In-vehicle optical connector unit

Abstract

An in-vehicle optical connector unit (10) is provided with a first optical connector (20) and a second optical connector (50), the first optical connector (20) being provided with a ferrule (21) having a connection end surface (211) and a housing (30), the second optical connector (50) being provided with a ferrule (51) having a connection end surface (511) and a housing (60), the housing (30) having a guide rib (32), the housing (60) having a guide groove (62), the connection end surface (211) being positioned closer to a rear end side of the first optical connector (20) than a front end surface (313) of the housing (30), a front end (321) of the guide rib (32) being positioned closer to a front end side of the first optical connector (20) than the connection end surface (211).

Description

In-vehicle optical connector unit

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle optical connector unit. For designated countries where incorporation by reference of documents is permitted, the content of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-150189 filed in Japan on August 30, 2024 is incorporated by reference into this specification and made a part of the description of this specification.

[0002] There is known a multifiber push-on / pull-out (MPO) connector that uses a mechanically transferable (MT) connector such as an F12 multi-core optical fiber connector (JIS C5981) as a ferrule (see, for example, Patent Document 1 (paragraph

[0002] , Figure 2)). This MT ferrule holds multiple optical fibers. The pair of ferrules is brought into contact with each other, and the multiple optical fibers exposed at the connecting end face of one ferrule are respectively opposed to the multiple optical fibers exposed at the connecting end face of the other ferrule, thereby optically connecting the optical fibers.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-160972

[0004] When the above-described MPO connector is used to optically connect optical fibers inside an automobile, the MPO connector may be subjected to external loads such as shocks and vibrations during the manufacture of the automobile, while the automobile is in operation, etc. Such external loads may cause the connecting end faces of the ferrules to become misaligned, making it impossible to maintain a highly accurate opposing state between the optical fibers, and may result in a deterioration of the optical characteristics.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an on-vehicle optical connector unit that can suppress deterioration of optical characteristics.

[0006] [1] Aspect 1 of the present invention is an in-vehicle optical connector unit comprising a first optical connector and a second optical connector into which the first optical connector can be inserted and removed along a first direction, wherein the first optical connector comprises a first ferrule that holds a plurality of first optical fibers and has a first connection end face to which end faces of the first optical fibers are exposed, and a first housing that accommodates the first ferrule, and the second optical connector comprises a second ferrule that holds a plurality of second optical fibers and has a second connection end face to which end faces of the second optical fibers are exposed and that can come into contact with the first connection end face, and a first housing that accommodates the second ferrule. and a second housing that accommodates a ferrule and into which the first housing can be inserted, wherein the first housing has a first guide portion extending in the first direction, and the second housing has a second guide portion that extends in the first direction and can be fitted with the first guide portion, and in the first direction, the first connection end face is located closer to the rear end of the first optical connector than the tip face of the first housing, and in the first direction, the tip of the first guide portion is located closer to the tip of the first optical connector than the first connection end face.

[0007] [2] Aspect 2 of the present invention may be an in-vehicle optical connector unit according to aspect 1, wherein the second housing has a recess into which the first housing can be inserted, the second ferrule protrudes from the bottom surface of the recess and is insertable into the first housing, and in the first direction, the rear end of the second guide portion is positioned closer to the rear end of the second optical connector than the second connection end face.

[0008] [3] Aspect 3 of the present invention may be an optical connector unit for vehicle use, in which, in the optical connector unit of aspect 1 or 2, the first guide portion includes a guide protrusion portion extending in the first direction, and the second guide portion includes a guide recess portion extending in the first direction and into which the guide protrusion portion can be inserted.

[0009] [4] Aspect 4 of the present invention may be an in-vehicle optical connector unit in which, in the optical connector unit of any one of aspects 1 to 3, the first optical connector has a guide pin protruding from the first connection end face, the second optical connector has a guide hole into which the guide pin can be inserted, and in the first direction, the tip of the guide pin overlaps the tip face of the first housing or is located closer to the rear end of the first optical connector than the tip face of the first housing.

[0010] [5] Aspect 5 of the present invention may be an optical connector unit for vehicle use, in which, in any one of aspects 1 to 4, the first housing is elastically deformable and has a first locking piece that engages with the second housing, and the first optical connector is movably held in the first housing and has a locking member that prohibits elastic deformation of the first locking piece.

[0011] [6] A sixth aspect of the present invention may be an on-vehicle optical connector unit according to the fifth aspect, wherein the locking member includes a second locking piece that engages with the second housing.

[0012] [7] Aspect 7 of the present invention may be an in-vehicle optical connector unit in which, in the optical connector unit of aspect 5 or 6, the first housing has a pair of plate portions, the first locking piece is interposed between the pair of plate portions, and the locking member is also interposed between the pair of plate portions.

[0013] [8] Aspect 8 of the present invention may be an optical connector unit for vehicle use, in which, in the optical connector unit of any one of aspects 1 to 7, the first ferrule has 12 or more first holding holes arranged in a row in the width direction of the first ferrule and each holding one of the first optical fibers, and the second ferrule has 12 or more second holding holes arranged in a row in the width direction of the second ferrule to correspond to the first holding holes and each holding one of the second optical fibers.

[0014] [9] Aspect 9 of the present invention may be an on-vehicle optical connector unit comprising the optical connector unit of any one of aspects 1 to 8, the plurality of first optical fibers held in the first ferrule, and the plurality of second optical fibers held in the second ferrule.

[0015] In the present invention, in the first direction, the first connecting end face of the first ferrule is located closer to the rear end of the first optical connector than the tip face of the first housing, and the tip of the first guide portion extending in the first direction is located closer to the tip of the first optical connector than the first connecting end face. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first and second connecting end faces of the first and second ferrules from being misaligned due to an external load applied to the optical connector unit, and it is possible to prevent deterioration of the optical characteristics of the optical connector unit.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a vehicle equipped with an optical connector unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an optical connector unit before connection according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a first optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the first optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a front view showing the first optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a second optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the second optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a front view showing the second optical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 9. Figure 12(a) is a diagram showing the operation of double locking of the first and second optical connectors in an embodiment of the present invention, where the diagram on the left side of Figure 12(a) is a diagram showing the state before double locking, and the diagram on the right side of Figure 12(a) is a diagram showing the state after double locking, Figure 12(b) is a cross-sectional oblique view taken along line BB in Figure 12(a), and Figure 12(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 12(a).

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a vehicle 1 equipped with an optical connector unit 10 according to this embodiment.

[0019] 1, the optical connector unit 10 in this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 1 to optically connect on-board devices to each other. Specific examples of the vehicle 1 include electric vehicles such as electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), as well as internal combustion engine vehicles that use gasoline or the like as fuel.

[0020] For example, an antenna device 3 is installed on a front bumper 2 of a vehicle 1. Although not particularly limited, an example of the antenna device 3 is a millimeter-wave antenna array module manufactured using silicon photonics technology. The antenna device 3 constitutes part of an obstacle detection system that detects objects present around the vehicle 1. An optical connector unit 10 optically connects the antenna device 3 to an on-board ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 4. Note that the use of the optical connector unit 10 is not particularly limited to the above, as long as it is installed in the vehicle 1.

[0021] The configuration of the optical connector unit 10 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0022] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the optical connector unit 10 before connection in this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the first optical connector 20 in this embodiment. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the first optical connector 20 in this embodiment. Fig. 5 is a front view of the first optical connector 20 in this embodiment. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the second optical connector 50 in this embodiment. Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the second optical connector 50 in this embodiment. Fig. 9 is a front view of the second optical connector 50 in this embodiment. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in Fig. 9.

[0023] 1 and 2, the optical connector unit 10 of this embodiment includes an optical fiber cable 11, an optical fiber cable 12, a first optical connector 20, and a second optical connector 50. The first optical connector 20 can be inserted into the second optical connector 50 and can be removed from the second optical connector 50. That is, the first optical connector 20 and the second optical connector 50 are detachable from each other. The first optical connector 20 and the second optical connector 50 can be inserted and removed along a first direction (the Y direction in the drawings). Note that an optical fiber tape may be used instead of the optical fiber cables 11 and 12.

[0024] One end of the optical fiber cable 11 is optically connected to the antenna device 3. The first optical connector 20 is a male connector connected to the other end of the optical fiber cable 11. Meanwhile, one end of the optical fiber cable 12 is optically connected to the ECU 4. The second optical connector 50 is a female connector connected to the other end of the optical fiber cable 12. The optical fiber cables 11 and 12 are optically connected to each other by inserting the first optical connector 20 into the second optical connector 50 and connecting the first and second optical connectors 20, 50. Note that the first optical connector 20 may be connected to an end of the optical fiber cable 12, and the second optical connector 50 may be connected to an end of the optical fiber cable 11.

[0025] 3 and 4, the first optical connector 20 includes a ferrule 21, a guide pin 22, a holding block 23, a coil spring 24, a seat 25, a boot 26, a housing 30, and a locking member 40. The ferrule 21 corresponds to an example of a "first ferrule" in this aspect of the present invention, and the housing 30 corresponds to an example of a "first housing" in this aspect of the present invention.

[0026] 5 and 6, the ferrule 21 has a connecting end face 211 at its tip that comes into contact with the connecting end face 511 of the ferrule 51 of the second optical connector 50. The ferrule 21 also has a plurality of holding holes 212 that penetrate the ferrule 21 in a first direction (the Y direction in the drawings). The plurality of holding holes 212 extend parallel to one another.

[0027] In this embodiment, the ferrule 21 has two retaining hole rows 213. One retaining hole row 213 is composed of 12 retaining holes 212 arranged at equal intervals in the width direction of the ferrule 21 (X direction in the figure). The other retaining hole row 213 is also composed of 12 retaining holes 212 arranged at equal intervals in the width direction of the ferrule 21 (X direction in the figure). These two retaining hole rows 213 are aligned at an interval in the thickness direction of the ferrule 21 (Z direction in the figure). As a result, the ferrule 21 has 24 retaining holes 212 arranged in 2 rows and 12 columns. These 24 retaining holes 212 open at the connection end face 211.

[0028] The connecting end face 211 of the ferrule 21 is an inclined, obliquely polished end face. Although not particularly limited, this connecting end face 211 has an inclination angle of, for example, 8 degrees with respect to a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical fiber 111. Note that the connecting end face 211 of the ferrule 21 may also be a flat, polished end face that is not inclined.

[0029] The optical fiber cable (optical fiber cord) 11 includes a plurality of optical fibers 111. In this embodiment, the optical fiber cable 11 includes 24 optical fibers 111. The optical fibers 111 correspond to an example of a "first optical fiber" in this aspect of the present invention.

[0030] Although not specifically shown, this optical fiber cable 11 includes a sheath that covers multiple optical fibers 111 via aramid fibers. This sheath is stripped at the end of the optical fiber cable 11, and the multiple optical fibers 111 are exposed from the sheath. The end of each optical fiber 111 is inserted into a multiple holding hole 212 of the ferrule 21 so that the end face of the optical fiber 111 is exposed from the connection end face 211 of the ferrule 21. The optical fibers 111 are fixed to the ferrule 21 with an adhesive.

[0031] The number of optical fibers 111 included in the optical fiber cable 11 is not particularly limited to the above, as long as there is a plurality of optical fibers 111. The number of holding holes 212 included in the ferrule 21 is not particularly limited to the above, as long as there is a plurality of optical fibers 111, and can be set according to the number of optical fibers 111 included in the optical fiber cable 11. The arrangement of the holding holes 212 on the connection end face 211 of the ferrule 21 is also not particularly limited to the above. It is preferable that the ferrule 21 has at least one holding hole row 213 including 12 or more holding holes 212 lined up in the width direction of the ferrule 21.

[0032] 4 and 6 , the ferrule 21 is held by a holding block 23. The holding block 23 also holds two guide pins 22. The ferrule 21 has two through holes 214 near both ends. The pair of guide pins 22 are inserted into the through holes 214 of the ferrule 21, respectively, and protrude from the connection end face 211 toward the front of the first optical connector 20 (the +Y side in the drawings). When the first and second optical connectors 20 and 50 are connected, the guide pins 22 are inserted into the guide holes 514 of the ferrule 51 of the second optical connector 50, thereby positioning the ferrules 21 and 51 relative to each other.

[0033] A coil spring 24 is disposed behind the holding block 23 (the -Y side in the figure), and a pedestal 25 is disposed behind the coil spring 24 (the -Y side in the figure). The coil spring 24 is interposed between the holding block 23 and the pedestal 25. The coil spring 24 biases the ferrule 21 forward (the +Y side in the figure) of the first optical connector 20 via the holding block 23. The pressure of the coil spring 24 and the coil spring 54 of the second optical connector 50 causes the connection end faces 211, 511 of the ferrules 21, 51 of the first and second optical connectors 20, 50 to come into close contact with each other.

[0034] The base 25 has an annular portion 252 at its rear end. The above-mentioned sheath of the optical fiber cable 11 is crimped to this annular portion 252 together with a ring member (not shown). The boot 26 covers this annular portion 252 and the portion of the optical fiber cable 11 extending rearward from the annular portion 252. Meanwhile, the multiple optical fibers 111 exposed from the end of the optical fiber cable 11 pass through the base 25, the coil spring 24, and the holding block 23, and enter the holding hole 212 of the ferrule 21.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 , the housing 30 includes a main body 31, a pair of guide ribs 32, a locking piece 33, and a pair of plate portions 34. The housing 30 is made of, for example, a thermoplastic resin material that has excellent heat resistance and environmental resistance. While not particularly limited, a specific example of the thermoplastic resin material that makes up the housing 30 is polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) containing glass fiber. The main body 31, guide ribs 32, locking piece 33, and plate portion 34 are integrally formed. The guide ribs 32 correspond to an example of a "guide protrusion" in this aspect of the present invention, and the locking piece 33 corresponds to an example of a "first locking piece" in this aspect of the present invention.

[0036] The main body 31 has a fitting portion 311 at its tip. This fitting portion 311 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape and can be fitted into a first recess 61 of the housing 60 of the second optical connector 50. The main body 31 also has an accommodating hole 312 that penetrates in a first direction (Y direction in the figure). The accommodating hole 312 accommodates the above-mentioned ferrule 21, holding block 23, coil spring 24, and a portion of the base 25 excluding the annular portion 252. The ferrule 21 and holding block 23 are accommodated in the accommodating hole 312 so as to be movable in the first direction (Y direction in the figure) relative to the housing 30.

[0037] Although not shown, a portion of the ferrule 21 abuts against the housing 30, preventing the ferrule 21 from falling forward (toward the +Y side in the drawing) from the housing 30. In addition, a protrusion 251 at the tip of the base 25 engages with an opening 315 formed in the side surface of the housing 30.

[0038] In this embodiment, in the first direction (Y direction in the figure), the connecting end face 211 of the ferrule 21 is located closer to the rear end of the first optical connector 20 (toward the -Y side in the figure) than the front end face 313 of the housing 30 (see FIG. 6 ). By surrounding the connecting end face 211 of the ferrule 21 with the housing 30 in this manner, the ferrule 21 can be protected by the housing 30, and damage to the ferrule 21 can be suppressed during vehicle manufacturing, etc. Furthermore, when connecting the first and second optical connectors 20, 50, the ferrule 51 of the second optical connector 50 can be inserted into the receiving hole 312 of the housing 30 of the first optical connector 20, and the ferrule 51 of the second optical connector 50 can also be protected by the housing 30 of the first optical connector 20.

[0039] The guide pin 22 is also accommodated in the accommodation hole 312 of the housing 30. In the first direction (the Y direction in the figure), the tip 221 of the guide pin 22 is located on the same plane (a virtual plane perpendicular to the Y direction in the figure) as the tip surface 313 of the housing 30 (see FIG. 6). That is, in the first direction (the Y direction in the figure), the tip 221 of the guide pin 22 overlaps with the tip surface 313 of the housing 30, and the entire guide pin 22 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 312 of the housing 30. By surrounding the guide pin 22 with the housing 30 in this manner, damage to the guide pin 22 during vehicle manufacturing, etc., can be suppressed. Note that in the first direction (the Y direction in the figure), the tip 221 of the guide pin 22 may be located closer to the rear end of the first optical connector 20 (the -Y side in the figure) than the tip surface 313 of the housing 30.

[0040] A pair of guide ribs 32 are provided on both side surfaces of the mating portion 311 of the housing 30. Each guide rib 32 extends linearly in a first direction (the Y direction in the figure). The guide rib 32 has a cross-sectional shape that allows it to mate with a guide groove 62 of the housing 60 of the second optical connector 50. When the first and second optical connectors 20, 50 are connected, the guide rib 32 is inserted into the guide groove 62 of the second optical connector 50.

[0041] In the first direction (Y direction in the figure), the tip 321 of each guide rib 32 is located on the same plane as the tip surface 313 of the housing 30. That is, in the first direction (Y direction in the figure), the tip 321 of the guide rib 32 overlaps with the tip surface 313 of the housing 30. As a result, the tip 321 of the guide rib 32 is located closer to the tip side of the first optical connector 20 (the +Y side in the figure) than the connection end surface 211 of the ferrule 21. That is, in this embodiment, in the first direction (Y direction in the figure), the guide rib 32 overlaps with the connection end surfaces 211, 511 of the ferrules 21, 51 that are in contact with each other.

[0042] Here, for example, an impact may be applied to the optical connectors 20, 50 due to a drop or the like during the manufacture of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, when the optical connectors 20, 50 are mated with each other, the first optical connector 20 may be inserted while gouging the second optical connector 50. Furthermore, vibrations may be continuously applied to the optical connector unit 10 while the vehicle 1 is traveling. In this embodiment, the linearly extending guide rib 32 overlaps with the connection end faces 211, 511 of the ferrules 21, 51, so that it is possible to prevent the connection end faces 211, 511 from being misaligned due to an external load applied to the optical connectors 20, 50.

[0043] The locking piece 33 is a lever member supported in a cantilevered manner by the main body 31. This locking piece 33 protrudes from the upper surface of the mating portion 311 of the main body 31 toward the rear end side of the first optical connector 20 (the -Y side in the figure), and is capable of elastic deformation in the vertical direction (the Z direction in the figure).

[0044] The locking piece 33 has an operating portion 331 and a step portion 332. The operating portion 331 is provided at the free end of the locking piece 33. The step portion 332 is provided at the center of the locking piece 33. The step portion 332 engages with the protrusions 65 of the housing 60 of the second optical connector 50 when the first and second optical connectors 20, 50 are connected. The locking piece 33 also has a pair of protrusions 333 that protrude laterally (in the X direction in the figure) from the step portion 332.

[0045] The main body 31 of the housing 30 has a wide portion 316 that is wider than the mating portion 311, located on the rear end side of the mating portion 311 (the -Y side in the figure). A pair of plate portions 34 are provided on this wide portion 316. The plate portions 34 protrude upward from the upper ends of both side surfaces of the wide portion 316. The upper ends of the plate portions 34 are higher in the vertical direction (the Z direction in the figure) than the top of the locking piece 42 of the locking member 40 (the upper end of the protrusion 421) by a difference HD (see FIG. 5).

[0046] The pair of plate portions 34 face each other and extend parallel to each other in a first direction (Y direction in the drawing). In the first direction (Y direction in the drawing), the plate portions 34 overlap with the locking pieces 33 and the locking members 40. That is, the locking pieces 33 and the locking members 40 are interposed between the pair of plate portions 34. The plate portions 34 protect the locking pieces 33 and the locking members 40.

[0047] The locking member 40 is a member that prohibits elastic deformation of the locking piece 33 of the housing 30. The locking member 40 is held on the upper surface of the main body 31 of the housing 30 and is movable relative to the housing 30 in a first direction (Y direction in the figure). The locking member 40 includes the main body 41, a pair of locking pieces 42, and a pair of guide ribs 43. The locking piece 42 corresponds to an example of a "second locking piece" in this aspect of the present invention.

[0048] A pair of locking pieces 42 protrude from both ends of the main body 41 toward the tip side (+Y side in the figure) of the first optical connector 20. Each locking piece 42 extends in a first direction (Y direction in the figure) and has a protrusion 421 protruding upward at its tip. When the locking member 40 advances toward the housing 30, this protrusion 421 engages with the protrusion 66 of the housing 60 of the second optical connector 50, and the locking piece 42 is positioned below the protrusion 333 of the locking piece 33 of the housing 30.

[0049] A pair of guide ribs 43 are provided on both side surfaces of the main body 41 and extend in a first direction (the Y direction in the figure). The guide ribs 43 are inserted into guide grooves 341 formed in the base portion of the plate portion 34 of the housing 30. The guide ribs 43 and the guide grooves 341 guide the relative movement of the locking member 40 with respect to the housing 30. A protrusion 431 is provided at the tip of the guide rib 43. The guide rib 43 engages with a protrusion (not shown) in the guide groove 341, preventing the locking member 40 from falling off the housing 30 rearward (toward the -Y side in the figure).

[0050] The main body 41 also has a restricting surface 44 that is exposed upward at the tip end side (the +Y side in the figure) of the first optical connector 20. This restricting surface 44 is located below the operating portion 331 of the locking piece 33 of the housing 30 when the locking member 40 advances toward the housing 3.

[0051] 7 and 8, the second optical connector 50 includes a ferrule 51, a holding block 53, a coil spring 54, a seat 55, a boot 56, and a housing 60. This second optical connector 50 does not include the guide pin 22 or the locking member 40. The ferrule 51 corresponds to an example of a "second ferrule" in this aspect of the present invention, and the housing 60 corresponds to an example of a "second housing" in this aspect of the present invention.

[0052] 9 and 10 , the ferrule 51 has a connecting end face 511 at its tip that comes into contact with the connecting end face 211 of the ferrule 21 of the first optical connector 20. This ferrule 51 has 24 holding holes 512 arranged in 2 rows and 12 columns to correspond to the arrangement of the 24 holding holes 212 of the ferrule 21 described above. These 24 holding holes 512 open at the connecting end face 511.

[0053] The connecting end face 511 of the ferrule 51 is also an obliquely polished end face. Note that the connecting end face 211 of one ferrule 21 has an inclination such that the upper end protrudes toward the tip (see FIG. 6), while the connecting end face 511 of the other ferrule 51 has an inclination such that the lower end protrudes toward the tip (see FIG. 10). Due to these complementary inclinations, the connecting end faces 211, 511 of the ferrules 21, 51 come into close contact with each other when the first and second optical connectors 20, 50 are connected.

[0054] The ferrule 51 also has a pair of guide holes 514. The pair of guide holes 514 extend in a first direction (the Y direction in the figure) and open at the connection end face 511. When the first and second optical connectors 20, 50 are connected, the guide pins 22 of the first optical connector 20 are inserted into the guide holes 514, thereby positioning the ferrules 21, 51 relative to each other.

[0055] The optical fiber cable (optical fiber cord) 12 includes a plurality of optical fibers 121. The optical fiber cable 12 includes the number of optical fibers 121 corresponding to the number of optical fibers 111 included in the optical fiber cable 11 described above. In this embodiment, the optical fiber cable 12 includes 24 optical fibers 121. These optical fibers 121 correspond to an example of the "second optical fiber" in this aspect of the present invention.

[0056] Although not specifically shown, this optical fiber cable 12 also includes a sheath that covers the multiple optical fibers 121 via aramid fibers. This sheath is stripped at the end of the optical fiber cable 12, and the multiple optical fibers 121 are exposed from the sheath. The end of each optical fiber 121 is inserted into a multiple holding hole 512 of the ferrule 51 so that the end face of the optical fiber 121 is exposed from the connection end face 511 of the ferrule 51. The optical fibers 121 are fixed to the ferrule 51 with an adhesive. The sheath of the optical fiber cable 12 is crimped to the annular portion 552 of the base 55 together with a ring member (not shown).

[0057] The configurations of the holding block 53, coil spring 54, pedestal 55, and boot 56 are basically the same as the configurations of the holding block 23, coil spring 24, pedestal 25, and boot 26 of the first optical connector 20 described above. The multiple optical fibers 121 exposed from the end of the optical fiber cable 12 pass through the pedestal 55, coil spring 54, and holding block 53 and enter the holding holes 512 of the ferrule 51. In this embodiment, the ferrules 21, 51, guide pins 22, holding blocks 23, 53, coil springs 24, 54, pedestals 25, 55, and boots 26, 56 are the same as the ferrules, guide pins, holding blocks, coil springs, pedestals, and boots of existing multi-fiber optical connectors, thereby reducing the cost of the optical connector unit 10.

[0058] 7 to 11, the housing 60 has a first recess 61, a receiving hole 63, and a second recess 64. The housing 60 is made of, for example, a thermoplastic resin material that has excellent heat resistance and environmental resistance. Although not particularly limited, a specific example of the thermoplastic resin material that makes up the housing 60 is polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) containing glass fiber.

[0059] The first recess 61 opens toward the front end of the housing 60 (the -Y direction in the figure). The accommodating hole 63 penetrates the housing 60 from a bottom surface 611 of the first recess 61 to the rear end of the housing 60. The accommodating hole 63 accommodates the ferrule 51, the holding block 53, the coil spring 54, and a portion of the base 55 excluding the annular portion 552. The ferrule 51 and the holding block 53 are accommodated in the accommodating hole 63 so as to be movable in a first direction (the Y direction in the figure) relative to the housing 60.

[0060] Although not shown, a portion of the ferrule 51 abuts against the housing 60, preventing the ferrule 51 from falling forward (toward the -Y side in the drawing) from the housing 60. In addition, a protrusion 551 at the tip of the base 55 engages with an opening 67 formed in the side surface of the housing 60.

[0061] The first recess 61 has a shape corresponding to the mating portion 311 of the housing 30 of the first optical connector 20, allowing the mating portion 311 to be inserted into the first recess 61. As described above, the ferrule 51 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 63, but the tip portion of the ferrule 51 protrudes from the bottom surface 611 of the first recess 61 toward the tip side of the second optical connector 50 (the −Y side in the figure) (see FIG. 10 ). That is, in the first direction (the Y direction in the figure), the connection end surface 511 of the ferrule 51 is located closer to the tip side of the second optical connector 50 (the −Y side in the figure) than the bottom surface 611 of the first recess 61 of the housing 60. This allows the ferrule 51 of the second optical connector 50 to be inserted into the accommodating hole 312 of the housing 30 of the first optical connector 20 when connecting the first and second optical connectors 20, 50, and the ferrule 51 of the second optical connector 50 can be protected by the housing 30 of the first optical connector 20.

[0062] A pair of guide grooves 62 are formed on the inner surface of the first recess 61. The guide grooves 62 correspond to an example of a "guide recess" in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. The pair of guide grooves 62 are formed at positions corresponding to the guide ribs 32 of the first optical connector 20 and extend linearly in a first direction (the Y direction in the figure). The guide ribs 32 of the housing 30 of the first optical connector 20 are inserted into the guide grooves 62. A rear end 621 of the guide grooves 62 is located closer to the rear end of the second optical connector 50 (the +Y side in the figure) than the connection end face 511 of the ferrule 51 (see FIGS. 10 and 11 ).

[0063] The second recess 64 also opens toward the tip end side (-Y direction in the figure) of the housing 60. This second recess 64 is disposed above the first recess 61 and communicates with the first recess 61. A protrusion 65 and a pair of protrusions 66 are formed on the inner surface of this second recess 64.

[0064] The protrusion 65 is provided in the center above the opening of the second recess 64. When the first and second optical connectors 20, 50 are connected, the protrusion 65 engages with the step 332 of the lock piece 33 of the first optical connector 20.

[0065] A pair of protrusions 66 are provided on both ends of the upper opening of the second recess 64. After the first and second optical connectors 20, 50 are connected, when the locking member 40 of the first optical connector 20 moves forward relatively to the housing 30, the protrusions 421 of the locking piece 42 of the first optical connector 20 engage with the protrusions 66.

[0066] The operation of connecting the first optical connector 20 and the second optical connector 50 will be described below with reference to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 12(a) to 12(c).

[0067] Fig. 12(a) is a diagram showing the double-locking operation of the first and second optical connectors 20, 50 in this embodiment, the diagram on the left of Fig. 12(a) is a diagram showing the state before double-locking, and the diagram on the right of Fig. 12(a) is a diagram showing the state after double-locking. Fig. 12(b) is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line BB in Fig. 12(a), and Fig. 12(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 12(a).

[0068] 2 , the first optical connector 20 is placed opposite the second optical connector 50, and the mating portion 311 of the housing 30 of the first optical connector 20 is inserted into the first recess 61 of the housing 30 of the second optical connector 50. At this time, by sliding the guide rib 32 of the first optical connector 20 within the guide groove 62 of the second optical connector 50, the guide pin 22 of the first optical connector 20 is accurately guided into the guide hole 514 of the second optical connector 50, and the guide pin 22 is inserted into the guide hole 514.

[0069] As shown in the left diagram of Fig. 12(a), when the mating portion 311 of the first optical connector 20 is fully inserted into the first recess 61 of the second optical connector 50, the connection end faces 211, 511 of the ferrules 21, 51 come into close contact with each other, and the optical fibers 111, 121 are optically connected to each other. At the same time, as shown in Fig. 12(b), the step 332 of the locking piece 33 of the first optical connector 20 engages with the protrusion 65 of the housing 60 of the second optical connector 50. This locks the mating of the first and second optical connectors 20, 50 (primary lock).

[0070] Next, as shown in the right-hand view of Fig. 12(a), the locking member 40 in the first optical connector 20 is advanced toward the housing 30. As a result, the limiting surface 44 of the locking member 40 enters below the operating portion 331 of the locking piece 33, as shown in Fig. 12(b). Furthermore, although not specifically shown, the locking piece 42 of the locking member 40 enters below the protrusion 333 of the locking piece 33 of the housing 30. This prohibits downward elastic deformation of the locking piece 33. In other words, the locking member 40 prohibits the unlocking of the mating of the first and second optical connectors 20, 50, thereby doubly locking the mating of the first and second optical connectors 20 (secondary lock).

[0071] 12C, the projection 421 at the tip of the locking piece 42 of the locking member 40 engages with the projection 66 of the housing 60 of the second optical connector 50. This fixes the locking member 40 to the housing 60.

[0072] When removing (disconnecting) the first optical connector 20 from the second optical connector 50, first, the locking member 40 is retracted from the housing 30. This releases the lock provided by the locking member 40. At this time, the engagement between the protrusions 421 and 66 is automatically released by the tapered surfaces.

[0073] Next, the worker presses down the operating portion 331 to bend the locking piece 33 downward, thereby releasing the engagement of the step portion 332. This releases the lock provided by the locking piece 33. Next, the worker pulls out (disconnects) the first optical connector 20 from the second optical connector 50.

[0074] As described above, in this embodiment, in the first direction (Y direction in the figure), the connection end face 211 of the ferrule 21 is located closer to the rear end of the first optical connector 20 (the -Y side in the figure) than the tip face 313 of the housing 30, and the tip 321 of the guide rib 32 extending in the first direction is located closer to the tip end of the first optical connector 20 (the +Y side in the figure) than the connection end face 211. Therefore, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the optical characteristics of the optical connectors 20, 50 (for example, deterioration in insertion loss and return loss) caused by external loads applied to the optical connector unit 10 during the manufacture of the vehicle 1 or while the vehicle 1 is running.

[0075] Furthermore, an adapter is required when connecting the above-mentioned MPO connectors to each other. In contrast, in this embodiment, the first optical connector 20 can be mated with the second optical connector 50 without using an adapter, thereby improving the efficiency of the connection work of the optical connectors 20, 50. Furthermore, because the optical connectors 20, 50 are connected without using an adapter, the optical connector unit 10 has a structure that is resistant to external loads.

[0076] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments have been described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, the elements disclosed in the above embodiments are intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0077] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the housing 30 of the first optical connector 20 is provided with the guide rib 32, and the housing 60 of the second optical connector 50 is provided with the guide groove 62. Alternatively, the housing 30 of the first optical connector 20 may be provided with the guide groove 62, and the housing 60 of the second optical connector 50 may be provided with the guide rib 32.

[0078] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Optical connector unit 11...Optical fiber cable 111...Optical fiber 12...Optical fiber cable 121...Optical fiber 20...First optical connector 21...Ferrule 211...Connection end face 212...Retaining hole 22...Guide pin 221...Tip 30...Housing 312...Accommodating hole 313...Tip face 32...Guide rib 321...Tip 33...Locking piece 331...Operating portion 332...Step portion 333...Protrusion 34...Plate portion 40...Locking member 42...Locking piece 44...Restricting surface 50...Second optical connector 51...Ferrule 511...Connection end face 512...Retaining hole 514...Guide hole 60...Housing 61...First recess 611...Bottom surface 62...Guide groove 621...Rear end 65...Protrusion 66...Protrusion

Claims

1. An in-vehicle optical connector unit comprising: a first optical connector; and a second optical connector into which the first optical connector can be inserted and removed along a first direction, wherein the first optical connector comprises: a first ferrule that holds a plurality of first optical fibers and has a first connecting end face at which end faces of the first optical fibers are exposed; and a first housing that accommodates the first ferrule, wherein the second optical connector comprises: a second ferrule that holds a plurality of second optical fibers and has a second connecting end face at which end faces of the second optical fibers are exposed and which can come into contact with the first connecting end face, and a second housing that accommodates the second ferrule and into which the first housing can be inserted, wherein the first housing has a first guide portion that extends in the first direction, and the second housing has a second guide portion that extends in the first direction and can be fitted with the first guide portion, In the first direction, the first connection end face is located closer to the rear end of the first optical connector than the tip face of the first housing, and in the first direction, the tip of the first guide portion is located closer to the tip of the first optical connector than the first connection end face.

2. An on-vehicle optical connector unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second housing has a recess into which the first housing can be inserted, the second ferrule protrudes from the bottom surface of the recess and is insertable into the first housing, and in the first direction, the rear end of the second guide portion is located closer to the rear end of the second optical connector than the second connection end face.

3. An on-vehicle optical connector unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first guide portion includes a guide protrusion extending in the first direction, and the second guide portion includes a guide recess extending in the first direction and into which the guide protrusion can be inserted.

4. An on-vehicle optical connector unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first optical connector has a guide pin protruding from the first connection end face, the second optical connector has a guide hole into which the guide pin can be inserted, and in the first direction, the tip of the guide pin overlaps the tip face of the first housing or is located closer to the rear end of the first optical connector than the tip face of the first housing.

5. An on-vehicle optical connector unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first housing is elastically deformable and has a first locking piece that engages with the second housing, and the first optical connector is movably held in the first housing and has a locking member that prohibits elastic deformation of the first locking piece.

6. An on-vehicle optical connector unit according to claim 5, wherein the locking member is provided with a second locking piece that engages with the second housing.

7. An on-vehicle optical connector unit according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the first housing comprises a pair of plate portions, the first locking piece is interposed between the pair of plate portions, and the locking member is also interposed between the pair of plate portions.

8. An on-vehicle optical connector unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first ferrule has 12 or more first holding holes arranged in a row in the width direction of the first ferrule, each holding one of the first optical fibers, and the second ferrule has 12 or more second holding holes arranged in a row in the width direction of the second ferrule so as to correspond to the first holding holes, each holding one of the second optical fibers.

9. An on-vehicle optical connector unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: the plurality of first optical fibers held in the first ferrule; and the plurality of second optical fibers held in the second ferrule.

Images