Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-29
2001-10-16
Healy, Brian (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection
C385S060000, C385S076000, C385S077000, C385S078000, C385S089000, C385S092000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302591
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an optical fiber connector.
2. Related art
A conventional optical fiber connector, as shown in
FIG. 18
, is disclosed (for example, see Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication Sho. 63-128511).
In this optical fiber connector
70
, end portions of optical fibers
71
are passed respectively through insertion holes
72
a
in a holder
72
and also through coil springs
73
, and the optical fibers
71
are bonded to inner surfaces of ferrules
74
, respectively, thereby forming optical fiber plugs
75
, and the optical fiber plugs
75
are inserted into a connector housing
76
′, and then the holder
72
is fitted on the connector housing
76
′.
Distal end surfaces
75
a
of the optical fiber plugs
75
are polished, and then the optical fiber connector
70
is fitted into a light receiving-emitting device
76
, so that the distal end surfaces
75
a
of the optical fiber plugs
75
are spring-biased (urged) into receiving tubes
77
, respectively. As a result, the distal end surfaces
75
a
of the optical fiber plugs
75
are always kept spaced a predetermined distance respectively from light receiving-emitting elements (not shown) received respectively in the light receiving-emitting device
76
.
However, for example, when a ring-like optical LAN (Local Area Network)
78
is to be built by optical fiber connectors
70
A to
70
D as shown in
FIG. 19
, the holder
72
, the coil spring
73
and the ferrule
74
are mounted on an end portion of each of optical fibers
71
a
to
71
d
, thereby forming optical fiber plugs
75
A to
75
D, and then the distal end surfaces of the optical fiber plugs
75
A to
75
D must be polished. Therefore, there has been encountered a drawback that the polishing operation is troublesome, and can not be automated.
Therefore, in order to facilitate the polishing operation, an optical connector as shown in
FIG. 20
has been proposed (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 59-139012, 59-140411 and 1-316711).
In this optical connector
80
, optical fibers
82
, passed respectively through coil springs
81
, are inserted respectively into ferrules
83
, thereby forming two optical fiber plugs
84
, and the ferrules
83
of the optical fiber plugs
84
are inserted respectively into ferrule receiving chambers
86
in a connector housing
85
, and a holder
87
is mounted on the connector housing
85
. In this condition, one end
81
a
of each coil spring
81
acts on a flange
83
a
of the associated ferrule
83
to urge the same toward the connector housing
85
.
However, the two optical fibers
82
are passed through the coil springs
81
, respectively, and therefore there has been encountered a drawback that the number of the component parts is increased. And besides, there has been a possibility that during the operation, the coil spring
81
is inadvertently pushed deep into the ferrule receiving chamber
86
to be disposed near to a core
82
a
. And, if the coil spring is thus pushed deep into the ferrule receiving chamber, there has been encountered a drawback that an error in the confirmation of the presence of the coil spring
81
in the ferrule receiving chamber
86
is liable to occur.
And besides, before the holder
87
is mounted on the connector housing
85
, the coil springs
81
are displaced out of position because of their own weight, and therefore the efficiency of mounting of the holder
87
was poor. The assembling operation is carried out while keeping the two optical fibers
82
parallel to each other, and therefore the coil springs
81
often became entangled with each other.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide an optical fiber connector in which the number of component parts is reduced, and a coil spring-mounting operation is easy, and the efficiency of mounting of a holder on a connector housing is enhanced, and an assembling error is prevented, and an automation can be adopted.
The above object has been achieved by an optical fiber connector of the present invention wherein end portions of optical fibers are inserted respectively into ferrules to form optical fiber plugs, and the optical fiber plugs are inserted into a connector housing, with the ferrules first introduced thereinto, and a holder is fitted on the connector housing from rear end portions of the optical fiber plugs, and the optical fiber connector is fitted into a light receiving-emitting device, so that distal end surfaces of the optical fiber plugs are kept spaced a predetermined distance respectively from light receiving-emitting elements received within the light receiving-emitting device; CHARACTERIZED in that the holder includes insertion holes for respectively passing the optical fibers therethrough in a direction of insertion of the optical fiber plugs, and introduction notches communicating respectively with the insertion holes in a direction intersecting the inserting direction; and a ferrule-pressing member is mounted on the optical fiber plugs so as to spring-bias the optical fiber plugs, fitted respectively into the insertion holes through the respective introduction notches after the distal end surfaces of the optical fibers are polished, toward the connector housing.
The ferrule-pressing member includes a rectangular pressing plate, a coil spring fixedly secured at one end thereof to the pressing plate, and retaining notches formed in the pressing plate, and the ferrule-pressing member is mounted on the ferrules through the retaining notches.
The coil spring is disposed parallel to a direction of axes of the optical fiber plugs, and front flanges, formed in a bulging manner respectively on outer peripheral surfaces of the ferrules, are abutted respectively against peripheral edges of the retaining notches, and a spring retaining portion for retaining the other end of the coil spring is formed on the holder, and all of the optical fiber plugs are simultaneously spring-biased toward the connector housing.
The ferrule-pressing member comprises a leaf spring member supported within the holder, and the leaf spring member has engagement notches for respectively passing the optical fibers therethrough, and each of the ferrules has a front flange for engagement with a portion within the connector housing, and a rear flange for engagement with a peripheral edge of the associated engagement notch, and the optical fiber plugs are passed respectively through the insertion holes, and are received respectively in the engagement notches.
The leaf spring is formed into a wavy cross-section, and has concave portions and a convex portion, and the engagement notches are formed respectively in the concave portions, so that the concave portions abut against the rear flanges, respectively, and the convex portion is held against an inner surface of the holder, so that the leaf spring spring-biases the optical fiber plugs toward the light receiving-emitting device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4281892 (1981-08-01), Sitabkhan
patent: 4483584 (1984-11-01), Gresty
patent: 4762389 (1988-08-01), Kaihara
patent: 4798440 (1989-01-01), Hoffer et al.
patent: 5091991 (1992-02-01), Briggs et al.
patent: 5452388 (1995-09-01), Rittle et al.
patent: 6095695 (2000-08-01), Ohtsuka et al.
patent: 6113280 (2000-09-01), Nagaoka et al.
patent: 0 290 964 A2 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 0 339 876 A1 (1989-11-01), None
patent: 59-139012 (1984-08-01), None
patent: 59-140411 (1984-08-01), None
patent: 1-316711 (1989-12-01), None
patent: 2-226207 (1990-09-01), None
Japanese Abstract 07218776, dated Aug. 18,1995.
Ikumi Toru
Kondo Hiroyuki
Nagaoka Yasutaka
Shirakawa Tsuguhito
Suzuki Nobuhiko
Healy Brian
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
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