Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-23
2001-05-22
Palmer, Phan T. H. (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure
C385S060000, C385S059000, C385S072000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234682
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an optical connector, and more particularly to an optical connector in which an error in the mounting of a coil spring of an optical connector plug is prevented, and also the efficiency of the operation is enhanced.
2. Related Art
FIG. 12
shows one known conventional optical connector.
In this Figure, the optical connector
201
comprises optical connector plugs
202
, a ferrule holder
203
, and a connector housing
204
.
Each of the optical connector plugs
202
includes photoconductive member
205
(e.g. optical fiber), and a cylindrical ferrule
206
having a smaller-diameter portion
206
a
and a larger-diameter portion
206
b
. A conductor portion (not shown) of each of the photoconductive members
205
is received in the smaller-diameter portion
206
a
, and a sheath
205
a
thereof is received in the larger-diameter portion
206
b.
The ferrule holder
203
includes a box-like housing
207
, having a front end surface part of which is open for the optical connector plugs
202
, and a support wall
208
of an oval cross-section formed integrally on a rear end surface of the housing
207
. A recess
207
b
is formed in a central portion of an upper wall
207
a
of the housing
207
, and rectangular retaining holes
207
c
are formed in this upper wall
207
a
, and are disposed respectively on opposite sides of the recess
207
b
. Insertion holes
208
a
for respectively passing the pair of photoconductive members
205
therethrough are formed through the support wall
208
.
The connector housing
204
includes hollow plug-receiving chambers
204
a
for respectively receiving the optical connector plugs
202
, and a lock arm
204
c
for engagement with a housing of a mating connector (not shown) is formed on a front end portion of an upper wall
204
b
of this connector housing, and retaining projections
204
d
, corresponding respectively to the retaining holes
207
c
, are formed on a rear end portion of the upper wall
204
b.
A recess
204
e
is formed in a central portion of the upper wall
204
b
, and a guide portion
204
f
for the ferrule holder
203
is formed in communication with the recess
204
e.
In the above construction, before forming each of the optical connector plugs
202
, the photoconductive member
205
is first passed through the ferrule holder
203
, and then a compression coil spring (resilient member)
209
is mounted on the photoconductive member
205
. As the ferrule holder
203
is connected, together with the optical connector plugs
202
, to the connector housing
204
, the ferrule holder
203
is guided by the guide portion
204
f
, and shown in
FIG. 13
, the retaining projections
204
d
(only one of which is shown in
FIG. 13
) on the connector housing
204
are firmly engaged respectively in the retaining holes
207
c
(only one of which is shown in
FIG. 13
) in the ferrule holder
203
, thereby forming the optical connector
201
which is now ready for connection to the housing of the mating connector (not shown).
In this condition, each optical connector plug
202
has a slight play because of the resilient force of the compression coil spring
209
acting between an engagement projection
206
c
, formed on the outer surface of the larger-diameter portion
206
b
of the ferrule
206
over an entire periphery thereof, and an engagement portion
207
d
formed within the housing
207
.
In the above prior art, before forming the optical connector plugs
202
, the photoconductive members
205
must be passed through the ferrule holder
203
, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the efficiency of the operation can not be enhanced because of this cumbersome operation.
And besides, the ferrule holder
203
and the connector housing
204
are firmly engaged with each other, and therefore for example, even when it becomes necessary to effect the maintenance of the optical connector
201
or to exchange the connector housing
204
, the engagement between the ferrule holder
203
and the connector housing
204
can not be easily canceled, and in some cases there is a possibility that this leads to damage to these parts.
Furthermore, since the optical connector plug
202
is formed at the end portion of the photoconductive member
205
, the photoconductive member
205
can not be removed from the ferrule holder
203
, which leads to a problem that the optical connector
201
can not have extensibility.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
With the above problems in view, it is an object of this invention to provide an optical connector in which an assembling operation is easy, and the efficiency of the operation is markedly enhanced, and measures are taken against assembling errors.
An optical connector of the present invention, which has been made in order to solve the above problems, comprises an optical connector plug comprising a photoconductive member, and a ferrule receiving and retaining an end portion of the photoconductive member therein, there being provided a coil spring retained on or fixed to the ferrule at one end portion thereof; a connector housing for fitting connection to a housing of a mating connector, the connector housing having a receiving chamber for receiving the ferrule; and a ferrule holder which receives the optical connector plug, and is fitted on the connector housing, the other end portion of the coil spring, remote from the one end portion thereof, abutting against the ferrule holder to maintain an urged condition of the optical connector plug within the receiving chamber.
In the above construction, the optical connector comprises the optical connector plug, the connector housing, and the ferrule holder. The optical connector plug comprises the photoconductive member, and the ferrule receiving and retaining the end portion of the photoconductive member therein, and there is provided the coil spring retained on or fixed to the ferrule at one end portion thereof. The connector housing has the receiving chamber for receiving the ferrule, and is adapted to be fitted in the housing of the mating connector. The ferrule holder receives the optical connector plug, and is fitted on the connector housing, and the other end portion of the coil spring, remote from the one end portion thereof, abuts against the ferrule holder to maintain an urged condition of the optical connector plug within the receiving chamber.
In this construction of the optical connector, the one end portion of the coil spring is retained on or fixed to the ferrule, and therefore the assembling operation is easy. More specifically, when forming the optical connector plug, the coil spring is kept in a stable condition, and in contrast with the conventional construction, the coil spring will not slide down along the photoconductive member in contrast with the conventional construction.
And besides, there will not occur a confirmation failure which would cause an error in the assembling operation, such as the omission of the coil spring and the fitting of more than one coil spring.
Therefore, there can be provided the optical connector in which the assembling operation is easy, and the efficiency of the operation is markedly enhanced, and the measures are taken against assembling errors.
In the optical connector of the present invention, the one end portion of the coil spring is insert molded in the ferrule.
In the above construction, the one end portion of the coil spring is insert molded in the ferrule, and by doing so, the above retaining or fixing of the coil spring is achieved.
By thus insert molding the one end portion of the coil spring in the ferrule, there is no need to make any confirmation for an error in the mounting of the coil spring. And besides, the operation, heretofore required for fitting the coil spring on the photoconductive member, is omitted. Furthermore, when inserting the photoconductive member into the ferrule, the coil spring does not hinder this inserting operation, and the photoconductive member can be inserted while firmly holding this photoconductive
Kondo Hiroyuki
Nagaoka Yasutaka
Suzuki Nobuhiko
Suzuki Norihito
Palmer Phan T. H.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
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