JP2008242225A - Optical fiber mounting system and method, and end-surface forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mounting system and method capable of mounting an optical fiber, having an inclined end surface on a substrate by passive alignment. <P>SOLUTION: An optical fiber mounting system (40) includes an optical fiber arraying part (46) which maintains an optical fiber (6), in a state of having its inclined end surface (6b) preliminarily aligned in a prescribed direction; and an optical fiber transfer part (48), which transfers the optical fiber (6) to a substrate (2) while maintaining it in this state. The system mounts the optical fiber (6) having the inclined end surface (6b), on the substrate (2) in the prescribed direction. It is preferable that the system (40) have a holder (42) for holding the optical fiber (6) and an end surface forming device (44) for forming the inclined end surface (6b) on the optical fiber (6) held by the holder (42). In this case, the optical fiber arraying part (46) positions the holder (42) in a prescribed direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber mounting system and method for mounting an optical fiber on a substrate, and more particularly to an optical fiber mounting system and method for mounting an optical fiber having an inclined end surface on a substrate.

  The present invention also relates to an optical fiber end face forming apparatus, and more particularly to an end face forming apparatus for forming an end face of an optical fiber obliquely with respect to an optical axis of the optical fiber.

  Conventionally, an optical fiber mounting system for mounting an optical fiber on a substrate on which an optical waveguide is mounted is known. When mounting an optical fiber on a substrate, it is necessary to align the optical axis of the optical fiber with the optical axis of the optical waveguide on the substrate.

  When mounting an optical fiber on a substrate, there is a method of actually propagating light to the optical fiber and the optical waveguide on the substrate, and checking the amount of light propagated while aligning the optical axis of the optical fiber with the optical axis of the optical waveguide on the substrate. It is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This method is called an active alignment method. The active alignment method can reliably align the optical axis of the optical fiber and the optical axis of the optical element with high accuracy, but requires a lot of time and labor to align the optical axes.

  In contrast, the optical axis of the optical fiber and the optical axis of the optical waveguide are aligned simply by forming a positioning groove at the position of the optical fiber mounted on the substrate and placing the optical fiber in the positioning groove. The method of making it known is known (for example, refer patent document 2). In this case, for example, the substrate is made of silicon, and the positioning groove is formed by anisotropic etching. This method is called a passive alignment method. In the passive alignment method, the optical axis of the optical fiber and the optical axis of the optical waveguide can be aligned with high accuracy, and the optical fiber can be easily mounted on the substrate.

JP-A-11-109176 JP 2002-228893 A

  Conventionally, an optical fiber mounted using a passive alignment method has an end surface perpendicular to the optical axis. Therefore, positioning around the optical axis of the optical fiber, that is, positioning by rotating the optical fiber around the optical axis is unnecessary. However, there has been a demand for mounting an optical fiber having an end face inclined with respect to the optical axis on a substrate. In this case, positioning around the optical axis of the optical fiber is necessary. Since the diameter of the optical fiber is small and is generally 125 μm, it is very difficult to position the optical fiber around the optical axis on the substrate. In addition, positioning around the optical axis on the substrate consumes time, thereby reducing the production volume of the substrate on which the optical fiber is mounted.

  Further, it is desirable that the end face of the optical fiber is formed at a certain angle with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber.

  Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber mounting system and method capable of increasing the production amount of a substrate on which an optical fiber having an inclined end surface is mounted.

  A second object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber mounting system and method capable of mounting an optical fiber having an inclined end surface on a substrate by a passive alignment method.

  A third object of the present invention is to provide an end face forming device capable of forming an end face of an optical fiber at a constant angle with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber.

  In order to achieve the above first and second objects, a mounting system according to the present invention is a mounting system for mounting an optical fiber having an inclined end face on a substrate so that the end face is in a predetermined orientation. An optical fiber alignment unit for maintaining the optical fiber in a state in which its end face is pre-adjusted in the predetermined direction, and an optical fiber transfer unit for transferring the optical fiber to the substrate while maintaining the end face of the optical fiber in the predetermined direction; It is characterized by having.

  In the mounting system configured as described above, the end face of the inclined optical fiber is positioned in a predetermined direction in advance by the optical fiber alignment unit without being performed on the substrate. Therefore, such positioning can be performed relatively easily than on the substrate. Further, since the optical fiber that has been positioned in advance is mounted on the substrate, the production amount of the substrate on which the optical fiber having the inclined end surface is mounted can be increased, and the optical fiber having the inclined end surface can be attached to the substrate by the passive alignment method. Can be implemented.

  In order to achieve the first and second objects, a mounting system according to the present invention is a mounting system for mounting an optical fiber having an inclined end surface on a substrate so that the end surface is in a predetermined direction. A holder for holding the optical fiber, an optical fiber end face forming portion for forming an inclined end face on the optical fiber held by the holder, and positioning the holder so that the end face of the optical fiber is in the predetermined direction. And an optical fiber transfer unit that transfers the optical fiber to the substrate while maintaining the predetermined orientation.

  According to the mounting system configured as described above, the end face of the optical fiber is formed in a direction inclined with respect to the optical axis while the optical fiber is held by the holder. Next, the orientation of the end face of the optical fiber is adjusted to a predetermined orientation by positioning the holder on the holder positioning portion. Next, the optical fiber is transferred to the substrate while maintaining the orientation of the end face of the optical fiber in a predetermined direction.

  Since the end face of the optical fiber is aligned in a predetermined direction before the optical fiber is transferred to the substrate, the production amount of the substrate on which the optical fiber having the inclined end face is mounted can be increased, and the optical fiber having the inclined end face can be increased. It can be mounted on the substrate by a passive alignment method. Moreover, it becomes easy to match the direction of the end face of the optical fiber with a predetermined direction by using a holder.

  In the embodiment of the mounting system of the present invention, preferably, the mounting system further includes a substrate transport unit that transports the substrate, and the substrate transport unit has an adhesive application station that applies an adhesive to the substrate, and an adhesive is applied. And an optical fiber placement station for placing the optical fiber transferred by the fiber transport unit on the substrate. The optical fiber placement station has a position determination unit for determining a placement position of the optical fiber on the substrate.

  In the above embodiment, the fiber mounting station preferably further includes a press block mounting portion for mounting a press block for pressing the optical fiber against the substrate, and an irradiation unit that irradiates the adhesive with ultraviolet rays. It is preferable to have.

  In order to achieve the first and second objects, the mounting method according to the present invention is a method for mounting an optical fiber on a substrate so that an inclined end surface of the optical fiber is in a predetermined direction. A step of arranging the optical fiber so that the end face is in the predetermined direction, a step of transferring the optical fiber to the substrate while maintaining the end face in the predetermined direction, and a step of positioning the transferred optical fiber with respect to the substrate It is characterized by having.

  In order to achieve the first and second objects, the mounting method according to the present invention is a method for mounting an optical fiber on a substrate such that an inclined end surface is in a predetermined orientation, A step of holding the holder, a step of forming an end face inclined in the first direction on the optical fiber held by the holder, and a movement or rotation of the holder so that the end face is in the second direction which is the predetermined direction. Moving or rotating the optical fiber so as to be disposed, transferring the optical fiber to the substrate while maintaining the end face in the second orientation, and positioning the transferred optical fiber with respect to the substrate. It is characterized by having.

  In order to achieve the third object, an end face forming apparatus according to the present invention is an end face forming apparatus for forming an end face of an optical fiber obliquely with respect to an optical axis of the optical fiber, and an end face forming portion of the optical fiber. A holding portion that holds one side of the optical fiber along the support axis, a bending tension portion that pulls the other side of the end surface forming portion of the optical fiber while bending it obliquely with respect to the support axis, and a bend with respect to the support axis. A blade disposed on the side opposite to the pulling direction and between the holding portion and the bending tension portion, and by pressing the blade against the surface of the optical fiber, the optical fiber is divided and the end face is directed to the optical axis. It is characterized by being formed obliquely.

  According to the end face forming apparatus configured as described above, the blade is attached to the optical fiber in a state where one side of the optical fiber is held along the support axis and the other side is pulled while being bent obliquely with respect to the support axis. Press. When the optical fiber is divided into one side and the other side, the end face of the optical fiber is formed obliquely with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber. The direction of the end surface with respect to the optical axis, that is, the inclination angle is determined according to the pulling direction and the tensile strength of the bending tension portion, and the mirror-finished end surface is formed. Thus, the end face of the optical fiber can be formed at a constant angle with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber.

  As described above, according to the optical fiber mounting system and method of the present invention, it is possible to increase the production amount of a substrate on which an optical fiber having an inclined end surface is mounted.

  Moreover, according to the optical fiber mounting system and method of the present invention, an optical fiber having an inclined end surface can be mounted on a substrate by a passive alignment method.

  Further, according to the end face forming device of the present invention, the end face of the optical fiber can be formed at a constant angle with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber.

  Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of an optical fiber mounting system and an end face forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

  First, an example of a substrate on which an optical fiber having an end surface inclined with respect to the optical axis is mounted will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view of an optical multiplexer / demultiplexer in which such a substrate and an optical fiber are combined. 2 and 3 are a front view and a right side view, respectively, of the optical multiplexer / demultiplexer shown in FIG. 1 with a presser block added.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the optical multiplexer / demultiplexer 1 is connected to the optical waveguide 4 on the substrate 2, the optical waveguide 4 mounted on the intermediate portion 2 b of the substrate 2, and one side 2 a of the substrate 2. The first and third optical fibers 6 and 10, the second optical fiber 8 connected to the optical waveguide 4 on the other side 2 c of the substrate 2, and the optical filter 12 disposed in the intermediate portion 4 b of the optical waveguide 4. And have. The board | substrate 2 has a rectangular form extended in the longitudinal direction A and the width direction B perpendicular | vertical to it.

  The optical waveguide 4 has a core 14 and a clad 16, and the core 14 has a plurality of core portions 14 a, 14 b, and 14 c that cross each other at an intersection 14 d at an angle. Specifically, a first core portion 14a extending obliquely and straightly from the one end face 4a of the optical waveguide 4 to the intermediate portion 4b at an intersecting angle α with respect to the longitudinal direction A, and the other of the optical waveguide 4 from the intermediate portion 4b. The second core portion 14b that extends straightly in alignment with the first core portion 14a up to the end surface 4c of the first core portion 14b, and the first core portion 14a and the second core portion 14b obliquely intersect with the first core portion 14a and the second core portion 14b. And a third core portion 14c extending obliquely and straightly at an intersecting angle α with respect to the longitudinal direction A.

  The first to third optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 have cores 6 c, 8 c, and 10 d and claddings 6 d, 8 d, and 10 d, respectively, and are aligned with the first to third core portions 14 a to 14 c of the optical waveguide 4. And optically connected. The first to third optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 are respectively supported by V-shaped grooves 18, 20, and 22 provided on the substrate 2 and fixed to the substrate 2 with an adhesive. The outer diameter of the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 is typically 125 μm. The positions, widths and depths of the V-shaped cross-sectional grooves 18, 20, and 22 are such that the optical axes 6a, 8a, and 10a of the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 positioned thereon are the core portions 14a, 14b of the optical waveguide 4, It is determined to align with the center line of 14c with submicron accuracy. The grooves 18, 20, and 22 having a V-shaped cross section are preferably formed by anisotropic etching using an alkaline aqueous etching solution. Thus, the first and third optical fibers 6, 10 extend from one side 2 a of the substrate 2, and the second optical fiber 8 extends from the other side 2 c of the substrate 2.

  In the substrate 2 and the optical waveguide 4, an optical filter installation groove 24 for installing the optical filter 12 extending across the intermediate portion 4 b of the optical waveguide 4 is formed. An optical filter, for example, the dielectric multilayer filter 12 is fixed to the optical filter installation groove 24 with an adhesive. For example, the optical filter 12 transmits light having a first wavelength λ1 (for example, 1310 nm) and a second wavelength λ2 (for example, 1490 nm), and reflects light having a third wavelength λ3 (for example, 1550 nm).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the optical multiplexer / demultiplexer 1 includes a presser block 26 for pressing the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 into the grooves 18, 20, and 22 having V-shaped cross sections (FIG. Not shown). The optical fibers 6, 8, 10 and the holding block 26 are fixed to the substrate by an adhesive 28 (see FIG. 3).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the end faces 6b, 8b, 10b of the first to third optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are inclined with respect to the optical axes 6a, 6b, 6c in accordance with the end faces 4a, 4c of the optical waveguide 4, respectively. is doing.

  4-6 is a figure explaining the direction of the end surface of an optical fiber. (A) of FIGS. 4-6 is a top view of the edge part of an optical fiber, (b) is the front view. The direction of the end face Fb of the optical fiber F is defined by the direction of the long axis Fc of the end face Fb when viewed in the direction FA from the portion of the optical fiber F toward the tip, and the direction FD in which the long axis Fc approaches. For example, the orientation of the end face of the optical fiber shown in FIG. 4 is referred to as upward in the longitudinal direction, the orientation of the end face of the optical fiber shown in FIG. 5 is referred to as rightward in the lateral direction, and the orientation of the end face of the optical fiber shown in FIG. It is called the left direction.

  Thus, the orientation of the end faces 6b and 8b of the first and second optical fibers 6 and 8 shown in FIG. 1 is rightward in the lateral direction, and the orientation of the end face 10b of the third optical fiber 10 is leftward in the lateral direction. . In the first to third optical fibers 6, 8, and 10, the inclination angles of the end faces 6b, 8b, and 10b with respect to the plane perpendicular to the optical axes 6a, 8a, and 10a are the same and α.

  In the example of the optical filter 12 described above, when light having the first wavelength λ 1 is incident on the first optical fiber 6, the light having the first wavelength λ 1 is transmitted through the optical filter 12 and propagates to the second optical fiber 8. To do. When light having the second wavelength λ 2 is incident on the second optical fiber 8, the light having the second wavelength λ 2 passes through the optical filter 12 and propagates to the first optical fiber 6. When light having the third wavelength λ 3 is incident on the second optical fiber 8, the light having the third wavelength λ 3 is reflected by the optical filter 8 and propagates to the third optical fiber 10.

  When the end faces 6b, 8b, 10b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are inclined, the coupling loss of the optical multiplexer / demultiplexer 1 is such that the end faces 6b, 8b, 10b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are optical axes 6a, 8a, 10a. It becomes small compared with the coupling loss when it is perpendicular to. In the former case, there is no gap between the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 and the optical waveguide 4, whereas in the latter case, a triangular gap is formed between the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 and the optical waveguide 4. Due to the formation of In one example where α is 8 degrees, the coupling loss in the former case is about 0.03 dB, while the coupling loss in the latter case is about 0.1 dB.

  Next, an embodiment of an optical fiber mounting system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an optical fiber mounting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In the mounting system according to the embodiment of the present invention, optical fibers 6, 8, 10 having end faces 6 b, 8 b, 10 b inclined with respect to the optical axes 6 a, 8 a, 10 a are arranged so that the end faces 6 b, 8 b, 10 b are in a predetermined direction. Thus, the mounting system is for mounting on the substrate 2.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the optical fiber mounting system 40 includes a holder 42 for holding the optical fibers 6, 8, 10, and an end surface forming unit or device 44 for forming the end surfaces 6 b, 8 b, 10 b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10. Then, by using the holder 42, the optical fiber aligning portion 46 for maintaining the optical fiber in a state in which the end face thereof is preliminarily aligned in the predetermined direction, and the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 from the optical fiber aligning portion 46 to the substrate 2 are used. And an optical fiber transfer section 48 for transferring to the optical fiber.

  The holder will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the holder, and FIG. 9 is a left side view of the holder.

  The holder 42 includes a holder main body 50. The holder main body 50 includes a cylindrical front portion 52, a rectangular parallelepiped central portion 54, a cylindrical rear portion 56, and a through hole 50b penetrating them in the longitudinal direction 50a. And have. The inner diameter of the through hole 50b is preferably determined so that the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 are fitted. The rear portion 56 has a notch 56a extending in the longitudinal direction 50a and a tapered female screw portion 56b. A nut 58 is screwed into the female screw portion 56b. The notch 56a and the female threaded portion 56b are configured such that when the nut 58 is screwed into the female threaded portion 56b, the rear portion 56 is bent and the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 inserted into the through holes 50b are sandwiched. Yes. Thus, when the nut 58 is screwed into the female screw portion 56 b, the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 cannot move with respect to the holder body 50. As shown in FIG. 9, the holder body 50 has a left side surface 50c, a right side surface 50d, and a bottom surface 50e, and a reference groove 50f extending in the longitudinal direction is provided on the bottom surface 50e.

  Next, an end surface forming part or apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the end surface forming unit or apparatus, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the end surface forming unit or holding unit of the apparatus in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the end face forming portion 44 is an apparatus for forming the end faces 6 b, 8 b, 10 b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 obliquely with respect to the optical axes 6 a, 8 a, 10 a of the optical fibers. is there. The end face forming portion 44 is a bending tension that pulls while bending the base 62, the holding portion 66 that holds one side 64a of the end face forming portion 64 of the optical fiber along the support axis 66a, and the other side 64b of the end face forming portion 64. Part 68. The holding part 66 is fixed to the base 62. The bending tension portion 68 is pivotally attached to the base 62 at a distance from the holding portion 66.

  The holding portion 66 has a through hole 66b for receiving the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 together with the holder 42. The through hole 66b has a rectangular section 66c for receiving the central portion 54 of the holder 42 and a front of the holder 42. A portion 66d for receiving the portion 52. Further, a contact surface 66e that contacts the central portion 54 of the holder 42 is provided between the portions 66c and 66d, so that the holder 42 and the optical fiber can be bent when the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 described later are bent and pulled. 6, 8, 10 is prevented from moving in the bending tension direction 70. The through-hole portion 66 c has a protrusion 66 f that fits into the reference groove 50 f of the holder 42. Thereby, the rotation of the holder 42 and the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 around the optical axes 6 a, 8 a, 10 a is prevented. In the present embodiment, a protrusion 66f is provided on the bottom surface 66g of the through-hole portion 66c.

  The bending tension portion 68 is configured to sandwich the lower side 68b pivotally mounted on the base 62 about the shaft 68a and the other side 64b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 in cooperation with the lower portion 68b. And an upper portion 68c. The upper part 68c is movable so as to approach or move away from the lower part 68b. When the upper part 68c approaches the lower part 68b, the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 are sandwiched between the upper part 68c and the lower part 68b. A gap 68d between the upper portion 68c and the lower portion 68b extends in a pulling direction 70 obliquely below the support axis 66a. It is preferable to provide a spring 68e that urges the bending tension portion 68 in a direction opposite to the tension direction 70.

  The end surface forming portion 44 further includes a blade 72 disposed on the side opposite to the tensile direction 70 with respect to the support axis 66 a and between the holding portion 66 and the bending tension portion 68. The blade 72 extends in a direction transverse to the optical fibers 6, 8, 10, and can be pressed toward the surface of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10, that is, from above to below.

  Next, the operation of the end face forming unit or the apparatus will be described.

  The optical fibers 6, 8, 10 cut to a length of 50 to 200 cm are passed through the through holes 50 b of the holder body 50, and the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 extend about 2-3 cm beyond the front part 52 of the holder body 50. In the state, the nut 58 is screwed into the rear portion 56. As a result, the rear portion 56 having the notch 56a bends to sandwich the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10. Thus, the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are held by the holder 42. Next, the holder 42 is inserted into the through hole 66 b of the holding portion 66 of the end surface forming portion 44.

  Next, the other side 64b of the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 is passed through the gap 68d between the upper portion 68c and the lower portion 68b of the bending tension portion 68, and the upper portion 68c is moved downward, so that the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are moved. Is sandwiched between the upper portion 68c and the lower portion 68b. While the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are sandwiched between the upper part 68 c and the lower part 68 b, the bending tension part 68 is pivoted about the axis 68 a in the bending tension direction 70. As a result, the other side 64 b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 is pulled while being bent downward in the bending tension direction 70. In this state, the blade 72 is pressed against the surfaces of the optical fibers 6, 8 and 10. As a result, notches are formed in the upper ends of the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10, that is, the pressing portions, and then the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 are cleaved at a fixed angle with respect to the support axis 66a, that is, the optical axis 66a. And divided. Thus, the end faces 6b, 8b, 10b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are formed obliquely with respect to the optical axes 6a, 8a, 10a. The orientation of the end faces 6b, 8b, 10b is upward in the vertical direction, and the end faces 6b, 8b, 10b are formed in a mirror surface. By changing the pulling angle and strength of the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 while bending them, the angles of the end faces 6b, 8b, and 10b with respect to the optical axes 6a, 8a, and 10a can be changed. After forming the end face, the holder 42 and the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are removed from the holding portion 66. The optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 are held by the holder 42. Thus, when the reference groove 50f of the holder 42 is directed downward, the orientation of the end faces 6b, 8b, 10b is upward in the vertical direction.

  Next, the optical fiber alignment unit will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14 are a schematic front view, a schematic right side view, and a schematic plan view of the optical fiber alignment unit, respectively. In this embodiment, since the orientation of the end face of the optical fiber is adjusted in advance using a holder, it also functions as a holder positioning portion.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the optical fiber alignment unit 46 includes a base 74, a holder holding unit 76 fixed to the base 74, and a fiber holding unit 78 fixed to the base 74.

  The holder holding portion 76 has through holes 76 a and 76 b that receive the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 together with the holder 42. The through holes 76 a and 76 b have a rectangular cross section for receiving the central portion 54 of the holder 42. The through-hole 76a is a hole for arranging the end faces 6b and 8b of the optical fibers 6 and 8 rightward in the horizontal direction. Thus, the through hole 76a has a protrusion 76c that fits in the reference groove 50f of the holder 42 on the left side surface 76e. The through-hole 76b is a hole for arranging the end face 10b of the optical fiber 10 leftward in the horizontal direction. Thus, the through hole 76 b has a protrusion 76 d that fits in the reference groove 50 f of the holder 42 on the right side surface 76 f.

  The fiber holding part 78 has a receiving base 78b having a receiving groove 78a for holding each optical fiber, and a presser bar 78c for pressing the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 from above. Each presser bar 78c is guided so as to be movable in the vertical direction (not shown), and is biased downward by a spring 78d or the like, so that the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are interposed between the presser bar 78c and the pedestal 78b. Can be held between. The optical fiber is preferably in a state of protruding about 10 mm from the cradle 78b. Each presser bar 78c has a pin 78e extending in the lateral direction. The fiber holding portion 78 further includes lifting plates 80a and 80b for lifting the pins 78e upward. The lifting plates 80a and 80b are for lifting the presser bar 78c that holds the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 inserted into the through holes 76a and 76b, respectively. Each lifting plate 80a, 80b has an inclined surface 80c inclined to engage with the pin 78e, and a flat surface 80d extending from the upper edge of the inclined surface 80c. The lifting plates 80a and 80b are moved laterally, and the presser bar 78c is lifted by engaging or separating the inclined surface or 80c or flat surface 80d from the pin 78e, so that the optical fibers 6 and 8 are lifted. 10 is released, or the presser bar 78c is pressed against the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 to sandwich the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10. In this embodiment, when the lifting plates 80a and 80b are moved in the lateral direction with all the presser bars 78c pressing the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10, the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 are released one by one. It is configured as follows.

  Next, the optical fiber transfer unit will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the hand of the optical fiber transfer unit.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the optical fiber transfer unit has two robots 84a and 84b. One robot 84a is for transferring the optical fibers 6 and 8 in which the end face 6b is arranged to the right in the horizontal direction, and the other robot 84b is to transfer the optical fiber 10 in which the end face 10b is arranged in the left in the horizontal direction. Is for. Each robot 84a, 84b has a hand 86 that can move in the horizontal direction (X-axis and Y-axis) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). As shown in FIG. 15, the hand 86 can approach the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 from above. The hand 86 includes two gripping members 86 a and 86 b that can approach and move away from each other in a lateral direction so as to grip the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10. One of the gripping members 86a preferably has a triangular cross-sectional groove 86c that can be engaged with the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10. The hand 86 preferably grips the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 over a length of about 5 mm, for example. Thus, the hand 86 can move from the optical fiber alignment unit 46 to the substrate 2 while holding the optical fibers 6, 8, 10.

  Next, operations of the optical fiber alignment unit 46 and the optical fiber transfer unit 48 will be described.

  The holder 42 is moved or rotated and inserted into the through holes 76 a and 76 b of the holder holding part 76 of the optical fiber alignment part 46. Since the reference groove 50f of the holder 42 inserted into the through hole 76a and the protrusion 76c of the left side surface 76e of the through hole 76a are fitted, the end surfaces 6b and 8b of the optical fibers 6 and 8 held by the holder 42 are automatically Turn to the right in the horizontal direction. Further, since the reference groove 50f of the holder 42 inserted into the through hole 76b and the protrusion 76d of the right side surface 76f of the through hole 76b are fitted, the end face 10b of the optical fiber 10 held by the holder 42 is automatically laterally moved. Turn left.

  Next, when the lifting plates 80a and 80b are moved to separate the inclined surface 80c and the flat surface 80d from the pin 78e of the presser bar 78c, the presser bar 78c is urged downward by the spring 78d, and the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are moved downward. It is clamped between the cradle 78b and the presser bar 78c. In this state, the nut 58 of the holder 42 is removed from the holder main body 50, and the holder 42 is removed from the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10. Since the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are sandwiched between the cradle 78b and the presser bar 78c, the end faces 6b, 8b, 10b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 remain oriented in the lateral direction.

  Next, the robots 84 a and 84 b are moved to the optical fiber alignment unit 46, and the optical fibers 6, 8 and 10 are gripped by the hand 86. The lifting plates 80a and 80b are moved, and the inclined surfaces 80c are engaged with the pins 78e of the presser bar 78c corresponding to the optical fiber held by the hand 86, thereby lifting the presser bar 78c. Next, the robots 84 a and 86 b are transferred from the optical fiber alignment unit 46 to the substrate 2. The orientations of the end faces 6b, 8b, 10b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are maintained in the state of being directed in the lateral direction.

  As illustrated in FIG. 7, the optical fiber mounting system 40 further includes a substrate transport unit 100 that transports the substrate 2. The substrate transport unit 100 has a turntable 102. The turntable 102 is rotatable about a vertical axis 104 and has a positioning tray 106 for positioning the plurality of substrates 2 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The positioning tray 106 has protrusions 106 a for positioning the diagonal corners of the substrate 2 and is positioned with respect to the turntable 102 by pins 106 b. It is preferable that the presser block 26 is further positioned on the positioning tray 106. The substrate 2 is positioned so that the longitudinal direction A thereof coincides with the radial direction R of the turntable 102. By using a tray 106 that is larger than the substrate 2, handling of the substrate 2 having a small size is facilitated.

  The turntable 102 is driven to rotate intermittently at a pitch at which the substrate 2 is positioned. In the illustrated embodiment, the turntable 102 is configured to make one round in four intermittent operations. In accordance with each stop position, the substrate transport unit 100 applies the substrate loading station 110 for placing the substrate 2 on the turntable 102, the adhesive application station 112 for applying the adhesive 28 to the substrate 2, and the adhesive 28 applied. Optical fiber loading station 114 for placing optical fibers 6, 8, 10 transferred onto substrate 2 by optical fiber transfer unit 48 on substrate 2, and substrate take-out station for taking out substrate 2 on which optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are mounted 116.

  In the substrate mounting station 110, as described above, the positioning tray 106 on which the substrate 2 is placed is positioned on the turntable 102 in order to place the substrate 2 on the turntable 102.

  The adhesive application station 112 has an application unit 120 for applying the adhesive 28 to the grooves 18, 20, 22 of the V-shaped cross section of the substrate 2. The adhesive 28 is preferably one that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays.

  The optical fiber mounting station 114 has a position determining unit 122 for determining the mounting position of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 with respect to the substrate 2. The position determination unit 122 analyzes the camera 122a that captures the substrate 2 and the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 from above, and the image obtained by the camera 122a, and moves the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 to appropriate positions. And a controller (not shown) for controlling the robots 84a and 84b. The camera 122a is preferably positioned above the substrate 2 only when determining the position on which the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 are to be placed, and is otherwise movable to a position retracted from above the substrate 2.

  The optical fiber loading station 114 further includes a press block mounting portion 124 for mounting the press block 26 for pressing the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 against the substrate 2. The presser block mounting portion 124 has the same structure as the robots 84 a and 84 b of the optical fiber transfer unit 48, holds the presser block 26 positioned on the positioning tray 106, and the optical fibers 6, 8, 10. The optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 are pressed against the substrate by being placed on and pressed.

  The optical fiber mounting station 114 further includes an irradiation unit 126 that irradiates the adhesive 28 with ultraviolet rays.

  At the substrate take-out station 116, the substrate 2 on which the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are mounted may be taken out, or the substrate 2 on which the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 are mounted on only one side 2a or 2c of the substrate 2 is inverted. The remaining optical fibers 6, 8, 10 may be prepared for mounting on the other side 2 c or 2 a of the substrate 2.

  Next, the operation of the substrate transfer unit will be described.

  At the substrate mounting station 110, the substrate 2 is placed on the turntable 102 by placing the positioning tray 106 on which the substrate 2 and the presser block 26 are positioned on the turntable 102. In order to mount the first and third optical fibers 6, 10, the substrate 2 is arranged on the turntable 102 so that one side 2 a of the substrate 2 is directed in the radial direction R of the turntable 102. Is good. Next, the turntable 102 is rotated.

  In the adhesive application station 112, the adhesive is applied by the application unit 120 to the V-shaped cross-sectional grooves 18 and 22 where the first and third optical fibers 6 and 10 are positioned. Next, the turntable 102 is rotated.

  The optical fiber transfer unit 48 previously transfers the first optical fiber 6 to the substrate 2 by the robot 84a and transfers the third optical fiber 10 to the substrate 2 by the robot 84b. The end surface 6b of the first optical fiber 6 is laterally rightward, and the end surface 10b of the third optical fiber 10 is laterally leftward.

  In the optical fiber placement station 114, the position where the first and third optical fibers 6 and 10 are placed on the substrate 2 is determined using the camera 122 a of the position determination unit 122. It is preferable that the gap between the end faces 6b and 10b of the optical fibers 6 and 10 and the end face 4b of the optical waveguide 4 is as small as possible. When the position is determined, the camera 122a is retracted.

  Next, the first and third optical fibers 6 and 10 are released from the hands 86 of the robots 84a and 84b and placed in the grooves 18 and 22 of the V-shaped cross section of the substrate 2. Next, the presser block mounting portion 124 is operated to hold the presser block 26 on the positioning tray, place it on the optical fibers 6 and 10, and press the optical fibers 6 and 10 against the substrate 2. Next, in a state where the optical fibers 6 and 10 are pressed against the substrate 2, the irradiation unit 126 irradiates the adhesive 28 with ultraviolet rays to cure the adhesive 28. Thereby, the first and third optical fibers 6 and 10 are fixed to the substrate 2, that is, mounted. The mounted optical fibers 6 and 10 extend in the radial direction R from the substrate 2 and hang down from the periphery of the turntable 102. Next, the turntable 102 is rotated.

  At the take-out station 116, the substrate 2 is inverted in order to mount the second optical fiber 8. That is, the substrate 2 is arranged so that the other side 2 c of the substrate 2 is directed in the radial direction R of the turntable 102.

  The operation for mounting the second optical fiber 8 is the same as the operation for mounting the first optical fiber 6. When the second optical fiber 8 is mounted, the substrate 2 is taken out at the take-out station 116.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. Needless to say, these are also included within the scope of the present invention.

  In the above embodiment, the end faces 6b, 8b, 10b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 formed by the end face forming portion 44 are in the vertical direction, and the end faces 6b, 8b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 mounted on the substrate 2 are used. The direction of 10b was the horizontal direction. However, the orientation described above is arbitrary as long as the orientation of the end face can be adjusted to the orientation mounted on the substrate 2 using the holder 42 before the optical fiber is transferred to the substrate. In that case, what is necessary is just to change shapes, such as through-hole 76a, 76b of the holder 42 and the holder positioning device 46, according to the direction of an end surface. Further, the orientation of the end faces 6b, 8b, 10b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 formed by the end face forming portion 44 and the orientation of the end faces 6b, 8b, 10b of the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 mounted on the substrate 2 are determined. It may be the same.

  Other examples of substrates on which optical fibers are mounted are shown in FIGS. 16 is a partial plan view of the optical multiplexer / demultiplexer, and FIG. 17 is a front view of the optical multiplexer / demultiplexer of FIG. 16 to which a presser block is added. The optical multiplexer / demultiplexer 1 ′ shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 has the same structure as the optical multiplexer / demultiplexer 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and the optical multiplexer / demultiplexer 1 corresponding to the components of the optical multiplexer / demultiplexer 1. The same numbers with “′” added are added to the components of the duplexer 1 ′. The optical fiber 8 ′ extends in the longitudinal direction A, and the end surface 8 b ′ of the optical fiber 8 ′ is inclined downward in the vertical direction corresponding to the inclination of the end surface 4 c ′ of the optical waveguide 1 ′. In such a case, the end face 8b of the optical filter 8 may be aligned downward in the vertical direction in the optical filter alignment unit 46 in advance.

  In the above embodiment, the end face forming unit 44 using the blade 72 is used, but a polishing type end face forming apparatus may be used.

  In the above embodiment, the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 are pulled while being bent obliquely downward. However, if the side that pulls while bending and the side that presses the blade 72 are on the opposite side, the direction of pulling while bending is arbitrary. .

  In the above embodiment, the holder 42 is removed from the optical fibers 6, 8, 10 at the optical fiber alignment unit 46. However, if the holder 42 does not get in the way, the holder 42 does not have to be removed from the optical fibers 6, 8, 10. Good.

  In the above embodiment, the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 are aligned using the holder 42 and the holder holding unit 76 in the optical fiber alignment unit 46. However, the inclined end surfaces 6b, 8b, and 10b of the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 are arranged. The holder 46 and the holder holding portion 76b may be omitted as long as they can be aligned in a predetermined direction and the end faces 6b, 8b, and 10b can be maintained in the predetermined direction by the optical fiber holding portion 78. For example, the optical fiber alignment unit 46 is disposed below the magnifying projector, and the end faces 6b, 8b, and 10b of the optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 are aligned in a predetermined direction by hand, and then the end faces 6b, 8b, and 10b are set to the predetermined positions. The optical fibers 6, 8, and 10 may be held by the optical fiber holding portion 78 so as to maintain the orientation of In this case, the end surface forming portion 44 may be omitted.

  In the above embodiment, the optical fiber alignment unit 46 and the optical fiber transfer unit 48 are configured separately, but they may be configured integrally. For example, a hole for receiving and holding the holder 42 is provided in the hands 86 of the robots 84 a and 84 b so that the hands 86 of the robots 84 a and 84 b can rotate around the optical axes of the optical fibers 6, 8 and 10 held by the holder 42. May be configured.

It is a top view of an optical multiplexer / demultiplexer. It is a front view of the optical multiplexer / demultiplexer of FIG. 1 which added the presser block. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the optical multiplexer / demultiplexer of FIG. 1 with a presser block added. It is a figure explaining direction of the end surface of an optical fiber. It is a figure explaining direction of the end surface of an optical fiber. It is a figure explaining direction of the end surface of an optical fiber. 1 is a schematic view of an optical fiber mounting system according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing of a holder. It is a left view of a holder. It is sectional drawing of an end surface formation apparatus. It is sectional drawing in line 10-10 of the holding | maintenance part of the end surface forming apparatus of FIG. It is a front schematic diagram of an optical fiber alignment part. It is the right side schematic of an optical fiber alignment part. It is a plane schematic diagram of an optical fiber alignment part. It is sectional drawing of the hand of an optical fiber transfer part. It is a partial top view of an optical multiplexer / demultiplexer. FIG. 17 is a front view of the optical multiplexer / demultiplexer of FIG. 16 to which a presser block is added.

Explanation of symbols

2 Substrate 2a One side 2c The other side 6, 8, 10 Optical fibers 6a, 8a, 10a Optical axes 6b, 8b, 10b End face 40 Mounting system 42 Holder 44 End face forming part 46 Optical fiber alignment part (holder positioning part)
48 Optical fiber transfer section 64 End face formation location 64a One side 64b The other side 66 Holding section 66a Support axis 68 Bending tension section 70 Pull direction 72 Blade 100 Substrate transport section 112 Adhesive application station 114 Optical fiber mounting station 122 Position determination section 124 Pressing Part 126 Irradiation part R Radiation direction

Claims (8)

A mounting system for mounting an optical fiber having an inclined end surface on a substrate so that the end surface is in a predetermined orientation,
An optical fiber alignment unit for maintaining the optical fiber in a state in which an end face thereof is pre-adjusted in the predetermined direction;
An optical fiber mounting system, comprising: an optical fiber transfer unit that transfers an optical fiber to a substrate while maintaining an end face of the optical fiber in the predetermined direction. A mounting system for mounting an optical fiber having an inclined end surface on a substrate so that the end surface is in a predetermined orientation,
A holder for holding the optical fiber;
An optical fiber end face forming portion for forming an inclined end face on the optical fiber held by the holder;
A holder positioning unit for positioning the holder so that the end face of the optical fiber is in the predetermined direction;
An optical fiber mounting system, comprising: an optical fiber transfer unit that transfers the optical fiber to the substrate while maintaining the predetermined orientation.   Furthermore, it has a board | substrate conveyance part which conveys a board | substrate, The said board | substrate conveyance part is the adhesive agent application station which apply | coats an adhesive agent to a board | substrate, and the optical fiber transferred by the said optical fiber transfer part to the board | substrate with which the adhesive agent was apply | coated. An optical fiber mounting station mounted on a substrate, and the optical fiber mounting station has a position determining unit for determining a position where the optical fiber is mounted on the substrate. Implementation system.   4. The optical fiber mounting system according to claim 3, wherein the optical fiber mounting station further includes a press block mounting portion for mounting a press block for pressing the optical fiber against the substrate.   The optical fiber mounting system according to claim 3, wherein the optical fiber mounting station further includes an irradiation unit that irradiates the adhesive with ultraviolet rays. A method for mounting an optical fiber on a substrate so that an inclined end surface of the optical fiber is in a predetermined direction,
Arranging the optical fiber so that the end face is in the predetermined direction;
Transferring the optical fiber to the substrate while maintaining the end face in the predetermined direction;
Positioning the transported optical fiber with respect to the substrate. A method for mounting an optical fiber on a substrate so that the end face of the optical fiber is in a predetermined orientation,
Holding the optical fiber with a holder;
Forming an end face inclined in a first direction on the optical fiber held by the holder;
Moving or rotating the holder to move or rotate the optical fiber so that the end face is disposed in the second orientation which is the predetermined orientation;
Transferring the optical fiber to the substrate while maintaining the end face in the second orientation;
Positioning the transported optical fiber with respect to the substrate. An end face forming device for forming the end face of an optical fiber obliquely with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber,
A holding portion for holding one side of the end face forming portion of the optical fiber along the support axis;
A bending tension part that pulls the other side of the end face forming portion of the optical fiber while bending it obliquely with respect to the support axis;
A blade disposed on the side opposite to the direction of pulling while bending with respect to the support axis and between the holding portion and the bending tension portion, and the optical fiber is divided by pressing the blade against the surface of the optical fiber. An optical fiber end face forming device, wherein the end face is formed obliquely with respect to the optical axis.

Images