Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-23
2001-01-30
Palmer, Phan T. H. (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Structure surrounding optical fiber-to-fiber connection
C385S075000, C385S077000, C439S680000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179477
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a sleeve part for a plug connection for fibre optics and such a plug connection, with the features of the preamble of the independent patent claims.
Such sleeve parts are known in a multitude of various embodiment forms for connecting fibre optics which are provided with a plug part.
It is known to provide such sleeve parts and plug parts with codings so that it is ensured that only an exactly defined plug part may be inserted into a certain sleeve part.
From the European Patent EP 616 236 it is for example known on a plug part to provide a key section with a coding consisting of projections and reliefs. The key section may engage into a securement section on the sleeve part with a corresponding coding. The key section and the securement section are arranged such that a detent pawl in the sleeve part may only be latched in with a coding which agrees. With this it may be prevented that on an apparatus by mistake the wrong plug parts are inserted.
Since the releasing lever may be a separate component, releasing levers with a different coding may easily be manufactured, which selectively may be assembled onto plug parts. Also the securement section on the sleeve part is formed exchangeable. With this the securement section is formed on a frame which simultaneously holds together several individual components of the sleeve part.
Although this type of coding is reliable, however with regard to the manufacture and the handling it has certain disadvantages. The frame must be snapped onto the sleeve part in a pivoting movement. This combination of tilting and snapping in is relatively complicated and makes the manufacturing procedure more difficult.
It is aimed at exchanging the coding elements as simply as possible. The sleeve parts should be able to be manufactured uniformly with the injection moulding method and subsequently provided with suitable codings. With codings according to the state of the art the exchange is not so simple since the sleeve part simultaneously is held together by the frame. With an exchange of the coding element there exists the danger that the individual parts of the sleeve part displace with respect to one another.
The frame with the coding according to the state of the art may furthermore not be exchanged with an inserted plug part. With certain applications it is however advantageous if the coding is able to be changed also when the plug part is inserted into the sleeve part. For example thus by differing colours on the coding, certain plug connections may be marked. It is also conceivable that on operation the end of the fibre optic lying opposite the plug connection may be connected onto another peripheral apparatus so that the type of coding changes. With this it is disadvantageous when the plug connection must first be interrupted so that a new coding may be placed on.
A further disadvantage of the coding known from the state of the art lies in the complicated assembly and in the relatively large material consumption for the coding frame.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of that which is known, in particular thus to provide a sleeve part and a plug part which are able to be manufactured economically, which may be simply assembled and which permit an exchange of the coding elements on the sleeve part and on the plug part even with a plug part inserted into the sleeve part.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention these objects are achieved with a sleeve part and with a plug connection with the features of the characterising part of the independent patent claims.
The sleeve part for the plug connection for fibre optics consists essentially of a housing. The housing comprises at least one opening for the accommodation of a plug part. If the sleeve part is used as a coupling element for two plug parts the housing of course comprises two openings lying opposite one another. The plug part is at least partly insertable into the sleeve part along an insertion axis. The sleeve part comprises as usual a sleeve for the accommodation of a plug pin on the plug part. For ensuring that only a suitable plug part may be inserted into a certain sleeve part the sleeve part is provided with a securement section. The securement section comprises a coding consisting of projections and/or reliefs. A key section of a plug part with a corresponding coding, may be brought into engagement with the coding. If a key part with a wrong coding is attempted to be inserted then the codings do not correspond to one another and the insertion of the plug part into the sleeve part or a latching-in is made impossible.
According to the features of the invention the securement section of the sleeve part is arranged on at least one separately formed coding element. The coding element can be snapped onto the sleeve part in a snap-on direction which runs transversely to the insertion axis. This means that the coding element from one side (for example from above) may be snapped onto the sleeve part and does not as up to now consist of a frame which may be deposited onto the sleeve part with a snap-rotating movement. Transversely is to be understood as snap-on directions which do not run parallel to the insertion axis, A combined pivoting-snap movement is also conceivable.
Because the snap-on direction runs roughly perpendicular to the insertion axis the coding element may also be snapped on when the plug part is inserted.
If, given an inserted plug part, the coding element is to be exchanged this may be simply snapped away. Thus the coding element on the plug part, which lies under the coding element of the sleeve part, is freed. In this manner also the key section on the plug part may be exchanged.
The sleeve part is advantageously provided with at least one protective flap for closing the opening. Such protective flaps are known per se and are applied for preventing contamination of the sleeve part. The protective flap is pivotably mounted on an axis in the sleeve part.
In a first embodiment example of the present invention t he coding element is formed roughly U-shaped. The coding element with the limbs may be snapped onto the lateral walls of the sleeve part. U-shaped is to be understood here as a coding element with a cross section which has a roughly flat base and two limbs standing roughly perpendicular thereto.
Advantageously the coding element simultaneously forms a part of the outer surface of the sleeve part. Thus the outer surfaces in each case of one of the limbs may lie in the same plane as one of the outer surfaces of the lateral walls of the sleeve part. The coding element fits into the entirety of the sleeve part and is distinguished from this at the most by a differing colour.
In a second embodiment example the coding element may be formed as an essentially flat platelet. The platelet can be snapped onto the axis by way of at least one snap element, for example a projection comprising a relief with an undercut, the axis also carrying the protective flap. Because the axis simultaneously carries the protective flap and the coding element on the one hand material can be saved and on the other hand the constructional manner of the sleeve part may be selected more compactly.
Basically it is conceivable to provide the sleeve part with one or more sleeves for accommodating one or more plug parts lying next to one another. In a preferred embodiment example the sleeve part is formed as a so-called duplex part, which comprises two sleeves for accommodating two plug pins lying next to one another. On the axis there are arranged two protective flaps lying next to one another. The projection of the platelet is arranged on the platelet in a middle section and may be snapped onto the axis between the two protective flaps.
Advantageously the coding element on one side comprises an essentially flat surface. The flat surface with a snapped-on coding element lies roughly in the same plane as the upper side of the sleeve part. By way of this there results a particularly compact construc
Diamond SA
Palmer Phan T. H.
Shoemaker and Mattare LTD
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