阅读说明：本技术 连接器 (Connector with a locking member ) 是由 津田纮一 清水裕介 伊藤聪 于 2020-02-25 设计创作，主要内容包括：连接器(1)具有光纤(5)和壳体(3)。连接器(1)将从光纤(5)输入的光信号转换为电信号并输出电信号,或者将输入的电信号转换为光信号并将光信号向光纤(5)输出。壳体(3)具有供光纤(5)插入的壳体壁。后壁(9)具有上端部(11)和下端部(12),该上端部(11)和下端部(12)以使光纤(5)介于它们之间的方式彼此隔有间隔地相对配置。壳体(3)具有沿着光纤(5)所沿的前后方向从上端部(11)突出的上突出壁(15)和沿着前后方向从下端部(12)突出的下突出壁(16)。在上突出壁(15)的上自由端部(18)与下突出壁(16)的下自由端部(19)之间划分出供经过它们之间的光纤(5)在宽度方向上移动自如的第1空间(26)。(The connector (1) has an optical fiber (5) and a housing (3). The connector (1) converts an optical signal input from an optical fiber (5) into an electrical signal and outputs the electrical signal, or converts an input electrical signal into an optical signal and outputs the optical signal to the optical fiber (5). The housing (3) has a housing wall into which the optical fiber (5) is inserted. The rear wall (9) has an upper end portion (11) and a lower end portion (12), and the upper end portion (11) and the lower end portion (12) are arranged opposite to each other with a space therebetween so that the optical fiber (5) is interposed therebetween. The housing (3) has an upper protruding wall (15) protruding from the upper end (11) in the front-rear direction along which the optical fiber (5) extends, and a lower protruding wall (16) protruding from the lower end (12) in the front-rear direction. A1 st space (26) through which the optical fiber (5) passing between the upper free end portion (18) of the upper protruding wall (15) and the lower free end portion (19) of the lower protruding wall (16) can move in the width direction is defined between the upper free end portion and the lower free end portion.)

1. A connector having an optical fiber and a housing accommodating therein one end edge in a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber, for converting an optical signal input from the optical fiber into an electrical signal and outputting the electrical signal, or converting an input electrical signal into an optical signal and outputting the optical signal to the optical fiber,

the housing has a housing wall into which the optical fiber is inserted,

the housing wall has a 1 st end and a 2 nd end, the 1 st end and the 2 nd end being disposed opposite to each other with a space therebetween with the optical fiber interposed therebetween,

the housing further has:

a 1 st wall, the 1 st wall protruding from the 1 st end in a direction of the optical fiber away from the housing wall; and

a 2 nd wall protruding from the 2 nd end portion in the direction of the distance,

a space is defined between the free end of the 1 st wall in the projecting direction and the free end of the 2 nd wall in the projecting direction, the space allowing the optical fiber passing therebetween to move freely in orthogonal directions orthogonal to both a direction of opposition to the 1 st wall and the 2 nd wall and a direction of projection of the 1 st wall and the 2 nd wall.

2. The connector of claim 1,

the connector further has a printed wiring board connected to the one end edge in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber and mounted with a photoelectric conversion member in the housing,

the printed wiring board is arranged along the orthogonal direction.

3. The connector of claim 2,

the connector further has a terminal connected to the printed wiring board and capable of inputting and outputting the electric signal,

the terminal protrudes from the housing in a direction opposite to the protruding direction,

the dimension of the orthogonal direction of the terminal is larger than the dimension of the opposite direction of the terminal.

4. The connector of claim 1,

the connector further has:

a 3 rd wall connecting one end in the orthogonal direction of the 1 st wall and one end in the orthogonal direction of the 2 nd wall; and

and a 4 th wall connecting the other end in the direction orthogonal to the 1 st wall and the other end in the direction orthogonal to the 2 nd wall.

5. The connector of claim 4,

the 1 st wall and/or the 2 nd wall have a through hole penetrating in a thickness direction.

6. The connector of claim 5,

the periphery defining the through-hole includes a downstream end edge in the protruding direction,

the projection direction downstream side end edge has a substantially straight shape along the orthogonal direction.

7. The connector of claim 4,

the 1 st wall and/or the 2 nd wall have a recess that is recessed from an outer side surface in the opposing direction toward an inner side.

8. The connector of claim 7,

the periphery defining the recess includes a downstream end edge in the protruding direction,

the projection direction downstream side end edge has a substantially straight shape along the orthogonal direction.

9. The connector of claim 1,

the 1 st wall and the 2 nd wall have a flexural modulus of elasticity of 3GPa or more at 25 ℃.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a connector.

Background

A connector having an optical fiber and a housing for accommodating a distal end thereof is known.

For example, a connector having a box-shaped housing and an optical fiber inserted into a circular hole of the housing has been proposed (for example, see patent document 1). There has also been proposed a connector having the above-described configuration and into which a connector Active Optical Cable (AOC) that performs photoelectric conversion within the connector is inserted (see, for example, patent document 1).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 6078667

Patent document 2: japanese Kohyo Table 2015-511334

Patent document 3: japanese table 2015-502574

Patent document 4: japanese patent No. 6399365

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the connectors described in patent documents 1 to 4, since the optical fiber is constrained by the round hole of the cable, if an external force acts on the optical fiber, the optical fiber is damaged, and further, the transmission reliability of the optical signal in the connector is largely impaired.

The invention provides a connector capable of inhibiting damage of an optical fiber.

Means for solving the problems

The present invention (1) includes a connector having an optical fiber and a housing accommodating therein one longitudinal end edge of the optical fiber, for converting an optical signal input from the optical fiber into an electrical signal and outputting the electrical signal, or converting an input electrical signal into an optical signal and outputting the optical signal to the optical fiber, wherein the housing has a housing wall into which the optical fiber is inserted, the housing wall having a 1 st end portion and a 2 nd end portion, the 1 st end portion and the 2 nd end portion being disposed opposite to each other with a space therebetween, the housing further having: a 1 st wall, the 1 st wall protruding from the 1 st end in a direction of the optical fiber away from the housing wall; and a 2 nd wall projecting from the 2 nd end portion in the direction of the distance, a space for allowing the optical fiber passing therethrough to move freely in an orthogonal direction, which is a direction orthogonal to both a relative direction in which the 1 st wall and the 2 nd wall are opposed and a projecting direction of the 1 st wall and the 2 nd wall, is defined between a projecting direction free end portion of the 1 st wall and a projecting direction free end portion of the 2 nd wall.

In this connector, even if an external force acts from the outside in the opposing direction, damage to the optical fiber can be suppressed by the 1 st wall and the 2 nd wall protruding from the 1 st end and the 2 nd end, the 1 st end and the 2 nd end opposing each other with the optical fiber interposed therebetween.

On the other hand, since the free end portions of the 1 st wall and the 2 nd wall allow the optical fiber to move in the orthogonal direction, the constraint of the optical fiber by the 1 st wall and the 2 nd wall is relaxed.

Therefore, damage to the optical fiber can be suppressed by relaxing the constraint of the optical fiber by the 1 st wall and the 2 nd wall, and damage to the optical fiber due to an external force from the outside in the opposite direction can be suppressed.

The present invention (2) includes the connector according to (1), wherein the connector further includes a printed wiring board to which one end edge in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber is connected and on which a photoelectric conversion member is mounted, in the housing, and the printed wiring board is arranged along the orthogonal direction.

In this connector, although the optical fiber is allowed to move in the direction along which the printed wiring board is to be laid, the movement of the optical fiber in the opposite direction is restricted. Therefore, the peeling of the one end edge in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber from the printed wiring board can be suppressed.

The present invention (3) includes the connector according to (2), wherein the connector further includes a terminal that is connected to the printed wiring board and is capable of inputting and outputting the electric signal, the terminal protrudes from the housing in a direction opposite to the protruding direction, and a dimension of the terminal in the orthogonal direction is larger than a dimension of the terminal in the opposite direction.

When such a terminal is inserted into an electronic device, the housing and the optical fiber are easily moved in the relative direction, but in this connector, the 1 st wall and the 2 nd wall can be suppressed from moving in the relative direction of the optical fiber, and therefore, damage to the optical fiber can be further suppressed.

The present invention (4) includes the connector according to any one of (1) to (3), further including: a 3 rd wall connecting one end in the orthogonal direction of the 1 st wall and one end in the orthogonal direction of the 2 nd wall; and a 4 th wall connecting the other end in the direction orthogonal to the 1 st wall and the other end in the direction orthogonal to the 2 nd wall.

In this connector, the 3 rd wall and the 4 th wall can suppress damage to the optical fiber due to an external force from the outside in the orthogonal direction.

The invention (5) includes the connector according to (4), wherein the 1 st wall and/or the 2 nd wall has a through hole penetrating in a thickness direction.

In this connector, the user can reliably move the housing in the longitudinal direction by pinching the 3 rd wall and the 4 th wall with two fingers and putting the other fingers into the through-holes.

The invention (6) includes the connector according to (5), wherein a peripheral edge defining the through hole includes a projecting direction downstream side edge having a substantially straight shape along the orthogonal direction.

When a finger is hooked on the edge on the downstream side in the protruding direction and a force is applied to the downstream side in the protruding direction, the force applied in the pulling direction can be increased, and the terminal can be pulled out smoothly from the electronic device.

The invention (7) includes the connector according to (4), wherein the 1 st wall and/or the 2 nd wall has a recess that is recessed from an outer side surface of the opposing direction toward an inner side.

In this connector, the user can hold the 3 rd wall and the 4 th wall with two fingers and put other fingers into the recess, so that the housing can be reliably moved in the longitudinal direction.

The invention (8) includes the connector according to (7), wherein a peripheral edge defining the recess includes a projecting direction downstream side edge having a substantially straight shape along the orthogonal direction.

When a finger is hooked on the edge on the downstream side in the protruding direction and a force is applied to the downstream side in the protruding direction, the force applied in the pulling direction can be increased, and the terminal can be pulled out smoothly from the electronic device.

The invention (9) includes the connector according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the bending elastic modulus of the 1 st wall and the 2 nd wall at 25 ℃ is 3GPa or more.

In this connector, since the bending elastic modulus is high and 3GPa or more, damage to the optical fiber due to an external force from the outside in the opposing direction can be more reliably suppressed.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

The connector of the present invention can suppress damage to an optical fiber.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a connector according to the present invention.

Fig. 2A to 2D show the connector shown in fig. 1, fig. 2A shows a side view as viewed from a, fig. 2B shows a side sectional view taken along line B-B, fig. 2C shows a rear view as viewed from C, and fig. 2D shows a front view as viewed from D.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connector shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4A and 4B show insertion and extraction of the terminal, fig. 4A shows a state where the terminal is inserted into the notebook computer, and fig. 4B shows a state where the terminal is extracted from the notebook computer.

Fig. 5A and 5B show a modification of the connector shown in fig. 1 and 2B (an embodiment in which the 1 st wall has the 1 st recess and the 2 nd wall has the 2 nd recess), fig. 5A shows an enlarged perspective view, and fig. 5B shows a side sectional view.

Detailed Description

< one embodiment >

An embodiment of a connector according to the present invention is described with reference to fig. 1 to 3.

The front-rear direction depicted in fig. 1 to 3 is an example of a direction in which the optical fiber 5 (described later, and the following description of the members in this section is also described later) is separated from the rear wall 9 and a direction opposite to the direction.

The vertical direction shown in fig. 1 to 3 is an example of a relative direction in which the upper projecting wall 15 and the lower projecting wall 16 face each other. The width direction shown in fig. 1 to 3 is an example of a direction orthogonal to both the separation direction and the opposing direction. Specifically, each direction is based on each direction depicted in fig. 1 to 3.

The connector 1 can convert an optical signal input from an optical fiber 5 described later into an electrical signal and output the electrical signal to a terminal 31 described later, or can convert an electrical signal input to the terminal 31 into an optical signal and output the optical signal to the optical fiber 5. The connector 1 includes an optical fiber cable 2, a housing 3, and a printed wiring board 50.

The optical fiber cable 2 has a shape extending in the longitudinal direction. The optical fiber cable 2 is shown in fig. 2B and 2C, and has an optical fiber 5 and a sheath 6.

The optical fiber 5 extends in a longitudinal direction, and has a substantially circular shape in cross section, for example. Examples of the material of the optical fiber 5 include resins such as acrylic resin and epoxy resin, ceramics such as glass, and transparent materials. The transparent material is preferably a resin from the viewpoint of flexibility.

The sheath 6 covers the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 5, and has a substantially annular (ring) shape in a cross-sectional view, for example. Specifically, the jacket 6 has a substantially cylindrical shape having a common axis with the optical fiber 5. Examples of the material of the sheath 6 include a flexible material such as a resin (polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, or the like). The flexural elastic modulus of the sheath 6 at 25 ℃ is lower than the flexural elastic modulus of the upper projecting wall 15 and the lower projecting wall 16 at 25 ℃ described later, and specifically, is, for example, 2.5GPa or less, preferably 1GPa or less, more preferably 0.11GPa or less, and further, for example, 0.0001GPa or more.

In addition, as shown in fig. 2B and 3, the optical fiber cable 2 has a covering portion 46 and an exposed portion 32 in this order in the length direction.

In the covering portion 46, the above-described jacket 6 covers the optical fiber 5. That is, the covering portion 46 contains the optical fiber 5 and the jacket 6.

On the other hand, in the exposed portion 32, the jacket 6 is removed, whereby the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 5 is exposed. That is, the exposed portion 32 does not contain the jacket 6, but only the optical fiber 5. The exposed portion 32 includes a distal end edge 90 as an example of one end edge in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber 5.

The size of the optical fiber cable 2 is appropriately set according to the use and purpose, and the maximum length (specifically, the diameter) D of the covering portion 46 in the cross section is, for example, 1mm or more, preferably 2mm or more, and is, for example, 10mm or less, preferably 6mm or less.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the case 3 includes a housing portion 7, a protruding portion 8, and a protection portion 30.

The receiving portion 7 receives the distal end edge 90 of the optical fiber 5 therein. The housing 7 has a box shape, and specifically, integrally includes 6 housing walls including a rear wall 9, a front wall 10, an upper wall 14, a lower wall 20, and two side walls 70.

The rear wall 9 has a substantially rectangular plate shape. Specifically, the rear wall 9 has an upper end portion 11 as an example of a 1 st end portion and a lower end portion 12 as an example of a 2 nd end portion which are disposed to face each other with a gap therebetween, and both side end portions 37, and the both side end portions 37 connect one end portions in a direction in which the upper end portion 11 and the lower end portion 12 extend to each other and connect the other end portions in a direction in which the upper end portion 11 and the lower end portion 12 extend to each other. The rear wall 9 has an insertion hole 4 penetrating the rear wall 9 in the thickness direction (corresponding to the front-rear direction).

The insertion hole 4 is interposed between the upper end portion 11 and the lower end portion 12. The insertion holes 4 are formed in the front-rear direction central portion and the width direction central portion of the rear wall 9. The insertion hole 4 has a substantially circular shape. The insertion hole 4 has a size corresponding to that of the optical fiber cable 2 (the covering portion 46), and more specifically, has the same size.

As shown in fig. 2D, the front wall 10 has a substantially rectangular frame plate shape. As shown in fig. 2B, the front wall 10 is disposed opposite to the rear wall 9 with a gap therebetween on the front side of the rear wall 9. The front wall 10 has terminal insertion holes 13 into which terminals 31 to be described later are inserted.

As shown in fig. 1, the upper wall 14 has a substantially rectangular plate shape. As shown in fig. 2B, the upper wall 14 connects the upper end 11 of the rear wall 9 and the upper end of the front wall 10 in the front-rear direction.

The bottom wall 20 is disposed opposite to the upper wall 14 with a space therebetween below the upper wall 14. The bottom wall 20 has a substantially rectangular plate shape. The bottom wall 20 connects the lower end 12 of the rear wall 9 and the lower end of the front wall 10 in the front-rear direction.

The two side walls 70 each have a substantially rectangular plate shape. One of the two side walls 70 connects one widthwise end portion of the upper wall 14 and one widthwise end portion of the bottom wall 20. The other of the two side walls 70 connects the other end in the width direction of the upper wall 14 and the other end in the width direction of the bottom wall 20.

The housing 3 has a flat box shape in which the width direction dimensions of the upper wall 14 and the bottom wall 20 are larger than the vertical direction dimensions of the both side walls 70.

The protruding portion 8 protrudes from the rear wall 9 toward the rear side (an example of a direction away from the rear wall 9). Specifically, the protrusion 8 independently has an upper protrusion wall 15 as an example of a 1 st wall protruding rearward from the upper end 11 of the rear wall 9 and a lower protrusion wall 16 as an example of a 2 nd wall protruding rearward from the lower end 12 of the rear wall 9.

The upper projecting wall 15 has a substantially rectangular plate shape having one side in common with the upper end portion 11 of the rear wall 9.

The upper projecting wall 15 has an upper through hole 43 penetrating through the thickness direction (corresponding to the vertical direction). The upper through hole 43 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view extending from the widthwise center portion of the upper end portion 11 of the rear wall 9 to the longitudinal center portion of the upper projecting wall 15. In addition, 4 corners of the upper through hole 43 have a substantially curved shape in plan view. The upper projecting wall 15 integrally has an upper free end portion 18 defined by the upper through hole 43 and upper both-side projecting edges 21.

The upper free end portion 18 is disposed at a distance (a distance at which the upper through hole 43 is formed) from the upper end portion 11 of the rear wall 9 on the rear side of the upper end portion 11. The upper free end portion 18 has a strip shape extending in the width direction. Both width-direction end portions (rear end edges) of the upper free end portion 18 each have a substantially curved shape in plan view.

The upper both side projecting edges 21 sandwich the upper through hole 43 in the width direction. The upper both-side projecting edges 21 extend rearward from both widthwise end portions of the upper end portion 11, respectively, and reach both widthwise end portions of the upper free end portion 18, respectively.

The peripheral edge (inner peripheral edge) defining the upper through hole 43 includes a 1 st rear end edge 35 as an example of an edge on the downstream side in the protruding direction. The 1 st rear end edge 35 has a substantially linear shape along the width direction.

The lower projecting wall 16 is disposed opposite to the upper projecting wall 15 with a space therebetween below the upper projecting wall 15. In addition, the lower projecting wall 16 has a shape surface-symmetrical to the upper projecting wall 15 with respect to an imaginary plane passing through the center of the insertion hole 4 and along the front-rear direction and the width direction.

Specifically, the lower projecting wall 16 has a substantially rectangular plate shape having one side in common with the lower end portion 12 of the rear wall 9.

The lower projecting wall 16 has a lower through hole 44 penetrating through the thickness direction (corresponding to the vertical direction). The lower through hole 44 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view extending from the widthwise central portion of the lower end portion 12 of the rear wall 9 to the longitudinal central portion of the lower projecting wall 16. Further, 4 corners of the lower through hole 44 have a substantially curved shape in plan view. The lower projecting wall 16 integrally has a lower free end portion 19 defined by a lower through hole 44 and a lower both-side projecting edge 23.

The lower free end portion 19 is disposed at a distance (a distance at which the lower through hole 44 is formed) from the lower end portion 12 of the rear wall 9 on the rear side of the lower end portion 12. The lower free end portion 19 has a strip shape extending in the width direction. Both widthwise end portions (rear end edges) of the lower free end portion 19 each have a substantially curved shape in plan view.

The lower both side projecting edges 23 sandwich the lower through hole 44 in the width direction. The lower both-side projecting edges 23 extend rearward from both ends in the width direction of the lower end portion 12, respectively, and reach both ends in the width direction of the lower free end portion 19, respectively.

The peripheral edge (inner peripheral edge) defining the lower through hole 44 includes the 2 nd rear end edge 36 as an example of the edge on the downstream side in the protruding direction. The 2 nd rear end edge 36 has a substantially linear shape along the width direction.

Between the upper free end 18 of the upper projecting wall 15 and the lower free end 19 of the lower projecting wall 16, a 1 st space 26 is defined in which the optical fiber cable 2 passing therebetween is movable in the width direction (an example of an orthogonal direction orthogonal to both the opposing direction of the upper projecting wall 15 and the lower projecting wall 16 and the projecting direction of the upper projecting wall 15 and the lower projecting wall 16).

The length L0 in the vertical direction of the 1 st space 26 (the distance between the upper projecting wall 15 and the lower projecting wall 16 in the opposing direction) is the distance between the upper free end portion 18 and the lower free end portion 19, and specifically, is, for example, 3mm or more, preferably 5mm or more, and, for example, 10mm or less, preferably 8mm or less.

The ratio of the maximum length D of the optical fiber cable 2 in cross section to the vertical length L0 of the 1 st space 26 (D/L0) is, for example, less than 1, preferably 0.8 or less, more preferably 0.6 or less, and 0.1 or more, preferably 0.3 or more.

The protector 30 has a 3 rd wall 33 connecting the upper both-side projecting edge 21 on one side in the width direction and the lower both-side projecting edge 23 on one side in the width direction, and a 4 th wall 34 connecting the upper both-side projecting edge 21 on the other side in the width direction and the lower both-side projecting edge 23 on the other side in the width direction, independently.

The 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34 each have a substantially rectangular plate shape extending rearward from both side end portions 37 of the rear wall 9, respectively. Specifically, the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34 are plane-symmetrical with respect to an imaginary plane passing through the center of the insertion hole 4 and along the front-rear direction and the up-down direction. The projecting end portions (rear end portions) of the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34 are positioned on the front side (base end side) of the upper free end portion 18 and the lower free end portion 19.

Thus, in a cross-sectional view along the up-down direction and the width direction and overlapping the upper free end portion 18 and the lower free end portion 19, the 1 st space 26 is divided by the upper free end portion 18 and the lower free end portion 19 (in detail, the upper end edge and the lower end edge of the 1 st space 26 are closed by the upper free end portion 18 and the lower free end portion 19), and on the other hand, both sides in the width direction of the 1 st space 26 communicate with the outside, respectively.

In contrast, in a cross-sectional view along the up-down direction and the width direction and overlapping with the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34, the 2 nd space 27 located on the front side of the 1 st space 26 is divided by the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34 (in detail, both width-direction end edges of the 2 nd space 27 are closed by the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34). The upper and lower sides of the 2 nd space 27 communicate with the outside (are open) via the upper through hole 43 and the lower through hole 44, respectively. The 2 nd space 27 communicates with the 1 st space 26 in the front-rear direction.

The portion of the optical fiber cable 2 in the protruding portion 8 corresponding to the 1 st space 26 is sandwiched between the upper free end portion 18 and the lower free end portion 19 in the vertical direction. The portion of the optical fiber cable 2 in the protruding portion 8 corresponding to the 2 nd space 27 is sandwiched by the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34 in the width direction.

The material of the case 3 is, for example, hard, specifically harder than the jacket 6 of the optical fiber cable 2, and specifically, the material of the case 3 has a flexural modulus of elasticity at 25 ℃ of, for example, 1GPa or more, preferably 3GPa or more, more preferably 5GPa or more, further preferably 10GPa or more, and further, for example, 100GPa or less.

When the flexural modulus of the material of the housing 3 (particularly, the flexural moduli of the materials of the upper and lower projecting walls 15, 16) is equal to or higher than the above-described lower limit, damage to the optical fiber cable 2 due to external force acting on the optical fiber cable 2 in the 1 st space 26 can be reliably suppressed.

Specifically, examples of the material of the case 3 include metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, and iron, and hard plastics such as polyacetal, polyamide, polycarbonate, modified polyphenylene ether, and polybutylene terephthalate, and preferably metals.

The surface of the case 3 may be subjected to surface treatment such as painting or plating.

As shown in fig. 3, the housing portion 7, the protruding portion 8, and the protecting portion 30 of the housing 3 are configured by two members, specifically, an upper member 81 and a lower member 82. The upper member 81 includes the upper halves of the entire upper wall 14, rear wall 9, front wall 10, and both side walls 70 in the housing 7, and the upper halves of the entire upper projecting wall 15, 3 rd wall 33, and 4 th wall 34 in the projecting portion 8. The lower member 82 includes lower halves of the entire bottom wall 20, rear wall 9, front wall 10, and both side walls 70 in the housing 7, and lower halves of the entire lower protruding wall 16, 3 rd wall 33, and 4 th wall 34 in the protruding portion 8.

The upper member 81 has a 1 st groove 85 for forming the insertion hole 4 in the rear wall 9, and the lower member 82 has a 2 nd groove 86 for forming the insertion hole 4 in the rear wall 9. The 1 st groove 85 and the 2 nd groove 86 each have a substantially semicircular arc shape.

Also, the upper member 81 has a 3 rd groove 87 for forming the terminal insertion hole 13 in the front wall 10, and the lower member 82 has a 4 th groove 88 for forming the terminal insertion hole 13 in the front wall 10.

Further, a screw hole 47 into which a screw, not shown, can be inserted is formed in the upper wall 14 of the upper member 81, and a female screw 48 into which a screw, not shown, can be screwed is formed in the bottom wall 20 of the lower member 82 so as to correspond to the screw hole 47.

As shown in fig. 2B and 3, the printed wiring board 50 is housed in the housing 7. The printed wiring board 50 has a substantially rectangular plate shape extending in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the printed wiring board 50 extends long in the front-rear direction and short in the width direction.

The printed wiring board 50 has a photoelectric conversion member 56 and a terminal 31. In addition to the above, the printed wiring board 50 may have an IC or the like.

The photoelectric conversion member 56 is mounted on the upper surface of the printed wiring board 50. For example, the top end edge 90 of the optical fiber cable 2 is optically connected to the photoelectric conversion member 56. Examples of the photoelectric conversion member 56 include a Photodiode (PD) capable of converting an optical signal input from the optical fiber 5 into an electrical signal and outputting the electrical signal to the terminal 31. Examples of the photoelectric conversion means 56 include a Laser Diode (LD), a light emitting diode, and the like, which can convert an input electric signal into an optical signal and output the optical signal to the optical fiber 5.

The terminal 31 can output the electrical signal input from the photoelectric conversion member 56 to the electronic device. Alternatively, the terminal 31 can input an electrical signal from an electronic device. The terminal 31 can also directly input and output an electrical signal without conversion between an optical signal and an electrical signal for the purpose of transmitting an operation signal or the like. The terminal 31 is disposed on the front end surface of the printed wiring board 50. The free end of the terminal 31 protrudes forward from the housing 7 (an example of a direction opposite to the protruding direction of the protruding portion 8). The front-rear direction intermediate portions of the terminals 31 are inserted into the terminal insertion holes 13 of the front wall 10. The width-directional dimension L1 of the terminal 31 is larger than the vertical dimension L2.

To manufacture the connector 1, first, as shown by the imaginary line in fig. 3, the optical fiber cable 2 is prepared.

Next, the sheath 6 at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber cable 2 is peeled off from the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 5, forming the exposed portion 32.

Then, as shown by the solid line in fig. 3, the tip end portion of the exposed portion 32 of the optical fiber cable 2 is optically connected to the photoelectric conversion member 56 of the printed wiring board 50. The distal edge 90 of the optical fiber 5 is bonded to the upper surface of the printed wiring board 50.

Next, the optical fiber cable 2 is inserted into the insertion hole 4 of the housing 3, and the terminal 31 is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 13.

Specifically, first, the upper member 81 and the lower member 82 are prepared. Next, the printed wiring board 50 is mounted to the bottom wall 20 of the lower member 82, and the cover portion 46 of the optical fiber cable 2 is inserted into the 2 nd groove 86 of the lower member 82. While the terminal 31 is inserted into the 4 th groove 88 of the lower member 82.

Next, the upper member 81 is disposed on the upper side of the lower member 82, the covering portion 46 is sandwiched by the 1 st and 2 nd grooves 85, 86, and the terminal 31 is sandwiched by the 3 rd and 4 th grooves 87, 88.

Thereby, the housing 3 is made, which has the insertion hole 4 constituted by the 1 st and 2 nd grooves 85, 86 into which the optical fiber cable 2 is inserted, and the terminal insertion hole 13 constituted by the 3 rd and 4 th grooves 87, 88 into which the terminal 31 is inserted.

Then, a screw, not shown, is inserted into the screw hole 47 of the upper member 81, and the tip end of the screw is screwed into the female screw 48. Thereby, the upper member 81 is fixed to the lower member 82, and the tip end edge 90 of the optical fiber cable 2 and the base end portion of the terminal 31 are fixed to the housing 3.

Thereby, the connector 1 having the optical fiber cable 2, the housing 3, and the printed wiring board 50 is manufactured.

Next, a mode of inserting and extracting the terminal 31 of the connector 1 into and from the insertion terminal 84 of the notebook computer 83, which is an example of the electronic device, and transmission of an optical signal and an electrical signal will be described.

As shown in fig. 4A, for example, first, 3 fingers are brought into contact with the peripheral edges of the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34 (not shown in fig. 4A) and the upper projecting wall 15 defining the upper through hole 43, and the housing 3 is gripped, and the terminal 31 is inserted (inserted) into the insertion terminal 84. Thereby, the connector 1 and the notebook computer 83 are electrically connected.

Next, an example in which the photoelectric conversion member 56 is a photodiode will be described with reference to fig. 2B and 3. In this example, an optical signal is input from the optical fiber 5 to the photoelectric conversion member 56, and the optical signal is converted into an electrical signal by the photoelectric conversion member 56. Then, the electric signal is input to the insertion terminal 84 via the terminal 31.

In addition, an example in which the photoelectric conversion member 56 is a laser diode will be described. In this example, an electrical signal input from the insertion terminal 84 to the terminal 31 is transmitted to the photoelectric conversion member 56, and is converted into an optical signal by the photoelectric conversion member 56. Then, the optical signal is input to the optical fiber 5.

Examples of the electric signal and the optical signal include signals related to video, audio, and the like.

Then, the housing 3 is gripped by bringing 3 fingers into contact with the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34 (not shown in fig. 4A) and the peripheral edge of the upper projecting wall 15 defining the upper through hole 43, and the terminal 31 is pulled out (detached) from the insertion terminal 84. In particular, the index finger (the middle finger of the 3 fingers) is inserted into the upper through hole 43, and the inner portion (finger pad) of the index finger is strongly pressed (urged) rearward with respect to the 1 st rear edge 35. Thereby, the electrical connection between the connector 1 and the notebook computer 83 is disconnected.

In this connector, even if an external force acts from the outside in the vertical direction, damage to the optical fiber 5 can be suppressed by the upper and lower projecting walls 15 and 16 projecting from the upper and lower free end portions 18 and 19, the upper and lower free end portions 18 and 19 being opposed to each other with the optical fiber cable 2 interposed therebetween.

On the other hand, since the free ends of the upper and lower projecting walls 15 and 16, i.e., the upper and lower free ends 18 and 19, allow the optical fiber cable 2 to move in the width direction, the constraint of the optical fiber cable 2 by the upper and lower projecting walls 15 and 16 is relaxed.

Therefore, damage to the optical fiber 5 can be suppressed by relaxing the restraint of the optical fiber cable 2 by the upper projecting wall 15 and the lower projecting wall 16, and damage to the optical fiber 5 due to external force from the outside in the vertical direction can be suppressed.

In addition, although the optical fiber cable 2 is allowed to move in the width direction along which the printed wiring board 50 is along, the movement of the optical fiber cable 2 in the up-down direction is restricted. Therefore, the peeling of the tip edge 90 of the optical fiber 5 from the printed wiring board 50 can be suppressed.

When the terminal 31 is inserted into the inner terminal 84, the housing 3 and the optical fiber cable 2 are easily moved in the relative direction, but in the connector 1, the upper projecting wall 15 and the lower projecting wall 16 suppress the movement of the optical fiber cable 2 in the vertical direction, and therefore, damage to the optical fiber 5 can be further suppressed.

In the connector 1, the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34 can suppress damage to the optical fiber 5 due to external forces from both outer sides in the width direction.

In the connector 1, the user can securely move the housing 3 in the longitudinal direction by pinching the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34 with the thumb and the middle finger, respectively, and putting the index finger into the upper through hole 43.

In this connector 1, when a finger is hooked on the 1 st rear end edge 35 and a force is applied to the projecting direction downstream side, the force applied in the pulling direction can be increased, and the terminal 31 can be pulled out smoothly from the inner terminal 84.

In the connector 1, the bending elastic modulus of the upper projecting wall 15 and the lower projecting wall 16 is high and 3GPa or more, and therefore, damage to the optical fiber 5 due to external force from the outside in the vertical direction can be more reliably suppressed.

< modification example >

In the following modifications, the same members and steps as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. Each modification can achieve the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment except for the specific contents described above. Further, the embodiment and its modified examples can be appropriately combined.

In one embodiment, in the housing 3, the dimension in the width direction of the upper wall 14 and the bottom wall 20 is larger than the dimension in the vertical direction of the both side walls 70, but the dimension in the width direction of the upper wall 14 and the bottom wall 20 may be smaller than the dimension in the vertical direction of the both side walls 70, which is not illustrated. In this case, the printed wiring board 50 is disposed along the vertical direction in the housing 3.

In one embodiment, the housing 3 has the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34, but the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34 may not be provided, for example, and are not shown. In this modification, the 2 nd space 27 communicates with both widthwise outer sides. In this case, when the terminal 31 is inserted and extracted, two fingers are in contact with the both side walls 70.

Preferably, the housing 3 has a 3 rd wall 33 and a 4 th wall 34, as in one embodiment. This can suppress damage to the optical fiber 5 due to external force acting on the optical fiber 5 from the outside in the width direction.

In one embodiment, the 1 st rear end edge 35 of the upper projecting wall 15 defining the upper through hole 43 has a substantially linear shape along the orthogonal direction, but the shape is not limited to the above shape, and for example, may have a curved shape, which is not illustrated.

Preferably, the 1 st rear end edge 35 has a substantially linear shape along the orthogonal direction. With this configuration, when the terminal 31 is pulled out toward the rear side, the 1 st rear end edge 35 has a substantially straight shape along the width direction, and therefore, a force acting in the pulling-out direction can be increased.

In one embodiment, the upper projecting wall 15 has the upper through hole 43, but may not have the upper through hole 43. Preferably, the upper projecting wall 15 has an upper through hole 43. This allows the user to reliably move the housing 3 in the longitudinal direction by hooking a finger in the upper through hole 43.

In one embodiment, the lower projecting wall 16 has the lower through hole 44, but may not have the lower through hole 44.

In one embodiment, the upper through-hole 43 and the lower through-hole 44 are formed in the upper projecting wall 15 and the lower projecting wall 16, respectively, but only the upper through-hole 43 may be formed without forming the lower through-hole 44. In addition, only the lower through-hole 44 may be formed without forming the upper through-hole 43.

As shown in fig. 5A and 5B, a 1 st recessed portion 93 and/or a 2 nd recessed portion 94 may be formed instead of the upper through hole 43 and/or the lower through hole 44.

The 1 st recess 93 is recessed from the outer surface (upper surface) toward the inside at the upper projecting wall 15. The shape of the 1 st recess 93 in plan view is the same as the shape of the upper through hole 43 in plan view, for example.

The 2 nd recessed portion 94 is recessed from the outer surface (lower surface) toward the inside at the lower projecting wall 16. The bottom view shape of the 2 nd recessed portion 94 is the same as the bottom view shape of the lower through hole 44, for example.

In the connector 1, the user can securely move the housing 3 in the longitudinal direction by pinching the 3 rd wall 33 and the 4 th wall 34 with the thumb and the middle finger, respectively, and putting the index finger into the 1 st concave portion 93.

In this connector 1, when a finger is hooked on the 1 st rear end edge 35 and a force is applied to the projecting direction downstream side, the force applied in the pulling direction can be increased and the terminal 31 can be pulled out smoothly from the inner terminal 84.

In the embodiment, the optical fiber cable 2 includes the optical fiber 5, but may be, for example, an optical-electrical fiber cable (optical-electrical hybrid fiber cable) including the optical fiber 5 and an electrical wiring (not shown) parallel to the optical fiber 5.

The housing portion 7, the protruding portion 8, and the protection portion 30 of the housing 3 are formed of the upper member 81 and the lower member 82, but may be formed integrally of one member, for example, and are not shown.

The fiber optic cable 2 may also contain a plurality of optical fibers 5.

The present invention is provided as an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, but this is merely an example and cannot be interpreted in a limiting manner. Modifications of the present invention that will be apparent to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Industrial applicability

The connector of the present invention is applied to optical applications.

Description of the reference numerals

1. A connector; 2. a fiber optic cable; 3. a housing; 5. an optical fiber; 9. a rear wall; 11. an upper end portion; 12. a lower end portion; 15. an upper projecting wall; 16. a lower projecting wall; 18. an upper free end portion; 19. a lower free end portion; 21. protruding edges at the upper two sides; 23. protruding edges at the lower two sides; 26. 1 st space; 31. a terminal; 33. a 3 rd wall; 34. a 4 th wall; 35. 1 st rear end edge; 36. the 2 nd rear end edge; 43. 1 st through hole; 44. a 2 nd through hole; 50. a printed wiring board; 56. a photoelectric conversion member; 93. 1 st recess; 94. the 2 nd recess.