Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-19
2001-08-21
Sanghavi, Hemang (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
C385S062000, C385S070000, C385S072000, C385S076000, C385S078000, C385S081000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276839
ABSTRACT:
The invention concerns a plug arrangement for an optical insert rack plug connection. These types of plug arrangements serve to fix, for example, a printed circuit board equipped with a plurality of optical plug connectors into the casing of a device in such a way that said plugs are inserted into corresponding sleeves, said sleeves being fastened to a transverse back-panel of a device.
As opposed to electrical insert-rack connectors, in the case of an optical fibre plug connection, an axial press force must be maintained on the plug ferrules at all times, in order to ensure optimal transmission of light with the least possible return losses or suppression. This axial spring force is, in the case of conventional insert-rack plug connections, also transmitted to the daughter board, said daughter board being subjected to constant mechanical strain. In addition, compensation for dimensional tolerances is practically impossible.
An optical insert-rack plug connector has been disclosed in WO 94/24594 for so-called push-pull plugs, wherein the daughter board can be mechanically decoupled from the plug ferrule or mother board after attaining the inserted position. For this purpose, spring-action support fingers on the inside of the plug housing are depressed by means of ribs on the sleeve housing so that, with stationary plug ferrule, the outer plug housing connected to the daughter board can be moved without preloaded spring tension still further towards the sleeve portion. This solution is, however, relatively complicated because standard sleeve portions cannot be employed and also because the actual plug portion must also be subjected to considerable modification.
It is therefore a purpose of the invention to create a plug arrangement of the type mentioned in the introduction, with the aid of which an insert-rack plug connection, with a mechanically decoupled daughter board, can be manufactured without the need for modification to the sleeve portion. In addition, standard internal plug components should be used here, as also employed for convention plug connectors. According to the invention, this purpose is fulfilled with a plug arrangement as described below.
The direct or indirect support of the plug housing on a spring-loaded thrust element has the advantage that all means required for decoupling the daughter board can be accommodated on the plug arrangement itself. The spring force can here be exactly set in such a way that, when inserting the daughter board, said force is greater than the frictional force up to attainment of the inserted position, the support thus being maintained. Only when the thrust force increases during continued thrust motion will the preloaded spring tension on the thrust element be overcome and the support automatically released.
It is of particular advantage if the thrust element is a U-shaped fork, the prongs of which can be splayed and/or pinched together, thrust lugs being arranged on the prongs to coordinate with a mechanical thrust stop. By means of the U-shaped fork, the spring force required for the thrust can be distributed to two fork prongs. In place of the fork, other spring-action thrust elements are conceivable such as, for example, depressable spring-loaded balls or ramps, or also pivoting lever springs or similar.
The fork is advantageously allocated to the daughter board, the thrust lugs being arranged on the inside of the fork prongs pointing in the insert direction. At the same time, further advantages can be attained if, between the fork base and the thrust lug on each fork prong, in each case a lok-king-latch tooth is arranged, said locking-latch tooth coordinating with a mechanical pull stop for withdrawal of the daughter board. The U-shaped fork thus fulfils the function of a push-pull element, the locking-latch teeth limiting the maximum relative movement of the plug portion on the daughter board. Because the fork prongs can be splayed, the mechanical pull stop can easily engage behind the locking-latch teeth.
The fork is held at the fork base in an insert-rack housing, said housing forming at least one guide shaft for the plug portion. Alternatively, however, the actual daughter board could also be formed in such a way that the plug portion is subjected to direct axial guidance on the board. In this type of case, the fork could also be mounted directly on the daughter board.
Further advantages can be achieved if the plug portion is mounted on a carriage to be able to slide axially within the guide shaft and if the mechanical thrust stop is arranged on said carriage. The carriage ensures perfect guidance for the insert-rack housing on the one hand, and on the other hand also enables the employent of conventional plug portions so that no parts serving the guide function are required on the actual plug portion. With that, the plug portion can be connected with the carriage so as to be removable.
The plug housing can possess a section fitting interlockingly in a mounting cradle on the carriage, the carriage being able to possess holding clips to fix said plug portion in the mounting cradle.
The engagement means for fixing of the plug housing in the sleeve portion can be a locking strip arranged on the plug housing, said locking strip coordinating with a spring-action locking latch on the sleeve portion when in the engaged position. At the same time, a release lever can be mounted to pivot on the plug casing, the locking latch being releasable with said release lever, said release lever possessing a guide cam coordinating with the insert-rack housing in such a way that, when the plug portion is completely withdrawn, the release lever is pressed into the release position. Optical plugs which engage on sliding into the sleeve portion and which can be released again by activation of a release lever are already state of the art. By coordination of the release lever with the insert-rack housing, such plugs attain a pure push-pull function, the plug being able to be released from the engaged position solely by means of a pull movement.
The guide shaft on the insert-rack housing can be covered by a removable cover, a control lug being arranged on the side of the cover oriented towards the shaft, said control lug coordinating with the guide cam on the release lever. One advantage of such an arrangement is that it also facilitates assembly. The cover can, with that, slide into lateral guide grooves on the shaft side walls, and can be lockable with a releasable snap-fastener.
The fork, too, can be slid on the floor of the guide shaft into lateral guide grooves on the shaft side walls, or can also be merely laid in the shaft and locked at the fork base on a fixing lug. In this way, the fork can be easily replaced or the same insert-rack housing can be equipped with forks possessing varying spring force.
It is advantageous if the insert-rack housing possesses a plurality of parallel guide shafts arranged adjacently, both shafts at the extremities each being equipped with an insertion-guide arm for centering the plug portions with the corresponding sleeve portions. These insertion-guide arms ensure that the plug portions approach up to the correct relative position on the sleeve portions.
The insert-rack plug connection is preferably equipped with a sleeve portion, the sleeve opening of said sleeve portion being closed with a pivoting flap, said flap being pivoted upwards when sliding in the plug portion. With that, the actual sleeve mounted within the sleeve portion remains protected from contamination. In addition, for example the emission of laser light from an opposing plug inserted in the sleeve portion is avoided.
The plug housing, too, can also be closed off with a pivoting cap at its face, said cap pivoting when the plug portion is inserted. Individual plugs of this type are state of the art.
Finally, the protective flap on the sleeve portion can form a spring-action locking latch, said latch engaging behind a locking tap on the plug housing when in the engaged position. The protective flap thus fulfils a double function, in that it c
Diamond SA
Pak Sung
Sanghavi Hemang
Shoemaker and Mattare Ltd.
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