JP5888881B2 - Optical connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector that is mounted in a state where an optical fiber to be connected is abutted against a built-in optical fiber.

  In recent years, with the spread of FTTH (Fiber To The Home) and the like, a large number of optical communication networks are used in general homes, etc., so that mechanical splice type optical fiber connectors (hereinafter referred to as optical fibers) that can be easily assembled at the connection site such as user homes. Connector) has been developed and put into practical use (for example, Patent Document 1). This mechanical splice optical connector has a short optical fiber (hereinafter referred to as a built-in optical fiber) mounted in advance on a ferrule, and the optical fiber to be connected (hereinafter referred to as a connection optical fiber) is abutted against the built-in optical fiber for connection. It is assembled by doing.

Japanese Patent No. 3515677 JP 2010-96983 A

When attaching the connection optical fiber to the above-described mechanical splice type optical connector, in order to align the connection optical fiber and the built-in optical fiber with high accuracy, the connection optical fiber (for example, an optical fiber having a coating outer diameter of 250 μm) is used. It is necessary to remove the coating on the tip of the core wire. Conventionally, with the optical fiber mounting jig held by the connecting optical fiber, an operator removes a predetermined length of the coating from the tip using a dedicated tool and wipes it with alcohol or the like.
However, since the optical fiber from which the coating has been removed (bare optical fiber) is easily damaged, skill is required in the operation for removing the coating and the operation for attaching the connection optical fiber to the optical connector.

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, an optical fiber attachment jig (optical fiber guide) used for attaching a connection optical fiber to an optical connector is provided with a coating removal unit that removes the coating from the tip of the connection optical fiber. The provided technology is disclosed. By using such a technique, the coating of the connecting optical fiber can be easily removed. However, since all the covering of the portion to be attached to the optical connector is removed, it is easy to be damaged when the connection optical fiber is attached to the optical connector. That is, when the connecting optical fiber is attached to the optical connector, it is desirable to make the coating removal length as short as possible, but the technique described in Patent Document 2 cannot cope with this.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical connector that can significantly improve workability when an optical fiber is attached.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical fiber connection portion that abuts the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber, and the second optical fiber is inserted with a predetermined pressing load. A sheath removing portion for removing the sheath; a fiber gripping portion for gripping and fixing the second optical fiber; and guiding the second optical fiber gripped by the fiber gripping portion to the sheath removing portion; When the coating of the second optical fiber is removed by the coating removal unit by sliding the gripping unit in the insertion direction of the second optical fiber, the first optical fiber is interposed between the coating removal unit and the fiber gripping unit. A fiber guide portion that prevents the two optical fibers from being bent, and the second optical fiber is gripped when the coating of the second optical fiber is removed by the coating removing portion to prevent the bending, Serial and second deflection control unit for automatically opening the gripping state of the coating removal due to be further sliding the fiber holders after completing the second optical fiber of the optical fiber, the fiber guide portions of the second optical fiber A stop ring for sliding in the insertion direction, and the deflection control unit is constituted by a plurality of separable members, the plurality of members being sandwiched by the stop ring, and covering the second optical fiber A fiber insertion path for closing and holding the second optical fiber so that it cannot be bent, and further sliding the fiber grip after the coating removal of the second optical fiber is completed. with the plurality of members are dismissed on both sides, to wherein a portion of said fiber insertion path is deflectable is opened the second optical fiber .

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the fiber guide section is, with the fiber holding unit and the second optical fiber can be inserted fiber insertion hole is formed, the coating-removing portion A guide insertion portion that is connected to the fiber holding portion and is movable.
With the second optical fiber inserted into the fiber insertion hole, the fiber holding portion slides in the insertion direction of the second optical fiber, and the fiber holding portion moves along the guide insertion portion. The coating is moved, and the coating of the second optical fiber is removed by the amount of movement.

According to a third aspect of the invention, in the optical connector according to claim 2, wherein the fiber holding portion, and a guide pipe for holding a state where the second optical fiber was surrounded in the longitudinal direction by a predetermined length It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, when the connection optical fiber (second optical fiber) is attached to the optical connector, the coating of the predetermined length is removed along with the insertion of the connection optical fiber, and the connection optical fiber is connected to the built-in optical fiber (first optical fiber). The connection optical fiber is not bent until it hits (1 optical fiber), and can be automatically bent after it hits, so the workability when attaching the optical fiber to the optical connector is greatly improved. .

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the optical connector which concerns on embodiment (before mounting | wearing of a connection optical fiber). It is an external appearance perspective view of a stop ring, a fiber guide member, and a guide lid. It is a disassembled perspective view of a fiber guide member and a guide lid. It is a figure which shows an example of the assembly process of an optical connector. It is a figure which shows an example of the assembly process of an optical connector. It is a figure which shows an example of the assembly process of an optical connector. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the optical connector which concerns on embodiment (at the time of coating removal). It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the optical connector which concerns on embodiment (at the time of completion | finish of attachment of a connection optical fiber). It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the optical connector which concerns on a modification (before mounting | wearing of a connection optical fiber). It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the optical connector (at the time of completion of attachment of a connection optical fiber) which concerns on a modification. It is sectional drawing of the optical connector which concerns on a modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a mechanical splice type optical connector (for example, SC connector) according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a state before the connection optical fiber F2 is attached to the optical connector 1. FIG. In addition, the code | symbol M of FIG. 1 has shown the direction which inserts the connection optical fiber F2.
In the present embodiment, a primary coating (for example, UV resin coating, coating outer diameter 250 μm) is applied to a bare optical fiber having an outer diameter of 125 μm as the connecting optical fiber F2, and further a secondary coating (for example, polyolefin coating, coating outer diameter 2 mm × A case where a single-core optical fiber cord subjected to 3 mm) is used will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the optical connector 1 includes a ferrule 11, a base member 12, a fiber pressing member (not shown), a clamp member 13, a stop ring 14, a frame 15, a coil spring 16, a slider 17, a wedge 18, and a coating removal. A member 19, a fiber guide member 20, a guide lid 21, and a fiber gripping member 22 are provided. In particular, the stop ring 14, the fiber guide member 20, and the guide lid 21 are shown in detail in FIGS.

The ferrule 11 is a substantially cylindrical member made of a ceramic material such as zirconia, for example, and has a pore 11a formed along the central axis. A built-in optical fiber F1 such as a bare optical fiber is inserted into the pore 11a and fixed.
The tip of the built-in optical fiber F1 is exposed from the tip surface of the ferrule 11, and is mirror-polished together with the ferrule end surface. The rear end of the built-in optical fiber F1 protrudes from the rear end side of the ferrule 11 by a predetermined length and is held by the base member 12 or the like. The rear end surface of the built-in optical fiber F1 may be cut perpendicularly or inclined by about 8 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction, or may be polished into a convex spherical shape.

  The base member 12 is a substantially semi-cylindrical member made of a resin material such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) or PEI (polyetherimide). The base member 12 has a flange portion 12a for holding the ferrule 11 on which the built-in optical fiber F1 is mounted in advance, and a fiber fixing groove (for example, V-shaped groove) 12b for holding the connecting optical fiber (bare optical fiber portion) F2. Yes. The fiber fixing groove 12b may have a U-shaped cross section or a trapezoidal cross section. The fiber fixing groove 12b is not particularly limited as long as the built-in optical fiber F1 and the connecting optical fiber F2 can be fixed by being sandwiched between fiber holding members (not shown). Not.

  The fiber pressing member (not shown) is a lid member made of a resin material such as PPS or PEI, and is disposed on the front side of the drawing so as to face the fiber fixing groove 12b of the base member 12. The space between the inner surface of the fiber pressing member and the fiber fixing groove 12b of the base member 12 serves as a fiber insertion path for holding the built-in optical fiber F1 and the connecting optical fiber F2 in a state of abutting each other.

  The clamp member 13 is a member having a “C” cross section made of, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel. The fiber pressing member (not shown) is arranged to face the base member 12 so as to press and hold them. To do. At this time, the joint surface between the base member 12 and the fiber pressing member is exposed to the outside from the opening (lower side in the drawing) of the clamp member 13 and the wedge 18 can be inserted.

  The ferrule 11, the base member 12, the fiber pressing member (not shown), the clamp member 13, and the like constitute an optical fiber connection portion that abuts the built-in optical fiber F1 and the connection optical fiber F2. This optical fiber connecting portion is fixed to the frame 15 while being pressed by the coil spring 16 with a constant load. Specifically, the coil spring 16 and the stop ring 14 are disposed at the rear end of the base member 12, and the coil spring 16 is compressed by moving the stop ring 14 forward (to the ferrule 11 side). Then, when the engaging piece of the stop ring 14 is locked in the engaging hole of the frame 15, the optical fiber connection portion is fixed to the frame 15 in a pressed state.

  The frame 15 and the stop ring 14 constitute a so-called housing, and the tip of the frame 15 serves as an interface with a connection destination (for example, an optical connector). In addition, a slider 17 is slidably disposed outside the frame 15 and the stop ring 14 to constitute a so-called slide lock structure.

The stop ring 14 has a structure in which an accommodating portion 141 that accommodates the sheath removing member 19 and an insertion guide portion 142 that slides the fiber guide member 20 and the fiber gripping member 22 in the fiber insertion direction are connected. .
The insertion guide part 142 has engagement pieces 142a and 142b for shifting the state of the guide lid 21 placed on the fiber guide member 20 from a state in which the connection optical fiber F2 cannot be bent to a state in which the connection optical fiber F2 can be bent. Is formed. Further, on the side surface of the insertion guide portion 142, there are engagement holes 142c and 142d for fixing the fiber guide member 20 at a predetermined position, and engagement holes 142e for fixing the fiber gripping member 22 at a predetermined position. Is formed.

  The sheath removing member 19 is a member in which a sheath removing portion 191, an auxiliary guide portion 192, and a guide pipe insertion portion 193 are integrally formed, and is made of a synthetic resin material such as PPS or PEI. In addition, the coating | coated removal part 191, the auxiliary | assistant guide part 192, and the guide pipe insertion part 193 can also be comprised by a separate member.

  The coating removal portion 191 is a portion for removing the coating of the connection optical fiber F2 at the end portion on the fiber insertion side (auxiliary guide portion 192 side), is formed in a substantially conical shape, and passes through the bare fiber along the central axis. A hole 191a is formed. The bare fiber insertion hole 191a is formed larger than the outer diameter of the bare optical fiber of the connection optical fiber F2 and smaller than the outer diameter of the coating, and can be inserted through the bare fiber portion of the connection optical fiber F2.

The auxiliary guide part 192 is a part that guides the connection optical fiber F2 to the coating removal part 191, and a coated fiber insertion hole 192a is formed along the central axis. The coated fiber insertion hole 192a is formed larger than the coated outer diameter of the connection optical fiber F2, and can be inserted through the coated fiber portion of the connection optical fiber F2.
The coating removal unit 191 and the auxiliary guide unit 192 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined length, and the separation space serves as a removal coating storage unit 194 for storing the coating removed from the connection optical fiber F2.

  The guide pipe insertion portion 193 is a portion into which the distal end portion (guide pipe 201) of the fiber guide member 20 is inserted, and an insertion hole 193a into which the guide pipe 201 can be inserted is formed. The length of the insertion hole 193a is set to be substantially the same as the length of the guide pipe 201.

  The sheath removing member 19 is fixed to the accommodation portion 141 of the stop ring 14 so that the sheath removing portion 191 is located on the front side (base member 12 side) and the guide pipe insertion portion 193 is located on the rear side (fiber guide member 20 side). The After the coating removal of the connecting optical fiber F2 is completed in the coating removal unit 191, in order to form a deflection of a predetermined length (for example, 2 mm), the coating removal member 19 is moved from the base member 12 to the predetermined length at an initial stage of assembly. It is fixed in a state of being separated by an amount.

  When the connecting optical fiber F2 is inserted into the coating removal section 191, the coating (primary coating) of the connecting optical fiber F2 comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the insertion port of the bare fiber insertion hole 191a, and when further pressed, the coating is peeled off and removed. Is done. Then, the removed covering waste is accommodated in the removed covering accommodating portion 194. As described above, in the coating removing unit 191, the connection optical fiber F2 is press-fitted with the insertion operation of the connection optical fiber F2, and the coating of the connection optical fiber F2 is automatically removed. Therefore, the assembly work of the optical connector 1 is greatly facilitated.

The fiber guide member 20 is a member in which a guide pipe 201 and a guide base 202 are integrally formed. For example, a synthetic resin material (for example, PBT, PC, PPS, ABS, POM, etc.) in which an SUS pipe is insert-molded. Consists of.
The guide pipe 201 is a part for preventing the connection optical fiber F2 from buckling when the coating removal unit 191 removes the coating of the connection optical fiber F2, and covers the connection optical fiber F2 along the central axis. A fiber insertion hole 201a through which the portion can be inserted is formed.

The guide base 202 is a part for holding the connection optical fiber F2, and a fiber fixing groove (for example, V-shaped groove) 202a is formed on the upper surface (see FIG. 2). The fiber fixing groove 202a may be U-shaped or trapezoidal in cross section, and is not particularly limited as long as the connection optical fiber F2 can be sandwiched between the guide lid 21.
An engagement piece 202b for restricting the guide lid 21 from moving in the fiber insertion direction (front-rear direction) is formed on the upper side surface of the guide base 202, and a fiber guide is formed on the lower side surface of the guide base 202. An engagement piece 202c for fixing the member 20 to the stop ring 14 is formed.

  The guide lid 21 is a bilaterally symmetric lid member made of a resin material such as PPS or PEI, and can be divided into both sides (left and right direction) with respect to the fiber insertion direction. On the side surface of the guide lid 21, an engagement hole 21 e for fixing the guide lid 21 to the fiber guide member 20 is formed. The guide lid 21 is fitted to the guide base 202 of the fiber guide member 20 from both sides, and the engagement piece 202b of the guide base 202 is locked in the engagement hole 21e of the guide lid 21, so that the guide lid 21 is a fiber. The fiber guide member 20 is attached in a state where movement in the insertion direction is restricted. When the two guide lids 21 are attached to the fiber guide member 20 while being joined together, the space sandwiched between the inner surface of the guide lid 21 (the inner surface of the joining portion) and the fiber fixing groove 202a of the fiber guide member 20 is connected. It becomes a fiber insertion path for inserting the optical fiber F2.

A protruding piece 21 a is formed on the front portion of the guide lid 21 (on the guide pipe 201 side of the fiber guide member 20). After completing the removal of the connecting optical fiber F2, the engaging piece 142a of the stop ring 14 enters the engaging slit 21b formed by the protruding piece 21a. The tip of the protruding piece 21a is inclined inward, and is easily guided by the engaging slit 21b after the engaging piece 142a of the stop ring 14 abuts the protruding piece 21a.
Further, a bowl-shaped step portion 21c is formed at the rear portion of the guide lid 21 (on the fiber gripping member 22 side). After the removal of the coating of the connection optical fiber F2 is completed, the engagement piece 142b of the stop ring 14 enters the engagement space 21d formed by the step portion 21c. The front end of the stepped portion 21c is inclined inward, like the protruding piece 21a, so that the engaging piece 142b of the stop ring 14 is easily guided to the engaging space 21d after contacting the stepped portion 21c. It has become.

  As shown in FIG. 1, at the initial stage of assembly, the fiber guide member 20 to which the guide lid 21 is attached has the engagement piece 202c locked in the engagement hole 142d of the stop ring 14, so that the coating removal member It is fixed to the insertion guide part 142 of the stop ring 14 in a state separated from the end part 19 by a predetermined length (for example, 6 mm). That is, when the fiber guide member 20 is moved by a predetermined length in the insertion direction of the connection optical fiber F2, the guide pipe 201 is fitted into the guide pipe insertion portion 193 of the sheath removing member 19, and the fiber guide member 20 is immovable. Become.

The fiber gripping member 22 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material, and has a structure in which the connecting optical fiber F2 is gripped and fixed when the protruding piece 22a bites into the outer cover (secondary coating). The fiber gripping member 22 is slid along the insertion guide portion 142 of the stop ring 14, and finally the engagement piece (not shown) of the fiber gripping member 22 is locked in the engagement hole 142 e of the stop ring 14. And fixed.
The attaching operation of the connection optical fiber F2 to the optical connector 1 is performed in a state where the insertion guide portion 142 of the stop ring 14 is fixed to the insertion jig 23.

  4-6 is a figure shown about an example of the assembly process of the optical connector 1. FIG. Here, the case where 6 mm of the coating of the connection optical fiber F2 is removed by the coating removing unit 191 and a deflection of 2 mm is formed after the coating is removed will be described.

  When the optical connector 1 is assembled, first, the outer cover is removed from the tip of the connection optical fiber F2 by a predetermined length (40 mm to 50 mm), and the connection optical fiber F2 is held and fixed by the fiber holding member 22. Next, the fiber gripping member 22 is set in a dedicated holder (not shown), and a cleaver is used so that the length (projection length) of the connecting optical fiber F2 protruding from the tip of the fiber gripping member 22 becomes a predetermined length. And cut the entire coating. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the fiber gripping member 22 to which the connection optical fiber F <b> 2 is fixed is attached to the insertion jig 23.

  Here, the protruding length of the connection optical fiber F2 is such that when the fiber gripping member 22 is fixed to the main body of the optical connector 1, the connection optical fiber F2 hits the built-in optical fiber F1, and a predetermined amount of bending is formed. It is said to be length. For example, the protruding length of the connecting optical fiber F2 is such that when the tip of the fiber gripping member 22 comes into contact with the fiber insertion end of the fiber guide member 20, the tip of the connecting optical fiber F2 is the end of the coating removing portion 191 (bare fiber). The length reaches the fiber insertion end of the insertion hole 191a.

  On the other hand, in the main body of the optical connector 1, a fiber pressing member (not shown) is disposed facing the fiber fixing groove 12 b of the base member 12 to which the ferrule 11 is fixed. Further, the clamp member 13 is fitted around the base member 12 and the fiber pressing member to assemble the optical fiber connecting portion. This optical fiber connecting portion is inserted into the frame 15 and fixed with a stop ring 14 via a coil spring 16. Then, the wedge 18 is pushed into the joint surface between the base member 12 exposed to the outside and the fiber pressing member, the joint surface is slightly separated, and the connection optical fiber (bare optical fiber portion) F2 can be inserted. .

In addition, the sheath removing member 19 is attached to the accommodating portion 141 of the stop ring 14 in a state of being separated from the end of the base member 12 by a predetermined length (for example, 2 mm). At this time, the coating removing member 19 does not move with a pressing load (for example, 6N) when removing the coating of the connection optical fiber F2, but moves when a larger pressing load (for example, 10N) is applied. Fixed.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, the sheath removing member 19 is locked by the lower latch 142 f of the insertion guide portion 142, and when the fiber guide member 20 is pushed up to a predetermined position by the fiber gripping member 22, the fiber guide member 20. By pushing the projection 142g of the stop ring 142 at the lower end of the tip and releasing the lower latch 142f that locks the sheath removing member 19, the sheath removing member 19 is fixed so that the movement can be started.

Then, the fiber guide member 20 to which the guide lid 21 is attached is attached to the insertion guide portion 142 of the stop ring 14, and the stop ring 14 is fixed to the insertion jig 23.
At the initial stage of assembly, the engagement piece 202c of the fiber guide member 20 is locked in the engagement hole 142d of the stop ring 14. As a result, the fiber guide member 20 is lightly fixed so that it does not move due to vibration during conveyance but moves easily with a force of about 0.5 N. That is, the fiber guide member 20 moves when the fiber gripping member 22 is pressed along with sliding along the insertion guide portion 142 of the stop ring 14.
In addition, the guide lids 21 and 21 are joined to each other by being sandwiched between the side walls of the stop ring 14. That is, the fiber insertion path formed by the guide base 202 and the guide lid 21 of the fiber guide member 20 is in a state where the connection optical fiber F2 is blocked so that it cannot be bent.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the connection optical fiber F <b> 2 is formed by the guide base 202 and the guide lid 21 of the fiber guide member 20 by sliding the fiber gripping member 22 along the insertion guide portion 142 of the stop ring 14. Then, the connecting optical fiber F <b> 2 is projected from the guide pipe 201. Smooth until the tip of the connecting optical fiber F2 reaches the coating removal portion 191 (the fiber insertion end of the bare fiber insertion hole 191a), that is, until the tip of the fiber gripping member 22 contacts the fiber insertion end of the fiber guide member 20. Inserted.

  Note that when the tip of the connection optical fiber F2 reaches the coating removing portion 191, the fiber insertion end of the fiber guide member 20 and the tip of the fiber gripping member 22 may be separated from each other. In this case, when removing the coating of the connection optical fiber F2 in the coating removal unit 191, the connection optical fiber F2 is separated so as not to bend between the fiber guide member 20 (guide base 202) and the fiber gripping member 22. The distance is desirably 2 mm or less.

Next, the fiber gripping member 22 is further slid along the insertion guide portion 142 of the stop ring 14, thereby pressing the fiber guide member 20 and inserting the guide pipe 201 into the guide pipe insertion portion 193 of the sheath removing member 19. . The connecting optical fiber F2 is coated by the coating removing unit 191 by the amount of sliding of the fiber gripping member 22 (the amount of movement of the fiber guide member 20), and the bare optical fiber passes through the coating removing unit 191 and is pressed against the base member 12 and the fiber presser. It is inserted into an optical fiber insertion path formed by a member (not shown) (see FIG. 7).
At this time, the joined state of the guide lids 21 and 21 is maintained, and the fiber insertion path formed by the guide lid 21 and the fiber guide member 20 (guide base 202) remains blocked, so that the connection optical fiber F2 still remains. No deflection is formed.

  When the guide pipe 201 of the fiber guide member 20 moves until the guide pipe 201 is fitted into the guide pipe insertion portion 193, the coating removal of the connection optical fiber F2 is completed. Since the fiber gripping member 22 slides by 6 mm, the coating of the 6 mm portion from the tip of the connection optical fiber F2 is removed by the coating removing portion 191 and the bare optical fiber is removed from the base member 12 and the fiber pressing member (illustrated). It is inserted into the optical fiber insertion path formed in (Omitted).

When removing the coating of the connection optical fiber F2 in the coating removal unit 191, it is necessary to press the connection optical fiber F2 against the coating removal unit 191 with a predetermined pressing load, but when the bending is formed in the connection optical fiber F2, The connecting optical fiber F2 cannot be pressed against the coating removing portion 191 with a predetermined pressing load.
In the present embodiment, the connection optical fiber F2 is held in a state surrounded by a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction by the guide pipe 201 of the fiber guide member 20 and the guide pipe insertion portion 193 of the coating removal member 19, so that the coating optical fiber F2 is No deflection is formed. Therefore, since the connection optical fiber F2 can be pressed against the coating removing unit 191 with a predetermined pressing load (for example, 6N), the coating can be efficiently removed.

  At the time when the coating removal of the connection optical fiber F2 is completed, the tip of the connection optical fiber F2 does not reach the built-in optical fiber F1, and is slightly separated. Further, the protruding piece 21a formed at the front portion of the guide lid 21 and the engaging piece 142a of the stop ring 14 abut (or slightly separate from each other), and the step portion 21c formed at the rear portion of the guide lid 21 and the stop ring 14 The engaging piece 142b is in contact (or slightly separated). Through the following steps, the connection optical fiber F2 is abutted against the built-in optical fiber F1, and the connection optical fiber F2 is bent and fixed with a predetermined pressing load in a state where both are abutted.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 6, when the fiber gripping member 22 is pressed and a larger pressing load is applied to the sheath removing member 19, or the fiber gripping member 22 is pushed to a predetermined position and the projection 142 g is passed through the fiber guide member 20. When is pushed down, the fixed state of the sheath removing member 19 is released and the forward movement is possible. Then, the engagement piece 142a of the stop ring 14 enters the engagement slit 21b of the guide lid 21, and at the same time, the engagement piece 142b of the stop ring 14 enters the engagement space 21d of the guide lid 21. That is, when the coating removal of the connection optical fiber F2 is completed, the guide lids 21 and 21 are kept in the joined state, but after that, the fiber gripping member 22 is further slid to thereby guide the lids 21 and 21. 21 is retracted to both sides (left and right direction), and an opening is automatically formed in the upper part of the fiber insertion path. Thereby, the connection optical fiber F2 can be bent upward.

Then, the fiber gripping member 22 is further slid while the connecting optical fiber F2 is bent, and the engagement piece (not shown) of the fiber gripping member 22 is locked in the engagement hole 142e of the stop ring 14 and the fiber guide. The engagement piece 202 c of the member 20 is locked in the engagement hole 142 c of the stop ring 14.
Finally, a deflection corresponding to the movement (about 2 mm) of the coating removal member 19 is formed in the connection optical fiber F2 (see FIG. 8). Then, after confirming that a predetermined amount of bending is formed, the wedge 18 that has been pushed into the joint surface between the base member 12 and the fiber pressing member (not shown) is removed. The connecting optical fiber (bare optical fiber portion) F2 is fixed while being pressed and clamped by the base member 12 and a fiber pressing member (not shown). The optical connector 1 is assembled as described above.

As described above, the optical connector 1 according to the embodiment includes an optical fiber connection portion (ferrule 11, base member 12, fiber presser) that abuts the first optical fiber (built-in optical fiber F1) and the second optical fiber (connection optical fiber F2). A coating removal unit (191) that removes the coating of the second optical fiber (F2) when the member (not shown), the clamp member 13 and the like) and the second optical fiber (F2) are inserted with a predetermined pressing load. And a fiber gripping part (fiber gripping member 22) for gripping and fixing the second optical fiber (F2). The optical connector 1 guides the second optical fiber (F2) gripped by the fiber gripping part (22) to the coating removing part (191), and the fiber gripping part (22) of the second optical fiber (F2). When the coating of the second optical fiber (F2) is removed by the coating removal unit (191) by sliding in the insertion direction, the second is between the coating removal unit (191) and the fiber gripping unit (22). A fiber guide part (auxiliary guide part 192 and guide pipe insertion part 193 of the sheath removing member 19, fiber guide member 20, and guide lid 21) that prevents the optical fiber (F2) from being bent is provided.
Further, the optical connector 1 holds the second optical fiber (F2) to prevent bending when the coating of the second optical fiber (F2) is removed by the coating removing unit (191), while the second optical fiber is prevented. The deflection control unit (the guide base 202 of the fiber guide member 20) automatically releases the gripping state of the second optical fiber (F2) as the fiber gripping unit (22) is further slid after the coating removal of (F2) is completed. It has a guide lid 21).

  Specifically, the deflection control unit is composed of a plurality of separable members (fiber guide member 20, guide lids 21, 21), and the second light is removed when the coating of the second optical fiber (F2) is removed. A fiber insertion path for holding the fiber (F2) and part of the fiber insertion path as the fiber gripping part (fiber gripping member 22) is further slid after the coating removal of the second optical fiber (F2) is completed. Is opened, and the second optical fiber (F2) can be bent.

  According to the optical connector 1, when the connection optical fiber F2 is mounted, the coating of a predetermined length is removed as the connection optical fiber F2 is inserted, and the connection light is connected until the connection optical fiber F2 hits the built-in optical fiber F1. Since the fiber is not bent and can be automatically bent after being abutted, workability when attaching the optical fiber to the optical connector 1 is remarkably improved. Further, since the connection optical fiber F2 can be fixed to the built-in optical fiber F1 with a predetermined pressing load, desired connection characteristics can be realized in the optical connector.

  In the optical connector 1, the fiber guide portion includes a fiber holding portion (guide pipe 201) in which a fiber insertion hole (201 a) through which the second optical fiber (connection optical fiber F 2) can be inserted, and a coating removal portion. (191), and a guide insertion portion (guide pipe insertion portion 193) in which the fiber holding portion (201) is movable. Then, with the second optical fiber (F2) inserted through the fiber insertion hole (193a), the fiber gripping portion (fiber gripping member 22) is slid in the insertion direction of the second optical fiber (F2). The fiber holding portion (guide pipe 201) is interpolated along the guide insertion portion (193), and the coating of the second optical fiber (F2) is removed by the amount of movement.

  According to the optical connector 1, the connecting optical fiber F2 is held in a state of being surrounded by a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction by the fiber holding portion (201) and the guide insertion portion (193). Never happen. Therefore, since the connection optical fiber (F2) can be pressed against the coating removing portion (191) with a predetermined pressing load (for example, 6N), the coating can be efficiently removed.

As mentioned above, although the invention made by this inventor was concretely demonstrated based on embodiment, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can change in the range which does not deviate from the summary.
For example, the bending control unit according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration that allows the connection optical fiber F2 to be bent upward by moving the guide lid 21 in the left-right direction as shown in the embodiment. 191), when the coating of the second optical fiber (F2) is removed, the second optical fiber (F2) is gripped to prevent bending, while the fiber after the coating removal of the second optical fiber (F2) is completed. Any configuration may be adopted as long as the gripping state of the second optical fiber (F2) is automatically opened as the gripping portion (22) is further slid.

As an example, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the guide lid 21 is placed on the guide base 202 of the fiber guide member 20 and is held by the stop ring 14 so that the guide lid 21 cannot move upward. The deflection control unit is configured. In this bending control unit, after the coating removal of the connection optical fiber F2 is completed, the engagement piece 142a of the stop ring 14 is pushed into the joint surface between the guide base 202 and the guide lid 21, and the guide lid 21 is slightly raised upward. By rotating, an opening is formed in a part of the fiber insertion path formed by the guide base 202 and the guide lid 21. At this time, the connecting optical fiber F2 can be bent in the lateral direction (moves to the position F2A in FIG. 11).
In this case, the guide lid 21 is made of a transparent member or the width in the left-right direction of the guide lid 21 is shortened so that it can be confirmed from the outside whether or not the connection optical fiber F2 is bent. Is desirable.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Optical connector 11 Ferrule 12 Base member 13 Clamp member 14 Stop ring 141 Storage part 142 Insertion guide part 15 Frame 17 Slider 18 Wedge 19 Cover removal member 191 Cover removal part 192 Auxiliary guide part 193 Pipe guide insertion part 194 Removal cover storage part 20 Fiber guide member 201 Guide pipe 202 Guide base 21 Guide lid 22 Fiber gripping member 23 Insertion jig F1 Built-in optical fiber F2 Connection optical fiber

Claims (3)

An optical fiber connection for abutting the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber;
A coating removing unit that removes the coating of the second optical fiber as the second optical fiber is inserted with a predetermined pressing load;
A fiber gripper for gripping and fixing the second optical fiber;
The second optical fiber gripped by the fiber gripping portion is guided to the coating removal portion, and the second light is moved by the sheath removal portion by sliding the fiber gripping portion in the insertion direction of the second optical fiber. A fiber guide for preventing the second optical fiber from being bent between the coating removal portion and the fiber gripping portion when the fiber coating is removed;
When the coating of the second optical fiber is removed by the coating removal unit, the second optical fiber is gripped to prevent bending, while the fiber holding unit is moved after the coating removal of the second optical fiber is completed. Further, a bending control unit that automatically opens the gripping state of the second optical fiber as it slides,
A stop ring for sliding the fiber guide portion in the insertion direction of the second optical fiber ,
The bend control unit is composed of a plurality of separable members, the plurality of members are sandwiched by the stop ring, and the second optical fiber cannot be bent when the coating of the second optical fiber is removed. A plurality of members are retracted to both sides as the fiber gripper is further slid after the coating removal of the second optical fiber is completed, and the fiber insertion path is inserted. An optical connector characterized in that a part of the path is opened so that the second optical fiber can be bent . The fiber guide portion includes a fiber holding portion in which a fiber insertion hole through which the second optical fiber can be inserted is formed, and a guide insertion portion that is connected to the coating removal portion and that can move the fiber holding portion. Configured
With the second optical fiber inserted into the fiber insertion hole, the fiber holding portion slides in the insertion direction of the second optical fiber, and the fiber holding portion moves along the guide insertion portion. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the second optical fiber is removed by an amount corresponding to the movement . 3. The optical connector according to claim 2 , wherein the fiber holding portion is constituted by a guide pipe that holds the second optical fiber in a state of being surrounded by a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction .

Images