JP3594222B2 - Polishing jig for optical fiber ferrule - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to a polishing jig for polishing the end face of an optical fiber ferrule held by a collet chuck sleeve, and particularly when the end faces of a large number of optical fiber ferrules held by a collet chuck sleeve are collectively polished. The present invention relates to a preferable optical fiber ferrule polishing jig.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When the end face of the ferrule into which the optical fiber is inserted and fixed is polished, the ferrule is mounted on a collet chuck sleeve and polished. In particular, when the ferrule end surface is polished to an inclined surface, the ferrule is mounted on the collet chuck sleeve and polished. FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a commonly used collet chuck sleeve. The collet chuck sleeve 200 includes a ferrule holding sleeve 201 into which the optical fiber ferrule 105 is inserted, a collet sleeve 202 into which the ferrule holding sleeve 201 is fitted, a collet portion 203 provided at the tip of the collet sleeve 202, and a tightening of the collet sleeve 202. It comprises a collet tightening nut 205 and a cylindrical holder 204 for inserting and holding the collet sleeve 202. To fix the optical fiber ferrule 105 to the collet chuck sleeve 200, the ferrule holding sleeve 201 into which the ferrule 105 is inserted is fitted into the collet sleeve 202, and the collet tightening nut 205 is screwed into the collet sleeve 202 to fasten the ferrule 105. This is performed by tightening and fixing the body part by the collet part 203 at the tip of the collet sleeve 202. The optical fiber ferrule 105 fastened to the collet chuck sleeve 200 is held by a polishing jig plate and then mounted on a polishing apparatus to be polished.
[0003]
FIG. 9 is an explanatory side view showing a conventional example of a polishing jig 100 for an optical fiber ferrule when the end face of the optical fiber ferrule is polished to an oblique surface having an inclination angle of θ °. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 101 denotes a polishing jig plate. The polishing jig plate 101 is provided with a fitting hole 102 for slidably fitting a collet chuck sleeve 200 holding an optical fiber ferrule 105. The axis A is formed to be inclined at an angle θ ° with respect to the perpendicular V of the surface of the polishing platen 120. The number of the fitting holes 102 provided in the polishing jig plate 101 is 2 to 4 holes, and the number of the optical fiber ferrules 105 to be polished at a time is 2 to 4 at most. In the figure, 203 is a collet portion, 205 is a collet fastening nut, 103 is a rotation support shaft of a polishing jig plate, 104 is a support hole, 121 is a rotation shaft of a polishing platen, and F is an optical fiber. FIG. 10 is an explanatory top view showing a driving state of a polishing platen and a polishing jig plate of a conventional polishing apparatus. The polishing platen 120 is a disk having a rotating shaft 121 at the center, and is rotated in one direction by a drive motor (not shown). On the other hand, the polishing jig plate 101 is fitted with a support hole 104 of the polishing jig plate 101 into a rotation support shaft 103 provided at a position deviated from the rotation shaft 121 of the polishing platen 120, and is fixed with screws. The plate 101 itself is connected to a drive motor (not shown) of the polishing platen 120 so as to revolve around the rotation axis 121 of the polishing platen 120 in an elliptical direction in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the polishing platen 120 without rotating. Have been. The optical fiber F led out from the collet chuck sleeve 200 (not shown) attached to the polishing jig plate 101 is transferred to an optical fiber stand table 112 provided outside the polishing jig plate 101 and the polishing platen 120. It is kept collectively. In the drawing, reference numeral 102 denotes a fitting hole 102 of the collet chuck sleeve 200.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The polishing jig of the conventional optical fiber ferrule includes a polishing jig plate 101 having an insertion hole 102 for slidably holding the collet chuck sleeve 200 into which the optical fiber ferrule 105 is inserted, and a polishing jig plate 101 outside the polishing jig plate 101. The polishing jig plate 101 is formed around the rotation axis 121 of the polishing platen 120 without rotating itself, which is formed from an optical fiber stand table 112 that collectively bundles the optical fibers F led out from the provided collet chuck sleeve 200. Is revolved while drawing an elliptical eccentric orbit. For this reason, the polishing apparatus has been reduced in size, and the number of holding collet chuck sleeves 200 set at one time, that is, the number of holding optical fibers F, has been at most about four. Therefore, even if the optical fibers F are bundled together on the optical fiber stand table 112 provided outside the polishing jig plate 101, there is no fear that the optical fibers F are twisted or entangled during the polishing operation. Was. However, when a large number of collet chuck sleeves 200 such as 12 or 24 are mounted on the polishing jig plate 101 and the end faces of the large number of optical fiber ferrules 105 are collectively polished to improve the efficiency of the polishing process, If the end face polishing mechanism of the conventional optical fiber ferrule is scaled up as it is, the mechanism and driving device of the polishing platen 120 and the polishing jig plate 101 become large, which is unsuitable for practical use. As the number of optical fibers F led out from the rear end increases, it becomes difficult to bundle a large number of optical fibers F together at the optical fiber stand table 112 without entanglement. As another problem, since the conventional polishing jig plate 101 has a configuration in which the collet chuck sleeve 200 is slidably inserted into the fitting hole 102, the end face of the optical fiber ferrule 105 attached to the collet chuck sleeve 200 is fixed. When polishing by pressing against the board 120, the weight of the collet chuck sleeve 200 is directly applied to the end face of the optical fiber ferrule 105 as a polishing pressure. For this reason, the polishing pressure of the end face of the optical fiber ferrule 105 cannot be adjusted to a desired appropriate polishing pressure, and as a result, the polishing quality of the end face of the optical fiber ferrule 105 varies, resulting in an increase in connection loss. I was
Further, like the two-core optical fiber ferrule shown in FIG. 6 or the polarization-maintaining optical fiber ferrule shown in FIG. 7, the end face of the optical fiber ferrule having directionality in the arrangement of the optical fibers at the end face of the ferrule is inclined at an angle θ. In the case of polishing on a slanted surface at an angle of °, it is necessary to form the slanted direction of the polished surface in accordance with the arrangement direction of the fibers in order to improve the optical connection performance. However, the conventional polishing jig plate 101 and the collet chuck sleeve 200 are provided with fitting means for accurately matching the polishing inclination direction with the arrangement direction of the optical fibers when polishing the end face of the optical fiber ferrule. Did not. For this reason, the polished optical fiber ferrule tends to have a variation in the inclined direction of the polished surface, and a deviation tends to occur between the arrangement direction of the optical fibers and the inclined direction of the polished surface. Such variations and deviations between the arrangement direction of the optical fibers and the inclination direction of the polished surface of the optical fiber ferrule cause a loss of incident power of light when the optical fiber ferrule is connected, and cause a variation in performance of optical equipment. I was For example, in the case of the two-core optical fiber ferrule 40 shown in FIG. 6, a center line f1 connecting the centers of the two-core optical fibers F1 and F2 on the obliquely polished surface 42 of the ferrule is formed parallel to the reference line S1 of the ferrule reference plane 41. Need to be If there is a deviation angle between the center line f1 of the two-core optical fibers F1 and F2 and the reference line S1, that is, a deviation angle α1 in the inclination direction of the formed polished surface, when the two-core optical fiber ferrules 40 are connected to each other. The optical fiber optical axis causes a misalignment, which causes an increase in connection loss. In the case of the polarization-maintaining optical fiber ferrule 50 in FIG. 7, the center of the optical fiber core 51 of the polarization-maintaining optical fiber 53 on the obliquely polished surface 55 of the optical fiber ferrule 50 and a pair of optical fiber cores 51 sandwiching the optical fiber core 51. A center line f2 connecting the centers of the stress applying portions 52, 52 needs to be formed parallel to the reference line S2 of the ferrule reference plane 54. If there is a deviation angle between the center line f2 of the polarization-maintaining optical fiber 53 and the reference line S2, that is, a deviation angle α2 in the inclination direction of the formed polished surface, when the polarization-maintaining optical fiber ferrules 50 are butt-connected. In this case, the misalignment of the ferrule shaft center occurs, causing connection loss. Note that both the ferrule reference planes 41 and 54 in FIGS. 6 and 7 serve as bonding reference planes when connecting optical fiber ferrules.
[0005]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to collectively polish the end faces of a large number of optical fiber ferrules, such as 12 or 24, inserted into a collet chuck sleeve without increasing the size of a polishing platen or a polishing mechanism, and An object of the present invention is to provide a polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule that can adjust a polishing pressure to an appropriate polishing pressure and can polish an end surface of an optical fiber ferrule in a predetermined inclined surface direction at a predetermined inclination angle. .
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, in a first aspect, a polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule of the present invention includes a polishing jig plate having a fitting inlet for removably fitting and fixing a collet chuck sleeve to which an optical fiber ferrule is mounted. A holding cylinder for loosely fitting and holding the polishing jig plate on a polishing platen surface, an optical fiber container having an optical fiber insertion hole in a bottom surface detachably connected to an upper portion of the holding cylinder, and the holding cylinder A polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule having a holding cylinder support for rotatably supporting the polishing jig on a surface of a polishing platen. A polishing jig plate suspending mechanism for suspending a fixture plate and suspending a balance weight at the other end is provided so as to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the polishing jig plate.
[0007]
In a second aspect, the polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule of the present invention is the polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule having the above-mentioned configuration, wherein the axis of the fitting entrance of the polishing jig plate is θ with respect to the perpendicular to the polishing platen plane. The collet chuck sleeve and the polishing jig plate are provided with fitting portions for regulating fitting positions at fitting inlets of the collet chuck sleeve and the polishing jig plate.
[0008]
[Action]
In the optical fiber ferrule polishing jig of the present invention according to the first aspect, the collet chuck sleeve in which the optical fiber ferrule is inserted is removably fitted to and fixed to the polishing jig plate, and the polishing jig plate is fitted to and detached from the holding cylinder. It is freely loosely held and mounted on the polishing platen surface, and the holding cylinder is rotatably supported on the polishing platen surface by a holding cylinder support, and the polishing jig plate and the holding cylinder rotate. Only the respective fixed positions on the polishing table are rotated by the frictional force with the polishing table. Therefore, there is no need to provide a drive mechanism for forcibly revolving the polishing jig plate around the center axis of the polishing plate like a conventional polishing jig, so that a large number of collet chuck sleeves are provided on the polishing jig plate. Even with the configuration of fitting and fixing, the apparatus including the polishing jig plate and the polishing surface plate can be downsized and simplified. In addition, an optical fiber storage container having an optical fiber insertion hole on the bottom surface is detachably connected to the upper part of the holding cylinder and rotates integrally with the holding cylinder, so that 12 optical fibers led out from the end of each ferrule are provided. Alternatively, even with a large number of 24 fibers, the optical fibers can be stored and held neatly without being entangled or confused. In addition, in the optical fiber ferrule polishing jig of the present invention, a polishing jig plate having a fulcrum outside the polishing jig plate, suspending the polishing jig plate at one end, and suspending the balance weight at the other end around the fulcrum. Since the suspension mechanism is provided, the contact gap between the polishing jig plate and the polishing platen surface is finely adjusted by adjusting the balance weight, and the contact pressure between the polishing end surface of the optical fiber ferrule and the polishing platen surface is adjusted. That is, the polishing pressure can be adjusted. For example, when a large number of optical fiber ferrules such as 12 or 24 are polished collectively, the number of collet chuck sleeves is also 12 or 24, and as a result, the weight of the collet chuck sleeve is directly applied as a load on the polishing jig plate. Therefore, the weight of the polishing jig plate and the collet chuck sleeve is greatly applied to the polishing end face of the optical fiber ferrule, and the load of the optical fiber ferrule end face becomes a load much larger than the appropriate polishing pressure, and the polishing conditions are significantly deteriorated. . However, according to the polishing jig plate suspension mechanism of the present invention, the excessive polishing pressure applied to the polishing end face of the optical fiber ferrule causes the balance jig to be heavier according to the polishing pressure and the polishing jig plate is moved from the polishing platen surface. By slightly lifting, the polishing pressure can be reduced to an appropriate polishing pressure. In addition, since the fulcrum of the polishing jig plate suspension mechanism is provided outside the polishing jig plate in rotation with the polishing jig plate, the polishing jig plate suspension mechanism may hinder the rotation of the polishing jig plate. There is no such influence as the load on the polishing jig plate. Therefore, the polishing jig plate suspension mechanism need only consider the balance with the load of the polishing jig plate. The fulcrum of the polishing jig plate suspension mechanism is suitably set on a holding cylinder or an optical fiber storage container that rotates in conjunction with the polishing jig plate from the viewpoint of simplifying the structure.
[0009]
In the optical fiber ferrule polishing jig of the present invention according to the second aspect, in the configuration of the first aspect, the axis of the collet chuck sleeve fitting inlet of the polishing jig plate is θ ° with respect to the perpendicular to the polishing platen plane. The collet chuck sleeve and the polishing jig plate are provided with a fitting portion for defining a fitting position at a collet chuck sleeve fitting inlet of the polishing jig plate. With such a configuration, in particular, the inclination direction of the polished inclined surface becomes a problem. Even when the end face is polished to an oblique surface having an inclination angle of θ °, since the collet chuck sleeve and the collet chuck sleeve are provided with a fitting portion for defining a fitting position at a collet chuck sleeve fitting inlet, the polishing jig is provided. With the collet chuck sleeve mounted on the plate, the arrangement direction of the optical fibers on the end face of the optical fiber ferrule and the inclination direction of the polished surface of the optical fiber ferrule can be accurately aligned and fixed. Therefore, the slanted surface of the polished optical fiber ferrule is free from deviation from the arrangement direction of the optical fibers and variation between the optical fiber ferrules. In addition, the inclination angle θ ° of the polishing surface of the optical fiber ferrule is set in advance by providing the axis of the collet chuck sleeve fitting inlet of the polishing jig plate at an inclination angle θ ° with respect to the perpendicular to the polishing platen plane as in the conventional case. It can be easily formed.
[0010]
【Example】
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. Note that the present invention is not limited to this.
[0011]
FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing one embodiment of the optical fiber ferrule polishing jig of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective explanatory view showing one configuration example of the optical fiber ferrule polishing jig of the present invention. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes an optical fiber polishing jig. The optical fiber polishing jig 1 includes a polishing jig plate 2 for inserting and fixing a collet chuck sleeve 21 into which an optical fiber ferrule 20 is inserted, and a polishing jig 2. The holding cylinder 3 for loosely holding the jig plate 2 on the surface of the polishing platen 30, the optical fiber container 4 detachably connected to the upper part of the holding cylinder 3 via the support rod 17, and the holding cylinder 3 A holding cylinder support 6 rotatably supported on the surface of the polishing platen 30, and a polishing jig plate suspension mechanism 7 disposed on a disk 12 connected to the upper part of the optical fiber container 4 via a support rod 18. Consists of
[0012]
Next, each component will be described with reference to each drawing. FIG. 3 is a front view showing one embodiment of the collet chuck sleeve 21. The collet chuck sleeve 21 is provided with a tab-shaped fitting portion 23B protruding from the outermost cylindrical holder 25 of the collet chuck sleeve 21. Except for having the tab-shaped fitting portion 23A, the basic mechanism configuration is the same as that of the collet chuck sleeve 200 of FIG. In the figure, 20 is an optical fiber ferrule, 26 is a collet portion of a collet chuck sleeve, 27 is a collet fastening nut, and F is an optical fiber. FIG. 5 is a top view showing one embodiment of the polishing jig plate 2, and shows an example in which the polishing jig plate 2 of this embodiment is provided with 12 fitting inlets 22 for fitting and fixing the collet chuck sleeve 21. The polishing jig plate 2 is formed of a thick dodecagonal metal plate, and a semicircular fitting port 22A and a semicircular fitting port 22A that abut on the side surface of each side of the dodecagonal metal plate. A fixing plate 28 having a fitting port 22B is provided, and the fixing plate 28 is fixed to the polishing jig plate 2 with screws 29, 29, whereby the circular fitting port 22 is formed. A groove-shaped fitting portion 23B that fits with the tab-shaped fitting portion 23A of the collet chuck sleeve 21 is provided on the polishing jig plate center side of the semicircular fitting inlet 22A. The collet chuck sleeve 21 is fixed to the polishing jig plate 2 by fixing the collet chuck sleeve 21 to the tab-shaped fitting portion 23A and the fitting inlet 22 of the polishing jig plate 2 with the screws 29, 29 of the fixing plate 28 loosened. After inserting into the fitting inlet 22 with the groove-shaped fitting portion 23B aligned, the screws 31 are tightened. In the figure, reference numeral 14 denotes a suspension provided at the center of the polishing jig plate 2. FIG. 4 is a front view showing an insertion state of the polishing jig plate 2 and the collet chuck sleeve 21 when the end face of the optical fiber ferrule 20 is obliquely polished. The polishing plate 30 is formed so as to be inclined by θ ° with respect to the surface perpendicular V of the polishing platen 30. In this embodiment, an optical fiber ferrule having an orientation in the end face thereof such as the two-core optical fiber ferrule of FIG. 6 or the polarization-maintaining optical fiber ferrule of FIG. Is the case. As means for matching the arrangement direction of the optical fibers with the direction of the oblique polishing surface, the collet chuck sleeve 21 was inserted into and fixed to the fitting inlet 22 of the polishing jig plate 2 with the fitting portions 23A and 23B matching. Thereafter, the collet tightening nut 27 of the collet chuck sleeve 21 is turned to loosen the collet portion 26, and the optical fiber ferrule 20 is rotated while observing the end face of the optical fiber ferrule 20 with a microscope in a state where the optical fiber ferrule 20 is rotatable. The parallelism between the center lines f1 and f2 of the optical fiber on the end face of the ferrule 20 and the reference lines S1 and S2 is matched, and the collet tightening nut 27 of the collet chuck sleeve 21 is tightened again to fasten the optical fiber ferrule 20 with the collet portion 26. Do it.
[0013]
Returning to FIGS. 1 and 2, the description will be continued. The polishing jig plate suspension mechanism 7 is provided on the optical fiber storage container 4 via a support rod 18 and has a disc 12 having a through hole 13 at the center through which the suspension string 10 passes, and is disposed on the disc 12. The T-shaped arm-shaped fulcrum 9 and the pulleys 11 provided at both ends of the arm-shaped fulcrum 9, and the polishing jig plate 2 is suspended at one end from the center hanging point 14 via the pulleys 11, 11, etc. A suspension string 10 suspends a balance weight 8 at the end, and rotates in conjunction with the polishing jig plate 2. The weight of the balance weight 8 can be appropriately changed. The optical fiber storage container 4 is formed of a plastic material to reduce the weight, and the optical fiber through which the optical fiber F led out from the collet chuck sleeve 21 passes through the suspending cord 10 of the polishing jig plate suspending mechanism 7 at the center. An insertion hole 5 is provided. Further, a pair of rollers 15 is attached to the tip of the holding cylinder support 6 which is in contact with the holding cylinder 3, and the roller 15 is supported by an arm 16, and the arm 16 is fixed to the polishing jig 1 separately. A gap d is provided between the outer periphery of the polishing jig plate 2 and the inner periphery of the holding cylinder 3, and the polishing jig plate 2 is loosely fitted in the holding cylinder 3. The load of the holding cylinder 3, the optical fiber container 4, and the polishing jig plate suspension mechanism 7 is not applied. Since the holding cylinder 3 and the polishing jig plate 2 are in contact with the polishing platen 30, they rotate in the same direction as the rotation direction of the polishing platen 30 by the frictional force with the polishing platen 30, and the end face of the optical fiber ferrule 20. Polishing is performed.
[0014]
【The invention's effect】
The polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule of the present invention can collectively polish a large number of optical fiber ferrules inserted into a collet chuck sleeve without increasing the size of a polishing apparatus, thereby improving polishing efficiency. In addition, the polishing pressure applied to the end face of the optical fiber ferrule can be adjusted to a desired appropriate polishing pressure, and an excellent optical fiber ferrule with stable quality can be provided. In addition, even when the end face of the optical fiber ferrule is polished to an oblique surface, the inclination direction of the polished surface of the ferrule can be accurately matched with the arrangement direction of the optical fibers, and the connection efficiency of the optical fiber ferrule is significantly improved. Can be.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of one embodiment of a polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a front view of a collet chuck sleeve according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state where a polishing jig plate and a collet chuck sleeve according to the present invention are inserted.
FIG. 5 is a top view of a polishing jig plate according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a two-core optical fiber ferrule polished obliquely.
FIG. 1A is a side view thereof, and FIG. 1B is a front view thereof.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a polarization-maintaining optical fiber ferrule polished obliquely.
FIG. 1A is a side view thereof, and FIG. 1B is a front view thereof.
FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of a collet chuck sleeve.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory side view of a main part of a conventional polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory top view showing a driving state of a conventional optical fiber ferrule polishing apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Polishing jig of optical fiber ferrule 2 Polishing jig plate 3 Holding tube 4 Optical fiber storage container 5 Optical fiber insertion hole 6 Holding tube support 7 Polishing jig plate hanging mechanism 8 Weight 9 Support point 10 Hanging string 11 Pulley 12 Disk 13 Insertion Hole 14 Hanging Point 15 of Polishing Jig Plate 15 Roller 16 Support Arm 17, 18 Support Rod 20 Optical Fiber Ferrule 21 Collet Chuck Sleeve 22 Fitting Portions 23A, 23B Fitting Part 28 Fixing Plate 30 Polishing Plate F Optical Fiber θ, α1, α2 Angle d gap

Claims (3)

A polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule used when pressing an end surface of an optical fiber ferrule attached to a collet chuck sleeve against a rotating polishing platen to perform polishing, wherein a collet chuck sleeve to which an optical fiber ferrule is attached is detachably fitted. A polishing jig plate having a fitting inlet for fixing the polishing jig plate, a holding cylinder for loosely holding the polishing jig plate on a polishing platen surface, and an optical fiber insertion hole in a bottom surface detachably connected to an upper portion of the holding cylinder. A polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule comprising: an optical fiber storage container having: a holding cylinder support for rotatably supporting the holding cylinder on a polishing platen surface; and a fulcrum provided outside the polishing jig plate. A polishing jig plate suspension mechanism that suspends the polishing jig plate at one end and a balance weight at the other end around the fulcrum is provided so as to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the polishing jig plate. Polishing jig of the optical fiber ferrule, characterized. The polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule according to claim 1, wherein an axis of a fitting inlet of the polishing jig plate is formed with an inclination angle of θ ° with respect to a perpendicular to a plane of a polishing platen, and the collet chuck sleeve and A polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule, wherein a fitting portion for regulating a fitting position is provided at a fitting entrance of the polishing jig plate. 3. The polishing jig for an optical fiber ferrule according to claim 1, wherein said polishing jig plate has at least six fitting inlets for said collet chuck sleeve.

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