Optical fiber connector housing, optical fiber connector, and optical fiber butt-jointing device

Abstract

Disclosed in the present invention are an optical fiber connector housing. The optical fiber connector housing comprises a front side wall, a first elastic arm, a second elastic arm, a rear side wall, an upper side wall, and a bottom wall. A first opening is formed in the upper side wall, so that other components of an optical fiber connector can be directly mounted inside the optical fiber connector housing from the first opening. Firstly, due to the presence of the first opening, other accessories (such as a spring) of the optical fiber connector can be mounted inside the connector housing, achieving pre-mounting; when a ferrule is replaced or mounted on site, the optical fiber connector does not need to be disassembled and reassembled, avoiding the loss of tiny spare and accessory parts during assembling, and bringing more convenience; and in addition, the first opening makes the whole mounting process completely visual, facilitating accurate mounting of a ferrule assembly and facilitating adjustment.

Description

Optical fiber connector housing, optical fiber connector, and optical fiber docking device Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of optical fiber connectors, and in particular to an optical fiber connector housing, an optical fiber connector, and an optical fiber docking device. Background Art

[0002] The vast majority of multi-fiber connectors on the market today are MPO connectors. MPO connectors are comprehensive, based on the precision MT ferrule, with auxiliary components such as springs, push-pull decoupling mechanisms, and tension-resistant structures assembled through crimping. MPO connectors are particularly suitable for applications requiring thicker cables with high tensile strength.

[0003] For some application scenarios inside the cabinets of optical fiber communication systems, such as optical fiber connections such as on-board optics, another type of multi-fiber connector based on MT ferrules is needed, called a ferrule-type multi-fiber connector. This ferrule-type multi-fiber connector does not need to prevent the optical fiber from being stretched, but requires that the total length of the optical fiber connector after docking is shorter and more compact than that of the MPO optical fiber connector.

[0004] As shown in Figure 1, an existing optical fiber connector includes a connector body A1, a male ferrule A2 and a female ferrule A3 that cooperate with each other, a spring A4, two elastic clips A5, a positioning guide pin A21, and a guide pin bracket A6. The connector body A1 has a precise alignment tunnel that runs through the front and back. The male ferrule A2 and the female ferrule A3 extend into the alignment tunnel from both ends of the connector body A1. The male ferrule A2 and the female ferrule A3 are connected to the connector body A1 through the elastic clip A5. The end of the positioning guide pin A21 of the male ferrule A2 extends into the matching positioning hole of the female ferrule A3 to achieve docking between the male ferrule A2 and the female ferrule A3. The elastic clip A5 of the optical fiber connector is often arranged on the outside of the optical fiber connector assembly and is nearly the same width as the connector body A1. The optical fiber connector and the connector body A1 can be unlocked by pressing the pressing arm of the elastic clip with a finger.

[0005] The above-mentioned existing optical fiber connectors have the following problems. Fiber optic connector maintenance is complex and difficult

[0006] During installation, the male ferrule A2 is placed into the connector body A1. The spring A4 is inserted behind the male ferrule A2 and abuts against it. The elastic clip A5 then abuts against the rear side of the spring and snaps into the connector body A1, completing the assembly of the optical fiber connector. If a fiber optic malfunction requires repair, the components must be disassembled in reverse order, the damaged fiber components replaced, and reassembled.

[0007] Such an operation is not only very cumbersome, but also because the various components of the optical fiber connector are originally very small in size, the components are easily lost during the replacement and installation process, resulting in an inability to install. Difficulty removing fiber optic connectors when they are densely arranged

[0008] As shown in Figure 2, when fiber optic connectors are applied to PCB boards, there are two undesirable situations. The first is when there is only one row of fiber optic connectors. One side of the fiber optic connector may be close to the ground. At this time, the pressing arm is close to the ground, and the gap G1 between the elastic clip A5 and the ground is too small, making it difficult for fingers to reach in and contact the pressing arm. The second is when there are multiple rows of fiber optic connectors. Not only will one side of the fiber optic connector be close to the ground, but the other side of the fiber optic connector will also be close to the fiber optic connector in the previous row. The operating gap G2 between rows will also be very small. At this time, the operation of pressing the pressing arm of the elastic clip will be more difficult.

[0009] Furthermore, since the elastic clips are often symmetrically arranged on the outside of the optical fiber connector assembly, the distance between the two elastic clips is relatively wide, and there is no limiting support between the two elastic clips. This makes it difficult for users to accurately control the pressing force when removing the optical fiber connector, and the grip is not firm. In actual use, it is often found that excessive force causes damage to the elastic clips, resulting in the elastic clips breaking. Fiber optic connector housing has low strength and poor fatigue performance

[0010] The plastic optical fiber connector shown in Figure 1 has a shell made of plastic injection molding. However, due to the low strength, poor elongation, and poor fatigue performance of the plastic itself, it is easy to cause fatigue failure due to repeated pressing after multiple operations, or it may be directly damaged by the user's inadvertent excessive force.

[0011] Therefore, there is a need for an optical fiber connector that can overcome the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The present invention provides an optical fiber connector housing, an optical fiber connector, and an optical fiber docking device to solve the problems of complex and difficult maintenance of optical fiber connectors, inconvenient disassembly when optical fiber connectors are densely arranged, low strength of the optical fiber connector housing, and poor fatigue performance.

[0013] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a fiber optic connector housing, which includes a front side wall, a first elastic arm, a second elastic arm, a rear side wall, an upper side wall and a bottom wall, and is characterized in that the upper side wall is provided with a first opening, and the components of the fiber optic connector can be directly installed into the interior of the fiber optic connector housing from the first opening, the front side wall is provided with a second opening, and the rear side wall is provided with a third opening.

[0014] Furthermore, all structures of the optical fiber connector housing are integrally formed.

[0015] Furthermore, the optical fiber connector housing is made of metal and is processed by sheet metal technology.

[0016] Furthermore, the optical fiber connector housing includes a front side wall, a first elastic arm, a second elastic arm, a rear side wall, an upper side wall and a bottom wall. The first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are provided with a first through hole, and there are clamping parts on both sides of the rear side wall. After sheet metal processing, the clamping parts are inserted into the first through hole, and the two are fixed together.

[0017] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a fiber optic connector housing, which includes a front side wall, a first elastic arm, a second elastic arm, a rear side wall, an upper side wall and a bottom wall, and is characterized in that the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are both provided with a limiting protrusion for cooperating with an adapter, and the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are both provided with a handle, and the handle includes a first hand-holding part and a second hand-holding part, and the width W1 between the two hand-holding parts of the handle is smaller than the width W2 between the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm.

[0018] Furthermore, the relationship between W1 and W2 satisfies 0.9≥W1 / W2≥0.1.

[0019] Furthermore, the handle also includes a connecting portion, which connects the first elastic arm and the first hand-held portion and the second elastic arm and the second hand-held portion. The connecting portion is formed by extending inward from the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm.

[0020] Furthermore, a first gap is formed between the first hand-held part and the second hand-held part, and the edges on both sides of the first gap are not parallel to each other. When the fingers apply pressure to the hand-held part, the edges on both sides of the gap are brought together and overlapped.

[0021] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a fiber optic connector, characterized in that the fiber optic connector includes a fiber optic connector housing, a ferrule assembly, an elastic providing member, and a ferrule bracket. The fiber optic connector housing adopts the fiber optic connector housing described above. The ferrule assembly includes a ferrule body and an optical fiber arranged in the ferrule body. The ferrule assembly is installed in the ferrule bracket. One end of the elastic providing member abuts against the rear side wall and the other end abuts against the ferrule bracket. The ferrule bracket includes a ferrule base, bracket wings arranged on both sides of the ferrule base, and a bracket opening arranged on the ferrule base. The ferrule base is a groove structure, and the ferrule body is arranged in the groove structure.

[0022] Furthermore, the bracket wing also includes a first support leg and a second support leg, the first support leg and the second support leg are both perpendicular to the bottom wall, the bottom wall is provided with a sliding groove, the sliding groove is a through hole provided on the bottom wall, the first support leg passes through the sliding groove respectively and is exposed on the back side of the bottom wall.

[0023] In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides an optical fiber docking device, characterized in that the optical fiber docking device includes an optical fiber connector, a second optical fiber connector, and an adapter, at least one of the optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector is the optical fiber connector described above,

[0024] The optical fiber connector is a male connector, wherein the ferrule assembly further comprises a guide pin and a guide pin bracket, wherein the guide pin is fixed on the guide pin bracket and passes through the guide pin hole of the ferrule body, and the front end of the guide pin is exposed from the ferrule body.

[0025] The adapter includes a plurality of docking channels, and the docking channels include a guide column hole, a plurality of guide grooves, and a step portion.

[0026] Furthermore, one of the step portions on both sides of the docking channel is located above the channel, and the other is located below the channel.

[0027] Furthermore, the docking channel also includes a blocking portion, which is located at the end of the guide groove. Beneficial effects:

[0028] Compared to split housings, fiber optic connector housings have fewer parts, a simpler production process, and a more stable overall structure. Furthermore, the presence of the first opening allows other fiber optic connector accessories (such as springs) to be pre-installed in the connector housing. When replacing or installing ferrules on-site, there's no need to disassemble and reassemble the fiber optic connector; simply pull the ferrule bracket apart and insert it directly through the first opening. This prevents the loss of small parts during assembly and makes on-site ferrule installation and replacement extremely convenient. The first opening also allows for full visualization of the entire installation process, facilitating accurate installation and adjustment of the ferrule assembly.

[0029] At this point, after the ferrule assembly flies into the optical fiber connector, the flange part of the ferrule assembly is clamped and fixed by the connector, forming a solid and stable structure that cannot be accidentally opened. This makes the user's use process very convenient and foolproof.

[0030] Furthermore, the design of the narrow handle leaves ample space for the user to grasp the handle, making it simple and convenient to pick up and place a single connector. In addition, the narrow handle solves the problem of the distance between the optical fiber connector and the ground in a one-dimensional optical fiber connector array being too small and the operating gap between rows in a two-dimensional optical fiber connector array being too small, making it difficult for fingers to reach in and contact the pressing arm. This helps users to easily pick up and place any optical fiber connector in the optical fiber connector array.

[0031] Furthermore, the two handles fold together to form a rigid structure that limits position. 1) This allows for pinching without requiring careful control of force, and strong force will not damage the elastic structure. 2) Grasping a rigid structure is much more stable than grasping two flexible arms, making it easier to insert or remove the connector from its adapter port.

[0032] Finally, compared with plastic parts, metal has high material strength, good toughness, and excellent fatigue performance. This makes metal fiber optic connectors less likely to be damaged when used cyclically. Compared with plastic fiber optic connectors, metal fiber optic connectors are also less likely to be damaged. They also have good fatigue performance and are not easily affected by plugging and unplugging performance. As a result, metal fiber optic connectors have a longer service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0034] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical fiber connector in the prior art;

[0035] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an optical fiber connector installed in a connector array in the prior art;

[0036] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical fiber connector housing according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a handle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a handle subjected to pressure in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a sheet metal blank of an optical fiber connector housing according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] 7 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical fiber connector housing according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of a ferrule assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a ferrule bracket in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of an optical fiber connector housing from another perspective according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] 12 is a schematic structural diagram of a sheet metal blank for an insert bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] 13 is a front view of an optical fiber connector according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] 14 is a right side view of the optical fiber connector housing according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] 15 is a schematic structural diagram of the docking device in Example 5 of the present invention;

[0049] 16 is a schematic structural diagram of the adapter in Example 5 of the present invention;

[0050] FIG17 is an enlarged view of a portion A of the adapter in FIG16;

[0051] FIG. 18 shows the position of the optical fiber connector of the present invention when docked in the adapter.

[0052] Description of reference numerals:

[0053] A1, connector body; A2, male insert; A3, female insert; A4, spring; A5, elastic buckle; A21, positioning guide pin; guide pin bracket A6;

[0054] 100. Optical fiber docking device; 10. Optical fiber connector; 20. Second optical fiber connector; 30. Adapter;

[0055] 1. Fiber optic connector; 11. Ferrule assembly; 111. Ferrule body; 112. Guide pin; 113. Guide pin bracket; 114. Optical fiber; 115. Flange;

[0056] 12. Fiber optic connector housing; 121. Front side wall; 1211. Second opening; 1212a / 1212b. First positioning hole; 122a. First elastic arm; 122b. Second elastic arm; 1221. Position-limiting projection; 1222a / 1222b. First through hole; 1223. Slide groove; 123. Rear side wall; 1231. Third opening; 1232a / 1232b. Engaging portion; 124. First opening; 125. Bottom wall; 1251a / 1251b. Notch; 12511a / 12511b. Corner; 1252a / 1252b. Slide groove;

[0057] 13. Elasticity providing parts;

[0058] 14. Ferrule bracket; 141. Ferrule base; 142. Bracket wing; 1421a / 1421b, first leg; 1422a / 1422b, second leg; 143, bracket opening; 144a / 144b, guide hole;

[0059] 15. Handle; 151a. First gripping portion; 151b. Second gripping portion; 152. Connecting portion; 153. First notch; 154. Anti-slip portion; 16. Guide column;

[0060] 31. Docking channel; 311a / 311b, guide column hole; 312, blocking portion; 313, guide groove; 314, step portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0062] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "radial", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended only to facilitate the description of the present invention and simplify the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0063] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0064] The optical fiber connector housing, the optical fiber connector, and the optical fiber docking device of the present invention are described below respectively. Example 1

[0065] The present embodiment provides a fiber optic connector housing 12, which can be seen from Figures 3 and 4. The fiber optic connector housing 12 includes a front side wall 121, a first elastic arm 122a, a second elastic arm 122b, a rear side wall 123, an upper side wall and a bottom wall 125. The upper side wall of the connector is provided with a first opening 124. The core assembly, spring and other components of the fiber optic connector that need to be placed in the fiber optic connector housing can be directly installed into the interior of the fiber optic connector housing 12 through the first opening 124. A second opening 1211 is provided on the front side wall 121, and a third opening 1231 is provided on the rear side wall 123.

[0066] The first opening 124 may completely cover the upper side wall, in which case the upper side wall does not exist; or may partially cover the upper side wall. The size of the first opening 124 may be adjusted according to the needs of the designer.

[0067] In this embodiment, the first opening 124 completely covers the upper side wall, and the upper side wall does not exist at this time.

[0068] The optical fiber connector is a frame structure formed by the front side wall, the rear side wall, the upper side wall, and the bottom wall. The first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b are connected to the front side wall and respectively cover at least the blank areas on both sides of the frame structure. The shapes of the front side wall, the rear side wall, the upper side wall, and the bottom wall are not defined here, as long as the front side wall, the rear side wall, the upper side wall, and the bottom wall can form a frame structure.

[0069] The first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b are both provided with a limiting protrusion 1221 for cooperating with the adapter 30. The first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b are both provided with a handle 15, and the handle 15 includes a first hand-held portion 151a and a second hand-held portion 151b. When the first hand-held portion 151a and the second hand-held portion 151b are subjected to finger pressure, the two hand-held portions drive the side walls of the optical fiber connector housing to elastically deform inward, and the limiting protrusion retracts inward. At this time, the optical fiber connector housing and the adapter are unlocked.

[0070] In order to make it more convenient for the operator to disassemble a single connector in a high-density optical fiber connector, the handle 15 also includes a connecting portion 152, which connects the first elastic arm 122a and the first hand-held portion 151a and the second elastic arm 122b and the second hand-held portion 151b. The connecting portion 152 is formed by the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b extending inward, which is conducive to leaving more space on both sides of the hand-held portion to facilitate the fingers to press the hand-held portion. The width W1 between the two hand-held portions 151a and 151b of the optical fiber connector handle 15 is smaller than the width W2 between the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b. In this embodiment, W1=6.4mm and W2=13.8mm.

[0071] This narrow handle design leaves ample room for the user to grasp the handle, making it easy to easily access and place a single connector. Furthermore, the narrow handle solves the problem of limited access to the pressing arm due to the small distance between the fiber optic connector and the ground in one-dimensional fiber optic connector arrays and the small clearance between rows in two-dimensional fiber optic connector arrays. This allows users to easily access and place any fiber optic connector in the array.

[0072] During actual operation, researchers found that when the relationship between W1 and W2 satisfies 0.9≥W1 / W2≥0.1, the above technical effects can be achieved to varying degrees.

[0073] In addition, a first notch 153 is formed between the first grip portion 151a and the second grip portion 151b. The notch 153 is trapezoidal in shape. As shown in FIG5 , when a finger applies pressure to the grip portion, the two oblique sides of the trapezoid converge and overlap, causing the first grip portion 151a and the second grip portion 151b to abut against each other. The two handles close together, forming a rigid structure with limited position. This allows for pinching without having to carefully control the amount of force applied, and strong force will not damage the elastic structure. Furthermore, grasping a rigid structure is much more stable than grasping two elastic arms with variable positions, making it easier to insert or remove the connector from its adapter interface.

[0074] Anti-slip portions 154 are also provided at the ends of the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion to prevent the user's fingers from slipping when removing the optical fiber connector.

[0075] On the other hand, the optical fiber connector housing 12 can be formed of plastic or metal. In this embodiment, the optical fiber connector housing 12 is made of metal, which can be selected from a variety of metals, such as 304, 302, 316, SPCC, CRS, A1100P, AL5052, Q195, Q215, Q235, and Q275. More specifically, the optical fiber connector housing 12 is formed from 302 stainless steel plate through a sheet metal process.

[0076] The plate shown in Figure 6 is the processed blank of the optical fiber connector housing 12, and the blank is formed into a front side wall 121, a rear side wall 123, a bottom wall 125, a handle 15, a first elastic arm 122a, and a second elastic arm 122b in sequence. The first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b are provided with first through holes 1222a / 1222b, and there are clamping parts 1232a / 1232b on both sides of the rear side wall. After sheet metal processing, the clamping parts 1232a / 1232b are inserted into the first through holes 1222a / 1222b, and the two are fixed together so that the above-mentioned side walls form a stable frame structure.

[0077] Compared with the split housing, the fiber optic connector housing has fewer parts, a simpler production process, and a more stable overall structure. In addition, due to the presence of the first opening, components such as the ferrule bracket and spring can be directly installed into the housing. In other words, the first opening allows other fiber optic connector accessories to be installed into the connector housing first, achieving pre-installation. When replacing or installing ferrules on site, there is no need to disassemble and reassemble the fiber optic connector, avoiding the loss of spare parts during the assembly process and making on-site installation and replacement of ferrules extremely convenient. At the same time, the first opening makes the entire installation process fully visible, facilitating accurate installation and adjustment of the ferrule assembly.

[0078] In addition, the narrow handle design leaves ample space for users to grasp the handle, making it easier to apply force when taking and placing. At the same time, the reserved space for taking and placing operations helps to reduce the volume occupied by the fiber optic docking device.

[0079] Furthermore, compared to plastic parts, metal has higher material strength, better toughness, and excellent fatigue performance. In the case of cyclic plugging and unplugging, the metal fiber optic connector has a long life, and the cost will be greatly reduced by sheet metal processing. Example 2

[0080] Example 2 provides a processing solution for metal material using any one or more of the following processing techniques: stamping, forging, or casting, based on Example 1.

[0081] The present embodiment provides a fiber optic connector housing 12, as shown in Figure 7, the fiber optic connector housing 12 has an overall square structure, including a front side wall 121, a first elastic arm 122a, a second elastic arm 122b, a rear side wall 123, an upper side wall and a bottom wall 125. The upper side wall of the connector is provided with a first opening 124, and the core assembly and the spring can be directly installed into the interior of the fiber optic connector housing 12 from the first opening 124. A second opening 1211 is provided on the front side wall 121, and a third opening 1231 is provided on the rear side wall 123; a limiting protrusion 1221 is provided on the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b for cooperating with the adapter 30, and a handle 15 is provided at the end of the side wall 122. The difference is that the bottom wall 125 of the optical fiber connector housing 12 also has notches 1251a / 1251b that provide elasticity for the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b, and the outer edges of the notches 1251a / 1251b coincide with the inner edges of the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b.

[0082] The side wall 122a / second elastic arm 122b and the bottom wall 125 of the optical fiber connector housing are stamped, forged, or cast, so that the notch 1251a / 1251b can separate the side wall at least partially from the bottom wall. At this time, the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b can bend inward after being subjected to pressure, thereby achieving the purpose of unlocking.

[0083] The outer corners 12511a / 12511b of the notches 1251a / 1251b are rounded to prevent stress concentration and damage inside the notches after the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b are repeatedly compressed. Example 3

[0084] As shown in FIG8 , embodiment 3 provides a fiber optic connector 10, which includes a ferrule assembly 11, a fiber optic connector housing 12, an elastic member 13, and a ferrule bracket 14. The fiber optic connector housing 12 adopts the fiber optic connector housing of the above embodiments 1-2.

[0085] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of a ferrule assembly according to the present invention. The ferrule assembly 11 includes a ferrule body 111 and an optical fiber 114. The optical fiber 114 is disposed in a fiber hole of the ferrule body 111. The ferrule body 111 is disposed in a second opening 1211. The dimension D1 of the second opening 1211 is smaller than the dimension D2 of the flange portion of the ferrule. The optical fiber 114 is disposed through the third opening 1231.

[0086] Figure 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a ferrule bracket in the present invention. The ferrule bracket 14 has a ferrule base 141, bracket wings 142 arranged on both sides of the ferrule base 141, and a bracket opening 143 arranged on the ferrule base 141. The ferrule base 141 is a groove structure. The groove structure here means that the groove includes at least a portion of the bottom surface and four portions of the side surfaces, so that the freedom of the components in the ferrule base 141 can be restricted from five directions.

[0087] The ferrule assembly 11 is disposed within the ferrule base 141; the bracket opening 143 allows the optical fiber 114 to pass through;

[0088] In this embodiment, the elastic providing member 13 is two springs, and the two springs 13 are respectively sleeved on the guide posts 16. Referring to FIG11 , it can be seen that the front side wall 121 also has two first positioning holes 1212a / 1212b, the rear side wall 123 has two second positioning holes 1232a / 1232b, and the bracket wings on both sides have guide holes 144a / 144b. The guide posts 16 pass through the second positioning holes, the springs, the guide holes, and the first positioning holes in sequence, thereby restricting the ferrule bracket 14 so that it can only slide along the axial direction of the guide posts 16.

[0089] The two springs 13 in the compressed state push the ferrule assembly 11 placed in the ferrule base 141 to close to the front side wall 121 . At this time, the flange of the ferrule body 111 is stuck on the edge of the second opening 1211 of the front side 121 .

[0090] To facilitate the installation and replacement of the ferrule assembly, the inventors have provided a very simple dedicated tool with a structure similar to the stopper on the adapter. When the connector is inserted into the dedicated tool, the stopper-like structure easily pulls the ferrule bracket 14, creating sufficient space for the ferrule assembly to be inserted, making the installation and replacement of the ferrule assembly very simple and quick.

[0091] When the ferrule assembly needs to be replaced, it is only necessary to insert the connector into the special tool and press the ferrule bracket 14 down a certain distance along the guide column 16. At this time, the ferrule body 111 is no longer close to the front side wall 121, and there is enough space between the ferrule bracket 14 and the front side 121, allowing the flange part of the ferrule body 111 to detach from the ferrule base 141 and be taken out from the first opening.

[0092] When installing a new ferrule assembly, first insert the connector into the special tool, press down the ferrule bracket 14, there is enough space between the ferrule bracket 14 and the front side 121, put the ferrule assembly 11 directly into the fiber optic connector from the first opening, then pinch the handle and take out the connector from the special tool. At this time, the restriction on the ferrule bracket 14 is released, and the spring 13 will release the elastic force to push the ferrule assembly 11 close to the front side wall 121. At this time, the new ferrule assembly is successfully installed.

[0093] In addition, the bracket wings 142 on both sides of the core bracket 14 are respectively provided with a first support leg 1421a / 1421b and a second support leg 1422a / 1422b. The first support leg and the second support leg are both perpendicular to the bottom wall 125. The bottom wall 125 is provided with sliding grooves 1252a, 1252b. The sliding grooves 1252a / 1252b are through holes provided on the bottom wall 125. The first support legs 1421a / 1421b pass through the sliding grooves 1252a / 1252b respectively and are exposed on the back side of the bottom wall 125.

[0094] The first leg and the second leg are used to cooperate with the adapter 30. When the fiber optic connector is pushed into the adapter, the ferrule holder can move forward to a certain position and stop. On the one hand, it avoids the situation where the fiber optic connector inserted first is inserted too much and the fiber optic connector inserted later is difficult to insert and dock. On the other hand, after the ferrule holder stops at a certain position, when the connector shell continues to enter, the tight state between the ferrule and the front side wall is released. At this time, the ferrule body is constrained by the inner cavity of the adapter and will not separate from the fiber optic connector shell. It is in a relatively active or pre-relaxed state. When docking with the ferrule inserted later, the relative positions of the two ferrules can be easily adjusted under the guidance of the guide pin to complete the precise docking of the fiber optic connector.

[0095] Furthermore, the ferrule bracket 14 can be formed of plastic or metal. In this embodiment, the ferrule bracket 14 is made of metal, which can be selected from a variety of metals, such as 304, 302, 316, SPCC, CRS, A1100P, AL5052, Q195, Q215, Q235, and Q275. More specifically, the ferrule bracket 14 is formed from 302 stainless steel plate through a sheet metal process.

[0096] The original blank of the ferrule bracket 14 is shown in FIG12 . After sheet metal processing, the four side surfaces of the groove structure are only connected to the bottom surface of the groove structure.

[0097] In other embodiments, the ferrule bracket 14 may also be made of metal material by any one or more processes such as stamping, forging, or casting.

[0098] The structure of this fiber optic connector uses a fiber optic connector that can be pre-assembled. When the ferrule assembly is not installed, the various components and the connector housing can be assembled into a whole, avoiding the possibility of individual parts being lost. When installing the ferrule assembly, the ferrule assembly can be directly installed through the first opening of the connector housing. The entire on-site installation process is simple to operate and there will be no situation where the installation cannot be completed due to missing parts.

[0099] In addition, the double-spring structure applies force to the bracket wings of the ferrule bracket from both sides, and the supporting force is distributed more evenly and balanced, which is conducive to keeping the ferrule bracket in a horizontal state and avoiding the problem of spring twisting. At the same time, the springs are installed on both sides of the ferrule, which is conducive to reducing the length of the fiber optic connector. Example 4

[0100] Example 4 provides another optical fiber connector 10, as shown in Figure 13, the optical fiber connector 10 includes a ferrule assembly 11, an optical fiber connector housing 12, an elastic member 13, and a ferrule bracket 14. The optical fiber connector housing 12 adopts the optical fiber connector housing of the above-mentioned Examples 1-2; in this embodiment, the elastic member 13 is a spring with an elliptical cross-section;

[0101] In other embodiments, the elasticity providing member 13 may also be a pair of magnetic members, which also provide thrust to both sides of the magnetic member. The number and structure of the magnetic members may be arranged according to requirements.

[0102] Since a spring 13 supporting the ferrule bracket 14 in the middle will inevitably cause the spring to bend, a slide groove 1223 is provided on the first elastic arm 122a and the second elastic arm 122b respectively. The slide groove 1223 is an L-shaped through groove.

[0103] The bracket wing 142 is respectively provided with a first leg 1421a / 1421b, a second leg 1422a / 1422b and a third leg 1423a / 1423b. The first leg 1421a / 1421b and the second leg 1422a / 1422b are both perpendicular to the bottom wall 125, and the third leg 1423a / 1423b is parallel to the bottom wall 125 and extends outward from the bracket wing 142. The third leg 1423a / 1423b can be installed into the interior of the optical fiber connector through the L-shaped slot and slide along the L-shaped slot.

[0104] A sliding groove 1252a / 1252b is provided on the bottom wall 125, and the sliding groove 1252a / 1252b is a through hole provided on the bottom wall 125, and a portion of the sliding groove 1223 is parallel to the sliding grooves 1252a, 1252b; the first legs 1421a / 1421b pass through the sliding grooves 1252a / 1252b respectively and are exposed on the back side of the bottom wall 125, and the third legs 1423a / 1423b are provided in the sliding groove 1223, so that the freedom of the core holder in the direction perpendicular to the optical fiber axis is constrained. After the core assembly is installed, the core holder can slide up and down along the center line direction of the spring. This design can still retain the pre-relaxation function of the optical fiber connector. Example 5

[0105] This embodiment provides an optical fiber docking device 100, as shown in Figures 15-16, which includes an optical fiber connector 10, a second optical fiber connector 20, and an adapter 30. The optical fiber connector 10 and the second optical fiber connector 20 are the optical fiber connectors in the above-mentioned embodiment 3 or 4.

[0106] The optical fiber connector 10 is a male connector, wherein the ferrule assembly further includes a guide pin 112 and a guide pin holder 113. The guide pin 112 is fixed to the guide pin holder 113 and passes through the guide pin hole of the ferrule body 111. The front end of the guide pin 112 is exposed from the ferrule body 111 and is used to be inserted into the guide pin hole of the ferrule to be connected with it, thereby achieving precise connection of the ferrule assembly.

[0107] The adapter 30 includes a plurality of docking channels 31, which can be arranged in multiple rows and columns as needed. In this embodiment, the adapter 30 has 16 docking channels, divided into 8 rows and 2 columns. Each docking channel 31 allows a pair of optical fiber connectors to dock. The docking channel 31 is clearance-matched with the optical fiber connector housing 12. The gap G between the connector housing 12 and the inner wall of the channel satisfies 0.2 mm ≤ G ≤ 0.05 mm.

[0108] Each docking channel 31 of the adapter 30 includes guide post holes 311a / 311b, a blocking portion 312, multiple guide grooves 313, and a step portion 314. The step portions 314 on either side of the docking channel are located one above the channel and the other below. This design is based on the fact that the docking surface of the ferrule is often inclined at an 8-degree angle. When docking two ferrules, they need to be flipped over to ensure proper docking.

[0109] The guide post holes 311a / 311b are used to cooperate with the guide post 16 to relatively fix the position of the optical fiber connector housing in the docking channel 31, facilitating the docking of the two ferrule bodies;

[0110] During the connector docking process, when the optical fiber connector is pushed into the docking channel 31, the first leg 1421a / 1421b and the second leg 1422a / 1422b both enter along the guide groove 313, and the blocking portion 312 is located at the end of the guide groove 313. As shown in FIG18 , when the optical fiber connector enters a certain distance into the docking channel 31, the first leg 1421a / 1421b and the second leg 1422a / 1422b hit the blocking portion 312, and the ferrule bracket 14 is blocked and no longer pushes the ferrule assembly forward, and the ferrule The assembly 11 stays near the position to be docked, so that the fiber optic connector inserted later will not have difficulty in docking because the fiber optic connector inserted earlier extends too long in the docking channel; and at this time, the close contact between the core assembly 11 and the front side wall 121 is released, and the core body is constrained by the inner cavity of the adapter and will not separate from the fiber optic connector housing, and is in a relatively active or pre-relaxed state. When docking with the core inserted later, the relative positions of the two cores can be easily adjusted under the guidance of the guide pin to complete the precise docking of the fiber optic connector.

[0111] In addition, the step portion 314 can be provided in conjunction with the stepped appearance of the back of the connector housing 12 to achieve a fool-proof function, thereby preventing the user from making installation errors due to carelessness.

[0112] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fiber optic connector housing, comprising a front side wall, a first elastic arm, a second elastic arm, a rear side wall, an upper side wall, and a bottom wall, characterized in that: The upper side wall is provided with a first opening, and components of the optical fiber connector can be directly installed into the interior of the optical fiber connector housing through the first opening. The front side wall is provided with a second opening, and the rear side wall is provided with a third opening.

2. The optical fiber connector housing according to claim 1, wherein: All structures of the optical fiber connector housing are integrally formed.

3. The optical fiber connector housing according to claim 2, wherein: The optical fiber connector housing is made of metal and is processed by sheet metal technology.

4. The optical fiber connector housing according to claim 3, wherein: The first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are provided with a first through hole, and both sides of the rear side wall are provided with a clamping portion. After sheet metal processing, the clamping portion is inserted into the first through hole, and the two are matched and fixed.

5. A fiber optic connector housing, comprising a front side wall, a first elastic arm, a second elastic arm, a rear side wall, an upper side wall, and a bottom wall, characterized in that: Both the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are provided with a limiting protrusion for cooperating with the adapter. Both the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are provided with a handle, and the handle includes a first hand-holding part and a second hand-holding part. The width W1 between the two hand-holding parts of the handle is smaller than the width W2 between the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm.

6. The optical fiber connector housing according to claim 5, wherein: The relationship between W1 and W2 satisfies 0.9≥W1 / W2≥0.

1.

7. The optical fiber connector housing according to claim 6, wherein: The handle further includes a connecting portion, which connects the first elastic arm and the first hand-held portion and the second elastic arm and the second hand-held portion. The connecting portion is formed by the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm extending inward.

8. The optical fiber connector housing according to claim 7, wherein: A first notch is formed between the first gripping part and the second gripping part. The edges on both sides of the first notch are not parallel to each other. When the fingers apply pressure to the gripping part, the edges on both sides of the notch are brought together and overlap.

9. An optical fiber connector, characterized in that: The optical fiber connector includes an optical fiber connector housing, a ferrule assembly, an elastic providing member, and a ferrule bracket. The optical fiber connector housing adopts the optical fiber connector housing according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The ferrule assembly includes a ferrule body and an optical fiber arranged in the ferrule body. The ferrule assembly is installed in the ferrule bracket. One end of the elastic providing member abuts against the rear side wall and the other end abuts against the ferrule bracket. The ferrule bracket includes a ferrule base, bracket wings arranged on both sides of the ferrule base, and a bracket opening arranged on the ferrule base. The ferrule base is a groove structure, and the ferrule body is arranged in the groove structure.

10. The optical fiber connector according to claim 9, wherein: The bracket wing also includes a first support leg and a second support leg, the first support leg and the second support leg are both perpendicular to the bottom wall, the bottom wall is provided with a sliding groove, the sliding groove is a through hole provided on the bottom wall, the first support leg passes through the sliding groove respectively and is exposed on the back side of the bottom wall.

11. An optical fiber docking device, characterized in that: The optical fiber docking device includes an optical fiber connector, a second optical fiber connector, and an adapter, wherein at least one of the optical fiber connector and the second optical fiber connector is the optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 9 to 10. The optical fiber connector is a male connector, wherein the ferrule assembly further comprises a guide pin and a guide pin bracket, wherein the guide pin is fixed on the guide pin bracket and passes through the guide pin hole of the ferrule body, and the front end of the guide pin is exposed from the ferrule body. The adapter includes a plurality of docking channels, and the docking channels include a guide column hole, a plurality of guide grooves, and a step portion.

12. The optical fiber docking device according to claim 11, wherein: The step portions on both sides of the docking channel are located, one above the channel and the other below the channel.

13. The optical fiber docking device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The docking channel further includes a blocking portion, which is located at the end of the guide groove.

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