Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-07
2002-09-17
Spyrou, Cassandra (Department: 2872)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector
C385S088000, C385S089000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06450703
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a receptacle of an optical connector and more particularly, to a receptacle to be coupled with an optical plug and having a light receiving element module and a luminescence element module in a connector housing thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 14
, a reference character
101
indicates an optical connector which is applied to a multiplex transmission circuit on, for example, a body of a motor vehicle, which optical connector
101
consists of a receptacle
102
and an optical plug
103
.
As shown in
FIGS. 14 and 15
, the receptacle
102
has a connector housing
104
which has front and rear openings. Through the front opening of the connector housing
104
the optical plug
103
is coupled therewith (FIG.
14
). And, as shown in
FIG. 15
, through the rear opening of the connector housing
104
, a sleeve member
105
, a light receiving element module
106
(an optical element module), a luminescence element module
107
(an optical element module), and a cap member
108
in a rectangular plate-like shape are fitted in turn.
Inside the connector housing
104
, a coupling portion
109
to couple with the optical plug
103
(
FIG. 14
) through the front opening, accommodating chambers
110
to accommodate the light receiving element module
106
and the luminescence element module
107
from the rear opening, and transferring tube portions
111
connecting the coupling portion
109
(
FIG. 14
) and the accommodating chambers
110
are formed. An optical plug locking portion
113
formed on a top wall
112
of the connector housing
104
engages a locking arm
141
(
FIGS. 14 and 16
) of the optical plug
103
(FIG.
14
). The locking arm
141
will be described later.
The accommodating chambers
110
are surrounded by a top wall
112
, a bottom wall
114
, right and left walls
115
,
116
, and a partition wall
117
, which partition wall
117
stands in the middle of the right and left walls
115
,
116
and forms the accommodating chamber
110
for the light receiving element module
106
and the chamber
110
the luminescence element module
107
.
Engaging portions
119
to engage securing projections
118
(only two are shown) which are formed on top and bottom edge portions of the cap member
108
are formed on the top wall
112
over the accommodating chambers
110
. And, terminal led-out portions
120
open on the bottom wall
114
under the accommodating chambers
110
.
Terminals
121
,
122
of the light receiving element module
106
and the luminescence element module
107
, respectively, are put through wide portions of the respective terminal led-out portions
120
. And, a pair of securing projections
118
formed on the top edge portion of the cap member
108
engage narrow portions of the respective engaging portions
119
.
The pair of securing projections
118
, which are on each of the top and bottom edge portions of the cap member
108
, engage the engaging portions
119
and the terminal led-out portions
120
, respectively, thereby to prevent the cap member
108
from falling off the rear opening.
As shown in
FIG. 17
, the transferring tube portion
111
is formed with a step. And, a small-diameter portion
135
(
FIG. 16
) of a ferrule member
133
(described later) is inserted in a front small-diameter portion
123
of the transferring tube portion
111
, and the sleeve member
105
(
FIG. 15
) is inserted in a rear large-diameter portion
124
of the transferring tube portion
111
.
On the other hand, as shown in
FIG. 15
, the sleeve member
105
is formed cylindrically and consists of an optical waveguide portion
125
made of glass or synthetic resin and a holder portion
126
. The light receiving element module
106
and the luminescence element module
107
are formed by putting a light receiving element (not shown) and a luminescence element (not shown) in respective molded portions
127
,
128
.
In the assembly of the receptacle
102
, the light receiving element and the corresponding sleeve member
105
and also the luminescence element and the corresponding sleeve member
105
are aligned on the respective longitudinal axes of the respective transferring tube portions
111
.
The above optical plug
103
includes, as shown in
FIG. 16
, a pair of ferrule member assemblies
129
, a plug housing
130
(
FIGS. 14 and 16
) to accommodate the ferrule assemblies
129
, and a spring cap
131
(
FIGS. 14 and 16
) to engage a rear portion of the plug housing
130
and to hold the ferrule assemblies
129
.
The ferrule assembly
129
consists of an optical fiber cable
132
, a ferrule member
133
attached to the end of the optical fiber cable
132
, and a spring
134
.
The ferrule member
133
is formed stepwise, a core portion (not shown) of the optical fiber cable
132
is inserted in a smaller-diameter portion
135
of the ferrule member
133
, and a primary sheathing (not shown) of the optical fiber cable
132
is inserted in a large-diameter portion
137
of the ferrule member
133
, which large-diameter portion
137
is provided with flanges
136
. A reference character
138
indicates a secondary sheathing of the optical fiber cable
132
.
The spring
134
is arranged between the rear side flange
136
and the spring cap
131
and pushes the ferrule member
133
forward.
The plug housing
130
is formed substantially as a box and has accommodating chambers
139
to accommodate the ferrule assemblies
129
. And, the plug housing
130
is provided with a locking arm
141
on a top wall
140
thereof. The optical plug
103
is uncoupled from the receptacle
102
by pushing an end portion of the locking arm
141
(FIG.
14
).
And, the plug housing
130
is, as shown in
FIG. 14
, provided with slit covers
142
at the rear ends of both side walls, which slit covers
142
project rearward from the respective rear ends.
The spring cap
131
is formed substantially as a cup and is provided with plug guiding slits
143
on respective side walls. The plug guiding slits
143
are closed with the respective slit covers
142
of the plug housing
130
.
Against a rear inside plane of the spring cap
131
the springs
134
(
FIG. 16
) abut, and inside and in the middle of the spring cap
131
an engaging projection (not shown) to engage the plug housing
130
is formed.
The optical plug
103
is assembled by engaging the spring cap
131
with the plug housing
130
after fitting the ferrule assemblies
129
(only one being shown in
FIG. 16
) to the optical plug
103
through the plug guiding slits
143
of the spring cap
131
. The ferrule assemblies
129
are accommodated in the accommodating chambers
139
(
FIG. 16
) and are locked by engaging projections
144
(only one being shown in
FIG. 16
) of the plug housing
130
, which engaging projection
144
is positioned between the pair of flanges
136
of the ferrule members
133
.
As described above, the ferrule assemblies
129
are pushed forward by the springs
134
(one being shown) and the forward movement of the ferrule assemblies
129
is limited by the stoppers
145
formed in the accommodating chambers
139
.
In the above structure, on coupling of the optical plug
103
with the receptacle
102
the transferring tube portions
111
enter the plug housing
130
, and simultaneously the smaller-diameter portions
135
of the ferrule assemblies
129
enter the transferring tube portions
111
. And, the large-diameter portions
137
of the ferrule assemblies
129
abut against the ends of the transferring tube portions
111
, while keeping suitable pressure therebetween by means of the springs
134
.
With respect to the above conventional receptacle
102
of the optical connector
101
, however, since the light receiving element module
106
and the luminescence element module
107
have to be inclined as shown with the arrow R in
FIG. 18
when the modules
106
,
107
are fitted into the receptacle
102
, that is, the fitting work of the modules
106
,
107
into the accommodating
Amari Alessandro V.
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori
Spyrou Cassandra
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