JP2025150550A - Ferrule holder, optical connection structure, optical module - Google Patents

Abstract

A ferrule holder and the like are provided that have a simple structure and are capable of preventing a ferrule from coming off the ferrule holder.
[SOLUTION] A ferrule holder (1) has a ferrule insertion hole (5) that opens through in the optical connection direction (from front to rear). A ferrule (3) can be inserted into the ferrule insertion hole (5). A pair of ferrule holding latches (9) are arranged at the rear of the ferrule holder (1) on both sides of the ferrule insertion hole (5). Latch presser insertion holes (7) are provided on both sides of the ferrule insertion hole (5) of the ferrule holder (1). When a latch presser (35) is inserted into the latch presser insertion hole (7) and a guide pin (33) begins to be inserted into a guide hole (11), a part of the latch presser (35) is positioned outside the ferrule holding latch (9).
[Selected Figure] Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a ferrule holder that holds a ferrule having a waveguide inside.

For example, an ELS (External Light Source) module has been proposed, which incorporates a light source and is capable of simultaneous optical and electrical connections (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). Such an ELS module has an optical connection section that can be connected to other connectors.

"OIF Co-Packaging Interoperability Demo" OFC 2022, March 8-10-SanDiego CA (https://www.oiforum.com/wp-content/uploads/OIF_Co-Packaging_Demo_OFC2022_Presentation.pdf)

In such optical modules, a ferrule with a waveguide that connects to the internal light source must be fixed to the optical module housing. In this case, for example, one method is to attach the ferrule to a ferrule holder, then fix this ferrule holder to a housing holder, and then attach the housing holder to the housing.

However, this method is undesirable because it increases the number of parts, which increases costs, and also increases the tolerances that must be met when assembling the parts. Therefore, a method is desired in which the ferrule is fixed directly to a ferrule holder that can be attached to the housing.

Figure 9(a) shows an example of a ferrule holder 100 capable of fixing such a ferrule 103 to a housing (not shown). The ferrule holder 100 has a pair of ferrule retention latches 101 and a hole (not shown) between the ferrule retention latches 101 into which the ferrule can be inserted.

When attaching a ferrule 103 to such a ferrule holder 100, first, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the ferrule 103 is inserted between the ferrule retention latches 101 while deforming the ferrule retention latches 101 from the rear of the ferrule holder 100. The ferrule 103 is then pushed into the hole, completing the fixation of the ferrule 103 to the ferrule holder 100, as shown in FIG. 9(c). At this time, the ferrule 103 is supported from behind by the ferrule retention latches 101, preventing the ferrule 103 from slipping out rearward. In this way, the ferrule holder 100 makes it easy to fix the ferrule 103 to the ferrule holder 100.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 10(a), such a ferrule holder 100 may be fixed to the housing of an optical module (not shown) and then connected to the optical connector 105 to be connected. The optical connector 105 also contains a ferrule 107, and the ferrule 107 is provided with a guide pin 109 for positioning with the ferrule 103. The guide pin 109 is inserted into a hole (not shown) formed in the ferrule 103, thereby positioning the ferrule 103 and ferrule 107 and enabling optical connection.

In addition, when connecting the ferrule 107 and ferrule 103, a spring located at the rear end of the ferrule 107 applies a predetermined pressure to press the end faces of the ferrule 107 and 103 together, resulting in physical contact (PC). This pressure may cause the ferrule holding latch 101 that holds the ferrule 103 to deform and open, potentially causing the ferrule 103 to come off the ferrule holder 100.

However, if the claw portion of the ferrule holding latch 101 is enlarged to increase the engagement area of the claw of the ferrule holding latch 101 with the ferrule 103, the work of attaching the ferrule 103 to the ferrule holder 100 becomes difficult.

For this reason, a structure is desired that prevents the ferrule 103 from coming loose from the ferrule holder 100 during optical connection without making the installation of the ferrule 103 into the ferrule holder 100 difficult.

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a ferrule holder or the like with a simple structure that can prevent the ferrule from coming loose from the ferrule holder.

To achieve the above-mentioned object, the first invention is a ferrule holder for use in optical connection, comprising a ferrule and a ferrule holding portion that holds the ferrule, the ferrule holding portion having a pair of latches at the rear of the ferrule that hold the ferrule from both sides of the ferrule, and holes or notches that penetrate in the optical connection direction on both sides of the latches, into which the latch presser of an optical connector to be optically connected can be inserted, and when the latch presser is inserted, the latch presser can restrict outward deformation in the direction in which the latch opens.

In plan view, the inside of the latch may have a tapered shape that causes the latch to deform outward when the ferrule is inserted from behind.

In plan view, the latch may have a protrusion near the tip that protrudes outward, away from the claw portion.

In plan view, the inner and outer sides of the latch may be formed linearly with respect to the insertion direction of the ferrule.

According to the first invention, by forming a hole into which the latch retainer is inserted and positioning the latch retainer on the outside of the latch for holding the ferrule, it is possible to prevent the latch from opening outward when connected to the connector. This prevents the latch from opening unintentionally when connecting the connector to the ferrule, causing the ferrule to be pushed back and removed from the ferrule holder. Furthermore, since there is no latch retainer, it does not interfere with the installation process when attaching the ferrule to the ferrule holder.

This type of latch configuration has a tapered shape that acts as a guide when inserting the ferrule, making the ferrule installation process easier.

Furthermore, by providing a protruding portion that protrudes outward near the tip of the latch, part of the latch presser portion comes into contact with the protruding portion, preventing the latch from opening. In this case, the contact area between the latch and the latch presser portion can be reduced, so that, for example, when the ferrule holder is attached to a housing, the position of the ferrule holder relative to the housing can be allowed to change, making it easier for the ferrule holder to move relative to the housing.

The same effect can also be achieved by forming the inside and outside of the latch in a straight line relative to the insertion direction of the ferrule.

The second invention is a connection structure between a ferrule holder and an optical connector according to the first invention, wherein the optical connector has an optical connection portion that connects to the ferrule and latch presser portions that protrude in the connection direction on both sides of the optical connection portion, and the latch presser portions are inserted into holes or cutouts in the ferrule holder, and the vicinity of the tip of the latch presser portions is positioned outward of the latch, thereby restricting outward deformation of the latch.

The end of the latch retainer may have a protrusion that protrudes in the latch direction.

At least a portion of the end of the latch retainer may contact the outer surface of the latch.

There may be a gap between the latch pressing portion and the outer surface of the latch, and the gap may be narrower than the engagement between the latch claw and the ferrule.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the latch that holds the ferrule is pressed from the outside by the latch presser, preventing the latch from opening. This prevents the ferrule from coming off the ferrule holder during connection.

Furthermore, by providing a protrusion at the tip of the latch presser that serves as the contact point with the latch, the contact area between the latch presser and the latch is reduced, and at least a portion of the end of the latch presser can be brought into contact with the outer surface of the latch. As a result, when the ferrule holder is attached to the housing, the position of the ferrule holder relative to the housing is allowed to change, making it easier for the ferrule holder to move relative to the housing.

In addition, even if there is a gap between the latch pressing portion and the outer surface of the latch, by narrowing the gap to be smaller than the engagement between the latch claw and the ferrule, it is possible to prevent the latch from opening and the claw from coming off the ferrule.

The third invention is an optical module incorporating the ferrule holder of the first invention, characterized by comprising: a light source that is optically connected to the ferrule held in the ferrule holder; and a housing that incorporates the light source and the ferrule holder.

The third invention makes it possible to obtain an optical module that can be easily connected to other optical connectors.

The present invention provides a ferrule holder and the like that has a simple structure and is capable of preventing the ferrule from coming loose from the ferrule holder.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ferrule holder 1 and the ferrule 3. 1A is an exploded plan view of the ferrule holder 1 and the ferrule 3, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 1A is an assembled perspective view of the ferrule holder 1 and the ferrule 3, and FIG. 1B is an assembled plan view of the ferrule holder 1 and the ferrule 3. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an optical module 20. 3A is a perspective view of the optical connector 30, and FIG. 3B is a plan view of the optical connector 30. FIG. 1A is a plan view of the optical connector 30 and the ferrule 3 before they are connected, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of the optical connector 30 and the ferrule 3 after they are connected. 6A is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 6B, and FIGS. 6B and 6C are views showing other embodiments. 10A and 10B are views showing another embodiment of the latch pressing portion 35. 1A to 1C are diagrams showing a process of attaching a ferrule 103 to a conventional ferrule holder 100. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing a process of connecting a ferrule 107 and a ferrule 103 of an optical connector 105. FIG.

The following describes a ferrule holder 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the ferrule holder 1 and ferrule 3, and Figure 2(a) is a plan view of the ferrule holder 1 and ferrule 3 in an exploded state. The ferrule holder 1 holds the ferrule 3 and can be optically connected to other optical connectors, etc.

The ferrule 3 has a waveguide such as an optical fiber inside. The end face of the waveguide (not shown) is exposed on the front surface of the ferrule 3. Note that there may be one or more waveguides exposed on the front surface of the ferrule 3.

Guide holes 11 are provided on both sides of the waveguide on the front surface of the ferrule 3. Guide pins to be connected, described below, are inserted into the guide holes 11. A protrusion 4 is provided at the rear of the ferrule 3 so as to protrude at least vertically.

The ferrule holder 1 has a ferrule insertion hole 5 that opens through in the optical connection direction (from front to rear). A ferrule 3 can be inserted into the ferrule insertion hole 5. Note that in this embodiment, the left side of FIG. 2(a) (the direction of connection with other optical connectors, described below) is the front of the ferrule holder 1, and the right side of FIG. 2(a) is the rear of the ferrule holder 1.

Furthermore, a pair of ferrule retention latches 9 are arranged at the rear of the ferrule holder 1, on both sides of the ferrule insertion hole 5. Figure 2(b) is an enlarged view of part A in Figure 2(a). The ferrule retention latches 9 are arranged on both sides of the ferrule insertion hole 5, with their claws 15 facing each other.

In plan view, tapered sections 16 are provided on the inside of the ferrule retention latches 9, with the spacing between the ferrule retention latches 9 increasing toward the rear. The tapered sections 16 function as guides for deforming the ferrule retention latches 9 outward when inserting the ferrule 3 from the rear.

In addition, in a plan view, a protrusion 17 is formed near the tip of the ferrule retention latch 9, facing outward, on the opposite side from the claw portion 15. The protrusion 17 is a portion that partially protrudes outward relative to the rest of the ferrule retention latch 9. In other words, the outer surface of the ferrule retention latch 9 (the upper surface in Figure 2(b)) is not flat, and the tip protrudes outward.

As shown in Figure 2(a), ferrule abutment portions 13 are provided between the ferrule holding latches 9. The ferrule abutment portions 13 are provided above and below the ferrule insertion holes 5 and are portions that protrude in opposing directions.

Holder retention latches 19 are provided near both sides of the ferrule holder 1, facing rearward. Each holder retention latch 19 has a claw portion facing outward. The holder retention latches 19 are used when attaching the ferrule holder 1 to the housing, which will be described later. The housing will be described later.

Latch retainer insertion holes 7 are provided on both sides of the ferrule retention latch 9 of the ferrule holder 1. The latch retainer insertion holes 7 penetrate the ferrule holder 1 in the optical connection direction (from front to rear). The ferrule retention latch 9 is positioned between the ferrule insertion hole 5 and the latch retainer insertion hole 7.

Figure 3(a) is a perspective view showing the ferrule 3 attached to the ferrule holder 1, and Figure 3(b) is a plan view showing the ferrule 3 attached to the ferrule holder 1. As mentioned above, the ferrule 3 can be inserted into the ferrule insertion hole 5 from the rear of the ferrule holder 1. At this time, contact between the tapered portion 16 of the ferrule holding latch 9 and the ferrule 3 causes the ferrule holding latch 9 to deform outward, inserting the ferrule 3 into the ferrule insertion hole 5.

When the ferrule 3 is pushed in until the protrusion 4 abuts against the ferrule abutment portion 13 of the ferrule holder 1, the deformation of the ferrule retention latch 9 returns, and the claw portion 15 engages the rear of the ferrule 3. In other words, the pair of ferrule retention latches 9 function as ferrule retention portions that hold the ferrule 3 from both sides of the ferrule 3 at the rear of the ferrule 3. In this way, the ferrule retention portions hold the ferrule 3 in the ferrule holder 1.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an optical module 20 in which a ferrule holder 1 is fixed to a housing 23. The ferrule holder 1 is built into the housing 23 of the optical module 20. The housing 23 is open, for example, at the front (top in the figure), and when the ferrule holder 1 is inserted from the front of the housing 23, the holder retention latch 19 of the ferrule holder 1 engages with part of the housing.

A light source 21 is also built into the housing 23. The light source 21 is optically connected to a waveguide within the ferrule 3 held in the ferrule holder 1. Such an optical module 20 is, for example, an ELS module having a TOSA (Transmitter Optical Sub-Assembly) in which the light source 21 is built. Note that the circuit boards and electrical connectors within the optical module 20 are not shown. The optical module may also be something other than an ELS module. Furthermore, the attachment structure of the ferrule holder 1 to the housing 23 may be something other than the holder retention latch 19.

Next, we will explain how to connect the optical module 20 to another optical connector. Figure 5(a) is a perspective view showing the optical connector 30 to be optically connected, and Figure 5(b) is a plan view of the optical connector 30. The optical connector 30 has a ferrule 31 that incorporates a waveguide. In other words, the waveguide (not shown) of the ferrule 31 of the optical connector 30 becomes the optical connection portion that is optically connected to the waveguide of the ferrule 3 fixed to the ferrule holder 1.

Guide pins 33 that protrude in the connection direction are provided on both sides of the optical connection portion of the ferrule 31. The guide pins 33 are inserted into the guide holes 11 of the ferrule 3 to be connected, and serve as parts for positioning during optical connection. In other words, a pair of guide pins 33 are located on both sides of the optical connection portion, at positions corresponding to the guide holes 11.

Latch retainers 35 are arranged on both sides of the ferrule 31 (optical connection portion) of the optical connector 30. The latch retainers 35 protrude in the direction of connection with the ferrule holder 1 (to the right in Figure 5(b)). The cross-sectional shape of the latch retainers 35 may be circular or polygonal, such as rectangular. The latch retainers 35 are arranged at positions corresponding to the latch retainer insertion holes 7 of the ferrule holder 1.

Figure 6(a) shows the optical connector 30 and ferrule holder 1 facing each other. The ferrule holder 1 is shown in cross section. In the following figures, the housing 23 in which the ferrule holder 1 is housed will be omitted, and the connection method between the optical connector 30 and ferrule holder 1 will be described.

When connecting the optical connector 30 and the ferrule holder 1, first insert the latch retainer 35 of the optical connector 30 into the latch retainer insertion hole 7. The cross section of the latch retainer 35 is smaller than the cross section of the latch retainer insertion hole 7, and there is sufficient clearance, so the latch retainer 35 can be easily inserted into the latch retainer insertion hole 7. Note that in this embodiment, the latch retainer insertion hole 7 is described as having a hole shape, but the shape of the latch retainer insertion hole 7 does not necessarily have to be a hole, and there are no particular restrictions as long as it has a shape that allows the latch retainer 35 to be inserted.

After the latch retainer 35 is inserted a predetermined length into the latch retainer insertion hole 7, the guide pin 33 is then inserted into the guide hole 11. Figure 6(b) shows the connection structure between the ferrule holder 1 and the optical connector 30, with the guide pin 33 inserted into the guide hole 11. As mentioned above, when the guide pin 33 is inserted into the guide hole 11, the ferrule 3 may be pushed backward due to the insertion resistance of the guide pin 33 into the guide hole 11, which may cause the ferrule holding latch 9 to deform and open outward.

Figure 7(a) is an enlarged view of part B in Figure 6(b). As mentioned above, the latch presser insertion hole 7 is formed on the outside of the pair of ferrule retention latches 9. Therefore, when the latch presser 35 is inserted into the latch presser insertion hole 7, the latch presser 35 is positioned along the outside of the ferrule retention latch 9.

In this way, when the latch retainer 35 is inserted into the latch retainer insertion hole 7 and the guide pin 33 begins to be inserted into the guide hole 11, a portion of the latch retainer 35 is positioned outside the ferrule retention latch 9. This makes it possible for the latch retainer 35 to restrict outward deformation, which is the direction in which the pair of ferrule retention latches 9 open. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ferrule retention latch 9 from opening and the ferrule 3 from coming off the ferrule retention latch 9.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), a protrusion 17 is formed on the outside of the ferrule retention latch 9. Therefore, the latch presser 35 comes into contact with this protrusion 17, thereby suppressing deformation of the ferrule retention latch 9. In this way, by ensuring that at least a portion of the latch presser 35 comes into contact with the outer surface of the ferrule retention latch 9, deformation of the ferrule retention latch 9 can be reliably suppressed.

Here, typically, at an optical connection where the waveguides of an optical connector are optically connected, the ferrule inside the connector has a certain degree of freedom of movement relative to the connector (a so-called floating structure) so that the optical connection can be maintained even when force is applied to the connector. For example, inside the optical connector 30, the ferrule 31 is held in a state where it is allowed to move slightly in the X-Y directions and rotational directions relative to the connector body.

On the other hand, as mentioned above, the ferrule 3 is fixed to the ferrule holder 1, and there is no floating structure between the ferrule 3 and the ferrule holder 1. For this reason, it is desirable for the ferrule holder 1 to have a floating structure relative to the housing 23. In other words, it is desirable for the ferrule holder 1 to be allowed a certain degree of freedom of movement in a predetermined direction relative to the housing 23.

However, if the latch retainer 35 and the ferrule holder 1 (ferrule holding latch 9) come into surface contact (for example, the entire side surface of the latch retainer 35 comes into contact with the outer surface of the ferrule holding latch 9), the movement of the ferrule holder 1 may be restricted by the latch retainer 35, preventing free movement.

In response to this, as shown in Figure 7(a), by forming a protrusion 17 on the outer surface of the ferrule holding latch 9, it is possible to prevent such large surface contact between the latch presser 35 and the ferrule holder 1 (ferrule holding latch 9). In other words, the ferrule holding latch 9 and the latch presser 35 come into contact at the protrusion 17, with gaps remaining in other areas. This prevents the latch presser 35 from restraining the ferrule holder 1 and interfering with the floating function.

As shown in Figure 7(b), a gap may be formed between the outer surface of the ferrule holding latch 9 and the latch presser 35. In other words, the outer surface may be formed linearly in a plan view without forming a protrusion 17 on the outside of the ferrule holding latch 9. In this case, the ferrule holding latch 9 can deform outward by the amount of the gap until it comes into contact with the latch presser 35.

In this case, it is sufficient that the gap D between the latch presser 35 and the outer surface of the ferrule holding latch 9 is narrower than the engagement amount C between the claw portion 15 of the ferrule holding latch 9 and the ferrule 3. Furthermore, it is even more desirable if the total of the gaps D between the latch presser 35 on both sides and the outer surface of the ferrule holding latch 9 is narrower than the engagement amount C between the claw portion 15 of each ferrule holding latch 9 and the ferrule 3.

By doing this, even if the ferrule holding latch 9 deforms so as to open outward until it comes into contact with the latch pressing portion 35, the ferrule 3 can be prevented from coming off the claw portion 15 of the ferrule holding latch 9.

The ferrule retention latch 9 may have a shape that does not have a tapered portion, as shown in Figure 7(c). In other words, in a plan view, the inner and outer sides of the ferrule retention latch 9 may be formed linearly relative to the insertion direction of the ferrule 3. In this way, the shape of the ferrule retention latch 9 is not particularly limited.

Also, as shown in Figure 8, a protrusion 37 may be provided near the end of the latch presser 35, protruding toward the ferrule holding latch 9 (the direction facing the latch presser 35). The protrusion 37 is formed, for example, with a curved surface facing the ferrule holding latch 9. In this way, the latch presser 35 and the ferrule holding latch 9 come into point contact, which can prevent interference with the floating function of the ferrule holder 1 as described above.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the latch retainer 35 can be inserted outside the ferrule retention latch 9 of the ferrule holder 1. Therefore, when connecting the optical connector 30 and the ferrule holder 1 (optical module 20), inserting the latch retainer 35 into the latch retainer insertion hole 7 of the ferrule holder 1 allows the vicinity of the tip of the latch retainer 35 to be positioned outside the ferrule retention latch 9. Therefore, the latch retainer 35 prevents the ferrule retention latch 9 from deforming outward, thereby preventing the ferrule 3 from coming off the ferrule holder 1.

Furthermore, when attaching the ferrule 3 to the ferrule holder 1, the ferrule retention latch 9 is easily deformed, making the attachment process easy. In particular, forming a tapered portion 16 on the ferrule retention latch 9 makes it easy to attach the ferrule 3.

Furthermore, by providing a protrusion 17 on the outside of the ferrule holding latch 9 or a protrusion 37 on the inside of the latch presser 35, the contact area between the latch presser 35 and the ferrule holding latch 9 can be reduced, preventing interference with the floating mechanism of the ferrule holder 1.

Furthermore, by forming a gap between the ferrule holding latch 9 and the latch presser 35, the impact on the floating mechanism of the ferrule holder 1 described above can be further reduced. Furthermore, by making the size of the gap smaller than the engagement allowance of the claw portion 15 of the ferrule holding latch 9, it is possible to prevent the ferrule 3 from coming off the ferrule holding latch 9.

As mentioned above, the latch retainer insertion hole 7 does not have to be shaped like a hole, as long as it can be positioned so that the latch retainer 35 can be inserted and so that, when inserted, the latch retainer 35 can restrict deformation in the opening direction of the ferrule holding latch 9. For example, instead of the latch retainer insertion hole 7, it may be shaped like a notch with no upper or lower beams. Even in this case, the latch retainer 35 of the optical connector to be optically connected can be inserted, and when inserted, the latch retainer 35 can restrict outward deformation, which is the opening direction of the ferrule holding latch 9.

Furthermore, while the description of this embodiment uses an ELS (External Light Source) module as an example, the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to ELS modules. For example, it can also be applied to the optical connection parts of pluggable transceivers, which have traditionally been widely used in the optical communications field. In this case, by using the compact connector mechanism of the present invention, it is possible to install the connector in a smaller space than when using a conventional MPO connector, and it is also possible to install two or more connectors side by side.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the attached drawings, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art could conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Ferrule holder 3...Ferrule 4...Protrusion 5...Ferrule insertion hole 7...Latch pressing portion insertion hole 9...Ferrule holding latch 11...Guide hole 13...Ferrule abutment portion 15...Claw portion 16...Tapered portion 17...Protrusion 19...Holder holding latch 20...Optical module 21...Light source 23...Housing 30...Optical connector 31...Ferrule 33...Guide pin 35...Latch pressing portion 37...Protrusion 100...Ferrule holder 101...Ferrule holding latch 103...Ferrule 105...Optical connector 107...Ferrule 109...Guide pin

Claims (9)

A ferrule holder used for optical connection,
A ferrule and
a ferrule holding portion that holds the ferrule;
Equipped with
the ferrule holding portion has a pair of latches that hold the ferrule from both sides of the ferrule at the rear of the ferrule,
On both sides of the latch, there are holes or notches that penetrate in the optical connection direction,
A ferrule holder characterized in that the latch pressing portion of the optical connector to be optically connected can be inserted into the hole or notch, and when the latch pressing portion is inserted, the latch pressing portion can restrict outward deformation in the direction in which the latch opens. The ferrule holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, in plan view, the inner side of the latch has a tapered shape that causes the latch to deform outward when the ferrule is inserted from behind. The ferrule holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, in plan view, the latch has a protruding portion near the tip end that protrudes outward, opposite the claw portion. The ferrule holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, in a plan view, the inner and outer sides of the latch are formed linearly relative to the insertion direction of the ferrule. 5. A connection structure between a ferrule holder and an optical connector according to claim 1,
The optical connector includes an optical connection portion that is connected to the ferrule;
a latch pressing portion protruding in a connection direction on both sides of the optical connection portion;
and
An optical connection structure characterized in that the latch pressing portion is inserted into a hole or notch in the ferrule holder, and the vicinity of the tip of the latch pressing portion is positioned outside the latch, thereby restricting outward deformation of the latch. The optical connection structure described in claim 5, characterized in that a protrusion protruding in the latch direction is provided near the end of the latch pressing portion. The optical connection structure described in claim 5, characterized in that at least a portion of the latch pressing portion contacts the outer surface of the latch. a gap is provided between the latch pressing portion and the outer surface of the latch;
6. The optical connection structure according to claim 5, wherein the gap is narrower than the engagement between the claw of the latch and the ferrule. An optical module incorporating the ferrule holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
a light source optically connected to the ferrule held by the ferrule holder;
a housing in which the light source and the ferrule holder are built;
An optical module comprising: