JP2011237762A - Optical cable connector, and assembling method for optical cable therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical cable connector that renders good workability in assembling and allows an optical cable to be securely fixed into a connector housing.SOLUTION: A connector housing 40 of an optical cable connector 1 comprises: a first housing member 41 in which a coil spring housing portion 411 for housing a coil spring 20 and a fixing-member housing portion 412 for housing a cable fixing member 30 fixed at a distal end of a sheath 96 are formed in an externally opening manner; a second housing member 42 which is attached to the first housing member 41 to cover the openings of the coil spring housing portion 411 and the fixing member housing portion 412; and a third housing member 43 which is mounted on the distal sides of the first housing member 41 and the second housing member 42, and has a ferrule housing portion 432 which is tubularly formed so as to enclose a ferrule 10.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical cable connector, an optical cable connector and an optical cable assembling method, and more particularly, an optical cable connector structure for optically connecting optical fibers of an optical cable for transmitting an optical signal, and an optical cable connector of this type. The present invention relates to an assembling method.

  In general, an optical cable using an optical fiber (also referred to as an optical fiber cable) is widely used for home and industrial information communication because it enables high-speed communication of a large amount of information. In addition, for example, automobiles are equipped with various electrical components (for example, a car navigation system), and are often used for optical communication of these electrical components. The optical fiber ends are optically connected to each other (connectable so that optical signals can be transmitted), and a connector to which one optical cable is attached and a connector to which the other optical cable is attached are detachably fitted. Various optical cable connectors (also referred to as optical connectors or optical fiber connectors) have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  An example of this type of optical cable connector is shown in FIG. FIG. 16 shows only one connector (female connector). The optical cable connector 101 includes a connector housing 102, a ferrule 104 housed in the connector housing 102, and a coil spring 106 that biases the ferrule 104. Specifically, the optical fiber 109 exposed for a predetermined length from the end of the optical cable 108 is fixed to the ferrule 104, and the ferrule 104 is housed in the connector housing 102 in a state of being biased toward the distal end side by the coil spring 106. The On the other hand, the optical cable 108 is fixed to the connector housing 102 by a method described later. When a pair of male and female connectors are fitted in this state, the front end surfaces of the ferrule 104 urged by the coil spring 106 (which are mirror-finished to reduce connection loss) are brought into contact with each other, so that the male and female connectors The optical fiber 109 is optically connected.

  The optical cable 108 is fixed to the connector housing 102 of the optical cable connector 101 by the following method. As a simple method, for example, as shown in FIG. 16A, a configuration in which an optical cable 108 is fixed to a connector housing 102 with an adhesive S is known (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  On the other hand, a configuration is known in which a cable holding member having a predetermined shape is inserted from a mounting hole 102 a provided in the connector housing 102 and the optical cable 108 is fixed. For example, as shown in FIG. 16B, the optical cable 108 is connected to the connector by sandwiching the optical cable 108 by the cable holding member H1, or by piercing the optical cable 108 with the cable holding member H2 as shown in FIG. Fix to the housing 102. That is, the connector housing 102 and the optical cable 108 are mechanically connected via the cable holding member H1 and the cable holding member H2 (see, for example, Patent Document 3). As another example of the connection method using such a cable holding member, a configuration using a sleeve fixed to the end portion of an optical cable as a cable holding member as described in Patent Document 4 is also known.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-169061 JP 2003-149446 A JP 2000-147317 A JP 2008-241729 A

  However, the method of fixing the optical cable to the connector housing using an adhesive is difficult to handle the adhesive and has poor workability. Further, since the application state of the adhesive varies depending on the operator, the reliability of fixing the optical cable to the connector housing is low. In particular, when used in a high-temperature environment, there is a problem that the reliability of fixing is further lowered unless an adhesive corresponding to that is selected. On the other hand, in the case of the connection method using the cable holding member, there is a problem that the process of attaching the cable holding member to the connector housing becomes a burden (labor), and the assembly cost (manufacturing cost) increases.

  In any of the above fixing methods, it is necessary to pass the connector housing through the optical cable at the beginning of the assembly process. In other words, since the ferrule urged toward the tip side and the coil spring that urges the ferrule cannot be accommodated from the rear of the connector housing, the coil spring or ferrule must be connected to the connector unless the optical cable is first passed through the connector housing. It cannot be accommodated in the housing. That is, a coil spring or a ferrule must be assembled to the optical cable with the connector housing being passed through the optical cable. In such an assembly process, the connector housing that is first passed through the optical cable obstructs the subsequent assembly work of the coil spring and ferrule and the mirror surface treatment work of the tip surface of the ferrule. It contributed to the decline.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an optical cable connector that is excellent in assembling workability and can securely fix an optical cable to a connector housing, and an optical cable connector and an optical cable assembling method.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an optical cable in which a ferrule that holds an optical fiber exposed for a predetermined length from the tip of an optical cable and a coil spring that biases the ferrule toward the tip are disposed in a connector housing. The connector housing has a coil spring accommodating portion for accommodating the coil spring and a fixing member accommodating portion for accommodating a cable fixing member fixed to a terminal portion of a sheath covering the optical fiber. A first housing member formed to open, a second housing member attached to the first housing member and covering the openings of the coil spring housing portion and the fixing member housing portion, and the first housing member A cylindrical ferrule attached to the distal end side of the housing member and the second housing member and surrounding the ferrule A third housing member Le accommodating portion is formed, in that it comprises it is an gist.

  In the present invention, it is only necessary that a restriction projection for restricting movement of the ferrule toward the rear end side is formed at the tip of the first housing member.

  Further, in the present invention, the first housing member and the second housing member are formed with fitting protrusions protruding from the respective leading ends, and these fitting protrusions are provided behind the third housing member. What is necessary is just to be fitted by the fitting hole which is the opening formed in the end.

  In the present invention, a spring locking portion for locking the coil spring may be provided at the rear end of the ferrule.

  In this case, it is preferable that the coil spring locking portion is a recess formed on the rear end surface of the ferrule with an inner diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the coil spring.

  On the other hand, the optical cable connector and the optical cable assembling method according to the present invention include mounting the cable fixing member to expose the optical fiber by peeling the sheath of the optical cable from the tip by a predetermined length, and mounting the cable fixing member to the terminal portion of the sheath A step of inserting a coil spring into an optical fiber exposed on the tip side of the optical cable, an optical fiber fixing step of holding a tip portion of the optical fiber through which the coil spring is inserted, and an outer side A cable fixing step in which the cable fixing member is fixed to a fixing member receiving portion formed in the first housing member by opening toward the first housing; and a coil spring housing in the first housing member that opens outward. A coil spring housing step of housing the coil spring in the portion, and the cable fixing member fixed A second housing member assembling step of attaching a second housing member to the first housing member so as to cover a fixed member housing portion and an opening of the coil spring housing portion in which the coil spring is housed; A third housing member for housing the ferrule in a cylindrical ferrule housing portion formed in the third housing member and assembling the third housing member to the first housing member and the second housing member And an assembling process.

  In the present invention, it is only necessary that a restriction projection for restricting movement of the ferrule toward the rear end side is formed at the tip of the first housing member.

  Further, in the present invention, the first housing member and the second housing member are formed with fitting protrusions protruding from respective tips, and in the third housing member assembling step, these fitting protrusions are formed. May be fitted into a fitting hole which is an opening formed at the rear end of the third housing member.

  In the present invention, a coil spring for locking the coil spring to the coil spring locking portion after the ferrule mounting step is provided at the rear end of the ferrule. A locking step may be included.

  In this case, the coil spring locking portion is a recess formed in the rear end surface of the ferrule, and at least a part of the inner periphery of the recess is approximately the same size as the outer shape of the coil spring. It only has to be formed. Note that “substantially the same as the outer shape of the coil spring” means that even when the biasing member is engaged with the recess and the opening of the recess is directed downward (in the direction of gravity), the biasing member is moved from the recess by gravity. An engagement state that does not fall off is obtained.

  In the optical cable connector (an assembly method of the optical cable connector and the optical cable) according to the present invention, the optical cable can be securely fixed to the connector housing by fixing the cable fixing member fixed to the end portion of the sheath to the housing body. it can. The cable fixing member can be fixed to the optical cable by caulking its barrel portion to the end portion of the sheath (it can be fixed by a method and apparatus similar to the case of caulking a generally known crimp terminal to an electric wire). Therefore, assembly work is easy.

  In addition, the connector housing of the optical cable connector according to the present invention is configured in three parts: a first housing member, a second housing member, and a third housing member. Among them, the first housing member is formed with a coil spring housing portion and a fixing member housing portion that are covered by the second housing member so as to open outward. Therefore, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to advance the assembly after passing the connector housing through the optical cable in advance. That is, after fixing the cable fixing member to the sheath, inserting the coil spring into the optical fiber, and fixing the optical fiber to the ferrule, the coil spring and the cable fixing member are attached to the first housing member 40 and the second housing member. Can be housed and fixed in the housing member. Therefore, the assembly workability is greatly improved as compared with the case where the assembly is advanced in a state where the connector housing is passed through the optical cable in advance.

  Further, in the present invention, the ferrule holding the optical fiber is accommodated in a third housing member in which a cylindrical ferrule accommodating portion surrounding the periphery of the main body portion of the ferrule is formed. In this way, by forming the cylindrical ferrule housing portion that holds the ferrule in the integrally formed (not divided) third housing member, rattling of the ferrule in the connector housing is suppressed. (If the ferrule housing part is constituted by two or more housings (divided housings), the ferrule rattles in the ferrule housing part due to play (rattle) of the fitting part of the housing. There is a risk of getting stuck).

  That is, according to the present invention, the portion in which the ferrule is accommodated is secured as an integral part while ensuring good workability by assembling the portion of the connector housing in which the coil spring and the cable fixing member are accommodated. By comprising, the fall of the connection reliability (increase in connection loss) of the optical fiber accompanying the rattling of the ferrule can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, the presence of the restricting protrusion formed on the first housing member prevents the ferrule from moving to the rear end side more than necessary and the coil spring from being greatly contracted. That is, a decrease in urging force (spring life) due to a large contraction of the coil spring is suppressed.

  Further, the first housing member and the second housing member are formed with fitting protrusions protruding from the respective tips, and these fitting protrusions are inserted into the fitting holes formed in the third housing member. By setting it as the structure fitted, it is prevented by the 3rd housing member that the front-end | tip of a 1st housing member and a 2nd housing member opens.

  Further, if a spring locking portion for locking the coil spring is provided at the rear end of the ferrule, the coil spring inserted through the optical fiber does not interfere with the assembly work. Furthermore, if the spring locking portion is a recess, the total length of the connector can be reduced by the depth of the recess.

1 is an exploded perspective view of an optical cable connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the optical cable connector concerning 1st embodiment of this invention. 3A is a plan view of the ferrule of the optical cable connector shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from above, and FIG. 3B is a plan view of the ferrule as viewed from the rear end side. It is the schematic which showed the state by which the coil spring was latched by the ferrule shown in FIG. It is the perspective view which showed the state which fixed the cable fixing member which the optical cable connector shown in FIG. 1 has to the optical cable. It is a perspective view of the 1st housing member which the optical cable connector shown in FIG. 1 has. It is the schematic which showed the state by which the coil spring and the cable fixing member were accommodated in the coil spring accommodating part and fixing member accommodating part which were formed in the 1st housing member which the optical cable connector shown in FIG. 1 has. 8A is a plan view of the third housing member of the optical cable connector shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the front end side, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view thereof (C-- shown in FIG. 8A). C line sectional view). It is the perspective view which looked at the 3rd housing member which the optical cable connector shown in FIG. 1 has from the rear end side. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for sequentially explaining an assembly process of the optical cable connector and the optical cable shown in FIG. 1. It is a disassembled perspective view of the optical cable connector concerning 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the optical cable connector concerning 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the state which fixed the cable fixing member which the optical cable connector shown in FIG. 10 has to the optical cable. It is the schematic for demonstrating in order the 1st assembly process of the optical cable connector shown in FIG. 10, and an optical cable. It is the schematic for demonstrating in order the 2nd assembly process of the optical cable connector and optical cable shown in FIG. It is the schematic for demonstrating the attachment structure to the connector housing of the conventional optical cable, (a) shows fixation by an adhesive agent, (b) (c) shows fixation using a cable holding member.

  An optical cable connector 1 according to an embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the optical cable connector 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the optical cable connector 1. In these drawings, the optical cable 90 assembled to the optical cable connector 1 is also shown. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the front end side refers to the fitting side of the optical cable connector 1, and the rear end side refers to the opposite side. Further, the axial direction simply refers to the fitting direction of the connector, that is, the left-right direction in FIG. 2, and the vertical direction refers to the vertical direction in FIG.

  The optical cable connector 1 according to the present embodiment is a female connector that fits with a male connector (not shown). The optical cable connector 1 includes a ferrule 10 that holds an optical fiber 92 included in the optical cable 90, a coil spring 20 that is a biasing member that biases the ferrule 10 toward the distal end, and a cable fixing member 30 that fixes the optical cable 90. And a connector housing 40 that accommodates the ferrule 10, the coil spring 20, and the cable fixing member 30.

  The optical cable 90 attached to the optical cable connector 1 secures the strength of the optical fiber 92 that transmits an optical signal (in this embodiment, one optical fiber 92 for transmission and one for reception) and the strength of the cable. A tension member 94 (see FIG. 5) for preventing the optical fiber 92 from being disconnected due to cable bending or the like is covered with a sheath 96. The optical cable 90 connected to the optical cable connector 1 has an optical fiber 92 of a predetermined length exposed from the tip, and the optical fiber 92 of the optical cable 90 attached to each connector by fitting with a male connector (not shown). They are in an optically connected state.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the optical cable connector 1 will be described in detail. The ferrule 10 is a member integrally formed of a synthetic resin material. In the present embodiment, the ferrule 10 includes a relatively narrow main body portion 11 and a relatively wide base end portion 12. The ferrule 10 is held in the ferrule housing portion 432 of the third housing member 43. Details of the holding structure of the ferrule 10 will be described later.

  FIG. 3A shows a plan view of the ferrule 10 viewed from above, and FIG. 3B shows a plan view viewed from the rear end side. 4 is a perspective view of the outer appearance of the ferrule 10, and a schematic view showing a state in which the coil spring 20 is locked to the rear end surface 12a of the ferrule 10 is shown in FIG. 4 (note that the optical fiber 92 is omitted in FIG. 4). ). The ferrule 10 is formed with two fiber holding holes 13 penetrating from the front end surface 11a to the rear end surface 12a. In each of the two fiber holding holes 13, one optical fiber 92 for transmission and reception of the optical cable 90 is fixed. Specifically, after the optical fiber 92 is inserted into each of the fiber holding holes 13, the adhesive is poured from the adhesive injection port 11 b formed on the side surface (upper surface) of the ferrule 10, and the optical fiber 92 is moved to the ferrule. 10 is fixed. After the optical fiber 92 is fixed in this manner, the front end surface 11a of the ferrule 10 is subjected to mirror surface treatment in order to improve the close contact with the front end surface of the ferrule accommodated in a mating connector (not shown) and suppress increase in connection loss. Applied.

  A spring locking portion 121 that locks the coil spring 20 is formed at the rear end of the ferrule 10. The spring locking portion 121 is a recess formed in the rear end surface 12a of the ferrule 10. The recess has a cross-sectional shape in which a part of the upper and lower sides of the circle is cut out and a part of the left and right part of the circle protrudes into a rectangle (see FIG. 3B). In the recess, at least a part of the inner periphery (part 121b having a circular cross section in the present embodiment) is formed to have substantially the same size as the outer shape of the coil spring 20 that is an urging member. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, once the coil spring 20 is fitted into the recess that is the spring locking portion 121, the coil spring 20 does not move away from the ferrule 10 even if the rear end surface 12 a is downward. It is formed in such a size as to be in a state (light press-fit state).

  Further, the ferrule 10 is formed with two through holes 14 penetrating from the front end surface 11 a to the rear end surface 12 a outside the two fiber holding holes 13. A similar through hole is also formed in a ferrule of a mating connector (not shown). A guide pin is fixed to the through hole of the ferrule of the mating connector, and when both connectors are fitted, the guide pin engages with the through hole 14 of the ferrule 10. In other words, such a configuration prevents the optical fiber 92 from being displaced at the ferrule abutting surface, so that the connection loss of the optical fiber 92 can be reduced.

  The coil spring 20 is inserted into an optical fiber 92 exposed for a predetermined length from the tip of the optical cable 90. Specifically, after fixing the cable fixing member 30 to the end portion of the sheath 96 of the optical cable 90, the coil spring 20 is inserted into the two optical fibers 92. Thereafter, since the tip of the optical fiber 92 is fixed to the ferrule 10, the coil spring 20 is positioned between the cable fixing member 30 and the ferrule 10.

  The cable fixing member 30 is a metal member formed by pressing. FIG. 5 shows a state where the cable fixing member 30 is fixed to the optical cable 90. As shown in FIG. 5, the cable fixing member 30 has a fixing portion 31 and a barrel portion 32.

  The fixing portion 31 is a portion that is accommodated in the fixing member accommodating portion 412 of the connector housing 40, and is formed on the distal end side from the barrel portion 32. The cross section (cross section cut by a plane orthogonal to the axial direction) is formed in a substantially U shape, and has a tapered shape in which the width gradually increases toward the tip when viewed from above. And the press-fit part 311 press-fitted in the press-fitting hole 412a formed in the inner bottom face of the fixing member accommodating part 412 mentioned later is formed in the front-end | tip of this fixing | fixed part 31. As shown in FIG.

  The barrel portion 32 is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section like the fixed portion 31, and the size thereof is smaller than the fixed portion 31. As shown in FIG. 5, the cable fixing member 30 is fixed to the optical cable 90 by caulking the barrel portion 32 to the end portion of the sheath 96. The caulking method of the cable fixing member 30 is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, as shown in the drawing, a configuration is adopted in which the barrel portion 32 is bent inward and the tip of the barrel portion 32 is bitten into the center of the sheath 96.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the connector housing 40 in which the ferrule 10, the coil spring 20, and the cable fixing member 30 are accommodated will be described. The connector housing 40 includes a first housing member 41, a second housing member 42 attached to the upper portion of the first housing member 41, and distal ends of the first housing member 41 and the second housing member 42. And a third housing member 43 attached to the housing.

  FIG. 6 shows an enlarged view of the first housing member 41. In the first housing member 41, a coil spring accommodating portion 411 in which the coil spring 20 is accommodated and a fixing member accommodating portion 412 in which the cable fixing member 30 is fixed are formed in a predetermined size. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the coil spring 20 and the cable fixing member 30 are accommodated in these accommodating portions. As can be seen from these drawings, the coil spring accommodating portion 411 and the fixing member accommodating portion 412 are open outward (upward).

  The coil spring accommodating portion 411 formed on the distal end side of the first housing member 41 has a substantially semi-cylindrical shape to which the coil spring 20 is fitted, and has such a depth that the coil spring 20 does not pop out carelessly. (For example, the depth is 2/3 or more of the diameter of the coil spring 20). The front end side in the axial direction of the coil spring housing portion 411 is opened (hereinafter referred to as the front end opening in the axial direction of the coil spring housing portion 411), and the rear end side end surface of the coil spring 20 is in contact with the rear end side in the axial direction. A support surface 411a is formed in contact therewith. The coil spring 20 accommodated in the coil spring accommodating portion 441 protrudes from the opening in the axial direction front end side of the coil spring accommodating portion 411.

  The fixing member accommodating portion 412 is formed in a shape in which the fixing portion 31 of the cable fixing member 30 can be attached. In other words, when the fixing member accommodating portion 412 is viewed from above, a part of the fixing member accommodating portion 412 has a tapered shape in which the width gradually increases toward the tip. The axial direction rear end side of the fixing member accommodating portion 412 is opened (hereinafter referred to as the axial direction rear end side opening of the fixing member accommodating portion 412), and the optical cable 90 can be inserted therethrough. Further, two press-fit holes 412a elongated in the axial direction (only one press-fit hole 412a is shown in FIG. 6 on the inner bottom surface of the fixing member housing portion 412. The other press-fit hole 412a is shown in the figure. 412a is in a target positional relationship). By press-fitting the press-fitting portion 311 of the cable fixing member 30 into the press-fitting hole 412a, the cable fixing member 30 is fixed to the fixing member accommodating portion 412, that is, the optical cable 90 is fixed to the first housing member 41.

  In addition, two restricting protrusions 413 are formed at the front end of the first housing member 41 so as to protrude toward the front end side in a positional relationship that is symmetrical with respect to the center line of the housing. Between the two restricting protrusions 413, the coil spring 20 protruding from the opening in the axial direction front end side of the coil spring accommodating portion 411 is located. Therefore, the distance between the restricting protrusions 413 is larger than the diameter of the coil spring 20. However, the interval is smaller than the width of the base end portion 12 of the ferrule 10. That is, the movement of the ferrule 10 toward the rear end side is restricted by the restricting protrusion 413 (the presence of the restricting protrusion 413 allows the ferrule 10 to move toward the rear end side only to the position where it abuts on the restricting protrusion 413. Can not). In the present embodiment, the restriction protrusion 413 also functions as a first fitting protrusion 413 that is paired with the second fitting protrusion 422 formed on the second housing member 42.

  The second housing member 42 is attached to the upper portion of the first housing member 41, thereby opening the coil spring accommodating portion 411 and the fixing member accommodating portion 412 formed in the first housing member 41. When it is simply referred to as an opening, it refers to an opening facing upward, ie, covers the opening in the axial direction front end side of the coil spring housing portion 411 and the opening in the axial direction rear end side of the fixing member housing portion 412). . The second housing member 42 prevents the coil spring 20 and the cable fixing member 30 (optical cable 90) housed in each housing portion from falling off.

  The second housing member 42 is attached to the first housing member 41 as follows. As shown in FIG. 1, one locking projection 414 is formed at a position near the rear end of the first housing member 41 (FIG. 1, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 show one locking projection). Only the reference numeral 414 is shown, and the other one is in a positional relationship facing the locking protrusion 414 shown in the figure). On the other hand, two locking holes 421 are formed near the rear end of the second housing member 42 (FIG. 1 shows only one locking hole 421. The remaining one is illustrated. It is in a positional relationship facing the locking hole 421). The second housing member 42 is attached to the first housing member 41 by locking the locking projection 414 of the first housing member 41 in the locking hole 421 of the second housing member 42. The

  In the present embodiment, the locking protrusion 414 and the locking hole 421 are formed at positions closer to the rear ends (on the fixed member accommodating portion 412 side) of the first housing member 41 and the second housing member 42, respectively. This is because the holding force of the cable fixing member 30 is increased. That is, by forming the engaging portions of both housings on the side where the cable fixing member 30 is accommodated, the cable fixing member 30 is more firmly held in the housing, so that the optical cable 90 can be pulled out against tension or the like. The optical cable connector 1 having excellent removal prevention performance can be obtained.

  Further, a second fitting protrusion 422 is formed at the distal end of the second housing member 42 so as to protrude toward the distal end side. As shown in FIG. 1, the second fitting protrusion 422 is formed so as to face two first fitting protrusions (regulating protrusions) 413 formed on the first housing member 41.

  The 3rd housing member 43 is attached to the front end side of the 1st housing member 41 and the 2nd housing member 42, and comprises the fitting part with the male connector which is not shown in figure. FIG. 9A is a plan view of the third housing member 43 viewed from the distal end side, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC shown in FIG. 9A. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the third housing member 43 as viewed from the rear end side (for the sake of explanation, FIG. 10 shows the lower surface of the third housing member 43 facing upward). The third housing member 43 includes a hood portion (outer wall) 431 having a square cross-section and a ferrule housing portion 432 having a square cross-section and a tubular shape formed inside the outer wall.

  The hood part 431 protects the front end surface 11 a of the ferrule 10 accommodated in the ferrule accommodation part 432. Specifically, when mating with a male connector (not shown) which is a mating connector, the male connector is connected to the ferrule 10 regardless of the angle at which the male connector is inserted (inclined). It is formed in a shape that does not contact the tip surface 11a (the tip surface 11a of the ferrule 10 is not damaged by the male connector).

  The ferrule housing portion 432 holds the ferrule 10 around the ferrule 10, specifically, surrounding the main body portion 11 of the ferrule 10. However, a clearance is secured between the ferrule housing portion 432 and the main body portion 11 of the ferrule 10 so that the ferrule 10 biased by the coil spring 20 can freely move back and forth in the axial direction.

  The third housing member 43 is attached to the first housing member 41 and the second housing member 42 as follows. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the third housing member 43 is formed with an assembly protrusion 433 at the tip of each of the two shafts protruding from the rear end. A first fitting hole 434 is formed in the upper part of the ferrule housing part 432, and a second fitting hole 435 is formed in the lower part of the ferrule housing part 432. On the other hand, assembly holes 415 are formed on both side surfaces of the first housing member 41 (FIGS. 1, 6 and 7 show only one assembly hole 415. The remaining one is shown. Is in a positional relationship facing the mounting hole 415 shown in the figure). The third housing member 43 is formed in the first housing member 41 in the first fitting hole 434 while the assembly protrusion 433 is locked in the assembly hole 415 of the first housing member 41. By fitting the first fitting protrusion 413 with the second fitting protrusion 422 formed on the second housing member 42 in the second fitting hole 435, the first housing member 41 and the first fitting protrusion 413 are fitted. A second housing member 42 is attached.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the first housing member 41 and the second housing member 42 to which the coil spring 20 and the cable fixing member 30 are attached are divided and configured to hold the ferrule 10. The housing member 43 is configured as an integral part (not divided).

  Next, a method for assembling the optical cable connector 1 and the optical cable 90 will be described in detail although partially overlapping with the above description. FIG. 10 is a schematic view for sequentially explaining the assembly process.

  The method of assembling the optical cable connector 1 and the optical cable 90 according to the present embodiment includes a cable fixing member mounting step, a coil spring insertion step, an optical fiber fixing step, a cable fixing step, a coil spring accommodating step, and a second housing. It includes a member assembling step and a third housing member assembling step.

  In the “cable fixing member mounting step”, first, the optical fiber 92 is exposed by peeling the sheath 96 from the tip of the optical cable 90 by a predetermined length. The tension member 94 exposed by the peeling of the sheath 96 is cut. Then, the cable fixing member 30 is fixed by caulking to the terminal portion of the sheath 96 on the peeled side. Specifically, the barrel portion 32 of the cable fixing member 30 is bent inward and fixed by being pierced into the sheath 96. Thereby, an assembly of the optical cable 90 and the cable fixing member 30 as shown in FIG. Note that the fixing by caulking is a common caulking device (for example, caulking device described in JP-A-2003-217784) including a crimper and an anvil, which is commonly used when caulking a crimp terminal to an electric wire. A caulking device can be applied.

  In the “coil spring insertion process”, the coil spring 20 is inserted from the tips of the two optical fibers 92 exposed. At this time, since the cable fixing member 30 is already fixed to the end portion of the sheath 96 in the “cable fixing member mounting step”, the coil spring 20 cannot be moved to a position overlapping the sheath 96. That is, the coil spring 20 is always held while being caught by the optical fiber 92.

  In the “optical fiber fixing step”, the ferrule 10 is fixed to the tips of the two optical fibers 92 through which the coil springs 20 are inserted. Specifically, first, the optical fiber 92 is inserted into the fiber holding hole 13 of the ferrule 10. Then, an adhesive is injected from the adhesive injection port 11 b to fix the optical fiber 92 to the ferrule 10. When the optical fiber 92 is fixed to the ferrule 10 in this manner, an assembly of the optical cable 90, the cable fixing member 30, the ferrule 10, and the coil spring 20 as shown in FIG. 10B is obtained.

  In the assembling method according to the present embodiment, the “coil spring locking step” is performed after the “ferrule fixing step”. This is a step of locking the coil spring 20 to the spring locking portion 121 which is a recess formed in the rear end surface 12a of the ferrule 10 as shown in FIG. As a result, the coil spring 20 inserted through the optical fiber 92 does not interfere with assembly work such as mirror surface treatment work on the tip surface of the ferrule 10. In addition, since the load due to the weight of the coil spring 20 is not applied to the ultrafine optical fiber 92, the risk of disconnection of the optical fiber 92 is reduced. Furthermore, if the spring locking portion 121 is such a recess, the total length of the connector can be reduced by the depth of the recess.

  In the “cable fixing step”, the fixing portion 31 of the cable fixing member 30 is fixed to the fixing member accommodating portion 412 formed in the first housing member 41. Specifically, the press-fitting part 311 provided in the fixing part 31 is press-fitted into a press-fitting hole 412 a formed in the bottom surface of the fixing member accommodating part 412. Thereby, the optical cable 90 is fixed to the first housing member 41.

  In the “coil spring housing step”, the coil spring 20 latched by the spring latching portion 121 of the ferrule 10 is housed in the coil spring housing portion 411 formed in the first housing member 41.

  As a result, the cable fixing member 30 and the coil spring 20 are held by the first housing member 41 as shown in FIG.

  In the “second housing member assembling step”, the first spring so as to cover the opening of the coil spring accommodating portion 411 in which the coil spring 20 is accommodated and the fixing member accommodating portion 412 in which the cable fixing member 30 is fixed. A second housing member 42 is attached to the upper portion of the housing member 41. Specifically, the two engaging projections 414 provided on the first housing member 41 are assembled by engaging the two engaging holes 242 provided on the second housing member 42. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10D, the coil spring 20 and the cable fixing member 30 are accommodated in the first housing member 41 and the second housing member 42.

  The “third housing member assembling step” is performed after the “second housing member assembling step”. In the “third housing member assembling step”, first, the main body portion 11 of the ferrule 10 is accommodated (inserted) from the rear end side of the ferrule accommodating portion 432 formed in the third housing member 43, while the third The housing member 43 is assembled to the first housing member 41 and the second housing member 42. The third housing member 43 is formed in the first housing member 41 in the first fitting hole 434 while the assembly protrusion 433 is locked in the assembly hole 415 of the first housing member 41. The first fitting protrusion 413 is assembled by fitting the second fitting protrusion 422 formed on the second housing member 42 into the second fitting hole 435. Thereby, the ferrule 10 is accommodated in the connector housing 40 as shown in FIG.10 (e).

  The assembly of the optical cable connector 1 and the optical cable 90 is completed through the above steps. Note that such steps are not necessarily performed in the order described above. For example, the order of the “cable fixing process” and the “coil spring housing process” may be changed as appropriate.

  The configuration of the optical cable connector 1 and the method for assembling the optical cable connector 1 and the optical cable 90 according to one embodiment of the present invention have been described above. According to the optical cable connector 1, the following operational effects can be achieved.

  In the present embodiment, the fixing portion 31 of the cable fixing member 30 fixed to the terminal portion of the sheath 96 is fixed to the fixing member accommodating portion 412 of the first housing member 41, so that the optical cable 90 is connected to the connector housing 40. Securely fixed. Since the cable fixing member 30 can be fixed by caulking the barrel portion 32 to the end portion of the sheath 96, the cable fixing member 30 is easy to assemble and does not increase the work process.

  The connector housing 40 of the optical cable connector 1 is configured in three parts: a first housing member 41, a second housing member 42, and a third housing member 43. Among them, the first housing member 41 is formed with a coil spring housing portion 411 and a fixing member housing portion 412 that are covered by the second housing member 42 so as to open outward. Therefore, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to advance the assembly after passing the connector housing through the optical cable in advance. That is, after the cable fixing member 30 is fixed to the sheath 96, the coil spring 20 is inserted into the optical fiber 92, and the optical fiber 92 is fixed to the ferrule 10, the assembly shown in FIG. After obtaining, the coil spring 20 and the cable fixing member 30 can be housed and fixed in the first housing member 41 and the second housing member 42. Therefore, the assembly workability is greatly improved as compared with the case where the assembly is advanced in a state where the connector housing is passed through the optical cable in advance.

  Further, the ferrule 10 that holds the optical fiber 92 is accommodated in a third housing member 43 in which a cylindrical ferrule accommodating portion 432 surrounding the body portion 11 of the ferrule 10 is formed. As described above, the cylindrical ferrule housing portion 432 that holds the ferrule 10 is formed in the integrally formed (not divided) third housing member 43 because the ferrule housing portion is temporarily formed by two or more housings. This is because the ferrule may rattle in the ferrule housing part due to play (rattle) of the fitting part of the housing. That is, according to this embodiment, since the rattling of the ferrule 10 in the connector housing 40 is suppressed, the optical cable connector 1 having excellent connection reliability of the optical fiber 92 (low connection loss) can be obtained. .

  Thus, in this embodiment, about the part in which the coil spring 20 and the cable fixing member 30 are accommodated, a housing is divided | segmented into the 1st housing member 41 and the 2nd housing member 42, and the coil spring 20 and the cable are divided. The ease of accommodation of the fixing member 30 (ease of assembly) is ensured. On the other hand, the connection reliability of the optical fiber 92 is ensured by using a third housing member 43 that is an integral part (not divided) for the portion in which the ferrule 10 is accommodated.

  Further, the first housing member 41 is formed with a restricting protrusion 413 that protrudes from the front end thereof and restricts the movement of the ferrule 10 toward the rear end side to a predetermined position. The presence of the regulation protrusion 413 prevents the ferrule 10 from moving more than necessary to the rear end side and the coil spring 20 from being greatly contracted. That is, a decrease in urging force (spring life) due to the coil spring 20 being greatly contracted is suppressed.

  Further, the first housing member 41 and the second housing member 42 are formed with a first fitting protrusion 413 and a second fitting protrusion 422 that protrude from the respective leading ends. Are fitted in a first fitting hole 434 and a second fitting hole 435 formed at the rear end of the third housing member 43. With this configuration, the third housing member 43 prevents the first housing member 41 and the second housing member 42 from being opened. Such a configuration is particularly effective in the present embodiment. As described above, in order to increase the holding force of the cable fixing member 30 by the first housing member 41 and the second housing member 42, the locking projection 414 and the locking hole 421 for connecting the two housings are provided at the rear of the housing. This is because it is formed at a position close to the end (on the side of the fixing member accommodating portion 412).

  In addition, the structure of the 1st housing member 41 becomes simple by combining the control protrusion shown with the code | symbol 413, and the 1st fitting protrusion with the same member like this embodiment.

  Next, the optical cable connector 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The optical cable connector 2 according to the present embodiment is a male connector that fits with a female connector (not shown). The optical cable connector 2 includes two ferrules 50 that hold an optical fiber 93 included in the optical cable 91, a coil spring 60 that is an urging member that urges the ferrule 50 toward the distal end, and a cable fixing for fixing the optical cable 91. A member 70 and a connector housing 80 that accommodates the ferrule 50, the coil spring 60, and the cable fixing member 70 are provided.

  An optical cable 91 attached to the optical cable connector 2 secures the strength of the optical fiber 93 (including one optical fiber 93 for transmission and one for reception in this embodiment) for transmitting an optical signal and the cable. A reinforcing element wire 95 (tensile wire) for preventing disconnection of the optical fiber 93 due to cable bending or the like is covered with a sheath 97. The optical cable 91 connected to the optical cable connector 2 has an optical fiber 93 of a predetermined length exposed from the tip, and the optical fiber 93 of the optical cable 91 attached to each connector by fitting with a male connector (not shown). They are in an optically connected state.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the optical cable connector 2 will be described in detail. The ferrule 50 includes a cylindrical portion 51 on the front end side, a coil spring insertion portion 52 on the rear end side, and a spring stopper 53 provided therebetween. The ferrule 50 is urged toward the distal end side by a coil spring 60 that abuts against a spring stopper 53 having a larger diameter than the coil spring 60. The ferrule 50 is held by the ferrule of the third housing member 83 and the coil spring accommodating portion 832 together with the coil spring 60. Details of the holding structure of the ferrule 50 will be described later.

  The ferrule 50 is formed with two fiber holding holes (not shown) penetrating from the front end surface to the rear end surface. In the fiber holding hole of each ferrule 50, one optical fiber 93 for transmission and reception of the optical cable 91 is fixed. Specifically, after the optical fiber 93 is inserted into each fiber holding hole of the ferrule 50, the optical fiber 93 is fixed to the ferrule 50 with an adhesive or the like. After the optical fiber 93 is fixed in this manner, the front end surface of the ferrule 50 is subjected to a mirror surface treatment in order to increase the close contact with the front end surface of the ferrule accommodated in a mating connector (not shown) and suppress an increase in connection loss. May be.

  The coil spring 60 is passed through the optical fiber 93 exposed for a predetermined length from the tip of the optical cable 91 and is held by the coil spring insertion portion 52 of the ferrule 50. Further, as described above, the tip end of the coil spring 60 is in contact with the spring stopper 53 of the ferrule 50.

  The cable fixing member 70 includes a caulking ring 72 and a stop ring 74. The caulking ring 72 is a cylindrical member having a step formed of, for example, aluminum, and includes a relatively large-diameter reinforcing wire gripping portion 721 and a relatively small-diameter sheath gripping portion 722. The stop ring 74 is a cylindrical member made of, for example, stainless steel or brass.

  These cable fixing members 70 are fixed to the optical cable 91 as follows. The sheath 97 of the optical cable 91 is formed with a slit 971 (cut) having a predetermined length from the distal end side. Through the slit 971, the reinforcing wire 95 is extended to the outside of the sheath 97. The caulking ring 72 is fixed to the outside of the sheath 97 by the sheath gripping part 722. A protrusion that bites into the sheath 97 is formed inside the sheath holding portion 722. The stop ring 74 is fixed to the inside of the reinforcing wire gripping portion 721 of the caulking ring 72 and to the outside of the distal end of the sheath 97 (the portion where the slit 971 is formed). In this way, the reinforcing wire 95 of the optical cable 91 is sandwiched between the inside of the reinforcing wire gripping portion 721 of the caulking ring 72 fixed to the sheath 97 and the outside of the stop ring 74. In addition, it is good to give knurling etc. to the inner side of the reinforcement strand holding | grip part 721 of the crimping ring 72, and the outer side of the stop ring 74, for example so that the reinforcement strand 95 pinched | interposed between these may not come off easily. Further, the optical fiber 93 is passed through the inside of the stop ring 74. In this way, the cable fixing member 70 is fixed to the optical cable 91 in a state where the reinforcing wire 95 is wound.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the connector housing 80 in which the ferrule 50, the coil spring 60, and the cable fixing member 70 are accommodated will be described. The connector housing 80 is mounted on the first housing member 81, the second housing member 82 attached to the first housing member 81, and the first housing member 81 and the second housing member 82 on the front end side. And a third housing member 83.

  The first housing member 81 is formed with a fixed member accommodating portion 812 to which the cable fixing member 70 is fixed. The fixing member housing portion 812 is open toward the outside.

  The fixing member accommodating portion 812 formed on the rear end side of the first housing member 81 is formed in a shape to which the cable fixing member 70 can be attached. That is, the fixing member accommodating portion 812 is formed by connecting recesses having circular cross-sections having different sizes in the axial direction. In the fixing member accommodating portion 812, the reinforcing wire gripping portion 721 of the caulking ring 72 is accommodated in the large-diameter recess on the front end side, and the sheath gripping portion 722 is accommodated in the small-diameter recess on the rear end side.

  The second housing member 82 is attached so as to cover the opening of the fixing member accommodating portion 812 formed in the first housing member 81. The second housing member 82 prevents the cable fixing member 70 (optical cable 91) housed in the fixing member housing portion 812 from falling off. In the present embodiment, the second housing member 82 has a fixing member pressing portion 822 formed in substantially the same shape as the fixing member housing portion 812 so as to face the fixing member housing portion 812 of the first housing member 81. Is formed. The cable fixing member 70 is held so as to be sandwiched between the fixing member accommodating portion 812 of the first housing member 81 and the fixing member pressing portion 822 of the second housing member 82. That is, since the relatively large diameter reinforcing wire gripping portion 721 is hooked on the connector housing 80 on the distal end side relative to the relatively small diameter sheath gripping portion 722, the optical cable 91 can be pulled. The connector housing 80 does not come off.

  The third housing member 83 is attached to the distal end sides of the first housing member 81 and the second housing member 82, and constitutes a fitting portion with a male connector (not shown). The third housing member 83 has a cylindrical ferrule and a coil spring accommodating portion 832 that are square in cross section and are formed inside the cylindrical hood portion (outer wall).

  The ferrule and coil spring accommodating portion 832 holds the ferrule 50 and the coil spring 60 so as to surround the ferrule 50 and the coil spring 60, specifically, the coil spring insertion portion 52 and the spring stopper 53 of the ferrule 50.

  The first housing member 81, the second housing member 82, and the third housing member 83 constituting the connector housing are assembled as follows. Four engaging protrusions 814 are formed on the side surface of the first housing member 81. On the other hand, four engagement holes 821 are formed near the rear end of the second housing member 82. The second housing member 82 is attached to the first housing member 81 by engaging the engaging protrusion 814 of the first housing member 81 in the engaging hole 821 of the second housing member 82. ing.

  On the other hand, the first housing member 83 is provided with a mounting projection 815 at the tip of each of the two shafts protruding from the tip. Further, mounting holes 834 are formed on both side surfaces of the third housing member 81. The first housing member 83 is attached to the third housing member 83 by locking its attachment protrusion 815 in the attachment hole 834 of the third housing member 83.

  Here, in the optical cable connector 2 according to the present embodiment, the second housing member 82 is attached to the first housing member 81 so as not to overlap the third housing member 83 when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the axial direction. It has been. That is, even when the first housing member 81 and the third housing member 83 are assembled, the second housing member 82 can be assembled to the first housing member 81.

  Next, a method for assembling the optical cable connector 2 and the optical cable 91 will be described in detail although partially overlapping with the above description. For the optical cable connector 2 according to the second embodiment, a first assembly method including an assembly process similar to that of the first embodiment can be selected, or a second assembly method different from the first assembly method can be selected. An assembly method can also be selected. Each assembly method will be described below.

  The first assembly method of the optical cable connector 2 and the optical cable 91 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 14 includes a cable fixing member mounting step, a coil spring insertion step, an optical fiber fixing step, a cable fixing step, The housing member assembly process and the third housing member assembly process.

  In the “cable fixing member mounting step”, first, the optical fiber 93 is exposed by peeling the sheath 97 from the tip of the optical cable 91 by a predetermined length. Further, a slit 971 is formed at the distal end of the sheath 97, and the reinforcing wire 95 is put out of the sheath 97 through the slit 971. Next, the sheath gripping portion 722 of the caulking ring 72 is fixed to the outside of the sheath 97. Then, the stop ring 74 is inserted inside the reinforcing element gripping portion 721 of the caulking ring 72, and the reinforcing element of the optical cable 91 is interposed between the inner periphery of the reinforcing element gripping portion 721 of the caulking ring 72 and the outer periphery of the stop ring 74. Line 95 is sandwiched. Thereby, an assembly of the optical cable 91 and the cable fixing member 70 is obtained.

  In the “coil spring insertion process”, the coil springs 60 are inserted from the tips of the two optical fibers 93 exposed (see FIG. 14A).

  In the “optical fiber fixing step”, the ferrule 50 is fixed to the tips of the two optical fibers 93 through which the coil springs 60 are inserted. Specifically, first, the optical fiber 93 is inserted into the fiber holding hole of the ferrule 50. Then, the optical fiber 93 is fixed to the ferrule 50 with an adhesive or the like. When the optical fiber 93 is fixed to the ferrule 50 in this way, an assembly of the optical cable 91, the cable fixing member 70, the ferrule 50, and the coil spring 60 is obtained (see FIG. 14B). In addition, after fixing the optical fiber 93 to the ferrule 50, in order to reduce a connection loss, the front end surface of the ferrule 50 may be subjected to a mirror surface treatment.

  In the “cable fixing step”, the cable fixing member 70 is accommodated (fixed) in the fixing member accommodating portion 812 formed in the first housing member 81. Specifically, the caulking ring 72 that is the cable fixing portion 70 is accommodated so as to be fitted into the fixing member accommodating portion 812 (see FIG. 14C). Thereby, the optical cable 91 is accommodated in the first housing member 81.

  In the “second housing member assembling step”, the second housing member 82 is attached to the upper portion of the first housing member 81 so as to cover the opening of the fixing member accommodating portion 812 in which the cable fixing member 70 is accommodated. To do. Specifically, each of the two engaging protrusions 814 provided on the first housing member 81 is assembled by being engaged with the two engaging holes 821 provided on the second housing member 82 (see FIG. 14 (d)). As a result, the cable fixing member 70 is accommodated in the first housing member 81 and the second housing member 82.

  The “third housing member assembling step” is performed after the “second housing member assembling step”. In the “third housing member assembling step”, the ferrule 50 and the coil spring 60 are accommodated (inserted) from the rear end side of the ferrule and the coil spring accommodating portion 832 formed in the third housing member 83, and the first The three housing members 83 are assembled to the first housing member 81 and the second housing member 82. The third housing member 83 is assembled by locking its mounting hole 834 to the mounting projection 815 of the first housing member 81 (see FIG. 14E). Thereby, the ferrule 50 and the coil spring 60 are accommodated in the connector housing 80.

  The assembly of the optical cable connector 2 and the optical cable 91 using the first procedure is completed through the above steps. Note that such steps are not necessarily performed in the order described above. For example, the order of the “cable fixing process” and the “coil spring housing process” may be changed as appropriate.

  Next, a second assembling method of the optical cable connector 2 and the optical cable 91 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 15 will be described. The second assembling method includes a cable fixing member attaching step, a coil spring insertion step, an optical fiber fixing step, a cable fixing step, a first housing member assembling step, and a second housing member assembling step. Including. Among these, the cable fixing member mounting step, the coil spring insertion step, the optical fiber fixing step, and the cable fixing step (FIGS. 15A to 15C) are the same as the first assembling method, so the explanation is as follows. Omitted.

  In the “first housing member assembling step”, the first housing member 81 is assembled to the third housing member 83. Specifically, the first housing member 81 is moved from the rear end side of the ferrule and coil spring housing portion 832 formed in the third housing member 83 while the ferrule 50 and the coil spring 60 are housed (inserted). The three housing members 83 are assembled. The third housing member 83 is assembled by locking its mounting hole 834 to the mounting projection 815 of the first housing member 81 (see FIG. 15D).

  In the “second housing member assembling step”, the second housing member 82 is attached to the upper portion of the first housing member 81 so as to cover the opening of the fixing member accommodating portion 812 in which the cable fixing member 70 is accommodated. To do. Specifically, each of the two engaging protrusions 814 provided on the first housing member 81 is assembled by being engaged with the two engaging holes 821 provided on the second housing member 82 (see FIG. 15 (e)).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the second housing member 82 is attached to the first housing member 81 so as not to overlap the third housing member 83 when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the axial direction. Therefore, even when the first housing member 81 is attached to the third housing member 83, the second housing member 82 can be attached to the first housing member 81. As a result, the cable fixing member 70 is accommodated in the first housing member 81 and the second housing member 82.

  According to the optical cable connector 2 according to the second embodiment described above, the connector housing 80 is configured in three parts, similarly to the optical cable connector 2 according to the first embodiment. Greatly improved.

Further, when the optical cable 91 and the optical cable connector 2 are assembled, either the first assembly method or the second assembly method described above can be adopted. That is, the second housing member 82 is attached to the first housing member 81 so as not to overlap the third housing member 83 when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the axial direction.
1) Assembling the first housing member 81 and the second housing member 82 as in the first assembling method, and then assembling the third housing member 83 thereto 2) As in the second assembling method The more preferable one of the assembly order of the two connector housings, in which the first housing member 81 and the third housing member 83 are assembled and then the second housing member 82 is assembled to the first housing member 81 is selected. can do. As described above, according to the optical cable connector 2, the assembly order can be changed according to the work method, the work place, and the like, which leads to improvement in work efficiency.

  In the optical cable connector 2 according to the second embodiment, it has been described that the ferrule 50 and the coil spring accommodating portion 832 in which the ferrule 50 and the coil spring 60 are accommodated are formed in the third housing member. Similarly to the optical cable connector 1 according to the embodiment, the first housing member is provided with a coil spring housing portion that houses the coil spring (the coil spring is sandwiched between the first housing member and the second housing member). It is also possible to adopt a configuration that is accommodated as described above. In other words, after assembling the first housing member 81 and the third housing member 83, the second housing member 82 can be assembled to the first housing member 81, as viewed from the direction orthogonal to the axial direction. As long as the second housing member 82 is configured to be attached to the first housing member 81 so as not to overlap the third housing member 83, other configurations can be appropriately changed.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, the optical cable connector 1 according to the above embodiment has been described as being a female connector, but the above technical idea can also be applied to a male connector. Moreover, although the optical cable connector 2 concerning the said embodiment demonstrated that it was a male connector, it is also possible to apply the said technical idea to a female connector.

(First embodiment)
Optical cable connector 1
Ferrule 10
Coil spring 20
Cable fixing member 30
Connector housing 40
First housing member 41
Coil spring housing 411
Fixing member accommodating portion 412
Restriction protrusion 413
First fitting protrusion 413
Second housing member 42
Second fitting protrusion 422
Third housing member 43
Ferrule housing 432
First fitting hole 434
Second fitting hole 435
Optical cable 90
Optical fiber 92
Sheath 96
(Second embodiment)
Optical cable connector 2
Ferrule 50
Coil spring 60
Cable fixing member 70
Connector housing 80
First housing member 81
Fixing member accommodating portion 812
Second housing member 82
Third housing member 83
Ferrule and coil spring housing 832
Optical cable 91
Optical fiber 93

Claims (14)

An optical cable connector in which a ferrule that holds an optical fiber exposed for a predetermined length from the tip of an optical cable, and a coil spring that biases the ferrule toward the tip are disposed in a connector housing,
The connector housing is
A first coil spring housing portion for housing the coil spring, and a fixing member housing portion for housing a cable fixing member fixed to a terminal portion of a sheath covering the optical fiber are formed to open outward. A housing member;
A second housing member that is attached to the first housing member and covers an opening of the coil spring housing portion and the fixing member housing portion;
A third housing member which is attached to the distal end side of the first housing member and the second housing member, and in which a cylindrical ferrule housing portion surrounding the periphery of the ferrule is formed;
An optical cable connector comprising:   2. The optical cable connector according to claim 1, wherein a restriction projection for restricting movement of the ferrule toward the rear end side is formed at a front end of the first housing member.   The first housing member and the second housing member are formed with fitting protrusions protruding from respective leading ends, and these fitting protrusions are openings formed at the rear end of the third housing member. The optical cable connector according to claim 1, wherein the optical cable connector is fitted in a fitting hole.   The optical cable connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a spring locking portion that locks the coil spring is provided at a rear end of the ferrule.   The coil spring locking portion is a recess formed on the rear end surface of the ferrule, and the recess has at least a part of an inner periphery thereof formed to have substantially the same size as the outer shape of the coil spring. The optical cable connector according to claim 4.   In the connector housing, the second housing member is attached to the first housing member so as not to overlap the third housing member when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the axial direction. The optical cable connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5. An optical cable connector in which a ferrule that holds an optical fiber exposed for a predetermined length from the tip of an optical cable, and a coil spring that biases the ferrule toward the tip are disposed in a connector housing,
The connector housing is
A first housing member formed by opening a fixing member accommodating portion that accommodates a cable fixing member fixed to a terminal portion of a sheath covering the optical fiber;
A second housing member that is attached to the first housing member and covers an opening of the coil spring housing portion and the fixing member housing portion;
A third housing member which is attached to the distal end side of the first housing member and the second housing member, and in which a cylindrical ferrule and a coil spring housing portion surrounding the ferrule and the coil spring are formed;
An optical cable connector comprising:   In the connector housing, the second housing member is attached to the first housing member so as not to overlap the third housing member when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the axial direction. The optical cable connector according to claim 7. A cable fixing member mounting step of exposing the optical fiber by peeling the sheath of the optical cable from the tip by a predetermined length, and mounting a cable fixing member on the terminal portion of the sheath;
A coil spring insertion step of inserting a coil spring into the optical fiber exposed on the tip side of the optical cable;
An optical fiber fixing step of holding a ferrule at the tip of the optical fiber through which the coil spring is inserted;
A cable fixing step of fixing the cable fixing member to a fixing member accommodating portion formed in the first housing member by opening toward the outside;
A coil spring housing step for housing the coil spring in a coil spring housing portion that opens toward the outside and is formed in the first housing member;
A second housing member is attached to the first housing member so as to cover the opening of the fixing member housing portion to which the cable fixing member is secured and the coil spring housing portion in which the coil spring is housed. The housing member assembly process of
After the second housing member assembling step, the ferrule is housed in a cylindrical ferrule housing portion formed in the third housing member, and the third housing member is replaced with the first housing member and the A third housing member assembling step for assembling to the second housing member;
An optical cable connector and a method for assembling the optical cable.   The method of assembling the optical cable connector and the optical cable according to claim 9, wherein a restriction projection for restricting movement of the ferrule toward the rear end side is formed at a front end of the first housing member. The first housing member and the second housing member are formed with fitting protrusions protruding from respective tips.
11. In the third housing member assembling step, these fitting protrusions are fitted into fitting holes which are openings formed at the rear end of the third housing member. A method of assembling the optical cable connector and the optical cable.   A spring locking portion for locking the coil spring is provided at a rear end of the ferrule, and includes a coil spring locking step for locking the coil spring to the coil spring locking portion after the ferrule mounting step. The method of assembling an optical cable connector and an optical cable according to any one of claims 9 to 11.   The coil spring locking portion is a recess formed on the rear end surface of the ferrule, and the recess has at least a part of an inner periphery thereof formed to have substantially the same size as the outer shape of the coil spring. The method of assembling an optical cable connector and an optical cable according to claim 12. A cable fixing member mounting step of exposing the optical fiber by peeling the sheath of the optical cable from the tip by a predetermined length, and mounting a cable fixing member on the terminal portion of the sheath;
A coil spring insertion step of inserting a coil spring into the optical fiber exposed on the tip side of the optical cable;
An optical fiber fixing step of holding a ferrule at the tip of the optical fiber through which the coil spring is inserted;
A cable fixing step of fixing the cable fixing member to a fixing member accommodating portion formed in the first housing member by opening toward the outside;
A first housing member assembling step of housing the ferrule in a cylindrical ferrule and a coil spring housing portion formed in the third housing member, and assembling the first housing member to the third housing member; ,
After the first housing member assembling step, a second housing in which the second housing member is attached to the first housing member so as to cover the opening of the fixing member housing portion to which the cable fixing member is fixed. A member assembly process;
An optical cable connector and a method for assembling the optical cable.

Images