Optical attenuator

An optical attenuator has a male connector, a female connector that is spaced apart from the male connector in a front-rear direction, a holder, and an attenuating member. The holder extends in the front-rear direction and has two opposite ends respectively connected to the male and female connectors. The holder is formed with a mounting groove which extends in the front-rear direction. The attenuating member extends through the mounting groove, and has two opposite ends respectively inserted into the male and female connectors.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Patent Application No. 107128595, filed on Aug. 16, 2018.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a fiber optic component, and more particularly to an optical attenuator.

BACKGROUND

Optical attenuators are devices used to reduce power of optical signals in electrically connected optical fibers. The optical attenuators may be designed differently to utilize different principles of operation, and may be designed structurally differently to be compatible with different types of fiber optic connectors.

Referring toFIG. 1, a conventional optical attenuator1compatible with a multi-fiber push on (MPO) connector includes a male connector11that is formed with two plug pins110, a female connector12that is spaced apart from the male connector11in a front-rear direction (A), and an attenuating member13that extends in the front-rear direction (A) and that has two opposite ends respectively inserted into the male and female connectors11,12. The attenuating member13is made of a plurality of evenly arranged attenuating wires131. When the male and female connectors11,12are respectively and electrically connected to other MPO connectors (not shown), the optical attenuator1reduces power of optical signals passing through the attenuating member13.

However, as the attenuating member13is usually exposed to external environment, a force exerted by a user when plugging or unplugging the male and female connectors11,12may unintentionally pull or push the attenuating member13, thereby damaging the wires131during the operations.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide an optical attenuator that can alleviate the drawback of the prior art.

According to the disclosure, the optical attenuator has a male connector, a female connector that is spaced apart from the male connector in a front-rear direction, a holder, and an attenuating member. The holder extends in the front-rear direction and has two opposite ends respectively connected to the male and female connectors. The holder is formed with a mounting groove which extends in the front-rear direction. The attenuating member extends through the mounting groove, and has two opposite ends respectively inserted into the male and female connectors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 2 to 4, an embodiment of an optical attenuator2according to the disclosure includes a male connector3, a female connector4that is spaced apart from the male connector3in a front-rear direction (B), a holder5that extends in the front-rear direction (B) and that has two opposite ends respectively connected to the male and female connectors3,4, an attenuating member6that is mounted in the holder5and that has two opposite ends respectively inserted into the male and female connectors3,4, and a housing7that is sleeved to the male connector3and the holder5. Both the male and female connectors3,4are MPO connectors, with the male connector3being formed with a plurality of plug pins31and defining a male wiring space32, and the female connector4having a pin socket41compatible with the plug pins31and defining a female wiring space42that spatially communicates with the pin socket41.

The holder5includes a main body portion51, two protruding portions52, and two insertion portions53. The main body portion51has a U-shaped cross-section when viewed in the front-rear direction (B), and defines a mounting groove510that extends in the front-rear direction (B) and that spatially communicates with the male and female wiring spaces32,42. The protruding portions52protrude outwardly from the main body portion51, are spaced apart in the front-rear direction (B), and respectively abut against the male and female connectors3,4. The insertion portions53respectively extend from two opposite ends of the main body portion51toward and into the male and female connectors3,4, such that the main body portion51spatially communicates with the male and female wiring spaces32,42. The protruding portions52, by respectively abutting against the male and female connectors3,4, ensure that the main body portion51is fixedly positioned between the male and female connectors3,4, and that the male and female connectors3,4would not be moved toward each other. Likewise, the insertion portions53, which are respectively connected to the male and female connectors3,4, serve to position the main body portion51, the male connector3and the female connector4relative to one another so as to maintain the distance between the male and female connectors3,4. The attenuating member6is mounted to the mounting groove510of the holder5, and is made of a plurality of attenuating wires61and a positioning member62that sleeves the attenuating wirings61by an injection molding technique for arranging the attenuating wires61in an orderly fashion. Each of the attenuating wires61has two ends respectively extending through the insertion portions53and into male and female wiring spaces32,42.

The housing7includes a housing body71and a housing cover72that is removably mounted to the housing body71. The housing body71has a mounting portion711for the male connector3to be mounted therein, an extended portion712that extends from the mounting portion711in the front-rear direction (B) toward and abuts against the female connector4and that is for the holder5to be mounted therein, and a socket portion713that extends from the mounting portion711in the front-rear direction (B) away from the female connector4. The mounting portion711cooperates with the housing cover72to cover the male connector3, and is formed with a plurality of coupling holes714. The extended portion712cooperates with the housing cover72to partly cover the holder5and the attenuating member6. The socket portion713defines an insertion space715for the plug pins31of the male connector3to be inserted thereinto. The insertion space715further enables a female connector (not shown) to be inserted thereinto and to be coupled to the male connector3. The housing cover72has a plurality of coupling tongues721that are operable to be removably coupled to the respective coupling holes714.

Overall, by maintaining a fixed distance between the male and female connector3,4via the protruding portions52and the insertion portions53of the holder5, the attenuating wires61of the attenuating member6would not be directly damaged when the optical attenuator2is being plugged or unplugged by an external force, as the attenuating member6would not experience any tension or contraction when two ends thereof, which are respectively inserted into the male and female connectors3,4, remain in the same distance. In addition, the housing7protects the attenuating member6from outside exposure, extending its service life.