Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-29
2002-12-10
Font, Frank G. (Department: 2877)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection
C385S059000, C385S065000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06491442
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector for connection between optical fibers.
For a better understanding of the present invention, description will be made at first as regards a first and a second conventional optical fiber connector.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, the first conventional optical fiber connector is of a plug-adapter-plug type for connecting plugs
30
and
30
′ via an adapter
40
. The plug
30
comprises an outer member
31
, an optical fiber aligning base plate
32
having a number of V-grooves, a pair of optical fiber guides
33
each having a number of V-grooves, an optical fiber aligning guide
34
, a rear shell
35
, a pair of plate springs
36
provided at both sides of the rear shell
35
for pressing the optical fiber aligning guide
34
, and an optical fiber bunch
37
.
The optical fiber aligning base plate
32
and the optical fiber guides
33
are disposed in the optical fiber aligning guide
34
. The optical fiber bunch
37
is formed by aligning optical fibers
37
A in parallel. The optical fibers
37
A are inserted from a side of the rear shell
35
, then pass on the V-grooves of the optical fiber aligning base plate
32
and between the V-grooves of the pair of optical fiber guides
33
so as to be projected from an end surface
31
A of the outer member
31
. The plug
30
′ has the same structure as the plug
30
.
The adapter
40
comprises a pedestal holder
41
, a pair of blocks
42
provided at both sides of the center of the holder
41
, a micro-sleeve retaining base plate
43
having a number of V-grooves, a number of micro-sleeves
44
parallelly arranged on the micro-sleeve retaining base plate
43
, an aligning plate spring
45
symmetrically provided on an upper surface of each of the blocks
42
, and a guide holding plate spring
46
symmetrically provided on a side of each of the blocks
42
.
When the plugs
30
and
30
′ are fitted to the adapter
40
from both sides thereof, the optical fibers
37
A and
37
′A are inserted into the corresponding micro-sleeves
44
from both sides thereof so that end surfaces of the optical fibers
37
A and
37
′A abut each other to be connected.
Referring now to
FIGS. 2
to
4
, the second conventional optical fiber connector is of a plug-receptacle type for connecting a plug
50
to a receptacle
70
. The plug
50
comprises a plug frame
60
, an optical fiber bunch
52
formed by parallelly aligning a number of optical fibers
52
A, a first base plate
53
having a number of V-grooves, a second base plate
54
having a number of V-grooves, a V-groove guide
55
, a clamping presser plate
56
, contractile tubes
57
for covering the optical fibers, a rear shell
59
, a pair of plate springs
58
provided at both sides of the rear shell
59
for pressing the V-groove guide
55
, and an optical fiber fixing base plate
61
.
The first and second base plates
53
and
54
are disposed in the V-groove guide
55
. Since the first and second base plates
53
and
54
and the V-groove guide
55
cooperatively align the optical fibers
52
A, they are generically called an optical fiber aligning member
65
.
The receptacle
70
comprises a shell
75
, a V-groove guide
73
having a ]-shape in section, a V-groove base plate
72
disposed in the V-groove guide
73
and having a number of V-grooves, a number of micro-sleeves
71
aligned on the V-groove base plate
72
, optical fibers
77
received in the corresponding micro-sleeves
71
, and a presser plate
76
.
The plug
50
is fitted to the receptacle
70
and then fixed by a fixing spring
78
. The plug frame
60
is attached to the V-groove guide
73
so that the optical fibers
52
A are inserted into the micro-sleeves
71
. In the micro-sleeves
71
, end surfaces of the optical fibers
52
A come in abutment with end surfaces of the corresponding optical fibers
77
so as to be connected to each other.
In the first conventional optical fiber connector, it is necessary that the ends of the optical fibers
37
A be projected beyond the end surface
31
A of the outer member
31
as shown in FIG.
1
A. On the other hand, in the second conventional optical fiber connector, the ends of the optical fibers
52
A may be retreated from an end surface
60
A of the plug frame
60
as shown in FIG.
3
. However, since the optical fibers
37
A and
52
A are exposed to the exterior both in the first and second conventional optical fiber connectors, they are highly liable to be damaged.
Further, since the optical fibers
37
A and
52
A in the plugs
30
and
50
are subjected to positioning in the aligning members
44
and
71
of the adapter
40
and the receptacle
70
and then connected to the optical fibers
37
′A and
77
, respectively, it is necessary that the optical fibers
37
A and
52
A be projected from an end surface
34
A of the optical fiber aligning guide
34
and an end surface
55
A of the V-groove guide
55
at least by about 2 to 3 mm.
For example, for realizing a multi-fiber connector of 0.25 mm pitch, the accuracy required for positioning between each optical fiber in a plug and an aligning member of an adapter or receptacle is about 0.1 mm (0.05 mm on one side).
When performing the positioning between each optical fiber and the aligning member, a positional error is caused in a pitch direction or in a direction perpendicular to the pitch direction due to dimensional dispersion of the respective portions of the optical fiber connector. This positional error has been dealt with by improving the dimensional accuracy of the parts, thereby resulting in increased producing cost of the optical fiber connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber connector which has a structure for protecting an optical fiber and is capable of facilitating positioning between the optical fiber and an aligning member thereby to reduce the producing cost thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber connector which can stably perform positioning between an optical fiber and an adapter.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber connector which can easily select bending or non-bending of an optical fiber.
Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical fiber connector for connecting an optical fiber to a counterpart optical fiber by abutting a connecting end of the optical fiber against a connecting end of the counterpart optical fiber in a given direction while bending of the optical fiber is caused at a portion thereof, the connector comprising an outer member which holds a portion of the optical fiber remote from the connecting end of the optical fiber, an aligning member which is held by the outer member so as to be movable in the given direction and in a direction opposite to the given direction, the aligning member positioning the connecting end of the optical fiber, and an urging member which urges the aligning member in the given direction, the aligning member being moved, when connecting the optical fiber to the counterpart optical fiber, in the direction opposite to the given direction against an urging force applied by the urging member so that the connecting end of the optical fiber is projected from the aligning member.
It may be arranged that a connecting-side end surface of the aligning member is located on the same plane as a connecting-side end surface of the outer member before connecting the optical fiber to the counterpart optical fiber.
It may be arranged that a connecting-side end surface of the aligning member is projected from a connecting-side end surface of the outer member before connecting the optical fiber to the counterpart optical fiber.
It may be arranged that the connecting end of the optical fiber is retreated from an connecting-side end surface of the aligning member before connecting the optical fiber to the cou
Ando Yasuhiro
Katsura Kohsuke
Murakami Keiji
Sato Nobuo
Takeda Jun
Font Frank G.
Japan Aviation Electronics Industry
Michael Best & Friedrich LLC
Mooney Michael P.
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