Abstract:
An optical connector system comprising first and second complementary connectors, which, when separated, define a non-plugged state and, when joined, define a plugged state, each connector has a front and rear oreintation and comprises: (a) an inner housing containing at least one fiber, the inner housing having a latch and a hook, the inner housings of the two complementary connectors being hermaphroditic such that, when the two complementary connectors are in the mated state, the latch of one inner housing engages the hook of the other inner housing, thereby optically coupling the fibers contained therein; and (b) an outer housing containing at least a portion of the inner housing, the inner housing being slidable therein.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/202,821 filed Dec. 21, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,790, which is based on 371 PCT Application No. IB97/00745, filed Jun. 20, 1997, which is based on German Application No. 196 26 036, filed Jun. 29, 1996. 
    
    
     The invention relates to an optical connector with two complementary connector halves, each connector half having a sleeve in which at least one optical fibre is mounted, and the sleeve being surrounded by an inner housing and the latter by an outer housing, the sleeve being arranged capable of axial movement in the inner housing under a spring force, and the inner housing being arranged capable of moving freely in the outer housing between two stops. An arrangement having the above-named features is known from WO94/24594. Coupling two optical connector halves requires a coupling sleeve which, firstly, serves to centre the two sleeves relative to one another and, secondly, to latch the inner housing with the coupling sleeve. The coupling sleeve is thus absolutely necessary for connecting two complementary connector halves to one another. 
     It is further known from WO94/24594 to fasten a connector half with the coupling sleeve to one backplane, while the second connector half is fastened to a daughter board, that is to say a board arranged perpendicular to the backplane. 
     An optical connector is likewise known from EP 430 107 B1. In this case, one connector half has, mounted in sleeves, optical fibres which are located in an inner housing which is surrounded by an outer housing and can be moved in the latter between two stops. The second connector half has optical fibres which are likewise mounted in sleeves and are located in an enveloping housing. The first connector half can be plugged with inner housing and outer housing into this enveloping housing. In this case, the latch between inner housing and outer housing is opened by means of an appropriate opening mechanism in the second connector half. At the same time, latching occurs between the inner housing and the second connector half. If the two connectors are to be separated from one another, there is located on the outer housing of the first connector half an opening mechanism for latching between the housing of the second connector half and the inner housing of the first connector half. In the case of the optical connectors described in EP 430 107 B1, similar connector halves can be coupled to one another only with the aid of a coupling sleeve. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the invention to specify an optical connector which is composed of two complementary connector halves and can be used variably with or without a coupling sleeve. 
     The object is achieved by means of an arrangement having the characterizing features of Patent claim 1. Advantageous developments are specified in the subclaims. An optical connector according to the invention with two complementary connector halves has the following features: each connector half has a sleeve in which at least one optical fibre is mounted; the sleeve is surrounded by an inner housing and the latter is surrounded by an outer housing; in at least one connector half the sleeve is arranged capable of axial movement in the inner housing under a spring force; the inner housing is freely movable in the outer housing between two stops; the inner housing in each case bears latching means for latching on the inner housing of a complementary connector half; the outer housing is designed in such a way that it can be moved over the inner housing both in the plugged and in the non-plugged state; and the outer housing bears releasing means for opening the latching means of the associated inner housing. 
     It is possible using the optical connector according to the invention to connect two similarly designed connector halves to one another without providing a coupling sleeve. 
     It is particularly advantageous in this case if the outer housings and also the inner housings of the two connector halves are each of identical design. It is possible thereby to achieve a hermaphroditic configuration of the two connector halves. Such a configuration is particularly economical, since only one mould is required for each injection-moulded part, and there is no need for different moulds for each of the two complementary connector halves. The sleeve in which the optical fibres are mounted can have, for example, two centring openings or two centring pins and a multiplicity of optical fibre ends. Because of the centring by means of the centring openings and centring pins, it is possible to dispense with additional centring of the sleeves with respect to one another by means of a further sleeve, for example a coupling sleeve. 
     The optical connection according to the invention is particularly advantageous for connecting a plurality of optical fibres which are mounted together in a sleeve, since a deviation from an axially symmetrical form is particularly sensible with this connector, since a particularly large amount of space is thereby available for the latching means on the broad sides of the connector halves. However, it is also possible to use the optical connector to connect individual optical fibres. 
     It is, furthermore, particularly advantageous that the optical connector can also be used with a coupling sleeve. In this case, inner and outer housings are configured correspondingly in such a way that appropriate means are provided for latching and means are provided for opening this latch. The coupling sleeve may be provided in this case with means for latching with only one connector half, but it is also possible for said sleeve to have means for latching with both connector halves. This has the advantage that the coupling sleeve can, for example, be fastened in a backplane, and thus it is only necessary for one of the two connector halves to be accessible for the plugging operation. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained with the aid of the figures, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a side view of two connector halves in the non-plugged state; 
     FIG. 2 shows a side view of the connector halves in the plugged state; 
     FIG. 3 shows a cross-section through the two connector halves in the non-plugged state; 
     FIG. 3 a  shows an enlargement of the plug-face ends of the two connector halves; 
     FIG. 4 shows a corresponding cross-sections in the plugged state; 
     FIG. 4 a  shows a corresponding enlargement; 
     FIG. 5 shows a top view of a connector half according to the invention, the various parts being illustrated in dashed lines; 
     FIG. 5 a  shows a section along the line AA in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 5 b  shows a section along the line BB in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 6 shows a cross-section through two joined connector halves in a coupling sleeve in accordance with cross-section AA in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 shows a cross-section through two plugged connector halves in a coupling sleeve in accordance with section BB; 
     FIG. 8 a  shows two complementary connector halves with a coupling sleeve in the unplugged to the plugged state; 
     FIG. 8 b  shows the two connector halves in a first intermediate plugging state; 
     FIG. 8 c  shows the two connector halves in a second intermediate plugging state; 
     FIG. 8 d  shows the two connector halves in the completely plugged state; 
     FIG. 9 a  shows two complementary connector halves, one being fastened to a printed circuit board, with a coupling sleeve in which only one connector half is latched in the non-plugged state; 
     FIG. 9 b  shows the two connector halves in a first intermediate plugging state; 
     FIG. 9 c  shows the two connector halves in a second intermediate plugging state; and 
     FIG. 9 d  shows the two connector halves in the completely plugged state. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An optical connector according to the invention is represented in FIGS. 1 and 2. The two complementary connector halves  1  and  2  are represented in the non-plugged state in FIG.  1  and in the plugged state in FIG.  2 . One outer housing  13  or  23 , respectively, and, in part, one inner housing  12  or  22 , respectively, are to be seen in each case. It is further to be seen that the two connector halves have the same external appearance except for a centring pin  3 , which is part of a sleeve in which the optical fibres are mounted, and which is present only in the connector half  2 . This centring pin  3  can be present either in one or the other of the connector halves. Although only one centring pin  3  is to be seen in FIG. 1, it will be seen in the explanation relating to FIG. 5 that two such centring pins are provided. 
     A cross-section through the two connector halves in the non-plugged state is represented in FIGS. 3 and 3 a.  Once again, the outer housing  13  or  23  and the inner housing  12  or  22  is to be seen in each case. Located in the inner housing in each case is a sleeve  11 ,  21  in which optical fibres are mounted in bores  111  and  121 . If the sleeve  11 ,  21  is intended for fixing a plurality of optical fibre ends, for example of a ribbon cable, a plurality of bores  111  and  121  are located in a row one behind another. Moreover, centring openings are arranged in one sleeve  21  in the same plane as the bores, and corresponding centring pins are arranged in the other sleeve  11 . These pins are respectively arranged to the left and to the right of the bores for the optical fibres. The sleeves  11 ,  21  can either be permanently connected to the inner housing  12 ,  22 , or are subjected to a spring force and can be displaced in the axial direction in the inner housing  12 ,  22 . The sleeves  11 ,  21  are pressed against a stop A in the inner housing  12 ,  22  by means of the spring force. As is to be seen particularly plainly in FIG. 3 a,  the inner housing  12 ,  22  respectively has a latching hook  17 ,  27  and an elastic latching arm  16 ,  26  on the opposite end. The latching arm  16 ,  26  has a nose  161 ,  261  on its free end. The outer housing  13 ,  23  can be displaced over the inner housing  12 ,  22  between the stops B and C. When the complementary connector halves  1  and  2  are joined, the oblique flanks of the noses  161  and  262  of the latching arms  16  and  26  firstly encounter the oblique flanks of the latching hooks  17  and  27 . If the two connector halves are moved further onto one another, because of the oblique flanks the resilient latching arms  16  and  26  are moved away from the connector axis and latch over the latching hooks  17  and  27 . During the plugging operation, the end faces of the sleeves  11 ,  21  touch one another, and during the plugging operation the sleeves are moved away from the stop A against the spring force. The spring force presses the end faces of the sleeves against one another, and the sleeves are fastened floating in the inner housings  12 ,  22 , which are latched with one another. The procedure for separating the two connector halves is as follows. The two outer housings  13 ,  23  are gripped, and the connectors are pulled apart appropriately, a releasing means on the outer housing  13 ,  23 , which moves over the inner housing  12 ,  22  when pulled, bending the latching arm  16 ,  26  outwards and thereby releasing the latch with the latching hooks  17 ,  27 . The releasing mechanism is not to be seen in the sections shown in FIGS. 3,  3   a  and  4 ,  4   a.    
     A top view of a complementary connector half  1  is represented in FIG.  5 . How the various housings are arranged is illustrated in this case by dashes in the top view. The complexity of the connector can be seen with particular ease in this case. Also to be seen is the position of the centring pins  3  and  3 ′ of the sleeve. A curly bracket marks the region in which the optical fibre ends are located. Two lines of section A and B are also illustrated. The line of section A is the axis of symmetry of the connector, while the line of section B passes through one of the centring pins. The section in accordance with the line of section AA in FIG. 5 is represented in FIG. 5 a.  FIG. 5 a  corresponds to what is represented in FIG.  3 . The section along the line BB in FIG. 5 is represented in FIG. 5 b.  It is to be seen here that a lug  162  is provided on the latching arm  16 . If the outer housing  13  is now retracted over the inner housing  12 , the releasing means  133  engages under the lug  162  and thus bends the latching arm  16  upwards, as a result of which the latch is released. 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 show two complementary connector halves  1  and  2  which are connected to one another and are located in a coupling sleeve, the representations being respectively in a section along the central axis and in a section through a centring pin. Plainly to be seen in the figures in each case are: a first connector half  1  and a second connector half  2 , which are respectively inserted from opposite ends into a coupling sleeve  4 . The coupling sleeve  4  has means for latching  41  and  42  with the inner housings  12  and  22  of the connector. The two connectors are latched to one another by means of the latching arms  16  or  26  and the latching hooks  17  or  27 . Moreover, the inner housings have latching noses  131  and  231  which respectively latch with the means for latching  41  and  42  on the coupling sleeve  4 . Again, means for opening this latch  232  and  132  are provided on the outer housing  13 ,  23 . 
     The precise cooperation of the coupling sleeve and the two connector halves with inner housing and outer housing is represented in the following figures with the aid of two exemplary embodiments. These two exemplary embodiments are, however, selected only by way of example. Further simpler possibilities of using the optical connector are conceivable. 
     Firstly, it is possible for two complementary connector halves to be connected directly to one another with or without a coupling sleeve. It is possible here in the case of one or both connector halves for the sleeve to be movable in the inner housing under a spring force, or it is possible for the sleeve to be fastened in the inner housing in the case of one connector half. A second application is that a first connector half is mounted on a so-called daughter board, and the coupling sleeve is mounted in a backplane, and the second connector half is independent. With such an application, it is possible for both connector halves to have sleeves which are moved in the inner housing under a spring force, but it is also possible for the connector halves to have on the daughter board a sleeve fixed in the inner housing. It is also possible, furthermore, for the two connector halves to be bound to a daughter board and for the two sleeves to be held in the inner housing under a spring force. Then, as well, the two connector halves are connected to a back-plane, for example, via a coupling sleeve. 
     FIGS. 8 a  to  8   d  represent a coupling sleeve which has means for latching  41 ,  42  for each of two connector halves to be connected. The two complementary connector halves  1  and  2  are designed as already described previously. The inner housing  12  or  22  respectively has a latching nose  131  or  231 , and there is respectively provided on the outer housing  13  or  23  a means for opening  132  or  232  the latch between the means for latching  41  or  42  and the latching noses  131  or  132 . It is shown on the first connector half  1  that the sleeve  11  is brought against the stop in the inner housing  12  by the spring force. The stop is denoted by A. It is also shown that there is a play S between the inner housing  12  and the outer housing  13 . The same play S is also present in the second connector half. 
     Firstly, the first connector half is inserted into the coupling sleeve  4  as represented in FIG. 8 b.  The sleeve  11  remains pushed against the stop A of the inner housing  12 , and the play S between inner housing  12  and outer housing  13  remains unchanged. The first connector half  1  can be pushed in until the outer housing  13  runs up against the latching means  41 . The inner housing  12  has a play P with respect to the coupling sleeve  4 . 
     As represented in FIG. 5 c,  thereafter the second connector half  2  is also inserted into the coupling sleeve  4 . In this process, both the means for latching  42  are latched with the inner housing  22  via the latching nose  231 , and the inner housings  22  and  12  are latched with one another. The sleeves  11  or  21  lie with their end faces against one another and are displaced with respect to the stop A by a play A′. The two inner housings  12  and  22  have a play Q with respect to one another. Because of the pressure on the end of the connector  2 , the outer housing  23  is moved against the stop B of the inner housing  22 , and the inner housing  12  with the latching nose  131  is moved against the latching arm  41 . The two connector halves and the coupling sleeve are now in the plugged state. The two connectors are latched both with the coupling sleeve and with one another. 
     A pull is now exerted on the outer housing  23  of the second connector half  2  in order to open the multiple optical connection. The result is, firstly, that the outer housing  23  is moved against the stop, against the inner housing  22 , and the inner housing  22  is then moved against the inner housing  12 . In the process, through its means for opening  232  the outer housing opens the lock between the means for latching  42  and the latching nose  231 . The second connector half is thus no longer latched with the coupling sleeve  4 . By pulling further on the second connector half, a pull is also exerted on the inner housing of the first connector half, and the two outer housings  23  and  13  open the lock with the latching arms  16  and  26 , with the result that the second connector half can be removed again from the coupling sleeve  4 . Thereafter, the first connector half  1  can be removed from the coupling sleeve  4  by pulling on the outer housing  13 . 
     A corresponding operation is represented in FIGS. 9 a  to  9   d  with a corresponding coupling sleeve  4  and two complementary connector halves  1  and  2 . The coupling sleeve  4  provides means for latching  41  only for the connector half  1 . The second connector half  2  is connected to a board. Firstly, the first connector half  1  is inserted into the coupling sleeve  4 , and thereafter the second connector half  2  is inserted. In the process, the second connector half  2  does not latch with the coupling sleeve  4 , but only with the first connector half  1 .