JP3131256B2 - Optical connector measurement coupling device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector for measuring an optical connector having excellent reproducibility of a measured coupling loss, and is applied to the connection of a multi-core optical connector having guide pins.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the measurement of the coupling loss of an optical connector has been described.
After the pair of optical connectors 61 and 62 as shown in FIG. 8 are guided and coupled by the guide pins 64, as shown in FIG.
Two bonds were fixed. However, in such a coupling method, the fixing by the clip 63 has to be performed manually, which has the disadvantage that the coupling is troublesome and the reproducibility of the measured value is poor.

[0003] Therefore, in order to improve this drawback, a coupling device using a general-purpose robot or an XYZ stage movable in three axial directions has been devised.

[0004]

The above-mentioned robot and XY
Since the coupling device using the Z stage has a structure on the premise that the optical connector is coupled with a guide pin or a ferrule (core), the positioning accuracy of the guide pin needs to be as high as micron or less. Had. Therefore, there has been a problem that a lot of labor is required for the positioning, and the positioning control mechanism is large-scale and the cost is high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical connector measuring coupling apparatus which has good coupling reproducibility and does not require a complicated control mechanism.

For this purpose, the coupling surface between the pair of fixed-side optical connectors and the movable-side optical connectors facing each other must be surely adhered to each other with reference to a guide pin or a ferrule. Here, assuming that the guide pin or ferrule and the coupling surface are perpendicular to each other, the deviation that can occur between the guide pin or ferrule and the fitting hole to which the guide pin or ferrule is coupled is a deviation due to translation and rotation or bending. There are two types of deviation due to bending.

On the other hand, it is possible to support the moving-side optical connector with a mechanical element such as a linear guide or a ball bearing and to stably couple it with the fixed-side optical connector. It is necessary to increase the rigidity of the mechanism, which increases the driving force. As a result, there is a risk that the device will be large and that the optical connector will be damaged if the driving force is not properly controlled. Therefore, a force of about several hundred grams is used as the force to copy,
A device that allows a change of 0 to several 100 μm is required.

When a plurality of optical connectors are successively inspected, it is difficult to precisely set the position each time in accordance with the position of each fixed-side optical connector due to time constraints.
Further, the amount of displacement (generally referred to as offset) between the movable-side and fixed-side optical connectors at the time of coupling differs depending on the combination.

[0009]

A first optical connector measuring coupling device according to the present invention moves a second connector movably supported with respect to a first optical connector fixedly supported. In the optical connector measuring coupling device for measuring the connection loss due to the coupling of these optical connectors, one of the optical connectors is supported by the device body via an elastic member, and the elastic member has flexibility. And elongated shape
And one optical connector is attached to the tip of the beam.
It is characterized by being supported .

[0010]

[0011] A second optical connector measuring coupling device according to the present invention is characterized in that a spring member is provided between the optical connector and the device main body to apply a spring force in the coupling axis direction of the optical connector. It is.

In a third optical connector measuring coupling device according to the present invention, there are provided a plurality of flexible and elongated beams, and one of the optical connectors is attached to and supported by the distal ends of these beams. It is characterized by that.

A fourth optical connector measuring coupling device according to the present invention is characterized in that a flexible and elongated beam is a beam whose cross-sectional shape changes along the longitudinal direction. is there.

[0014]

The second optical connector moves and the second optical connector is coupled to the first optical connector, and the connection loss of these optical connectors is measured in this state. Further, at the time of coupling the optical connectors, the elastic member is flexibly deformed to correct the positional deviation between the optical connectors.

Furthermore, when the optical connectors are connected, the flexible and elongated beam is bent and deformed, and the positional deviation between the optical connectors is corrected.

Further, by using a plurality of beams, or by changing the cross-sectional shape of the beams, the amount of deflection of the beams is adjusted, and the positional deviation between the optical connectors is more appropriately corrected.

On the other hand, the spring force of the spring material adjusts the coupling force between the optical connectors to be constant, and the measurement state is stabilized.

[0018]

1 to 4 show an optical connector measuring coupling device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and the present embodiment will be described with reference to these drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the basic configuration of the first embodiment. As shown in this figure, a plurality of fixed-side optical connectors 1 as first optical connectors are aligned and mounted on a fixing member 3. In addition, a movable optical connector 2 as a second optical connector.
Is opposed to the fixed-side optical connector 1 and the optical connector housing member 4
The optical connector accommodating member 4 is fixed to a support member 7 on the apparatus body 10 side via a small-diameter beam 6 (1.5 mm in diameter in this embodiment) which is an elastic member.

On the other hand, a support base 12 is supported on a base 11 constituting a part of the apparatus main body 10 via a ball screw 13 and a guide shaft 14 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction. X-axis motor 1 mounted
5, the ball screw 13 is rotated, and the support base 12 can move in the X-axis direction.

On the support table 12, a moving plate 22 is provided.
The ball screw 23 is supported by a ball screw 23 and a guide shaft 24 so as to be movable in a Y-axis direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and the ball screw 23 is rotated by a Y-axis motor 25 mounted on the support base 12 to move the moving plate. 22 can move in the Y-axis direction.

Further, the movable plate 22 is supported via a ball screw 33 and a guide shaft 34 so that the support member 7 can be moved in the Z-axis direction orthogonal to the X-axis and Y-axis directions. The ball screw 33 is rotated by the Z-axis motor 35 attached to the moving plate 22, so that the support member 7 can move in the Z-axis direction.

That is, the support member 7, the base 11, the ball screws 13, 23, 33, the guide shafts 14, 24,
34 and motors 15, 25, 35, etc.
The apparatus main body 10, which is a YZ stage, supports the movable optical connector 2 via the small-diameter beam 6 so as to be movable.

Next, the case where the optical loss of the fixed-side optical connector 1 is measured by the optical connector measuring coupling device having the above configuration will be described below.

Each motor 15, 25, 35 of the apparatus body 10
Is driven by servo control, and X
The support member 7 is moved in the order of the axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis. And
The movable optical connector 2 supported via the small-diameter beam 6 is positioned and coupled to the fixed optical connector 1, and the amount of light loss is measured.

Accordingly, at the time of coupling, since the movable optical connector 2 is attached to the support member 7 via the small-diameter beam 6, a sufficient displacement is applied to the opposed fixed optical connector 1 by a small force. To allow good bonding. When the support member 7 is returned to the movable plate 22 side to release the connection, the restraint from the fixed side optical connector 1 side is released,
Due to the elasticity of the small-diameter beam 6, it will quickly return to the neutral position.

That is, at the distal end of the small-diameter beam 6, the relationship between the force and the displacement is substantially linear as shown in FIG. 2 and has the characteristic of no reciprocal hysteresis.
A force of 1 kg causes a displacement of 0.4 mm or more.

FIG. 3 shows the dependence of the coupling loss on the displacement according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3A shows the relationship between the displacement in the X-axis direction and the coupling loss, and FIG. 3B shows the relationship between the displacement in the Y-axis direction and the coupling loss. On the other hand, FIG. 4 is similarly shown as a comparative example, and shows the relationship between displacement and optical coupling loss when the movable optical connector is mounted on a box-shaped housing having a gap. In the case of FIG. 4, since the coupling loss varies greatly, the position dependency in the X-axis and Y-axis directions cannot be read. From these figures, the effect of the structure according to the present embodiment is clear. became.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 5, and this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The main body of the device is the first
The same components as those in the embodiment are used, and the description is omitted.

FIG. 5 (a) shows two small cylindrical beams 46a having a positional relationship parallel to each other.
The movable-side optical connector 2 is supported between the optical connector housing member 4 and the two small-diameter beams 46a. FIG. 5 (b) similarly shows four cylindrical small-diameter beams 46b interposed in a positional relationship so as to be parallel to each other. Therefore, these small beams 46a, 4
The movable optical connector 2 properly corrects the positional deviation due to the deflection of 6b.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
This embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The description of the apparatus main body is omitted as in the above description.

FIG. 6 (a) shows a single beam 56a having a small diameter portion 58 which is reduced by one step in the middle of the beam. FIG. 6 (b) shows a single narrow beam 56b in which the middle part of the beam is gradually narrowed. Accordingly, the displacement of the movable optical connector 2 is appropriately corrected by the deflection of the small-diameter beams 56a and 56b having these shapes.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
This embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The device body 10
The description of the lower portion is omitted in the same manner as described above.

As shown in FIG. 7, the movable plate 22 is supported via a ball screw 33 and a guide shaft 34 so that the support member 7 can move in the Z-axis direction.
The ball screw 33 is rotated by the Z-axis motor 35 attached to the moving plate 22. The support member 7
, A support block 9 is mounted via a coil spring 8 which is a spring material, and the optical connector housing member 4 is mounted on the support block 9 via a small diameter beam 6. Therefore, a spring force can be generated in the Z axis direction, which is the coupling axis direction. And, in the optical connector housing member 4,
The moving side connector 2 is fixed.

From the above, the Z-axis motor 35 is driven to
When the movable optical connector 2 is coupled to the fixed optical connector 1, a constant pressing force is generated due to the elasticity of the coil spring 8, so that the loss amount can be always measured in a stable state.

In the above embodiment, the optical loss is measured by using the movable optical connector as the measuring optical connector and the fixed optical connector as the light source. And the fixed-side optical connector may be the measurement side.

[0037]

According to the optical connector measuring coupling device of the present invention, as a result of attaching the optical connector to the device main body via a flexible member such as an elastic member, opposing optical connectors are connected when the optical connectors are coupled. Are imitated and joined,
The reproducibility of the coupling loss is excellent, and a fine positioning mechanism or the like that complicates the device configuration is not required. Therefore, an automatic measuring device and the like can be easily manufactured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a basic configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a force and a position of a small beam according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between displacement of the optical connector and optical coupling loss according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a relationship between displacement of an optical connector and optical coupling loss according to the related art.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view around an optical connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view around an optical connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the periphery of an optical connector, a support block, and the like according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an optical connector according to the related art.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a coupling state of an optical connector according to the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2, 61, 62 Optical connector 6, 46a, 46b, 56a, 56b Narrow beam 7 Support member 8 Coil spring 9 Support block 13, 23, 33 Ball screw 14, 24, 34 Guide shaft 15, 25, 35 Motor

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Takeo Komiya 1st Tayacho, Sakae-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Yokohama Works (72) Inventor Yasuo Asano 1st Tayacho, Sakae-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Sumitomo Electric Industries Inside Yokohama Works Co., Ltd. No. 31 Sumiden Opcom Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-2-250019 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02B 6/24-6/40 G01J 1 / 00 G02B 26/08

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] An optical connector for moving and coupling a second connector movably supported to a fixed and supported first optical connector and measuring a connection loss due to the coupling of the optical connectors. in measuring coupling device, one of the optical connector is supported to the apparatus main body via an elastic member, elastic
The flexible member is a flexible and elongated beam,
One of the optical connectors is attached to and supported by the distal end of the beam.
A coupling device for measuring an optical connector. 2. The optical connector measuring coupling device according to claim 1, wherein a spring member is provided between the optical connector and the device main body, the spring member being applied with a spring force in a coupling axis direction of the optical connector. Wherein there are a plurality of beams in which the and elongated shape having flexibility, light according to claim 1, wherein the one optical connector on the distal end side of these beams are supported attached Connector measuring device. 4. A flexible optical connector for measuring binding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the beam has a and elongated shape having a a beam which varies along the cross section in the longitudinal direction.