JP4804492B2 - Fiber optic cable - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber cable used in an optical communication device, and more particularly, to an optical fiber cable in which a connector can be exchanged according to a use environment.

  In modern communication networks that continue to increase in speed and capacity, demand for optical communication is increasing from the viewpoint of transmission loss, interference, and the like. As a result, each node that relays a network must have an optical interface. However, there are a wide variety of optical interfaces, and in order to build a network, an optical fiber cable connecting the nodes must be selected appropriately. There must be.

  Currently, there are four typical connectors for optical communication device interfaces: SC connector, LC connector, FC connector, and MU connector.

  However, the currently used optical fiber cable has the cable and the connectors at both ends thereof fixed integrally, and the user cannot attach or detach the connector to the cable. Therefore, the user who uses the optical fiber cable needs to know the connector of the device to be used in advance.

  Table 1 shows an example of the combination of the four connectors described above. Thus, there are 10 patterns even with only a typical combination of connectors. Furthermore, considering not only the connector but also the type of fiber to be used, there are a wide variety of types of optical fiber cables. If the connector of the connected device cannot be determined in advance, the user can prepare several types of optical fiber cables and connect the connected device. Therefore, it is necessary to select an optical fiber cable having a connector that can be connected to both of the connectors.

Therefore, in order to reduce such a burden, conventionally, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1 or FIG. 10, a plurality of optical fiber cables 9 and 11 are selected according to the connectors 5 and 7 of the connection devices 1 and 3, and these are selected. The connection adapter 13 is used for connection, or as shown in FIG. 11, a replacement adapter 17 is attached to the connector 15 of the optical fiber cable 11, and the connector type of the optical fiber cable 11 is exchanged. Since there are many types, there are various types of replacement adapters sold today.
JP 2005-202380 A

  However, when connecting adapters and replacement adapters are used in this way, optical fiber cores cannot be completely joined together without misalignment, and light loss (transmission loss) due to misalignment of cores at the joint surface should be avoided. The fact is that you can't.

  In addition, light reflection at the end face of the optical fiber is inevitable, and light loss (transmission loss) due to reflection occurs due to the difference in refractive index between the optical fiber and air.

  From these facts, the method of adding an optical fiber cable using a connection adaptor or exchanging a connector type using an exchange adapter is not preferable in terms of inevitable optical loss.

  The present invention has been devised in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber cable compatible with any number of patterns of interfaces without using a conventional connection adapter or exchange adapter.

In order to achieve such an object, an optical fiber cable according to claim 1 is fixed to a cable body in which the outer periphery of a buffer whose surface is coated with a resin is further covered with a jacket, and to both ends of the cable body. And a plurality of types of connectors that can be attached to and detached from the connector mounting terminal via a lock mechanism. The plurality of types of connectors are buffered on a central axis. An insertion hole is formed, and a buffer protruding from the connector mounting terminal is inserted into the buffer insertion hole of the connector selected from a plurality of types of connectors according to the interface of the connected device, and the connector is mounted on the connector mounting terminal. It is characterized by that.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the cable body and the plurality of types of connectors are separated into parts, so that the flexibility of one cable body is greatly improved, and the user can use one cable body and a plurality of types of connectors. It becomes possible to cover many interfaces by the combination.
As a result, if the interface of the connected device is unknown or the connector type is not uniform, the user need not prepare many types of optical fiber cables, and the number of necessary materials can be greatly reduced. it can.
In addition, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to add a fiber optic cable using a connection adaptor or exchange a connector type using an exchange adapter, so that it is possible to reduce optical loss.
And since the connector is being fixed to the terminal by the locking mechanism, a connector does not remove | deviate from a cable main body at the time of use.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 7 show an embodiment of an optical fiber cable according to claim 1. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 denotes a buffer (core, optical fiber strand) in which the surface of an optical fiber comprising a core and a clad is protected with a silicone resin. ), The outer periphery of the buffer 21 is further covered with a jacket (outer skin) 23 to form a cable body 25. A connector mounting terminal (hereinafter referred to as “terminal”) 33 is attached to both ends of the cable body 25 , and a connector 27 is detachably attached to the terminal 33, whereby the optical fiber cable 29 according to this embodiment is configured. Yes.

  FIG. 1 shows one end side of the optical fiber cable 29. In order to simplify the description, one end side of the optical fiber cable 29 will be described in this specification. However, the other end side of the optical fiber cable 29 has the same structure as FIG. is there.

  2 and 3 show one end side of the cable main body 25. In the figure, 31 is a rubber taper jacket through which the cable main body 25 penetrates the central axis, and the taper jacket 31 extends to the end side of the cable main body 25. And a tapered cylindrical body that gradually expands in diameter. A cylindrical connector mounting terminal (hereinafter referred to as “terminal”) 33 made of a resin material having a smaller diameter than that of the taper jacket 31 and being harder than the taper jacket 31 is coaxially joined to the end surface 32 of the taper jacket 31. The buffer 21 is wired on the central axis of the terminal 33, and the buffer 21 protrudes outward from the center of the end face 35 of the terminal 33. And the annular convex part 37 is protrudingly provided by the outer periphery of the terminal 33 in the circumferential direction.

  On the other hand, the connector 27 in FIG. 4 is a resin-made MU connector having the same outer shape as the conventional MU connector that can be connected to the connector 5 of the connecting device 1 shown in FIG. ing.

  An insertion hole 39 of the terminal 33 is opened on the rear side of the connector 27, and an annular recess 41 is provided on the inner periphery of the connector 27. The annular recess 41 and the annular protrusion The portion 37 constitutes a lock mechanism R that fixes the connector 27 to the terminal 33.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, an insertion hole 43 through which the buffer 21 is inserted is provided on the central axis of the connector 27 so as to communicate with the insertion hole 39, and the buffer 21 is placed in the insertion hole 43. When the terminal 33 is inserted into the insertion hole 39 through insertion, the annular projection 37 engages with the annular recess 41, and the end of the connector 27 abuts against the end surface 32 of the taper jacket 31, as shown in FIG. The connector 27 is fixed to the terminal 33 (the end of the cable body 25). When the connector 27 is fixed to the terminal 33 in this manner, the dimensions are set so that the buffer 21 slightly protrudes from the tip of the connector 27.

  In this state, when the connector 27 fixed to the terminal 33 is pulled in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1, the engagement state between the annular convex portion 37 and the annular concave portion 41 is released, and the terminal 33 (cable body 25). The connector 27 can be removed from.

Thus, as described above, the connector 27 in FIG. 4 is an MU connector. However, the cable body 25 is not limited to the MU connector, but also an SC type connector 45 shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). Multiple types of connectors 27, 45, 47, 49 such as LC type connector 47 shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b) and FC type connector 49 shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) can be attached. is there.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 (b), 6 (b) and 7 (b), an insertion hole 39 of the terminal 33 is opened on the rear side of each connector 45, 47, 49, and the inner periphery thereof. An annular recess 41 is provided in which the annular projection 37 is engaged. An insertion hole 43 through which the buffer 21 is inserted is provided on the central axis of each connector 45, 47, 49 so as to communicate with the insertion hole 39. For example, the connector 45 is connected to the connector 27 in FIG. When the buffer 21 is inserted into the insertion hole 43 and the terminal 33 is inserted into the insertion hole 39, the annular convex portion 37 engages with the annular concave portion 41, and the terminal 33 (the end portion of the cable body 25) is selected. ) Is fixed to the connector 45. When the connector 45 fixed to the terminal 33 is similarly pulled in such a state, the engagement state between the annular convex portion 37 and the annular concave portion 41 is released, and the connector 45 can be detached from the terminal 33 (cable body 25). It is like that.

As described above, the optical fiber cable 29 according to the present embodiment is configured such that a plurality of types of connectors 27, 45, 47, and 49 can be detachably attached to both ends of the cable main body 25. The connector 27 , 45 , 47 , 49 may be selected according to the interface of the connected device and attached to the cable body 25.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when connecting devices 1 and 3 are connected by an optical fiber cable, as described above with reference to FIGS. When an optical fiber cable having a connector is selected and the prepared optical fiber cable connector does not fit, a plurality of optical fiber cables 9 and 11 are selected and connected by the connection adapter 13 or the replacement adapter 17 is connected. Although the connector type has been exchanged by mounting, according to this embodiment, as an example, the connector 27 that can be connected to the connector 5 of the connection device 1 and the connector 7 of the connection device 3 as shown in FIGS. The connector 45 that can be connected to the cable is selected, and the connectors 27 and 45 are respectively attached to the terminals 33 at both ends of the cable body 25 according to the procedure described above. Good.

  Since the connectors 27 and 45 are fixed to the terminal 33 by the lock mechanism R, the connectors 27 and 45 are not detached from the terminal 33, and the connectors 27 and 45 are released by releasing the lock mechanism R. It can be attached to and detached from the cable body 25 any number of times, and the removed connectors 27 and 45 can be attached to other cable bodies.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the cable body 25 and the connectors 27, 45, 47, and 49 are separated into parts, so that the flexibility of one cable body 25 is remarkably improved, and the user can use one cable. Many interfaces can be covered by a combination of the main body 25 and the plurality of types of connectors 27, 45, 47, and 49.

  As a result, if the interface of the connected device is unknown or the connector type is not uniform, the user need not prepare many types of optical fiber cables, and the number of necessary materials can be greatly reduced. it can.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to add a fiber optic cable using a connection adaptor or to exchange a connector type using an exchange adapter, so that it is possible to reduce optical loss.

  Since the connectors 27 and 45 are fixed to the terminal 33 by the lock mechanism R, the connectors 27 and 45 are not detached from the terminal 33 (cable body 25) during use.

It is a side view of the one end side of the optical fiber cable which concerns on one Embodiment of Claim 1 . It is a perspective view of the one end side of a cable main body. It is a side view of the one end side of a cable main body. It is a side view of a MU type connector. It is the side view and sectional drawing of SC type connector. It is the side view and sectional drawing of LC type connector. It is the side view and sectional drawing of a FC type connector. It is explanatory drawing of the usage method of an optical fiber cable. It is explanatory drawing of the usage method of an optical fiber cable. It is explanatory drawing of the connection method of the conventional optical fiber cable using a connection adapter. It is explanatory drawing of the replacement | exchange method of the connector type of the conventional optical fiber cable using an exchange adapter.

Explanation of symbols

1, 3 Connection device 5, 7, 27, 45, 47, 49 Connector 21 Buffer 23 Jacket 25 Cable body 27, 45, 47, 49 Connector 29 Optical fiber cable 31 Tapered jacket 32, 35 End face 33 Terminal 37 Annular convex part 39 Insertion Contact hole 41 Annular recess 43 Insertion hole R Lock mechanism

Claims (1)

A cable body in which the outer periphery of a buffer whose surface is covered with a resin is further covered with a jacket ;
A connector mounting terminal that is fixed to both ends of the cable body, and from which the buffer protrudes;
The connector mounting terminal comprises a plurality of types of connectors that can be attached and detached via a locking mechanism.
Each of the plurality of types of connectors has a buffer insertion hole formed on the central axis,
An optical fiber characterized in that a buffer protruding from the connector mounting terminal is inserted into a buffer insertion hole of a connector selected from a plurality of types of connectors according to an interface of a connected device, and the connector is mounted on the connector mounting terminal cable.

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