Optical fiber cord fixing component

Details Optical fiber cord fixing component Optical fiber cord fixing component

2001-06-26

2002-11-26

Kim, Robert H. (Department: 2882)

Optical waveguides

With disengagable mechanical connector

Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure

C385S086000, C385S076000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06485196

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing component for fixing an optical fiber cord to an optical connector.
2. Description of Related Art
The optical fiber cord has a tension member arranged around a fiber core, and a sheath arranged therearound, as a basic structure. For connection of such an optical fiber cord to an optical connector, it is necessary to hold a stable transmission characteristic even with tensile strength acting backward on the cord. Therefore, in the past, on an outer peripheral surface of a rear end part of an optical connector (connector housing) with fiber core inserted thereto, there were put the sheath and the tension member peeled off in advance from the fiber core, and separate fixing components (metallic rings) were put on an outside of the tension member and an outside of the sheath, and by caulking the fixing components, the tension member and the sheath were fixed in a press-fitting manner to the optical connector.
However, in consideration of reduction of component cost as well as of simplification of assembly work, it is preferable, rather than fixing the tension member and the sheath in a press-fitting manner to the optical connector by separate fixing components as described, to fix them in a lump. Therefore, recently, there is employed such a fixing component
30
as shown in
FIGS. 5A
to
5
D.
FIG. 5A
is a front view of the fixing component
30
,
FIG. 5B
is a plan view of the component
30
,
FIG. 5C
is a side view of the component
30
, and
FIG. 5D
is a rear view of the component
30
. This fixing component
30
is integrally formed, as shown in FIG.
5
B and
FIG. 5C
, with a tension member fixing portion
31
for fixing a tension member of an optical fiber cord in a press-fitting manner, and a sheath fixing portion
32
for fixing a sheath of the cord in a press-fitting manner. Moreover, as shown in FIG.
5
A and
FIG. 5D
, the tension member fixing portion
31
and the sheath fixing portion
32
are both configured as a metallic tube of a substantially elliptic form in cross section. The fixing component
30
is adapted, as shown in
FIG. 6
, by putting the tension member fixing portion
31
on the outside of a tension member
35
of an optical fiber cord
34
put on an outer peripheral surface of a rear end part of an optical connector (connector housing)
33
, putting the sheath fixing portion
32
on the outside of a sheath
36
put on the outer peripheral surface of the rear end part, and caulking them in a lump, so that the tension member
35
and the sheath
36
can be press-fitted to be fixed in a lump to the optical connector
33
. Although in
FIG. 6
a step is formed between the tension member fixing portion
31
and the sheath fixing portion
32
, there is a case of caulking not to form a step.
The conventional fixing component shown in
FIG. 5A
to
FIG. 5D
has the following problems:
(1) For a structural reason of the optical connector, outside diameters of the tension member fixing portion and the sheath fixing portion of the fixing component must be different, and there develops a strain when the two fixing portions different in outside diameter are caulked simultaneously. More specifically, because of no escaping place for the strain developed in the tension member fixing portion, part (excessive part) of that fixing portion is caused to bulge like a wen at the sheath fixing portion side. As a result, the caulking at either or both of the tension member fixing portion and the sheath fixing portion becomes incomplete. Further, it needs a very strong force for the caulking to be complete.
(2) In order for the tension member fixing portion to have an identical cross sectional form before and after the caulking, it is necessary to evenly caulk the entirety from outside toward the center (it is necessary to evenly caulk in the direction of arrow in FIG.
5
A). On the other hand, for the sheath fixing portion, such a caulking is necessary that the sheath is pinched from the left and right (it is necessary to caulk in the direction of arrow in FIG.
5
D). In other words, between the tension member fixing portion and the sheath fixing portion, the caulking force and caulking direction are different. Therefore, when the tension member fixing portion and the sheath fixing portion are caulked in a lump, the two fixing portions have different contraction due to the caulking, so that the above-noted strain is yet increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fixing component which is free from incomplete caulking even when a tension member fixing portion and a sheath fixing portion that are different in outside diameter are caulked in a lump, and does not need very strong forces for the caulking.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical fiber cord fixing component which is integrally formed with a tension member fixing portion for fixing, in a press-fitting manner, a tension member of an optical fiber cord put on an outer peripheral surface of an optical connector to the outer peripheral surface by caulking, and a sheath fixing portion for fixing, in a press-fitting manner, a sheath of the cord put on the outer peripheral surface of the connector to the outer peripheral surface by caulking, and which is formed, between the tension member fixing portion and the sheath fixing portion, with a slit capable of absorbing a deformation of either or both of the tension member fixing portion and the sheath fixing portion by the caulking.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5142601 (1992-08-01), Shibata et al.

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