Receptacle, plug, optical connector, and method for manufacturing photoelectric circuit board

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an optical connector for an electric circuit board small in size and capable of simultaneously connecting a plurality of multi-core ferrules. [Solution] An optical connector 10 includes a receptacle 100 mounted on an electric circuit board, and a plug 200 in which a plurality of optical fibers and a multi-core ferrule are incorporated. The receptacle 100 has: a storage part 110 that can store a pin keeper 150 that holds a guide pin, and a multi-core ferrule into which the guide pin is inserted; a locking hole 120 into which a locking piece of the plug can be inserted; a fixing part 140 that can be fixed to the electric circuit board; and a guide part 130 that guides the guide piece of the plug, a plurality of storage parts 110 are arranged so as to be parallel to a surface of the electric circuit board, and a pair of locking holes 120 are arranged on both outer sides of the plurality of storage parts, and have locking recesses 121 that can be locked with the locking piece, and the locking recesses 121 are arranged so as to face the outside from each other.

Description

Receptacle, plug, optical connector, and method for manufacturing optical electrical circuit board

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical connector including a receptacle mounted on an electric circuit board and a plug connectable to the receptacle, and to a method for manufacturing an optical-electrical circuit board.

[0002] Optical fibers are widely used for home and industrial information communications because they are capable of transmitting large amounts of information at high speed. In particular, in recent years, optical fibers have been considered not only for long-distance communications but also for the internal wiring of various computers, such as communication repeaters (e.g., servers and routers) and terminals (e.g., personal computers). For example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2023-22388 A) discloses an optical-electrical composite connector that can prevent laser light emitted from one optical fiber from irradiating the other optical fiber when connecting or disconnecting the other optical connector and other electrical connector to be connected. The optical-electrical composite connector described in Patent Document 1 includes an optical connector that connects an optical fiber to the optical fiber of the other optical connector, an electrical connector that connects electrical wiring to the other electrical connector, and a connection structure that allows the electrical connector to be connectable to the other electrical connector when the optical connector is connected to the other optical connector and allows the optical connector to be disconnected from the other optical connector when the electrical connector is disconnected from the other electrical connector.

[0003] Patent Document 2 (JP 2016-180920 A) discloses a method for manufacturing an optical module that simply aligns a receptacle on a substrate with a photoelectric conversion element. The method for manufacturing an optical module described in Patent Document 2 is a method for manufacturing an optical module that includes a photoelectric conversion element, a receptacle with a guide portion that aligns an optical connector ferrule that holds an end of an optical fiber, and a substrate that is electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion element, in which the receptacle has an element accommodating portion that fits the outer shape of the photoelectric conversion element, and includes the steps of accommodating the photoelectric conversion element in the element accommodating portion, fixing the photoelectric conversion element and the receptacle, and electrically connecting the photoelectric conversion element fixed to the receptacle to the substrate.

[0004] Patent Document 3 (JP 2014-6288 A) discloses an optical wiring component that suppresses contamination of the end face of an optical waveguide by an adhesive and can be connected to other optical components with high optical coupling efficiency, and a highly reliable electronic device that includes such an optical wiring component. In the electronic device described in Patent Document 3, the optical wiring component has a substrate, an optical waveguide provided on the upper surface of the substrate, and an optical connector provided at the end of the optical waveguide, and is configured to be connectable to, for example, an optical fiber (other optical component) with an optical connector. The optical connector has a flat main portion and two legs provided to protrude from the underside of the main portion, and the optical connector is fixed to the upper surface of the substrate so that the two legs straddle the end of the optical waveguide, and a gap is formed between the optical waveguide and the main portion of the optical connector.

[0005] Patent Document 4 (JP 2009-536362 A) discloses an integrated circuit (IC) package for ultra-high speed optical interconnection applications. The IC package described in Patent Document 4 includes an OSA having a laser pre-aligned with an optical fiber, and the OSA further includes a standard electrical interface for connecting to a microchip and a standard optical interface for connecting to the optical fiber, and a series of mechanical concepts for connecting optical connectors and cables to the integrated circuit package are presented.

[0006] Patent Document 5 (JP 2014-164270 A) discloses a ferrule and an optical-electrical hybrid board that can easily connect a first light guide path even if the second light guide path is thin. The ferrule described in Patent Document 5 is attached to the tip of an optical fiber that transmits light, and is used in a connected state connected to an optical waveguide board that is assembled from a substrate and an optical waveguide that is provided on the substrate and optically connected to the optical fiber.

[0007] JP 2023-22388 A JP 2016-180920 A JP 2014-6288 A JP 2009-536362 A JP 2014-164270 A

[0008] In recent years, the development of systems capable of even higher-speed communication and processing has progressed by replacing conventional electrical signals output from electrical circuit boards with optical signals. This has led to a growing need for optical connectors capable of interconnecting optical communications capable of high-density, high-speed communication. In particular, data centers require reduced power consumption, low latency, and ultra-high-speed data transmission and reception. With the development of co-packaged optics, there is a demand for technology for optical transmission to electrical circuit boards. In order to transmit optical signals to electrical circuit boards, fiber-to-board technology is essential. The optical connectors described in Patent Documents 1 to 5 above have a receptacle fixed to an electrical circuit board and can be connected by a connector through which an optical fiber is inserted. However, there is a limit to the amount of communication that can be connected with a single multi-fiber ferrule. In particular, when connecting electrical boards inside a computer, in addition to connecting conventional computers, ultra-high-speed, high-capacity, and wide-bandwidth optical communications are required. In this case, the number of optical communication channels (number of connection fibers) needs to be increased, but since there is a limit to the number of fibers that can be connected to a single multi-fiber ferrule, optical connection of multiple multi-fiber ferrules is required. Meanwhile, the internal space of a computer is small, and various components and wiring are arranged around the electrical circuit board, making it difficult to mount multiple conventional optical connectors for long-distance communication on the electrical circuit board. In particular, to achieve optical connection to an electrical circuit board, it is necessary to provide optical connection components of the same size as the electronic components on the electrical circuit board in order to match the wiring of the electrical circuit board. Furthermore, since the optical connectors described in Patent Documents 1 to 5 use special ferrules, a conversion connector is required to connect them to conventional standardized optical connectors.

[0009] Furthermore, when mounting electronic components on an electric circuit board, solder reflow is typically performed, meaning the entire electric circuit board is placed in a high-temperature reflow oven. On the other hand, optical connectors transmit optical communications by precisely abutting the ends of optical fibers. Therefore, some components of the optical connector (usually the receptacle) are subject to high temperatures, which can lead to problems such as reduced positional accuracy and increased connection loss. Furthermore, it is desirable that the optical connector components connected to the optical module on the board can be assembled after the optical module is reflow soldered. Furthermore, because electric circuit boards are manufactured through various processes, the cables extending from the electric circuit board are typically designed to be minimal. Therefore, the length of the optical fibers extending from the photoelectric conversion elements mounted on the electric circuit board is also designed to be minimal, which makes it difficult to mount the multi-fiber ferrules connected to the optical fibers into the receptacles on the electric circuit board.

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical connector for an electric circuit board that is small and can simultaneously connect multiple multi-fiber ferrules. Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector for an electric circuit board that is small and can simultaneously connect multiple multi-fiber ferrules, has low connection loss, and is easy to mount on an electric circuit board.

[0011] (1) A receptacle according to one aspect is a receptacle that is mounted on an electric circuit board and can be connected to a plug having an optical fiber inserted therethrough, and has: a pin keeper that holds a guide pin; a storage section that can store a multi-fiber ferrule with the guide pin inserted therethrough; locking holes through which the locking pieces of the plug can be inserted; a fixing section that can be fixed to the electric circuit board; and a guide section that guides the guide pieces of the plug; a plurality of storage sections are arranged parallel to the surface of the electric circuit board; a pair of locking holes are arranged on both outer sides of the plurality of storage sections and have locking recesses that can be engaged with the locking pieces, the locking recesses being arranged so as to face outward from each other; a pair of fixing sections are arranged on both outer sides of the pair of locking holes; the guide section is arranged inward of the pair of locking holes; and the plurality of storage sections, the pair of locking pieces, and the pair of fixing sections are arranged in a row that is parallel to one side of the electric circuit board.

[0012] The receptacle of the present invention has multiple storage sections arranged parallel to the electric circuit board, a pair of locking holes arranged on both sides of the storage sections, and fixing sections arranged on both sides of the locking holes, all arranged in a single row. This allows multiple optoelectronic elements on the electric circuit board to be connected to multi-fiber ferrules housed in the multiple storage sections of the receptacle via optical fibers. In other words, a single optical connector (a combination of a receptacle and a plug) can simultaneously optically connect multiple multi-fiber ferrules, enabling high-density, high-speed communication. Furthermore, multiple optical fibers can be wired without crossing each other, and the storage sections can be arranged at substantially the same intervals as the multiple optoelectronic elements on the electric circuit board, resulting in a compact optical connector that is easy to mount on an electric circuit board. Furthermore, the receptacle of the present invention includes a multi-fiber ferrule, guide pins, and pin keepers, and does not include any components that operate, such as springs, and is therefore less susceptible to thermal expansion. Therefore, the receptacle can be designed to exhibit minimal reduction in connection loss even when mounted on an electric circuit board and placed in a reflow oven for soldering.

[0013] Furthermore, for optical connections between multi-fiber ferrules, a physical contact (PC) connection, in which the end faces of protruding optical fibers are butted firmly against each other, is commonly used. Therefore, when a pair of locking pieces is used to apply a pressing force to multiple multi-fiber ferrules, a large load is applied to the pair of locking pieces. In the receptacle of the present invention, the guide section and multiple storage sections are located inside the pair of locking holes, and the pair of fixing sections are located outside the pair of locking holes. Therefore, the pair of locking holes do not interfere with the guide section, storage sections, and fixing sections, allowing for the provision of a large opening and locking recess in the receptacle body. This allows even a small receptacle to lock large locking pieces that can withstand a large pressing force.

[0014] Furthermore, since the guide holes of a multi-fiber ferrule are smaller than the size of a human finger, it is extremely difficult to simultaneously connect multiple multi-fiber ferrules to multiple guide pins. The receptacle of the present invention has a guide portion that guides the guide pieces of the plug, so that the guide holes of the multi-fiber ferrule and the guide pins can be smoothly positioned by the guide portion, facilitating connection between the plug and receptacle. Furthermore, since the problem of the guide pins colliding with the connection end face of the multi-fiber ferrule during connection is less likely to occur, an optical connector can be obtained in which connection loss is less likely to decrease even when the plug is repeatedly connected and disconnected.

[0015] (2) A receptacle according to a second aspect of the present invention is a receptacle according to one aspect of the present invention, in which the guide portions are formed asymmetrically on the upper and lower surfaces of the receptacle body, and the guide portions on the upper or lower surfaces may be formed to correspond to the respective storage portions.

[0016] Because the guide sections on the top and bottom sides are not the same shape, there is no risk of inserting the plug upside down when inserting it into the receptacle. Furthermore, because guide sections are formed for each housing section, the positioning of each guide pin for each multi-fiber ferrule can be accurately determined. This allows for smoother and more accurate connection of multi-fiber ferrules.

[0017] (3) A receptacle according to a third aspect of the present invention is a receptacle according to one aspect or the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the multiple storage sections are connected inside the receptacle body and are separated by a front support pillar arranged on the connection end face side of the multi-fiber ferrule and a rear support pillar arranged on the pinkeeper side, and the front support pillar may be arranged to fix the flange portion of the multi-fiber ferrule.

[0018] The multiple storage compartments are connected inside the receptacle body and are separated by the front and rear support columns, which minimizes the structure separating the storage compartments. Furthermore, since one front support column secures two multi-fiber ferrules, the horizontal dimension of the front support column determines the spacing (pitch) between the multi-fiber ferrules. This allows for an optical connector with minimal spacing between the multi-fiber ferrules.

[0019] (4) A receptacle according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a receptacle according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, wherein the lateral dimension of the front support pillar is smaller than the lateral dimension of the rear support pillar and may be 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm larger than the lateral dimension of the connection end face of the multi-fiber ferrule.

[0020] As a result, the dimensions of the storage section are designed to be slightly larger than the dimensions of the multi-fiber ferrule, allowing the multi-fiber ferrule to move slightly before connecting the optical connector (floating structure). As a result, when connecting the optical connector, the multi-fiber ferrule is positioned only by the guide holes and guide pins, minimizing the external force received from the storage section and therefore minimizing loss in the optical connection.

[0021] (5) A receptacle according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a receptacle according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, wherein the receptacle body comprises an upper body and a lower body, and is configured so that the multi-fiber ferrule and the pinkeeper are replaceable, and the pinkeeper may have a clamping portion that holds the guide pin located on the lower body side.

[0022] As a result, the receptacle mounted on the electric circuit board consists of an upper body and a lower body, and after the electric circuit board on which this receptacle is mounted is subjected to a reflow process, the upper body of the receptacle can be opened and an optical fiber and a multi-fiber ferrule can be attached. Therefore, since the multi-fiber ferrule can be assembled after the reflow process, multi-fiber ferrules or adhesives with poor heat resistance can be used.

[0023] Furthermore, when the upper body of this receptacle is opened, only the lower body remains on the electric circuit board, and the multiple storage sections, locking pieces, and fixing sections are arranged in a row parallel to one side of the electric circuit board. Therefore, the multi-fiber ferrule can be installed or replaced simply by lifting it slightly from the lower body. Therefore, even when the length of the optical fiber extending from the photoelectric conversion element is designed to be minimal, the multi-fiber ferrule can be installed or replaced smoothly. Furthermore, if some of the multiple multi-fiber ferrules have a connection failure or other problem, only the defective multi-fiber ferrule can be replaced, eliminating the need to replace the entire optical connector. Furthermore, after the reflow process, the multi-fiber ferrule can be assembled to the optical fiber and installed in the receptacle.

[0024] (6) A receptacle according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the receptacle according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, and the receptacle body may be made of metal.

[0025] This allows the selection of a metal material that has superior heat resistance compared to resin materials, resulting in a receptacle that is less likely to experience a decrease in connection loss even when exposed to harsh environments such as being placed in a reflow oven. Suitable metal materials include iron, zinc, and stainless steel (SUS).

[0026] (7) A plug according to a seventh invention is a plug connectable to a receptacle mounted on an electric circuit board, and has a storage section capable of storing a multi-fiber ferrule with an optical fiber inserted therethrough, a locking piece insertable into a locking hole in the receptacle, and a guide piece extending in the connecting direction of the multi-fiber ferrule and engageable with the guide section of the receptacle, and a plurality of storage sections are arranged parallel to the surface of the electric circuit board, and each storage section has a spacer slidable in the connecting direction of the multi-fiber ferrule, a spring that applies a pressing force to the spacer, and a spring that extends in the opposite direction to the connecting direction. and a stopper fixed to the rear part on the opposite side to hold the spring, and the inner wall of the storage section is formed with a step section that restricts sliding of the spacer in the connection direction and a stopper engagement section that engages with the stopper, and a pair of locking pieces are arranged on both outsides of the multiple storage sections and have locking protrusions that can engage with the locking sections and a release operation section that can release the locking of the locking pieces and the locking sections, the locking protrusions are arranged to face outward from each other, the guide pieces are arranged inside the pair of locking holes, and the multiple storage sections and the pair of locking pieces are arranged in a row.

[0027] The plug according to the seventh invention corresponds to the plug of the first embodiment. The plug according to the seventh invention has a plurality of storage sections, a pair of locking holes located on both sides of the storage sections, and fixing sections located on both sides of the locking holes, arranged in a row, so that it can be optically connected to a receptacle optically connected to multiple optoelectronic devices mounted on an electric circuit board. In other words, a single optical connector (a combination of a receptacle and a plug) can simultaneously optically connect multiple multi-fiber ferrules, enabling high-density, high-speed communication connections. Furthermore, components such as locking pieces, springs, and spacers are arranged on the plug side, which does not require reflow processing, simplifying the configuration of the receptacle side, which does require reflow processing, thereby minimizing connection loss throughout the optical connector.

[0028] In addition, in the plug according to the seventh invention, the guide portion and the multiple storage portions are positioned inward of the pair of locking pieces. Therefore, the pair of locking pieces do not interfere with the guide pieces and the storage portions, allowing for large locking pieces to be provided in the plug body. This allows for locking pieces that can withstand large pressing forces even in a small plug. Furthermore, the plug according to the seventh invention has guide pieces that are guided by the guide portions of the receptacle, allowing for smooth positioning of the guide pins with the guide holes of the multi-fiber ferrule, facilitating connection between the plug and the receptacle. Furthermore, the problem of the guide pins colliding with the connecting end face of the multi-fiber ferrule during connection is less likely to occur, resulting in an optical connector in which connection loss is less likely to decrease even when the plug is repeatedly connected and disconnected.

[0029] In the plug according to the seventh invention, each housing section is provided with a spacer, spring, and stopper, so that each multi-fiber ferrule has its own independent spacer, spring, and stopper. This means that even if a malfunction occurs in one component, it does not affect the optical connection of the other multi-fiber ferrules, making it easy to maintain. In particular, if the stopper is installed slightly at an angle or if the pressing force of one spring differs from the specified value, the malfunction will affect the overall connection loss, and this effect will become greater the more housing sections there are. In the plug according to the seventh invention, the components related to the pressing force of the multi-fiber ferrule are independently arranged for each multi-fiber ferrule, so that components in other housing sections will not affect the connection of the multi-fiber ferrules.

[0030] Furthermore, because the inner wall of the storage section is provided with a step that restricts the sliding of the spacer in the connection direction, the multi-fiber ferrule inside the storage section is not pressed against the support, and a small space can be provided between the support, multi-fiber ferrule, and spacer. This allows the multi-fiber ferrule to move slightly (floating structure) before connecting the optical connector, so when connecting the optical connector, the multi-fiber ferrule is positioned only by the guide hole and guide pin, minimizing the external force from the spring and minimizing loss of optical connection.

[0031] Furthermore, the inner wall of the storage section is formed with a step section that restricts sliding of the spacer in the connecting direction, and a stopper engagement section that engages with the stopper, so that the spring is compressed to a predetermined distance or less to generate a pressing force, and when the engagement with the stopper is released, the parts inside the storage section can be removed for maintenance, etc. Furthermore, the release operation section allows the engagement to be released without using a special tool.

[0032] (8) A plug according to an eighth invention is the plug according to the seventh invention, wherein the stopper has a fiber insertion hole through which an optical fiber can be inserted, a spring holding hole for accommodating the rear end of the spring, and a pair of fixing pieces extending in a direction opposite to the connecting direction of the multi-fiber ferrule, and the fixing pieces have fixing protrusions that can engage with stopper engaging portions provided on the plug body, and the pair of fixing pieces may be provided in the up and down directions relative to the surface of the electric circuit board.

[0033] Because the pair of fixing pieces provided on the stopper each have fixing protrusions provided in the up and down outward directions, there is no need to provide stopper engagement portions in the direction of adjacent ferrules (left and right directions), and the pitch at which the multi-fiber ferrules are arranged can be made small and dense, resulting in a compact plug. Furthermore, because the multi-fiber ferrules on the plug side can be arranged at a small pitch, the pitch of the multi-fiber ferrules on the receptacle side can also be made small. This ensures design freedom in accordance with the photoelectric conversion elements on the electrical circuit board.

[0034] (9) A plug according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is a plug connectable to a receptacle mounted on an electric circuit board, and has a storage section capable of storing a multi-fiber ferrule with an optical fiber inserted therethrough, a locking piece insertable into a locking hole in the receptacle, and a guide piece extending in the connecting direction of the multi-fiber ferrule and engageable with the guide section of the receptacle, wherein a plurality of storage sections are arranged parallel to the surface of the electric circuit board, and each storage section is provided with a spacer slidable in the connecting direction of the multi-fiber ferrule and a spring that applies a pressing force to the spacer, and the storage sections are connected inside the plug body, The storage section is provided with a stopper that is fixed to the rear side opposite the connection direction and holds multiple springs, and the inner wall of the storage section is formed with a step portion that restricts the sliding of the spacer in the connection direction and a stopper engagement portion that fixes the stopper, and a pair of locking pieces are arranged on both outsides of the multiple storage sections and have locking protrusions that can lock with the locking portions and a release operation portion that can release the lock between the locking pieces and the locking portions, the locking protrusions are arranged to face outward from each other, the guide pieces are arranged inside the pair of locking holes, and the multiple storage sections and the pair of locking pieces are arranged in a row.

[0035] The plug according to the ninth aspect of the present invention corresponds to the plug according to the second embodiment. The plug according to the ninth aspect of the present invention has a plurality of storage sections, a pair of locking holes located on both sides of the storage sections, and fixing sections located on both sides of the locking holes, all arranged in a single row. This allows for optical connection to a receptacle optically connected to a plurality of optoelectronic devices mounted on an electrical circuit board. In other words, a single optical connector (a combination of a receptacle and a plug) can simultaneously optically connect multiple multi-fiber ferrules, enabling high-density, high-speed communication. Furthermore, components such as the locking pieces, springs, and spacers are located on the plug side, which does not require reflow processing, simplifying the configuration of the receptacle side, which does require reflow processing, thereby minimizing connection loss throughout the optical connector.

[0036] In addition, in the plug according to the ninth invention, the guide portion and the multiple storage portions are positioned inward of the pair of locking pieces. Therefore, the pair of locking pieces do not interfere with the guide pieces and the storage portions, allowing for large locking pieces to be provided in the plug body. This allows for locking pieces that can withstand large pressing forces, even in a small plug. Furthermore, the plug according to the ninth invention has guide pieces that are guided by the guide portions of the receptacle, allowing for smooth positioning of the guide pins with the guide holes of the multi-fiber ferrule, facilitating connection between the plug and the receptacle. Furthermore, the problem of the guide pins colliding with the connecting end face of the multi-fiber ferrule during connection is less likely to occur, resulting in an optical connector in which connection loss is less likely to decrease even when the plug is repeatedly connected and disconnected.

[0037] In a plug according to a ninth aspect of the present invention, each housing portion is provided with a spacer and a spring, and only one stopper is provided spanning multiple housing portions. This reduces the number of parts provided in the housing portions, thereby simplifying the structure, facilitating plug assembly, and reducing costs.

[0038] Furthermore, because the inner wall of the storage section is provided with a step that restricts the sliding of the spacer in the connection direction, the multi-fiber ferrule inside the storage section is not pressed against the support, and a small space can be provided between the support, multi-fiber ferrule, and spacer. This allows the multi-fiber ferrule to move slightly (floating structure) before connecting the optical connector, so when connecting the optical connector, the multi-fiber ferrule is positioned only by the guide hole and guide pin, minimizing the external force from the spring and minimizing loss of optical connection.

[0039] In addition, the inner wall of the storage section is formed with a step section that restricts the sliding of the spacer in the connection direction, and a stopper engagement section that engages with the stopper, so that the spring can be compressed to a predetermined distance or less to generate a pressing force, and when the engagement with the stopper is released, the parts inside the storage section can be removed for maintenance, etc.

[0040] (10) A plug according to a tenth invention is a plug according to the ninth invention, wherein the stopper has a plurality of fiber guide grooves through which optical fibers can be inserted, a plurality of spring holding holes for accommodating rear ends of springs, and a pair of fixing pieces for engaging with the stopper engaging portion, and the pair of fixing pieces may be arranged on both outsides of the plurality of fiber insertion holes and the plurality of spring holding holes.

[0041] The pair of fixing pieces provided on the stopper are disposed on both the outside of the fiber insertion hole and the spring holding hole, so that the thickness of the plug in the vertical direction can be reduced.

[0042] (11) A plug according to an eleventh invention is the plug according to any one of the seventh to tenth inventions, wherein the spacer may have a pair of bosses insertable into guide pin insertion holes of the multi-fiber ferrule, an upper opening capable of guiding an optical fiber inserted into the multi-fiber ferrule, a spring holding hole that houses a front end of the spring, and a spacer step portion that restricts sliding in the connection direction.

[0043] The spacer is provided with a spacer step that restricts sliding in the connection direction, so the multi-fiber ferrule in the storage section is not pressed against the support, and a small space can be provided between the support, the multi-fiber ferrule, and the spacer. This allows the multi-fiber ferrule to move slightly (a floating structure) before connecting the optical connector, so when connecting the optical connector, the multi-fiber ferrule is positioned only by the guide hole and guide pin, minimizing the external force from the spring and minimizing optical connection loss. In addition, the spacer is provided with a boss that holds the multi-fiber ferrule and prevents significant misalignment of the spacer and multi-fiber ferrule.

[0044] (12) A plug according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is a plug according to any one of the seventh to eleventh aspects of the present invention, wherein the guide pieces are asymmetrically formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the plug body, and the guide pieces on the upper or lower surface may be formed to correspond to the respective plug storage portions.

[0045] Because the guide pieces on the top and bottom surfaces are not the same shape, there is no risk of inserting the plug upside down when inserting it into the receptacle. Furthermore, because guide pieces are formed for each housing section, the positioning of each guide pin for each multi-fiber ferrule can be accurately determined. This allows for smoother and more accurate connection of multi-fiber ferrules.

[0046] (13) A plug according to a thirteenth invention is the plug according to any one of the seventh to twelfth inventions, wherein the plurality of plug housing sections are in communication with each other inside the plug body, and each plug housing section is separated by a support pillar arranged on the connection end face side of the multi-fiber ferrule, and the support pillar may be arranged to fix the flange portion of the multi-fiber ferrule.

[0047] The multiple storage compartments are connected inside the plug body and separated by support columns, minimizing the structure separating the storage compartments. Furthermore, since one support column secures two multi-fiber ferrules, the horizontal dimension of the support column determines the spacing (pitch) between the multi-fiber ferrules. This allows for an optical connector with minimal spacing between the multi-fiber ferrules.

[0048] (14) A plug according to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention is the plug according to any one of the seventh to thirteenth aspects of the present invention, wherein the support pillar may be larger than the lateral dimension of the connection end face of the multi-fiber ferrule by 0.05 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less.

[0049] As a result, the dimensions of the storage section are designed to be slightly larger than the dimensions of the multi-fiber ferrule, allowing the multi-fiber ferrule to move slightly before connecting the optical connector (floating structure). As a result, when connecting the optical connector, the multi-fiber ferrule is positioned only by the guide holes and guide pins, minimizing the external force received from the storage section and therefore minimizing loss in the optical connection.

[0050] (15) A plug according to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the plug according to any one of the seventh to fourteenth aspects of the present invention, wherein the plug body may be made of resin.

[0051] Unlike the receptacle, the plug is not subjected to solder reflow, so by using a resin, the plug can be made to be easy to mold and inexpensive.

[0052] (16) An optical connector according to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention includes a receptacle according to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention mounted on an electric circuit board, and a plug according to any one of the seventh to fifteenth aspects of the present invention incorporating a plurality of optical fibers and a multi-core ferrule.

[0053] This allows optical connection between a receptacle mounted on an electric circuit board and having a plurality of multi-fiber ferrules and a plug also having a plurality of multi-fiber ferrules.

[0054] (17) A method for manufacturing an opto-electrical circuit board according to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention includes a mounting step of mounting a receptacle according to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention on an electric circuit board, and a reflow step of subjecting the electric circuit board obtained in the mounting step to solder reflow.

[0055] This allows optical connection between a receptacle mounted on an electric circuit board and having a plurality of multi-fiber ferrules and a plug also having a plurality of multi-fiber ferrules.

[0056] FIG. 1 is a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a receptacle of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the structure of a receptacle of an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view for explaining a pin keeper and a guide pin of an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a plug of a first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic enlarged view for explaining a structure in the vicinity of a spacer of the plug of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory view for explaining a spacer of the plug of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory view for explaining a stopper of the plug of the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a plug of a second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic explanatory view for explaining a stopper of the plug of the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory view for explaining an engagement relationship between a receptacle of an embodiment and the plug of the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic explanatory view of an electric circuit board on which a receptacle of an embodiment is mounted.

[0057] Traditionally, in technical fields such as optical transceivers, development has focused on extracting one or two optical fibers (e.g., In and Out) from an electrical circuit board 20. Meanwhile, in the field of optical fiber communications, as optical speeds and densities increase, wiring is increasingly being performed using optical fiber ribbons, which bundle multiple optical fibers. Multi-fiber ferrules, which can simultaneously optically connect multiple optical fibers, have been standardized and are widely used. In recent years, technological developments in photonics-electronics convergence have been progressing, and systems capable of even higher-speed communication and processing are being developed by converting signals output from an electrical circuit board 20 into optical signals. Among the technological developments in photonics-electronics convergence, replacing wiring within data centers with optical wiring requires significantly lower power consumption, lower latency, and ultra-high-speed data transmission and reception than conventional systems. In such cases, a single signal bundle routed from an electrical circuit board 20 is not sufficient using conventional optical fiber ribbons (e.g., 8, 12, 16, 24, or 32 optical fibers 181). Therefore, the optical connector 10 of the present invention comprises a receptacle 100 that can be mounted on an electric circuit board 20 and a plug 200 that can be optically connected to the receptacle 100, and is capable of simultaneously optically connecting multiple optical fibers or fiber ribbons 180, 280. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Furthermore, at least a portion of the configuration of each embodiment can be appropriately combined with a portion of another embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0058] (Receptacle 100) FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of receptacle 100 of the embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view of receptacle 100 of the embodiment. Receptacle 100 of the embodiment is fixed on electric circuit board 20 so as to be parallel to electric circuit board 20. A plurality of multi-fiber ferrules 170 are provided in a row at the connection port of receptacle 100 so as to be parallel to one side of electric circuit board 20 (see FIG. 10). A fiber ribbon 180 in which a plurality of optical fibers 181 are bundled is connected to multi-fiber ferrules 170. As illustrated in FIG. 10, electric circuit board 20 of the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of IC chips 30, 30', 30'', and 30''', and each IC chip 30 is provided with a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements (not shown). An optical waveguide or optical fiber 181 extends from the photoelectric conversion element, and a fiber ribbon 180 bundling a plurality of optical fibers 181 is inserted into each of the multi-fiber ferrules 170, 170', 170", and 170'". The connection end face of the multi-fiber ferrule 170 is optically polished with all of the optical fibers 181 exposed at the connection end face, and all of the optical fibers 181 are optically connected when the receptacle 100 and the plug 200 are connected. Note that, although this embodiment shows an example in which the optical fibers 181 are physically contacted (PC connection), optical connection using a refractive index matching material or a collimating lens may also be used.

[0059] In this embodiment, an example of a receptacle 100 provided with four multi-fiber ferrules 170 is shown, but the number of multi-fiber ferrules 170 is not particularly limited as long as it is two or more. The greater the number of multi-fiber ferrules 170, the greater the number of optical fibers 181 that can be connected simultaneously. On the other hand, when connecting the multi-fiber ferrules 170, 270 by physical contact, the greater the number of optical fibers 181 optically connected becomes, so the pressing force required on the connection end face increases, so from the perspective of keeping the size of the optical connector 10 itself small, it is preferable that the number of multi-fiber ferrules 170 be eight or less, and more preferably six or less.

[0060] The multi-fiber ferrules 170, 270 used in this embodiment are injection-molded products made of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and have a plurality of optical fiber insertion holes on the connection end face side for inserting the optical fibers 181, 281, a boot insertion hole on the rear end face side opposite the connection end face, and a pair of guide pin insertion holes that penetrate from the connection end face to the rear end face. Also, the multi-fiber ferrules 170, 270 of this embodiment are provided with flanges that protrude from both the left and right side faces of the ferrule body (only). In this embodiment, the multi-fiber ferrules 170, 270 used have a connection end face measuring 5 mm x 1.25 mm, a total length from the connection end face to the rear end face of 4 mm, and a flange portion protruding 0.2 mm from the ferrule body. However, this is not a limitation, and a standardized, general-purpose MT ferrule (having a connection end face measuring 6.4 mm x 2.5 mm, a total length of 8 mm, and a flange portion protruding 0.3 mm in all directions) may also be used. The number of optical fibers 181, 281 inserted into each multi-fiber ferrule 170, 270 is also not particularly limited, and multi-fiber ferrules 170, 270 with 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 64, or the like may be appropriately used. In this embodiment, the multi-fiber ferrules 170, 270 are illustrated as having a total of 24 fibers, each configured in two rows of 12 fibers. The type of the optical fibers 181 and 281 to be inserted may be a single-mode optical fiber or a multi-mode optical fiber, and polarization-maintaining fiber or multi-core fiber may be used in part or in whole.

[0061] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of receptacle 100 according to an embodiment. In FIG. 2, the leftmost storage section 110 shows a state before storing multi-fiber ferrule 170 and pinkeeper 150, and the second storage section 110 from the left shows a state immediately before multi-fiber ferrule 170 and pinkeeper 150 are attached. As shown in FIG. 2, receptacle 100 according to this embodiment has a main body (housing) of receptacle 100, which is made up of upper main body 100a and lower main body 100b. Lower main body 100b is provided with a plurality of storage sections 110, each of which stores a pinkeeper 150 and a multi-fiber ferrule 170 with a plurality of optical fibers 181 inserted therethrough.

[0062] 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the pinkeeper 150 and guide pin of the embodiment. The pinkeeper 150 of the embodiment has a clamping portion 151 that opens toward the lower main body 100b, allowing the pinkeeper 150 to be inserted and removed while the guide pin 160 is inserted into the multi-fiber ferrule 170. The guide pin 160 of the embodiment also has a clamped portion 161 that is designed with a small radius. Therefore, the pinkeeper 150 can be easily installed even in a small space where there is no space to insert the guide pin 160.

[0063] In the receptacle 100 of this embodiment, the lower body 100b is fixed to the electric circuit board 20, and the upper body 100a is detachable from the lower body 100b. Therefore, if a malfunction occurs in communication with some of the optical fibers 181, maintenance can be performed by opening the upper body 100a and replacing only the defective multi-fiber ferrule 170. Furthermore, if a multi-fiber ferrule or refractive index matching material that does not have sufficient heat resistance is used in the receptacle 100, the electric circuit board 20 to which the lower body 100b is fixed can be subjected to solder reflow, and the multi-fiber ferrule 170 and the like can be assembled after the solder reflow. In this case, the height of the lower body 100b is designed to be low, so that the multi-fiber ferrule 170 can be attached to the storage section 110 simply by fitting it from above. Furthermore, because the clamping portion 151 of the pin keeper 150 is also open toward the lower main body 100b, the pin keeper 150 can be inserted and removed while the guide pin 160 remains inserted in the multi-fiber ferrule 170. This makes it easy to install or replace the multi-fiber ferrule 170 even when the length of the fiber ribbon 180 extending from the electric circuit board 20 is short or when the space around the electric circuit board 20 is narrow.

[0064] In the receptacle 100 of this embodiment, multiple storage sections 110 are internally connected, and the storage sections 110 are partitioned by front support posts 111 and rear support posts 112. The front support posts 111 are arranged to separate the main body of the multi-fiber ferrule 170, and their width is preferably 0.5 mm to 10 mm, and more preferably 0.8 mm to 2.0 mm. The width determines the pitch of the connection end faces, thereby enabling high-density optical communication. The rear support posts 112 are arranged to guide the fiber ribbon 180, and are designed to have a width wider than the front support posts 111. In the receptacle 100 of this embodiment, the storage sections 110 are partitioned by the front support posts 111 and rear support posts 112, and the size of the partitioned storage sections 110 is preferably designed to be slightly larger than the combined size of the multi-fiber ferrule 170 and the pinkeeper 150. The distance (width) between the front supports 111 is preferably designed to be 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm larger than the width of the connecting end face of the multi-fiber ferrule 170, and more preferably 0.07 mm to 0.25 mm larger. The distance (depth) between the front support 111 and the rear support 112 is preferably designed to be 0.05 mm to 0.9 mm larger than the sum of the depth of the guide pin 160 and the length of the flange of the multi-fiber ferrule 170, and more preferably 0.07 mm to 0.45 mm larger. This allows the multi-fiber ferrule 170 to have a floating structure that allows slight movement. Therefore, when connecting the multi-fiber ferrule 270 of the plug 200 and the multi-fiber ferrule 170 of the receptacle 100, external forces are less likely to be applied, and precise positioning can be achieved by the guide pin 160. This allows for an optical connector 10 with low connection loss.

[0065] Receptacle 100 of this embodiment is provided with a pair of locking holes 120 on both the left and right outer sides of multiple storage sections 110. Locking recesses 121 are provided inside locking holes 120 so as to extend further outward. This allows the overall height of receptacle 100 to be kept low and allows locking pieces 220 of plug 200 to be locked to receptacle 100. Furthermore, because locking recesses 121 are provided on the left and right outer sides, the user can easily release the engagement between locking pieces 220 and locking holes 120 by pinching locking pieces 220.

[0066] In this embodiment, the upper body 100a and the lower body 100b are provided with guide portions 130a and 130b, respectively. This allows the plug 200 and the receptacle 100 to be accurately aligned, allowing the receptacle guide pins 160 to be smoothly inserted into the guide holes of the plug multi-fiber ferrule 270, preventing the guide pins 160 from colliding with the connecting end face of the multi-fiber ferrule 270. Furthermore, because the guide portions 130 are provided inside the pair of locking holes 120, the opening dimensions of the locking holes 120 can be made larger. This increases the pressing force of the multi-fiber ferrules 170 and 270, allowing for a greater number of optical fibers to be connected to the optical fibers 181 and 281. In this embodiment, the guide portions 130b on the lower body 100b are provided for each storage section 110, allowing for accurate alignment of the multi-fiber ferrules 170 and 270. In addition, guide portion 130a and guide portion 130b are arranged to sandwich storage portion 110, thereby protecting the connection end face of multi-fiber ferrule 170. Furthermore, guide portion 130a and guide portion 130b have different shapes, which prevents the user from inserting plug 200 in the wrong direction.

[0067] Receptacle 100 of this embodiment is provided with a pair of fixing portions 140 on both the left and right outer sides of locking hole 120. This allows receptacle 100 to be securely fixed to electric circuit board 20. While this embodiment illustrates an example of fixing using bolts or the like, any method of fixing, such as adhesive, may be used. Alternatively, fixing portion 140b of lower body 100b may be designed to be fixed to electric circuit board 20, and fixing portion 140a of upper body 100a may be designed to be fixed to lower body 100b. Receptacle 100 of this embodiment is formed from a metal such as SUS. This allows receptacle 100 to have excellent heat resistance and workability, such as grinding.

[0068] (Plug 200 of First Embodiment) FIG. 4( a) is a perspective view of the plug 200 of the first embodiment, and FIG. 4( b) is a cross-sectional view of the plug 200 of the first embodiment. The plug 200 of this embodiment is intended to be connected to the receptacle 100. A plug body 200a, which serves as the housing of the plug 200, is provided with a row of multiple storage sections 210. A pair of locking pieces 220 is provided on both the left and right outer sides of the multiple storage sections 210, and multiple guide pieces 230 are provided on both the top and bottom outer sides of the multiple storage sections 210. In addition, the multi-fiber ferrule 270 of the plug 200 and the multi-fiber ferrule 170 of the receptacle 100 are designed so that their connection end faces precisely match. Multiple fiber ribbons 280 are inserted through the plug 200. The fiber ribbons 280 may be wired, for example, within a data center and connected to another electric circuit board 20′, or may be used for long-distance communication via a relay device or the like.

[0069] In this embodiment, locking pieces 220 extend in pairs from near the front-to-rear center of plug body 200a on both the left and right outer sides of the multiple storage sections 210. Locking protrusions 221 are provided on both outer sides at the tips of the pair of locking pieces 220, and release operation portions 222 are provided in the center of the pair of locking pieces 220 on both outer sides. As a result, locking pieces 220 of plug 200 are inserted into locking holes 120 of receptacle 100, and a latch structure in which locking protrusions 221 fit into locking recesses 121 enables plug 200 and receptacle 100 to be locked together. In addition, a user can release the lock between plug 200 and receptacle 100 by pinching release operation portions 222 of locking pieces 220 with their fingers.

[0070] In the plug 200 of this embodiment, multiple guide pieces 230a are provided above the multiple storage sections 210, and multiple guide pieces 230b are provided below the multiple storage sections 210. The guide pieces 230a and 230b of the plug 200 are guided by the guide portions 130a and 130b of the receptacle 100, respectively. This allows the plug 200 and the receptacle 100 to be accurately aligned, allowing the receptacle-side guide pins 160 to be smoothly inserted into the guide holes of the plug-side multi-fiber ferrule 270, preventing the guide pins 160 from colliding with the mating end face of the multi-fiber ferrule 270. In this embodiment, the guide pieces 230b are provided for each storage section 210, allowing accurate alignment of each multi-fiber ferrule 170, 270. Furthermore, the guide pieces 230a and 230b are arranged to sandwich the storage section 210, thereby protecting the mating end face of the multi-fiber ferrule 270. Furthermore, since the guide pieces 230a and 230b have different shapes, it is possible to prevent the user from inserting the plug 200 in the wrong direction.

[0071] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the plug 200 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 5, the frontmost storage section 210 is shown without the multi-fiber ferrule 270, fiber tape 280, spacer 240, spring 250, and stopper 260, while the second-to-front storage section 210 is shown before the multi-fiber ferrule 270 and fiber tape 280 are attached. As shown in FIG. 5, the plug 200 according to the embodiment has multiple storage sections 210 that are internally connected to each other, and the storage sections 210 are separated by support columns 211. The support columns 211 are arranged to separate the main bodies of the multi-fiber ferrules 270, and their width is preferably 0.5 mm to 10 mm, and more preferably 0.7 mm to 2.0 mm. The width determines the pitch of the connection end faces, thereby enabling high-density optical communication. In the plug 200 of this embodiment, the distance (width) between the posts 211 is preferably designed to be 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm larger than the width of the connecting end face of the multi-fiber ferrule 270, and more preferably 0.07 mm to 0.25 mm larger. This allows the multi-fiber ferrule 270 to have a floating structure that allows it to move slightly, so that when connecting the multi-fiber ferrule 270 of the plug 200 to the multi-fiber ferrule 170 of the receptacle 100, external forces are less likely to be applied and precise positioning can be achieved by the guide pins 160. This allows for an optical connector 10 with low connection loss.

[0072] The storage section 210 of this embodiment houses a spacer 240 that presses the multi-fiber ferrule 270 in the connection direction, a spring 250 that applies a pressing force to the spacer 240, and a stopper 260 that holds the rear end surface of the spring 250. Steps 212 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the storage section 210, perpendicular to the connection direction. A spacer step 244 of the spacer 240 can abut against these step portions 212, preventing the spacer 240 from moving more than a predetermined distance in the connection direction. In other words, the spacer 240 attempts to move in the connection direction due to the force of the spring 250, but the presence of the step portions 212 ensures that a space for storing the multi-fiber ferrule 270 is secured. In particular, by designing the space for storing the multi-fiber ferrule 270 to be slightly larger than the dimensions of the multi-fiber ferrule 270, a floating structure can be achieved, allowing the multi-fiber ferrule 270 to move slightly. In the plug 200 of this embodiment, the distance between the support 211 and the front surface of the spacer 240 (the base end surface of the boss 241) is preferably designed to be 0.05 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less larger than the overall length of the multi-fiber ferrule 270 (the distance between the connection end surface and the boot insertion surface), and more preferably 0.07 mm or more and 0.2 mm or less larger.

[0073] 6(a) is a schematic perspective view for explaining the spacer 240, and FIG. 6(b) shows a state in which a multi-fiber ferrule 270 (including a fiber tape 280) is incorporated into the spacer 240. The spacer 240 of this embodiment is formed with a boss 241 that can be inserted into a guide hole of the multi-fiber ferrule 270, an upper opening 242 that guides the fiber tape 280, a spring holding hole 243 that holds the front end of the spring 250, and a spacer step 244 that can abut against the step 212 of the storage section 210. The spacer 240 serves to transmit the pressing force generated by the spring 250 to the multi-fiber ferrule 270, and is stored in the storage section 210 so as to be slidable in the connecting direction of the plug 200. Furthermore, as described above, the abutment between step portion 212 and spacer step portion 244 restricts the slidable distance in the connection direction, thereby forming a floating structure and preventing multi-fiber ferrule 270 from strongly colliding with support post 211 when plug 200 is attached or detached. Boss 241 can hold multi-fiber ferrule 270, which facilitates the positioning of multi-fiber ferrule 270 and the assembly of multi-fiber ferrule 270 into plug 200. Note that the positioning of boss 241 is simple, and the positioning of the connection end face of multi-fiber ferrule 270 on the plug 200 side and the connection end face of multi-fiber ferrule 170 on the receptacle 100 side is precisely achieved by guide pin 160.

[0074] The spring 250 is formed flat, and the fiber tape 280 is inserted inside. The spring 250 applies a pressing force to the multi-fiber ferrule 270, and is designed appropriately depending on the number of optical fibers 281 to be connected. For example, when PC connection is performed between the multi-fiber ferrules 170 and 270 each having 32 fibers, the spring 250 can apply a pressing force of 5 N.

[0075] 7(a) is a schematic perspective view illustrating the stopper 260, and FIG. 7(b) shows the stopper 260 with the spring 250 and fiber ribbon 280 assembled therein. The stopper 260 has a fiber insertion hole 261 for inserting the fiber ribbon 280 therethrough, a spring holding hole 262 for holding the rear end face of the spring 250, and a fixing piece 263 for fixing the stopper 260 to the plug body 200a. The fixing piece 263 has a fixing protrusion 264 that engages with the stopper engaging portion 212a of the plug body 200a. The stopper engaging portions 212a of the plug body 200a in this embodiment are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the plug body 200a, and are rectangular holes that penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the plug body 200a so as to serve as windows. Furthermore, the fixing piece 263 of the stopper 260 is designed to become thinner as it extends toward the rear end, so that the space through which the fiber ribbon 280 passes gradually widens in the vertical direction. This prevents the fiber ribbon 280 from being pinched by the fixing piece 263 or from being subjected to a load when the stopper 260 is attached to or detached from the rear end face of the plug body 200a.

[0076] In this embodiment, a stopper 260 is independently disposed for each multi-fiber ferrule 270, and each stopper 260 engages with a stopper engagement portion 213 of the plug body 200a and is fixed within the plug body 200a. Therefore, when disassembling the internal components of the plug 200, the user can pinch a pair of fixing pieces 263 protruding from the rear end surface of the plug body 200a, or insert a rod or the like into the window of the stopper engagement portion 213 from the outside, thereby disengaging the fixing protrusions 264, thereby enabling removal of the entire set of internal components from the stopper 260 to the multi-fiber ferrule 270. Therefore, even if a defect occurs in a portion of the optical fiber 281, each multi-fiber ferrule 270 can be replaced individually, resulting in excellent maintainability. Furthermore, because the internal components of each multi-fiber ferrule 270 are independent, the internal components do not affect each other. In particular, even if stopper 260, which receives a large force from spring 250, is fixed at a slight angle, the effect on the pressing force of multi-fiber ferrule 270 is minimized, thereby making it possible to produce plug 200 with low variation in connection loss. Note that, while the above example illustrates a method in which the user pinches the pair of fixing pieces 263 to release the engagement of stopper 260, this is not limiting, and stopper 260 may also be released by inserting a rod or the like from the outside into a window in stopper engagement portion 212a. Furthermore, because fixing pieces 263 of stopper 260 protrude from the rear end surface of plug body 200a, insertion of stopper 260 is facilitated when assembling plug 200. In the plug 200 of this embodiment, the stopper 260 is arranged independently for each multi-core ferrule 270, the spacer 240 is provided with a spring retaining hole 243, and the stopper 260 is provided with a spring retaining hole 262. Therefore, when assembling the plug 200, the spacer 240, the spring 250, and the stopper 260 are aligned in a straight line, and problems such as the stopper 260 becoming slanted are unlikely to occur.

[0077] Fig. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the state in which the plug 200 of the first embodiment is connected to the receptacle 100 of the embodiment. Fig. 11 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the state in which the plug 200 of the first embodiment is connected to the receptacle 100 provided on the electric circuit board 20. As shown in Figs. 2, 4(b), and 8(b), the tip of the guide piece 230 preferably protrudes beyond the tip of the locking piece 220, and the corners of the guide piece 230 of the plug 200 and the guide portion 130 of the receptacle 100 preferably have rounded or chamfered corners. As a result, when the plug 200 is connected to the receptacle 100, the guide piece 230 of the plug 200 is first guided by the guide portion 130, and the plug 200 and the receptacle 100 are positioned. Then, locking pieces 220 of plug 200 are inserted into locking holes 120, and further, guide pins 160 of receptacle 100 are smoothly inserted into guide holes of multi-fiber ferrules 270 of plug 200, so that the connection end faces of multi-fiber ferrules 170 and 270 come into accurate contact with each other. Then, plug 200 is further pushed toward receptacle 100, compressing spring 250, and locking pieces 220 are locked into locking holes 120, thereby fixing plug 200 to receptacle 100. In this way, the necessary pressing force is applied to the connection end faces of the multiple multi-fiber ferrules 270, respectively, so that multiple fiber ribbons 280 can be optically connected to electric circuit board 20 simultaneously and with low connection loss.

[0078] (Plug 200 of Second Embodiment) The plug 200 connected to the receptacle 100 of the embodiment may be the plug 200 of the first embodiment, or the plug 200 of the second embodiment described below. Only the parts that are different from the plug 200 of the first embodiment will be described below.

[0079] FIG. 8( a) is a perspective view of the plug 200 of the second embodiment, and FIG. 8( b) is a cross-sectional view of the plug 200 of the second embodiment. A plug body 200b, which serves as the housing of the plug 200 of the second embodiment, has a pair of stopper engagement portions 213b formed on both the left and right side surfaces of the plug body 200b. As shown in FIG. 8, the stopper engagement portions 213b of this embodiment are rectangular holes that penetrate the right and left side surfaces of the plug body 200b so that they each serve as a window. Furthermore, the stopper 260b of this embodiment is designed to protrude from the rear end surface of the plug body 200b when attached to the plug body 200b. This makes it easier to attach the stopper 260b to the plug body 200b.

[0080] FIG. 9( a) is a perspective view of a stopper 260b of the second embodiment, and FIG. 9( b) is a perspective view showing the stopper 260b of the second embodiment with springs 250 and a fiber ribbon 280 attached thereto. The stopper 260b of the second embodiment is integrally formed to close the rear end face of the plug body 200b. Therefore, the rear end is fixed so as to straddle multiple multi-fiber ferrules 270, resulting in a simpler structure than the plug 200 of the first embodiment. A row of spring holding holes 262 for fixing the springs 250 is arranged on the front side (the plug connecting direction side) of the stopper 260b, and a fiber guide groove 261b is provided on the top surface of the stopper 260b for passing the fiber ribbon 280 inserted through each spring 250. A pair of fixing pieces 263b is provided on both outer sides of the spring holding holes 262 and is configured to be engageable with the stopper engaging portions 212b of the plug body 200b. Note that the fiber guide groove 261b may be a fiber guide hole with a closed top surface. In the plug 200 of the second embodiment, a pair of fixing pieces 263b are provided on both outer sides of the spring holding hole 262, so the thickness of the fixing pieces 263b can be increased. Note that in the plug 200 of the second embodiment, the engagement of the stopper 260b can be released by inserting a rod or the like from the outside into the window of the stopper engagement portion 213b. Furthermore, in the plug 200 of the second embodiment, the top surface of the fiber guide groove 261b is open, so defective parts can be easily replaced.

[0081] In the present invention, the optical connector 10 corresponds to the "optical connector", the electric circuit board 20 corresponds to the "electric circuit board", the receptacle 100 corresponds to the "receptacle", the upper body 100a corresponds to the "upper body", the lower body 100b corresponds to the "lower body", the storage sections 110, 210 correspond to the "storage section", the locking hole 120 corresponds to the "locking hole", the guide section 130 corresponds to the "guide section", the fixing section 140 corresponds to the "fixing section", the pin keeper 150 corresponds to the "pin keeper", the guide pin 160 corresponds to the "guide pin", and the multi-fiber ferrules 170, 270 correspond to the " The optical fibers 181 and 281 correspond to "multi-fiber ferrules," the fiber tapes 180 and 280 correspond to "fiber tapes," the optical fibers 181 and 281 correspond to "optical fibers," the plug 200 corresponds to the "plug," the plug bodies 200a and 200b correspond to the "plug bodies," the step portion 212 corresponds to the "step portion," the stopper engagement portion 213 corresponds to the "stopper engagement portion," the locking piece 220 corresponds to the "locking piece," the guide piece 230 corresponds to the "guide piece," the spacer 240 corresponds to the "spacer," the spring 250 corresponds to the "spring," and the stopper 260 corresponds to the "stopper."

[0082] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be understood that various other embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, although the actions and effects of the configuration of the present invention are described in the present embodiment, these actions and effects are merely examples and do not limit the present invention.

[0083] 10 Optical connector 20 Electric circuit board 30 IC chip 100 Receptacle 100a Upper body 100b Lower body 110 Storage section (receptacle) 120 Locking hole 121 Locking recess 130 Guide section 140 Fixing section 150 Pin keeper 160 Guide pin 170 Multi-fiber ferrule (receptacle) 180 Fiber ribbon (receptacle) 181 Optical fiber (receptacle) 200 Plug 200a, b Plug body 210 Storage section (plug) 212 Step 213 Stopper engagement section 220 Locking piece 221 Locking protrusion 222 Release operation section 230 Guide piece 240 Spacer 250 Spring 260 Stopper 270 Multi-fiber ferrule (plug) 280 Fiber ribbon (plug) 281 Optical fiber (receptacle)

Claims

A receptacle mounted on an electric circuit board and connectable to a plug through which an optical fiber is inserted, a pin keeper for holding a guide pin and a storage section capable of storing a multi-fiber ferrule having the guide pin inserted therein; a locking hole through which the locking piece of the plug can be inserted; a fixing portion that can be fixed to the electric circuit board; a guide portion that guides the guide piece of the plug, a plurality of the storage sections are arranged parallel to a surface of the electric circuit board; the locking holes are arranged in pairs on both outer sides of the plurality of storage sections, and have locking recesses that can be locked with the locking pieces, and the locking recesses are arranged so as to face outward from each other, The fixing portions are arranged in pairs on both outer sides of the pair of locking holes, The guide portion is disposed inside the pair of locking holes, The receptacle, wherein the plurality of storage sections, the pair of locking pieces, and the pair of fixing sections are arranged in a row parallel to one side of the electric circuit board. 　 The guide portions are asymmetrically formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the receptacle body, The receptacle according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portions on the upper surface side or the lower surface side are formed to correspond to the respective storage portions. 　 the plurality of storage sections are in communication with each other inside the receptacle body, and are partitioned by a front support column arranged on the connection end face side of the multi-fiber ferrule and a rear support column arranged on the pinkeeper side; The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the front support post is positioned to secure a collar portion of the multi-fiber ferrule.

4. The receptacle according to claim 3, wherein a horizontal dimension of the front support is smaller than a horizontal dimension of the rear support and is larger than a horizontal dimension of the connection end face of the multi-fiber ferrule by 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm. 　 The receptacle body comprises an upper body and a lower body, The multi-fiber ferrule and the pin keeper are configured to be replaceable, The receptacle according to claim 1 , wherein the pin keeper has a clamping portion for holding the guide pin disposed on the lower body side. 　 The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle body is made of metal. 　 A plug connectable to a receptacle mounted on an electric circuit board, a storage section capable of storing a multi-core ferrule having an optical fiber inserted therein; a locking piece that can be inserted into a locking hole of the receptacle; a guide piece extending in a connecting direction of the multi-fiber ferrule and capable of fitting into a guide portion of the receptacle, a plurality of the storage sections are arranged parallel to a surface of the electric circuit board; Each of the storage sections is provided with a spacer that is slidable in the connecting direction of the multi-fiber ferrule, a spring that applies a pressing force to the spacer, and a stopper that is fixed to a rear portion on the opposite side from the connecting direction to hold the spring, an inner wall of the storage portion is formed with a step portion that restricts sliding of the spacer in the connecting direction and a stopper engaging portion that engages with the stopper; the locking pieces are arranged in pairs on both outer sides of the plurality of storage sections, and each have a locking protrusion that can be locked with the locking section, and a release operation section that can release the locking of the locking pieces and the locking section, The locking protrusions are arranged to face outward from each other, The guide piece is disposed inside the pair of locking holes, The plug, wherein the plurality of storage portions and the pair of locking pieces are arranged in a row. 　 The stopper is a fiber insertion hole through which an optical fiber can be inserted; a spring holding hole that accommodates the rear end of the spring; a pair of fixing pieces extending in a direction opposite to the connecting direction of the multi-fiber ferrule, the fixing piece has a fixing protrusion that can be engaged with a stopper engaging portion provided on the plug body, The plug according to claim 7 , wherein the pair of fixing pieces are provided in a vertical direction relative to a surface of the electric circuit board. 　 A plug connectable to a receptacle mounted on an electric circuit board, a storage section capable of storing a multi-core ferrule having an optical fiber inserted therein; a locking piece that can be inserted into a locking hole of the receptacle; a guide piece extending in a connecting direction of the multi-fiber ferrule and capable of fitting into a guide portion of the receptacle, a plurality of the storage sections are arranged parallel to a surface of the electric circuit board; Each of the housing portions is provided with a spacer that is slidable in a connecting direction of the multi-fiber ferrule, and a spring that applies a pressing force to the spacer, The storage section communicates with the interior of the plug body, The storage section is provided with a stopper that is fixed to a rear portion opposite to a connection direction and holds the plurality of springs, a step portion that restricts sliding of the spacer in the connecting direction and a stopper engagement portion that fixes the stopper are formed on an inner wall of the storage portion; the locking pieces are arranged in pairs on both outer sides of the plurality of storage sections, and each have a locking protrusion that can be locked with the locking section, and a release operation section that can release the locking of the locking pieces and the locking section, The locking protrusions are arranged to face outward from each other, The guide piece is disposed inside the pair of locking holes, A plug, wherein the plurality of storage sections and the pair of locking pieces are arranged in a row. 　 The stopper is a plurality of fiber guide grooves through which the optical fibers can be inserted; a plurality of spring holding holes for receiving rear ends of the springs; a pair of fixing pieces for engaging with the stopper engaging portion; The plug according to claim 9 , wherein the pair of fixing pieces are arranged on both outer sides of the plurality of fiber insertion holes and the plurality of spring holding holes. 　 The spacer is a pair of bosses that can be inserted into guide pin insertion holes of the multi-fiber ferrule; an upper opening capable of guiding an optical fiber inserted into the multi-core ferrule; a spring holding hole for receiving the front end of the spring; 10. The plug according to claim 7, further comprising a spacer step portion that restricts sliding in the connecting direction. 　 The guide pieces are asymmetrically formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the plug body, 10. The plug according to claim 7, wherein the guide pieces on the upper surface side or the lower surface side are formed to correspond to the respective plug accommodating portions. 　 The plurality of plug accommodating sections are in communication with each other inside the plug body, Each of the plug storage sections is partitioned by a support column arranged on the connection end face side of the multi-fiber ferrule, 10. The plug according to claim 7 or 9, wherein the support post is arranged to fix a flange portion of the multi-fiber ferrule.

10. The plug according to claim 7, wherein the support pillar has a lateral dimension greater than the lateral dimension of the connection end face of the multi-fiber ferrule by 0.05 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less.

10. The plug according to claim 7 or 9, wherein the plug body is made of resin. 　 The receptacle of claim 1 mounted on an electric circuit board; An optical connector comprising: the plug according to claim 7 or 9, in which a plurality of optical fibers and a multi-fiber ferrule are incorporated. 　 a mounting step of mounting the receptacle according to claim 1 on an electric circuit board; a reflow step of subjecting the electric circuit board obtained in the mounting step to solder reflow.

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