Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-17
2002-05-07
Sanghavi, Hemang (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure
C385S059000, C385S060000, C385S056000, C385S078000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06382842
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical connectors and, particularly, to an optical connector with a wrong plugging prevention key.
2. Related Art
Plug-in optical connectors according to Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) C-5983-F14 are well known. The plug-in optical connectors are an optical connector attached to a board and able to plug in and out of another optical connector attached to another board by moving along rails, for example.
FIG. 7
shows a conventional plug-in optical connector which consists of a male (plug-in) optical connector
1
′ and a female (plug-in) optical connector
2
′. Each of the optical connectors
1
′ and
2
′ is provided with eight connection plug mounting sections
11
′ or
21
′, each of which receives a connection plug
9
or
9
′. Each connection plug
9
or
9
′ is fixed to an end of an optical cable
91
or
91
′ such that an optical fiber (not shown) is fixed to a ferrule
93
or
93
′.
When the male optical connector
1
′ is plugged in the female optical connector
2
′, the connection plugs
9
are optically connected to the corresponding connection plugs
9
′ of the mating optical connector
2
′. That is, the ferrules
93
and
93
′ of the connection plugs
9
and
9
′ in the male and female optical connector
1
′ and
2
′, respectively, are opposed and aligned within a sleeve holder
92
. Thus, a plurality of connection plugs can be optically connected by mating a pair of male and female optical connectors. The male optical connector
1
′ is provided with the sleeve holders
92
and is slightly different from the female optical connector
2
′.
Where a plurality of pairs of optical connectors such as shown in
FIG. 7
are plugged in, a wrong plugging prevention key can be provided to prevent wrong plugging of a pair of optical connectors which should not be pair. However, there is no plug-in optical connector equipped with such a wrong plugging prevention key.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an optical connector equipped with a wrong plugging prevention key.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a plug-in optical connector comprising a pair of first and second optical connectors to be fixed to a pair of first and second boards, respectively; first means provided on a plugging side of said first optical connector for receiving a first wrong plugging prevention key; and second means provided on a plugging side of said second optical connector for receiving a second wrong plugging prevention key which corresponds to said first wrong plugging prevention key.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a plug-in optical connector comprising a pair of first and second optical connectors to be fixed to a pair of first and second boards, respectively; a first wrong plugging prevention key provided on a plugging side of said first optical connector; and a second wrong plugging prevention key provided on a plugging side of said second optical connector.
According to an embodiment of the invention, said second optical connector comprising an outer housing; a rear housing attached to said outer housing; and an inner housing movable inside said outer and rear housings.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the second optical connector further comprises engaging sections provided on said inner and outer housings, respectively, to join said inner and outer housings by engagement; and a second lock provided on said inner housing for locking said inner housing with said first optical connector when said first and second optical connector are plugged in.
According to still another embodiment of the invention, the second optical connector further comprises a release section provided on said first optical connector for releasing said engagement by said engaging section; and a first lock provided on said first optical connector for locking said first optical connector with said inner housing when said first and second optical connector are plugged in.
According to still another aspect of the invention there is provided a plug-in optical connector to be fixed to a first board and plugged in a mating optical connector to be fixed to a second board and having a plugging side thereof a second attaching section to which a second wrong plugging prevention key is to be attached, comprising a first attaching section provided on a plugging side of said plug-in optical connector for receiving a first wrong plugging prevention key which corresponds to said second wrong plugging prevention key.
According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a plug-in optical connector to be fixed to a first board and plugged in a mating optical connector to be fixed to a second board and having a second wrong plugging prevention key on a plugging side thereof, comprising a first wrong plugging prevention key provided on a plugging side of said plug-in optical connector and corresponding to said second wrong plugging prevention key.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the plug-in optical connector further comprises an outer housing; a rear housing attached to said outer housing; and an inner housing movable inside said outer and rear housings.
According to still another embodiment of the invention, the plug-in optical connector further comprises engaging sections provided on said inner and outer housings, respectively, for fixing said inner housing to said outer housing by engagement; and a lock provided on said inner housing for locking said inner housing to said mating optical connector when said plug-in optical connector is plugged in said mating optical connector.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a plug-in optical connector to be fixed to a first board and plugged in a mating optical connector to be fixed to a second bard and having a second wrong plugging prevention key on a plugging side thereof, said mating optical connector comprising an outer housing, a rear housing attached to said outer housing; an inner housing movable inside said outer and rear housings; engaging sections provided on said inner and outer housings, respectively, for fixing said inner housing to said outer housing by engagement; a second lock provided on said inner housing for locking said inner housing with said plug-in optical connector when said plug-in optical connector and said mating optical connector are plugged in, and said plug-in optical connector comprising a first wrong plugging prevention key provided on a plugging side thereof and corresponding to said second wrong plugging prevention key; a release section for releasing said engagement by said engaging section; and a first lock for said inner housing with said plug-in optical connector when said plug-in optical connector and said mating optical connector are plugged in.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the wrong plugging prevention key is provided on the outer housing.
According to still another embodiment of the invention, the wrong plugging prevention key is provided on the inner housing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5528711 (1996-06-01), Iwano et al.
patent: 5729644 (1998-03-01), Shiflett et al.
Arima Shuji
Nishiyama Takashi
Hirose Electric Co. Ltd.
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Sanghavi Hemang
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