Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Abstract
Disclosed is a connector and an optical fiber connection assembly,
relating to optical fiber communication. The connector comprises: a
connector main body, which comprises an insertion portion, wherein the
insertion portion is provided with a first protrusion configured to be
clamped with a matching adapter; an elastic part, which is sleeved on the
insertion portion; an unlocking ring, which is sleeved on the insertion
portion and can move along an axial direction of the insertion portion, the
unlocking ring is configured to compress the elastic part when clamped
with the adapter and make the elastic part provide a driving force to drive
the unlocking ring to press and hold a clamping position; and a connector
housing, which is sleeved on the insertion portion, the connector housing
can move along the axial direction of the insertion portion and can drive
the unlocking ring to compress the elastic part so as to separate the
unlocking ring from the clamping position. When the connector in the
present invention is butt joint with an adapter, firm tensile resistance can
be guaranteed.
Fig. 1
CA 03171567 2022- 9- 13
Specification
Connector and Optical Fiber Connection Assembly
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of optical fiber
communications, in particular to a connector and an optical fiber
connection assembly.
Background of the Invention
With the large-scale deployment of Fiber To The Home (FTTH), the
application of pre-connection products that reduce construction cost and
construction technical requirements and simplify construction difficulty is
more and more extensive. However, most of the optical fiber connectors
and adapters used at this stage are those comply with industrial standards.
These connectors and adapters are originally designed to solve the
problems of needing to open the box body and carry out fusion welding,
optical fiber fixation and other operations in the box body during the
connection of indoor optical fibers or those in the protection box (box
body) when opening services. In order to avoid the actions such as
opening the box body, fusion welding and fixing optical cables when
opening services, the optical fiber connectors and adapters with good
waterproof performance and can be pre-installed outside the box body are
usually used.
At present, most of the outdoor optical fiber connectors and adapters
available on the market adopt the screw locking mode, which needs to
reserve a finger operating space around the connectors and adapters due
to its own characteristics, in the limited installation space, especially in
case of high-density requirements, the operation is very difficult. Partially
pluggable connectors and adapters are limited by their own structures,
and the tensile force in the axial direction of the optical fiber connector is
difficult to meet the needs.
Summary of the Invention
In view of the defects existing in the prior art, the first aspect of the
present invention is to provide a connector which can ensure firm tensile
resistance.
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In order to achieve the above purpose, the present invention adopts
the following technical solution:
a connector, comprising:
a connector main body, which comprises an insertion portion,
wherein the insertion portion is provided with a first protrusion
configured to be clamped with a matching adapter;
an elastic part, which is sleeved on the insertion portion;
an unlocking ring, which is sleeved on the insertion portion and can
move along an axial direction of the insertion portion, the unlocking ring
is configured to compress the elastic part when clamped with the adapter
and make the elastic part provide a driving force to drive the unlocking
ring to press and hold a clamping position; and
a connector housing, which is sleeved on the insertion portion, the
connector housing can move along the axial direction of the insertion
portion, and can drive the unlocking ring to compress the elastic part so
as to separate the unlocking ring from the clamping position.
In some embodiments, the connector housing is provided with a
housing protrusion, and the insertion portion is provided with a second
protrusion matched with the housing protrusion and configured to limit.
In some embodiments, the unlocking ring comprises:
an annular body, which is configured to match with the housing
protrusion so as to move the unlocking ring with the connector housing
and compress the elastic part;
an extension portion, which is arranged on the annular body and
extends towards one side of the axial direction of the annular body, and
the extension portion is configured to match with the adapter so as to
move the unlocking ring with the adapter, and is configured to press and
hold the clamping position when clamped in place.
In some embodiments, the housing protrusion comprises:
two extension walls, which are arranged on an inner wall of the
connector housing and extend towards the axial direction of the connector
housing, and the two extension walls are arranged at intervals to form a
channel for the extension portion to pass through.
In some embodiments, the insertion portion is further provided with
a third protrusion, one end of the elastic part resists on the annular body,
and the other end resists on the third protrusion.
In some embodiments, the connector further comprises: a drawstring,
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which is sleeved on the connector housing.
In some embodiments, the connector further comprises: a connector
cap, which is provided with a connector cap connecting rope, one end of
the connector cap connecting rope is connected with the connector main
body, and the connector cap is further provided with a first sealing ring
matched and sealed with the connector housing.
The second aspect of the present invention is to provide an optical
fiber connection assembly which can ensure firm tensile resistance.
In order to achieve the above purpose, the present invention adopts
the following technical solution:
an optical fiber connection assembly, comprising:
a connector, which comprises
-a connector main body, which comprises an insertion portion,
wherein the insertion portion is provided with a first protrusion
configured to be clamped with a matching adapter;
-an elastic part, which is sleeved on the insertion portion;
-an unlocking ring, which is sleeved on the insertion portion and can
move along an axial direction of the insertion portion, the unlocking ring
is configured to compress the elastic part and make the elastic part
provide a driving force to drive the unlocking ring to press and hold a
clamping position; and
-a connector housing, which is sleeved on the insertion portion and
forms a cavity receiving the elastic part and the unlocking ring with the
connector main body, and the connector housing can move along the axial
direction of the insertion portion and drive the unlocking ring to compress
the elastic part so as to separate the unlocking ring from the clamping
position;
an adapter, which comprises
-an adapter main body, which is provided with a fastener matched
and clamped with the first protrusion, and the fastener is configured to
push the unlocking ring when clamped with the connector.
In some embodiments, the connector housing is provided with a
housing protrusion, and the insertion portion is provided with a second
protrusion matched with the housing protrusion and configured to limit.
In some embodiments, the unlocking ring comprises:
an annular body, which is configured to match with the housing
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protrusion so as to move the unlocking ring with the connector housing
and compress the elastic part;
an extension portion, which is arranged on the annular body and
extends towards one side of the axial direction of the annular body, and
the extension portion is configured to match with the adapter so as to
move the unlocking ring with the adapter, and is configured to press and
hold the clamping position when clamped in place.
Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following
advantages:
in the present invention, after the connector is provided with the
unlocking ring, when the connector is butt joint with the adapter, under
the driving force provided by the elastic part, the unlocking ring will be
firmly pressed and held at the clamping position between the connector
and the adapter, so that the fastener of the adapter cannot produce the
deformation of opening, so as to ensure firm tensile resistance and meet
the locking force required by most outdoor preformed end connectors.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is an exploded view of an MPO-type connector in the
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an exploded view of a SC-type connector in the
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of an MPO-type connector in the
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a SC-type connector in the embodiment
of the present invention;
Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a connector main body of an
MPO-type connector in the embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a connector main body of a SC-type
connector in the embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a connector housing in the embodiment
of the present invention;
Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of an unlocking ring in the
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of installing a connector cap on an
MPO-type/SC-type connector in the embodiment of the present
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invention;
Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of removing a connector cap from an
MPO-type connector in the embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of removing a connector cap from a
SC-type connector in the embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of an MPO-type connector connected
with a standard MPO connector through an MPO-type adapter in the
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of a SC-type connector connected
with a standard SC connector through a SC-type adapter in the
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of an MPO-type/SC-type connector
in the embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 15 is an exploded view of an MPO-type adapter in the
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 16 is an exploded view of a SC-type adapter in the embodiment
of the present invention;
Fig. 17 is a sectional view of an MPO-type adapter in the
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 18 is a sectional view of a SC-type adapter in the embodiment
of the present invention;
Fig. 19 is a sectional view of an MPO-type adapter fastener in the
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 20 is a sectional view of an SC-type adapter fastener in the
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 21 is a schematic diagram of the butt joint of an MPO-type
adapter and an MPO-type connector in the embodiment of the present
invention;
Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of the butt joint of an SC-type adapter
and an SC-type connector in the embodiment of the present invention.
In the figures:
1-connector, 101-connector main body, 101-insertion portion,
102-the first protrusion, 103-the second protrusion, 104-the third
protrusion, 105-the second sealing ring, 11-elastic part, 12-unlocking ring,
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121-annular body, 122-extension portion, 13-connector housing,
131-housing protrusion, 14-drawstring, 15-connector cap, 151-connector
cap connecting rope, 152-connector cap hole, 153-the first sealing ring,
16-connector tail sleeve, 17-connector hot melt tube, 18-connector front
sleeve, 19-resisting part, 30-tail sheath, 40-ferrule, 41-ferrule spring,
42-ferrule-dust cap, 50-connector optical cable, 60-crimping ring;
2-adapter, 20-adapter main body, 201-fastener, 202-the third sealing
ring; 203-ceramic sleeve, 204-sleeve clamping base, 21-adapter cap,
211-adapter cap connecting rope, 22-mounting nut, 221-flat washer.
Detailed Description of the Embodiments
The present invention will be further described below in detail with
reference to the drawings in combination with the embodiments.
The embodiment of the present invention provides a connector, it is
worth indicating that the connector can be divided into various forms
according to different ferrules, such as MPO-type, SC-type or double
LC-type.
As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the embodiment of the present invention
will be described for MPO-type and SC-type connectors respectively.
Both the MPO-type connectors and SC-type connectors comprise a
connector main body 10, an elastic part 11, an unlocking ring 12, a
connector housing 13, a drawstring 14, a connector cap 15, a connector
tail sleeve 16, a connector hot melt tube 17, a connector front sleeve 18, a
resisting part 19, a ferrule 40, a ferrule spring 41, a ferrule-dust cap 42
and a connector optical cable 50.
As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, in the connector of this embodiment,
the connector main body 10 comprises an insertion portion 101, and the
insertion portion 101 is mainly configured to be butt joint with a
matching adapter. The insertion portion 101 is provided with a first
protrusion 102 configured to be clamped with the matching adapter. In
this embodiment, the first protrusion 102 has two opposite inclined planes,
or arc surfaces, or spherical surfaces.
The tail of the connector main body 10 is provided with a connector
tail sleeve 16. The connector main body 10 and the connector tail sleeve
16 can be two independent parts or can be integrally formed. In this
embodiment, the MPO-type and SC-type connectors show the situation of
independent parts. The outer circumference of the connector tail sleeve 16
is provided with a crimping ring 60, which crimps and fixes an
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aramid yarn or reinforcing core inside the connector optical cable 50 by
means of a crimping plier, so as to realize the fixation of the connector
optical cable 50, and then the connector optical cable 50 is re-fixed and
sealed by means of a connector hot-melt tube 17, as the fixed crimping
structure of the optical cable at the rear end of the connector and the
sealing structure of water and dust prevention. In addition, a tail sheath 30
is further provided at the tail of the connector, which is configured to
protect the connector optical cable 50 from being damaged by bending.
The head end of the connector main body 10 is provided with a
connector front sleeve 18. The connector main body 10 and the connector
front sleeve 18 can be two independent parts or can be integrally formed.
The MPO-type connector shows the situation of independent parts, and
the SC-type connector shows the situation of integrated forming.
The cavity formed by the connector main body 10, the connector tail
sleeve 16 and the connector front sleeve 18 is provided with a resisting
part 19. The resisting part 19 and the connector tail sleeve 16 can be two
independent parts or can be integrally formed. A cavity is formed inside
the resisting part 19, which can pass through optical fibers. A ferrule 40
and a ferrule spring 41 are installed in the space formed by the resisting
part 19 and the connector front sleeve 18. One end of the ferrule spring
41 resists on the ferrule 40 and the other end resists on the end surface of
the resisting part 19. A ferrule-dust cap 42 is arranged at the front end of
the ferrule 40. The ferrule 40 can be a single-core ferrule, a dual-core
ferrule or a multi-core ferrule. In Fig. 1, the MPO-type multi-core ferrule
is shown, and in Fig. 2, the SC-type single-core ferrule is shown.
The elastic part 11 is sleeved on the insertion portion 101. As a
preferred embodiment, the elastic part 11 in this embodiment can be a
spring.
The unlocking ring 12 is sleeved on the insertion portion 101 and
can move along the axial direction of the insertion portion 101. The
unlocking ring 12 is configured to compress the elastic part 11 when
clamped with the adapter and make the elastic part 11 provide a driving
force to drive the unlocking ring 12 to press and hold a clamping position.
The connector housing 13 is sleeved on the insertion portion 101, the
connector housing 13 can move along the axial direction of the insertion
portion 101, and can drive the unlocking ring 12 to compress the elastic
part 11 so as to separate the unlocking ring 12 from the clamping
position.
As shown in Fig. 7, as a better embodiment, the connector housing
13 is provided with a housing protrusion 131, and the insertion portion
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101 is provided with a second protrusion 103 matched with the housing
protrusion 131 and configured to limit. Thus, through the joint action of
the second protrusion 103 and the housing protrusion 131, the sliding of
the connector housing 13 can be limited to a certain range.
In addition, a second sealing ring 105 is arranged on the mating
surface of the connector main body 10 and the connector housing 13 so as
to ensure the mating sealing between the connector main body 10 and the
connector housing 13.
Further, as shown in Fig. 8, in order to realize the function of the
unlocking ring 12 when the connector is clamped with the adapter, the
unlocking ring 12 in this embodiment comprises an annular body 121 and
an extension portion 122. The annular body 121 is configured to match
with the housing protrusion 131, so as to move the unlocking ring 12 with
the connector housing 13 and compress the elastic part 11. The extension
portion 122 is arranged on the annular body 121 and extends towards one
side of the axial direction of the annular body 121, and the extension
portion 122 is configured to match with the adapter so as to move the
unlocking ring 12 with the adapter, and is configured to press and hold
the clamping position when clamped in place.
At the same time, in order to facilitate the unlocking of the
connector and the adapter, the housing protrusion 131 in this embodiment
comprises two extension walls, which are arranged on the inner wall of
the connector housing 13 and extend towards the axial direction of the
connector housing 13, and the two extension walls are arranged at
intervals so as to form a channel for the extension portion 122 to pass
through.
When the connector housing 13 is pulled backward, the unlocking
ring 12 can be driven to move backward together and the elastic part 11 is
compressed through the two extension walls of the housing protrusion
131. When the external force is released, the elastic part 11 is reset, which
can drive the elastic part 11 and the connector housing 13 to reset together.
It can be understood that when the external force only acts on the elastic
part 11, only the elastic part 11 will slide relatively, while the connector
housing 13 will not move.
Preferably, in order to further facilitate the unlocking of the
connector and the adapter, a drawstring 14 is further arranged on the
connector housing 13. When the drawstring 14 is pulled, the connector
housing 13 can be driven to move to realize the unlocking.
In addition, in order to facilitate the installation and fixing of the
elastic part 11, a third protrusion 104 is further arranged on the insertion
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portion 101. One end of the elastic part 11 resists on the annular body 121
and the other end resists on the third protrusion 104.
As a preferred embodiment, as shown in Figs. 9 to 11, the connector
1 further comprises a connector cap 15 so as to protect the ferrule 40. The
front end of the connector cap 15 is provided with a connector cap hole
152 configured for the optical cable traction during pipeline construction.
The connector cap 15 is further provided with a first sealing ring 153
configured for waterproof and dustproof at the mating position between
the connector cap 15 and the connector housing 13. The connector cap 15
is connected with the connector main body 10 through a connector cap
connecting rope 151 so as to prevent falling and loss.
Correspondingly, as shown in Figs. 12 to 14, the embodiment of the
present invention provides an adapter 2. One end of the adapter 2 is butt
joint with the connector 1 of the present invention and the other end is
butt joint with a standard connector 3. The standard connector 3 can be
SC-type, LC-type or MPO-type, etc. Therefore, the adapter 2 can be
divided into various forms according to different types of standard
connector 3 compatible with the adapter, such as MPO-type, SC-type,
double LC-type.
As shown in Fig. 15 and Fig. 17, the MPO-type adapter comprises
an adapter main body 20, a third sealing ring 202, an adapter cap 21, an
adapter cap connecting rope 211, a mounting nut 22 and a flat washer 221.
The adapter main body 20 is provided with a fastener 201 configured to
be clamped with the connector 1. The fastener 201 has two opposite
inclined planes, or arc surfaces, or spherical surfaces.
The butt joint end of the adapter main body 20 and the connector 1 is
provided with the adapter cap 21 and the third sealing ring 202
configured to seal the adapter 2, and further provided with an adapter cap
connecting rope 211 configured to connect the adapter cap 21 and the
adapter main body 20 so as to prevent the loss of the adapter cap 21.
The butt joint end of the adapter main body 20 and the standard
connector 3 is provided with the mounting nut 22 configured to install the
adapter. The flat washer 221 is arranged between the mounting nut 22 and
the flange structure of the adapter main body 20, and configured to seal
the mating position between the adapter and the box body.
As shown in Fig. 16 and Fig. 18, for the SC-type adapter, in addition
to the above parts of the MPO-type adapter, the adapter main body 20
further comprises a ceramic sleeve 203 and a sleeve clamping base 204.
Other structures are similar to those of the MPO-type adapter and will not
be repeated here.
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As shown in Figs. 19 to 22, the locking and unlocking principles of
the connector and the adapter in the present invention are introduced
herein.
When it is necessary to lock the connector 1 and the adapter 2,
during the process of inserting the connector 1 into the adapter 2 by
holding the connector housing 13, when the inclined plane of the first
protrusion 102 on the insertion portion 101 contacts the inclined plane of
the fastener 201 on the adapter main body 20, the fastener 201 will be
pushed to open outward. As the insertion depth increases, the end surface
of the fastener 201 resists on the end surface of the unlocking ring 12 (the
leftmost end of the extension portion122) and pushes the unlocking ring
12 to compress the elastic part 11 backward. When the connector 1 is
inserted into place, the first protrusion 102 on the insertion portion 101
forms a snap fit with the fastener 201 on the adapter main body 20, and
the fastener 201 is reset in shape and separated from the mutual resistance
with the end surface of the unlocking ring 12. At this time, the unlocking
ring 12 will move forward under the force of the elastic part 11. When the
unlocking ring 12 moves to the maximum stroke, the fastener 201 on the
adapter main body 20 is pressed. Due to the pressing action of the
unlocking ring 12, the fastener 201 cannot produce the deformation of
opening, so as to ensure firm tensile resistance.
When it is necessary to unlock the connector 1 and the adapter 2, the
connector housing 13 is pulled backward by holding or by means of the
drawstring 14. The housing protrusion 131 on the inner side of the
connector housing 13 drives the unlocking ring 12 to move backward.
When the unlocking ring 12 is out of contact with the fastener 201, the
connector main body 10 moves backward, expands the fastener 201
through the first protrusion 102, completes the tripping action, and
continues to pull the connector 1 until the connector 1 is completely out
of contact with the adapter 2, that is, all the unlocking process is
completed.
In summary, after the connector in the present invention sets the
unlocking ring 12, when the connector is butt joint with the adapter,
under the driving force provided by the elastic part 11, the unlocking ring
12 will be firmly pressed and held at the clamping position between the
connector and the adapter, so that the fastener 201 of the adapter cannot
produce the deformation of opening, so as to ensure firm tensile
resistance and meet the locking force required by most outdoor preformed
end connectors.
At the same time, the present invention further provides an optical
fiber connection assembly, which comprises a connector 1 and an adapter
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2.
The connector comprises:
a connector main body 10, which comprises an insertion portion 101,
wherein the insertion portion 101 is provided with a first protrusion 102
configured to be clamped with a matching adapter;
an elastic part 11, which is sleeved on the insertion portion 101;
an unlocking ring 12, which is sleeved on the insertion portion 101
and can move along an axial direction of the insertion portion 101, the
unlocking ring 12 is configured to compress the elastic part 11 and make
the elastic part 11 provide a driving force to drive the unlocking ring 12
to press and hold a clamping position; and
a connector housing 13, which is sleeved on the insertion portion
101 and forms a cavity receiving the elastic part 11 and the unlocking
ring 12 with the connector main body 10, the connector housing 13 can
move along the axial direction of the insertion portion 101, and can drive
the unlocking ring 12 to compress the elastic part 11 so as to separate the
unlocking ring 12 from the clamping position.
The adapter 2 comprises:
an adapter main body 20, which is provided with a fastener 201
matched and clamped with the first protrusion 102, and the fastener 201
is configured to push the unlocking ring 12 when clamped with the
connector 1.
Further, the connector housing 13 is provided with a housing
protrusion 131, and the insertion portion 101 is provided with a second
protrusion 103 matched with the housing protrusion 131 and configured
to limit.
Further, the unlocking ring 12 comprises:
an annular body 121, which is configured to match with the housing
protrusion 131 so as to move the unlocking ring 12 with the connector
housing 13 and compress the elastic part 11; and
an extension portion 122, which is arranged on the annular body 121
and extends towards one side of the axial direction of the annular body
121, and the extension portion 122 is configured to match with the
adapter so as to move the unlocking ring 12 with the adapter, and is
configured to press and hold the clamping position when clamped in
place.
The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned
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embodiments. One skilled in the art may make several improvements and
modifications without departing from the principle of the present
invention, and these improvements and modifications are also considered
to be within the protection scope of the present invention. The contents
that are not described in detail in the specification belong to the prior art
well known by one skilled in the art.
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