JP4823256B2 - Optical fiber tip processing apparatus and polishing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for chamfering an outer peripheral portion of a tip end of an optical fiber with a polishing member.

  In response to the trend toward broadband communication, construction of optical communication networks such as optical LAN (Local Area Network) and FTTH (Fiber To The Home) has been promoted rapidly. In order to realize such an optical communication network, a compact, high-density and highly reliable optical connector is indispensable. An FPC (Fiber Physical Contact) type optical fiber connector has been invented as an optical connector satisfying such requirements. In this FPC type optical fiber connector, the ends of two optical fibers to be connected are opposed to each other, inserted from both ends of a connection hole having an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the optical fiber, and the ends of the two optical fibers are inserted. Hit it. For this abutting force, a buckling force obtained by bending the optical fiber is used. Then, the optical axes of the two optical fibers coincide with each other, and the optical fibers are connected to each other by PC (Physical Contact) by the abutting force.

  The outer circumference of the tip of the optical fiber facilitates insertion into a connection hole with an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the optical fiber, and also reduces the abutting area to increase the contact pressure and ensure more secure PC connection. A method (taper processing method) of chamfering a portion in a conical shape is used (Patent Document 1).

  The processing principle will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 13, reference numeral 301 denotes an optical fiber, 301a denotes a tip of the optical fiber 301, 303 denotes a holder of the optical fiber, 302 denotes a polished surface, and 304 denotes a movement locus of the optical fiber tip 301a. Is. First, the optical fiber 301 is held by the holder 303 so as to be perpendicular to the polishing surface 302. When the length of the optical fiber from the end surface of the holder 303 to the optical fiber tip 301a is L and the vertical distance from the end surface of the holder 303 to the polishing surface 302 is d, the holder 303 is polished so that d is smaller than L. Approach 302. Then, the portion L protruding downward from the holder 303 of the optical fiber 301 is curved. The contact angle between the optical fiber tip 301a and the polishing surface 302 at this time is θ.

  In this state, while keeping d constant and keeping the direction of the holder 303 constant (for example, keeping the side AA ′ of the holder 303 always parallel to the X axis), the holder 303 is moved by a planetary gear or the like. Move along a circular orbit. Then, the optical fiber tip 301a also moves while drawing a circular movement locus 304.

  When the optical fiber tip 301a makes a round along the movement locus 304, the contact point with the polishing surface 302 of the optical fiber tip 301a also makes a round in the circumferential direction of the tip of the optical fiber 301, and a minute conical surface having a taper angle θ. Is formed. Similarly, when the holder 303 is repeatedly moved along the circular orbit as many times as necessary, a desired conical surface having a taper angle θ, that is, a chamfered shape is formed at the optical fiber tip 301a. Instead of revolving the holder 303, the holder 303 may be fixed and the polishing surface 302 may be revolved to form a chamfered shape.

JP-A-10-123339

  In the above conventional method, in order to curve the portion of the optical fiber 301 protruding downward from the holder 303, the length from the end surface of the holder 303 to the polishing surface 302 is longer than the length L of the optical fiber 301 protruding downward. It is necessary to bring the holder 303 closer to the polishing surface 302 so that the vertical distance d becomes smaller. However, since the optical fiber 301 is held by the holder 303 so as to be perpendicular to the polishing surface 302, the front end surface of the optical fiber 301 is at any point in the process of approaching and separating the holder 303 and the polishing surface 302. However, there is a problem in that the front end surface of the optical fiber is easily damaged by being abutted against or in sliding contact with the polishing surface 302. In order to avoid this, the holder 303 and the polishing surface 302 are approached and separated from each other by inclining the axis of the optical fiber F with respect to the normal of the polishing surface 302, and polishing is performed on the optical fiber 301. To make the structure of the holder 303 complicated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus and a processing method capable of suppressing damage to the front end face of an optical fiber in the process of chamfering without complicating the structure of the holder.

A first aspect of the present invention includes a polishing member that polishes the tip of a single-core optical fiber, and a drive mechanism that moves a polishing surface of the polishing member along a predetermined trajectory. an optical fiber tip processing apparatus for processing a conical shape, the predetermined trajectory, a revolving component having a revolution axis, and the revolution axis and a rotational component with a rotation axis which is non-coaxial, the single The axis of the intermediate portion, which is the holding portion of the optical fiber, is coaxial with the revolution axis, and the polishing surface intersects the axis of the intermediate portion and is inclined with respect to the plane perpendicular to the axis of the intermediate portion. The optical fiber tip processing apparatus is characterized in that the holding position of the single-core optical fiber and the processing position of the tip are separated to such an extent that the single-core optical fiber is bent during processing.

In the present invention, the polishing surface of the polishing member intersects the axis of the intermediate portion of the single-core optical fiber and is inclined with respect to the plane orthogonal to the axis of the intermediate portion. When approaching, the tip of the optical fiber is in contact with the polishing surface at an angle, and at the time of separation, the tip of the optical fiber is separated while maintaining an oblique posture with respect to the polishing surface. Therefore, damage to the front end face of the optical fiber can be suppressed without complicating the structure of the holder. In addition, since the orbit of the polished surface includes a revolution component having a revolution axis coaxial with the axis of the intermediate portion of the optical fiber and a rotation component having a rotation axis offset from the axis of the intermediate portion, the end of the optical fiber Even though the position is in the vicinity of the revolution axis, the rotational component can increase the moving speed of the polishing surface with respect to the tip of the optical fiber, thereby speeding up the processing. Alternatively, the wear life of the polishing member can be extended by suppressing the abrasion of the polishing surface. In addition, the single fiber optic fiber is held so that the single fiber optic fiber is bent at the time of processing, and the processing position is separated. Therefore, the flexibility of the single fiber optic fiber can suppress excessive contact pressure during processing. High roundness can be obtained.

  The polishing surface of the polishing member is preferably a concave surface or a flat surface. When the polishing surface is convex, if the tip of the optical fiber is pressed against the polishing surface, the position of the tip of the optical fiber on the polishing surface may become unstable. On the other hand, by setting the polishing surface to be concave or flat, the position of the tip of the optical fiber on the polishing surface is stabilized, thereby enabling accurate polishing.

  It is preferable that the drive mechanism is a planetary gear mechanism including a sun gear and a planetary gear, and the polishing member is fixed to the planetary gear. In this case, the desired effect of the present invention can be obtained with a simple configuration.

Another aspect of the present invention is to hold the intermediate portion of the single-core optical fiber and press the tip of the single-core optical fiber against the polishing surface of a polishing member that moves along a predetermined trajectory. the an optical fiber tip polishing method of processing a conical shape, the predetermined track includes a revolving component having a revolution axis, and a rotation component from said revolution axis with rotation axis which is non-coaxial, wherein The axis of the intermediate portion that is a holding portion of the single-core optical fiber is coaxial with the revolution axis, and the polishing surface intersects with the axis of the intermediate portion and is inclined with respect to the orthogonal plane of the axis of the intermediate portion In this optical fiber tip polishing method, the holding position of the single-core optical fiber and the processing position of the tip are separated to such an extent that the single-core optical fiber is bent during processing . According to this aspect, the same effect as the first aspect of the present invention can be obtained.

  A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. 1 to 3, the processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped base 2, a drive unit 3 and a slide rail 4 fixed to the upper surface of the base 2, and a base 2. And a battery box 5 fixed to the lower surface of the battery. The slide rail 4 slidably holds the slide holder 6. A fixed holder 7 and a stopper 8 are fixed to the slide rail 4.

  The drive unit 3 revolves and rotates the polishing member 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the drive unit 3 includes a motor 11, a sun gear 12, and a planetary gear 13. The motor 11 is a direct current motor. The output shaft 14 of the motor 11 is fixed to the drive shaft 17 of the drive disk 16 by a bush 15, and the drive shaft 17 is rotatably supported by the fixed support disk 20 and the sun gear 12 via bearings 18 and 19. Has been. The fixed support disk 20 is fixed to the case 3 a, and the sun gear 12 is fixed to the fixed support disk 20. The planetary gear 13 and the polishing member 10 are fixed to a planetary gear shaft 21, and the planetary gear shaft 21 is rotatably supported by a bearing 22 fixed to the drive disk 16 and a rotation support disk 23. A counterweight 25 is further fixed to the drive disk 16. The rotation axis as which is the axis of the planetary gear shaft 21 is parallel to the revolution axis ar which is the axis of the drive shaft 17 and is offset from the revolution axis ar. The planetary gear 13 is always meshed with the sun gear 12.

  Therefore, when the output shaft 14 of the motor 11 is rotated, the drive disk 16 is rotated, and the planetary gear 13 is rotated so as to roll around the sun gear 12 that is fixed relative to the case 3a. Thus, the polishing member 10 revolves around the revolution axis ar while rotating around the revolution axis as. The revolution axis ar and the rotation axis as are always parallel to each other.

  The polishing member 10 is made of, for example, about 1000 grindstones, and has an axially symmetric (rotationally symmetric) cup shape with respect to the rotation axis as. The polishing surface 24 of the polishing member 10 is a concave conical surface that is inclined so as to approach the rotation axis as in the direction from the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F toward the tip portion. Since the polishing point of the polishing surface 24 and the radius of the outer periphery are larger than the radius of the planetary gear 13, and a large sliding speed can be obtained thereby, a large polishing amount can be obtained. Regardless of the position of the polishing member 10, the polishing surface 24 obliquely intersects with the revolution axis ar.

  In FIG. 2, the sliding holder 6 includes a resin main body portion 31 and two lid bodies 32 and 33 that are pivotally fixed to the main body portion 31 in a cantilever manner. As shown in FIG. 5, the lid bodies 32 and 33 can pivot upward about the shaft 34 and take a generally horizontal closed position (solid line) and an open position (two-dot chain line) opened about 100 °. sell. A V-groove 35 is formed on the upper surface of the main body 31 so as to extend the entire length in the longitudinal direction. When the lids 32 and 33 of the sliding holder 6 are closed, the lids 32 and 33 are attracted by the permanent magnets 36 fixed to the main body 31, and the optical fiber F is located between the lids 32 and 33 and the V groove 35. Held in. In order to suitably perform the operation of cleaving the front end face 57 (see FIG. 8) of the optical fiber F, the optical fiber F is restrained from moving relatively in the axial direction between the lid 33 and the V groove 35. On the other hand, axial movement relative to the sliding holder 6 is allowed between the lid 32 and the V-groove 35.

  In FIG. 2, the fixed holder 7 includes a metal main body portion 41 and a lid body 42 that is fixed to the main body portion 41 in a cantilever manner. As shown in FIG. 6, the lid body 42 can pivot upward about an axis 44, and can take a substantially horizontal closed position (solid line) and an open position (two-dot chain line) opened about 100 °. Two V blocks 45 are arranged on the upper surface of the main body 41. When the lid 42 of the fixed holder 7 is closed, the lid 42 is attracted by a permanent magnet 46 fixed to the main body 41, and the optical fiber F is relative to the axial direction between the lid 42 and the V block 45. To be able to move on. When the optical fiber F is thus sandwiched, the axis of the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F (portion held by the fixed holder 7) coincides with the revolution axis ar.

  In FIG. 2, the stopper 8 has a movable part 8a and a base part 8b. The movable portion 8a can pivot upward about a shaft 8c (FIG. 3), whereby the holding length of the optical fiber F by the sliding holder 6 (that is, the optical fiber protruding from the front end of the sliding holder 6). F length) can be changed according to the type of connector or other optical component to which the optical fiber F is fixed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slide rail 4 is provided with a knob 51 of the switch 50. When the front end of the slide holder 6 comes close to a predetermined stop position, the knob 51 is pushed. Then, it moves through the slit 52 (see FIG. 2), and the switch 50 is turned on.

  The switch 50 is connected to a control circuit (not shown) housed in the base 2 or the battery box 5. The control circuit is a well-known one-chip microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an input / output interface. The control circuit is powered by two AA batteries 55 and outputs a pulse signal to the motor 11 for rotation. The control circuit also changes the pulse width, that is, the duty ratio, for the motor 11 based on the back electromotive force from the motor 11 and controls the rotation speed to a constant speed such as 1300 rpm (PWM control). Note that a main power switch (not shown) is further connected to the control circuit, and the motor 11 starts rotating when the main power switch is turned on. A timer program is stored so that the motor 11 stops when time (for example, 5 seconds) elapses. The coating is removed at least near the tip of the optical fiber F. The front end surface of the optical fiber F is processed into a surface substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal central axis of the optical fiber F.

  A procedure of chamfering using the processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment configured as described above will be described. First, the user sets the optical fiber F on the sliding holder 6 so that the tip of the optical fiber F protrudes a predetermined length. Next, the user sets the sliding holder 6 holding the optical fiber F on the sliding rail 4, and sets the portion on the distal end side of the optical fiber F on the fixed holder 7. Then, when the user turns on the main power switch to start the motor 11, the rotation of the motor 11 is started, whereby the polishing member 10 is rotated and revolved.

  Next, the user slides the slide holder 6 in the forward direction on the slide rail 4, thereby causing the tip of the optical fiber F to advance in the axial direction from the fixed holder 7 toward the polishing member 10. When the front end surface of the sliding holder 6 turns on the switch 50, the timer program is started. Subsequently, when the sliding holder 6 is moved until its front end surface comes into contact with the stopper 8 or the fixed holder 7, the optical fiber F is placed on the polishing surface 24 on the periphery of the front end surface as shown by a solid line in FIG. 7. After abutting at one point, it gently curves along the polishing surface 24. In the process of bending from the contact, the front end surface 57 (see FIG. 8) of the optical fiber F does not touch the polishing member 10.

  The rotation axis as of the polishing member 10 moves in a circular orbit from the position of the alternate long and short dash line as1 to the position of the alternate long and short dash line as2 in FIG. Accordingly, the tip end of the optical fiber F has the same angular velocity as the revolution of the polishing member 10 while drawing a substantially conical locus between the posture of the two-dot chain line a and the posture of the two-dot chain line b in FIG. Repeatedly displaced. Meanwhile, the polishing member 10 continues to rotate about the rotation axis as. By such revolution and rotation of the polishing member 10, the outer periphery of the optical fiber F is chamfered at the outer periphery of the clad as shown in FIG. 8, and a slope 56 having a substantially conical surface is formed.

  When a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) elapses after the switch 50 is turned on, the motor 11 is stopped by the control of the control circuit. The user slides the slide holder 6 on the slide rail 4 in the backward direction. As a result, the tip of the optical fiber F returns from the curved posture such as the two-dot chain lines a and b in FIG. 7 to the straight posture such as the solid line, and then moves away from the polishing member 10 in the axial direction. It will be. During the backward movement process, the front end face 57 (see FIG. 8) of the optical fiber F does not touch the polishing member 10.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the polishing surface 24 of the polishing member 10 intersects the axis of the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F and is inclined with respect to the orthogonal plane of the axis of the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F. Therefore, when the optical fiber F is brought close to the polishing surface 24, the tip of the optical fiber F is in contact with the polishing surface 24 obliquely, and the tip of the optical fiber F is inclined with respect to the polishing surface 24 when being separated. Keep the posture and keep away. Therefore, damage to the front end face 57 of the optical fiber F can be suppressed without complicating the structure of the holder.

  Further, since the polished surface 24 is inclined with respect to the plane perpendicular to the axis of the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F, in other words, even if the optical fiber F is not bent so much, in other words, the center at the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F. Even if the inclination of the central axis in the vicinity of the optical fiber tip with respect to the axis is small, a large chamfering angle (for example, 45 degrees) can be obtained. Here, the chamfering angle refers to an angle formed by the inclined surface 56 that is a processed surface with respect to the optical fiber front end surface 57 that is an orthogonal surface of the axis at the tip of the optical fiber.

  In addition, the orbit of the polishing surface 24 of the polishing member 10 has a revolution component having a revolution axis ar coaxial with the axis of the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F, and a rotation component having a rotation axis as offset from the axis of the intermediate portion. Therefore, although the tip position of the optical fiber F is in the vicinity of the revolution axis ar, the rotational component can increase the moving speed of the polishing surface 24 relative to the tip of the optical fiber F, thereby speeding up the processing. it can. Further, the wear life of the polishing member 10 can be extended by suppressing the abrasion of the polishing surface 24. Further, by combining rotation and revolution, the entire apparatus can be made compact, and since the number of times the optical fiber F is bent is equal to the number of revolutions, the number of times of bending can be suppressed compared to the amount of polishing. The load can be suppressed.

  Further, when the polishing surface is a convex surface, if the tip of the optical fiber is pressed against the polishing surface, the position of the tip of the optical fiber F on the polishing surface may become unstable. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the polishing surface 24 is a concave surface, the position of the tip of the optical fiber F on the polishing surface 24 is stabilized, thereby enabling accurate polishing.

  Further, since the polishing surface 24 is a concave surface inclined so as to approach the rotation axis as of the polishing member in the direction from the intermediate portion to the tip portion of the optical fiber F, the revolution axis ar and the rotation axis as of the polishing member 10 are The drive mechanism can be realized with a simple configuration using a general-purpose gear.

  In this embodiment, since the cup-shaped polishing surface 24 always intersects the axis of the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F, the chamfering can be performed only by moving the optical fiber F in the axial direction. The structure of the holder for holding can be simplified.

  Further, the holding position of the optical fiber F and the processing position are separated to such an extent that the polished surface 24 is inclined with respect to the plane perpendicular to the axis of the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F and the optical fiber F is curved during processing. Therefore, the excessive contact pressure at the time of processing can be suppressed by the flexibility of the optical fiber F, and high roundness can be obtained.

  Further, when the optical fiber is brought close to the non-rotating polishing member, the optical fiber may engage with the irregularities of the polishing surface and break, but in this embodiment, the optical fiber F is attached to the rotating polishing member 10. Can be prevented from being broken.

  In the present embodiment, the driving mechanism is a planetary gear mechanism including the sun gear 12 and the planetary gear 13, and the polishing member 10 is fixed to the planetary gear 13, so that the polishing member 10 rotates and revolves with a simple configuration. Therefore, the desired effect can be obtained in the present invention.

  In the present embodiment, the switch 50 is provided on the slide rail 4, and the switch 50 is turned on and the timer program is started when the front end of the slide holder 6 comes close to a predetermined stop position. , Processing work can be performed smoothly. Further, since the motor 11 is controlled at a constant speed and the motor 11 is stopped at a predetermined time after the switch 50 is turned on, the cutting amount is made uniform regardless of the degree of battery wear or the level of proficiency of the operator. Can be

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. 9 and 10, the processing apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a flat plate-like polishing member 110 is used. The polishing member 110 is rotatably supported by a drive disk 116. A drive shaft 117 of the drive disk 116 is fixed to an output shaft of a motor (not shown). The revolution axis ar <b> 2 of the polishing member 110 is coaxial with the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F held by the fixed holder 7. The rotation axis as3 of the polishing member 110 is not parallel to the revolution axis ar2, and is on another plane shifted by a distance D from the revolution axis ar2. The polishing surface 124 against which the tip of the optical fiber F is pressed is orthogonal to the rotation axis as3 of the polishing member 110.

  The drive mechanism for revolving and rotating the polishing member 110 can adopt various structures. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the drive mechanism can be configured using a sun gear 112 and a planetary gear 113 which are involute gears. The revolution axis ar2 and the rotation axis as3 can be shifted to different planes. The output shaft 114 of the motor 111 is fixed to the drive shaft 117 of the drive disk 116, and the drive shaft 117 is rotatably supported by the sun gear 112 via a bearing 118. The fixed support disk 120 is fixed to the case 103 a, and the sun gear 112 is fixed to the fixed support disk 120. The planetary gear 113 and the flat plate-shaped polishing member base 110 a are fixed to the planetary gear shaft 121, and the planetary gear shaft 121 is rotatably supported by a bearing 122 fixed to the drive disk 116. The rotation axis as3 that is the axis of the planetary gear shaft 121 is not parallel to the revolution axis ar2 that is the axis of the drive shaft 117, and is offset from the revolution axis ar2. The planetary gear 113 is always meshed with the sun gear 112.

  Therefore, when the output shaft 114 of the motor 111 is rotated, the drive disk 116 is rotated, and the planetary gear 113 is rotated so as to roll around the sun gear 112 fixed relative to the case 103a. The polishing member 110 revolves around the revolution axis ar2 while rotating around the revolution axis as3.

  The polishing member 110 is made of, for example, a plate-shaped grindstone of about 1000, or a polishing sheet with a cloth, paper, plastic or the like as a base, and is fixed to a flat plate-shaped polishing member base 110a. Various methods such as screwing, fitting, adhesion, adhesion, and hook-and-loop fastener can be used for this fixing. Either one of the polishing member 110 and the polishing member base 110a may include a permanent magnet, and the other may include a permanent magnet or a magnetic material, and both may be adsorbed by a magnetic force. The polishing surface 124 of the polishing member 110 is a flat surface. Regardless of the position of the polishing member 110, the polishing surface 124 obliquely intersects with the revolution axis ar2. The configuration of other parts such as the sliding holder 6, the fixed holder 7, and the sliding rail 4 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  In the processing apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment configured as described above, when the sliding holder 6 holding the optical fiber F is advanced, the optical fiber F is decentered from the rotation axis as3 on the polishing surface 124. Then, after abutting at a point on the periphery of the front end face 57 (see FIG. 8), it gently curves along the polishing surface 124. In the process of bending from the contact, the front end surface 57 of the optical fiber F does not touch the polishing member 110.

  The rotation axis as <b> 3 of the polishing member 110 moves in a circular orbit by the revolution of the polishing member 10. Accordingly, the tip of the optical fiber F is repeatedly displaced at the same angular velocity as the revolution of the polishing member 110 while drawing a substantially conical locus between the solid line posture and the two-dot chain line c posture in FIG. Be made. In the meantime, the polishing member 110 continues to rotate around the rotation axis as3. By such revolution and rotation of the polishing member 110, the tip end of the optical fiber F is chamfered as shown in FIG. 8, and a slope 56 that is generally a conical surface is formed.

  After the motor 111 is stopped, when the user slides the slide holder 6 in the backward direction on the slide rail 4, the tip of the optical fiber F comes out of a curved posture such as the solid line and the two-dot chain line c in FIG. Then, after returning to the linear posture, the polishing member 110 is moved away from the polishing member 110 in the axial direction. In the backward movement process, the front end surface 57 of the optical fiber F does not touch the polishing member 110.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the polishing surface 124 of the polishing member 110 intersects the axis of the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F and is inclined with respect to the orthogonal plane of the axis of the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F. Therefore, when the optical fiber F is brought close to the polishing surface 124, the tip of the optical fiber F is in contact with the polishing surface 124 obliquely, and when the optical fiber F is separated, the tip of the optical fiber F is inclined with respect to the polishing surface 124. Keep the posture and keep away. Therefore, damage to the front end face 57 of the optical fiber F can be suppressed without complicating the structure of the holder. In addition, the trajectory along which the polishing member 110 moves includes a revolution component having a revolution axis ar2 coaxial with the axis of the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F and a rotation component having a rotation axis as3 offset from the axis of the intermediate portion. Even though the position of the tip of the optical fiber F is in the vicinity of the revolution axis ar2, a large polishing amount can be obtained by the rotation component.

  Further, since the polishing surface 124 is flat, the polishing member can be provided at a very low cost. Further, by shifting the position of the polishing member 110 on the polishing member base 110a as the polishing surface 124 is worn, a single polishing member 110 can be processed in a large number, so that the cost of consumables can be reduced. In addition, a chamfered shape with good symmetry and roundness with respect to the core can be formed.

  Further, in the second embodiment, when the optical fiber F is bent, that is, the central axis at the tip of the optical fiber F is inclined with respect to the axis of the intermediate portion of the optical fiber F, the chamfering angle is the rotation axis with respect to the revolution axis ar2. It becomes larger than the inclination of as3. Even if the inclination of the rotation axis as3 with respect to the revolution axis ar2 is reduced to about 10 degrees, the length of the optical fiber F protruding from the front end of the sliding holder 6 and the distance between the sliding holder 6 and the polishing surface 24 are adjusted. Thus, a chamfering angle of about 45 degrees can be obtained. That is, since the inclination of the rotation axis as3 with respect to the revolution axis ar2 can be reduced by bending the optical fiber F during polishing, the efficiency of transmitting the rotation output of the motor 11 to the rotation kinetic energy of the polishing member 110 can be improved. The power consumption of the apparatus 101 can be suppressed.

  In the second embodiment, the driving mechanism includes a planetary gear mechanism including the sun gear 112 and the planetary gear 113, and the polishing member 110 is fixed to the planetary gear 113. Therefore, the polishing member 110 rotates and rotates with a simple configuration. It can be revolved, and the desired effect can be obtained in the present invention. In addition, since the sun gear 112 and the planetary gear 113 are involute gears, the revolution axis ar2 and the rotation axis as3 can be shifted to different planes with a simple configuration. In addition, if the bevel gears 214 and 215 and the skew shaft 216 are used between the planetary gear 213 and the polishing member 110 as in the modification shown in FIG. 12, a spur gear is used for the sun gear 212 and the planetary gear 213. And the use of involute gears can be avoided. In this case, since the rotation direction of the polishing member 110 is opposite to that in the second embodiment, the direction D of the rotation axis shift D of the polishing member 110 needs to be opposite to that in FIG.

  In each of the above embodiments, the planetary gear is an external gear, but may be an internal gear. Further, the mechanism for revolving and rotating the drive member is not limited to the planetary gear mechanism, and various other elements such as those that independently perform the revolution and rotation can be used. In the present invention, the holder for holding the optical fiber is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and other various types can be used.

It is a front view which shows the processing apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the processing apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is a right view which shows the processing apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the detail of the structure of a drive part. It is a left view which shows a sliding holder. It is a left view which shows a fixed holder. It is a front view which shows the processing principle by 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the front-end | tip of the optical fiber after a chamfering process. It is a top view which shows the principal part of the processing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is a front view which shows the principal part of the processing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the drive part of 2nd Embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the drive part of the modification of 2nd Embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the processing principle by the conventional processing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,101 Processing apparatus 3 Drive part 4 Sliding rail 6 Sliding holder 7 Fixed holder 10,110 Polishing member 11,111 Motor 12,112,212 Sun gear 13,113,213 Planetary gear 16,116,216 Driving disk 17 , 117 Drive shaft 24, 124 Polishing surface 50 Switch 57 Front end surface F, 301 Optical fiber ar, ar2 Revolving shaft as, as1, as2, as3 Rotating shaft

Claims (6)

A light that includes a polishing member that polishes the tip of a single-core optical fiber and a drive mechanism that moves the polishing surface of the polishing member along a predetermined trajectory, and that processes the outer periphery of the clad at the tip of the single-core optical fiber into a conical surface. A fiber tip processing apparatus,
Said predetermined track, a revolving component having a revolution axis, and the revolution axis and a rotational component with a rotation axis which is non-coaxial,
The axis of the intermediate part that is the holding part of the single-core optical fiber is coaxial with the revolution axis,
The polishing surface intersects with the axis of the intermediate portion and is inclined with respect to a plane orthogonal to the axis of the intermediate portion ;
An optical fiber tip processing apparatus , wherein the holding position of the single-core optical fiber and the processing position of the tip are separated to such an extent that the single-core optical fiber is bent during processing. The optical fiber tip processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polishing surface is a concave surface. The rotation axis is non-parallel to the revolution axis;
The optical fiber tip processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polishing surface is a flat surface. The optical fiber tip processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rotation axis of the polishing member is on another plane shifted by a predetermined distance from the revolution axis. The optical fiber tip according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the drive mechanism is a planetary gear mechanism including a sun gear and a planetary gear, and the polishing member is fixed to the planetary gear. Processing equipment. An optical fiber that holds a middle portion of a single-core optical fiber and presses the tip of the single-core optical fiber against a polishing surface of a polishing member that moves in a predetermined orbit to process the outer periphery of the clad at the tip of the single-core optical fiber into a conical surface A tip polishing method,
Said predetermined track, a revolving component having a revolution axis, and the revolution axis and a rotational component with a rotation axis which is non-coaxial,
The axis of the intermediate part that is the holding part of the single-core optical fiber is coaxial with the revolution axis,
The polishing surface intersects with the axis of the intermediate portion and is inclined with respect to a plane orthogonal to the axis of the intermediate portion ;
An optical fiber tip polishing method , wherein the holding position of the single-core optical fiber and the processing position of the tip are separated to such an extent that the single-core optical fiber is bent during processing .

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