JP4060071B2 - Optical connector ferrule polishing jig and polishing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a polishing jig and a polishing apparatus applied to polishing an optical connector ferrule.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, as a polishing apparatus for polishing a joining end face of an optical connector ferrule used in an SC type optical connector (SC: Single fiber Coupling optical fiber connector) established in JIS C 5973, a rotating disk-shaped polishing disk is used. The optical connector ferrule is fixed to a polishing jig provided at a fixed position, the joining end face of the optical connector ferrule is brought into contact with the polishing board, and the joining end face is polished by rotating the polishing board in this state. The configuration is common.
[0003]
6A and 6B show an example of a polishing jig applied to the polishing apparatus as described above.
6 (a) and 6 (b), the polishing jig 30 fixes the optical connector ferrule 33 so as to be detachable by fixing portions 32 provided at a plurality of locations on the outer peripheral portion of the plate-shaped jig body 31. It is like that. The fixing portion 32 is screwed into the jig main body 31 by screwing a screw member 35 screwed into a presser block 34 fixed to the side of the jig main body 31 toward the side of the jig main body 31. The optical connector ferrule 33 housed in the formed housing groove 36 is pressed and fixed to the inner surface of the housing groove 36. When the screw member 35 is rotated in the reverse direction, the fixing of the optical connector ferrule 33 by the presser block 34 is released.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the conventional polishing jig described above has a structure in which the optical connector ferrule is directly fixed to the jig body, it takes time to fix a large number of optical fiber ferrules to the jig body while adjusting the fixing position. It was.
Further, the tip shape (polishing shape) of the optical connector ferrule may be polished into a slope, a truncated cone, a spherical shape, etc. in addition to a simple flat surface. In an optical connector ferrule having a polarization maintaining optical fiber (polarization plane preserving optical fiber) capable of propagating light while maintaining the polarization plane direction of propagating light, in the case of a polished shape other than such a flat surface, Although it is necessary to match the polishing surface and the polarization plane direction of the optical fiber so as to have a predetermined relationship, the conventional polishing jig is difficult to make a polishing shape other than a flat surface, and the productivity is poor.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a polishing jig capable of efficiently polishing the tip of an optical connector ferrule into a shape other than a flat surface.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a polishing jig to which an optical connector ferrule having a generally cylindrical rod shape that is polished by a polishing machine is fixed, and is a plate-shaped jig that holds the optical connector ferrule. At least one holder that is detachably attached to the tool body, and a chuck part that presses and fixes the two holders between the jig body by two pressing members. A plurality of holders are arranged around the holder, and the holder can be fixed around the jig main body by fixing between the pressing member constituting the chuck part and the jig main body. It is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the jig body and is mounted so as to be positioned above the polishing machine facing surface, and a V groove is formed in the holder. Me-decided is made, the pressing member is formed in an L-shape, the chuck portion, the holder, is mounted on the side opposite to the side to be pressed to enter a corner portion formed in the jig body wherein Provided is a polishing jig for an optical connector ferrule, characterized in that it comprises springs that urge both ends of a pressing member in a direction away from the jig body.
The optical connector ferrule preferably has a polarization maintaining optical fiber fixed thereto.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a polishing apparatus provided with the above-described polishing jig.
[0007]
Since the polishing jig of the present invention has at least one holder that is detachably attached to the plate-shaped jig body while holding the optical connector ferrule, the optical connector ferrule is fixed to the holder, By attaching the holder to the jig body, the optical connector ferrule can be easily fixed. Also, when fixing the optical connector ferrule with the polarization maintaining optical fiber so that its polarization plane direction is aligned, the optical connector ferrule is mounted on the holder so that the polarization plane direction is fixed. By holding together and fixing the holder to the jig body, the polarization plane direction can be adjusted accurately and easily, and the workability is excellent.
Also, by attaching the holder to the peripheral edge of the jig body so as to be positioned above the polishing machine facing surface of the jig main body, the tip of the optical connector ferrule is polished at an angle, etc. It becomes easy to form.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In the present invention, the optical connector ferrule fixed to the polishing jig is not particularly limited, and includes any of a single mode (SM) optical fiber, a multimode (MM) optical fiber, and a polarization maintaining optical fiber. Various types can be used. In the present invention, the tip of the optical connector ferrule can be easily polished not only to a flat surface shape but also to various shapes such as a sloped shape. In particular, the tip of the optical connector ferrule provided with the polarization maintaining optical fiber is offset. Since the wavefront direction can be suitably used to accurately polish the slope shape in accordance with the predetermined direction, the following embodiment will be described by taking this case as an example.
[0009]
The optical connector ferrule used in the present embodiment is formed in a substantially cylindrical rod shape in appearance, and the tip portion of any one of the optical fibers is inserted in the center and fixed using an adhesive or the like. The material of the optical connector ferrule can be selected from various materials such as ceramics such as zirconia and alumina, and plastic, and also includes a ceramic part in which an optical fiber is fixed to the tip part to be polished. An optical connector ferrule that is held by a cylindrical sheath made of a metal such as stainless steel can also be used.
[0010]
FIG. 1 shows a polishing apparatus for an optical connector ferrule provided with a polishing jig according to the present invention, in which A is the optical connector ferrule, 1 is a polishing apparatus, 2 is a base portion, 3 is a polishing machine, and 4 is a support. Mechanisms 5 are polishing jigs.
The polishing apparatus 1 collectively polishes a large number of the optical connector ferrules A, and supports a polishing jig 5 to which the optical connector ferrules A are fixed at a predetermined position with respect to the polishing machine 3. A joining end face protruding from the polishing jig is polished by a polishing machine 3.
The polishing machine 3 is mounted on the base part 2 of the polishing apparatus 1 and polishes the joint end face of the optical connector ferrule A by a disk-like polishing board 7 that is rotationally driven by a driving force of a driving source 6 such as a motor. To do.
[0011]
The polishing jig 5 mounts the mounting protrusion 8a protruding from the lower surface side central portion of the plate-shaped jig main body 5A (see FIG. 2) on the smooth surface of the central portion of the polishing board 7, and The presser shaft 10a protruded toward the polishing machine 3 from the head portion 10 disposed above the polishing board 7 in a plurality of fixing holes 13 formed to open on the upper surface side of the jig body 8. , 10b are inserted into the polishing board 7 in a stable manner so as to be parallel to the polishing board 7. The head portion 10 is fixed on a support column 12 erected from the base portion 2.
Further, the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the jig main body 5A is prevented from coming into contact with the polishing disc 7 by a slight gap 11 secured between it and the polishing disc 7 by the protruding height of the mounting projection 8a. .
The polishing board 7 and the presser shafts 10a and 10b constitute a support mechanism 4 for supporting the polishing jig 5 at a predetermined position.
The presser shafts 10a and 10b can be moved up and down by an operation (for example, up and down movement) of an elevating lever 10c provided in the head portion 10, and when the polishing jig 5 is attached to and detached from the support mechanism 4, the polishing jig is lifted up. Can be released.
[0012]
As shown in FIG. 2, the polishing jig 5 includes a plate-shaped jig body 5A, a plurality of chuck portions 9 provided on the periphery thereof, and a plurality of each of the chuck portions 9 (2 in the example of FIG. 2). And a square holder 14 to which the individual is fixed. In this example, each holder 14 holds one optical connector ferrule A. The number of chuck units 9 to be installed, the number of holders 14 to which the chuck units 9 are fixed, and the number of optical connector ferrules A to be held by the holders 14 are not limited to this example, and can be appropriately increased or decreased.
[0013]
In the polishing jig 5, the chuck portion 9 for fixing the holder 14 is positioned above the peripheral surface of the jig body 5 </ b> A above the polishing machine facing surface as shown in FIG. 3. It is attached. The angle of the holder 14 fixed to the chuck portion 9 and / or the inclination angle of the chuck portion 9 with respect to the jig body 5A may be variable. By adopting such a variable structure, the tip of the optical connector ferrule A ( That is, it is easy to polish the polished surface) to a desired shape such as a flat surface shape, a slope shape, or a curved surface shape. Note that, as in the present embodiment, when the tip of the optical connector ferrule A provided with the polarization maintaining optical fiber is polished into a sloped shape, a predetermined angle with respect to the jig body 5A as shown in FIG. Each holder 14 is fixed to the inclined chuck portion 9, and the optical connector ferrule A is held by these holders 14, so that the optical connector ferrule A is polished in a state of facing the polishing board 7 obliquely. Is made. Therefore, the polished optical connector ferrule A is polished with its tip portion (polished surface) having an inclined shape.
[0014]
As shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the chuck portion 9 for fixing the holder 14 has a pressing member 16 for holding the square holder 14 between the jig main body 5A and the chuck member 9 by rotating in one direction. The pressing member 16 is pushed toward the jig body 5A side and turned in the opposite direction to weaken the pressing and release the holder 14 held between the screw 15 and the different end portions of the pressing member 16 from the jig body 5A. And springs 17 and 18 that are urged in the separating direction. The chuck portion 9 configured as described above is configured such that the holder 14 holding the optical connector ferrule A in a predetermined position is sandwiched between the pressing member and the jig main body 5A, and the screw 15 is rotated in the fastening direction to thereby hold the holder 14. Can be held firmly.
[0015]
As shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b), the holder 14 includes a main body in which a V-groove 20 for accommodating the optical connector ferrule A is formed, a holding member 19 rotatably attached to the main body, And a bolt 21 to be screwed into a screw hole of the main body through a through hole provided in the holding member 19. The holder 14 is firmly placed without shifting the position of the optical connector ferrule A by placing the optical connector ferrule A along the V-groove 20 of the main body, covering the holding member 19, inserting the bolt 21, and fastening it. Can be held in. It should be noted that the direction adjustment for adjusting the polarization plane direction of the optical connector ferrule A can be performed by appropriately loosening the fastening of the bolt 21.
[0016]
A method of polishing the tip surface of the optical connector ferrule A using the polishing jig 5 configured in this manner will be described. First, the optical connector ferrule A to be polished is held in the holder 14 as shown in FIG. . The optical connector ferrule A is held in such a positional relationship that the tip comes into contact with the polishing board 7 while being attached to the polishing jig 5. Further, when the tip of the optical connector ferrule A provided with the polarization maintaining optical fiber is polished into a slope shape, the polarization plane direction needs to be matched with a predetermined direction of the slope, for example, the core and stress applying portions on both sides thereof. In the case of a polarization-maintaining optical fiber composed of a clad and surrounding clad, either the axial direction connecting the two stress applying portions or the direction orthogonal thereto is aligned toward the valley of the V groove 20 of the holder 14. Adjust as follows. The adjustment of the polarization plane direction can be performed by using a magnifying observation means such as a microscope. If any of the optical connector ferrules A is provided with a label for displaying the polarization plane direction, this sign Can be performed by aligning them in a predetermined direction. After such adjustment of the polarization plane direction, the bolt 21 is screwed and fastened to the main body to hold the optical connector ferrule A so as not to move. Since holding of the optical connector ferrule A to the holder 14 can be performed before polishing, and the operation of fixing the holder 14 whose polarization plane direction has been adjusted in advance to the polishing jig can be performed quickly, Compared with the case where the optical connector ferrule A is directly attached to the polishing jig while adjusting the polarization plane direction, the optical connector ferrule A can be fixed in a short time, and the efficiency of the polishing work can be improved.
[0017]
Next, the holder 14 whose polarization plane direction has been adjusted in advance is fixed to the chuck portion 9 of the polishing jig 5. As shown in FIG. 4, two holders 14 are fixed to each chuck portion 9 in this example. The holder 14 can be fixed by being sandwiched between the pressing member 16 of the optical connector ferrule A and the jig body 5A and fastening the screw 15. Thus, the holder 14 can be firmly fixed by holding the holder 14 between the pressing members 16 biased by the springs 17 and 18 and fastening the pressing members 16 with the screws 15. It can be done easily and quickly.
[0018]
After a desired number of holders 14 are fixed to the polishing jig 5, the polishing jig 5 is mounted on the polishing apparatus 1 and the polishing board 7 is driven to rotate to polish the tips of the plurality of optical connector ferrules A at a stroke. . As described above, in this example, the optical connector ferrule A is in contact with the polishing board 7 at an angle, so that the tip of the optical connector ferrule A after polishing has a slope shape. Without being limited to this example, variously shaped polishing surfaces can be formed by appropriately changing the angle of the optical connector ferrule A with respect to the polishing board 7.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the polishing jig of the present invention is configured to include at least one holder that is detachably attached to the plate-shaped jig body while holding the optical connector ferrule. The fixing operation of the optical connector ferrule is facilitated by fixing the ferrule and attaching the holder to the jig body. Also, when fixing the optical connector ferrule with the polarization maintaining optical fiber so that its polarization plane direction is aligned, the optical connector ferrule is mounted on the holder so that the polarization plane direction is fixed. By holding together and fixing the holder to the jig body, the polarization plane direction can be adjusted accurately and easily, and the workability is excellent.
Also, by attaching the holder to the peripheral edge of the jig body so as to be positioned above the polishing machine facing surface of the jig main body, the tip of the optical connector ferrule is polished at an angle, etc. It becomes easy to form.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a polishing apparatus for polishing an optical connector ferrule provided with a polishing jig of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a polishing jig according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the same polishing jig.
4A and 4B show a chuck portion of the polishing member, wherein FIG. 4A is a plan view with a partial cross-sectional view, and FIG. 4B is a side view.
5A and 5B show a holder for the polishing member, where FIG. 5A is a side view and FIG. 5B is a plan view.
6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating an example of a conventional polishing jig, where FIG. 6A is a bottom view illustrating the entire polishing jig, and FIG. 6B is a plan view illustrating the vicinity of a fixing portion of an optical connector ferrule. .
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Polishing apparatus, 2 ... Base part, 3 ... Polishing machine, 4 ... Support mechanism, 5 ... Polishing jig, 5A ... Jig body, 9 ... Chuck part, 14 ... Holder, 15 ... Screw, 16 ... Pressing member, 17, 18 ... Spring, 19 ... Holding member, 20 ... V groove, 21 ... Bolt, A ... Optical connector ferrule.

Claims (3)

A polishing jig to which an optical connector ferrule (A) having a substantially cylindrical rod shape to be polished by a polishing machine (3) is fixed,
At least one holder (14) that is detachably attached to the plate-shaped jig body (5A) while holding the optical connector ferrule, and the two holders are connected to the jig body by two pressing members (16). A chuck portion (9) for pressing and fixing in between,
A plurality of the chuck portions are arranged around the jig body (5A),
The holder can be fixed around the jig body by fixing between the pressing member and the jig body constituting the chuck portion,
The chuck portion is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the jig body, and is mounted so as to be positioned above the surface of the jig body facing the polishing machine, and the holder has a V-groove, whereby an optical connector ferrule Is positioned,
The pressing member is formed in an L shape, and the chuck portion is mounted on the opposite side of the pressing member to the side of the holder that is opposite to the side that is pressed by the corner formed in the jig body. A polishing jig (5) for an optical connector ferrule, characterized in that it comprises springs (17, 18) that are biased in a direction away from the jig body (5A).   2. The optical connector ferrule polishing jig according to claim 1, wherein the optical connector ferrule is a fixed polarization-maintaining optical fiber.   A polishing apparatus comprising the polishing jig according to claim 1.

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