JP2628745B2 - Optical switch device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an optical switch device used for switching an optical path.

(Prior Art) As an optical switch device used for a monitoring system or the like for monitoring an optical line composed of a large number of optical fibers without affecting the current optical communication, for example, a plurality of optical switches having pin holes for fitting are used. A multi-core connector is arranged and fixed in a matrix on a connector holder, and a required multi-core connector on the connector holder has a fitting pin fitted in the pin hole, and n optical fiber terminals are connected. The applicant has proposed an optical switch device that switches and connects the optical line while switching and connecting the master connector thus controlled by a control device.

In the above optical switch device, in order to minimize the light loss at the joint end face of the two connectors, the attaching / detaching device supports the holding means for holding the master connector, and the holding means is vertically movable and swingably supported. Along with the aligning means for automatically aligning the fitting position of the two connectors, and the aligning means,
Lifting means for lifting and lowering the master connector in a direction in which the master connector contacts and separates from the multi-core connector to attach and detach the two connectors, and applies a predetermined urging force to the master connector when the two connectors are fitted to the lifting member. A spring is provided.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, even with the above configuration, with the use of the optical switch device, dust or the like adheres to the end face of the master connector that is switched and connected to the multi-core connector, and both connectors are optically connected. When this is done, a slight gap is created at the joint end face. For this reason, there is a problem that an air layer having a different refractive index is formed between the end faces of the optical fibers held by the two connectors, and an optical signal to be transmitted causes optical loss in this portion. In particular, when a refractive index adjusting agent (matching oil) is applied to the end face of the connector in order to avoid the occurrence of such light loss, dust and the like easily adhere to the connector end face. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the attached dust and the like.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide an optical switch device provided with a cleaning device for cleaning a joint end surface of an optically connected connector.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a connector holder in which a plurality of first connectors are arranged and fixed,
And a detachable device for attaching and detaching to and from a required connector in the plurality of first connectors, and a second connector attached to the detachable device is moved to the required first connector position. A moving device, wherein the second connector is sequentially abutted with the plurality of first connectors.
An optical switch device for optically switching / connecting by joining, comprising: a brush for wiping while rotating a joining end face of the second connector; and a supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the brush, A cleaning device for cleaning the connector is provided.

(Operation) The brush containing the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply means wipes the joint end surface of the second connector, thereby removing dust and the like adhering to the joint end surface, and removing the second connector from the first connector. When joined to the connectors, there is no gap between the two connectors, and thus no optical loss occurs in the transmitted optical signal.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS.

The optical switch device is, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4,
A connector holder 20 in which p × q multi-core connectors 21 are arranged and fixed in a matrix on the pedestal 10 and a required multi-core connector 21 on the connector holder 20 are switched and connected. Master connector to which fiber terminals are connected
32 (FIG. 1), an attaching / detaching device 40 for holding the master connector 32 and attaching / detaching to / from a required multi-core connector 21 on the connector holder 20, and moving the attaching / detaching device 40 on the connector holder 20 in two-dimensional directions. A moving device 50 for moving the master connector 32, a control device 60 for controlling the operation of attaching and detaching the master connector 32, and a selecting means 70 for outputting a selection signal for selecting a predetermined multi-core connector 21 from the plurality of multi-core connectors 21. I have.

As shown in FIG. 5, the master connector 32 has a rectangular parallelepiped main body 32 that embeds and holds the end of the tape fiber 30.
Steps 32b, 32b are formed on both sides in the width direction of a, and each of the polished end faces 30a of the tape fiber 30 is exposed at the joint end face 32c at the front of the main body 32a. On both sides of the joining end face 32c in the longitudinal direction, fitting pins 32d, 32d
Has been planted. A rubber boot 32e is provided at the rear of the main body 32a to protect the tape fiber 30 from bending.

The multi-core connector 21 is provided with a mating pin 32d of the master connector 32,
The configuration is the same as that of the master connector 32 except that the pin holes 21d, 21d into which the 32d is fitted are formed at positions corresponding to the fitting pins 32d, 32d.

The attachment / detachment device 40 is attached to a movable base 51 of a moving device 50 described later, and as shown in FIG. 4, a support member 41 for supporting the attachment / detachment device 40, a holding means 42 for holding the master connector 32, and The holding means 42 is vertically moved and swingably supported, and the aligning means 43 for automatically aligning the joining position of the master connector 32 to the multi-core connector 21 and the lifting and lowering operation of these holding means 42 and the aligning means 43 are performed. Elevating means for connecting the master connector 32 to the selected predetermined multicore connector 21 at its end face
Has 44.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the moving device 50 moves the movable table 51 in the horizontal direction indicated by an arrow XX in FIG. Movable stage 52, freely movable stage 52
First drive motor 5 installed on top and moving movable table 51
3. A rail that is disposed on the left and right sides of the pedestal 10 and horizontally movably moves the movable stage 52 in the vertical direction indicated by arrows YY in FIG.
The rail stages 54 and 55 on which the 54a and 55a are installed are screwed to a drive bracket 52b which is vertically mounted on the lower surface of the movable stage 52 on the first drive motor 53 side, and the movable stage 52 is vertically (Y-Y direction).
And a second drive motor 57 for driving the ball screw 56 to rotate.

The control device 60 is connected to the attaching / detaching device 40, the moving device 50, and a cleaning device 90, which will be described later, by a connection line 61 extending from the pedestal 10. 90 by master connector 32
For example, a computer ECU is used to control the cleaning operation and the like. In this computer ECU, the order in which the master connector 32 is attached to and detached from the multi-core connector 21 arranged on the connector holder 20, the operating procedure of the attaching / detaching device 40 and the moving device 50, etc., are programmed and stored in advance. Have been. In addition, the control device 60, for example, moves the multi-core connector 21 disposed on the upper right of the connector holder 20 in FIG. 3 to the origin position I when the master connector 32 moves to each multi-core connector 21 or the cleaning device 90. _{As P}
Controlling the movement position.

The selection means 70 is provided adjacent to the control device 60 and includes a selection switch for selecting a predetermined multicore connector 21 and a cleaning device 90.
Although the operation panel of the control device 60 having a switch or the like for starting the operation of the control device 60 is used, a selection device having a similar selection switch may be provided on the base 10, or an appropriate selection device may be separately provided in the computer ECU. Good.

The present invention relates to the optical switch device, wherein a master connector 32 is provided.
A cleaning device 90 is provided for cleaning dust and the like adhered to the device.

The operation of the cleaning device 90 is controlled by the control device 60, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a wiping means 92 for wiping the joined end face of the support table 91, the master connector 32, and a wiping means.
A supply means 93 for supplying the cleaning liquid to the nozzle 92 and an air nozzle 94 are provided.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the support base 91 is
Is provided between the rail base 54 and the connector holder 20, and columns 91b and 91c are provided on both sides of the base 91a.

The wiping means 92 is for cleaning the joint end face 32c of the master connector 32 and the fitting pins 32d, 32d, and has a brush 95 and a drive motor 96 for rotating the brush 95. brush
Reference numeral 95 denotes an existing brush in which a soft brush 95b with long bristle feet is fixed to a base 95a. The drive motor 96 is
A base 96a is attached to the base 91a of the support base 91, and a base 95a of the brush 95 is mounted on an end of a rotating shaft 96b extending upward from the main body 96a.

The supply means 93 has a cleaning liquid nozzle 97 and a supply pipe 98. The cleaning liquid nozzle 97 discharges a cleaning liquid composed of a volatile solvent to the brush 95b of the brush 95, for example, alcohol, and is disposed on one of the columns 91b of the support base 91, and the tip thereof faces the brush 95. I have. Also supply pipe 98
Is a nozzle 97 and an apparatus for measuring and discharging alcohol (not shown)
And is connected to the base end of the cleaning liquid nozzle 97. The metering device is operated by a control signal from the control device 60, and supplies alcohol to the cleaning liquid nozzle 97 via the supply pipe 98.

The air nozzle 94 discharges compressed air to the master connector 32, and removes alcohol or brush 95b remaining after cleaning the brush 95b.
The other column 91c of the support 91
It is installed in. The air nozzle 94 has a bent portion 94a provided in the middle, and the distal end side is bent upward, and an air pipe 99 is connected to the base end. And the air pipe 99
Is connected to a source of compressed air via a solenoid valve (not shown).

The optical switch device of the present invention configured as described above,
For example, when the master connector 32 is
After about 500 repetitions, the cleaning of the master connector 32 by the cleaning device 90 is performed and used as follows.

For example, during the operation of attaching / detaching the master connector 32 to / from the multicore connector 21 by the optical switch device, the master connector 32
When cleaning is performed, first, an interrupt operation is performed by the selecting means 70, the operation of attaching and detaching the master connector 32 by the control device 60 is interrupted, and an operation start command of the cleaning device 90 is issued.

Then, the lifting / lowering means 44 of the attachment / detachment device 40 is operated to raise the holding means 42 together with the centering means 43 to a predetermined position, thereby releasing the connection between the master connector 32 and the multi-core connector 21. Thereafter, the moving device 50 moves the moving table 51 to the position of the cleaning device 90, and places the attaching / detaching device 40 directly above the support table 91.
As a result, the master connector 32 is arranged to face the brush 95.

Next, the cleaning device 90 first operates the metering and discharging device according to the control signal from the control device 60, and the cleaning liquid nozzle
A predetermined amount of alcohol is discharged from 97 to the brush 95, and the brush 95b
Add alcohol. In parallel with the discharge of the alcohol, the drive motor 96 is started, and the brush 95 is rotated at a constant speed for a predetermined time.

Next, the attachment / detachment device 40 starts operating and the master connector 32
The lifting / lowering device 44 lowers the holding means 42 until the joining end face 32c of the above-mentioned slightly enters the inside of the brush 95b. Then brush 95
Is rotating, the joining end face 32c of the master connector 32 is
In addition, the fitting pins 32d, 32d are wiped by the brush 95b containing alcohol to remove dust and the like.

When the drive motor 96 rotates for a preset time,
The motor 96 stops rotating, and the wiping of the master connector 32 ends. Then, the lifting / lowering device 44 operates to raise the holding means 42 to a predetermined position before wiping, and stops the holding means 42 at that position.

Next, the solenoid valve is opened for a predetermined time, and as shown in FIG. 1, compressed air is discharged from the air nozzle 94 to the master connector 32 from an obliquely lower side to remove alcohol, fragments of the brush 95b, etc. remaining in the master connector 32. Remove and end the cleaning operation.

In this manner, the operation until the above-mentioned attaching / detaching operation is interrupted to raise the elevating means 44 and discharge compressed air to the master connector 32 is an interruption operation relating to cleaning of the master connector 32, and when the discharge of compressed air is completed. Then, the control device 60 returns the moving base 51 to the position of the multi-core connector 21 before the interruption, and continues the attaching / detaching operation of the master connector 32 from the position of the multi-core connector 21 according to an operation procedure or the like stored in advance.

The cleaning operation of the master connector 32 is performed by causing the control device 60 to count the number of attachments and detachments to and from the multi-core connector 21 and issues a command from the control device 60 every predetermined number of times.
32 may be cleaned. This way,
The operation of the optical switch device can be automated.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the master connector 32 is cleaned during the operation of attaching and detaching the master connector 32 to and from the multicore connector 21 has been described.For example, prior to using the optical switch device, the master connector 32 is When cleaning, the attaching / detaching device 40 is moved by the moving device 50 to the origin position.
Returned to I _P, this is moved from the origin position I _P to the cleaning device 90, after the cleaning is finished is returned again to the home position I _P.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a connector holder in which a plurality of first connectors are arranged and fixed, and a second connector are mounted, and the plurality of first connectors are mounted. And a moving device for moving a second connector mounted on the mounting / dismounting device to the required first connector position, wherein the second connector is connected to the plurality of connectors. An optical switch device for optically switching and connecting by sequentially abutting and joining to the first connector, and a brush for wiping while rotating the joint end face of the second connector, and supplying a cleaning liquid to the brush. A supply device, and a cleaning device for cleaning the second connector is provided, so that dust or the like adhering to the second connector can be removed to suppress the occurrence of light loss, and a stable optical communication state can be achieved. realizable . In addition, since the cleaning device has a simple structure, it can be provided at low cost, and has excellent effects such as automation of the optical switch device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a cleaning device for an optical switch device, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cleaning device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the optical switch device, FIG. 4 is a front view of the device, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a master connector. 20: connector holder, 21: multi-core connector (first connector), 32: master connector (second connector), 40: detachable device, 41: support member, 50: moving device, 60: control device,
90 cleaning device, 91 support base, 92 wiping means, 93 cleaning liquid supply means, 94 air nozzle, 95 brush, 96 driving motor, 97 cleaning nozzle, 98 supply pipe.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A connector holder for arranging and fixing a plurality of first connectors; a detachable device for attaching and detaching a second connector to and from a required connector in the plurality of first connectors; A moving device for moving a second connector attached to the attaching / detaching device to the required first connector position, wherein the second connector is sequentially butted and joined to the plurality of first connectors, and An optical switch device for selectively switching / connecting, comprising: a brush for wiping while rotating a joint end face of the second connector; and a supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the brush, for cleaning the second connector. An optical switch device comprising a cleaning device.