Optical fiber connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9448368-B2
Application number	US-201514678561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2015
Priority date	Jul 25, 2014
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an optical fiber connector for holding an optical fiber. The optical fiber connector includes a core and a cladding layer surrounding the core. The optical fiber connector includes an optical fiber holding apparatus, a ferrule unit, and a housing connecting to the optical fiber holding apparatus and the ferrule unit. The optical fiber holding apparatus includes a holding member with a first holding portion and a second holding portion. One of the first holding portion and the second holding portion includes at least one positioning pillar, and the other holding portion defines at least one positioning hole corresponding to the positioning pillar. The positioning pillar is configured to wind the clad strips locking the first holding portion and the second holding portion cooperatively to the optical fiber, and the positioning pillar is engaged with the positioning hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical fiber connector used for holding an optical fiber, comprising:
an optical fiber holding apparatus which includes a holding member;
a ferrule unit; and
a housing which connects respectively the optical fiber holding apparatus and the ferrule unit, wherein the holding member includes a first holding portion and a second holding portion, one of the first holding portion and the second holding portion has at least one positioning pillar, and another one of the first holding portion and the second holding portion has at least one positioning hole, the first holding portion and the second holding portion cooperatively lock the optical fiber by engaging the positioning pillar with the positioning hole; and both of the first holding portion and the second holding portion comprise a first connecting end to connect with the securing cover, and a second connecting end to connect with the housing; and
wherein the first holding portion comprises a first mating surface toward the second holding portion and the first mating surface defines a first installation groove; the second holding portion comprises a second mating surface toward the first holding portion and the second mating surface defines a second installation groove, both the first installation groove and the second installation groove comprise a first groove portion, a second groove portion, and a third groove portion; the first groove portion is near the first connecting end and the third groove portion is near the second connecting end, the second groove portion is located between the first groove portion and the third groove portion, the size of the first groove portion is larger than the sizes of the second groove portion and the third groove portion, and the size of the second groove portion is larger than the size of the third groove portion, the first groove portion, the second groove portion, and the third groove portion being used to install different sizes of optical fibers.

2. The optical fiber connector of claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber holding apparatus comprises a securing cover which is connected to the holding member to fasten the first holding portion and the second hold portion.

3. The optical fiber connector of claim 1 , wherein an external thread is formed on the peripheral side of the first connecting end, and an internal thread is formed on the inside of the securing cover to engage with the external thread.

4. The optical fiber connector of the claim 1 , wherein at least one protruding block is formed on the second connecting end of the holding member, and at least one slot is formed on the housing corresponding to the at least one protruding block, the at least one protruding block is inserted into the corresponding slot to fasten the holding member with the housing.

5. The optical fiber connector of the claim 1 , wherein a plurality of first fastening ribs are formed on a bottom of the first groove portion, the first fastening ribs are used to engage the cladding layer of the optical fiber.

6. The optical fiber connector of the claim 5 , wherein the first fastening ribs are substantially parallel, and are arranged along the direction from the first connecting end to the second connecting end.

7. The optical fiber connector of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a front housing and a rear housing being connected to the front housing, the inside of the front housing comprises a first receiving portion, the rear housing is substantially a square sleeve shape and the inside of the rear housing comprises a second receiving portion communicating with the first receiving portion, the second receiving portion being configured for receiving the optical fiber holding apparatus.

8. The optical fiber connector of claim 7 , wherein the ferrule unit comprises a ferrule, a ferrule holding member, and an elastic member, the ferrule holding member includes a first end and a second end connected to the first end, the ferrule holding member has a through hole penetrating from the end surface of the first end to the end surface of the second end, one end of the ferrule inserts into the through hole from the first end, and the ferrule is fixed inside the through hole, another end of the ferrule is exposed to the surface outside of the first end.

9. The optical fiber connector of claim 8 , wherein the elastic member is located on the second end of the ferrule holding member, and another end of the elastic member extends along the direction from the second end to the first end for a predetermined distance.

10. The optical fiber connector of claim 9 , wherein the rear housing comprises a disassembly slot, the disassembly slot includes a first slot portion near the front housing, and a second slot portion communicating with the first slot portion away from the front housing.

11. The optical fiber connector of claim 10 , wherein the width of the second slot portion is larger than that of the first slot portion.

12. The optical fiber connector of claim 11 , wherein further comprises a protection shell being sleeved on the front housing, and the protection shell is substantially a rectangular sleeve shape.

Assignees

• Hong Fu Jin Prec Ind (Shenzhen) Co Ltd
• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wei Le-Peng
• Li zhi-ming

Classifications

• G02B6/3825

  with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs · CPC title

• G02B6/3881

  using grooves to align ferrule ends · CPC title

• G02B6/245

  Removing protective coverings of light guides before coupling · CPC title

• G02B6/3887 Primary

  Anchoring optical cables to connector housings, e.g. strain relief features · CPC title

• G02B6/3869 Primary

  Mounting ferrules to connector body, i.e. plugs · CPC title