Nec Corporation

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited

Yoshitaro Sato

Michitomo Shibutani

Tsuyotake Sawano

Masaru Kurisaka

In an optical contact unit and an optical connector using the optical contact unit, the optical contact and other components are integrated into a single unit which is collectively mounted and removed to and from the optical contact holding member so that the mounting and the removing operations is facilitated. The optical contact unit comprises an optical fiber with an end portion, a ferrule fitted onto the end portion of the optical fiber, a sleeve containing and supporting the ferrule so that the ferrule is movable in an axial direction thereof, a biasing member contained in the sleeve for biasing the ferrule to make the ferrule project from the sleeve in the axial direction, and a stopper for limiting the movement of the ferrule which is forced by the biasing member to move in the axial direction with respect to the sleeve. The optical connector comprises the optical contact unit of the above-described structure, an optical contact holding member having a receiving hole for receiving the optical contact unit, and a clip fixed in the receiving hole for locking the optical contact unit to the optical contact holding member.

Optical contact unit and optical connector using the optical contact unit

An optical connector comprises an optical connection adapter and an optical plug. The optical connection adapter includes a sleeve to be attached to a first circuit board. The optical plug includes an optical contact to be inserted into and removed from the sleeve, and a contact holding member to be attached to a second circuit board. A variation of the optical connector comprises an optical connection adapter and an optical socket. The optical connection adapter comprises a pipe, an optical fiber arranged in the pipe, an optical connector connected to opposite ends of the optical fiber, and a contact holding member which is inserted into the pipe to be movable along the cylindrical axis and which is for holding the optical contact. The optical socket comprises a socket housing which has an insertion hole for removably receiving the optical contact and which is to be attached to the second circuit board, and a mating optical contact which is fixed to the socket housing and which is to be brought in to contact with the optical contact through the insertion hole.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yoshitaro Sato