Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to an optical connector and more particularly to an optical connector with an improved dustproof mechanism. 
     DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     With rapid developments in the electronic industry, various electronic devices have become widely used. However, conventional electronic devices are exposed to the outside. Dust or other contamination can enter into the electronic devices, which would pollute electronic devices. Chinese Utility Patent No. 2922177 issued on Jul. 11, 2007 discloses an electronic device comprising an insulative housing with a plurality of terminals assembled therein, and a dustproof cover assembled in the insulative housing. The insulative housing defines a front mating port for receiving a memory card, and a pair of curved guiding rails disposed at two lateral sides thereof. The dustproof cover has two side ends movably received in the guiding rails respectively, a middle portion covering the mating port for dustproof protection. The dustproof cover needs to be pushed to move and allow the mating port to be exposed to an exterior by an operator before the memory card is inserted into the mating port. However, the dustproof cover need to be pushed to move and return to cover the mating port after the memory card is withdrawn from the mating port. As described above, the dustproof is inconveniently to operate for user. 
     Hence, an improved optical connector is highly desired to overcome the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, an optical connector adapted for mating with a corresponding connector, comprising: an insulative housing defining an upper mating port; an optical device received in the housing and having at least one lens exposed to the upper mating port; and a dustproof mechanism movably retained in the housing along a mating direction of the optical connector, the dustproof mechanism including a dustproof cover disposed in the mating port in an initial position and covering the lens along the mating direction, and a pushing projection protruding to an exterior of the optical connector; wherein when optical connector mates with the corresponding connector, the pushing projection is pushed backwardly to urge the dustproof cover to leave from the upper mating port and allow the lens to optically couple to the corresponding connector. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a cable connector assembly, comprises: an insulative housing having an upper mating port and a lower mating port respectively located in an upper side and a lower side of a front segment thereof; an optical module accommodated in the upper mating port, the optical module having a seat and at least one lens mounted into the seat; a plurality of terminals assembled in the housing and extending into the lower mating port; a dustproof mechanism attached to the housing and being movable between an initial position and a final position; and a cable connected to the lens and the terminals; wherein the dustproof mechanism covers the lens at the initial position for dustproof shield, at least one of the lens and the terminals are exposed to an exterior of the cable connector assembly for engaging with a corresponding connector while the dustproof mechanism is at the final position. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled, perspective view of an optical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but a pair of pushing projections of a dustproof mechanism is located at another position; 
         FIG. 3  is a partially assembling, perspective view of the optical connector without a metallic shell, an external cover and a strain relief, showing an optical module covered by the dustproof mechanism; 
         FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but showing the optical module exposed to an exterior of the optical connector; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the optical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 5 , but viewed from another direction; 
         FIG. 7  is also similar to  FIG. 5 , but viewed from another different direction; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an insulative housing of the optical connector; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the dustproof mechanism of the optical connector; and 
         FIG. 10  is similar to  FIG. 9 , but viewed from another side. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2  in conjunction with  FIG. 5 , an optical connector  100  in accordance with the present invention is a cable connector assembly and comprises an insulative housing  1 , a plurality of terminals  3  assembled in the housing  1 , an optical device  3  movably retained in the housing  1  for optical transmitting, a dustproof mechanism  4  attached to the housing  1 , a pair of springs  5  sandwiched between the housing  1  and the dustproof mechanism  4  in a mating direction (front-to-back direction) thereof, a pair of metallic latching members  6  retained in the housing  1  for locking with a corresponding connector (not shown), a metallic shell  7 , an external cover  8 , a cable  91 , and a strain relief  92 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the housing  1  includes a main portion  10  and a pair of mounting arms  12  extending backwardly from two lateral sides of the main portion  10 . The main portion  10  has an upper mating port  102  formed in a top surface, a pair of positioning slots  103  extending backwardly from the upper mating port  102 , and a pair of side walls  1021  surrounding around the upper mating port  102 . Each of the pair of side walls  1021  defines a first guiding rail  1022  extending in an upper-to-lower direction, and a second horizontal guiding rail  1025  extending backwardly from a top end of the first guiding rail  1022 . The first and the second guiding rails  1022 ,  1025  are communicated with the upper mating port  102  respectively and are aligned with each other in a transverse direction perpendicular to the mating direction, respectively. 
     In conjunction with  FIGS. 5-6 , the main portion  10  has a retaining slot  104 , a lower mating port  105  and a pair of recesses  108 , all of which are recessed on a lower surface thereof. A mating tongue  106  is located between the upper and the lower mating ports  102 ,  105  in the upper-to-lower direction. The upper mating port  102  is configured with U-shaped viewed from a front side, and the lower mating port  105  is configured with reverse U-shaped viewed from the front side. The upper and the lower mating ports  102 ,  105  extend forwardly through the main portion  10  respectively. The main portion  10  further has a supporting block  1023  disposed in front end of the upper mating port  102 . Each of the pair of mounting arms  12  has a retaining hole  121  extending forwardly from a rear end thereof and a receiving slot  101  formed on a bottom thereof. The housing  1  further includes two insulators  14  retained in the retaining slot  104  and stacked with each other in the upper-to-lower direction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the terminals  2  are insert molded in the two insulators  14  and each has a contact portion extending into the lower mating port  105  and a soldering tails connected with the cable  91 . An arrangement of the terminals  2  is in accordance with Digital Interactive Interface for Video &amp; Audio (DiiVA) standard. There are three differential pairs consisted of six signal terminals located between grounding terminals. The differential pairs for high-speed transmitting are used for conveying video signals. And a pair of signal terminals disposed aside the three differential pairs are used for audio signals. 
     The optical device  3  includes an optical module  31  received in the upper mating port  102 , and a plurality of fibers  32  connecting the optical module  31  and the cable  91 . The optical module  31  includes a number of lenses  311  aligned along the transverse direction, and a plastic seat  312  holding the lenses  311 . The fibers  32  are respectively coupled to the lenses  311 . In addition, the lenses  311  extend beyond a front side of the seat  312 , with a gap formed between front potions of every two adjacent lenses  311 . The seat  312  has a pair of positioning posts  315  protruding backwardly thereof and received in the positioning slots  103 , respectively. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9-10 , The dustproof mechanism  4  is of one piece construction and is formed from a single die stamped metal plate. The dustproof mechanism  4  includes a planar base  41 , a dustproof cover  42  extending forwardly from the base  41 , a pair of pushing projections  43  protruding upwardly from the base  41 , and a pair of protrusions  44  protruding downwardly from the base  41 . The pair of pushing projections  43  are spaced away from each other in the transverse direction and protrude outwardly and beyond the optical connector  100  for engaging with the corresponding connector. The pair of protrusions  44  are spaced away from each other in the transverse direction too. The dustproof cover  42  is formed with a cured rib  421  disposed on a front end thereof, and a pair of sliding shafts  422  protruding outwardly from two lateral ends of the rib  421  in the transverse direction. The sliding shafts  422  are received in the first guiding trails  1022  and movable along the upper-to-lower direction and the mating direction in turn. The dustproof cover  42  has a thickness being substantially one-half of the thickness of the base  41  so as to increase flexible bending characteristics thereof. The dustproof cover  42  and the base  41  have the same width in the transverse direction. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-7 , the springs  5  are received in the recesses  108  of the housing  1 , respectively. Each of the pair of springs  5  presents as wave-shape viewed from a top side and has a rear end backwardly pressing against the housing  1 , and a front end forwardly pressing against the protrusion  44  of the dustproof mechanism  4  to urge dustproof mechanism  4  to automatable move forwardly. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , each of the latching members  6  includes a connecting arm  60 , a latching arm  62  and a retention arm  63 . The latching arm  62  and the retention arm  63  are spaced apart from each other in the upper-to-lower direction and extend forwardly from the connecting arm  60 . The latching arm  62  and the retention arm  63  are located in a first vertical plane. The connecting arm  60  is of U-shaped and located in second vertical plane which is disposed outside of the first vertical plane. The latching arm  62  has a hook  621  formed on a front end, a tab  622  formed on a bottom side thereof and disposed behind the hook  621 . The hook  621  protrudes downwardly beyond the main portion  10 . The tab  622  protrudes downwardly beyond the main portion  10  for locking with a corresponding connector. The retention arm  63  is inserted into the retaining hole  121  of the housing  1 , and the latching arm  62  is retained in the receiving slot  101  of the housing  1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-6 , the metallic shell  7  has a first shell  71 , a second shell  72 , a third shell  73 , and a lower cap  74 . The first shell  71  includes a frame  711  to directly accommodate the main portion  10  therein. The frame  711  contains a top wall, a bottom wall, and a pair of side wall connected therebetween. The top wall defines a pair of guiding slots  712  receiving the pair of pushing projections  43  respectively therein to define a moving range of the pushing projections  43  in the mating direction. Two through holes  715  are defined in a front segment of the bottom wall of the frame  711  to allow the hooks  621  of the latching arm  62  passing through. The second shell  72  includes an inverted U-shaped main portion  721  and a tail portion  723  extending backwardly. The third shell  73  includes a U-shaped main body  731  and a cable holder  733  integrated with the main body  731  and projecting backwardly. The second shell  72  and the third shell  73  are combined together in the upper-to-lower direction. The lower cap  74  is retained on the main portion  10  of the housing  1  to directly cover the optical module  31 . 
     The external cover  8  includes an upper cover  81  and a bottom cover  82 . The upper cover  81  has a front wall  811  for abutting against the corresponding connector for the optical connector  100  to be prevented from being inserted deeply into the corresponding connector. The front wall  811  defines a pair of rectangular shaped opening  812  passing therethrough in the mating direction. The openings  812  are disposed above the guiding slots  712  and communicate with the guiding slots  712  respectively. The guiding slots  712  extend forwardly and beyond the openings  812 . The lower cover  82  is integrally formed with a deformable button  824  floatable along the upper-to-lower direction so as to actuate the tab  622  of the latching arm  62 . When detach the optical connector  100  from the corresponding connector, just press the deformable button  824  to actuate the tab  624  of the latching arm  62 , and the latching arm  62  retreat into the receiving slots  101 . When the pressing force is withdrawn, the deformable button  824  is restored to its original position, and the latching arms  62  also upwardly move by rebounded force. 
     The strain relief member  92  is molded over a front segment of the cable  91  and accommodated in the external cover  8 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3-4 , when the optical connector  100  does not mate with the corresponding connector, the dustproof mechanism  4  is positioned at an initial position, the dustproof cover  42  is perpendicular to the base  41  and is positioned in the upper mating port  102  to cover a front end of the optical module  31  for preventing dust from falling on the lenses  311  of the optical module  31 . When the optical connector  100  need to mate with the corresponding connector, the dustproof mechanism  4  is pushed backwardly by the pushing projections  43  being pushed and then arrives a final position, configured as a horizontal plate, the dustproof cover  42  leaves from outwardly from the upper mating port  102  to be positioned above the optical module  3  and allow the optical module  31  to mate with the corresponding connector. 
     When the optical connector  100  is being inserted into the corresponding connector, the dustproof mechanism  4  moves between the initial position and the final position along the mating direction. The corresponding connector abuts against the pushing projections  43  to urge the pushing projections  43  to backwardly move in the guiding slots  712 , and the sliding shafts  422  moves upwardly in the first guiding rails  1022  and is divided into two parts being perpendicular to each other, one part is positioned above the optical module  31  and disposed in a horizontal plane, the other part is still received in the upper mating port  102  and positioned in a vertical plane. When the optical connector  100  is fully inserted into the corresponding connector, the pushing projections  43  is wholly accommodated in the openings  821  of the external cover  8 , and the whole dustproof mechanism  4  is disposed in the horizontal plane and arrives the final position. After the optical connector  100  is withdraw from the corresponding connector, the dustproof mechanism  4  moves to the initial position via the pair of springs  5 . The pushing projections  43  is disposed at outside of the optical connector  100  and are adapted for directly abutting against the corresponding connector for achieving a mate between the optical connector  100  and the corresponding connector conveniently for user. 
     It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.

Technology Category: 3