JP2006323077A - Processing method for optical fiber bundle end face - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the packing density of an optical fiber bundle, while realizing a sure fitting of a ferrule using a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: The optical fiber bundle 10 is inserted into the ferrule 12 at a prescribed packing density in an insertion step, the ferrule 12 is processed into a reduced diameter in a following diameter reducing step, the packing rate of the optical fiber bundle 10 in the ferrule 12 is enhanced, the optical fiber bundle 10 is positioned and fixed in the ferrule12, the projected part of the optical fiber bundle 10 projected from the ferrule 12 is cut in a cutting step, and the end face of the optical fiber bundle is polished, together with the end face of the ferrule 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat-resistant optical fiber bundle used for, for example, a light guide, an image guide, an optical fiber sensor and the like provided in an endoscope, and more particularly to an end face processing method thereof.

  Conventionally, as this type of optical fiber bundle end face processing method, the end of the optical fiber bundle is inserted into a base, and an adhesive is used as a filler to bond and fix each other, and the end faces are subjected to polishing treatment. This adhesive fixes the optical fiber bundle to the base, prevents fiber damage during polishing, and prevents foreign matter from entering the optical fiber bundle.

  However, in the above optical fiber bundle end face processing method, it is difficult to process the filling ratio of the optical fiber bundle into the base to be less than 76% to less than 85%. Therefore, the effective core area is low and the optical transmission rate is low. However, recently, there is a problem that it is difficult to satisfy the demand for enhancing the light transmission efficiency which has been strongly demanded. For example, when the filling ratio of the optical fiber bundle is 76%, the slipperiness of the fiber surface is low, and when it is less than 85%, the slipperiness of the fiber surface can be increased.

  Further, in the above optical fiber bundle end face processing method, since a filler, for example, an adhesive, must be filled between the optical fiber bundle and the die, it takes time to cure the adhesive and the heat resistance is the heat resistance of the adhesive. The problem is that it depends on the degree.

Therefore, with the optical fiber bundle inserted in the base, the periphery of the base is heated to about 700 ° C. with a heating device and softened, and the diameter is reduced using the drawing device, thereby bonding as a filler. There has been proposed an optical fiber bundle end face processing technique that increases the filling rate without using an agent (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-30771

  However, in the above optical fiber bundle end face processing technology, since the diameter is reduced by heating from the periphery of the die, the apparatus becomes large, and the cladding of the optical fiber strand is melted to form a hexagonal closest packing. Since it has to be molded, the adjustment work for melting is very troublesome, and the adjustment man-hours are increased, so that the processing cost is increased and the processing is troublesome.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an optical fiber bundle end face processing method that is capable of simplifying the configuration and realizing a reliable attachment of the base and improving the filling rate of the optical fiber bundle. The purpose is to do.

  The optical fiber bundle end face processing method according to the present invention includes an insertion step of inserting an end portion of an optical fiber bundle into a base, a diameter reduction step of reducing the diameter of the base into which the optical fiber bundle is inserted, and an optical fiber protruding from the tip of the base A cutting step for cutting the bundle, and a polishing step for polishing the end surface of the diameter-reduced die and the end surface of the optical fiber bundle were provided.

  According to the above configuration, the optical fiber bundle is inserted into the base in the insertion step and the base is reduced in the diameter reduction step, so that the filling rate in the base is increased and positioned and fixed to the base, and then the base The projecting portion protruding from is cut in the cutting step, and the end surface thereof is polished together with the tip surface of the die in the polishing step.

  As a result, the filling rate of the optical fiber bundle can be increased and the positioning with the base can be fixed and the manufacturing operation can be simplified simply by reducing the diameter of the base into which the optical fiber bundle is inserted. .

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical fiber bundle end face processing method that is capable of simplifying the configuration and realizing a reliable attachment of the base and improving the filling rate of the optical fiber bundle. Can do.

  Hereinafter, an optical fiber bundle end face processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  That is, in the optical fiber bundle end face processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, first, in the insertion step shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of fiber strands 101 are bundled, for example, an optical fiber bundle 10 constituting a light guide is a base 12. For example, it is inserted at a filling rate of 76% to less than 85% that can be handled by hand.

  The fiber strand 101 constituting the optical fiber bundle 10 is selectively formed of various fiber materials such as multicomponent glass, quartz glass, plastic, and the like, and is inserted into the base 12 according to the fiber strand 101. The filling rate of the optical fiber bundle 10 at the time is slightly different.

  The optical fiber bundle 10 inserted into the base 12 is, for example, crimped and temporarily fixed to the base 12 in the diameter reducing step shown in FIG. 2, and then attached to a drawing device 13 such as a swaging machine. Thus, the diameter of the base 12 is reduced. Here, the end portion of the optical fiber bundle 10 inserted into the base 12 is positioned and fixed in the base 12 with the filling rate in the base 12 being increased to 85% or more.

  Next, the process proceeds to the cutting step shown in FIG. 3, and the optical fiber bundle 10 is mounted on the cutting device 14, and the portion protruding from the base 12 having a reduced diameter is cut, so that the tip of the base 12 is substantially flush. Is processed. Then, the cut optical fiber bundle 10 is transferred to an adhesion process as shown in FIG. 4, for example, and an adhesive is applied to the rear end side of the base 12. By applying the adhesive, the optical fiber bundle 10 is bonded and fixed to the rear end side of the base 12 and the strength thereof is further increased.

  Then, the optical fiber bundle 10 bonded and fixed to the base 12 is transferred to the polishing step shown in FIG. The polishing device 15 polishes the end face of the optical fiber bundle 10 mounted substantially simultaneously with the front end face of the base 12, and the end face processing of the optical fiber bundle 10 is completed here. In this polishing process, the filling rate of the optical fiber bundle 10 is increased, so that the breakage is effectively prevented and the intrusion of foreign matters is effectively prevented, and a high-precision polishing process is performed. Can do.

  As described above, in the optical fiber bundle end face processing method, the optical fiber bundle 10 is inserted into the base 12 at a predetermined filling rate in the insertion step, and the base 12 is reduced in the next diameter reduction step. The filling rate of the optical fiber bundle 10 is increased, the optical fiber bundle 10 is positioned and fixed to the base 12, the protruding portion of the optical fiber bundle 10 protruding from the base 12 is cut in a cutting process, and the end face thereof is polished together with the front end face of the base 12. It was configured as follows.

  As a result, the filling rate of the optical fiber bundle 10 is increased and the optical fiber bundle 10 is positioned and fixed in the base 12 only by performing the diameter reduction process of the base 12 into which the optical fiber bundle 10 is inserted, and the optical fiber bundle 10 is damaged during the subsequent polishing process. In addition to the prevention, entry of foreign matter is prevented and a highly accurate polishing process is realized. As a result, it is possible to easily and easily realize the end face processing of the optical fiber bundle 10 by providing a relatively simple device.

  Further, according to this, the filling rate of the optical fiber bundle 10 is formed to a desired value by the diameter reduction processing of the die 12 without increasing the filling rate by heating and melting the periphery of the die as in the prior art. Thus, stable use can be realized even in use in a high temperature environment. As a result, it is possible to diversify the usage forms because the usage temperature environment is not restricted.

  In the above embodiment, after the diameter reduction processing, the portion protruding from the base 12 of the optical fiber bundle 10 is cut, and an adhesive is applied to the end of the optical fiber bundle 10 on the rear end side of the base 12 in the bonding process. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, after the cutting process is performed in the cutting process, the polishing process is performed without performing the bonding process. You may comprise as follows.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to an endoscope light guide has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to an endoscope image guide, and the same effect is expected. .

  Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention at the stage of implementation. Further, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements.

  For example, even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment, the problems described in the column of problems to be solved by the invention can be solved, and the effects described in the effects of the invention can be obtained. In some cases, a configuration from which this configuration requirement is deleted can be extracted as an invention.

  In addition, according to each of the embodiments described above, the present invention can also obtain the following configuration.

(Appendix 1)
An insertion step of inserting the optical fiber bundle into the base;
A diameter reducing step for reducing the inner diameter of the die into which the optical fiber bundle is inserted;
A cutting step of cutting an optical fiber bundle protruding from the tip of the base;
A polishing step of simultaneously polishing the end face of the base and the end face of the optical fiber bundle;
An optical fiber bundle end face processing method characterized by comprising:

(Appendix 2)
The method of processing an end face of an optical fiber bundle according to appendix 1, wherein the inner diameter of the die is reduced in the diameter reducing step so that a filling rate of the optical fiber bundle is 85% or more.

(Appendix 3)
The optical fiber bundle end face processing method according to appendix 1 or 2, further comprising an adhesion step of adhering at least a rear portion of the base and a rear side end portion of the optical fiber bundle after the diameter reduction processing in the diameter reduction step.

(Appendix 4)
A diameter reducing means for reducing the inner diameter of the base into which the optical fiber bundle is inserted;
Cutting means for cutting the optical fiber bundle protruding from the tip of the base;
Polishing means for simultaneously polishing the end face of the base and the end face of the optical fiber bundle;
An optical fiber bundle end face processing apparatus comprising:

It is the figure which showed the insertion process in the optical fiber bundle end surface processing method which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the diameter reduction process of FIG. It is the figure which showed the cutting process of FIG. It is the figure which showed the adhesion process of FIG. It is the figure which showed the grinding | polishing process of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Optical fiber bundle, 101 ... Fiber strand, 12 ... Base, 13 ... Drawing apparatus, 14 ... Cutting apparatus, 15 ... Polishing apparatus.

Claims (4)

An insertion step of inserting the end of the optical fiber bundle into the base;
A diameter reduction step of reducing the diameter of the die into which the optical fiber bundle is inserted;
A cutting step of cutting an optical fiber bundle protruding from the tip of the base;
A polishing step of polishing the tip surface of the diameter-reduced die and the end surface of the optical fiber bundle;
An optical fiber bundle end face processing method characterized by comprising:   2. The method of processing an end face of an optical fiber bundle according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the base is reduced in the diameter reduction step so that the filling rate of the optical fiber bundle is 85% or more.   The method of processing an end face of an optical fiber bundle according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a step of joining the die subjected to diameter reduction in the diameter reduction step and the optical fiber bundle.   The optical fiber bundle end face processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, in the polishing step, a front end face of the die and an end face of the optical fiber bundle are simultaneously polished.

Images