BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an optical connector-incorporating plug, particularly to an optical connector-incorporating plug manufacturing method involving a step of taking out an optical fiber from an end portion of an optical cable and placing the optical fiber and the cable end portion in a tubular member.

The present invention also relates to an optical connector-incorporating plug manufactured by the method.

BACKGROUND ART

One example of conventional optical connector-incorporating plugs is an optical connector-incorporating plug1having the structure shown inFIG. 22(see JP 2016-122050 A). The optical connector-incorporating plug1has an outer shell member2of tubular shape. In the outer shell member2, there are disposed an inner housing4that holds a connector3, and a spring5that urges the inner housing4in a connector insertion direction. A tubular stopper6is inserted in a rear end opening of the outer shell member2to sandwich the spring5with the inner housing4. The connector3is connected with an optical fiber7A taken out from an end portion of an optical cable7.

The optical fiber7A taken out from the end portion of the optical cable7is passed through an insertion hole of a bushing8and then through the stopper6to be introduced into the outer shell member2. The bushing8is fitted in a rear end opening of the stopper6, and a gland nut9is screwed on and attached to the stopper6. Together with the bushing8compressed by the screwing of the gland nut9, the optical cable7is fixed with respect to the stopper6and the outer shell member2.

CITATION LIST

Summary of Invention

When the optical connector-incorporating plug1is assembled, the optical cable7is, from its end portion from which the optical fiber7A is taken out, inserted into the insertion hole of the bushing8so that the optical fiber7A is introduced into the stopper6. Thereafter, the bushing8is fitted to the rear end of the stopper6by press-fitting or other means. At this time, the fixed position of the optical cable7and the optical fiber7A may vary depending on the way of fitting the bushing8; due to this, it cannot be said that the length of the optical fiber7A in the stopper6(i.e., the length of an extra portion of the optical fiber7A) is always a predetermined length.

The variation in length of the extra portion of the optical fiber7A affects optical transmission conditions, such as a transmission loss, of an optical connector. Accordingly, it is required to fit a bushing such that an optical cable is situated at a predetermined position, thereby properly assembling an optical connector-incorporating plug.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem of conventional art, and an object of the invention is to provide a method of properly manufacturing an optical connector-incorporating plug such that an optical fiber taken out from an end portion of an optical cable can have a fixed length.

Another object of the invention is to provide an optical connector-incorporating plug assembled such that an optical fiber taken out from an end portion of an optical cable can have a fixed length.

In order to attain the above objects, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing an optical connector-incorporating plug, comprising: a step of inserting an optical cable into an insertion hole of a cable insertion component with an optical fiber being taken out from a cable end portion of the optical cable, and putting the cable end portion and the optical fiber into a tubular member; a step of fitting the cable insertion component into the tubular member while checking at least one of the cable end portion and the optical fiber in the tubular member through a hole formed at a peripheral wall of the tubular member; and a step of mounting a surrounding member to the tubular member to thereby cover the hole, the surrounding member being configured to surround at least a part of the peripheral wall of the tubular member.

The present invention also provides an optical connector-incorporating plug comprising: a cable insertion component having an insertion hole in which an optical cable is inserted with an optical fiber being taken out from a cable end portion of the optical cable; a tubular member in which the cable end portion and the optical fiber are placed and in which the cable insertion component is fitted; a hole formed at a peripheral wall of the tubular member at a position where at least one of the cable end portion and the optical fiber in the tubular member is seeable through the hole; and a surrounding member mounted to the tubular member to surround at least a part of the peripheral wall of the tubular member and thereby cover the hole.

