JP2006163087A - Optical fiber splicing parts - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an optical fiber splicing parts in which mutually butted optical fibers are positioned until adhesives are hardened and they are fixed mutually at the time of splicing the optical fibers by allowing them to be butted mutually. <P>SOLUTION: An optical fiber splicing parts is provided with; an optical fiber splicer main body 11 which makes tips of respective optical fibers 102 to be in a butted state by inserting a pair of optical fibers 102 from both ends of a through hole 12 penetrated in a straight line; and a fiber grasping mechanism 31 which grasps respective optical fibers 102 whose tips are butted in the optical splicer main body 11 so as not to be moved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber connecting component that positions and connects optical fibers of a single-core or multi-core optical fiber in a state where their tips are butted together.

  In parallel with the increase in information communication traffic in recent years, the necessity of large-capacity transmission has been discussed not only in routers and closures but also in home information devices that are expected to develop in the future. The importance of parallel optical interconnection using core wires is increasing. And in parallel optical interconnection, the situation where the extra lengths of the optical fiber cores are processed on the substrate and the multiple optical fiber cores are connected frequently occurs, so simple connection using simple assembly tools Technology is required.

Conventionally, an optical fiber connecting component shown in FIG. 9 has been proposed.
The optical fiber connecting component 60 shown here connects optical fibers 61b and 62b of the optical fiber core wires 61 and 62, which are previously exposed by peeling off the coatings 61a and 62a at the tips, and connects the optical fibers 61b. , 62b is composed of a metal connection sleeve 64 for centering and abutting the tips of the ends, and an adhesive 66 injected into the connection sleeve 64 and integrally joining the two optical fibers 61b, 62b. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

The connection sleeve 64 expands both ends of a metal tube having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the optical fibers 61b and 62b, so that the optical fiber core wires 61 and 62 with the coverings 61a and 62a attached thereto are provided. Are formed at both ends.
In addition, the connection sleeve 64 is provided with a slit 68 on the peripheral wall in the vicinity of the abutting portion 65, which functions as a window portion for confirming the abutting state and a function as an injection port for injecting the adhesive 66. ing.

  The optical fiber connecting method using the optical fiber connecting component 60 is a process of stripping the coatings 61a and 62a at the distal ends of the pair of optical fiber cores 61 and 62, and inserting the optical fiber cores 61 and 62 into the connection sleeve 64. The process of abutting the tips of the optical fibers 61b and 62b and the process of injecting the adhesive 66 into the abutting portion 65 of the optical fibers 61b and 62b can be achieved. A fiber connection can be formed.

JP 2004-126306 A

However, in the optical fiber connecting component 60 described above, the optical fiber cores 61 and 62 inserted into the connecting sleeve 64 are cured by the adhesive 66 injected into the butt 65 and the optical fibers 61b and 62b are completely joined to each other. Until the abutting portion 65 moves and the tip surfaces of the optical fibers 61b and 62b are not separated, the operator must hold the optical fiber cores 61 and 62 with fingers or the like. , 62 has a problem of poor workability.
Moreover, even if the gripping force for fixing the optical fiber cores 61 and 62 is reduced, the tip surfaces of the optical fibers 61b and 62b may be separated from each other, leading to poor connection.

  Further, the conventional optical fiber connecting component 60 using the above-described metal tube is based on the premise that the single optical fiber cores are connected to each other, and for connecting the multi-fiber optical fiber ribbons to each other. There was a problem that it was difficult to apply.

  The object of the present invention is that there is no inconvenience that an operator keeps pressing optical fibers with each other until the adhesive is cured when the optical fibers are butt-connected to each other. Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber connecting component capable of forming an optical fiber connecting portion with good workability.

  In order to achieve the above object, an optical fiber connecting part according to claim 1 of the present invention is an optical fiber connecting part for connecting optical fibers of a single-core or multi-core optical fiber from one end. An optical connector having a through hole penetrating the other end, and inserting a pair of optical fibers to be connected from both ends of the through hole to obtain a state in which the tips of the respective optical fibers are concentrically butted together A main body and a fiber gripping mechanism for gripping each optical fiber inserted into the optical connector main body in a state where the ends of the optical fibers are abutted with each other in the through hole are provided.

  An optical fiber connecting component according to a second aspect of the present invention is the optical fiber connecting component according to the first aspect, wherein the fiber gripping mechanism includes a substrate that supports a lower surface of the optical fiber core wire inserted into the through hole. A lid member that presses and fixes the upper surface of the optical fiber core wire when the lid member is closed so as to be openable and closable; and an engagement means that holds the lid member in a closed state when the lid member is closed. It is characterized by that.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the optical fiber connecting component according to the second aspect, the lid member and the substrate are integrally formed so as to be bendable.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the optical fiber connecting component according to the second aspect, the lid member and the substrate are coupled via a hinge.

  The optical fiber connecting part according to claim 5 according to the present invention is the optical fiber connecting part according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the engaging means holds at least the lid member. One or more sets are installed on both the left and right sides.

  An optical fiber connecting component according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the optical fiber connecting component according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, wherein an opening / closing direction of the lid member is an optical fiber core pressed by the lid member. The surface of the lid member that is perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate including the axis of the wire, and that is in contact with the optical fiber core wire of the lid member, is applied with a pressure in a direction that circumscribes the optical fiber core wire and feeds it into the through hole. It is characterized in that a pressure protrusion to be acted is provided.

  An optical fiber connecting component according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the optical fiber connecting component according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, wherein the material of the optical connector main body, the substrate and the lid member is a polyether. It is an imide.

  The method of assembling an optical fiber connecting component according to claim 8 of the present invention includes a step of inserting an optical fiber into a through hole, a step of gripping the optical fiber inserted into the through hole with a fiber gripping member, and the penetration A step of injecting an adhesive into the hole and a step of curing the adhesive and bonding and fixing the optical fiber.

According to the optical fiber connecting component of the first aspect, the optical fiber cores that are abutted with the ends of the optical fibers can be fixed in a state where the ends of the optical fibers are abutted with each other by being gripped by the fiber gripping mechanism. it can. Therefore, there is no inconvenience that an operator keeps pressing the optical fibers that have been butted together with the fingers until the adhesive is cured, and the optical fiber connection portion can be formed with good workability with fewer parts and fewer steps.
In addition, since the gripping force is reduced, the abutting portions of the optical fibers move and the abutted tips are not separated from each other, so that it is possible to prevent a connection failure.
The optical connector body can also be applied to connect optical fiber ribbons by forming multiple through holes into which optical fibers are inserted at the fiber arrangement pitch of the optical fiber ribbons. Parallel optical interconnection can be easily constructed at low cost.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of an optical fiber connecting component according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1 to 7 show an embodiment of an optical fiber connecting component according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical fiber connecting component according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of the optical connector main body shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is IV-IV of the optical connector main body shown in FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line, FIG. 5 is a view of the optical connector main body shown in FIG. 2 taken along the arrow V, FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the operation of the fiber gripping mechanism shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state which made the optical fiber connection component hold | grip the optical fiber core wire.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the optical fiber connecting component 10 of this embodiment positions the ends of a pair of multi-fiber optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B arranged with their ends facing each other in a butted state. (Not shown) which also serves as a refractive index matching agent which is injected into the optical connector body 11 and cured. It is composed of an adhesive and a fiber gripping mechanism 31 that grips the optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B inserted into the optical connector body 11.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of multi-fiber optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B is formed by removing the coating 101 within a predetermined length range of the tip portion to be connected and exposing the optical fiber 102 at the tip portion. .

In the case of the present embodiment, the optical connector body 11 is integrally formed by injection molding of polyetherimide (PEI) having excellent heat resistance.
As shown in FIG. 2, the optical connector main body 11 is provided with a large number of through-holes 12 penetrating in a straight line from one end side to the other end side of the optical connector main body 11. An arrow (A) in FIG. 1 indicates a penetration direction of the through hole 12. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of through holes 12 are formed in parallel at a predetermined pitch (a pitch equal to the arrangement pitch of the optical fibers) with an interval between adjacent ones. The center of each through hole 12 in the axial direction is filled with an adhesive, and when the optical fibers 102 to be connected are inserted from one end side and the other end side of the through hole 12, A pore portion 12d is provided for positioning with the tips facing each other.

Further, guide hole portions 12b for guiding each optical fiber 102 to the fine hole portion 12d are provided on both outer sides in the axial direction of the fine hole portion 12d, and the coating 101 is provided on the further outer side of each guide hole portion 12b. The optical fiber tape cores 100A and 100B are provided with a core wire accommodating portion 12a.
Since the core wire accommodating portion 12a is a portion that accommodates the multi-fiber optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B with the coating 101 attached, the space having a rectangular cross section or a long cross section including all the through holes 12 is provided. It faces the insertion opening that opens to the one end surface 11A and the other end surface 11B of the optical connector body 11.

  If each optical fiber 102 has a diameter of 125 μm, the pore 12d is formed as a circular hole having a slightly larger diameter. Moreover, the diameter of the guide hole 12b is formed to be about 0.2 mm.

Further, a tapered portion 12c having a diameter reduced from the core wire housing portion 12a side toward the fine pore portion 12d is provided on the fine pore portion 12d side of the guide hole portion 12b.
On the upper surface 11C of the optical connector body 11, an injection window hole 13 for injecting an adhesive from the outside into the pores 12d of all the through holes 12 is provided.
The injection hole 13 opens in a rectangular shape facing the range from the guide hole 12b of the through hole 12 to the core wire housing 12a. Thus, since the guide hole 12b faces the injection hole 13, the rear half of the guide hole 12b (the portion closer to the core wire housing 12a) has an upper surface as shown in FIG. It is an open semicircular groove 12e. Two injection window holes 13 are provided corresponding to the portions from the guide hole portions 12b on both sides to the core wire housing portion 12a.

Further, a confirmation window hole 14 for confirming the filling state of the adhesive injected from the injection window hole 13 into the pore 12d is provided on the upper surface 11C of the optical connector body 11.
The confirmation window hole 14 is opened so as to intersect from the upper surface 11C at a substantially central position of the pore portion 12d where the tips of the optical fibers 102 abut each other.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fiber gripping mechanism 31 includes a substrate 33 assembled to the lower surface of the optical connector body 11, a lid member 35 that can be opened and closed on the substrate 33, and a state in which the lid member 35 is closed. And an engaging means 38 for holding the lid member 35 in a closed state.
The substrate 33 includes a recess 36 into which the bottom of the optical connector body 11 is fitted, and a core support surface 37 that supports the lower surfaces of the optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B inserted into the through holes 12 of the optical connector body 11. It has.

The lid members 35 are provided at both ends of the substrate 33, and when closed, the optical fiber tape cores 100A and 100B on the core support surface 37 are pressed against the substrate 33 to fix the optical fiber tape cores 100A and 100B. To do.
The engaging means 38 includes an engaging portion 35a formed on the lid member 35 with an elastic locking claw 351 at the tip, and a locking portion 33a (see FIG. 1) provided on the substrate 33. As shown in FIG. 6, when the lid member 35 is closed, the elastic locking claw 351 of the engaging portion 35a can be engaged with the locking portion 33a to hold the lid member 35 in the closed state.

  In the case of the present embodiment, at least one pair of the engaging portions 35a is provided on the left and right sides of the optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B pressed by the lid member 35.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the opening / closing direction of the lid member 35 is a direction orthogonal to the upper surface of the substrate 33 including the axes of the optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B held by the lid member 35, as shown in FIG. In addition, the optical fiber tape cores 100A and 100B are fed into the through-holes 12 by circumscribing the upper surfaces of the optical fiber tape cores 100A and 100B on the surface of the lid member 35 that contacts the optical fiber tape cores 100A and 100B. A pressure protrusion 35e is provided to apply a pressure in the direction (the direction of arrow B in FIG. 6).

  In the case of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the mechanism for connecting the lid member 35 to the substrate 33 so as to be openable / closable is a bearing portion integrally formed with arm portions 35 c extending from both sides of the lid member 35. 35d and a shaft portion 33c integrally formed on the side surface of the substrate 33 so as to be fitted to the bearing portion 35d.

  The substrate 33 and the lid member 35 constituting the fiber gripping mechanism 31 are integrally formed by injection molding of polyetherimide (PEI) having excellent heat resistance, as in the case of the optical connector body 11.

Next, a method for connecting the corresponding optical fibers 102 of the pair of optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B using the optical fiber connecting component 10 including the optical connector main body 11 and the fiber gripping mechanism 31 will be described. .
First, an adhesive that also serves as a refractive index matching agent is injected from one injection window hole 13 of the optical connector body 11, and the optical connector body 11 is inclined with the window hole 13 side into which the adhesive has been injected facing upward. Thus, the adhesive is caused to flow into the pore portion 12d of each through hole 12. And the filling state of the adhesive agent to each pore part 12d is confirmed by confirming visually that an adhesive agent flows from the window hole 14 for confirmation.

  Next, the optical connector main body 11 is set at a predetermined position of the substrate 33 in the fiber gripping mechanism 31 and the lid member 35 of the fiber gripping mechanism 31 is opened, and both sides of each through hole 12 of the optical connector main body 11 are opened. Each of the optical fibers 102 from which the coating has been removed is inserted into the pores 12d and the tips thereof are opposed to each other. At the same time, the optical fiber tape cores 100A and 100B that are still covered are accommodated in the core wire accommodating portion 12a.

  When the optical fiber 102 is inserted, the distal end of the optical fiber 102 can be smoothly inserted into the pore portion 12d by the guiding action of the tapered portion 12c at the back of the guide hole portion 12b. Further, the insertion state of each optical fiber 102 can be confirmed from the injection window hole 13 and the confirmation window hole 14. Moreover, since the optical fiber 102 is inserted along each semicircular groove 12e, it is easy to insert.

  After insertion of the optical fiber 102 and the optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B, as shown in the right half of FIG. 7, the lid member 35 is closed so that the optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B do not move. The optical fiber 102 and the optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B are bonded and fixed to the optical connector main body 11 by curing the adhesive in this state. The optical fiber connection using the optical fiber connection component 10 is thus completed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the optical fiber connecting component 10 is attached to the optical connector main body 11 as it is even after the connection is completed, but it can be removably formed and used again. You may do it.

  According to the optical fiber connecting component 10 described above, the optical fiber tape is inserted into the through-holes 12 from both ends of the optical connector body 11 when the optical fibers are butted and connected to each other, and the tips of the optical fibers are butted together. The cores 100 </ b> A and 100 </ b> B can be fixed in a state where the ends of the optical fibers 102 are butted together by being gripped by the fiber gripping mechanism 31. Therefore, there is no inconvenience that the operator keeps pressing the optical fibers 102 that are butted together with the fingers until the adhesive is cured, and the connection portion of the optical fiber 102 can be formed with good workability with fewer parts and fewer steps. it can.

  In addition, since the optical fiber 102 is moved and the leading ends are not separated until the adhesive that bonds the optical fibers 102 to each other is cured, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of connection failure.

  Moreover, the optical connector main body 11 forms a plurality of through-holes 12 into which the optical fibers 102 are inserted at the fiber arrangement pitch in the optical fiber ribbon, thereby connecting the optical fiber ribbons to each other. The parallel optical interconnection can be easily constructed at a low cost.

  Further, according to the optical fiber connecting component 10 described above, the fiber gripping mechanism 31 can easily grip the optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B simply by closing the lid member 35 that is mounted on the substrate 33 so that it can be opened and closed. The assembly workability when the optical fibers 102 are butt-connected is good, and the productivity can be improved.

  Further, according to the optical fiber connecting component 10 described above, the mechanism for coupling the lid member 35 to the substrate 33 is a self hinge integrally formed with the substrate 33 and the lid member 35. Will not increase. That is, when the components constituting the optical fiber connection component 10 are formed by injection molding, not only can the number of molded components be suppressed and the component molding cost can be kept low, but also the assembly process of the optical fiber connection component 10 Can be simplified.

  Further, according to the optical fiber connecting component 10 described above, the lid member 35 is coupled to the substrate 33 on both the left and right sides of the optical fiber tape cores 100A and 100B by the engaging means 38, and therefore the optical fiber tape core 100A. , 100B can be firmly fixed with a stable pressing force.

  Further, according to the optical fiber connecting component 10 described above, when the optical fiber tape cores 100A and 100B inserted into the through holes 12 of the optical connector main body 11 are gripped by the lid member 35, the pressure applied to the lid member 35 is provided. Since the optical fiber tape cores 100A and 100B are urged by the projection 35e in the direction in which the optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B are fed into the through-hole 12, the optical fiber 102 is pressurized in a direction in which the butt force between the optical fibers 102 increases at the butt portion. It is possible to reliably prevent the occurrence of inconvenience such that the butted portions are separated from each other, and the connection between the optical fibers 102 can be stabilized.

  In particular, the fiber gripping mechanism 31 closes the lid member 35 and grips the optical fibers 102 of the optical fiber ribbons 100A and 100B in a lump between the lid member 35 and the substrate 33. Even when there are some length irregularities between the optical fibers 102, it is preferable that the optical fibers 102 can be held without causing any length deviation in the axial direction.

  Further, according to the optical fiber connecting component 10 described above, since the polyetherimide has excellent heat resistance, the optical connector main body 11 and the fiber gripping mechanism 31 are not deformed even when exposed to high temperatures, and stable. The fiber fixed state can be maintained.

In the optical fiber connecting component 10 of the present invention, the mechanism for coupling the lid member 35 to the substrate 33 so as to be openable / closable is not limited to the above embodiment.
For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the opening / closing direction of the lid member 35 is set to the axial direction of the optical fiber core wire 100A (100B) held by the lid member 35, and is connected to the side surface of the substrate 33 along the axis. The member 35 may be a self-hinge 40 configured to be integrally coupled. In the drawing, (a) shows a state in which the lid member 35 is opened, and (b) shows a state in which the lid member 35 is closed. The optical connector main body (see reference numeral 11 in FIG. 1) is omitted for the sake of simplicity.
Further, the mechanism for coupling the lid member 35 to the substrate 33 so as to be openable / closable may be a hinge separate from the lid member 35 and the substrate 33.
Unlike the self hinge, the hinge separate from the lid member 35 and the substrate 33 can be formed of another material having higher heat resistance than the substrate 33 or the lid member 35. For example, the butted portions of the optical fibers 102 are bonded together. By using a thermosetting adhesive that hardens in a short time by heating at a high temperature as the adhesive to be fixed, the connection processing time between the optical fibers 102 can be shortened.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example in the case of connecting the optical fibers of a multi-core optical fiber tape core wire, this invention is applicable also when connecting the optical fiber of a single core optical fiber core wire.

1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an optical fiber connecting component according to the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the optical fiber connection component shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the III-III line | wire of the optical connector main body shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the IV-IV line of the optical connector main body shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a V arrow view of the optical connector main body shown in FIG. 2. It is the schematic which shows operation | movement of the fiber holding | grip mechanism shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state which made the optical fiber connection component shown in FIG. 1 hold | grip an optical fiber core wire. It is a figure explaining the example of a self hinge, (a) is the state which opened the cover member, (b) shows the state which closed the cover member. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the conventional optical fiber connection component.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Optical fiber connection part 11 Optical connector main body 12 Through-hole 12a Core wire accommodating part 12b Guide hole part 12c Tapered part 12d Pore part 13 Injection window hole 14 Confirmation window hole 31 Fiber gripping mechanism 33 Substrate 33a Locking part ( Engagement means)
33c Shaft part 35 Lid member 35a Engagement part (engagement means)
35b Locking projection 35d Bearing portion 35e Pressure projection 36 Recess 38 Engaging means 40 Self hinge 100A, 100B Optical fiber ribbon (optical fiber)
101 coating 102 optical fiber

Claims (8)

An optical fiber connecting part for connecting optical fibers of a single core or a multi-core optical fiber,
Light that has a through-hole penetrating from one end to the other and inserts a pair of optical fibers to be connected to each other from both ends of the through-hole, thereby obtaining a state where the tips of the respective optical fibers are concentrically butted together The connector body,
A fiber gripping mechanism for gripping each optical fiber inserted into the optical connector body in a state in which the tips are butted together in the through hole,
An optical fiber connecting component comprising:   The fiber gripping mechanism includes a substrate that supports a lower surface of the optical fiber core inserted into the through-hole, and a lid member that presses and fixes the upper surface of the optical fiber core when the substrate is connected to the substrate so as to be opened and closed. 2. An optical fiber connecting part according to claim 1, further comprising an engaging means for holding the lid member in a closed state when the lid member is in a closed state.   The optical fiber connecting component according to claim 2, wherein the lid member and the substrate are integrally formed to be bendable.   The optical fiber connecting component according to claim 2, wherein the lid member and the substrate are coupled via a hinge.   5. The optical fiber connection component according to claim 2, wherein at least one set of the engagement means is provided on each of the left and right sides of the optical fiber core pressed by the lid member. .   The opening / closing direction of the lid member is a direction orthogonal to the upper surface of the substrate including the axis of the optical fiber core line pressed by the lid member, and the surface of the lid member that contacts the optical fiber core wire is disposed on the optical fiber core. 6. The optical fiber connection component according to claim 3, further comprising a pressure protrusion that is applied to the wire in a direction that circumscribes the wire and feeds the wire into the through hole.   The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein a material of the optical connector main body, the substrate, and the lid member is polyetherimide. Inserting the optical fiber into the through hole; gripping the optical fiber inserted into the through hole with a fiber gripping member; injecting an adhesive into the through hole; curing the adhesive; And a method of assembling the optical connecting component.

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