JP2000009961A - Connector connecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical fiber connected with a connector at en end of high quality where air bubbles are not included in an adhesive by executing the packing of the adhesive to the connector and the insertion of the optical fiber within a vacuum vessel enclosing the connector. SOLUTION: An adhesive packing mechanism 40 is positioned above a connector holding mechanism 20. A cylindrical body 30 is moved upward and is brought into pressurized contact with the rear surface of a substrate 41 and the substrate 41 functions as a cap, by which the vacuum vessel is formed. The ferrule of the connector 1 held in a connector holder 23 and the front end of a nozzle 45 are coupled and the adhesive is packed from a cylinder 42 into the connector 1. An optical fiber insertion mechanism 50 operates and the optical fiber 2 is delivered. A pair of caps 33 are slid in a transverse direction oppositely to each other and the optical fiber 2 is held by gaskets. The cylindrical body 30 is moved upward and is brought into pressurized contact with the rear surfaces of the caps 33, by which the vacuum vessel is formed. The connector 1 ascends and the fibers are inserted into the ferrule packed with the adhesive of the connector 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector connecting device capable of connecting a connector to the end of an optical fiber with good product quality.

[0002]

[Related Background Art] Recently, high-speed optical fiber
Large-capacity information communication is receiving attention. Connection of this type of optical fiber to information communication equipment or connection between optical fibers is performed exclusively using a connector attached to the tip of the optical fiber. As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the connector includes a tubular body 1c provided inside a jacket tube 1a and urged by a spring 1b so as to be able to advance and retreat in the axial direction. A ferrule 1d is provided coaxially at one end of the body 1c. Then, as shown in FIG. 4B, the fiber strand 2a of the optical fiber 2 is inserted into the center hole 1e of the ferrule 1d, and the center hole 1e is filled with an adhesive (not shown) filled in the center hole 1e. Is bonded between the inner wall surface and the outer peripheral surface of the fiber strand 2a to make the connection.

The optical fiber 2 separates the jacket 2b from the kevlar 2c, which is a tension antibody embedded inside the jacket, to expose the core 2d over a predetermined length, and further, the core 2d
The connector 1 is inserted from the side of the cylindrical body 1c, which is the optical fiber insertion end, of the connector 1 in a state where the tip of the optical fiber 2a is peeled off together with the primary coat 2e to expose the fiber strand 2a. The fiber strand 2a is inserted into the ferrule 1d, and the core wire 2d is positioned inside the cylinder 1c. By clamping the 2b and the cylinder 1c, it is mechanically and strongly connected to the connector 1 (the cylinder 1c).

[0004]

The optical fiber 2
For example, an optical fiber insertion device (connector connection device) as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-43665 has been proposed as a device for connecting the connector 1 to the tip of the optical fiber. By using this type of device, the connection work between the optical fiber 2 and the connector 1 can be performed efficiently. However, when examining the quality of a product in which the connector 1 is connected to the end of the optical fiber 2 by using the above-described apparatus, etc., it is often found that there is a product in which transmission loss of light transmitted and received through the connector 1 is large. Was found to work.

The inventors of the present invention have conducted various investigations on the cause, and found that the fiber strand 2a inserted into the center hole 1e of the ferrule 1d is often added to the adhesive layer adhered to the inner peripheral surface thereof. Was found to contain air bubbles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to produce a high-quality product with small light transmission loss, that is, an optical fiber having a connector connected to an end portion in a stable and high yield. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector connecting device capable of performing the above-mentioned operations.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a connector connecting device according to the present invention vertically holds a connector connected to an end of an optical fiber with its optical fiber insertion end facing upward. A connector holding mechanism, an adhesive filling mechanism selectively positioned above the connector holding mechanism, and filling an adhesive into a hollow shaft portion (ferrule) of the connector held by the connector holding mechanism; and an optical fiber. Holding the optical fiber core wire (fiber strand) in the hollow shaft portion of the connector filled with the adhesive, selectively positioned above the connector holding mechanism in place of the adhesive filling mechanism. The optical fiber insertion mechanism to be inserted, and the connector held by the connector holding mechanism and used for injection of the adhesive and insertion of the optical fiber core, for example, Its interior is provided surrounding with serial connector holding mechanism is characterized in that a vacuum container to be evacuated.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the filling of the adhesive into the connector by the adhesive filling mechanism and the insertion of the optical fiber core into the connector by the optical fiber inserting mechanism are performed by the vacuum. It is characterized in that each of the steps is performed in a state where the inside of the container is evacuated.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the vacuum vessel is provided with a bottomed cylinder provided surrounding the connector holding mechanism and an upper end of the bottomed cylinder selectively. A lid provided so as to be able to close airtightly, and in particular, the lid holds an adhesive filling nozzle of the adhesive filling mechanism, and a tip end of the adhesive filling nozzle is projected downward. The present invention is characterized in that it is realized as a second lid having a first lid and an insertion hole through which the optical fiber is inserted by being pressed against the outer periphery of the optical fiber held by the optical fiber insertion mechanism. Then, the bottomed cylindrical body is provided so as to be vertically movable as described in claim 4, and is air-tightly brought into contact with the lower surface of the first or second lid selectively positioned above the bottomed cylindrical body, thereby forming the vacuum container. It is characterized by forming.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the connector holding mechanism has an optical path crossing the lower end of the connector held with the optical fiber insertion end facing upward, and the connector has a hollow. An adhesive filling amount detection sensor that optically detects the protrusion of the adhesive filled in the shaft portion from the lower end portion, and furthermore, the shaft center of the connector at a predetermined height position from the optical fiber insertion end of the connector. And an optical fiber detection sensor for optically detecting the position of the end of the optical fiber when the connector is extended toward the end of the optical fiber by the connector lift mechanism. And

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the adhesive filling mechanism fills the connector with a vacuum-defoamed adhesive beforehand.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A connector connecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a connector connection device. Reference numeral 10 denotes a table in which a connector holding mechanism 20 is incorporated. The connector holding mechanism 20 is roughly provided with a base 21 fixed on the table 10, a support 22 inserted vertically through the center of the base 21, and provided at an upper end of the support 22. And a connector holder 23 for holding the connector 1 vertically with the optical fiber insertion end facing upward. An O-ring 24 is interposed between the sliding surface of the base 21 and the support 22 as described later so that airtightness at a portion where the support 21 is inserted is ensured regardless of the vertical movement of the support 22. It has become.

A cylindrical body 3 surrounding the connector holding mechanism 20 and forming a vacuum container to be described later is formed on the peripheral surface of the base 21.
0 is provided to be vertically movable. An O-ring 31 is provided between the cylindrical body 30 and the peripheral surface of the base 21 as described later.
Is mounted, so that airtightness on a sliding surface with the base 21 is ensured regardless of the vertical movement of the cylindrical body 30. That is, the cylindrical body 30 is a bottomed cylindrical body having the base 21 as the bottom.

Slide mechanisms 32, 32 are provided on both sides of the table 10 with the connector holding mechanism 20 interposed therebetween. The slide mechanisms 32, 32 are supported by the slide mechanisms 32, 32, respectively, and face each other. A pair of lids 33, 33 (second lids) are provided which are slid in the direction and selectively positioned above the connector holding mechanism 20. These lids 33, 33
When the connector 30 is located at the retracted position on the side, the upper part of the cylindrical body 30 including the connector holding mechanism 20 is opened.
The lids 33, 33 are slid toward the center from the retracted positions on both sides, and their ends are abutted to each other to be hermetically sealed and positioned above the cylindrical body 30. In this manner, the lid 33, which is positioned over the cylindrical body 30 (above the connector holding mechanism 20),
33, and the upper end of the cylindrical body 30 is
A vacuum container is formed by making airtight contact with the lower surface of the third and third plates 33. The vacuum container formed in this way is evacuated by a vacuum pump (not shown) to evacuate the inside.

The connector holder 23 is provided with a plurality of connectors 1 prepared on a connector tray 15 provided on the side of the table 10.
Are transported one by one by a connector transport mechanism 17 including the above. Needless to say, the transport of the connector 1 onto the connector holder 23 by the connector transport mechanism 17 is performed with the above-mentioned lids 33, 33 opened.

On the other hand, above the connector holding mechanism 20, an adhesive filling mechanism 40 selectively positioned above the connector holding mechanism 20, and a connector holding mechanism 20 instead of the adhesive filling mechanism 40. And an optical fiber insertion mechanism 50 that is selectively positioned above the optical fiber. The adhesive filling mechanism 40 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 2, but is schematically positioned above the cylindrical body 30 to cover the cylindrical body 30 (first lid).
, A syringe holder 43 provided on the substrate 41 and holding a syringe 42 containing an adhesive, and pressing a piston 42 a of the syringe 42 to extrude the adhesive from the inside of the syringe 42. A piston drive unit 44 is provided. In particular, the nozzle 45 attached to the tip of the syringe 42 is vertically supported by a nozzle holder 46 incorporated in the substrate 41, and is provided with its tip protruding from the lower surface of the substrate 41. The nozzle holder 46 is provided with the nozzle 45 on the substrate 41.
It also plays a role to hermetically seal the insertion part. The above-mentioned adhesive filling mechanism 40 comprising these components
The connector holding mechanism 2 along the guide rail 47.
0 and a side standby position separated from above the connector holding mechanism 20 so as to be movable.

On the other hand, the optical fiber insertion mechanism 50
As will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 3, for example, a fiber pull-out portion 52 that pulls out the optical fiber 2 from the distal end thereof from the optical fiber transport portion 51 and holds the same, and Fiber feeding mechanism 5 for feeding optical fiber 2 vertically to a fixed position
3 is provided. Further, a base 21 supporting a support 22 in the connector holding mechanism 20 inside the cylindrical body 30.
On the upper side, a Kevlar holding mechanism 54 and the like which form a part of the fiber insertion mechanism 50 are incorporated. The above-described Kevlar holding mechanism 54 and the like function when the optical fiber insertion mechanism 50 is operated, being selectively positioned above the connector 1 held by the connector holder 23 and functioning.

The optical fiber insertion mechanism 50 including such components is provided with a connector held by the connector holding mechanism 20 by an adhesive filling mechanism 40 selectively positioned above the connector holding mechanism 20. 1 is filled with an adhesive, and then the adhesive filling mechanism 40 is selectively driven in a state of being retracted from a position above the connector holding mechanism 20.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, the adhesive filling mechanism 4 will be described.
0 will be described in detail. As described above, the adhesive filling mechanism 40 selectively positioned above the connector holding mechanism 20 includes the substrate 41 serving as a lid (first lid) for the cylinder 30. A syringe holder 43 for vertically holding the syringe 42 is attached to a support member 47 erected on the substrate 41, and is provided so as to be vertically movable so that a piston 42a of the syringe 42 is provided.
A piston drive unit 44 that presses the adhesive to push out the adhesive from inside the syringe 42 is attached. The piston drive unit 44 is composed of, for example, a linear actuator, and receives an output from an adhesive filling amount detection sensor 48 incorporated in the connector holding mechanism 20, and controls the pressing operation of the piston 42a.

The adhesive filling amount detecting sensor 48 is
The optical fiber insertion end (the cylindrical body 1) is placed on the connector holder 23.
A light projector (laser diode; L) having an optical path crossing the lower end of the connector 1 held with the c side facing upward.
D) and a receiver (photodiode; PD)
The protrusion of the adhesive filled in the hollow shaft portion (center hole 1e of the ferrule 1d) of the connector 1 from the syringe 42 through the nozzle 45 from the lower end of the ferrule 1d is optically detected. By such an adhesive filling amount detection sensor 48, the ferrule 1 of the connector 1
d (center hole 1e), when the protrusion of the adhesive filled in is detected, the piston 4
By stopping the pressing of 2a, the ferrule 1d (center hole 1e) is filled with a fixed amount of adhesive, and the filling amount is controlled here.

A nozzle holder 46 for vertically holding the nozzle 45 of the syringe 42 and projecting its tip to the lower surface of the substrate 41 has a hole 41a formed in the center of the substrate 41 as shown in FIG. The nozzle 45 is inserted and inserted. An O-ring 49 is interposed between the nozzle holder 46 and the substrate 41 around the hole 41a, so that an insertion portion of the nozzle 45 provided by inserting the front and back of the substrate 41 is provided. Sealed airtight.

When the adhesive filling mechanism 40 constructed as described above is selectively positioned above the connector holding mechanism 20, the lifter mechanism 35 for supporting the cylinder 30 is driven to drive the cylinder 30. Is the substrate 4
1 is moved up to a position where it comes into contact with the lower surface of 1. Thus, the cylindrical body 30 is pressed against the lower surface of the substrate 41 via the O-ring 36 mounted on the upper edge thereof, and the substrate 41 serves as a lid (first lid) that hermetically seals the upper end of the container 30. Function to form a vacuum container. The vacuum container formed by the container 30 and the substrate 41 in this manner is evacuated by a vacuum pump (not shown), and the inside thereof is evacuated. At this time, the connector lifter mechanism 22a is operated to drive the support column 22 upward, so that the ferrule 1d of the connector 1 held by the connector holder 23 provided at the distal end thereof and the distal end of the nozzle 45 are connected. That is, the connector 1 is lifted to a position where the tip of the nozzle 45 passes through the inside of the cylindrical body 1c of the connector 1 and is coupled to the center hole 1e of the ferrule 1d. In this state, the piston drive section 44 is driven, and the connector 1
Is filled with a predetermined amount of adhesive. That is, the connector 1 is filled with an adhesive in a vacuum atmosphere.

As the adhesive, a so-called two-liquid mixing type is used. Particularly, for the adhesive supplied by filling the syringe 42, the two liquids are stirred and mixed in advance, and the mixed liquid is supplied to a centrifuge. It is desirable to use a mixture obtained by centrifuging and defoaming the air bubbles mixed during the adhesion by the above-mentioned stirring, and further mounting the same in a vacuum vessel and defoaming in a vacuum. According to the adhesive subjected to such a vacuum defoaming treatment, invisible fine bubbles dissolved in the adhesive gradually grow in the vacuum atmosphere, and gather at the upper surface of the adhesive to pop. Because it comes out,
The degree of defoaming can be sufficiently increased. In particular, by repeatedly changing the degree of vacuum, the repelling action of bubbles can be promoted, so that effective defoaming can be performed while shortening the defoaming time.

On the other hand, once the adhesive is filled in the connector 1 as described above, the vacuum vessel is once released to the atmospheric pressure, the cylinder 30 is lowered, and the column 22 is lowered, so that the connector 1 is lowered. And the nozzle 45 is disconnected. Then, the adhesive filling mechanism 40 is moved to the side retreat position to open the upper part of the connector holding mechanism 20. Thereafter, the optical fiber insertion mechanism 50 is operated to position the core wire (fiber strand 2a) of the optical fiber 2 at a predetermined upper position with respect to the connector 1 filled with the adhesive as described above. The optical fiber 2 is sent out to a predetermined position where the tip of the optical fiber 2 is held by the pressing mechanism 54 or the like. Thereafter, the connector lift mechanism 22a is operated to insert the optical fiber 2 into the connector 1 as described later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the optical fiber insertion mechanism 50 includes a fiber pull-out section 52 for pulling out and holding the optical fiber 2 from the optical fiber transport section 51, and a fiber pull-out section 52 provided to be vertically movable. And a fiber delivery mechanism 53 for vertically sending the optical fiber 2 downward with the held optical fiber 2 interposed therebetween. The fiber feeding mechanism 53 is composed of, for example, a linear actuator, and has a role of sending the tip of the optical fiber 2 to a fixed position above the connector 1 held by the connector holding mechanism 20.

By the way, above the connector 1 where the optical fiber 2 sent out by the fiber sending-out mechanism 53 is positioned as described above, a Kevlar which is located inside the container 30 and forms a part of the fiber mechanism 50 is provided. A holding mechanism 54, a core wire holder 56, and a fiber strand holder 57 are provided. That is, the above-mentioned Kevlar holding mechanism 54, the core wire holder 56 and the fiber strand holder 5
Reference numeral 7 is incorporated on a base 21 that supports a column 22 of the connector holding mechanism 20.

The Kevlar holding mechanism 54 has a role of exposing the core 2d by holding down the exposed Kevlar 2c by peeling the jacket 2b of the optical fiber 2 over a predetermined length in advance. The exposed core wire 2 d is held by the core wire holder 56 from the outer peripheral surface thereof. The core wire 2d is peeled off, and the primary coat 2e is further peeled off and the exposed fiber strand 2a at the end of the optical fiber 2 is held by the fiber strand holder 57, and the ferrule 1d of the connector 1 (center hole) 1e). In addition, these Kevlar holding mechanisms 5
4 and core holder 56 and fiber strand holder 57
It goes without saying that during the process of filling the connector 1 with the adhesive by the adhesive filling mechanism 40 described above, the connector 1 is retracted to the side from the upper position.

When the optical fiber 2 is sent out to a predetermined position above the connector 1 by the optical fiber insertion mechanism 50 constructed as described above and is held by the Kevlar holding mechanism 54 or the like, the slide mechanisms 32, 32 are used. Are respectively driven. And the pair of lids 33, 33
The (second lid) is slid laterally opposite to each other, and is selectively positioned above the connector holding mechanism 20. These lids 33, 33 are positioned above the cylindrical body 30 with their ends abutting each other and the abutting portion being hermetically sealed. Lid 3
3, 33, semi-circular cutouts are provided at positions sandwiching the optical fiber 2 sent out by the optical fiber insertion mechanism 50 so as to face each other to form a fiber insertion hole.
In each of these notches, a packing 37 made of rubber or the like functioning as a seal member is inserted. The optical fiber 2 is hermetically sealed with respect to the lids 33, 33 by sandwiching the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 2 with the packing 37.

As described above, when the optical fiber 2 is sandwiched between the lids 33, 33, the lifter mechanism 35 for supporting the cylindrical body 30 is driven, and the upper end of the cylindrical body 30 is placed on the lids 33, 33. Is moved up to a position where it comes into contact with the lower surface of the. Thus, the cylinder 30 is mounted on the O
It is pressed against the lower surfaces of the lids 33, 33 via the ring 36,
The lids 33, 33 function as a second lid for hermetically sealing the upper end of the container 30 to form a vacuum container. In this manner, the vacuum container formed by the container 30 and the lids 33, 33 is evacuated by a vacuum pump (not shown), and the inside thereof is evacuated.

In this state, the aforementioned connector lift mechanism 2
2a is driven, the connector 1 is raised, and as described above, the fiber strand 2e, which is exposed by peeling off the coating on the tip of the optical fiber 2, is spread over a predetermined length over the ferrule 1d (center hole 1e) of the connector 1. ). That is, the ferrule 1d (center hole 1e) filled with the adhesive of the connector 1
In contrast, insertion of the fiber 2e at the tip of the optical fiber 2 is performed in a vacuum atmosphere.

Incidentally, the optical fiber detection sensor 55 incorporated in the connector holding mechanism 20 has a predetermined height position (from the optical fiber insertion end (the side of the cylindrical body 1c) of the connector 1 held on the connector holder 23). Short connector 1
At the optical fiber insertion end position), a light projector (laser diode;
LD) and a photodetector (photodiode; PD). In the optical fiber detection sensor 55, the column 22 is driven upward by the operation of the connector lift mechanism 22a, whereby the connector 1 is moved to a predetermined position with respect to the tip of the optical fiber 2 positioned at the fixed position as described above. Is detected. That is,
The distal end (the distal end of the fiber strand 2a) of the optical fiber 2 sent downward by the fiber sending mechanism 53 and held at a predetermined position reaches the position of the optical path, and the connector 1 starts inserting the optical fiber 2. The position is optically detected. After the end of the optical fiber 2 is detected by the optical fiber detection sensor 55, the insertion amount of the optical fiber 2 into the connector 1 is controlled by controlling the connector lift mechanism 22a to feed upward by a fixed amount. You.

A guide roller 52a for feeding and rewinding the optical fiber 2 sandwiching the optical fiber 2 from both sides thereof, and a tip portion previously inserted into the optical fiber 2 are inserted into the fiber drawer 52. Staking ring 3
And a ring transfer mechanism 52c which is provided to be vertically movable and transfers the caulking ring 3 to the connector 1 along the optical fiber 2. The ring transfer mechanism 52c is driven after the insertion of the optical fiber 2 into the connector 1 as described below.

Thus, the optical fiber 2 is connected to the connector 1.
Is inserted, the vacuum container is opened to the atmospheric pressure, and the cylinder 30 is lowered. Then, the lids 33 are slid back to the retracted position on the side thereof, and the ring transfer mechanism 52c is driven to fit the caulking ring 3 into the connecting portion between the optical fiber 2 and the connector 1. Thereafter, the fiber rewinding roller 52b is operated to pull out the optical fiber 2 from the connector holding mechanism 20 (connector holder 23) together with the connector 1 mounted on the tip thereof.
Then, the leading end of the optical fiber 2 to which the connector 1 is attached is guided to a drying section (not shown) which is the next step, and the adhesive is dried and hardened by heating or the like.
(Fiber strand 2e) and ferrule 1d (center hole 1e)
Make a strong connection with

Thus, according to the connector connecting apparatus constructed as described above, the cylindrical body 30 surrounding the connector holding mechanism 20 holding the connector 1 and the substrate 41 (the first lid body) for closing the upper end of the cylindrical body 30 ) Or the lids 33, 33 (second lid) to form a vacuum container, filling the connector 1 with an adhesive in a state where the connector 1 is placed in a vacuum environment, and further performing the subsequent operation. The operation of inserting the optical fiber 2 into the connector 1 can be performed. Moreover, the position of the substrate 41 (first lid) or the lids 33, 33 (second lid) is selectively positioned above the connector holding mechanism 20, and the substrate is moved upward by the cylinder 30. A vacuum vessel surrounding the connector 1 can be easily formed only by a contact operation with the lower surface of the connector 41 or the lids 33, 33, and the connector 1 is filled with an adhesive and the optical fiber 2 is inserted in a vacuum environment. Can be.

The connector 1 under such a vacuum environment
Is filled along the inner wall surface of the ferrule 1d (center hole 1e) of the connector 1, so that the adhesive is filled inside the ferrule 1d as in the case of filling the adhesive in the atmosphere. It does not cause a problem that the adhesive is filled while the air adheres to the wall surface. Moreover, even if minute air bubbles are present during the bonding, a vacuum defoaming action in the above-mentioned vacuum container is performed at the time of filling, so that the adhesive can be filled with very little air bubbles.

When the optical fiber 2 is inserted into the connector 1 filled with the adhesive as described above, the working environment is evacuated. There is no inconvenience such as air adhering to the surface of the connector 2 being pushed into the connector 1 as it is. Therefore, no air bubbles enter between the adhesive and the fiber strand 2e of the optical fiber 2, and the gap between the fiber strand 2e and the inner wall surface of the ferrule 1d can be filled with the adhesive alone.

Further, according to the apparatus configured as described above, the connector 1 is held upright by the connector holding mechanism 20, and the optical fiber 2 is inserted vertically from above the connector 1. The optical fiber 2 can be easily inserted into the center position of the connector 1 simply by aligning the axis of the fiber 2 without opposing gravity. Then, the adhesive can be evenly wrapped around the optical fiber 2. As a result, it is possible to effectively manufacture a high-quality product (the optical fiber 2 having the connector 1 connected to the end) without the problem of bubbles mixed into the adhesive.

In particular, if the adhesive supplied through the syringe 42 is vacuum-defoamed in advance, the problem of air bubbles can be more effectively solved. In this case, for example, an adhesive obtained by stirring and mixing the two liquids is filled in a syringe 42, and the syringe 42 is put on a centrifugal separator to centrifugally defoam the adhesive. Thereafter, the syringe 42 is put into a vacuum vessel. The adhesive is vacuum degassed by vacuum. Then, the adhesive thus vacuum-defoamed is mounted on the adhesive filling mechanism 40 as it is with the syringe 42, and the connector 1 is filled from the syringe 42, whereby the adhesive is exposed to air. Since the occurrence of bubbles can be reduced as much as possible, it is possible to effectively solve the above-described problem of bubbles.

Further, according to the above-described apparatus, since the amount of the adhesive filled in the connector 1 is monitored by using the adhesive filling amount detecting sensor 48 incorporated in the vacuum container, air bubbles are temporarily mixed into the adhesive. Even if it does, since it can detect the adhesive filling amount in a state where this is vacuum degassed,
The filling amount can be controlled appropriately and accurately. Further, since the optical fiber detection sensor 55 is also incorporated in the vacuum container, it is possible to control the insertion operation of the optical fiber 2 under a vacuum environment with high accuracy.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the embodiment, the adhesive filling mechanism 40 is used as a lid for hermetically closing the upper end of the cylindrical body 30.
Board 41 (first lid) incorporated in table 1 and table 1
The lids 33, 33 (second lids) provided on the top of the slide mechanism 32 via the slide mechanisms 32, 32 are provided.
3, the nozzle 45 of the adhesive filling mechanism 40 may be configured to hermetically seal and hold the periphery thereof. Here, the cylindrical body 30 and the substrate 41 (first lid) or the lid 3 are evacuated so that only a small space surrounding the connector holding mechanism 20 holding the connector 1 is evacuated.
Although the vacuum container was constituted by using the third and third lids 33, a large vacuum container was formed so as to enclose the adhesive filling mechanism 40 and the like at once, and the above-described adhesive filling and the optical fiber 2 Can be configured to perform the insertion. Further, the means for realizing the vacuum vessel and the sealing structure thereof can be variously modified. In short, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a vacuum vessel surrounding the connector held by the connector holding mechanism, and the filling of the adhesive and the insertion of the optical fiber into the connector are performed in a vacuum environment. Therefore, a high-quality product having no problem of bubbles mixed into the adhesive can be manufactured with high yield. Particularly, since the filling of the adhesive and the insertion of the optical fiber are performed while the connector is held vertically, the adhesive can be evenly wrapped around the optical fiber, and a high-quality product can be manufactured.

In particular, according to the present invention, as described in claim 3, the vacuum vessel is realized by a simple structure to form a vacuum environment, so that the apparatus configuration does not become large and is relatively small. The effect that the optical fiber and the connector can be connected by effectively utilizing the capacity of the vacuum pump can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of a connector connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an adhesive filling mechanism in the connector connection device shown in FIG. 1 and a form of forming a vacuum container when the adhesive is filled.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an optical fiber insertion mechanism in the connector connection device shown in FIG. 1 and a form of forming a vacuum container when an optical fiber is inserted.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a connection structure between an optical fiber and a connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 connector 1d ferrule 2 optical fiber 2e fiber strand (core wire) 10 table 20 connector holding mechanism 22 support 22a connector lift mechanism 23 connector holder 30 cylinder (vacuum vessel) 33 lid (second lid) 40 adhesive Filling mechanism 41 Substrate (first lid) 42 Syringe 45 Nozzle 50 Optical fiber insertion mechanism

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takao Murakami 2-2046 Horifune, Kita-ku, Tokyo Japan Tobacco Inc. F-term (reference) 2H036 GA12 GA19

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A connector holding mechanism for holding a connector connected to an end of an optical fiber with its optical fiber insertion end facing upward; and a connector holding mechanism selectively positioned above the connector holding mechanism. An adhesive filling mechanism that fills the hollow shaft portion of the connector with an adhesive held by the optical fiber; and an optical fiber that is selectively positioned above the connector holding mechanism in place of the adhesive filling mechanism. An optical fiber insertion mechanism for inserting a core of the optical fiber into a hollow shaft portion of the connector filled with an adhesive, and a connector held by the connector holding mechanism for injecting the adhesive and inserting the core of the optical fiber. And a vacuum container provided around the connector to be connected and the inside of which is vacuum-evacuated. 2. The method of filling an adhesive into the connector by the adhesive filling mechanism and inserting a core of an optical fiber into the connector by the optical fiber insertion mechanism by evacuating the vacuum container. The connector connecting device according to claim 1, wherein 3. The vacuum container comprises a bottomed cylinder provided surrounding the connector holding mechanism, and a lid provided so that the upper end of the bottomed cylinder can be selectively airtightly closed. The lid body holds the adhesive filling nozzle in the adhesive filling mechanism, the first lid body having the tip end of the adhesive filling nozzle protruding downward, and the optical fiber insertion mechanism. 2. The connector connection device according to claim 1, further comprising a second lid having an insertion hole through which the optical fiber is inserted by being pressed against an outer periphery of the optical fiber. 4. The first or second bottomed cylindrical body is provided so as to be vertically movable and selectively positioned above the bottomed cylindrical body.
4. The connector connection device according to claim 3, wherein a vacuum vessel is formed by airtightly contacting the lower surface of the lid. 5. The connector holding mechanism has an optical path traversing the lower end of the connector held with the optical fiber insertion end facing upward, and the adhesive filled in the hollow shaft of the connector from the lower end. An adhesive filling amount detection sensor for optically detecting the protrusion; and an optical path crossing the axis of the connector at a predetermined height from the optical fiber insertion end of the connector. 2. The connector connection device according to claim 1, further comprising: an optical fiber detection sensor that optically detects a position of a leading end of a core wire of the optical fiber when being fed toward the leading end of the fiber. 6. The connector connection device according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive filling mechanism fills the connector with a vacuum defoamed adhesive.