Optical connector plug and lock tool

Abstract

Provided is an optical connector plug fitted to an optical adapter, the optical connector plug comprising a latch configured to be engageable with the optical adapter by movement of the tip side thereof in the vertical direction, and a lock arm configured to be movable with respect to the latch, the lock arm having a lock part configured to be movable between a position overlapping a bottom surface of the latch in plan view and a position not overlapping the bottom surface of the latch, and the optical connector plug being configured such that when the optical connector plug is not fitted to the optical adapter, the lock part is disposed at the position not overlapping the bottom surface of the latch in plan view, and when the optical connector plug is fitted to the optical adapter, the lock arm is pressed by an inner wall of the optical adapter to move the lock part to the position overlapping the bottom surface of the latch in plan view.

Description

Optical Connector Plug and Locking Tool

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical connector plug and a locking tool for locking the optical connector plug.

[0002] Optical fiber cables are connected to optical modules such as receivers and transmitters, or to other optical fiber cables, via optical adapters (including so-called receptacles). Therefore, an optical connector plug that fits into the optical adapter is provided at the end of the optical fiber cable. In devices such as communication devices that incorporate optical modules and distribution boards that relay optical fiber cables, multiple optical adapters may be densely packed together to reduce the size of the device. Optical connector plugs with various additional structures have been developed to facilitate the attachment and detachment of optical adapters.

[0003] The optical connector plug described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a slider configured to slide on the outer periphery of the optical connector plug, and a latch engageable with an optical adapter can be displaced by the slider, thereby disengaging the latch from the optical adapter. Also, by attaching a stopper to the optical connector plug, a structure is provided that prevents the optical connector plug from unintentionally disengaging from the optical adapter when the slider is touched.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-81717

[0005] In the optical connector plug described in Patent Document 1, the downward movement of the slider is limited by a stopper, thereby preventing the optical connector plug from unintentionally disengaging from the optical adapter. However, the optical connector plug in Patent Document 1 does not have a structure that directly limits the downward movement of the latch. Therefore, when a strong force is applied to the optical fiber cable, such as when someone trips over the optical fiber cable, the optical connector plug may disengage from the optical adapter.

[0006] The present invention provides an optical connector plug and a locking tool that can prevent the optical connector plug from unintentionally disengaging from the optical adapter by directly restricting the downward movement of the latch.

[0007] The present invention provides an optical connector plug for mating with an optical adapter, the optical connector plug comprising: a plug body for accommodating an optical fiber therein; a latch configured to be engageable with the optical adapter by vertical movement of its tip; and a locking arm configured to be movable relative to the latch, the locking arm having a locking portion configured to be movable between a position overlapping the bottom surface of the latch in a plan view and a position not overlapping the bottom surface of the latch, the locking portion being positioned not overlapping the bottom surface of the latch in a plan view when the optical connector plug is not mated with the optical adapter, and the locking arm being configured to move to a position overlapping the bottom surface of the latch in a plan view when the optical connector plug is mated with the optical adapter by pressing the locking arm against an inner wall of the optical adapter. In the optical connector plug configured as described above, when the optical connector plug is mated with the optical adapter, the locking portion moves to a position overlapping the bottom surface of the latch, thereby restricting downward movement of the latch.

[0008] In the above configuration, it is also possible to further include a slider configured to be slidable relative to the plug body, and to configure the latch to move toward the outer surface of the plug body when the slider is slid. In the optical connector plug configured as described above, the locking portion moves to a position where it overlaps the bottom surface of the latch, thereby limiting the downward movement of the latch due to the operation of the slider.

[0009] In the above configuration, when the optical connector plug is mated with the optical adapter, the locking portion may be positioned between the bottom surface of the latch and the outer surface of the plug body, so that the latch moves toward the outer surface of the plug body. In the optical connector plug configured as described above, the locking portion is positioned between the bottom surface of the latch and the outer surface of the plug body, thereby limiting the downward movement of the latch.

[0010] In the above configuration, the locking arm may be configured to slide in conjunction with the slider. In the optical connector plug configured as described above, the locking arm is slid relative to the plug body by sliding the slider.

[0011] In the above configuration, when the optical connector plug is removed from the optical adapter, the locking arm may move in a direction away from the optical adapter, so that the locking portion moves to a position where it does not overlap with the bottom surface of the latch in a plan view. In the optical connector plug configured as described above, the restriction on downward movement of the latch by the locking portion is released by moving the locking arm in a direction away from the optical adapter.

[0012] In the above configuration, when the optical connector plug is mated with the optical adapter, the locking arm is pressed by the inner wall of the optical adapter and elastically deforms, so that the locking portion moves to a position where it overlaps with the bottom surface of the latch in a plan view. In the optical connector plug configured as described above, the position of the locking portion relative to the latch is changed by the elastic deformation of the locking arm.

[0013] In the above configuration, the inner wall of the optical adapter may be a side wall of the optical adapter, and when the optical connector plug is mated with the optical adapter, the locking arm may be pressed horizontally by the side wall of the optical adapter, causing the locking portion to move to a position overlapping the bottom surface of the latch in a plan view. In the optical connector plug configured as described above, the locking arm is pressed against the side wall of the optical adapter and moves horizontally, thereby changing its position relative to the latch.

[0014] In the above configuration, the locking portion may be formed on the tip side of the locking arm, and the locking arm may be configured to include a portion that protrudes toward the inner wall of the optical adapter beyond a straight line connecting the tip of the locking portion and the base end of the locking arm in a plan view. In the optical connector plug configured as described above, the portion of the locking arm that protrudes toward the inner wall of the optical adapter is pressed against the inner wall of the optical adapter, thereby changing the position of the locking portion relative to the latch.

[0015] In the above configuration, the locking arm can be configured to have positioning portions that protrude upward on both sides of the latch in the width direction. In the optical connector plug configured as described above, by positioning the latch in the width direction by the positioning portions, the locking portion can be more reliably moved to a position where it overlaps with the bottom surface of the latch.

[0016] In the above configuration, the optical connector plug may be a dual-core plug accommodating two of the optical fibers, and the latch and the locking arm may be provided on each of the two optical fibers, and the two locking arms may be positioned to sandwich the two latches in a plan view. In the optical connector plug configured as described above, the locking portions provided on the two locking arms move to positions overlapping the bottom surfaces of the two latches, thereby restricting downward movement of the two latches.

[0017] The present invention can also be realized as a locking tool that is attached to an optical connector plug that is mated with an optical adapter.

[0018] According to the present invention, an optical connector plug and a locking tool can be provided that can prevent the engagement of the optical connector plug with the optical adapter from being unintentionally released by directly restricting the downward movement of the latch.

[0019] 1 is a perspective view showing the entire optical connector plug; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an optical adapter; FIG. 3 is a front view of an optical adapter; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an optical connector plug with the locking tool removed; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an optical connector plug with the locking tool removed; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the locking tool; FIG. 7 is a plan view of the locking tool; FIG. 8 is a side view of the locking tool; FIG. 9 is a front view of the locking tool; FIG. 10 is a view of a state in which the optical adapter and the optical connector plug are separated; FIG. 11 is a view of a state in which the tip of the optical connector plug is inserted into the optical adapter; FIG. 12 is a view of a state in which the optical connector plug is further inserted into the optical adapter; FIG. 13 is a view of a state in which the optical connector plug is fitted into the optical adapter.

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show an example of a dual-core optical connector plug incorporating two optical fibers.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an entire optical connector plug 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the optical connector plug 10 is attached to the terminal end of an optical fiber cable 1. The optical connector plug 10 is composed of a plug body 20, two latches 30, a slider 40, a locking tool 50, and a jig 60. In the following description, the direction in which the two latches 30 are lined up is referred to as the left-right direction, with the leftward direction as viewed facing the optical connector plug 10 and the rightward direction as viewed facing the optical connector plug 10. The longitudinal direction of the optical connector plug 10 is referred to as the front-rear direction, the mounting direction of the optical connector plug 10 to the optical adapter 2 as the +Y direction, and the removal direction of the optical connector plug 10 from the optical adapter 2 as the -Y direction. Furthermore, the height direction of the optical connector plug 10 is referred to as the up-down direction, with the upward direction as the +Z direction and the downward direction as the -Z direction. The plug body 20 accommodates the optical fiber cable 1 and is inserted into the optical adapter 2. The latch 30 extends in the mounting direction (+Y direction) of the plug body 20 and is structured to be engageable with the optical adapter 2. The slider 40 is supported by the plug body 20 and is structured to be slidable in the front-to-rear directions (+Y direction, −Y direction) relative to the plug body 20. The locking tool 50 is detachable from the slider 40. The jig 60 is insertable into the slider 40 from the removal direction (−Y direction). When the optical connector plug 10 attached to the optical fiber cable 1 is mated with the optical adapter 2, the optical fiber cable 1 is connected to an optical module or another optical fiber cable via the optical connector plug 10 and the optical adapter 2. The structure of each part of the optical connector plug 10 will be described in detail below.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the optical adapter 2, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the optical adapter 2. The directions in FIG. 2 correspond to the directions described in FIG. 1. The optical adapter 2 has two mating holes 3 into which the plug body 20 and latch 30 of the optical connector plug 10 can be inserted. Since the two mating holes 3 have the same structure, the following description will only focus on one of the mating holes 3. The mating holes 3 are composed of a plug accommodating hole 3A located on the lower (-Z direction) side and accommodating the plug body 20, and a latch accommodating hole 3B located on the upper (+Z direction) side and accommodating the latch 30. The plug accommodating hole 3A and the latch accommodating hole 3B are continuous near the center in the left-right direction but are separated in the vertical direction by protrusions 3C protruding inward from the left and right sidewalls. The plug accommodating hole 3A has a rectangular cross-sectional shape slightly larger than the outer shape of the plug frame 21 located at the tip of the plug body 20. The lower portion of the latch accommodating hole 3B forms a wide portion 3E having a rectangular cross-sectional shape with a width slightly larger than the width of the engaging portion 31 of the latch 30. The upper portion of the latch accommodating hole 3B has protrusions 3D protruding inward from both left and right sidewalls, resulting in an opening width smaller than the wide portion 3E of the lower portion of the latch accommodating hole 3B. In other words, the opening of the latch accommodating hole 3B has an inverted T shape. The protrusions 3D extend from the end of the latch accommodating hole 3B in the removal direction (-Y direction) to a predetermined length toward the installation direction (+Y direction) in the front-rear direction. Because the protrusions 3D are not formed in the region deeper than the predetermined length (+Y direction), the latch accommodating hole 3B in that region has a generally rectangular shape with the same width at both the upper and lower portions.

[0023] 4 and 5 are perspective views of the optical connector plug 10 with the locking tool 50 removed. Fig. 4 is a view from above, and Fig. 5 is a view from below. The plug body 20 is composed of two cylindrical plug frames 21 and a latch frame 22 that supports the latch 30. A ferrule 1B that holds an optical fiber 1A in the optical fiber cable 1 is inserted through the plug frames 21 and the latch frame 22 and protrudes from the end of the plug frame 21 in the installation direction. A boot 1C is inserted into the optical fiber cable 1 pulled out from the end of the latch frame 22 in the removal direction to prevent damage to the optical fiber cable 1 due to bending of the cable, and the boot 1C covers the optical fiber cable 1.

[0024] The plug frame 21 is provided for each ferrule 1B and is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to cover the ferrule 1B from the outside. The inner wall of the plug frame 21 has a circular cavity when viewed from the mounting direction, and the ferrule 1B holding the optical fiber 1A is disposed in the center of the cavity. The outer wall of the plug frame 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the mounting direction to match the shape of the inner wall of the plug receiving hole 3A of the optical adapter 2.

[0025] The latch frame 22 is formed in a generally rectangular cylindrical shape so as to externally cover the portion where the two plug frames 21 are connected in the removal direction (-Y direction). The latch frame 22 is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the plug frame 21 by sliding it back and forth relative to the plug frame 21. Two latches 30 are supported on the upper surface (outer surface) of the latch frame 22. The latches 30 are arranged to extend from the upper surface of the latch frame 22 in the installation direction (+Y direction). When the latch frame 22 is attached to the plug frame 21, the tip ends of the latches 30 abut against the upper surface of the plug frame 21. The base ends of the latches 30 are fixed to the outer surface of the latch frame 22, and the tip ends of the latches 30 abut against the upper surface of the plug frame 21. However, a gap is formed between the latches 30 and the plug frame 21 in an intermediate portion other than the base end and the tip end. When the latch 30 is pressed from above, the latch 30 elastically deforms with the base end and the tip end serving as fulcrums. This causes the distance between the latch 30 and the plug frame 21 to change at the intermediate portion of the latch 30. In other words, the latch 30 moves vertically. A locking portion 31 having locking protrusions protruding toward both the left and right sides is formed at the intermediate portion of the latch 30. By applying a downward force to the latch 30 and moving it toward the outer surface of the plug frame 21, the distance between the plug frame 21 and the latch 30 is changed, thereby allowing the locking portion 31 to move vertically. When the locking portion 31 moves downward, contact between the locking portion 31 and a protrusion 3D provided on the optical adapter 2 is avoided, allowing the optical connector plug 10 to be inserted into or removed from the optical adapter 2. By releasing the elastic deformation of the latch 30 while the optical connector plug 10 is inserted into the optical adapter 2, the locking portion 31 is locked by the protrusion 3D, and the optical connector plug 10 can be fixed in its inserted state in the optical adapter 2.

[0026] The slider 40 is composed of a cover portion 41 disposed on the upper surface of the latch frame 22 and a grip portion 42 disposed on the removal direction (-Y direction) side of the latch frame 22. The outer surface (upper surface) of the latch frame 22 and the inner surface (lower surface) of the cover portion 41 of the slider 40 face each other with the latch 30 sandwiched between them. When the cover portion 41 is displaced downward toward the outer surface of the latch frame 22, the cover portion 41 presses against the latch 30, causing the latch 30 to elastically deform toward the outer surface of the latch frame 22. This presses the latch 30 downward, elastically deforming it, and allows the latch 30 to move toward the outer surface of the latch frame 22.

[0027] Two sliding grooves 41A that accommodate the two latches 30 are formed on the inner surface (lower surface) of the cover portion 41. The sliding grooves 41A extend in the sliding direction of the slider 40. By accommodating the latches 30 in the sliding grooves 41A, the slider 40 is configured to be movable in the insertion direction and the removal direction relative to the outer surface of the plug body 20. When a force is applied to the slider 40 in the removal direction, the slider 40 slides relative to the plug body 20 in the removal direction, and the inner inclined surfaces of the sliding grooves 41A press the latches 30 toward the outer surface of the plug frame 21. This allows the latches 30 to be elastically deformed. In other words, by sliding the slider 40 in the removal direction, a force similar to that pressing the cover portion 41 toward the outer surface of the plug frame 21 can be applied to the latches 30. When the force applied to the slider 40 in the removal direction is released, the elastic deformation of the latches 30 is released, allowing the slider 40 to slide in the insertion direction. The structure in which the slider 40 slides to press the latch 30 toward the outer surface of the plug frame 21 is a known structure, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0028] The grip portion 42 is a portion that an operator grips when sliding the slider 40. The grip portion 42 is formed integrally with the cover portion 41 and is disposed at the end of the plug body 20 in the removal direction. The grip portion 42 slides around the outer periphery of the plug body 20 in the insertion direction and removal direction in conjunction with the cover portion 41. An arc-shaped insertion hole is formed at the end of the grip portion 42 in the removal direction, through which the boot 1C is inserted. Furthermore, a rectangular insertion hole 43 is formed at the end of the cover portion 41 in the removal direction, through which the jig 60 is inserted.

[0029] The jig 60 is configured to be insertable in the mounting direction (+Y direction) through an insertion hole 43 provided in the cover portion 41 of the slider 40. The tip of the jig 60 branches into two in the left-right direction, and the left-right distance of the tip of the jig 60 can be reduced by pressing the side surfaces of the jig 60 inward. The tip of the jig 60 is formed with protrusions that protrude toward the left (+X direction) and right (-X direction). The tip of the protrusion is formed with an inclination that gradually increases in width from the mounting direction to the removal direction in a plan view. When the tip of the jig 60 is inserted into the insertion hole 43, the inclined portion of the tip of the jig 60 is pressed against the inner wall of the insertion hole 43, elastically deforming inward, and the protrusion engages with the interior of the insertion hole 43. To remove the jig 60, the side surfaces of the jig 60 are pressed inward while the jig 60 is pulled in the removal direction. The structure of the jig 60 is well known, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the locking tool 50, FIG. 7 is a plan view of the locking tool 50, FIG. 8 is a side view of the locking tool 50, and FIG. 9 is a front view of the locking tool 50. The directions in FIG. 6 correspond to the directions described in FIG. 1. The locking tool 50 is formed from a thin stainless steel plate and is configured to be detachable from the slider 40. To attach the locking tool 50 to the slider 40, the latch frame 22 is removed from the plug frame 21, and the locking tool 50 is inserted into the latch frame 22 from the attachment direction toward the removal direction. When the locking tool 50 is attached to the latch frame 22, the locking tool 50 is configured to be slidable in the attachment direction and removal direction in conjunction with the slider 40. In other words, the locking tool 50 is configured to be movable in the attachment direction and removal direction relative to the latch 30. The locking tool 50 includes a main body 51 arranged to cover the top and side surfaces of the slider 40, two legs 52 extending downward from the end of the main body 51 in the removal direction, wide portions 53 extending outward from the left and right side walls of the main body 51, and two locking arms 54 extending in the installation direction from the end of the main body 51 in the installation direction. The main body 51 is formed into an inverted U shape in a front view by a top plate arranged on the top surface of the slider 40 and two side walls extending downward from the left and right sides of the top plate. The legs 52 extend downward with a predetermined width in the front-to-rear direction, but their lower ends are formed so that their width widens in the installation direction (+Y direction). It can also be said that the lower ends of the legs 52 form protrusions extending in the installation direction (+Y direction). 1, when the locking tool 50 is attached to the slider 40, the end of the lower end of the leg 52 on the attachment direction (+Y direction) side abuts against the end of the gripping portion 42 of the slider 40 on the removal direction (-Y direction) side. The wide portion 53 is connected to the main body 51 on the attachment direction (+Y direction) side, and has a gap between it and the main body 51 on the removal direction (-Y direction) side. When the locking tool 50 is attached to the slider 40, as shown in FIG. 1, the end of the wide portion 53 on the removal direction (-Y direction) side abuts against the end of the gripping portion 42 of the slider 40 on the attachment direction (+Y direction) side.

[0031] The locking arm 54 includes an arm body 54A formed contiguous with the main body 51, a positioning portion 54B positioned on the mounting direction side of the arm body 54A so as to cover the outside of the latch from below, and a locking portion 54C located at the end of the locking arm 54 on the mounting direction side. The arm body 54A is formed as a plate-like structure with the side walls of the main body 51 extending in the insertion direction, and has a predetermined height in the vertical direction. The height of the arm body 54A is uniform on the side closer to the main body 51 but gradually decreases toward the tip. The positioning portion 54B is formed into a U-shape in front view by a bottom plate positioned below the latch 30 and two side walls extending upward from both left and right sides of the bottom plate. One of the side walls of the positioning portion 54B is formed contiguous with the arm body 54A. The locking portion 54C is formed as a plate-like structure continuous with the arm body 54A and the positioning portion 54B, and is formed lower in height than the arm body 54A and the positioning portion 54B. Furthermore, the height of the locking portion 54C gradually decreases toward the installation direction. In other words, the upper portion of the locking portion 54C is inclined relative to the horizontal in a side view. The inclination angle of the upper portion of the locking portion 54C matches the inclination angle of the bottom surface of the latch 30. As shown in FIG. 7 , the arm body 54A is inclined outward at a predetermined angle θ relative to the front-to-rear direction in a plan view. The locking portion 54C is formed parallel to the front-to-rear direction. The positioning portion 54B protrudes inward further than the arm body 54A and the locking portion 54C in a plan view. The arm body 54A is configured to be elastically deformable in the left-to-right direction (+X direction, −X direction). When the arm body 54A elastically deforms in the left-to-right direction, the positioning portion 54B and the locking portion 54C formed at the tip of the arm body 54A move in the left-to-right direction. In this embodiment, a two-core optical connector plug is used, and therefore a latch 30 and a locking arm 54 are provided for each of the two optical fibers 1, and the two locking arms 54 are positioned to sandwich the two latches 30 in a plan view.

[0032] The following describes the operation of each part when the optical connector plug 10 is attached to or detached from the optical adapter 2, focusing on the operation of the latch 30 and the locking arm 54. Figures 10 to 13 show side views of the optical adapter 2 and the optical connector plug 10 and enlarged plan views of the vicinity of the locking arm 54. In all figures, the optical adapter is indicated by dashed lines, and the interior of the optical adapter 2 is shown as a perspective view. The optical adapter 2 is not shown in the plan view. Figure 10 shows a state in which the optical adapter 2 and the optical connector plug 10 are separated from each other. In the state shown in Figure 10, the latch 30 is not elastically deformed, and neither is the locking arm 54. When the plug frame 21 of the optical connector plug 10 is not mated with the optical adapter 2, the locking portion 54C is positioned so as not to overlap the bottom surface of the latch 30 in a plan view.

[0033] 11 is a diagram showing the state in which the tip of the optical connector plug 10 is inserted into the optical adapter 2. The tip of the plug frame 21 is inserted into the plug receiving hole 3A of the optical adapter 2, and the tip of the latch 30 is inserted into the latch receiving hole 3B of the optical adapter 2. The engaging portion 31 and locking portion 54C of the latch 30 are inserted into the wide portion 3E of the optical adapter 2. When the inclined portion at the tip of the engaging portion 31 abuts against the protruding portion 3D, a downward force is applied to the engaging portion 31, and the latch 30 begins to elastically deform downward. Even in this state, the locking arm 54 has not yet elastically deformed.

[0034] FIG. 12 shows the state in which the optical connector plug 10 is further inserted into the optical adapter 2. When the optical connector plug 10 is further inserted into the optical adapter 2 from the state shown in FIG. 11 , the engaging portion 31 of the latch 30 enters below the protrusion 3D, and the latch 30 further elastically deforms downward. As described above, the arm body 54A is inclined outward by a predetermined angle θ in a plan view, so the arm body 54A of the locking arm 54 is pressed inward in the left-right direction by the protrusion 3C of the optical adapter 2, causing elastic deformation. However, when the latch 30 is deformed downward, the locking portion 54C may abut against the side of the latch 30, but cannot move further inward. In other words, the locking portion 54C does not enter below the bottom surface of the latch 30.

[0035] 13 is a diagram showing the optical connector plug 10 mated with the optical adapter 2. When the optical connector plug 10 is further inserted into the optical adapter 2 from the state shown in FIG. 12 , the locking portion 31 of the latch 30 moves over the protrusion 3D of the optical adapter 2. When the upper surface of the locking portion 31 no longer abuts against the protrusion 3D, the elastic deformation of the latch 30 is released, and the tip of the latch 30 moves upward. When the tip of the latch 30 moves upward, the arm body 54A, which is pressed inward by the protrusion 3C protruding inward from the side wall of the optical adapter 2, elastically deforms inward in the left-right direction. This causes the locking portion 54C formed at the tip of the locking arm 54 to move inward in the left-right direction. When the locking portion 54C moves inward, the locking portion 54C is positioned so as to overlap the bottom surface of the latch 30 in a plan view. At this time, a slight gap is formed between the bottom surface of the latch 30 and the upper surface of the locking portion 54C in the vertical direction, but the locking portion 54C is disposed below the latch 30, thereby restricting the downward movement of the latch 30. As described above, when the optical connector plug 10 is mated with the optical adapter 2, the locking arm 54 is pressed by the inner wall of the optical adapter 2, causing the locking portion 54C to move to a position where it overlaps the bottom surface of the latch 30 in a plan view. In other words, the locking portion 54C is positioned between the bottom surface of the latch 30 and the upper surface of the plug body 20. It can also be said that the locking portion 54C is disposed within the range of movement of the latch 30 when it moves downward.

[0036] To remove the optical connector plug 10 from the optical adapter 2, the slider 40 is slid in the removal direction. The locking tool 50 is configured to move in conjunction with the slider 40, so when the slider 40 is moved in the removal direction, the locking tool 50 also moves in the removal direction. When the locking tool 50 moves in the removal direction, the locking portion 54C formed at the tip of the locking arm 54 moves in the removal direction. When the end of the locking portion 54C on the mounting side moves to a position where it does not overlap with the bottom surface of the latch 30 in a plan view, the restriction on the downward movement of the locking portion 54C by the latch 30 is released. As described above, when the slider 40 is slid in the removal direction, the latch 30 is pressed downward by the slider 40. When the restriction by the locking portion 54C is released, the latch 30 elastically deforms downward, and the engaging portion 31 moves below the bottom surface of the protrusion 3D. By pulling the optical connector plug 10 together with the slider 40 in the removal direction, the optical connector plug 10 is removed from the optical adapter 2. Note that a jig 60 may be used when sliding the slider 40 in the removal direction.

[0037] As described above, the optical connector plug 10 of the present application has a lock arm 54 configured to be movable relative to the latch 30, and the lock portion 54C formed at the tip of the lock arm 54 is positioned so as not to overlap the bottom surface of the latch 30 in a plan view when the optical connector plug 10 is not mated with the optical adapter 2. When the optical connector plug 10 is mated with the optical adapter 2, the lock arm 54 is pressed inward by the inner wall of the optical adapter 2, causing the lock portion 54C to move to a position overlapping the bottom surface of the latch 30 in a plan view. By positioning the lock portion 54C so as to overlap the bottom surface of the latch 30 in a plan view, movement of the latch 30 toward the outer surface of the plug frame 21 of the plug body 20 is restricted. In this state, even if a force is applied that presses the latch 30 or the slider 40 downward, the latch 30 abuts against the lock portion 54C, preventing the latch 30 from moving downward more than a certain distance (the width of the gap between the bottom surface of the latch 30 and the upper surface of the lock portion 54C). Therefore, the locking portion 31 does not move below the lower surface of the protrusion 3D, and it is possible to prevent the optical connector plug 10 from being disengaged from the optical adapter 2. The certain distance is the distance up to the position where the coupling between the optical connector 10 and the optical adapter 2 is not released when the bottom surface of the latch 30 and the upper surface of the locking portion 54C come into contact.

[0038] When removing the optical connector plug 10 from the optical adapter 2, the lock arm 54 is moved in a direction away from the optical adapter 2 (-Y direction), so that the lock portion 54C moves to a position where it does not overlap the bottom surface of the latch 30 in a plan view. The lock arm 54 is configured to slide in conjunction with the slider 40, so that the lock arm 54 can be moved by moving the slider 40 in a direction away from the optical adapter 2. Even if a force in the up / down or left / right direction is applied to the slider 40 or the lock arm 54, the engagement of the optical connector plug 10 with the optical adapter 2 is not released, but when the slider 40 or the lock arm 54 is moved in the removal direction, the engagement of the optical connector plug 10 with the optical adapter 2 can be released.

[0039] By configuring the lock arm 54 to have the positioning portion 54B, the left-right position of the latch 30 relative to the lock arm 54 can be limited within a certain range. As a result, when the lock portion 54C of the lock arm 54 is moved by the inner wall of the optical adapter 2, the lock portion 54C can be more reliably moved to a position overlapping the bottom surface of the latch 30.

[0040] In the above embodiment, a two-core optical connector plug incorporating two optical fibers has been described as an example. However, the optical connector plug to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to a two-core optical connector plug. By changing the number of plug frames, the present invention can be similarly applied to a single-core optical connector plug incorporating one optical fiber or a multi-core optical connector plug incorporating three or more optical fibers.

[0041] In the above embodiment, a structure has been described in which, when the optical connector plug is mated with the optical adapter, the locking arm is pressed horizontally by a protrusion provided on the side wall of the optical adapter. However, providing a protrusion on the side wall is not essential. Also, the locking arm may be pressed by an inner wall other than the side wall of the optical adapter, or a protrusion for pressing the locking arm may be formed on an inner wall other than the side wall. All of the above-mentioned configurations are included in the configuration in which the locking arm is pressed by the inner wall of the optical adapter.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the expressions "upper and lower sides" and "bottom sides" of the latch are used, but these refer to the directions when the optical connector plug is viewed alone. Naturally, when the optical connector plug is rotated 90 degrees and attached to the optical adapter, the upper and lower sides of the latch are oriented horizontally, and the bottom side of the latch is parallel to the vertical direction.

[0043] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which, when the optical connector plug is mated with the optical adapter, the locking arm is pressed by the inner wall of the optical adapter and elastically deforms, causing the locking portion to move to a position overlapping the bottom surface of the latch in a plan view. However, the present invention is not limited to a structure in which the locking arm elastically deforms. Any structure may be used as long as the locking arm is pressed by the inner wall of the optical adapter to change the position of the locking portion relative to the latch. For example, a structure in which the position of the locking portion is changed using a mechanical structure such as a slider or spring may also be used.

[0044] In the above embodiment, a structure has been described in which a slight gap is formed between the bottom surface of the latch and the top surface of the locking portion in the vertical direction when the optical connector plug is mated with the optical adapter. However, a structure in which the bottom surface of the latch and the top surface of the locking portion abut each other at this time may also be used. Any structure may be used as long as the locking portion is positioned so as to overlap the bottom surface of the latch in a plan view when the optical connector plug is mated with the optical adapter.

[0045] In the above-described embodiment, the locking portion is the portion that is positioned to overlap the bottom surface of the latch in a plan view when the optical connector plug is mated to the optical adapter. However, the locking portion does not necessarily have to be a portion of the locking arm that is clearly distinguishable from other portions. It is sufficient that the locking arm has a structure that allows it to move between a position where it overlaps with a portion of the bottom surface of the latch and a position where it does not overlap. Note that the bottom surface of the latch here refers to the bottom surface of the portion of the latch that moves up and down.

[0046] In the above embodiment, a structure was described in which the arm body is tilted outward by a predetermined angle θ, so that the arm body is pressed inward by the inner wall of the optical adapter. However, the present invention is not limited to this. By configuring the locking arm to include a portion that protrudes toward the inner wall of the optical adapter beyond the straight line connecting the tip of the locking portion and the base end of the locking arm in a plan view, it is possible to obtain the same effect as tilting the arm body outward.

[0047] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the lock arm slides in conjunction with the slider, but the present invention is not limited to this. The lock arm may also be configured to move forward and backward independently of the slider. It is also not essential that the lock member be configured as a component separate from the slider. For example, the lock arm may be formed integrally with the slider, thereby giving the slider the function of the lock member.

[0048] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described examples. It goes without saying that a person skilled in the art would understand that the following are disclosed as examples of the present invention: - Applying mutually replaceable components and configurations disclosed in the above-described examples by appropriately changing their combinations; - Applying mutually replaceable components and configurations disclosed in the above-described examples by publicly known techniques that are not disclosed in the above-described examples, and applying such combinations by appropriately changing them; - Applying mutually replaceable components and configurations disclosed in the above-described examples by publicly known techniques that are not disclosed in the above-described examples, and applying such combinations by appropriately changing them.

[0049] 1...optical fiber cable, 2...optical adapter, 3...fitting hole, 10...optical connector plug, 20...plug body, 21...plug frame, 22...latch frame, 30...latch, 31...engaging portion, 40...slider, 41...cover portion, 42...gripping portion, 43...insertion hole, 50...locking tool, 51...main body portion, 52...leg portion, 53...wide portion, 54...locking arm, 54A...arm body, 54B...positioning portion, 54C...locking portion, 60...jig.

Claims

1. An optical connector plug to be fitted into an optical adapter, comprising: a plug body that accommodates an optical fiber therein; a latch configured so that its tip can move up and down to engage with the optical adapter; and a locking arm configured to be movable relative to the latch, wherein the locking arm has a locking portion configured to be movable between a position that overlaps with the bottom surface of the latch in a planar view and a position that does not overlap with the bottom surface of the latch, wherein when the optical connector plug is not fitted into the optical adapter, the locking portion is positioned so that it does not overlap with the bottom surface of the latch in a planar view, and when the optical connector plug is fitted into the optical adapter, the locking arm is pressed by the inner wall of the optical adapter, causing the locking portion to move to a position that overlaps with the bottom surface of the latch in a planar view.

2. An optical connector plug as described in claim 1, further comprising a slider configured to be slidable relative to the plug body, wherein the latch is configured to move toward the outer surface of the plug body when the slider is slid.

3. An optical connector plug as described in claim 1, characterized in that when the optical connector plug is mated with the optical adapter, the locking portion is positioned between the bottom surface of the latch and the outer surface of the plug body, thereby restricting the movement of the latch toward the outer surface of the plug body.

4. The optical connector plug according to claim 2, wherein said lock arm slides in conjunction with said slider.

5. An optical connector plug as described in claim 1, characterized in that when the optical connector plug is removed from the optical adapter, the locking arm moves in a direction away from the optical adapter, causing the locking portion to move to a position that does not overlap the bottom surface of the latch in a planar view.

6. An optical connector plug as described in claim 1, characterized in that when the optical connector plug is mated with the optical adapter, the lock arm is pressed by the inner wall of the optical adapter and elastically deformed, causing the lock portion to move to a position overlapping the bottom surface of the latch in a planar view.

7. An optical connector plug as described in claim 1, characterized in that the inner wall of the optical adapter is a side wall of the optical adapter, and when the optical connector plug is mated with the optical adapter, the lock arm is pressed horizontally by the side wall of the optical adapter, causing the lock portion to move to a position overlapping the bottom surface of the latch in a plan view.

8. An optical connector plug as described in claim 1, characterized in that the locking portion is formed on the tip side of the locking arm, and the locking arm includes a portion that, in a plan view, protrudes toward the inner wall of the optical adapter beyond a straight line connecting the tip of the locking portion and the base end of the locking arm.

9. The optical connector plug according to claim 1, wherein said lock arm has positioning portions that protrude upward on both sides of said latch in the width direction.

10. The optical connector plug according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the optical connector plug is a two-core plug that accommodates two of the optical fibers, the latch and the lock arm are provided on each of the two optical fibers, and the two lock arms are positioned so as to sandwich the two latches in a plan view.

11. A locking tool attached to an optical connector plug to be fitted into an optical adapter, wherein the optical connector plug has a plug body that houses an optical fiber therein and a latch configured to be able to engage with the optical adapter by moving its tip side in an up and down direction, the locking tool has a locking arm configured to be movable relative to the latch, the locking arm having a locking portion configured to be able to move between a position that overlaps with the bottom surface of the latch in a planar view and a position that does not overlap with the bottom surface of the latch, when the optical connector plug is not fitted into the optical adapter, the locking portion is positioned in a position that does not overlap with the bottom surface of the latch in a planar view, and when the optical connector plug is fitted into the optical adapter, the locking arm is pressed by the inner wall of the optical adapter, causing the locking portion to move to a position that overlaps with the bottom surface of the latch in a planar view.

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