Patent Application
20140037249
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to connectors, particularly to an optical fiber connector.
2. Description of Related Art
Optical fiber connectors mechanically couple and align the cores of fibers so that light can pass through. An LC connector is a small form factor fiber optic connector. The LC connector may comprise a front housing, a rear housing sleeved on the front housing, and a boot fastened to an end of the rearing housing away from the front housing. To cut down on a length of the LC connector, the length of the boot becomes shorter and shorter. As a result, the protective function of the boot on a cable received in the LC connector becomes weakened or inadequate.
Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.
Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the optical fiber connector. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment.
The fixing portion 14 axially defines an inserting hole 142 communicating with the receiving hole 122, and forms a threaded portion 144 on the outer surface of the fixing portion 14. In the illustrated embodiment, a diameter of the inserting hole 142 is smaller than a diameter of the receiving hole 122. A resisting portion 16 (as shown in
The rear housing 20, is an integrally formed, substantially hollow cylinder, and is made of plastic material. The rear housing 20 comprises a main body 22 and an elastic portion 24 extending from an end of the main body 22. The main body 22 forms an elastic arm 222 extending from the outer surface of the main body 22 adjacent to the elastic portion 24. The main body 22 defines two latching holes 224 in the side surfaces of the main body 22 corresponding to the two latching protrusions 126 of the base portion 12. The two latching protrusions 126 are located at opposite sides of the elastic arm 222 and away from the elastic portion 24. The elastic portion 24 is a substantially hollow cylinder. In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic portion 24 is carved to be spiral to increase the elasticity of the elastic portion 24. When the cable is fastened in the optical fiber connector 200, the elastic portion 24 is sleeved on the cable to protect the optical fiber of the cable from being fractured or damaged. In alternative embodiments, the elastic portion 24 can be a reticular.
The fiber joining assembly 30 comprises a fixing member 32, an optical fiber ferrule 34 fixed to an end of the fixing member 32, and an elastic member 36 sleeved on the fixing member 32. The fixing member 32 is substantially cylindrical. The fixing member 32 comprises a shoulder 322 and a latching portion 324 extending from the outer surface of the fixing member 32. The shoulder 322 and the latching portion 324 are located at opposite ends of the fixing member 32. In the illustrated embodiment, the shoulder 322 is configured to be received in the receiving hole 122 of the front housing 10. The shoulder 322 comprises four outer surfaces (not labeled) corresponding to the four inner sidewalls of the front housing 10. Two opposite outer surfaces of the shoulder 322 are substantially planar, and the other two opposite outer surfaces thereof are substantially arcuate. When the shoulder 322 is received in the receiving hole 122 of the front housing 10, the shoulder 322 cannot be rotated. In an alternative embodiment, the shoulder 322 can have one or more than two rectangular outer surfaces, and the front housing 10 has the same number of the planar inner sidewalls, correspondingly.
The latching portion 324 forms a guiding surface 3242 at an end of the latching portion 324 away from the shoulder 322 for facilitating the insertion of the fixing member 32 into the inserting hole 142. In the illustrated embodiment, the guiding surface 3242 is a conical surface. A diameter of the conical surface of the guiding surface 3242 gradually decreases from one end of the conical surface adjacent to the shoulder 322 to the other end thereof. The elastic member 36 is a coil spring sleeved on the fixing portion 32.
In the illustrated embodiment, the supporting member 40 is made of magnesium alloy. In other embodiments, the supporting member 40 can be made of aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or other metallic materials. The supporting member 40 comprises a cylindrical portion 42 and a flange 44 formed at an end of the cylindrical portion 42. An outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 42 is substantially the same as a diameter of the inserting hole 142. The cylindrical portion 42 is capable of inserting into the inserting hole 142 for supporting the fixing portion 14. The cylindrical portion 42 is applied for enhancing the mechanical strength of the fixing portion 14. The flange 44 is applied for latching with the fixing portion 14 when the cylindrical portion 42 is inserted into the fixing portion 14. In alternative embodiments, the flange 44 can be omitted, or the supporting member 40 can be omitted.
The fastening sleeve 50 is made of plastic materials, and is sleeved on the threaded portion 144 of the fixing portion 14. In an alternative embodiment, the threaded portion 144 can be omitted.
The boot 60 is made of plastic materials, and is sleeved on an end of the fastening sleeve 50 away from the fixing portion 14 of the front housing 10. In an alternative embodiment, the fastening sleeve 50 can be omitted, and the boot 60 is sleeved on the fixing portion 14 of the front housing 10.
In assembly, the fiber joining assembly 30 is non-rotatably received in the receiving hole 122 of the front housing 10 with the latching portion 324 of the fixing member 32 latching with the latching protrusion 162 of the front housing 10. One end of the elastic member 36 resists against the shoulder 322 of the fixing member 32, and the other end of the elastic member 36 resists against the resisting portion 16 of the front housing 10. The cylindrical portion 42 of the supporting member 40 is inserted into the inserting hole 142 of the fixing portion 14. The fastening sleeve 50 is sleeved on the threaded portion 144 of the fixing portion 14. The boot 60 is sleeved on an end of the fastening sleeve 50 away from the fixing portion 14 of the front housing 10. The rear housing 20 is sleeved on the front housing 10 via the fixing portion 14 with the two latching protrusions 126 of the front housing 10 engaging with the two latching holes 224 of the rear housing 20 correspondingly.
Since the boot 60 is not required to be shortened, the protective function of the boot 60 on the cable received in the optical fiber connector 200 is not weaken, diminished or compromised, and an optical fiber of the cable received in the optical fiber connector 200 is not prone to be fractured. The fixing portion 14 is formed on an end of the front housing 10 and is received in the rear housing 20, which decreases a distance between the fixing portion 14 and the optical fiber ferrule 34, and the optical fiber connector 200 is shortened.
The present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments or sacrificing all of its material advantages.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012102748179 | Aug 2012 | CN | national |
