JP2001033653A - Manufacture of ferrule, and ferrule - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily manufacture inexpensively by mass-production of a ferrule of which a hole serving as an insertion hole for an optical fiber is formed with a precise hole diameter to be a hole for easy insertion of the optical fiber. SOLUTION: The ferrule is manufactured by an electrocast plating process for electrocast-plating a dissolved metal wire (w) to form a thick plated metal wire, a grounding machining process for grounding the thick plated metal wire up to a prescribed outside diameter to make the thick plated metal wire (1a') having the prescribed outside diameter, a cutting machining process for cutting the thick plated metal wire (1a') to make it a prescribed dimentional thickness of thick plated metal wire (1b), a metal wire dissolving process for removing dissolvingly the metal wire (w) from the thick plated metal wire (1b) using an alkaline solution to form a hole 2 so as to provide a ferrule base material (1c), and an electro-polishing process for forming a taper in one end of the hole 2 of the ferrule base material (1c).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a ferrule for an optical fiber connector and a ferrule.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional ferrule manufacturing methods include:
Extrusion processing and powder injection molding are used. Hereinafter, only the extrusion method will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the outline of a method of manufacturing a ferrule by a conventional extrusion method. FIG. 8 (a) shows an insulating rod having a through hole, FIG. 8 (b) shows an insulating rod piece, and FIG. (C) shows a state of hole polishing, and (d) shows a state of taper processing. In FIG. 12, 31 is a ferrule, 31
a is an insulating bar, 31b is an insulating bar piece, 32 is a through hole, 33 is a polishing wire, 34 is a grinding jig, and t is a tapered portion. First, as shown in FIG. 8 (a), an insulating rod material (for example, made of zirconia) 31a having a through hole 32 having a diameter of, for example, 90 μm at the center of a cylindrical shape having a diameter of, for example, 20 mm and serving as a base material of a ferrule is extruded. It is manufactured by the method. Next, as shown in FIG.
The insulating bar piece 31b is sliced into mm. Next, in order to enlarge the diameter of the through hole 32 to, for example, 125 μm as a post-processing of the insulating rod piece 31b, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8C, a hole is polished using a polishing wire 33 made of, for example, a piano wire.
As shown in FIG. 2D, a conical tapered portion t is provided at one end of the through hole 32 by a grinding jig 34 so as to easily pass the optical fiber, and the ferrule 31 is completed. This extrusion method is a method of manufacturing a ferrule by machining.

[0003]

However, in the conventional method of manufacturing a ferrule using an extrusion method, the ferrule having a through hole formed in the center is further subjected to polishing, grinding, and the like to further improve the ferrule. Since the process of expanding the hole and forming a conical taper at one end of the through hole is all performed by machining, it takes a lot of time to finish the ferrule and it becomes an expensive part There was a problem. The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned various problems of the related art, and in a ferrule, a hole serving as an insertion hole for an optical fiber is formed with a high precision of a hole diameter, and an optical fiber is used. It is an object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing method and a ferrule capable of easily and inexpensively mass-producing a ferrule having a hole which can be easily inserted.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a post-process, an acid fiber is used as a metal wire (w) for melting for providing a hole to be an insertion hole of an optical fiber wire. Alternatively, using a metal wire that is easily soluble in alkali, electroforming plating is performed on the metal wire (w), and a thick plating metal (m) is provided on the outer periphery of the metal wire (w) to provide a thick plated metal wire. (1
a) an electroforming plating step; a cutting step of cutting the thick-plated metal strand (1a) into a predetermined dimension to form a thick-plated metal strand (1b) having a predetermined dimension; Dissolving and removing the metal wire (w) from the thick-plated metal wire (1b) with acid or alkali to form a hole (2) to obtain a ferrule substrate (1c); One end of the hole (2) of the ferrule substrate (1c) is electrolytically polished,
An electropolishing step of forming a taper (t) at one end of the hole (2); and a ferrule manufacturing method for manufacturing the ferrule (1). In the method for manufacturing a ferrule according to the first aspect, one end of the hole (2) serving as an insertion hole for an optical fiber is formed by using an electroforming plating process, a cutting process, a metal wire melting process, and an electrolytic polishing process. The ferrule (1) having the tapered portion (t) at its portion can be easily manufactured, and can be manufactured at lower cost and with higher accuracy. Also,
By providing the plating metal (m) thickly, the main body of the ferrule is formed.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of forming a thick plated metal having a predetermined outer diameter by grinding the outer diameter of the thick plated metal wire (1a) to a predetermined outer diameter following the electroforming plating step. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a ferrule provided with a grinding process for forming a wire (1a '). In the manufacturing method according to the second aspect, in the electroforming plating step, the thick-plated metal strand (1
Even when the outer diameter of a) does not become the predetermined outer diameter, the thick plating metal wire (1) having the predetermined outer diameter is provided by providing a grinding process.
a ′).

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a ferrule, wherein the metal wire for melting (w) is made of an aluminum wire or an aluminum alloy wire. In the method of manufacturing a ferrule according to the third aspect, an aluminum wire or an aluminum alloy wire which is easily dissolved and removed with an acid or an alkali can be preferably used as the melting metal wire (w).

As a fourth aspect, the present invention is a method of manufacturing a ferrule in which the melting metal wire (w) is a round wire. In the manufacturing method according to the fourth aspect, a round wire can be preferably used as the melting metal wire (w).
The round wire is most suitable for providing an insertion hole for an optical fiber having a circular cross section, but a wire having an arbitrary shape, for example, an elliptical wire can be used depending on the shape of the optical fiber.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a ferrule wherein the plating metal (m) is made of nickel, copper, iron, nickel-cobalt or stainless steel.
In the manufacturing method of the fifth aspect, nickel, copper, iron, nickel-cobalt or stainless steel can be preferably used as the plating metal (m).

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a ferrule, wherein the electroforming plating step comprises a pretreatment comprising preliminary degreasing, electrolytic degreasing, neutralization and activation, and electroforming plating. In the manufacturing method according to the sixth aspect, as the electroforming plating step, a pretreatment including preliminary degreasing, electrolytic degreasing, neutralization, and activation, and electroforming plating can be preferably used.

[0010] As a seventh aspect, the present invention resides in a ferrule obtained by the ferrule manufacturing method of each of the above aspects. The ferrule of the seventh aspect is preferably obtained by the method of manufacturing a ferrule of each of the above aspects.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The contents of the present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by this. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an electroforming plating apparatus on which metal wires are set. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a thick plated metal strand. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a state where a metal element wire is melted from a thick-plated metal element wire to form a hole to form a ferrule base material, and FIG. Thick-plated metal strand whose outer diameter has been set to a predetermined value by grinding, FIG.
FIG. 3 (c) shows a ferrule base provided with a hole by dissolving and removing a metal wire from the thick-plated metal wire having the predetermined size. It is an expanded longitudinal section of a material. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a ferrule base material insulated except for around a hole at one end. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an electropolishing apparatus on which an insulating ferrule base material is set. FIG. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a ferrule in which a conical taper is formed at one end of one hole. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process of the method for manufacturing a ferrule of the present invention. In these figures, 1 is a ferrule,
1a is a thick-plated metal wire, 1a 'is a predetermined outer diameter thick-plated metal wire, 1b is a predetermined-dimension thick-plated metal wire, 1c is a ferrule base material, 2 is a hole (insertion hole), and 10 is an electroformed plating apparatus. , 11 is an anode, 12 is a cathode, 13 is a plating solution, 20 is an electropolishing device, 21 is an anode, 22 is a cathode, 23 is an electropolishing solution, c is a cut portion, m is a plating metal, t is a taper, and w is The melting metal strand, z is an insulating material.

Embodiment 1 Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 0.126mmφ × 80m as melting metal wire (w)
m length aluminum wire (hereinafter abbreviated as aluminum wire)
Was set on a jig (not shown). Next, as a pretreatment before performing electroforming plating, first place 3% in a neutral detergent at 25 ° C.
Preliminary degreasing was performed by immersion for ５5 minutes, and then degreased for 30 to 60 seconds with 5 V cathodic electrolysis using a weak alkaline degreasing agent at 25 ° C. Next, neutralization and activation treatment was performed using nitric acid (3%) at 25 ° C.

Next, in the electroforming plating step F1, the degreasing-treated aluminum wire (w) is set (immersed in a plating solution by 50 mm) in the electroforming plating apparatus shown in FIG. (12), and the anode in the plating solution (13)
Electroplating was performed by connecting a positive potential to (11). As the plating solution (13), nickel sulfamate 45
0 g / l, nickel chloride 10 g / l, boric acid 30 g / l
In order to prevent the aluminum wire from being dissolved by the plating solution, a plating solution having a bath temperature of 55 ° C. is used. First, as a strike electrodeposition, plating is performed at a current density of 10 A / dm ² for 3 to 5 minutes. And plating at a current density of 4 A / dm ² for 24 hours, and plating metal (m) around the aluminum wire (w).
Was provided thickly to obtain a thick-plated metal strand (1a) having a diameter of 2.3 mm shown in FIG.

Next, as a grinding step F2, after cutting the aluminum wire (w) of the unplated portion, the outer periphery of the thick plated metal wire (1a) is subjected to centerless grinding to φ2.0 mm. And a metal wire (1a ') having a predetermined outer diameter and a thick plating shown in FIG.

Next, in a cutting step F3, a thick jig (1a ') is formed by using a cutting jig (not shown).
3 is cut to a width of 8.5 mm at a portion c-c in FIG.
A metal wire (1b) having a predetermined thickness and a thickness shown in FIG. Then, the end face of the thick plated metal element wire (1b) is
Polishing was performed using No. 00 emery paper to remove burrs around the aluminum wire (w). (Not shown)

Next, as a metal wire melting step F4, although the melting device is not shown, the thick plated metal wire (1b) is immersed in a 20% sodium hydroxide solution at 100 ° C. for 24 hours to form an aluminum wire ( w) is melted, and a hole (2) is provided.
The ferrule substrate (1c) shown in FIG.

Next, in an electropolishing step F5, first, electrodes are attached to the ferrule base material (1c) (not shown), and as shown in FIG. 4, the silicon resin is removed except around the hole (2) at one end. After insulation by (z), the ferrule base material (1c) insulated with silicon resin is set in the electrolytic polishing apparatus (20) using an electrolytic polishing apparatus (20) as shown in FIG. 23), an anode (21) is connected to the ferrule substrate (1c), and a negative potential is connected to a cathode (22) in the polishing liquid (23) to perform electropolishing. Was.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, a ferrule (1) having a conical taper (t) formed in the hole (2) at the end was obtained.
Electropolishing was performed for 2 minutes at a bath temperature of 55 ° C. and a current density of 15 A / dm ² using IC-370 (trade name, manufactured by Ebara Uzilite Co.) as the polishing liquid (23).

In the case where an acid is used as the dissolving solution in the metal wire dissolving step F4, for example, the reaction is performed at 50 ° C.
Immersed in N hydrochloric acid for 24 hours to dissolve the aluminum wire (w)
Holes (2) can be provided.

[0019]

According to the method for manufacturing a ferrule of the present invention, an electroforming plating step, a cutting step, a metal element melting step and an electrolytic polishing step, and in some cases, a grinding step are used, so that an optical fiber A ferrule having a tapered hole at the end serving as an insertion hole can be manufactured easily, accurately, and at low cost. Therefore, the present invention has an extremely large effect of contributing to industry.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an electroforming plating apparatus on which metal wires are set.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a thick plated metal element wire.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a state in which a metal wire is melted from a thick-plated metal wire to form a hole to form a ferrule base material, and FIG. ,
Thick-plated metal wire having a predetermined outer diameter by grinding, FIG. 4B is a predetermined-size thick-plated metal wire cut to a predetermined size at a portion c-c in FIG. 4A, and FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a ferrule base material provided with a hole by dissolving and removing a metal wire from a thick-plated metal wire having the predetermined outer diameter and dimensions.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a ferrule base material insulated except around a hole at one end.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an electropolishing apparatus on which an insulating ferrule substrate is set.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a ferrule in which a conical taper is formed at an end of one hole.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process of a method for manufacturing a ferrule of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a method of manufacturing a ferrule by a conventional extrusion processing method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ferrule 1a Thick plating metal wire 1a 'Predetermined outer diameter thick plating metal wire 1b Predetermined thickness thick plating metal wire 1c Ferrule base material 2 Hole (insertion hole) 10 Electroforming plating apparatus 11 Anode 12 Cathode 13 Plating solution 20 Electrolysis Polishing device 21 Anode 22 Cathode 23 Electropolishing liquid c Cutting part m Plating metal t Taper w Metal wire for melting z Insulating material

Claims (7)

[Claims] In a post-process, a metal wire which is easily dissolved in an acid or an alkali is used as a metal wire (w) for melting for providing a hole serving as an insertion hole for an optical fiber wire. Electroforming plating is performed on the metal wire (w), and the metal wire (w)
An electroforming plating step of forming a thick plated metal wire (1a) by providing a thick plated metal (m) on the outer periphery of the substrate; and cutting the thick plated metal wire (1a) into a predetermined size to obtain a predetermined thickness. A cutting step of forming a plated metal wire (1b); and a metal wire (w) from the thick plated metal wire (1b) having the predetermined dimensions.
Is dissolved and removed with an acid or an alkali to form a ferrule substrate (1c) by providing a hole (2), and electrolyzing one end of the hole (2) of the ferrule substrate (1c). A ferrule (1), which is polished to form a taper (t) at one end of the hole (2). 2. Following the electroforming plating step, the outer diameter of the thick-plated metal wire (1a) is ground to a predetermined outer diameter, and the thick-plated metal wire (1a ′) having a predetermined outer diameter is formed. The method for manufacturing a ferrule according to claim 1, further comprising a grinding step for performing the grinding process. 3. The method for manufacturing a ferrule according to claim 1, wherein the melting metal wire (w) is made of an aluminum wire or an aluminum alloy wire. 4. The method for manufacturing a ferrule according to claim 1, wherein the melting metal wire (w) is a round wire. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plating metal (m) is nickel,
5. The method for producing a ferrule according to claim 1, wherein the ferrule is made of copper, iron, nickel-cobalt or stainless steel. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said electroforming plating step comprises a pretreatment comprising pre-degreasing, electrolytic degreasing, neutralization and activation treatments, and electroforming plating. 5. The method for manufacturing a ferrule according to 5. 7. A ferrule obtained by the ferrule manufacturing method according to claim 1.