US 11,940,655 B2
Optical connector and optical connection structure
Tetsu Morishima, Osaka (JP)
Assigned to SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., Osaka (JP)
Filed by SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., Osaka (JP)
Filed on Jul. 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/367,810.
Application 17/367,810 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2020/000878, filed on Jan. 14, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-004071 (JP), filed on Jan. 15, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0333483 A1, Oct. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. G02B 6/38 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 6/3875 (2013.01) [G02B 6/3821 (2013.01); G02B 6/3825 (2013.01); G02B 6/3833 (2013.01); G02B 6/3869 (2013.01); G02B 6/3885 (2013.01); G02B 6/3893 (2013.01); G02B 6/3897 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical connector comprising:
a ferrule provided with a flange on an outside, having a through hole on an inside, and configured to hold an optical fiber containing a glass fiber and a resin coating covering the glass fiber in the through hole, the glass fiber being exposed from the resin coating at one end portion of the optical fiber;
a plug frame configured to receive the ferrule; and
an elastic member configured to bias the ferrule along a central axis direction of the ferrule,
wherein the elastic member is configured to hold, when the elastic member has a first length, the ferrule in a first position in the plug frame, and hold, when the elastic member has a second length shorter than the first length, the ferrule in a second position in the plug frame,
wherein either one of the ferrule or the plug frame has at least one tapered surface whose distance to a central axis of the ferrule decreases toward a biasing direction of the elastic member,
wherein when the ferrule is in the first position, the ferrule and the plug frame are in contact with each other via the at least one tapered surface, and pivotal movement of the ferrule with respect to the plug frame is restricted, and
wherein when the ferrule is in the second position, the ferrule is not in contact with the plug frame and is pivotable with respect to the plug frame, and the ferrule is in a floating state with respect to the plug frame.