JP2015014646A - Optical fiber connector and optical fiber cable - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical fiber connector in which an adhesive material can be introduced and/or discharged easily and efficiently from a certain portion when the optical fiber is fixed with the adhesive material, and a connector body is hardly contaminated by surplus oozing-out of the adhesive material.SOLUTION: An optical fiber connector 10 includes: an optical fiber loading hole 15 that has an insertion hole 14 at one end and into which optical fiber 13 is inserted; an abutting part 11 that is arranged at the other end of the optical fiber loading hole 15 and abuts the tip of the optical fiber 13; an adhesive material introduction hole 16 and an adhesive material discharge hole 17 that are connected with the optical fiber loading hole 15 and are made to communicate with outside of the optical fiber connector.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector, and in particular, when an optical fiber is fixed with an adhesive, the introduction of an adhesive and / or the discharge of the adhesive can be performed easily and efficiently from a certain place, and an extra stain of the adhesive. The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector that is unlikely to contaminate a connector main body by being pulled out.

With the increase in information capacity, development of optical interconnection technology that uses optical signals not only for communication fields such as trunk lines and access systems, but also for information processing in routers and servers, and for personal computers and mobile phones in consumer devices Yes.
An example of an optical transmission line for transmitting an optical signal is an optical fiber (also referred to as an optical fiber cable). Optical fibers are widely used for home and industrial information communication because they can perform high-speed communication of a large amount of information. For example, automobiles are equipped with various electrical components (for example, a car navigation system), and are also used for optical communication of these electrical components. There is an optical fiber connector that uses a plurality of such optical fibers and abuts and fixes each terminal (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Further, as an example in which an optical waveguide is used for the abutting portion, there is an optical fiber connector in which a groove in which an optical fiber is mounted and an optical waveguide are provided side by side as described in Patent Document 2.
As a method for fixing the optical fiber to the optical fiber connector, an optical fiber and an adhesive for fixing the optical fiber are introduced into the optical fiber mounting groove, and the optical fiber is pressed and fixed from above the optical fiber mounting groove. A method is described.

JP 2008-40375 A JP 2008-145684 A

However, in the method of dropping the adhesive into the optical fiber mounting groove and pressing the optical fiber, there is a concern that the dropped adhesive oozes out in various directions and contaminates the optical fiber connector itself. Furthermore, there is a concern that air bubbles may enter between the abutting portion and the tip of the optical fiber due to the location where the adhesive is dropped, making it impossible to transmit the optical signal satisfactorily.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and it is possible to easily and efficiently introduce an adhesive and / or discharge an adhesive from a certain location when fixing an optical fiber with an adhesive. Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber connector that hardly contaminates the connector main body due to excessive bleeding of the adhesive.

In order to solve the above problems, the present inventors have made an optical fiber mounting hole a part for mounting an optical fiber, and then communicated the optical fiber mounting hole with the outside of the optical fiber connector, and / or Or it discovered that the said subject could be solved by providing the internal communication hole which connects optical fiber mounting holes. The present invention has been completed based on such findings.
That is, the present invention
(1) At least one optical fiber mounting hole that has an insertion port at one end and into which an optical fiber is inserted, and a protrusion that is disposed on the other end side of the optical fiber mounting hole and abuts the tip of the optical fiber An optical fiber connector comprising a contact portion and an external communication hole connected to the optical fiber mounting hole and communicating with the outside of the optical fiber connector.
(2) The optical fiber connector according to (1), wherein two external communication holes are provided.
(3) The optical fiber connector according to (1) or (2), wherein at least two of the optical fiber mounting holes are provided, and the two external communication holes are connected to different optical fiber mounting holes, respectively.
(4) The plurality of optical fiber mounting holes are arranged in parallel,
The optical fiber connector according to (3), wherein the two external communication holes are connected to optical fiber mounting holes arranged on both sides among a plurality of optical fiber mounting holes arranged in parallel.
(5) While at least two of the optical fiber mounting holes are provided,
The optical fiber connector according to any one of (1) to (4), further including an internal communication hole that communicates the optical fiber mounting holes.
(6) The optical fiber connector according to (5), wherein the internal communication hole is connected to the optical fiber mounting hole in the vicinity of the abutting portion.
(7) The optical fiber connector according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the external communication hole communicates with the outside through a recess formed on the surface of the optical fiber connector.
(8) The optical fiber connector according to (7), wherein an area of the opening of the recess is larger than a cross-sectional area of a connection portion between the external communication hole and the optical fiber mounting hole.
(9) The optical fiber connector according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the external communication hole is opened at an end surface of the optical fiber connector and communicates with the outside through the opening.
(10) The optical fiber connector according to (9), wherein an opening of the external communication hole that opens at the end face opens in the same direction as the insertion port.
(11) The optical fiber connector according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the external communication hole is connected substantially perpendicularly to the optical fiber mounting hole.
(12) The optical fiber connector according to any one of (1) to (11), wherein the external communication hole is connected to the optical fiber mounting hole in the vicinity of the abutting portion.
(13) The external communication holes are any one of the adhesive introduction holes for introducing the adhesive from the outside or the adhesive discharge holes for discharging the adhesive to the outside (1) to (12) An optical fiber connector according to any one of the above.
(14) At least two optical fiber mounting holes that have an insertion port at one end and into which an optical fiber is inserted, and a protrusion that is disposed on the other end side of the optical fiber mounting hole and that abuts the tip of the optical fiber An optical fiber connector comprising a contact portion and an internal communication hole that communicates the optical fiber mounting holes.
(15) An adhesive in which an optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole of the optical fiber connector according to any one of (1) to (14), and the optical fiber is introduced into the optical fiber mounting hole An optical fiber with a connector fixed to the optical fiber connector by
Is to provide.

  In the optical fiber connector of the present invention, when the optical fiber is fixed with an adhesive, the introduction of the adhesive and / or the discharge of the adhesive can be performed easily and efficiently from a certain place, and the adhesive is not oozed out. An optical fiber connector that hardly contaminates the connector body can be obtained.

It is a top view of the optical fiber connector which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: It is a figure which abbreviate | omits and shows an upper contact bonding layer and an upper board | substrate. It is a top view of the optical fiber connector which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: It is a top view at the time of inserting an optical fiber in an optical fiber connector. FIG. 3 is an end view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. It is a top view of the photomask used for manufacture of the optical fiber connector concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a top view of the optical fiber connector which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: It is a figure which abbreviate | omits an upper contact bonding layer and an upper board | substrate. It is a top view of the optical fiber connector which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: It is a top view at the time of inserting an optical fiber in an optical fiber connector. It is an end view which follows the VII-VII line of FIG. It is a top view of the photomask used for manufacture of the optical fiber connector concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a top view of the optical fiber connector which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: When an optical fiber is inserted in an optical fiber connector, it is a top view. FIG. 10 is an end view taken along XX in FIG. 9. It is a top view of the optical fiber connector which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the optical fiber connector which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: When an optical fiber is inserted in an optical fiber connector, it is a top view. It is a top view of the optical fiber connector which concerns on the 6th Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: An upper adhesive layer and an upper board | substrate are abbreviate | omitted and shown. It is a top view of the optical fiber connector which concerns on the 7th Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: An upper contact bonding layer and an upper board | substrate are abbreviate | omitted and shown.

Hereinafter, the optical fiber connector of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
[First Embodiment]
1 to 4 show an optical fiber connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the optical fiber connector 10 according to the first embodiment includes an optical fiber mounting hole 15 in which an optical fiber 13 is inserted and an end is opened as an optical fiber insertion port 14, and an optical fiber mounting hole. 15 is disposed at the other end (end on the back side) of the optical fiber 13 and is spatially connected to the abutting portion 11 that abuts the tip of the optical fiber 13 and the optical fiber mounting hole 15, and the optical fiber mounting hole 15 communicates with the outside. An external communication hole.
Two external communication holes are provided, one serving as an adhesive introduction hole 16 for introducing an adhesive into the optical fiber mounting hole 15, and the other serving as an adhesive discharge for discharging the adhesive from the optical fiber mounting hole 15. Hole 17 is formed.

In the present embodiment, two or more optical fiber mounting holes 15 are provided. The plurality of optical fiber mounting holes 15 are arranged in parallel to each other and are juxtaposed in the lateral direction, and each insertion opening 14 opens at one end face 10 </ b> A of the optical fiber connector 10. The plurality of optical fiber mounting holes 15 are arranged in the same plane, and the insertion ports 14 are arranged in a line on the end face 10 </ b> A of the optical fiber connector 10.
Each of the adhesive introduction hole 16 and the adhesive discharge hole 17 is disposed on the outer side of each of the optical fiber mounting holes 15 arranged on both sides of the plurality of optical fiber mounting holes 15 arranged in parallel in the lateral direction. It is connected to each of the optical fiber mounting holes 15 on both sides. Although the adhesive introduction hole 16 and the adhesive discharge hole 17 are not particularly limited, they have an L shape, and one end thereof is substantially perpendicular to the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the other end of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 (that is, , In the vicinity of the butting portion 11).

The adhesive introduction hole 16 is connected to an adhesive injection recess 18 spatially connected to the outside of the connector at the other end. The adhesive injection recess 18 is a recess provided by being recessed from the upper surface of the optical fiber connector, and the upper surface opens as an adhesive injection port 20.
The other end of the adhesive discharge hole 17 is opened at one end face of the optical fiber connector, and the opening serves as an adhesive discharge port 19 for discharging the adhesive. The adhesive discharge port 19 is disposed on the end surface 10 </ b> A where the insertion port 14 of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 is provided. Therefore, the adhesive discharge port 19 opens in the same direction as the insertion port 14. Further, the plurality of insertion openings 14 and the adhesive discharge openings 19 are arranged in a line on the end face 10A.
A pair of adjacent optical fiber mounting holes 15 are connected to each other via an internal communication hole 27. The internal communication hole 27 connects the other ends of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 (that is, the vicinity of the abutting portion 11).

FIG. 3 is an end view taken along line III-III in FIG. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the optical fiber connector 10 is configured by laminating a lower substrate 21, a lower adhesive layer 22, a resin layer 23, an upper adhesive layer 24, and an upper substrate 25 in this order. is there.
In the present embodiment, the optical fiber mounting hole 15, the adhesive introduction hole 16, the adhesive discharge hole 17, and the internal communication hole 27 are formed by removing a part of the resin layer 23. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the optical fiber mounting hole 15, the adhesive introduction hole 16, the adhesive discharge hole 17, and the internal communication hole 27 have a resin layer 23 on both sides and an upper adhesive layer 24 on the upper and lower surfaces. It is formed by a hollow portion surrounded by the lower adhesive layer 22. Further, the abutting portion 11 is constituted by the resin layer 23.
Further, the concave portion 18 for injecting the adhesive was formed by overlapping a hollow portion 18A provided in a part of the resin layer 23 and a through hole 18B provided in a laminate of the upper substrate 25 and the lower adhesive layer 24. It will be a thing.
The lower adhesive layer 22 and the upper adhesive layer 24 may be omitted as appropriate. In that case, the optical fiber mounting hole 15, the adhesive introduction hole 16, the adhesive discharge hole 17 and the internal communication hole 27 are surrounded by the resin layer 23 on both sides and the upper substrate 25 and the lower substrate 21 on the upper and lower surfaces. It is formed by a hollow part.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, before or after inserting the optical fiber 13 from the optical fiber insertion port 14 into the optical fiber mounting hole 15, or at the same time, the adhesive is injected into the concave portion 18 for injecting the adhesive. Thus, the adhesive can be introduced into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 through the adhesive introduction hole 16. Therefore, the optical fiber 13 is fixed by the adhesive introduced into the optical fiber mounting hole 15, whereby an optical fiber with a connector can be obtained.

Here, the adhesive introduction hole 16 is a closed space connected only to the adhesive injection recess 18 and the optical fiber mounting hole 15. Therefore, the adhesive introduction hole 16 can efficiently introduce the injected adhesive into the optical fiber mounting hole 15, and can prevent the adhesive from overflowing and contaminating the connector main body (surface). Further, since the optical fiber connector 10 has the adhesive discharge hole 17, it is possible to efficiently discharge the excess adhesive flowing into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 to the outside of the connector, for example, the optical fiber 13. It is possible to discharge bubbles or the like that are likely to be generated between the butt portion 11 and the butting portion 11. In the present embodiment, since the flow of the adhesive from the adhesive introduction hole 16 to the adhesive discharge hole 17 occurs, the generation of bubbles can be reduced more effectively.
Furthermore, since the optical fiber connector 10 has the internal communication hole 27, it is possible to efficiently discharge the adhesive from the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and introduce the adhesive into another optical fiber mounting hole 15. The adhesive can efficiently penetrate into the plurality of optical fiber mounting holes 15. The internal communication hole 27 constitutes a space that is not spatially connected to the outside of the connector other than the optical fiber mounting hole 15, so that the adhesive can be efficiently penetrated and contamination of the connector itself by the adhesive can be suppressed. Can do.

The optical fiber connector according to the present embodiment is manufactured, for example, as follows, but is not limited to the following method.
First, the lower adhesive layer 22 is laminated on the lower substrate 21, and the resin layer 23 is formed on the lower adhesive layer 22. Next, the resin layer 23 is etched by photolithography to remove a part of the resin layer 23, and as shown in FIG. 1, an optical fiber mounting hole 15, an adhesive introduction hole 16, an adhesive discharge hole 17, an adhesive injection A hollow portion corresponding to the concave portion 18 and the internal communication hole 27 is formed. Photolithography is performed using, for example, a negative photomask 30 shown in FIG. In the negative photomask 30, the portions corresponding to the optical fiber mounting hole 15, the adhesive introduction hole 16, the adhesive discharge hole 17, the adhesive injection recess 18, and the internal communication hole 27 are shielded from light as the light shielding part 31. It is formed as an opening 32 that transmits light.
Thereafter, the laminated body in which the upper adhesive layer 24 is laminated on one surface of the upper substrate 25 is laminated so that the upper adhesive layer 24 is in contact with the resin layer 23 to obtain the optical fiber connector according to this embodiment. Note that in the laminate composed of the upper substrate 25 and the upper adhesive layer 24, a through hole 18B is previously formed in a portion corresponding to the concave portion 18 for injecting the adhesive, and the portion provided with the through hole 18B is an adhesive. The adhesive injection recessed portion 18 is formed together with the hollow portion 18A by being superimposed on the hollow portion 18A formed corresponding to the injection recessed portion 18.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are assigned to the corresponding members in the present invention.
In the first embodiment, the two optical fiber mounting holes 15 arranged in parallel communicate with each other through one internal communication hole 27, but in the present embodiment, they communicate with each other through a plurality of internal communication holes 27. That is, each optical fiber mounting hole 15 is communicated not only by the internal communication hole 27 connected to the other end (end on the back side) but also by the internal conduction part 27 connected to the midway part.
The adhesive discharge hole 17 is connected to the optical fiber mounting hole through three connection holes 17B. Specifically, the adhesive discharge hole 17 is composed of a main body hole 17A in which an adhesive discharge port 19 is formed at one end and parallel to the optical fiber mounting hole 15, and three connection holes 17B. One connection hole 17B connects the other end (end on the back side) of the main body hole 17A to the other end (end on the back side) of the optical fiber mounting hole 15, and the other connection hole 17B is a main body hole. The midway part of 17A and the midway part of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 are connected.

In the present embodiment, a plurality of the internal communication holes 27 and the connection holes 17B are provided in this manner, so that the resin layer provided between the two optical fiber mounting holes 15, and the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the main body hole 17A. Are separated into a plurality of separation resin layers 23 </ b> A along the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber mounting hole 15.
That is, each optical fiber mounting hole 15 is formed by a plurality of (three in FIG. 5) separation resin layers 23A on both side walls, and the optical fiber mounting hole 15 extends from one end to the other end. A plurality of (three in FIG. 5) portions sandwiched between the separation resin layers 23A are formed. Here, since each separation resin layer 23A has a trapezoidal shape when viewed from above, each portion sandwiched between the separation resin layers 23A has a taper shape in which the width is narrowed from one end to the other end, and the taper shape. Each of the portions exhibiting the width increases from one end to the other end via a portion that is not sandwiched between the separation resin layers 23A (that is, a portion connected to the connection hole 17B or the internal communication hole 27).
Although the resin layer forming one side wall of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 on the rightmost side (that is, connected to the adhesive introduction hole 16) is not separated, three inclined surfaces 21B are provided. For this reason, the rightmost optical fiber mounting hole 15 is also provided with three tapered portions having a narrow width, like the other optical fiber mounting holes 15, and these tapered portions are directed from one end to the other end. The connection is made after the width has increased.

In the present embodiment, since the optical fiber mounting hole is communicated by the plurality of internal communication holes 27, the penetration of the adhesive becomes faster. Furthermore, since the optical fiber 13 to be inserted has a tapered shape in the optical fiber mounting hole 15, the optical fiber 13 is easily inserted, and when the optical fiber 13 is inserted, the optical fiber is connected to the internal communication hole 27 and the optical fiber 13. It is prevented from being caught at the connection portion of the fiber mounting hole 15.
Note that this embodiment can also be manufactured in the same manner as in the first embodiment except that the shape of the light shielding portion 31 of the light shielding mask 30 used during photolithography is different.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a difference between the third embodiment and the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the first embodiment, the adhesive outlet 19 is opened at the end face of the optical fiber connector. In the present embodiment, the adhesive outlet 19 is opened at the upper face of the optical fiber connector.
That is, one end of the adhesive discharge hole 17 in this embodiment extends only to the middle of the optical fiber connector, the adhesive discharge recess 31 is provided in the portion where the one end is provided, and the opening is the adhesive. It becomes the discharge port 19. The adhesive discharge recess 31 of the present embodiment is provided with a through hole 31B in the laminate of the upper adhesive layer 24 and the upper substrate 25 as shown in FIG. The through hole 31B and the hollow portion 31A formed in the resin layer 23 are configured. However, the shape of the hollow portion 31A does not coincide with the shape of the through hole 31B, and the through hole 31B is wider than the hollow portion 31A.
As described above, in the configuration of the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the adhesive introduction hole 16, the adhesive discharge hole 17, and the internal communication hole 27 are provided, so that the adhesive can be efficiently used. In addition to being able to be introduced into the optical fiber mounting hole 15, it is possible to efficiently discharge extra introduced adhesive and gas inside the optical fiber mounting hole 15 to the outside of the connector.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a difference between the fourth embodiment and the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the adhesive introduction holes 16 and the adhesive are respectively provided on both sides of the optical fiber mounting holes 15 (referred to as first optical fiber mounting holes 15A) arranged in parallel in the lateral direction. A discharge hole 17 (referred to as a first adhesive discharge hole 17A) is provided, but a plurality of other optical fiber mounting holes 15 (second optical fiber mounting holes) are provided beside the adhesive introduction hole 16. 15B) are further juxtaposed in the horizontal direction. Further, another adhesive introduction hole 17 (referred to as a second adhesive introduction hole 17B) is provided next to the plurality of second optical fiber mounting holes 15B.
That is, in the optical fiber connector of the present embodiment, a plurality of first optical fiber mounting holes 15A and a plurality of second optical fiber mounting holes 15B are arranged so as to sandwich the adhesive introduction hole 16 therebetween. The first and second adhesive discharge holes 17A and 17B are provided on both sides so as to sandwich the adhesive introduction hole 16 and the first and second optical fiber mounting holes 15A and 15B from both sides.

  The adhesive introduction hole 16 in this embodiment is branched into two in the middle, and each of the branched branch holes is the first and second optical fiber mounting holes provided on the most adhesive introduction hole 16 side. Connected to each of 15A and 15B. Adjacent first and second optical fiber mounting holes 15A and 15B are connected to each other via an internal communication hole 27. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

[Fifth Embodiment]
FIG. 12 shows an optical fiber connector in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Next, with respect to the fifth embodiment, differences from the above-described embodiments will be described with reference to FIG.
In each of the above embodiments, the optical fiber connector 10 has the adhesive introduction hole 16 and the adhesive discharge hole 17 (a pair of external communication holes). However, the optical fiber connector 10 of the present embodiment has an adhesive. The discharge hole 17 is omitted. Also in this embodiment, the adhesive introduction hole 16 can efficiently introduce the injected adhesive into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and suppresses the overflow of the adhesive and contaminating the connector main body (surface). it can.
The optical fiber connector 10 may be one in which the adhesive introduction hole 16 is omitted instead of the adhesive discharge hole 17. Even if the adhesive introduction hole 16 is omitted, the adhesive discharge hole 17 allows the excess adhesive flowing into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 to be efficiently discharged outside the connector. In addition, for example, bubbles that are likely to be generated between the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11 can be discharged.

In the present invention, when the optical fiber connector has only one optical fiber mounting hole 15, the internal communication hole 27 is omitted. Further, even if the optical fiber connector has two or more optical fiber mounting holes 15, the communication portion may be omitted.
When the internal communication hole 27 is omitted, one or both of the adhesive introduction hole 16 and the adhesive discharge hole 17 are connected to each optical fiber mounting hole 15. In the present invention, when the optical fiber connector 10 has the internal communication hole 27, both the adhesive introduction hole and the adhesive discharge hole may be omitted. Even in this case, the adhesive introduced into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 penetrates efficiently into the other optical fiber mounting holes 15 and suppresses contamination of the connector because the internal communication hole 27 is not connected to the outside. Can do.

[Sixth Embodiment]
FIG. 13 shows an optical fiber connector according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Next, with respect to the sixth embodiment, differences from the above-described embodiments will be described with reference to FIG.
In each of the above embodiments, the adhesive introduction hole 16 is connected to the other end (the end on the back side) of the optical fiber mounting hole 15, but it is not necessary to connect to the other end of the optical fiber mounting hole. In the embodiment, the adhesive introduction hole 16 is connected to the middle part of the optical fiber mounting hole 15.
Even if the adhesive introduction hole 16 is not connected to the other end of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 as in this embodiment, the adhesive introduction hole 16 efficiently transfers the injected adhesive to the optical fiber mounting hole 15. It can introduce | transduce and it can suppress that an adhesive overflows and a connector main body (surface) is contaminated.
Not only the adhesive introduction hole 16 but also the adhesive discharge hole 17 may be connected to the middle part of the optical fiber mounting hole 15.

[Seventh Embodiment]
FIG. 14 shows an optical fiber connector according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. Next, regarding the seventh embodiment, differences from the above embodiments will be described with reference to FIG.
In each of the above embodiments, the internal communication hole 27 connects the other ends (ends on the back side) of the optical fiber mounting hole 15, but it is not necessary to connect the other ends. In this embodiment, The adhesive communication hole 27 connects the middle portions of the optical fiber mounting hole 15.
Even if the internal communication portion 27 is not connected to the other end of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 as in the present embodiment, the adhesive is discharged from the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the adhesive to another optical fiber mounting hole 15. Can be efficiently introduced through the communication portion 27.

  Hereinafter, each part used for the optical fiber connector will be described in more detail. In addition, the structure of this invention is not necessarily limited to the structure of each said embodiment, and the following structure.

(Optical fiber mounting hole)
The optical fiber mounting hole 15 forms a columnar space in which the position and pitch of the optical fiber 13 inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 can be fixed. The cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 at the site where the optical fiber 13 is fixed may be any of a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a triangular shape, a quadrangular shape, a pentagonal shape or more, and at least three of the outer circumference of the optical fiber 13. Any shape that can fix the points may be used.
From the standpoint that it is easy to secure a space in which the adhesive for fixing the optical fiber 13 flows, at least three points on the outer periphery of the optical fiber 13 in the cross section such as a triangular shape, a quadrangular shape, or a polygonal shape having five or more corners are used. It is further better if the shape is fixed via the. Further, as shown in the above embodiment, a rectangular shape such as a rectangle or a rectangle is best from the viewpoint that it can be easily formed from a material that can be photolithography in the thickness direction.
In the longitudinal section of the optical fiber mounting hole 15, it is sufficient that the optical fiber 13 can be fixed at least at two or more points, and more preferably, it can be fixed at three or more points. Further, the longitudinal sectional shape is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may include a wave shape, a zigzag shape, a shape in which they are combined, and the like.
As described above, the optical fiber mounting hole 15 can suppress the angular deviation between the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the optical fiber 13 by fixing the optical fiber 13.

(Clearance between optical fiber mounting hole and optical fiber)
The diameter of the inscribed circle in the vertical cross-sectional shape of the space of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 is preferably equal to or larger than the diameter of the optical fiber 13 mounted in the optical fiber mounting hole 15 because the optical fiber 13 can be fixed. Furthermore, if the clearance between the diameter of the optical fiber 13 and the diameter of the inscribed circle is 0.5 μm or more (diameter + 0.5 μm or more), the insertion of the optical fiber 13 may rub against the inner peripheral surface of the optical fiber mounting hole 15. Can be reduced and can be easily inserted, and is preferably (diameter +30 μm) or less because the positional deviation and angular deviation of the optical fiber 13 can be reduced. From the above viewpoint, it is preferable that the diameter is (diameter + 0.5 μm) to (diameter + 30 μm) of the optical fiber 13 (note that “˜” includes numerical values at the left and right ends). Furthermore, the transmission position of the optical signal to the abutting portion 11 (or the transmission position of the optical signal from the abutting portion 11) is arranged at a desired location when the diameter is (diameter + 1 μm) to (diameter + 20 μm) of the optical fiber 13. For example, when transmitting / receiving an optical signal to / from an optical element, an optical fiber, or an optical waveguide outside the connector, the propagation loss of the optical signal can be reduced, which is more preferable. It is more preferable that the diameter is (diameter + 0.5 μm) to (diameter + 15 μm) of the optical fiber 13 because the propagation loss of the optical signal can be further reduced.
Hereinafter, a quadrangle that is the most preferred vertical cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 will be described as a specific example. When the diameter of the optical fiber 13 to be used is 125 μm, if the vertical cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 is a square whose side is 125.5 μm, the diameter of the inscribed circle inscribed in the square is 125.5 μm. The clearance from the diameter of the optical fiber 13 is 0.5 μm. Since the clearance is preferably equal to or less than (diameter + 30 μm) of the optical fiber 13 from the viewpoint of reducing the positional deviation and the angular deviation of the optical fiber 13, when the diameter of the optical fiber 13 used is 125 μm, the optical fiber mounting hole 15 The cross sectional shape is preferably a square with one side of 155 μm.
As another specific example, when the cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 is rectangular, when the diameter of the optical fiber 13 to be used is 125 μm, the diameter of the shortest inscribed circle that contributes to fixing of the optical fiber 13 and the light The diameter of the longest inscribed circle that contributes to fixing of the fiber 13 may be the above value. That is, when the short side is 125.5 μm and the long side is 155 μm, the clearance of the optical fiber 13 in the short side direction is 0.5 μm, and the clearance of the optical fiber 13 in the long side direction is 15 μm.

(Optical fiber insertion port)
The optical fiber insertion port 14 is an entrance portion when the optical fiber 13 is inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole 15, and is an opening that connects the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the outside of the connector. From the above viewpoint, the shape of the optical fiber insertion port 14 may be any shape that does not interfere with the optical fiber 13 when the optical fiber 13 is inserted, and the shape viewed from the coaxial direction of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 is used. It is sufficient if the opening is equal to or larger than the outer circumference of the optical fiber 13.
As described above, when a plurality of optical fiber mounting holes 15 are arranged in parallel to each other and the optical fiber insertion ports 14 are also arranged in a row, for example, an optical fiber array in which a plurality of optical fibers 13 are bundled in a row is formed. When mounting, each optical fiber 13 can be introduced into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 at a time, which is preferable.

(Adhesive introduction hole)
The adhesive introduction hole 16 forms a columnar space in which the adhesive injected from the adhesive injection port 20 can be introduced into the optical fiber mounting hole 15. From the viewpoint of efficiently introducing the adhesive into the optical fiber mounting hole 15, it is preferable that there is no portion spatially connected to the outside of the connector other than the adhesive injection recess 18 and the optical fiber mounting hole 15. Further, it may be branched and connected to the two optical fiber mounting holes 15 as in the fourth embodiment (FIG. 11).
The cross-sectional shape of the adhesive introduction hole 16 is not particularly limited, but if the cross-sectional shape of the connection with the optical fiber mounting hole 15 is the same as that of the optical fiber mounting hole 15, the height at the connecting portion is high. Since there is no step in the direction, it is preferable because the generation of bubbles can be reduced. From the above viewpoint, the height of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the connection cross section of the adhesive introduction hole 16 should be within ± 20 μm of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and within ± 10 μm of the optical fiber mounting hole 15. In this case, the generation of bubbles can be further suppressed, and the height of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 is best within ± 5 μm. However, as described above, when the adhesive introduction hole 16 and the optical fiber mounting hole 15 are formed by photolithography, there is usually no substantial difference in height.
Further, the width of the cross-sectional shape of the connecting portion between the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the adhesive introduction hole 16 affects the positional deviation of the optical fiber 13 inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 connected to the adhesive introduction hole 16. It is good if it is small in the range where there is no. From the above viewpoint, the thickness is preferably 20 to 300 μm, more preferably 20 to 200 μm, and further preferably 20 to 100 μm.
Further, when the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the adhesive introduction hole 16 are connected in the vicinity of the abutting portion 11, bubbles are hardly generated between the abutting portion 11 and the end of the inserted optical fiber 13. Therefore, it is preferable. That is, the distance C from the surface of the abutting portion 11 on the optical fiber mounting hole 15 side to the wall surface on the abutting portion 11 side of the adhesive introduction hole 16 is equal to the distance between the adhesive introduction hole 16 and the optical fiber mounting hole (see FIG. 13). 15 is preferably 0 to 500 μm, more preferably 0 to 200 μm, and even more preferably 0 to 50 μm, in any case where it is connected to the end of 15 or connected to the middle part of the optical fiber mounting hole 15. Good.
Further, from the viewpoint of connecting the optical fiber mounting hole 15 in the vicinity of the abutting portion 11 and favorably introducing the adhesive into the optical fiber mounting hole 15, the adhesive introduction hole 16 is preferably 40 to 90 °, more preferably. Is 70 to 90 °, more preferably 80 to 90 °, and the optical fiber mounting hole 15 is preferably connected. However, as shown in FIG.

(Recess for adhesive injection)
The adhesive injection recess 18 is a recess that is connected to the adhesive introduction hole 16 and is recessed in the upper surface of the optical connector. The adhesive injection recess 18 may have the same width as the adhesive introduction hole 16, but if the shape is wider than the adhesive introduction hole 16 as in the above embodiments, the adhesive is It is preferable because it is stored and the work efficiency is good.
However, the shape of the concave portion 18 for injecting the adhesive is not particularly limited as long as the adhesive can be introduced into the adhesive introduction hole 16 and / or the adhesive can be accumulated, and is spherical, cylindrical, elliptical, or polygonal. The shape is a combination of them, and one surface is open, and the opening serves as the adhesive injection port 20. A columnar recess such as a columnar shape, an elliptical column shape, or a polygonal column shape is preferable because it is easy to inject an adhesive and easily collect the adhesive. From the viewpoint that it is more preferable that the shape is such that bubbles do not easily enter when the adhesive is introduced into the concave portion 18 for injecting the adhesive, the shape having a small number of corners (cylindrical shape, elliptical column shape) is preferable.
The method of introducing the adhesive into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 is not particularly limited, and the adhesive is dropped into the adhesive injection recess 18 and the optical fiber mounting hole is made via the adhesive introduction hole 16 by utilizing a capillary phenomenon. And a method in which a capillary tube is inserted into the adhesive injection recess 18 and pressure is applied to press the adhesive.
The volume of the adhesive injection recess 18 includes the volume and number of optical fibers 13, the volume and number of optical fiber mounting holes 15, the volume of adhesive introduction holes 16, the volume of adhesive discharge holes 17, and the volume of internal communication holes 27. The total volume of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 to the total volume of the optical fiber 13, the total volume of the adhesive introduction hole 16, the total volume of the adhesive discharge hole 17, and the internal communication hole 27 may be appropriately adjusted. It is preferable for the total volume to be equal to or greater than the total volume because the optical fiber 13 can be fixed with the adhesive introduced into the adhesive injection recess 18 at a time.

(Adhesive inlet)
The adhesive injection port 20 is an entrance portion for injecting an adhesive for fixing the optical fiber 13 to the optical fiber mounting hole 15, and is an opening that connects the adhesive injection recess 18 and the outside of the connector. The size of the adhesive injection port 20 is not particularly limited, with it is easy to inject the adhesive to be 0.01mm ² ~400mm ^2, preferred because it can be miniaturized connectors. More preferable to be 0.1mm ² ~400mm ² terms can be introduced into the adhesive injection recess 18 of the adhesive in a shorter time, with 0.1 mm ² 100 mm ² in view of further miniaturization of the connector More preferably. The shape of the adhesive injection port 20 may be appropriately selected depending on the shape of the concave portion 18 for injecting the adhesive and the method of introducing the adhesive, but is circular, elliptical, rectangular, or a combination thereof. Good.
The area of the adhesive injection port 20 is preferably larger than the cross-sectional area of the connection portion between the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the adhesive introduction hole 16. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently introduce the adhesive into the adhesive introduction hole 16 and temporarily accumulate the adhesive in the recess 18 for injecting the adhesive, so that it is easy to control the amount of adhesive introduced.
The direction in which the adhesive injection port 20 faces may be 45 to 90 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber mounting hole 15, preferably 70 to 90 °, more preferably 80 to 90 °. Most preferably, as in each embodiment, it is substantially vertical. Thus, since the state of penetration of the adhesive into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 can be observed from the adhesive injection port 20 side, it can be easily confirmed whether or not a good adhesive has been introduced. In addition, when the optical fiber mounting holes 15 are arranged in parallel on the same plane as described above, 45 to 90 °, preferably 70 to 90 °, more preferably 80 to 90 °, most preferably with respect to the plane. Preferably it is substantially vertical. If it arrange | positions at such an angle, since the penetration | penetration of the adhesive agent to all the optical fiber mounting holes 15 can be confirmed easily, it is preferable.

(Adhesive discharge hole)
The adhesive discharge hole 17 connects the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the adhesive discharge port 19, and forms a columnar space for discharging excess adhesive overflowing from the optical fiber mounting hole 15 to the outside of the connector. Yes, it may be a linear shape, a curved shape, a key shape, or a structure in which they are combined, but one or more may be provided in the connector. Another effect of providing the adhesive discharge hole 17 is to efficiently discharge bubbles remaining in the optical fiber mounting hole 15. When the optical fiber 13 is fixed using an adhesive, bubbles are likely to be generated in the vicinity of the connection surface between the abutting portion 11 and the end of the optical fiber 13. However, since the optical fiber 13 is inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole 15, it is inefficient to discharge bubbles using the excess space of the optical fiber mounting hole 15. Therefore, by separately providing the adhesive discharge hole 17, the bubbles can be discharged efficiently. From the above viewpoint, when the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the adhesive discharge hole 17 are connected in the vicinity of the abutting portion 11, bubbles are formed between the abutting portion 11 and the end of the inserted optical fiber 13. Since it becomes difficult to stay, it is preferable. That is, the distance from the optical fiber mounting hole 15 side surface of the abutting portion 11 to the wall surface on the abutting portion 11 side of the adhesive discharge hole 17 is preferably 0 to 500 μm, and more preferably 0 to 200 μm, More preferably, it is within 0-50 μm. From the viewpoint of connecting to the optical fiber mounting hole 15 in the vicinity of the abutting portion 11 and from the viewpoint of discharging the adhesive from the optical fiber mounting hole 15 satisfactorily, the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the adhesive discharge hole 17 are preferably 40. It is good to connect at -90 degrees, More preferably at 70-90 degrees, More preferably at 80-90 degrees, It is most preferable to connect substantially perpendicularly like each said embodiment.
Further, the cross-sectional shape of the connection portion between the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the adhesive discharge hole 17 is substantially the same height as the optical fiber mounting hole 15 or the height of the adhesive discharge hole 17 is higher than that of the optical fiber mounting hole 15. Since the generation of bubbles can be reduced at the connection portion with the optical fiber mounting hole 15, it is preferable. From the above viewpoint, the cross-sectional height of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the connecting portion of the adhesive discharge hole 17 is preferably within the height of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 +0 to 50 μm, and the height of the optical fiber mounting hole 15. Since the generation of bubbles at the connecting portion with the adhesive discharge hole 17 can be reduced when the thickness is within +0 to 25 μm, the generation of bubbles can be further suppressed when the height is within the height +0 to 10 μm of the optical fiber mounting hole 15. Good. As described above, when the adhesive discharge hole 17 and the optical fiber mounting hole 15 are formed by photolithography, there is substantially no difference in height.
Further, the width of the cross-sectional shape at the connection portion between the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the adhesive discharge hole 17 is due to the positional deviation of the optical fiber 13 inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 connected to the adhesive discharge hole 17. It is good to be small as long as there is no influence. From the above viewpoint, the thickness is preferably 20 to 300 μm, more preferably 20 to 200 μm, and further preferably 20 to 100 μm.

(Adhesive outlet)
The adhesive discharge port 19 is an exit portion for discharging the adhesive for fixing the optical fiber 13 to the optical fiber mounting hole 15 to the outside of the connector, and is an opening that connects the adhesive discharge hole 17 and the outside of the connector. It is. The shape of the adhesive outlet 19 is not particularly limited, but may be a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape, or a combination thereof, but a rectangular shape is preferable when formed by photolithography as described above.
The position where the adhesive discharge port 19 is provided is not particularly limited, but may be directed in the same direction as the optical fiber insertion port 14. At this time, when the adhesive discharge hole 17 is connected to the optical fiber mounting hole 15 substantially vertically, it may be refracted into an L shape as described above, but may be bent or refracted in other shapes. Thereby, the adhesive discharged from the adhesive discharge port 19 via the adhesive discharge hole 17 can be simultaneously processed by the same method (for example, wiping off) as the adhesive discharged from the optical fiber mounting hole 15, Since the adhesive is not discharged from other parts, the possibility of contaminating the connector main body with the adhesive can be reduced, which is more preferable.
Of course, the arrangement position of the adhesive outlet 19 is not limited, and may be arranged on the same plane as the adhesive inlet as shown in the third embodiment (FIG. 10).

(Internal communication hole)
The internal communication hole 27 forms a columnar space for connecting the plurality of optical fiber mounting holes 15. By providing the internal communication hole 27, the adhesive can be efficiently introduced and discharged from the optical fiber mounting hole 15 to another optical fiber mounting hole 15. From the above viewpoint, it is preferable not to have a portion spatially connected to the outside of the connector other than the optical fiber mounting hole 15, and it may be branched or plural. Further, the pair of optical fiber mounting holes 15 may be connected by a plurality of internal communication holes 27. It is preferable to connect a plurality of adhesives because the penetration of the adhesive is accelerated. However, as described above, the optical fiber 13 does not get caught at the connection portion between the internal communication hole 27 and the optical fiber mounting hole 15 with respect to the entering direction of the optical fiber 13. In addition, a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 is reduced may be provided.
The cross-sectional shape of the internal communication hole 27 is not particularly limited. However, if the cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the connection cross-sectional shape of the internal communication hole 27 is almost the same as that of the optical fiber mounting hole 15, Since no step is generated, generation of bubbles can be reduced, which is preferable. From the above viewpoint, the cross-sectional height of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the connecting portion of the internal communication hole 27 is preferably within ± 20 μm of the optical fiber mounting hole 15, and the height of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 is ± 10 μm. If it is within the range, the generation of bubbles can be further suppressed, and it is more preferable that the height of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 is within ± 5 μm. When formed by photolithography as described above, a substantial difference in height occurs. Absent.
Further, the width of the cross-sectional shape of the connection portion between the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the internal communication hole 27 affects the positional deviation of the optical fiber 13 inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 connected to the adhesive introduction hole 16. It is good if it is small in the range where there is no. From the above viewpoint, the thickness is preferably 20 to 300 μm, more preferably 20 to 200 μm, and further preferably 20 to 100 μm.
It is preferable that the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the internal communication hole 27 are connected in the vicinity of the abutting portion 11 because air bubbles hardly stay between the abutting portion 11 and the end portion of the inserted optical fiber 13. That is, when the internal communication hole 27 is connected to either the other end or the middle part of the optical fiber mounting hole 15, the abutting portion 11 of the internal communication hole 27 from the surface on the optical fiber mounting hole 15 side of the abutting portion 11. The distance D to the side wall surface (see FIG. 14) is preferably 0 to 500 μm, more preferably 0 to 200 μm, and even more preferably 0 to 50 μm. When a plurality of internal communication holes 27 that connect the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the adjacent optical fiber mounting hole 15 are provided, the distance from the abutting portion 11 to the closest internal communication hole 27 may be within the above range. .

(Butting part)
The abutting portion 11 is a hole bottom surface provided at the other end of the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and is a surface against which the optical fiber mounting hole 15 inserted at a predetermined depth abuts. The abutting portion 11 may be a transparent member that is formed of the resin layer 23 as described above and can transmit the light emitted from the optical fiber 13. For example, the abutting portion 11 includes an optical waveguide. In the case of an optical waveguide, the upper adhesive layer 24 and the lower adhesive layer 22 are an upper clad layer and a lower clad layer, respectively, and the resin layer 23 is a core. The core may be a core pattern formed in an elongated pattern. In this case, the end surface of the core pattern constitutes the abutting portion 11. Further, it may be formed of other than the resin layer 23, for example, an optical fiber. Further, an optical path conversion mirror and / or a lens may be provided on the optical axis of the optical fiber 13.

(adhesive)
The adhesive used in each of the above embodiments is an adhesive for fixing the optical fiber 13 in the optical fiber mounting hole 15, and is a liquid adhesive that is cured through a curing process. It is good to be. From the above viewpoint, a thermosetting resin, a photocurable resin, a light / heat combination curable resin, a two-component mixed-curing type adhesive resin, and the like are preferable. If it is liquid, when it is introduced into the adhesive injection recess 18, the adhesive is efficiently transferred to the optical fiber mounting hole 15, the internal communication hole 27, and the adhesive discharge hole 17 via the adhesive introduction hole 16 by capillary action. Can penetrate.
In addition, since an adhesive may enter between the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11, when the adhesive after curing is an adhesive that is transparent to the wavelength of light propagating through the optical fiber 13. Good.

(Optical fiber)
The optical fiber 13 may be a cable-like optical path capable of propagating light. Preferably, a quartz optical fiber, a plastic optical fiber, or the like including a core and a clad having a refractive index lower than that of the core surrounding the core is used. The clad diameter may be any size as long as it can be inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole 15, but is preferably 60 μm to 1 mm, and 70 μm to 150 μm of the connector that forms the optical fiber mounting hole 15 by photolithography. The case is more preferable from the viewpoint of easy control of the thickness. The diameter of the core is not particularly limited, but is preferably 8 μm to 700 μm. More preferably, it is 10 micrometers-100 micrometers.
It is preferable to use an optical fiber array in which a plurality of optical fibers 13 are arranged in a certain direction because they can be inserted into a plurality of optical fiber mounting holes 15 at once.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example demonstrates this invention further in detail, this invention is not limited to a following example, unless the summary is exceeded.

Example 1
[Preparation of resin film for forming an adhesive layer]
[(A) Base polymer; production of (meth) acrylic polymer (A-1)]
46 parts by mass of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate and 23 parts by mass of methyl lactate were weighed in a flask equipped with a stirrer, a cooling pipe, a gas introduction pipe, a dropping funnel, and a thermometer, and stirred while introducing nitrogen gas. . The liquid temperature was raised to 65 ° C., 47 parts by weight of methyl methacrylate, 33 parts by weight of butyl acrylate, 16 parts by weight of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 14 parts by weight of methacrylic acid, 2,2′-azobis (2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile ) A mixture of 3 parts by mass, 46 parts by mass of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate and 23 parts by mass of methyl lactate was added dropwise over 3 hours, followed by stirring at 65 ° C. for 3 hours, and further stirring at 95 ° C. for 1 hour. A (meth) acrylic polymer (A-1) solution (solid content: 45% by mass) was obtained.
[Measurement of weight average molecular weight]
2. As a result of measuring the weight average molecular weight (standard polystyrene conversion) of (A-1) using GPC (“SD-8022”, “DP-8020”, and “RI-8020” manufactured by Tosoh Corporation). It was 9 × 104. As the column, “Gelpack GL-A150-S” and “Gelpack GL-A160-S” manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd. were used.
[Measurement of acid value]
As a result of measuring the acid value of (A-1), it was 79 mgKOH / g. In addition, the acid value was computed from the amount of 0.1 mol / L potassium hydroxide aqueous solution required for neutralizing A-1 solution. At this time, the point at which the phenolphthalein added as an indicator changed color from colorless to pink was defined as the neutralization point.
[Preparation of resin varnish for adhesive layer formation]
(A) As a base polymer, (A-1) 84 parts by mass (solid content: 45% by mass) (solid content: 38% by mass), (B) urethane (meth) acrylate having a polyester skeleton as a photocuring component ( Shin-Nakamura Chemical Co., Ltd. “U-200AX”) 33 parts by mass, and urethane (meth) acrylate having a polypropylene glycol skeleton (Shin-Nakamura Chemical Co., Ltd. “UA-4200”) 15 parts by mass, (C ) Polyfunctional block isocyanate solution (solid content 75% by mass) obtained by protecting isocyanurate-type trimer of hexamethylene diisocyanate with methyl ethyl ketone oxime as a thermosetting component (Sumijour BL3175 manufactured by Sumika Bayer Urethane Co., Ltd.) 20 Parts by weight (solid content 15 parts by weight), (D) 1- [4- (2-hydroxy) as a photopolymerization initiator. Ethoxy) phenyl] -2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-propan-1-one (“Irgacure 2959” manufactured by Ciba Japan KK), 1 part by mass, bis (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phenylphosphine 1 part by mass of oxide (“Irgacure 819” manufactured by Ciba Japan Co., Ltd.) and 23 parts by mass of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate as an organic solvent for dilution were mixed with stirring. After pressure filtration using a polyflon filter having a pore diameter of 2 μm (“PF020” manufactured by Advantech Toyo Co., Ltd.), degassing was performed under reduced pressure to obtain a resin varnish for forming an adhesive layer.
The resin composition for forming an adhesive layer obtained above is coated on a non-treated surface of a PET film (“Cosmo Shine A4100” manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., thickness 50 μm) as a carrier film. -MC, manufactured by Hirano Tech Seed Co., Ltd.), dried at 100 ° C. for 20 minutes, and then subjected to surface release treatment PET film (“Purex A31” manufactured by Teijin DuPont Films Co., Ltd., thickness 25 μm) as a cover film. The resin film for sticking and adhesion layer formation was obtained.
At this time, the thickness of the resin layer can be arbitrarily adjusted by adjusting the gap of the coating machine. In this example, the thickness of the resin film for forming the transparent resin layer used is 10 μm after curing. Adjusted.

[Preparation of resin film for forming transparent resin layer]
(A) As a base polymer, 26 parts by mass of phenoxy resin (trade name: Phenototo YP-70, manufactured by Toto Kasei Co., Ltd.), (B) 9,9-bis [4- (2-acryloyl) as a photopolymerizable compound Oxyethoxy) phenyl] fluorene (trade name: A-BPEF, Shin-Nakamura Chemical Co., Ltd.) 36 parts by mass, and bisphenol A type epoxy acrylate (trade name: EA-1020, Shin-Nakamura Chemical Co., Ltd.) 36 mass Parts, (C) 1 part by mass of bis (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phenylphosphine oxide (trade name: Irgacure 819, manufactured by Ciba Specialty Chemicals) as a photopolymerization initiator, and 1- [4 -(2-Hydroxyethoxy) phenyl] -2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-propan-1-one (trade name: yl Cure 2959, manufactured by Ciba Specialty Chemicals) Resin varnish B for forming a transparent resin layer in the same manner and under the same conditions as in the above production example, except that 1 part by mass and 40 parts by mass of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate as an organic solvent were used Was formulated. Thereafter, pressure filtration and degassing under reduced pressure were performed under the same method and conditions as in the above production example.
On the non-treated surface of the PET film (trade name: Cosmo Shine A1517, manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., thickness: 16 μm), which is a carrier film, the transparent resin layer forming resin varnish B obtained above is used. Then, a release PET film (trade name: PUREX A31, Teijin DuPont Films Co., Ltd., thickness: 25 μm) is applied as a cover film so that the release surface is on the resin side. A resin film for forming a transparent resin layer was obtained. At this time, the thickness of the resin layer can be arbitrarily adjusted by adjusting the gap of the coating machine. In this embodiment, the thickness of the resin film for forming the transparent resin layer used is 135 μm after the pattern formation. Adjusted as follows.

[Fabrication of optical fiber connector of first embodiment]
(Production of substrate with adhesive layer)
On the one surface of a polyimide film (trade name: Kapton EN, manufactured by Toray DuPont Co., Ltd., thickness: 25 μm, size 10 cm × 10 cm) as the lower substrate 21, a 10 μm-thick adhesive layer forming resin obtained above. After the film was cut into 10 cm × 10 cm and the cover film was peeled off, the film was evacuated to 500 Pa or less using a vacuum pressure laminator (trade name: MVLP-500, manufactured by Meiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd.), and then the pressure was 0. It was thermocompression bonded under the conditions of 4 MPa, a temperature of 120 ° C., and a pressing time of 30 seconds. Then, ultraviolet rays were irradiated from the carrier film side with an ultraviolet exposure machine (trade name: EV-800, manufactured by Hitachi Via Mechanics Co., Ltd.) at 4000 mJ / cm ^2, and the carrier film was peeled off, followed by heat curing at 170 ° C. for 1 hour. A lower substrate 21 with a lower adhesive layer 22 was obtained.

(Formation of hollow part)
Next, a roll laminator (trade name: HLM-1500, manufactured by Nikka Equipment Engineering Co., Ltd.) is used on the lower adhesive layer 22 of the lower substrate 21 with the lower adhesive layer 22 obtained as described above. The transparent resin layer-forming resin film having a thickness of 135 μm obtained by peeling the cover film under the conditions of 5 MPa, a temperature of 50 ° C., and a laminating speed of 0.2 m / min is laminated, and then the above-described vacuum pressure laminator (product) Name: MVLP-500 (manufactured by Meiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) was evacuated to 500 Pa or less, and thermocompression bonded under conditions of pressure 0.4 MPa, temperature 70 ° C., and pressurization time 30 seconds. Thereafter, UV light is applied at 800 mJ / cm from the transparent resin layer forming resin film side through the negative photomask having the shape shown in FIG. 4 using the UV exposure machine (trade name: EV-800, manufactured by Hitachi Via Mechanics Co., Ltd.). ² irradiation, and then heating at 80 ° C. for 5 minutes. Thereafter, the carrier film was peeled off, and the resin film for forming a transparent resin layer was etched using a developer (propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate / N, N-dimethylacetamide = 8/2, mass ratio). Then, it wash | cleans using a washing | cleaning liquid (isopropanol), heat-drys for 10 minutes at 100 degreeC, and as shown to FIG. 1, 3, the butting part 11, the optical fiber mounting hole 15, the adhesive agent introduction hole 16, and adhesive agent A transparent resin layer 23 having hollow portions corresponding to the discharge holes 17, the internal communication holes 27, and the adhesive injection recesses 18 was obtained.

(Formation of optical fiber mounting hole, adhesive introduction hole, adhesive discharge hole, communication hole)
Next, a polyimide film (Kapton EN (manufactured by Toray DuPont) having a through-hole 18B corresponding to the shape of the concave portion 18 for injecting the adhesive and having an adhesive layer (thickness 15 μm) made of a thermosetting adhesive, thickness 12.5 μm) was prepared as the upper substrate 25 with the upper adhesive layer 24. The upper substrate 25 with the upper resin layer 24 was aligned with the through hole 18B and the hollow portion 18A corresponding to the concave portion 18 for injecting the adhesive, laminated on the transparent resin layer 23, and then heated and cured. Thus, the upper surface of each hollow portion was closed, and the optical fiber mounting hole 15, the adhesive introduction hole 16, the adhesive discharge hole 17, and the internal communication hole 27 were formed.

(Outline processing)
Next, the optical fiber connector is cut using a dicing saw (DAC552, manufactured by DISCO Corporation), whereby the optical fiber mounting hole 15 and the adhesive discharge hole 17 are also cut, and the optical fiber insertion port 14 is formed on the end face 10A. And the adhesive discharge port 19 was formed.

(Detailed dimensions of each part)
The shape measurement result of each part of the optical fiber connector obtained in this example was as follows.
・ Distance from the abutting part to the optical fiber insertion port; 2.0 mm
-Number and pitch of optical fiber mounting holes: 4, 250 μm
・ Width of optical fiber mounting hole: 136μm
・ Height of optical fiber mounting hole: 135μm
-Height of the hollow portion 18A: 135 μm
-Shape and size of adhesive injection port: Circle, φ1.0mm
・ Width of adhesive outlet: 100 μm
-Adhesive outlet height: 135 μm
-The shape and size of the connecting portion between the adhesive introduction hole and the optical fiber mounting hole: square, width 100 μm, height 135 μm
-The shape and size of the connecting portion between the adhesive discharge hole and the optical fiber mounting hole: square, width 100 μm, height 135 μm
-The shape and size of the connecting portion between the internal communication hole and the optical fiber mounting hole: square, width 100 μm, height 135 μm
・ The shortest distance from the abutting part to the connecting part between the adhesive introduction hole and the optical fiber mounting hole; 0 μm
・ The shortest distance from the abutting part to the connection part between the adhesive discharge hole and the optical fiber mounting hole; 0 μm
・ The shortest distance from the abutting part to the connecting part between the internal communication hole and the optical fiber mounting hole; 0 μm

(Production of optical fiber with connector)
Adhesive for fixing an optical fiber from the adhesive injection port 20 as an optical fiber array in which four optical fibers 13 having a cladding diameter of 125 μm and a core diameter of 50 μm are arranged in 4CH and 250 μm from the optical fiber insertion port 14 (product) (Name: EPO-TEK353ND, manufactured by EPOXY TECHNOLOGY) was injected until it was abutted against the abutting part 11 and then heated at 80 ° C. for 30 minutes to cure the adhesive. The adhesive is introduced into the rightmost optical fiber mounting hole 15 through the adhesive introduction hole 16, and further introduced into another optical fiber mounting hole 15 through the internal communication hole 27, and then the adhesive discharge hole. 17 was confirmed to penetrate well.
The end face of the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11 were satisfactorily fixed by an adhesive, and no bubbles were generated between the end face of the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11. The optical signal of the optical fiber 13 was able to propagate well to the abutting portion 11 made of a transparent resin. The adhesive was discharged from the adhesive outlet 19 and did not contaminate the connector body.

Example 2
(Production of air reflection mirror)
In Example 1, after patterning the transparent resin layer 23 and before laminating the upper substrate 25 with the upper adhesive layer 24 on the transparent resin layer 23, the optical fiber is mounted from the abutting portion 11 from the transparent resin layer 23 forming surface side. An optical fiber connector was produced in the same manner except that a 45 ° air reflecting mirror was formed using a dicing saw (DAC552, manufactured by Disco Corporation) at a position of 300 μm in the direction opposite to the hole 15.

(Production of optical fiber with connector)
As an optical fiber array in which four optical fibers 13 having a cladding diameter of 125 μm and a core diameter of 50 μm are arranged in 4CH and 250 μm from the optical fiber insertion port 14, while injecting an adhesive similar to the above from the adhesive injection port 20, It was inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 until it abuts against the abutting portion 11 and heated at 80 ° C. for 30 minutes to cure the adhesive. The adhesive is introduced into the rightmost optical fiber mounting hole 15 through the adhesive introduction hole 16, and further introduced into another optical fiber mounting hole 15 through the internal communication hole 27, and then the adhesive discharge hole. 17 was confirmed to penetrate well.
The end face of the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11 were fixed favorably, and no bubbles were generated between the end face of the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11. The optical signal propagating through the optical fiber 13 was transmitted through the abutting portion 11 made of a transparent resin, and the optical path could be satisfactorily changed in the 90 ° direction with respect to the optical fiber mounting hole 15 by the air reflecting mirror. The adhesive was discharged from the adhesive outlet 19 and did not contaminate the connector body.

[Fabrication of optical fiber connector of second embodiment]
Example 3
The optical fiber connector shown in FIG. 5 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the photomask used for patterning the transparent resin was changed to the shape shown in FIG.

(Detailed dimensions of each part)
The shape measurement result of each part of the optical fiber connector obtained in this example was as follows.
・ Distance from the abutting part to the optical fiber insertion port; 2.0 mm
-Number and pitch of optical fiber mounting holes: 4, 250 μm
・ Minimum width of optical fiber mounting hole: 136 μm (three locations), maximum width of 150 μm,
・ Height of optical fiber mounting hole: 135μm
-Height of the hollow portion 18A: 135 μm
-Shape and size of adhesive injection port: Circle, φ1.0mm
・ Width of adhesive outlet: 100 μm
-Adhesive outlet height: 135 μm
-The shape and size of the connecting portion between the adhesive introduction hole and the optical fiber mounting hole: square, width 100 μm, height 135 μm
-The shape and size of the connecting portion between the adhesive discharge hole and the optical fiber mounting hole: square, width 100 μm, height 135 μm
-The shape and size of the connecting portion between the internal communication hole and the optical fiber mounting hole: square, width 100 μm, height 135 μm
・ The shortest distance from the abutting part to the connecting part between the adhesive introduction hole and the optical fiber mounting hole; 0 μm
・ The shortest distance from the abutting part to the connection part between the adhesive discharge hole and the optical fiber mounting hole; 0 μm
・ The shortest distance from the abutting part to the connecting part between the internal communication hole and the optical fiber mounting hole; 0 μm

(Production of optical fiber with connector)
As an optical fiber array in which four optical fibers 13 having a cladding diameter of 125 μm and a core diameter of 50 μm are arranged in 4CH and 250 μm from the optical fiber insertion port 14, an adhesive similar to the above is injected from the adhesive injection port 20. It was inserted until it hits the abutting part 11, and then heated at 80 ° C. for 30 minutes to cure the adhesive. The adhesive is introduced into the rightmost optical fiber mounting hole 15 through the adhesive introduction hole 16, and further introduced into another optical fiber mounting hole 15 through the internal communication hole 27, and then the adhesive discharge hole. 17 was confirmed to penetrate well.
The end face of the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11 were satisfactorily fixed by an adhesive, and no bubbles were generated between the end face of the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11. The optical signal of the optical fiber 13 was able to propagate well to the abutting portion 11 made of a transparent resin. The adhesive was discharged from the adhesive outlet 19 and did not contaminate the connector body.

[Fabrication of optical fiber connector of third embodiment]
Example 4
In Example 1, the photomask used for patterning the transparent resin was changed, and through holes 18B and 31B were formed in the upper substrate 25 with the upper adhesive layer 24 to obtain the shape shown in FIG. The optical fiber connector was produced by this method.

(Detailed dimensions of each part)
The shape measurement result of each part of the optical fiber connector obtained in this example was as follows.
・ Distance from the abutting part to the optical fiber insertion port; 2.0 mm
-Number and pitch of optical fiber mounting holes: 4, 250 μm
・ Minimum width of optical fiber mounting hole: 136 μm (three locations), maximum width of 150 μm,
・ Height of optical fiber mounting hole: 135μm
-Height of the hollow portion 18A: 135 μm
-Shape and size of adhesive injection port: Circle, φ1.0mm
・ Shape and size of adhesive outlet; Circle, φ1.0mm
-The shape and size of the connecting portion between the adhesive introduction hole and the optical fiber mounting hole: square, width 100 μm, height 135 μm
-The shape and size of the connecting portion between the adhesive discharge hole and the optical fiber mounting hole: square, width 100 μm, height 135 μm
-The shape and size of the connecting portion between the internal communication hole and the optical fiber mounting hole: square, width 100 μm, height 135 μm
・ The shortest distance from the abutting part to the connecting part between the adhesive introduction hole and the optical fiber mounting hole; 0 μm
・ The shortest distance from the abutting part to the connection part between the adhesive discharge hole and the optical fiber mounting hole; 0 μm
・ The shortest distance from the abutting part to the connecting part between the internal communication hole and the optical fiber mounting hole; 0 μm

(Fabrication of optical fiber with connector)
As an optical fiber array in which four optical fibers 13 having a cladding diameter of 125 μm and a core diameter of 50 μm are arranged in 4CH and 250 μm from the optical fiber insertion port 14, while injecting an adhesive similar to the above from the adhesive injection port 20, It was inserted until it hits the butting part 11 and heated at 80 ° C. for 30 minutes to cure the adhesive. The adhesive is introduced into the rightmost optical fiber mounting hole 15 through the adhesive introduction hole 16, and further introduced into another optical fiber mounting hole 15 through the internal communication hole 27, and then the adhesive discharge hole. 17 was confirmed to penetrate well.
The end face of the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11 were satisfactorily fixed by an adhesive, and no bubbles were generated between the end face of the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11. The optical signal of the optical fiber 13 was able to propagate well to the abutting portion 11 made of a transparent resin. The adhesive stayed in the adhesive discharge hole 17 and did not contaminate the connector body.

[Fabrication of optical fiber connector of fourth embodiment]
Example 5
In Example 1, an optical fiber connector was produced in the same manner except that the photomask used for patterning the transparent resin was changed to the shape shown in FIG. The shape of FIG. 11 was the same as that of FIG. 1 except that the adhesive introduction hole 16 of FIG. 1 was branched in the middle and connected to the two optical fiber mounting holes 15 respectively.

(Installation of optical fiber “Fabrication of optical fiber cable”)
From the optical fiber insertion port 14, eight optical fibers 13 having a cladding diameter of 125 μm and a core diameter of 50 μm are arranged as two sets of optical fiber arrays in 4CH, 250 μm, and the same adhesive as above is injected from the adhesive injection port 20. However, the optical fiber 13 was abutted against the abutting portion 11 and heated at 80 ° C. for 30 minutes to cure the adhesive. The adhesive is introduced into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 through the adhesive introduction hole 16, further introduced into another optical fiber mounting hole 15 through the internal communication hole 27, and then into the adhesive discharge hole 17. It was confirmed that it penetrated well.
In addition, the end face of the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11 were fixed well, and no bubbles were generated between the end face of the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11. The optical signal of the optical fiber 13 was able to propagate well to the abutting portion 11 made of a transparent resin. The adhesive stayed in the adhesive discharge hole 17 and did not contaminate the connector body.

[Fabrication of optical fiber connector of fifth embodiment]
Example 6
In Example 1, an optical fiber connector was similarly produced except that the photomask used for patterning the transparent resin was changed to the shape shown in FIG. The shape of FIG. 12 is a structure without an adhesive discharge hole in FIG.

(Production of optical fiber with connector)
As an optical fiber array in which four optical fibers 13 having a cladding diameter of 125 μm and a core diameter of 50 μm are arranged in 4CH and 250 μm from the optical fiber insertion port 14, while injecting an adhesive similar to the above from the adhesive injection port 20, It was inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 until it abuts against the abutting portion 11 and heated at 80 ° C. for 30 minutes to cure the adhesive. Although bubbles are generated between the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11 in the optical fiber mounting hole 15 farthest from the adhesive introduction hole 16, the adhesive is injected well and the connector body is contaminated. There was no.

[Fabrication of optical fiber connector of sixth embodiment]
Example 7
In Example 1, an optical fiber connector was similarly produced except that the photomask used for patterning the transparent resin was changed to the shape shown in FIG. The distance C from the abutting portion to the connecting portion between the adhesive introduction hole and the fiber mounting hole was set to 1 mm.

(Production of optical fiber with connector)
As an optical fiber array in which an optical fiber 13 having a cladding diameter of 125 μm and a core diameter of 50 μm is arranged in 4CH and 250 μm from the optical fiber insertion port 14, the optical fiber 13 is injected while injecting an adhesive similar to the above from the adhesive injection port 20 It was inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 until it hits the abutting part 11, and heated at 80 ° C. for 30 minutes to cure the adhesive. In the optical fiber mounting hole 15 connected to the adhesive introduction hole 16, bubbles are generated between the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11, but the adhesive is discharged well and does not contaminate the connector body. It was.

[Fabrication of optical fiber connector of seventh embodiment]
Example 8
In Example 1, an optical fiber connector was similarly manufactured except that the photomask used for patterning the transparent resin was changed to the shape shown in FIG. The distance D from the abutting portion to the connecting portion between the internal communication hole and the fiber insertion hole was 1 mm.

(Production of optical fiber with connector)
As an optical fiber array in which four optical fibers 13 having a cladding diameter of 125 μm and a core diameter of 50 μm are arranged in 4CH and 250 μm from the optical fiber insertion port 14, while injecting an adhesive similar to the above from the adhesive injection port 20, The adhesive was hardened by being inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole 15 until it abuts against the abutting portion 11 and heated at 80 ° C. for 30 minutes. Although air bubbles were generated between the optical fiber 13 and the abutting portion 11 in the two central optical fiber mounting holes, the adhesive was successfully introduced and discharged, and the connector body was not contaminated.

  As explained in detail above, the introduction and / or discharge of the adhesive when fixing the optical fiber with the adhesive can be performed easily and efficiently from a certain place, and the excess of the adhesive can be removed. An optical fiber connector that hardly contaminates the connector body can be obtained. For this reason, it is useful as an optical fiber with a connector and a device for optical signal propagation.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Optical fiber connector 11 Butting part 13 Optical fiber 14 Optical fiber insertion port 15 Optical fiber mounting hole 16 Adhesive introduction hole 17 Adhesive discharge hole 18 Adhesive injection recessed part 19 Adhesive discharge port 20 Adhesive injection port 23 Resin layer 27 Internal communication hole 30 Photomask 31 Shading part 32 Opening part

Claims (15)

  At least one optical fiber mounting hole that has an insertion port at one end and into which an optical fiber is inserted; and an abutting portion that is disposed on the other end side of the optical fiber mounting hole and that abuts the tip of the optical fiber An optical fiber connector comprising an external communication hole connected to the optical fiber mounting hole and communicating with the outside of the optical fiber connector.   The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein two external communication holes are provided.   The optical fiber connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least two optical fiber mounting holes are provided, and the two external communication holes are connected to different optical fiber mounting holes, respectively. The plurality of optical fiber mounting holes are arranged in parallel,
The optical fiber connector according to claim 3, wherein the two external communication holes are connected to optical fiber mounting holes arranged on both sides among a plurality of optical fiber mounting holes arranged in parallel. At least two of the optical fiber mounting holes are provided,
The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, further comprising an internal communication hole for communicating the optical fiber mounting holes.   The optical fiber connector according to claim 5, wherein the internal communication hole is connected to the optical fiber mounting hole in the vicinity of the abutting portion.   The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the external communication hole communicates with the outside through a recess formed on the surface of the optical fiber connector.   The optical fiber connector according to claim 7, wherein an area of the opening of the concave portion is larger than a cross-sectional area of a connection portion between the external communication hole and the optical fiber mounting hole.   The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the external communication hole is opened at an end face of the optical fiber connector and communicates with the outside through the opening.   The optical fiber connector according to claim 9, wherein an opening of the external communication hole that opens at the end face opens in the same direction as the insertion port.   The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein the external communication hole is connected to the optical fiber mounting hole substantially perpendicularly.   The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein the external communication hole is connected to the optical fiber mounting hole in the vicinity of the abutting portion.   The external communication hole is either an adhesive introduction hole for introducing an adhesive from the outside or an adhesive discharge hole for discharging the adhesive to the outside. Fiber optic connector.   At least two optical fiber mounting holes that have an insertion port at one end and into which an optical fiber is inserted; and an abutting portion that is disposed on the other end side of the optical fiber mounting hole and that abuts the tip of the optical fiber An optical fiber connector comprising an internal communication hole for communicating the optical fiber mounting holes.   An optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber mounting hole of the optical fiber connector according to claim 1, and the optical fiber is fixed to the optical fiber connector with an adhesive introduced into the optical fiber mounting hole. Optical fiber with connector.