exposed in the docking window (34), and the output end (222) of the plastic optical fiber lens (2) is exposed outside the surface; the metal spring (32) is embedded in the limiting groove (35) provided at the upper end of the bracket (3); a plurality of elastic force arms (321) protruding upward are formed on the metal spring (32); the elastic force arms (321) are all in contact with the bottom surface of the mounting position (11).

4. A POF connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: A non-circular positioning buckle (331) is also provided in the installation groove (33); the plastic optical fiber lens (2) is provided with a through second positioning hole (201), the positioning buckle (331) passes through the second positioning hole (201) to be engaged with the plastic optical fiber lens (2) for positioning; a plurality of pressing convex portions (332) are also formed inside the installation groove (33), the pressing convex portions (332) are pressed against the periphery of the plastic optical fiber lens (2) to limit the plastic optical fiber lens (2).

5. A POF connector according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The plastic optical fiber lens (2) comprises a base (21) and a lens body (22) integrally fixed to the base (21); the lens body (22) has an input end (221) and an output end (222); the input end (221) and the output end (222) are arranged correspondingly; the lower end surface of the bracket (3) is also provided with a recess (36) for accommodating the optical fiber chip (41); the output end (222) of the plastic optical fiber lens (2) is exposed in the recess (36).

6. A POF connector according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The lower end surface of the insulating seat (1) is formed with a plurality of positioning bosses (13); the four corners of the insulating seat (1) are each provided with a guide groove (14) penetrating the mounting position (11); the four corners of the bracket (3) are each provided with a guide block (37), the guide block (37) being embedded in the guide groove (14); the positioning boss (13) has an upwardly open slit (130) along its bottom surface, so that the positioning boss (13) is divided into a first positioning boss (131) and a second positioning boss (132), and the lower end periphery of the second positioning boss (132) is also formed with a buckle portion (133) protruding outward.

7. A POF connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The front end of the secondary buckle seat (8) is provided with a secondary buckle (81), and the top surface of the front end of the secondary buckle (81) is provided with an inclined surface (811); the secondary buckle (81) is placed in the guide groove (522) on the lower end surface of the elastic arm (52), and when the secondary buckle seat (8) is pushed forward, the inclined surface (811) of the secondary buckle (81) contacts the lower end surface of the elastic arm (52), and pushes the elastic arm (52) upward to achieve support for the elastic arm (52).

8. A POF connector according to claim 7, characterized in that: The rear end of the insulator (5) is provided with a sliding groove (53), and the inner walls on both sides of the sliding groove (53) are provided with rail grooves (531). The two sides of the secondary buckle seat (8) are provided with convex rails (82) adapted to the rail grooves (531). The secondary buckle seat (8) is slidably mounted in the sliding groove (53), wherein the convex rail (82) is embedded in the rail groove (531), and the anti-slip push portion (85) on the secondary buckle seat (8) is exposed outside the upper end surface of the insulator (5); the bottom surface of the sliding groove (53) is also provided with travel grooves (532); the lower end of the secondary buckle seat (8) is also provided with inclined sliding blocks (83) adapted to the travel grooves (532), and the inclined sliding blocks (83) are placed in the travel grooves (532).

9. A POF connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The front end outer side surface of the plug-in protrusion (51) is provided with an annular groove (511) and a rotation-stopping groove (512) located beside and connected to the annular groove (511); a sealing ring (54) is sleeved in the annular groove (511), and the rotation-stopping protrusion (541) outside the sealing ring (54) is embedded in the rotation-stopping groove (512); the front end of the plug-in protrusion (51) is in sealing contact with the bottom of the plug-in slot (12) through the sealing ring (54).

10. A POF connector according to claim 9, characterized in that: The rear end of the plastic core tube (6) is provided with an O-ring (61) and a positioning ring groove (63) located at the rear end of the O-ring (61), and is sealed and assembled with the insulator (5) through the O-ring (61); the insulator (5) is provided with a core hole (55) penetrating the front end surface along its rear end surface, and the lower end surface of the insulator (5) is also provided with a buckle groove (56) penetrating the core hole (55) and in a semi-square frame shape, and a limit seat (58) is also buckled and fixed in the buckle groove (56) on the lower end surface of the insulator (5), and a limit convex portion (581) formed in the limit seat (58) is embedded in the positioning ring groove (63) to prevent the plastic core tube (6) from retreating; elastic buckle bodies (582) are formed on both sides of the limit seat (58), and buckle groove bodies (561) are formed on both sides of the buckle groove (56), and the elastic buckle body (582) is buckled and fixed to the buckle groove body (561).

Images