JPH02725Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector. In particular, the present invention relates to an optical fiber connector that does not permanently connect an optical fiber to the connector, but temporarily connects and detaches the optical fiber.

To connect an optical fiber to an optical connector, generally the optical fiber is fixed to the optical connector with adhesive.
A permanently fixed type is used in which the tip is polished and finished (for example, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation specifications,
FC type connector).

However, such a permanently fixed harness (with connector plugs on both ends of the cable)
There are cases where you want to use it only temporarily without using it.
For example, this is the case when measuring the characteristics of an optical fiber itself or an optical fiber harness with one end connected to a connector. Since it is not possible to connect the end face of the fiber to a linear measuring device, the connection must be made using a conventional connector, but with conventional connectors that permanently fix the fiber, the connection process takes time, so It was not possible to measure it. Therefore, there is a need for a connector that can be connected to a measuring instrument without permanently fixing the fiber.

[Conventional technology]

In order to meet such requirements, a removable optical fiber connector, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, has conventionally been used.

Here, 11 is a clamp nut for clamping the optical fiber 40, 12 is a rear body, 13 is a ferrule with a clamp sleeve, 14 is a front body, 15 is a spring A, 16 is a ring,
17 is a key ring, 18 is a coupling ring, and 19 is a fiber part 41 at the tip of the ferrule 13.
29 is a clamp, and 20 is a ferrule 1.
This is a press-fit pin for preventing rotation at the press-fit portion between the clamp 29 and the clamp 29.

First, turn the clamp nut 11 counterclockwise,
When loosened, the slotted part of the clamp 29, which is made of springy metal and has a slotted tip, opens, so the optical fiber 40 is inserted through the hole in the center of the clamp nut 11 at the left end in Figure 3. You can do it. Then, the optical fiber 40 is moved until the tip of the fiber portion 41 of the optical fiber 40 matches the tip surface of the fiber guide portion 19 at the right end of the tubular ferrule 13 that receives the optical fiber 40.
0 and then rotate the clamp nut 11 clockwise to tighten the slotted portion of the clamp 29 and clamp the optical fiber 40. Here, the outer diameter of the fiber portion 41 and the inner diameter of the fiber guide portion 19 are, for example, about 125 μm, and it is desirable that the positions of both tips of the fiber portion 41 and the fiber guide portion 19 are completely aligned. If there is a mismatch of several micrometers, a large attenuation of light will occur when this connector is connected.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, with conventional connectors, when tightening the clamp nut 11, it is difficult to maintain the positions of both ends of the fiber part 41 and the fiber guide part 19 completely aligned, and the clamp nut 11 is tightened. 11, the positions of both ends of the fiber part 41 and the fiber guide part 19 were often misaligned.

[Means for solving problems]

Therefore, the present invention consists of ferrule 13 and clamp 2.
The positional relationship of 9 is not fixed as in the past,
After tightening the clamp nut 11 and clamping the optical fiber 40 with the clamp 29, by finely adjusting the positional relationship between the ferrule 13 and the clamp 29, the ends of the fiber part 41 and the fiber guide part 19 can be perfectly aligned. That is.
Furthermore, the clamp nut 11 can be tightened with a simple configuration by using the split groove of the clamp 29 and a clamp ball that fits into the groove.

[Effect]

That is, in the present invention, an adjuster mechanism is provided between the ferrule 13 and the clamp 29 to finely adjust the positional relationship between the two, and after the clamp nut 11 is tightened and the optical fiber 40 is clamped by the clamp 29, the adjuster mechanism is installed between the ferrule 13 and the clamp 29. Adjusting the mechanism (this application has been filed by the applicant (Utility Application No. 120149/1989)), i.e.
The ferrule 13 and the optical fiber inserted through the ferrule 13 are movable in the optical axis direction, and by simply rotating the clamp nut 11, for example, 90 degrees, the clamp ball is removed from the split groove, and the split groove is pressed. The optical fiber 40 can be clamped.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to Examples.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a detachable optical fiber connector according to the present invention. Components corresponding to FIG. 5 are given the same numbers.

Here, 21 is a clamp guide that guides the movement of the clamp 29 from side to side, 22 is a keyway into which the key part 31 of the clamp support 23 is fitted, and 24 is a round hole 26, and the screw part 25 is clamped on the inner surface thereof. An adjuster for position adjustment shared with the guide 21, 30 a spring B, 34 a ball stopper,
35 is a clamp ball, 36 is a retainer screw, 37 is a split groove, and 28 is a clamp nut retainer. Since the ferrule 13 and the clamp guide 21 are press-fitted at the press-fitting portion 32, their positional relationship does not change. Since the clamp support 23 and the clamp 29 are press-fitted at the press-fit portion 33, their positional relationship does not change. In Figure 1, front body 1
4 and a key ring 17 are used.

A detailed view showing the relationship between the clamp support 23 and the clamp guide 21 is shown in FIG. 2, and the key portion 31 is fitted into the key groove 22 and is slidable. The clamp guide 21 is the first
As shown in the figure, the adjuster 24 is engaged with the screw portion 25, and when a thin rod (not shown) is pushed into the round hole 26 of the adjuster 24 and the adjuster 24 is rotated around the shaft, the clamp support 24
can be moved slightly to the right or left on the drawing.
As a result, the clamping means including the clamp support 23 integrated with the clamp 29 is integrated with the ferrule 1.
The positional relationship between the clamp guide 3 and the ferrule means including the clamp guide 21 integrated therein can be finely adjusted by fine adjustment means including the adjuster 24 (about 5 mm in the embodiment).

When the adjuster 24 is turned counterclockwise, the adjuster 24 moves to the left in FIG. 1, and a gap is likely to occur between it and the clamp support 23.
Since the key part 31 of the clamp support 23 is pushed to the left by the spring B30, the clamp support 2
3 is a pressing surface 27 that constantly presses the adjuster 24. Similarly, even if there is play in the threaded portion 25, it is pressed by the spring B30.
Therefore, the clamping means does not rattle.

Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, since the outer diameter of the adjuster 24 is made smaller than the outer diameter of the clamp nut 11, the adjuster 24 is not rotated simultaneously when the clamp nut 11 is rotated.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 explain the working relationship of the clamp 29, the clamp ball 35, the holding screw 36, the slot 37 of the clamp 29, etc.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the clamp ball 35 is fitted into the groove 37 of the clamp 29, and the ball stopper 34 prevents the clamp ball 35 from popping out. In this state, the split groove 37 is open. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the clamp ball 35 in FIG. 1 seen from the left side, and FIG. 4a shows the state shown in FIG. In this case, the clamp balls 35 are located vertically and fit into the split grooves 37,
Since no pressing force acts from the left and right sides of the split groove 37, the split groove is open due to its spring properties, and the optical fiber 40 can be freely inserted into and removed from the center of the split groove 37. FIG. 4b shows the state in which the clamp nut 11 has been rotated 90 degrees from the state shown in a. In this state, the split groove 37 is pressed from the left and right sides by the two clamp balls 35, so that the gap cannot be taken and the optical fiber 40 is clamped. When the clamp nut 11 is thus rotated from the state shown in FIG. 4a and the clamp ball 35 is disengaged from the groove 37 in which it was fitted, the optical fiber 40 is clamped, making the clamp operation extremely easy.

In Fig. 1, the clamp nut presser 2
8 is connected to the clamp nut 11 by a screw, and the screwed connection part is also fixed with an adhesive or the like, so the clamp nut 11 and the clamp nut presser 28 are integrated. The holding screw 36 is fixed with adhesive or the like after adjusting the position of the clamp ball 35.

[Effect of idea]

As is clear from the above description, with the removable optical fiber connector according to the present invention, it is possible to insert the optical fiber 40 into the connector and precisely align the positions of the fiber portion 41 and the ends of the ferrule 13. Instead, for example, rotate the clamp nut 11 90 degrees to tighten and fix the optical fiber 40 with the clamp 29, and then turn the adjuster 24.
The fiber part 41 and the tip of the ferrule 13 can be precisely aligned by rotating around the axis. Furthermore, the optical fiber 40 can be easily removed by simply rotating the clamp nut 11 further.

Therefore, it has the advantage that the optical fiber can be easily and reliably attached to the connector in a short time, and is extremely effective in cases such as temporary connection of communication lines and measurement. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, Figures 2-
FIG. 4 is a partial detailed diagram for explaining FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the conventional technique. 11... Clamp nut, 12... Rear body, 13... Ferrule, 14... Front body, 15... Spring A, 16... Ring, 1
7...Key ring, 18...Cup ring, 19
...Fiber guide part, 20...Press-fit pin, 21
... Clamp guide, 22 ... Keyway, 23 ...
Clamp support, 24... Adjuster, 25... Threaded part, 26... Round hole, 27... Pressing surface, 28...
Clamp nut holder, 29... Clamp, 30...
...Spring B, 31...Key part, 32, 33...
... Press-fitting part, 34 ... Ball stopper part, 35 ... Clamp ball, 36 ... Holding screw, 37 ... Split groove, 40 ... Optical fiber, 41 ... Fiber part,
42... Covering part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) A clamping means having a split groove for clamping the optical fiber by being pressed by a clamp ball rotatable around the optical axis of the optical fiber to be attached or detached; ferrule means for guiding the tip of the optical fiber to a predetermined position and holding the optical fiber movably in the optical axis direction; and for moving the ferrule means back and forth in the optical axis direction of the optical fiber with respect to the clamping means. A detachable optical fiber connector characterized in that it includes fine adjustment means. (2) The removable optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein the clamping means has an integral structure of a clamp and a clamp support. (3) The removable optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein the ferrule means has an integral structure of a ferrule and a clamp guide. (4) A utility model registration request in which the fine adjustment means includes an adjuster that finely adjusts the positional relationship between the ferrule means and the clamp means by rotating around the ferrule means sharing a threaded portion. A removable optical fiber connector according to scope 1. (5) The clamping means has a key part, the ferrule means has a keyway that fits into the key part, and the key part is pressed against the fine adjustment means by a spring. Range 1
Detachable optical fiber connector described in Section 1. (6) The removable optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein the clamping means includes a holding screw for adjusting the position of the clamp ball.