CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 201110281494.1 filed on September 23, 2011 in the State Intellectual Property Office of China, the whole disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fiber optic connector, more particularly, relates to a plug fiber optic connector having a shutter that can be automatically opened and closed in use.

Description of the Related Art

With a development of fiber to the home (FTTH), in a fiber net, it often needs to connect fibers together. For example, one way of connecting fibers is to directly insert a ferrule of a fiber optic connector disposed at a front end of a fiber into an adapter. The fiber optic connector and the adapter can be simply assembled and disassembled by this connection way, and it is easier and more convenient than other connection ways, for example, soldering.

However, during inserting the fiber optic connector, for effectively ensuring the performance of the connected fibers, it needs to protect the ferrule of the fiber optic connector, so that a bared front end surface of the fiber in the ferrule is protected from dust, moisture, or being touched by a hand. Furthermore, during the fiber transmitting a light, if eyes of an operator are exposed in the light emitted from the bared front end surface of the fiber in the ferrule for a long time, it produces a bad influence on the operator. Specially, with the development of fiber to the home, it is necessary to improve the safety of the fiber optic connector for protecting users. In the prior art, a cover is provided on the front end surface of the fiber of the fiber optic connector and is opened when inserting the fiber optic connector into the adapter. For example, a Chinese patent application No. CN1315007 A discloses an assembly of a fiber optic connector and an adapter, in which the fiber optic connector has a cover on its housing. The cover is turnable between an opened position and a closed position to expose and shield the fiber in the fiber optic connector. The fiber optic connector has a longitudinal guide member that is configured to mate with a longitudinal guide member of the adapter to align the fiber optic connector with the adapter and guide the fiber optic connector into the adapter. A cam pin is mounted on the adapter to be fitted in a cam groove in the cover so as to push the cover to the opened position when the fiber optic connector is inserted into the adapter. A spring mechanism is provided to press the cover toward the closed position.

However, the adapter is specially made for the fiber optic connector in the Chinese patent application No. CN1315007 A, and a standard adapter is not adapted to the fiber optic connector. Accordingly, it is inconvenient for users and increases the cost.

In addition, a Chinese patent No. CN100437178C discloses another fiber optic connector that is adapted to the standard adapter. The fiber optic connector comprises at least one ferrule frame and a griping member. The gripping member comprises an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder and is movable between a withdrawn state and a stretched state. A shutter is provided on a front end of the inner cylinder. In the stretched state, the shutter is arranged to a closed position where the front end of the inner cylinder is closed by the shutter. In the withdrawn state, the shutter is arranged to an opened position where the front end of the inner cylinder is opened by the shutter. An action plate is supported on an inside of the shutter and inclined along the shutter. A front end of the action plate is in contact with the shutter. A bias support device presses the shutter to position the shutter in the closed position. With a movement of the inner cylinder relative to the ferrule frame from the stretched state to the withdrawn state, the shutter is moved from the closed position to the opened position. The gripping member is shaped to be adapted to the adapter and engaged with the adapter by snapping to form an optical coupling. A releasing member is provided on a periphery of the outer cylinder to disengage the gripping member and the adapter.

However, the fiber optic connector comprising the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder is complicated in the structure, and it increases the length of the fiber optic connector.

Furthermore, it needs to release the shutter by hand, and the shutter may be easily fallen off the fiber optic connector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made to overcome or alleviate at least one aspect of the above mentioned disadvantages.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fiber optic connector that is adapted to a standard adapter and has a simple structure, a small volume, and a high reliability.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fiber optic connector of an fiber optic connector comprising: a housing; an optical fiber alignment device disposed in the housing and having a alignment hole in which an optical fiber is received; a sliding mechanism provided on the housing and slidable in a front-rear direction of the housing; a shutter pivotally connected to the sliding mechanism and being turnable between a closed position where the alignment hole is closed by the shutter and an opened position where the alignment hole is opened by the shutter; and an elastic mechanism with one end thereof pressing against the housing and the other end thereof pressing against the shutter. When the fiber optic connector is inserted into an adapter, the adapter pushes the shutter against an elastic force of the elastic mechanism and turns the shutter to the opened position. When the fiber optic connector is pulled out of the adapter, the elastic mechanism pushes the shutter to turn it to the closed position. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein a protrusion block is formed on an upper portion of the shutter and is configured to be inserted into a guide groove formed in the adapter; and wherein when the adapter pushes the upper portion of the shutter and turns the shutter to the opened position, the protrusion block enters into the guide groove to guide the fiber optic connector into the adapter.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the housing comprises an outer housing and an inner housing disposed in the outer housing.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the elastic mechanism comprises a straight spring and a sheath sleeved on the straight spring, wherein a positioning tube is formed on the outer housing, and wherein a rear end of the elastic mechanism is received in the positioning tube and a front end of the elastic mechanism presses against the shutter.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the sliding mechanism comprises a sliding plate having a pair of side ribs on both sides of thereof, respectively; wherein a pair of guide slots are formed in the inner housing or the outer housing; and wherein the pair of side ribs of the sliding plate are received in the pair of guide slots to guide the sliding plate to slide along the guide slot.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the shutter is pivotally connected to a front end of the sliding plate by a pivotal shaft.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, further comprises a shield cylinder having an elastic snapper at a rear portion thereof; and wherein a notch is formed in the sliding plate, the elastic snapper of the shield cylinder is snapped into the notch of the sliding plate to connect the shield cylinder and the sliding plate together.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein a surface of a front opening of the shield cylinder is inclined to the alignment hole in the optical fiber alignment device; and wherein when the shutter is turned to the closed position, the shutter covers the front opening of the shield cylinder and is inclined to the alignment hole in the optical fiber alignment device to prevent a light from being reflected by the shutter back into the alignment hole.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein an elastic stopper is formed on the sliding plate; wherein when the shutter is turned to the closed position, the elastic stopper is protruded upward to tightly press against an inner wall of the outer housing to prevent the sliding plate from being slid; and wherein when the shutter is turned to the opened position, the elastic stopper is pressed down by the shutter to allow the sliding plate to slide.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the shutter has a local strengthening portion thicker than the other portion thereof, and the protrusion block is formed on the local strengthening portion.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, further comprises a stress buffering shoe connected to an end of the inner housing opposite to the shutter.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein when the fiber optic connector is inserted into the adapter, the housing of the fiber optic connector is engaged with a housing of the adapter by a snapping structure.

In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the shutter can be

automatically opened to expose the alignment hole when the fiber optic connector is inserted into the adapter and can be automatically closed to shield the alignment hole when the fiber optic connector is pulled out of the adapter. Accordingly, compared with the conventional case where the shutter is closed and opened by hand, the present invention can more effectively protect the eyes of the users from the light emitted from the fiber optic connector, and prevent the fiber in the fiber optic connector from dust and moisture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other features of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. la is an illustrative perspective view of a fiber optic connector and a corresponding adapter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the fiber optic connector is separate from the adapter;

Fig. lb shows the fiber optic connector and the adapter of Fig. la, in which a portion of a housing of the adapter is cut off to partly expose its inner structure, and the fiber optic connector is separate from the adapter;

Fig. lc is a cross section view of the fiber optic connector and the adapter of Fig. la, in which the fiber optic connector is separate from the adapter;

Fig.2a is an illustrative perspective view of the fiber optic connector and the corresponding adapter according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the fiber optic connector is partly inserted into the adapter;

Fig.2b shows the fiber optic connector and the adapter of Fig.2a, in which a portion of a housing of the adapter is cut off to partly expose its inner structure, and the fiber optic connector is partly inserted into the adapter;

Fig.2c is a cross section view of the fiber optic connector and the adapter of Fig.2a, in which the fiber optic connector is partly inserted into the adapter;

Fig.3a is an illustrative perspective view of the fiber optic connector and the corresponding adapter according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the fiber optic connector is completely inserted into the adapter;

Fig.3b shows the fiber optic connector and the adapter of Fig.3a, in which a portion of a housing of the adapter is cut off to partly expose its inner structure, and the fiber optic connector is completely inserted into the adapter;

Fig.3c is a cross section view of the fiber optic connector and the adapter of Fig.3a, in which the fiber optic connector is completely inserted into the adapter; and

Fig.4 is an illustrative exploded view of the fiber optic connector according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE IVENTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the attached drawings, wherein the like reference numerals refer to the like elements. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiment set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

Fig. la is an illustrative perspective view of a fiber optic connector 100 and a

corresponding adapter 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the fiber optic connector 100 is separate from the adapter 200; Fig. lb shows the fiber optic connector 100 and the adapter 200 of Fig. la, in which a portion of a housing 201 of the adapter 200 is cut off to partly expose its inner structure, and the fiber optic connector 100 is separate from the adapter 200; and Fig. lc is a cross section view of the fiber optic connector 100 and the adapter 200 of Fig. la, in which the fiber optic connector 100 is separate from the adapter 200.

As shown in Figs. la-lc, the fiber optic connector 100 mainly comprising: a housing 101; an optical fiber alignment device (ferrule) 160 disposed in the housing 101 and having a alignment hole in which an optical fiber (not shown) to be connected is received; and a shield device disposed in front of the optical fiber alignment device 160 and being movable between a closed position where the alignment hole is closed by the shield device and an opened position where the alignment hole is opened by the shield device. Hereafter, it will describe the configuration of the shield device in detail. Fig.4 is an illustrative exploded view of the fiber optic connector 100 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figs. la-lc and Fig.4, the shield device mainly comprising: a sliding plate 120 provided on the housing 101 of the fiber optic connector 100 and slidable in a front-rear direction of the housing 101; a shield cylinder 130 connected to the sliding plate 120 and sleeved on the optical fiber alignment device 160; a shutter 110 pivotally connected to the sliding plate 120 and being turnable between a closed position where the alignment hole is closed by the shutter 110 and an opened position where the alignment hole is opened by the shutter 1 10; and an elastic mechanism 150 with one end thereof pressing against the housing 101 and the other end thereof pressing against the shutter 110.

As shown in Figs. la-lc, before the fiber optic connector 100 is inserted into the adapter 200, that is, when the fiber optic connector 100 is separate from the adapter 200, the elastic mechanism 150 pushes the shutter 110 to move to the closed position where the shutter 110 covers a front opening of the cylinder 130, so that the alignment hole of the optical fiber alignment device 160 is closes or shielded.

Please refer to Fig.4, the housing 101 comprises an outer housing 102 and an inner housing 103 disposed in the outer housing 102. The elastic mechanism 150 mainly comprises a straight spring 152 and a sheath 151 sleeved on the straight spring 152. A positioning tube 1021 is formed on the outer housing 102. A rear end of the elastic mechanism 150 is movably received in the positioning tube 1021 and a front end of the elastic mechanism 150 presses against the shutter 110 to elastically hold the shutter 110 at the closed position.

As shown in Fig.4, the sliding plate 120 has a pair of side ribs 121 on both sides of thereof, respectively. A pair of guide slots 1031 is formed in the inner housing 103. The pair of side ribs 121 of the sliding plate 120 is received in the pair of guide slots 1031 to guide the sliding plate 120 to slide along the guide slot 1031. But the present invention is not limited to this, the pair of guide slots 1031 may be formed in the outer housing 102. Referring to Fig.4, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shutter 110 is pivotally connected to a front end of the sliding plate 120 by a pivotal shaft 140. In this way, the shutter 110 can slide with the sliding plate 120 in the front-rear direction, and can be turned about the pivotal shaft 140 from the closed position to the opened position. As shown in Figs, lc and 2c, the pivotal shaft 140 is connected to the sliding plate 120 at a connection position below the elastic mechanism 150, so that the elastic mechanism 150 can drive the shutter 110 at the connection position above the pivotal shaft 140.

As shown in Fig.4, the shield cylinder 130 has an elastic snapper 131 at a rear portion thereof; and a notch 122 is formed in the sliding plate 120. The elastic snapper 131 of the shield cylinder 130 is snapped into the notch 122 from the underneath of the sliding plate 120 to connect the shield cylinder 130 and the sliding plate 120 together. In this way, the shield cylinder 130 can slide with the sliding plate 120 in the front-rear direction. But the present invention is not limited to this, the shield cylinder 130 may be connected to the sliding plate 120 by a screw, a pin or other suitable manners.

As shown in Fig. lc, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a surface of the front opening of the shield cylinder 130 is inclined with respect to or not perpendicular to an axis of the alignment hole in the optical fiber alignment device 160. Accordingly, when the shutter 110 is turned to the closed position as shown in Fig. lc, the shutter 110 covers the front opening of the shield cylinder 130 and is inclined with respect to the alignment hole in the optical fiber alignment device 160 to prevent a light from being reflected by the shutter 110 back into the alignment hole.

Referring to Figs, la and 4, an elastic stopper 123 is formed on the sliding plate 120. When the shutter 110 is turned to the closed position, the elastic stopper 123 is protruded upward to tightly abut against an outside end of a wall of the outer housing 102 to prevent the sliding plate 120 from being slid toward the outer housing 102. When the shutter 1 10 is turned to the opened position, the elastic stopper 123 is pressed down by an upper portion of the shutter 110 and enter into an inside of the wall of the outer housing 102 to allow the sliding plate 120 to slide toward the outer housing 102.

Fig.2a is an illustrative perspective view of the fiber optic connector 100 and the corresponding adapter 200 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the fiber optic connector 100 is partly inserted into the adapter 200; Fig.2b shows the fiber optic connector 100 and the adapter 200 of Fig.2a, in which a portion of a housing 201 of the adapter 200 is cut off to partly expose its inner structure, and the fiber optic connector 100 is partly inserted into the adapter 200 while the shutter is still in the closed position; and Fig.2c is a cross section view of the fiber optic connector 100 and the adapter 200 of Fig.2a, in which the fiber optic connector 100 is partly inserted into the adapter 200.

As shown in Figs.2a-2c and 4, a protrusion block 111 is formed on a side surface of the shutter 110 opposite to the shield cylinder 130. The protrusion block 11 1 is located at an upper portion of the shutter 110 and is configured to be inserted into a guide groove 202 formed in the adapter 200.

As shown in Figs.2a-2c, when the fiber optic connector 100 is partly inserted into the adapter 200 while the shutter is still in the closed position, an end wall of the housing 201 of the adapter 200 at both sides of the guide groove 202 pushes the upper portion, above the connection position where the shutter 110 is connected with the pivotal shaft 140, of the shutter 1 10 against an elastic force of the elastic mechanism 150 and turns the shutter 110 in a clockwise direction shown as an arrow A of Fig.2c toward the opened position to open the front opening of the shield cylinder 130 and the alignment hole of the optical fiber alignment device 160.

After the shutter 110 is turned to the opened position where the shutter 110 is become substantially parallel to an upper wall of the housing 201, the protrusion block 111 of the shutter 110 can be received in the guide groove 202 to guide the fiber optic connector 100 to be correctly inserted into the adapter 200. Accordingly, during inserting the fiber optic connector 100, if the fiber optic connector 100 is not positioned in a right place, the shutter 110 cannot be turned to be substantially parallel to the upper wall of the housing 201 and the protrusion block 111 of the shutter 110 cannot be inserted into the guide groove 202, so that the fiber optic connector 100 is prevented from being mistakenly inserted into the adapter 200.

As shown in Fig.4, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shutter 110 has a local strengthening portion 112 thicker than the other portion thereof, and the protrusion block 111 is formed on the local strengthening portion 112. In this way, it can increase the strength of the local portion of the shutter 110 pushed by the end wall of the housing 201 of the adapter 200, so that the shutter 110 is prevented from damage by the end wall of the adapter 200.

Fig.3a is an illustrative perspective view of the fiber optic connector 100 and the corresponding adapter 200 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the fiber optic connector 100 is completely inserted into the adapter 200; Fig.3b shows the fiber optic connector 100 and the adapter 200 of Fig.3a, in which a portion of the housing 201 of the adapter 200 is cut off to partly expose its inner structure, and the fiber optic connector 100 is completely inserted into the adapter 200; and Fig.3c is a cross section view of the fiber optic connector 100 and the adapter 200 of Fig.3a, in which the fiber optic connector 100 is completely inserted into the adapter 200.

In the state as shown in Figs.2a-2c, with further inserting the fiber optic connector 100 into the adapter 200, the shutter 110 and the sliding plate 120 are pushed by the guide groove 202 and moved in the guide slots 1031 of the inner housing 103 toward a right side as shown in Figs. 2c and 3c, and the sheath 151 is withdrawn against the straight spring 152 within the positioning tube 1021. As shown in Figs.3a-3c, after the fiber optic connector 100 is completely inserted into the adapter 200, the optical fiber alignment device 160 of the fiber optic connector 100 is correctly aligned and connected with an optical fiber alignment device 260 of the adapter 200 to achieve an accurate alignment of fibers, so that the fiber received in the fiber optic connector 100 of the present invention is connected with another fiber received in another fiber optic connector inserted into the adapter.

Referring to Fig. lb and Fig.4, a recess 1032 is formed in the housing 101 (the outer housing 102) of the fiber optic connector 100. An elastic hook 203 is formed in the housing 201 of the adapter 200. When the fiber optic connector 100 is completely inserted into the adapter 200, the elastic hook 203 of the adapter 200 is snapped into the recess 1032 of the fiber optic connector 100 to engage the fiber optic connector 100 and the adapter 200 together.

Although it is not shown, a release mechanism is formed on the housing 201 of the adapter 200 for disengage the fiber optic connector 100 from the adapter 200.

In the present invention, after the fiber optic connector 100 is pulled out of the adapter 200, the shutter 110 can automatically returned to the closed position under the push of the elastic mechanism 150.

As shown in Fig. la, the fiber optic connector 100 further comprises a strain relief boot 102 connected to an end of the inner housing 103 opposite to the shutter 110.

Although several exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

As used herein, an element recited in the singular and proceeded with the word "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding plural of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to "one embodiment" of the present invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments "comprising" or "having" an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional such elements not having that property.