JPH11295556A - Optical fiber connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical fiber connector capable of coping with plural optical fiber diameters, abutting and connecting the optical fibers to each other and connecting even the optical fibers of different diameters. SOLUTION: This optical fiber connector 1 is provided with plural internal housing grooves 9a and 9b for housing the optical fibers 7 and 37 of the different diameters in an introduction groove 9 formed on both sides facing each other of an element 1A for clamping the optical fibers 7 and 37 abutted and connected by an aligning mechanism 8. Thus, the plural optical fiber diameters are coped with and the optical fibers of the equal diameter are abutted and connected. Also, the optical fibers of the different diameters are connected as well. Also, in changeover connection from the connection of the optical fibers of the same diameter to each other to the connection the optical fibers of the different diameters to each other or the inverse changeover connection, an excellent effect capable of substantially improving operability is demonstrated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector used for butt connection of optical fibers.

[0002]

FIG. 8 shows an optical fiber connector 5 of a conventional structure.
1 is shown. The optical fiber connector 51 is used to connect two butted optical fibers 52a and 52b to a base 53 and holding lids 54a and 54, both made of resin such as plastic.
b, 54c, and is sandwiched and fixed by clamp means such as a spring (not shown). The optical fibers 52a, 52b are connected to the bare fibers 57a,
7b is inserted into the centering mechanism 56 at the center of the optical fiber connector 51 from the introduction grooves 55a and 55b opened at both ends of the optical fiber connector 51, and precisely aligned and aligned, so that they are butt-connected. You. After the connection, when the optical fiber connector 51 is closed by the clamping force of the clamp means, the optical fibers 52a and 52b are clamped and fixed between the base 53 and the holding lids 54a, 54b and 54c, and the connected state is maintained. A refractive index matching agent is applied to the bare fibers 57a and 57b or the centering mechanism 56 to ensure low connection loss. On the other hand, the portions of the fibers 52a and 52b other than the bare fibers 57a and 57b, that is, the portions covered with the coating material are accommodated in the introduction grooves 55a and 55b whose alignment is lower than the alignment mechanism 56.

The centering mechanism 56 includes (1) a structure in which optical fibers are inserted into and inserted into both ends of a fine capillary (hereinafter, referred to as "microcapillary"), and (2) optical fibers are abutted in a positioning groove. Construction,
(3) There is a structure in which an optical fiber is carried and positioned at the center of three precision rods or three precision balls. As the positioning groove, a V groove, a U groove (not shown), or the like is employed.

[0004]

However, in the optical fiber connector 51 as described above, the applicable optical fiber
Since there is only one kind of diameter 2a, 52b, a large number of kinds of optical fiber connectors have to be prepared in order to correspond to various diameters of optical fibers, which has caused an increase in cost. Also, to connect optical fibers with different diameters,
By preparing an optical fiber connector of a type corresponding to the combination of optical fiber diameters to be connected, the above problem becomes more remarkable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problem, and enables optical fibers to be butt-connected to each other in accordance with a plurality of optical fiber diameters. It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber connector that also enables.

[0006]

An optical fiber connector according to the present invention is an optical fiber connector for butt-connecting optical fibers to each other. The optical fiber connector has a split structure comprising a base and a lid for holding the optical fiber when integrated. Of the element,
Clamping means for applying a side pressure by sandwiching the element inside to maintain the integrated state of the element, and butting the optical fibers inserted from the introduction grooves formed on both sides facing each other between the base and the lid. A centering mechanism for positioning and aligning so as to be connectable, wherein a plurality of internal storage grooves for storing optical fibers having different diameters from each other are formed in the introduction groove, and each internal storage groove corresponds to each of the internal storage grooves. An optical fiber connector characterized by accommodating an optical fiber having a diameter is provided as means for solving the above problem. As the alignment mechanism, a structure in which a positioning groove such as a micro-capillary, a V-groove, a U-groove or the like, an optical fiber is supported at the center of three precision rods or three precision balls, and the like is applied.

The optical fiber applied to the optical fiber connector of the present invention is, for example, an optical fiber core wire having a bare fiber exposed at the tip, and the introduction groove has a higher alignment accuracy than the alignment mechanism. It is lower. The introduction groove communicates directly with the centering mechanism, or indirectly communicates via a separately formed groove or the like. In any of the configurations, it is preferable to provide a tapered portion in order to reduce a difference in alignment accuracy between the alignment mechanism and the introduction groove, whereby the optical fiber inserted from the introduction groove is connected to the alignment mechanism. Guided and inserted smoothly. When the optical fiber is inserted into the alignment mechanism, the optical fiber is also stored in the introduction groove. In the introduction groove, an internal storage groove having a corresponding alignment accuracy is selected, and an optical fiber is inserted and stored.
Here, when the element is closed by the urging force of the clamp means, the optical fiber is sandwiched between the base and the lid.
The optical fiber stored in the introduction groove by selecting the internal storage groove is also clamped and held in the element. When the assembled optical fiber connector is pushed and spread between the base and the lid of the element using a tool such as a wedge, the clamping force of the optical fibers is released, and the connection of optical fibers and connection switching are performed. Work becomes possible.

[0008] As the introduction groove,
A plurality of the internal storage grooves are communicated with each other on the extension of the alignment axis of the alignment mechanism, and the alignment accuracy of the internal storage groove on the alignment mechanism side is adjusted from the internal storage groove to the alignment accuracy. It is preferable to adopt a configuration higher than another internal storage groove formed on the opposite side facing the core mechanism. According to this configuration, when inserting the optical fiber into the centering mechanism, in order from the internal storage groove corresponding to the large-diameter optical fiber, the internal storage groove corresponding to the small-diameter optical fiber (or, in addition, Via the tapered portion that guides the optical fiber from the introduction groove to the alignment mechanism)
The internal storage groove corresponding to the small diameter optical fiber is inserted into the alignment mechanism, and the function to reduce the difference in alignment accuracy between the internal storage groove corresponding to the large diameter optical fiber and the alignment mechanism And the bare fiber can be smoothly inserted into the alignment mechanism.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 1 in the figure denotes an optical fiber connector according to the present embodiment. This optical fiber connector 1
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a device 1A comprising a base 2 and a lid 3 constituting a split structure having a rod-like shape having a substantially rectangular cross section when integrated, and the entire device 1A can be substantially housed. And a clamping means 4 having a U-shaped cross section.

The base 2 and the lid 3 are shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 5, both are rod-shaped members having a rectangular cross section, and are integrated by overlapping the contact surfaces 5 and 6 with each other. The base 2 and the lid 3 of the present embodiment are both formed of a material having an appropriate hardness such as plastic. In the optical fiber connector 1 assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the base 2 and the lid 3 are pressed against each other by the urging force of the clamp means 4,
The element 1A is maintained in a closed state. However, when the wedge 24 is inserted into the wedge insertion grooves 25 opened at a plurality of positions on the side surface of the element 1A, the space between the base 2 and the lid 3 is expanded, and the element 1A is opened. Is opened.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, guide grooves 9 are formed at both ends of the contact surface 5 in the longitudinal direction, into which single-core optical fibers 7 or 37 having different diameters are inserted. At the center in the longitudinal direction of the contact surface 5, these optical fiber
Alternatively, an alignment mechanism 8 which is a V-groove for positioning and aligning the 37s so that they can be butt-connected is formed. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the alignment mechanism 8 and the introduction groove 9 are
They are arranged on the same straight line along the longitudinal direction of the base 2.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the aligning mechanism 8 accommodates the bare fibers 7a, 37a which are exposed by removing the coatings on the tips of the optical fibers 7, 37 so as to be butt-connected. The alignment groove 9 is positioned and aligned with the optical fiber cores 7, 3 other than the bare fibers 7a, 37a.
7 is covered. The alignment accuracy of the introduction groove 9 is lower than that of the alignment mechanism 8. In addition, the optical fiber core 7,
37 corresponds to the optical fiber according to claim 1.

The butt connection of the optical fiber cores 7 will be described. When the element 1A of the optical fiber connector 1 assembled as shown in FIG. 1 is opened, the bare fiber 7a is previously exposed to the tip. Optical fiber 7
Is pushed into the introduction groove 9 from the tapered insertion concave portion 21 formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the element 1A. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the bare fiber 7a at the tip of the optical fiber core wire 7 is formed.
Is inserted into the centering mechanism 8 via the centering accuracy transition portion 10 (see FIG. 2) formed between the introduction groove 9 and the centering mechanism 8. When the bare fibers 7a inserted from the introduction grooves 9 on both sides abut each other in the alignment mechanism 8, the bare fibers 7a precisely positioned and aligned by the alignment accuracy of the alignment mechanism 8 are butt-connected, and The optical fibers 7 are optically connected to each other. At this time, the bare fiber 7a of the optical fiber 7
The other parts (covering parts) are accommodated in the introduction grooves 9.

As shown in FIG. 6, the alignment accuracy transition section 1
Numeral 0 is a tapered groove whose alignment accuracy gradually increases from the introduction groove 9 toward the alignment mechanism 8 as a whole. Therefore, the bare fiber 7a inserted from the introduction groove 9 toward the alignment mechanism 8
Can be smoothly inserted into the centering mechanism 8 via the centering accuracy transition section 10. Further, since the insertion recess 21 (see FIG. 1) has a shape in which the end of the introduction groove 9 whose alignment accuracy is lower than that of the alignment mechanism 8 is tapered, the optical fiber core 7a to the introduction groove 9 is formed. Insertion is done smoothly.

The introduction groove 9 will be specifically described. As shown in FIG. 2, the introduction groove 9 has a first internal storage groove 9 a that is continuous with the alignment accuracy transition portion 10, and an opposite direction that faces the alignment mechanism 8 from the first internal storage groove 9 a. And two internal storage grooves 9a and 9b communicating with each other in the second internal storage groove 9b extending to the left. First internal storage groove 9a
Accommodates a portion of the optical fiber core wire 7 from which the coating has not been removed (hereinafter referred to as “coating portion 7b”), and the second internal storage groove 9b
The portion of the optical fiber core wire 37 having a diameter larger than that of the optical fiber core wire 7 where the coating is not removed (hereinafter, referred to as a “coated portion 37b”) is accommodated. Which of the internal storage grooves 9a, 9
b also positions and covers the covering portion 7b or 37b on the extension of the centering axis of the centering mechanism 8. First internal storage groove 9
“a” has lower alignment accuracy than the alignment mechanism 8, and the alignment accuracy of the second internal storage groove 9b is even lower than that of the first internal storage groove 9a. For example, in the connection between the optical fiber cores 7, the first internal storage groove 9a is selected by the two introduction grooves 9, 9 to store the covering portion 7b.

In this embodiment, the optical fiber core 7
(Coating part 7b) is φ250 μm, bare fiber 7a is φ1
25 μm, the optical fiber core 37 (the covering portion 37b) is φ
0.9 mm, and the bare fiber 37a has a diameter of 125 μm.
The size of the optical fiber applicable to the optical fiber connector according to the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that it can be appropriately selected. Also, the shape of the first and second internal storage grooves and the like are appropriately changed according to the diameter of the covering portion and the like.

The step of inserting the optical fiber core 7 into the element 1A will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, when the optical fiber core 7 is inserted into the element 1A, the bare fiber 7a is removed from the insertion recess 21. Inserted into the second internal storage groove 9b,
The tapered portion 9c formed at the boundary between the second internal storage grooves 9a and 9b smoothly guides the first internal storage groove 9a to the first internal storage groove 9a.
Further, the guide is smoothly guided from the first internal storage groove 9 a to the alignment mechanism 8 via the alignment accuracy transition portion 10. For this reason, even if the difference in alignment accuracy between the second internal storage groove 9b and the alignment mechanism 8 is large, the bare fiber 7a can be transferred to the alignment mechanism 8 through the first internal storage groove 9a. It can be introduced smoothly. When the covering portion 7b abuts on a first transition portion 10a, which will be described later, of the centering accuracy transition portion 10, further insertion of the optical fiber core 7 is restricted, and the covering portion 7b of each optical fiber core 7 is inserted into the introduction groove. 9 in the first internal storage groove 9a. The bare fiber 7a has a length obtained by adding a storage length in the alignment mechanism 8 to a storage length in the alignment mechanism 8, or
Secure a slightly longer length. Thus, the bare fibers 7a are butt-connected to each other before the covering portion 7a abuts on the first transition portion 10a, and the butting force between the bare fibers 7a is secured.

The same applies to the insertion of the optical fiber core 37 into the element 1A.
The bare fiber 37a is pushed into the second internal storage groove 9b from the insertion concave portion 21 and inserted into the second internal storage groove 9b, so that the bare fiber 37a passes through the first internal storage groove 9a and the centering accuracy transition section 10. It is smoothly inserted into the alignment mechanism 8. When the covering portion 37b abuts on the tapered portion 9c, further pushing of the optical fiber core 37 is restricted, and the covering portion 37b of the optical fiber core 37 is stored in the second internal storage groove 9b.

When the optical fiber core 7 and the optical fiber core 37 are connected to each other, the covering portion 7b of the optical fiber core 7 is housed in the internal storage groove 9a of one introduction groove 9, and the other introduction groove. The sheath 37b of the optical fiber 37 is housed in the second internal housing groove 9a. Thus, in the optical fiber connector 1, the optical fibers 7, 37 having different diameters can be butt-connected.

Referring to FIG. 3, the alignment accuracy transition unit 10
Consists of a first transition portion 10a on the introduction groove 9 side and a second transition portion 10b on the alignment mechanism 8 side, and the alignment accuracy changes in two stages between the alignment mechanism 8 and the introduction groove 9. It is supposed to. The first transition portion 10a has a tapered groove whose centering accuracy at the end of the introduction groove 9 is substantially equal to that of the introduction groove 9 and whose centering accuracy gradually increases toward the second transition portion 10b. It is. The second transition portion 10b is a tapered groove whose alignment accuracy gradually increases as it goes from the first transition portion 10a to the alignment mechanism 8, and the alignment accuracy at the end of the alignment mechanism 8 is increased. It is almost equal to 8. Second
The transition portion 10b has a length of about several millimeters longer than the first transition portion 10a, and the alignment accuracy transitions more slowly than the first transition portion 10a. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the second transition portion 10 b has a groove depth that decreases as it goes toward the alignment mechanism 8, and the groove width direction perpendicular to the alignment axis direction is the same as the alignment mechanism 8. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the alignment accuracy increases in the direction of the groove width in the direction of the alignment mechanism 8.

In the second transition section 10b, the bare fibers 7a and 37a are accommodated while allowing displacement. For this reason, the bare fibers 7a and 37a
When there is a misalignment that is not on the centering axis, the bare fibers 7a and 37a are gently curved and stored in the alignment accuracy transition section 10, and the misalignment is absorbed. As a result, the bare fiber 7
a, 37a without any risk of damaging the bare fibers 7a, 37a.
The optical transmission performance of a can be stably maintained.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, guide walls 11, 11 project from both sides of the base 2 on both sides of the alignment accuracy transition section 10, so that the element 1A is open. Even if there is, the bare fiber 7 a
It is guided into the alignment mechanism 8 without protruding outward from zero. The opening and closing amount of the element 1A is very small, and the guide walls 11, 1
1 is always stored in the guide wall storage hole 13 formed on the lid 3 side, so that even when the element 1A is opened and closed, the engagement between the guide walls 11, 11 and the guide wall storage hole 13 causes the base 2 to be closed. There is no displacement between the cover and the lid 3. In addition,
The guide walls 11 and 11 are integrally formed with the base 2.
Since it is projected from the contact surface 5, it can be formed easily.

As shown in FIG. 2, at three positions in the longitudinal direction of the base contact surface 5, engagement recesses 1 formed on the lid contact surface 6 are formed.
An engaging projection 15 with which the engaging projection 4 is engaged and an engaging recess 14 with which the engaging projection 15 protruding from the lid contact surface 6 is engaged are formed. A curved surface 16 that enables relative rotation with respect to the engaging concave portion 14 is formed at a tip of the engaging convex portion 15, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the base 2 and the lid 3 are integrated. The axis of relative rotation of the set of all the engaging concave portions 14 and the engaging convex portions 15 engaged at the same time is arranged on the same straight line along one side in the width direction (left and right in FIGS. 4 and 5) of the element 1A. Thus, the base 2 and the lid 3 can be rotated relative to each other with the straight line as an axis. The axis of relative rotation between the base 2 and the lid 3 is parallel to the axis of the optical fiber connector 1 and is located on the side of the optical fiber connector 1, so that it is engaged with the engaging recesses 14 engaged with each other. The convex portion 15 functions as a hinge for opening and closing the base 2 and the lid 3.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG.
A central lid 17 corresponding to the centering mechanism 8 of the base 2 and an end lid 18 corresponding to the introduction groove 9 are arranged in series. Between the central lid 17 and the end lid 18,
The connection end 19 protruding from one side is connected to the connection concave portion 18a formed on the other side by being engaged on the alignment accuracy transition portion 10. In addition, as shown in FIG.
Guide wall storage hole 13 opened at each connection end 19 in the longitudinal direction
By accommodating the guide walls 11, 11 in the base 2,
Are positioned with respect to.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the lower surface of the end cover 18 facing the base contact surface 5. In FIG. 7, the end cover 1
8, a lid groove 20 for storing the upper portion (upper side in FIG. 3) of the optical fiber core wire 7 or 37 stored in the introduction groove 9 is formed. The lid groove 20 has the same shape as the introduction groove 9. The cover groove 20 can be omitted as long as the optical fiber cores 7 and 37 housed in the introduction groove 9 can be stably clamped. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 18 a denotes a connection concave portion that engages with the connection end 19 protruding from the central lid 17. In FIG. 3, the contact surface 6 of the central lid 17 is a flat surface, but together with the alignment mechanism 8, the bare fibers 7a and 37a
It is also possible to form a bare fiber housing groove for housing the fiber. By doing so, the bare fiber 7 having a larger diameter can be obtained.
a, 37a.

As shown in FIG. 2, the exposed portions 22 which are always exposed outside the clamping means 4 at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the element 1A.
Is square, so it is convenient to fix it with a tool or the like. The wedge insertion groove 25 is opened on the side opposite to the element 1A, facing the engaging concave portion 14 and the engaging convex portion 15 via the centering mechanism 8. 4 and 5 show opening and closing of the lid 3 with respect to the base 2 (the center lid 17 is shown in the drawings). When the wedge 24 is pressed into the wedge insertion groove 25,
The wedge insertion groove 25 is formed between the base 2 and the lid 3 around the rotation axis defined by the engaged concave portion 14 and the engaged convex portion 15.
Are rotated relative to each other in the direction in which they expand. The wedge 24 is press-fitted such that the flat distal end surface 24a abuts on the innermost part of the wedge insertion groove 25. Further, since the wedge 24 has a thickness t ₁ corresponding to the target opening width of the wedge insertion groove 25, the wedge insertion groove is always stably provided with a constant opening amount only by being press-fitted into the wedge insertion groove 25. 25 can be opened.

The clamping means 4 is an elongated member slightly shorter than the element 1A, and is made of a material such as beryllium copper. In the case of beryllium copper, those obtained by subjecting them to age hardening after molding into a target shape, those coated with a fluorine resin or the like after heat treatment, and the like are more preferable. The clamping means 4
The element 1 </ b> A is press-fit into the inside of the opening 23 so as to press and spread between the pair of flanges 26. At the center of each flange 26, a positioning projection 27 formed by bending and forming the flange 26 is provided so as to project toward the inside of the clamp means 4, and when the element 1A is inserted inside the clamp means 4, The positioning projections 27 are engaged with the positioning recesses 28 and 29 formed on the outer surfaces of the base 2 and the lid 3 of the element 1A, and the element 1A is stably clamped and supported at a fixed position of the clamping means 4. It has become.

The positioning projections 27 are formed at positions facing each other between the flanges 26, and the positioning depressions 28 and 29 are formed at the center of the base 2 and the lid 3 in the width direction (left and right in FIG. 4). When the element 1A is clamped between the flange portions 26 by the clamping means 4, a pair of positioning projections 27,
The centering mechanism 8 is located between 27 and the clamping force acts stably in the diameter direction of the optical fiber core wires 7 and 37 inserted into the centering mechanism 8.

Each of the flange portions 26 is divided into three by slits 12 formed in two places in the longitudinal direction (the longitudinal direction of the clamp means 4). The formation positions of the slits 12 correspond to the two flange portions 26, and moreover,
Since it is located at the boundary between the center cover 17 and the end cover 18 of the cover 3, the optical fiber core wires 7 and 37 and the bare fiber in the respective portions corresponding to the center cover 17 and the end cover 18 of the element 1 </ b> A are provided. The clamping force of 7a and 37a can be adjusted individually. The U-shaped clamp means 4 is, for example, C
It is easier to process than a clamp means having a shape, and is particularly advantageous when the slit 12 is formed. In addition, in comparison with the case where the slit 12 is formed, the deformation of each portion hardly affects the clamping force of the other portions as compared with the C-shaped or other clamping means. The workability of connection and connection switching of 7, 37 can be improved.

In the optical fiber connector 1, the sheathing portions 7b, 3a of the optical fiber core wires 7a, 37a connected in butt are connected.
By selectively storing the internal storage grooves 9a and 9b of the introduction groove 9, the optical fiber cores 7 are connected, the optical fiber cores 37 are connected, and the optical fiber cores 7 and 37 are connected. , And high versatility can be obtained. As a result, the types of optical fiber connectors to be manufactured can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. The optical fiber cores 7, the optical fiber cores 37, or the optical fiber cores 7, 37
When the wedge 24 is pulled out of the wedge insertion groove 25 after the butt connection with the base 2 is completed, the base 2
The optical fiber core wire 7 or 37 is sandwiched between the cover 3 and the cover 3, and the connection state is maintained. Further, if the wedge 24 is press-fitted into the wedge insertion groove 25 again to open the space between the base 2 and the lid 3, the clamp of the optical fiber 7 can be released, and the optical fiber 7 can be easily inserted. Connection can be switched. At this time, if the wedge insertion groove 25 into which the wedge 24 is inserted is selected, the end cover 18 to be opened is selected, and the clamp is released only for the optical fiber core 7 or 37 on one side, and replaced with another optical fiber. It is also possible to improve the workability of connection switching. For this reason, the connection between the optical fiber cores 7 having the same diameter or the optical fiber core 37.
When the connection is switched to the connection between the optical fiber cores 7, 37 having different diameters, only one of the optical fiber cores 7, 7, or 37, 37 connected in butt is pulled out from the optical fiber connector 1. Since it is only necessary to replace another optical fiber core 7 or 37, the workability of the switching connection is significantly greater than when all the optical fiber cores 7 or 37 are pulled out from the optical fiber connector 1 and reconnected. To improve. Similarly, the workability can be greatly improved from the connection between the optical fiber cores 7 and 37 having different diameters to the switching connection between the optical fiber cores 7 and 37 having the same diameter.

When the element 1A is made of a transparent resin, the insertion state of the optical fiber 7 can be visually checked from the outside. However, the opening 23 of the clamp means 4 can sufficiently expose the element 1A. Since it can be secured, it is easy to check the insertion state, and the operation can be efficiently performed. Further, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 8-6177, when leakage light from a butt connection portion is detected, it can be checked whether or not the butt connection between the optical fiber cores 7, 7 has been reliably performed.

The optical fiber connector of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but includes the following modifications. (A) As the centering mechanism, a positioning groove other than the V-groove, a positioning groove in which a microcapillary is installed, a precision rod, and a precision ball can be applied. (B) The centering accuracy transition section is not limited to the configuration including the first and second transition sections, and may be configured to include only one transition section or may be changed to another stage by three or more transition sections. Various configurations such as a configuration in which the alignment accuracy changes can be adopted. In a configuration having only one transition section, it is necessary to accommodate the bare fiber in this transition section while allowing displacement. (C) The element is not limited to a square cross section.
A circular cross section, an elliptical cross section, or the like can be adopted. In the case of a circular cross section or an elliptical cross section, it is more preferable to employ a C-shaped clamping means. (D) In the above embodiment, an example of application of the φ0.9 optical fiber core 37 having the bare fiber 37a at the tip as the large-diameter optical fiber has been described. It is also possible to apply to coated optical fibers. In this case, for example, the optical fiber covered by the outermost coating layer is stored in the introduction groove, and the optical fiber covered by the coating layer inner than the outermost layer is stored from the introduction groove to the alignment accuracy transition portion. However, a configuration in which the bare fiber at the tip is housed in the centering mechanism can also be adopted. That is, the optical fiber housed in the alignment accuracy transition section may be either a bare fiber or an optical fiber covered with a coating layer. (E) The number of internal storage grooves formed in the introduction groove is not limited to two, and may be three or more. At this time, it is preferable to connect the aligning mechanisms so that the aligning accuracy decreases sequentially from the aligning mechanism side.

[0033]

As described above, according to the optical fiber connector of the present invention, a plurality of internal storage grooves for storing optical fibers having different diameters are formed in the introduction groove into which the optical fiber is introduced. Since the optical fibers having the corresponding diameters are accommodated in the respective internal accommodating grooves, (a) optical fibers having the same diameter can be butt-connected for a plurality of optical fiber diameters. (B) Connection between optical fibers having different diameters is also possible. (C) Switching connection from connection between optical fibers having the same diameter to connection between optical fibers having different diameters, or vice versa. Thus, an excellent effect that workability can be greatly improved is achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing an embodiment of an optical fiber connector according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the optical fiber connector of FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber connector of FIG. 1 taken along line AA.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the optical fiber connector of FIG. 1 taken along line BB.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which a wedge is inserted into the element of the optical fiber connector of FIG. 1 to release the clamping force of the optical fiber core;
It is sectional drawing near a groove.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a base of the optical fiber connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the end cover of the optical fiber connector of FIG. 1 as viewed from the lower surface side.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional optical fiber connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Optical fiber connector, 1A ... Element, 2 ... Base, 3 ...
Lid, 4 ... Clamping means (U-shaped spring), 7 ... Optical fiber (optical fiber core), 8 ... Alignment mechanism (V groove), 9 ... Introduction groove, 9a ... First internal storage groove, 9b ... A second internal storage groove,
37 ... optical fiber (optical fiber core).

Claims (2)

[Claims] An optical fiber connector for butt-connecting optical fibers to each other, comprising an element (1A) having a split structure comprising a base (2) and a lid (3) for sandwiching the optical fibers during integration. Clamping means (4) for holding the element in a united state by applying lateral pressure by sandwiching the element inside, and introducing grooves (9) formed on opposite sides between the base and the lid.
And an aligning mechanism (8) for aligning and aligning the optical fibers (7, 37) inserted from the optical fiber (7, 37) so that they can be connected to each other.
An optical fiber connector characterized in that a plurality of internal storage grooves (9a, 9b) for storing 7) are formed, and optical fibers of corresponding diameters are stored in the respective internal storage grooves. (1). 2. A plurality of the internal storage grooves are connected to each other on an extension of an alignment axis of the alignment mechanism so as to be connected to each other, and the alignment accuracy of the internal storage groove (9a) on the alignment mechanism side is improved. 2. An optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein said internal storage groove is higher than another internal storage groove (9b) formed on a side opposite to said alignment mechanism from said internal storage groove.