JP4213094B2 - Optical connector assembly tool and optical connector manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector assembling tool used for inserting an optical fiber into an optical fiber insertion hole opened in a front end face of a ferrule of the optical connector, and a method for manufacturing the optical connector.

For example, in an operation of terminating an optical fiber so as to be able to be butt-connected with an MT type optical connector (hereinafter also referred to as an MT ferrule) defined in JIS C 5981 or the like, an optical fiber is inserted into an optical fiber insertion hole formed in the optical connector. There is a step of inserting (bare optical fiber).
Conventionally, as an optical connector assembly tool used for inserting an optical fiber into an optical fiber insertion hole of a ferrule, a ferrule fixing portion for fixing a ferrule on a base, an optical fiber holder holding an optical fiber, and a ferrule fixing A fiber support that moves the tip of the optical fiber held by the optical fiber holder by moving toward the portion, and a ferrule tip that moves toward the ferrule fixing portion and is fixed to the ferrule fixing portion. There is known an optical connector assembling tool including a positioning member (head) for positioning a front end surface of an optical fiber positioned in an optical fiber insertion hole of a ferrule by abutting (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

When this type of optical connector assembly tool is used, the procedure for inserting the optical fiber into the optical fiber insertion hole of the ferrule is as follows. First, the ferrule is fixed to the ferrule fixing portion. Next, after the coating at the tip of the optical fiber is removed (extruded), the optical fiber is held by the fiber holder. Next, the fiber holder is placed on the fiber support portion, and the fiber support portion is slid together with the fiber holder toward the ferrule fixing portion, thereby inserting the tip end portion (bare optical fiber) of the optical fiber into the ferrule. Next, the optical fiber is inserted and positioned in the optical fiber insertion hole by moving the positioning member toward the ferrule fixing portion and bringing it into contact with the tip surface of the ferrule. After insertion of the optical fiber, an adhesive is injected into the ferrule to fix the optical fiber to the ferrule and remove it from the tool.
JP 2002-221640 A

  By the way, in recent years, an MT ferrule having a shorter optical fiber insertion hole than the JIS standard product may be used in view of the demand for high speed assembly of the optical connector (reduction of work time). However, in this case, since the optical fiber insertion hole is short, for example, as shown in FIG. 16, the position of the optical fiber 102 is likely to be biased in the optical fiber insertion hole 101 due to the insertion angle or bending of the optical fiber with respect to the ferrule. In particular, there is a problem that the position of the tip of the optical fiber 102 is likely to be eccentric in the optical fiber insertion hole 101.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an optical connector assembling tool capable of ensuring positioning accuracy of an optical fiber in an optical fiber insertion hole even when a ferrule having a short optical fiber insertion hole is used. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing an optical connector.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following solutions.
The present invention is an optical connector assembly tool used for assembling an optical connector by inserting an optical fiber into an optical fiber insertion hole opened at the distal end surface of the ferrule of the optical connector and attaching the ferrule to the distal end of the optical fiber. And a ferrule holding part for detachably holding the ferrule at one end, and a positioning for positioning the end face of the optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole by coming into contact with the front end face of the ferrule held by the ferrule holding part And an optical fiber insertion base in which an optical fiber guide groove extending toward the ferrule holding portion extends on the upper surface, and the optical fiber insertion base is in a state where the optical fiber is pressed. The optical fiber guide groove is allowed to slide along the direction in which the optical fiber guide groove extends, and the light stored in the optical fiber guide groove A feed holding member that feeds the fiber toward the ferrule holding portion, and an abutment of the positioning member against the ferrule that is disposed farther from the ferrule holding portion than the feed holding member and is held by the ferrule holding portion When the optical fiber is pushed out backward from the ferrule in the butting direction, a fixing pressing member that functions as a stopper that holds the optical fiber and restricts retraction, and the ferrule more than the feeding pressing member The optical fiber disposed on the side close to the holding portion and holding the optical fiber disposed on the optical fiber guide groove, and the rearward in the butting direction from the ferrule accompanying the abutment of the positioning member against the ferrule held in the ferrule holding portion When the optical fiber is pushed out, To provide an optical connector assembly tool, characterized in that the prevention pressing member lifting to permit retraction of the driver is mounted side by side in the extending direction of the optical fiber guide grooves.
Further, in the present invention, an optical connector assembly tool used for assembling an optical connector by inserting an optical fiber into an optical fiber insertion hole opened at the distal end surface of the ferrule of the optical connector, and attaching the ferrule to the distal end of the optical fiber. A ferrule holding part that detachably holds the ferrule at one end, and an end face of the optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole by abutting against a front end face of the ferrule held by the ferrule holding part And an optical fiber insertion base in which an optical fiber guide groove extending toward the ferrule holding portion extends on the upper surface, and the optical fiber insertion base holds the optical fiber. The sliding along the extending direction of the optical fiber guide groove is allowed, and is accommodated in the optical fiber guide groove. A feeding pressing member that feeds the optical fiber toward the ferrule holding portion, and a positioning member for the ferrule that is disposed on a side farther from the ferrule holding portion than the feeding pressing member and is held by the ferrule holding portion. When the optical fiber is pushed out from the ferrule in the abutting direction due to the abutment, a fixing pressing member that functions as a stopper that holds the optical fiber and restricts the backward movement is extended to the optical fiber guide groove. The optical fiber disposed on the optical fiber guide groove is pressed against the feeding pressing member, and the positioning member is abutted against the ferrule held by the ferrule holding portion. Pushing the optical fiber backward from the ferrule in the butting direction A lifting prevention pressing member that allows the optical fiber to move backward is provided so as to slide and move along the extending direction of the optical fiber guide groove integrally with the feeding pressing member, Moreover, the optical connector assembly tool is characterized in that the feeding pressing member can be opened and closed with respect to the optical fiber guide groove independently of the lifting prevention pressing member.
In the optical connector assembling tool according to claim 1, a configuration in which the ferrule holding part is provided on a base that is rotatably connected to the optical fiber insertion base may be employed.
Moreover, the structure by which the said ferrule holding | maintenance part is provided in the base by which the slider holding the said positioning member is slidably moved is also employable.
Further, in the present invention, in an optical connector manufacturing method of assembling an optical connector with an optical fiber by inserting an optical fiber into an optical fiber insertion hole opened at the distal end surface of the ferrule, attaching the ferrule to the distal end of the optical fiber, Using the optical connector assembly tool, the optical fiber is pressed by the fixing pressing member, and the optical fiber is fed toward the ferrule holding portion by the feeding pressing member and inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole of the ferrule. The optical fiber is pressed by the lifting prevention pressing member in a state of protruding from the leading end surface of the ferrule, and the positioning member is pressed against the leading end surface of the ferrule to push the optical fiber backward in the butting direction. In a state bent between the fixing pressing member To provide a manufacturing method of an optical connector which is characterized by adhering and fixing the optical fiber to the ferrule.
In this manufacturing method, the optical connector assembling tool includes the ferrule holding portion provided on a base that is rotatably connected to the optical fiber insertion base, and the optical fiber is assembled by abutting the positioning member. A positioning step of positioning the end face of the optical fiber , and in this positioning step, by adjusting the orientation of the optical fiber insertion base with respect to the base, the orientation of the optical fiber becomes parallel to the central axis of the optical fiber insertion hole. so that the state was maintained as.
Further, in this manufacturing method, the positioning step is performed after the optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole of the ferrule, and is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole by joining a positioning member to the tip surface of the ferrule. It may be a step of positioning the end face of the optical fiber by pushing the used optical fiber toward the rear end side opposite to the tip end face of the ferrule by the positioning member.

According to the present invention, when the ferrule and the positioning member are brought into contact with each other, the positioning member with respect to the ferrule held by the ferrule holding part is opened by opening the holding member for feeding (separating from the optical fiber guide groove). When the optical fiber is pushed out from the ferrule in the abutting direction due to the abutment of the member, the optical fiber is bent between the lifting prevention pressing member and the fixing pressing member. Thereby, it can be confirmed surely and easily that the optical fiber has hit the positioning member. Further, at this time, due to the bending formed in the optical fiber, the force of the optical fiber to return to the linear shape due to the rigidity of the optical fiber itself acts as an abutment force of the optical fiber against the positioning member. The abutting of the optical fiber with respect to the positioning member and the positioning of the tip of the optical fiber in the ferrule are reliably performed.
Further, in the present invention, when the optical fiber is bent, the optical fiber is prevented from being lifted by the lifting prevention pressing member between the ferrule held by the ferrule holding portion and the lifting prevention member. Therefore, the orientation and position of the optical fiber in the ferrule can be prevented from being affected by the bending of the optical fiber. For this reason, for example, the uneven distribution of the optical fiber in the optical fiber insertion hole of the ferrule can be prevented, and the axis between the axis of the optical fiber insertion hole of the ferrule and the center (optical axis) of the optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole. Accurate alignment accuracy can be ensured. As a result, desired optical characteristics can be reliably ensured in the optical connector. Further, for example, even when a ferrule with a short optical fiber insertion hole is used, there is an advantage that the above-described alignment accuracy can be easily secured. Further, the inner diameter of the ferrule optical fiber insertion hole is slightly larger than the diameter (outer diameter) of the optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole, and the optical fiber insertion hole is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole when the optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole. Even if clearance occurs in the optical fiber, the tip position of the optical fiber inserted in the optical fiber insertion hole (specifically, the optical axis) deviates greatly from the axis of the optical fiber insertion hole (the cross-sectional direction of the optical fiber insertion hole). In such a way that the deviation from the axis of the optical fiber insertion hole can be kept within a very small range. The effect of preventing the uneven distribution of the optical fiber tip position in the optical fiber insertion hole (preventing or suppressing the displacement of the optical fiber tip position with respect to the axis of the optical fiber insertion hole) is not limited to the case where the optical fiber is bent, This can be said in the operation of inserting and positioning the optical fiber into the optical fiber insertion hole of the ferrule, including the case where there is no bending formation.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of an optical connector assembly tool, where FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a front view. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the structure of the slider of the optical connector assembling tool. 3 is a view showing the relationship between the base of the optical connector assembling tool and the slider, and is a side view (left side view) seen from the left side of FIG. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the relationship between the optical fiber insertion base of the optical connector assembling tool and the grooved guide member, and FIG. 5 is a master ferrule as a positioning member incorporated in the slider. FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway front view showing an example of a master ferrule, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a ferrule, and FIG. 8 abuts the end faces of the ferrule and the master ferrule. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining how an optical fiber is inserted into a ferrule.

As shown in FIG. 7, here, the ferrule 1 is an MT type optical connector ferrule defined in, for example, JIS C 5981.
An insertion port 6a communicating with the inner space 4 of the ferrule 1 is opened on the rear end surface 6 facing the joining end surface 5 of the ferrule 1, so that the optical fiber 3 can be inserted into the ferrule 1 from the insertion port 6a. It has become. Further, a boot 6b for protecting the optical fiber 3 can be fitted into the insertion port 6a.
Although it does not specifically limit as the optical fiber 3, For example, multi-fiber optical fibers, such as an optical fiber tape core wire, single-core optical fiber core wire, etc. can be used. The number of cores of the optical fiber core is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include single core, 2 cores, 4 cores, 8 cores, 10 cores, and 12 cores.

One or a plurality of optical fiber insertion holes 2 are opened in an arrayed state on the joining end face 5 of the ferrule 1. The bare optical fiber 3 a exposed at the tip of the optical fiber 3 can be inserted and positioned in each of the optical fiber insertion holes 2. The end of each optical fiber insertion hole 2 opposite to the ferrule joint end face 5 side communicates with the internal space 4 of the ferrule 1.
A pair of guide pin holes (not shown) are formed on both sides of the optical fiber insertion hole 2 so that the guide pins can be inserted and fitted into the guide pin holes.

Further, the ferrule 1 has a window 4a that is opened on a side surface other than the joining end surface 5 and the rear end surface 6 and communicates with the internal space 4. The window 4a is used for injecting an adhesive into the internal space 4. it can.
In the ferrule 1, a base portion 4b is projected from the bottom surface of the internal space 4 facing the window 4a. The guide portion 4b is formed with a guide groove 4c extending from the end of the optical fiber insertion hole 2 on the inner space 4 side. The invitation groove 4c is visible from the outside of the ferrule 1 through the window 4a. The guiding groove 4 c is provided for each optical fiber insertion hole 2, and the optical fiber 3 inserted into the guiding groove 4 c is pushed toward the joining end surface 5, so that the optical fiber 3 is smoothly inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole 2. Can be guided to. The cross-sectional shape of the guide groove 4c is not particularly limited, and a round groove, a U groove, a V groove, a square groove, or the like can be adopted.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, an optical connector assembling tool 10 of the present invention includes a base 20 provided with a ferrule holding portion 21 that detachably holds a ferrule 1 and a light that is rotatably attached to the base 20. The end face of the optical fiber 3 inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole 2 of the ferrule 1 is positioned by contacting the fiber insertion base 30 and the joining end face 5 that is the front end face of the ferrule 1 held by the ferrule holder 21. And a slider 90 attached to the base 20 so as to be slidable in a direction to move forward and backward toward the ferrule holding portion 21 while holding the positioning member 13.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base 20 includes the ferrule holding portion 21 and a base main body 23 in which a guide groove 22 for guiding the slider 90 so as to be slidable is formed.
The ferrule holding portion 21 extends in the extending direction (FIGS. 1A and 1B) of the guide groove 22 at one end portion in the extending direction of the base body 23 (FIGS. 1A and 1B and the horizontal direction in FIG. 2). ) And an extension in the horizontal direction of FIG. The ferrule holding part 21 is erected on one end part in the extending direction of the base body 23, and is composed of a pair of struts 21b each having a mounting pin 21a at each tip part. Both struts 21b are aligned in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the guide groove 22 of the base body 23 (the vertical direction in FIG. 1A). A connecting shaft 31a that pivotally supports the optical fiber insertion base 30 is passed through the column 21b.
The ferrule holding part 21 is configured to detachably hold the ferrule 1 by inserting and fitting the mounting pin 21a into the guide pin hole of the ferrule 1 from the rear end face 6 side of the ferrule 1. . The distance between the mounting pins 21 a is the same as the distance between the guide pin holes of the ferrule 1.

  Further, a pair of locking pieces 24 for locking the slider 90 that moves forward and backward with respect to the ferrule holding portion 21 by sliding movement along the base main body 23 is provided on the base main body 23. . The locking piece 24 is a pin that is fixed to the base main body 23 and protrudes from the base main body 23 (hereinafter also referred to as a locking pin), and the slider 90 is located on the base main body 23 more than the pair of locking pins 24. When the slider 90 is slid from the other end side (the side opposite to the ferrule holding portion 21) toward the ferrule holding portion 21 along the base main body 23, the slider 90 is formed on both left and right sides (FIG. 1 (a) up and down). The locking pieces 95 (described later) protruding from the locking release lever 94, which is an elastic piece, are engaged with the locking pins 24 (see FIG. 10). And locked. When the locking piece 95 is engaged with the locking pin 24, the slider 90 is restricted from moving in the direction in which the distance from the ferrule holding portion 21 increases.

Specifically, the slider 90 is a resin-integrated molded product, and the unlocking lever 94 of the slider 90 is provided with an elastic connecting portion 94a projecting on both the left and right sides of the slider main body 91, and a ferrule is held from the elastic connecting portion 94a. And an operation piece 94b protruding toward the portion 21 side. The locking piece 95 protrudes from the operation piece 94b toward the front side (the ferrule holding part 21 side). A clearance 94c is provided between each unlocking lever 94 and the slider main body 91 so that the locking release lever 94 can be pushed into the slide main body 91.
In the present invention, the slider 90 is not limited to a resin integrated molded product, and may be constructed from a plurality of parts.

As shown in FIG. 10, the slider 90 is separated from the ferrule holding part 21 (that is, a locking protrusion 95 a (described later) of the locking piece 95 is opposite to the ferrule holding part 21 via the locking pin 24. (Hereinafter also referred to as a standby position), the locking protrusions projecting from the side of the locking piece 95 when moved toward the ferrule holding part 21 by sliding along the base body 23. An inclined surface 95b formed on 95a is brought into contact with the locking pin 24 (see FIG. 11B). Here, when the movement of the slider 90 is continued, the inclined surface 95b is pressed by the locking pin 24, and the locking piece 95 is elastically deformed (in the figure, the reverse of the locking piece 95 from the slider main body 91). Since the locking pin 24 is in contact with the side surface on the side, the locking piece 95 is elastically deformed so as to approach the slider body 91). When the locking projection 95a gets over the locking pin 24, the locking piece 95 is elastically restored, and the locking piece 95 engages with the locking pin 24 (see FIGS. 10 and 11C). The engagement between the locking piece 95 and the locking pin 24 is performed simultaneously on both the left and right sides of the slider 90.
As a result, the slider 90 is locked by the locking pin 24 so that it cannot move in the direction in which the distance from the ferrule holding portion 21 increases (the position at the time of locking is also referred to as a locking position hereinafter). ).

The engagement between the locking pin 24 and the locking piece 95 can be easily released by operating the locking release levers 94 formed on both sides of the slider 90 to be pushed into the slider body 91 side.
The locking release lever 94 is an elastic piece provided on both sides of the slider body 91, and is engaged with the locking piece 95 and the locking pin 24 by being pushed toward the slider body 91 side. It can be canceled. The direction in which the distance from the ferrule holding portion 21 increases by sliding the slider 90 along the base body 23 while maintaining the disengaged state between the two locking pins 24 and the locking piece 95. To the position where it is impossible to re-engage (standby position), that is, the position where the locking projection 95a of the locking piece 95 is on the side opposite to the ferrule holding portion 21 via the locking pin 24. Can be placed. In the optical connector assembly tool 10 of the illustrated example, the standby position is from a position where the locking piece 95 contacts the locking pin 24 from the side opposite to the ferrule holding portion 21 as shown in FIG. It refers to the range to the reverse limit position described later.

In the slider 90, a guide protrusion 96 protruding from the slider body 91 is inserted into a guide groove 22 having a shape recessed from the upper surface 23 a of the base body 23. The slider 90 can smoothly move forward and backward with respect to the ferrule holding portion 21 by sliding the slider 90 so as to slide on the upper surface 23 a of the base body 23 while guiding the guide protrusion 96 on the inner surface of the guide groove 22. The slide movement of the slider 90 on the base body 23 can be performed, for example, when the user of the optical connector assembly tool 10 pushes and moves the slider 90 with fingers.
The slider 90 has a retaining protrusion 96a (see FIG. 1) protruding from the side of the guide protrusion 96 on the inner surface (specifically, the inner surface on both sides) of the guide groove 22 in the longitudinal direction of the guide groove 22. Since the guide protrusion 25 (see FIG. 3) formed along the base main body 23 is slid along the base main body 23 while maintaining the state of being arranged below, It does not escape to the upper surface 23a side. Further, the slider 90 has a position where the guide protrusion 25 abuts against a stopper wall 22a formed on the end of the guide groove 22 on the ferrule holding part 21 side (near the ferrule holding part 21). The position where the guide protrusion 25 abuts against the end stopper 22b provided near the other end of the base body 23 (the left side in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2) is the other position of the base 20. The movement limit (retreat limit position) toward the end is set so as not to be detached from the base 20. Further, the end stopper 22b can be attached to and detached from the base 20. By removing the end stopper 22b from the base 20, the guide protrusion 25 can be extracted from the end of the guide groove 22 on the other end side of the base 20, The slider 90 can be detached from the base 20.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the positioning member 13 is an MT type optical connector (MT ferrule) defined in JIS C 5981 or the like here, and hereinafter, the positioning member is referred to as a master ferrule. May be explained.
A pair of guide pin holes 13h are formed in the joining end surface 13a, which is the front end surface of the master ferrule 13, and the guide pins 13c are fitted and fixed in the guide pin holes 13h. Further, one or a plurality of optical fiber insertion holes 13b are arranged on the joint end surface 13a between the pair of guide pin holes 13h (in the example illustrated in FIG. 5, four optical fiber insertion holes 13b are provided. Opened in a row. In each optical fiber insertion hole 13b, an optical fiber 13d (here, a bare optical fiber, hereinafter, the optical fiber 13d is also referred to as a bare optical fiber) is inserted and fixed. The tip of the optical fiber 13 d protrudes from the joining end surface 13 a of the master ferrule 13. Reference numeral 13e denotes an end face of the bare optical fiber 13d (an end face at the tip protruding from the joining end face 13a), and 13f denotes a flange portion of the master ferrule 13.

As shown in FIG. 2, the master ferrule 13 is housed together with a spring 92 (coil spring) and a spring retaining member 93 in a through hole 97 formed in the slider main body 91 of the slider 90. The through hole 97 is formed across a front end surface 91a facing the ferrule holding portion 21 side of the slider main body 91 of the slider 90 and a rear end surface 91b on the opposite side to the front end surface 91a. As shown in FIG. 5, the spring fastening member 93 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape, and is rotated around the axis in a state of being inserted into the through hole 97, and is protruded from the side portion of the spring fastening member 93. The locking projection 93a is inserted into a locking hole (not shown) formed in the slider main body 91 so that the slider main body 91 is locked and the movement of the through hole 97 in the axial direction is restricted. It is prevented from coming out of the through hole 97. As shown in FIG. 3, the spring fastening member 93 is operated to rotate with a tool or the like at a portion exposed to the rear end surface 91 b of the slider body 91 in a state where the spring fastening member 93 is inserted into the through hole 97 and locked to the slider body 91. A portion 93b is formed, and the slider body 91 can be easily locked and unlocked by a rotating operation. The operation portion 93b in the illustrated example has a minus groove shape capable of rotating the spring fastening member 93 by, for example, a coin (coin) or the like, but the operation portion is not limited to this and has various configurations. Can be adopted.
The biasing means according to the present invention is a coil spring here, but is not limited to this coil spring, for example, a spring such as a plate spring other than the coil spring, or a sponge-like resin foam, Various members that can be elastically deformed can be employed.
Further, the spring fastening member may be configured so that it can be easily fixed in the through hole 97 and detached from the through hole 97 by a rotation operation, and is not limited to the configuration in the illustrated example. It is also possible to employ a screw structure that is screwed to the surface.

As shown in FIG. 2, the master ferrule 13 protrudes from the front end surface 91 a of the slider main body 91 of the slider 90 in the vicinity of the joining end surface 13 a (tip portion). When the master ferrule 13 is pushed from the front end face 91a side to the rear end face 91b side, the spring 92 inserted between the master ferrule 13 and the spring retaining member 93 is pushed and contracted, and the master ferrule 13 is pushed from this pushed state. When the pushing force for pushing in is released, the biasing force of the spring 92 returns to the state where the tip end portion on the joining end face 13a side protrudes from the front end face 91a.
Although not shown, the master ferrule 13 is engaged with the flange 13f formed on the rear end surface side opposite to the joining end surface 13a of the master ferrule 13 in the through hole 97 of the slider 90 so that the master ferrule 13 is in the front end surface. A stopper is formed to prevent it from slipping out toward the 91a side.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the master ferrule 13 is detachably fitted to the ferrule 1 by inserting and fitting the guide pin 13 c into a guide pin hole (not shown) formed in the joining end surface 5 of the ferrule 1. (Connection) can be made. The pitch of the optical fiber insertion holes 13b of the master ferrule 13 is equal to the pitch of the optical fiber insertion holes 2 of the ferrule 1, and when the ferrule 1 and the master ferrule 13 are fitted, the ferrule 1 and the master ferrule 13 The positions of the optical fiber insertion holes 13b correspond to each other so that the optical fiber 13d of the master ferrule 13 enters the optical fiber insertion hole 2 of the ferrule 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical fiber insertion base 30 is rotatably attached to the base 20. In the present embodiment, as described above, the base 20 and the optical fiber insertion base 30 are coupled by the coupling shaft 31a that is penetrated by both the columns 21b of the ferrule holding part 21 of the base 20.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the optical fiber insertion base 30 includes a plate-shaped insertion base body 31, a grooved guide member 32 that is detachably attached to the insertion base body 31, an attachment shaft 34, Two fiber pressing members 36 and 37 (hereinafter also referred to as pressing members) and a rotation restricting mechanism 40 are provided.
The insertion base body 31 also functions as a grip portion that can be gripped with one hand by a user of the tool, and is formed in a planar view so as to be easily gripped with one hand. Further, a strap attachment portion 31s is formed on the side opposite to the side facing the base 20 of the insertion base body 31, and the user of the optical connector assembling tool 10 uses the strap attachment portion 31s. It can be easily carried by wrapping the strap attached to the wrist around the wrist.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 4A, and 4B, the grooved guide member 32 is a rectangular plate-shaped member. An optical fiber guide groove 33 for guiding insertion of the fiber 3 into the ferrule 1 is formed. The grooved guide member 32 is inserted into a guide member storage recess 31d formed in a shape recessed from the upper surface 31c of the insertion base body 31 with the one surface facing upward. Mounted on the main body 31. The optical fiber guide groove 33 of the grooved guide member 32 attached to the insertion base body 31 extends from a recessed portion 31b formed on one side facing the ferrule holding part 21 of the optical fiber insertion base 30 to the other side opposite thereto. Extended towards. The width (groove width) of the optical fiber guide groove 33 is formed corresponding to the width of the optical fiber 3 so that the optical fiber 3 can be positioned from both sides.

The optical fiber guide grooves 33 on both surfaces of the grooved guide member 32 have different groove widths. In FIG. 4, the optical fiber guide groove 33 having the wider groove width is denoted by reference numeral 33a, and the optical fiber guide groove 33 having the smaller groove width is denoted by reference numeral 33b. The grooved guide member 32 can be selectively used between the optical fiber guide grooves 33a and 33b having different groove widths by selecting the upper surface when the grooved guide member 32 is fitted into the guide member housing recess 31d of the insertion base body 31. It is also possible to select and use a grooved guide member 32 having an optical fiber guide groove having a groove width suitable for positioning of the optical fiber corresponding to the cross-sectional dimension of the optical fiber 3 to be inserted into the ferrule 1. Thereby, the versatility with respect to the cross-sectional dimension of the optical fiber 3 is obtained.
In FIG. 4, a two-core and four-core optical fiber ribbon is illustrated as the optical fiber 3, and one optical fiber guide groove 33a is for a four-fiber optical fiber ribbon, and the other optical fiber guide groove 33b is Although the optical fiber guide grooves 33a and 33b are exemplified for the two-fiber optical fiber ribbon, the optical fiber guide grooves 33a and 33b are not limited to those corresponding to the positioning of the optical fiber ribbon with the number of cores described above. A single-core optical fiber or an optical fiber can also be used as the optical fiber 3.

As shown in FIGS. 1 (a), 1 (b), 10 (a), and 10 (b), the extending direction of the optical fiber guide groove 33 is formed on the side of the optical fiber insertion base 30 (FIG. 1 (a)). , (B) in the left-right direction) is attached.
Fiber pressing members 35, 36, and 37 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as pressing members) for pressing the optical fiber 3 disposed on the optical fiber guide groove 33 are rotatably supported on the mounting shaft 34. ing.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 9, and 12, the holding members 35, 36, and 37 include base portions 35a, 36a, and 37a (pivoting portions) through which the attachment shaft 34 is inserted, and base portions 35a, 36a, and 37a, respectively. Plate-like lid portions 35b, 36b, and 37b extending from the plate. The lid portions 35 b, 36 b, and 37 b are configured to face the upper surface 31 c of the insertion base body 31 by turning around the attachment shaft 34. Buffer members 35d, 36d, and 37d such as rubber are fixed to the recesses 35b, 36c, and 37c formed on the surface of the lid portions 35b, 36b, and 37b facing the upper surface 31c of the insertion base body 31. The buffer members 35d, 36d, and 37d are disposed at locations that cover the optical fiber guide groove 33 when the lid portions 35b, 36b, and 37b face the upper surface 31c of the optical fiber insertion base 30. When the optical fiber is sandwiched between the cover 33 and the lid portions 35b, 36b, and 37b, the optical fiber comes into contact with the buffer members 35b, 36d, and 37d. Thereby, damage to the optical fiber can be suppressed.
However, the pressing members 35 and 37 have a thickness, material, etc. depending on the buffer member so that the pressing force for pressing the optical fiber 3 into the optical fiber guide groove 33 is smaller than the pressing member 36 that functions as a feeding pressing member. The pressing force is adjusted.

The mounting shaft 34 is supported by movement restricting protrusions 38 a, 38 b, 38 c, and 38 d that protrude from the insertion base body 31 at four locations in the longitudinal direction.
Of the three pressing members 35, 36, and 37, the pressing member 35 on the side close to the base 20 (hereinafter also referred to as a first pressing member) protrudes into the end (one end) on the base 20 side of the insertion base body 31. Provided between the provided movement restricting protrusion 38 a and the adjacent movement restricting protrusion 38 b and supported by the mounting shaft 34. The pressing member 36 (hereinafter also referred to as a second pressing member) is between the movement restricting projections 38b and 38c, and the pressing member 37 (hereinafter also referred to as the third pressing member) is a movement restricting projection 38b and 38d. In between, it is pivotally supported by the mounting shaft 34.
The pressing member 36 is slidable along the attachment shaft 34 within the range of the distance between the movement restricting protrusions 38b and 38c. On the other hand, the distance between the movement restricting protrusions 38a and 38b and the distance between the movement restricting protrusions 38c and 38d are set narrower than the distance between the movement restricting protrusions 38b and 38c. The slide movement along the mounting shaft 34 is restricted by the movement restricting protrusions on both sides.

The insertion table main body 31 is provided with a magnet 39 at a position facing the lid portion 37b when the third pressing member 37 is closed so as to overlap the upper surface 31c of the insertion table main body 31. Here, a magnet storage recess 39a that is recessed from the back surface of the insertion base body 31 is provided, and the magnet 39 is stored in the magnet storage recess 39a.
As a result, when the pressing member 37 faces the upper surface 31 c of the insertion table main body 31, the pressing force that sandwiches the optical fiber between the pressing member 37 and the upper surface 31 c of the optical fiber insertion table 30 by the attractive force of the magnet 39 is generated. It comes to work. However, the strength of this pressing force is such that it does not obstruct the operation of feeding the optical fiber 3 into the ferrule 1 held by the ferrule holding part 21 by the sliding movement along the mounting shaft 34 of the second pressing member 36.

Further, in the optical connector assembling tool of this embodiment, a rotation restricting mechanism 40 for restricting the rotation of the optical fiber insertion base 30 with respect to the base 20 is provided.
Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 10, the rotation restricting mechanism 40 is housed in the lever housing groove 41 formed on the back side facing the upper surface 31 c of the optical fiber insertion base 30 and in the lever housing groove 41. The stop lever 42, the support shaft 43 embedded in the optical fiber insertion base 30 and pivotally supporting the stop lever 42, the bottom surface 41 a of the lever housing groove 41, and one end 42 a of the stop lever 42 are formed. Spring receivers 44a and 44b (concave portions).
Here, the stop lever 42 is bent in a generally U shape so that both ends 42a and 42b are directed to the bottom surface 41a of the lever housing groove 41 when viewed from the front (see FIG. 1B). ) Reference) It extends in the extending direction of the optical fiber guide groove 33.
The support shaft 43 extends in substantially the same direction as the connecting shaft 31a. One end 42 a of the stop lever 42 is on the side opposite to the base 20 via the support shaft 43, and the other end 42 b is positioned closer to the base 20 than the support shaft 43.
The spring 44 applies a reaction force to the bottom surface 41a of the lever housing groove 41 and urges one end 42a of the stop lever 42 in a direction away from the bottom surface 41a (clockwise direction in FIG. 1B).

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the stop lever 42 is stopped by bringing the other end 42 b into contact with the bottom surface 41 a of the lever housing groove 41 in a state where no external force is applied. At this time, a clearance is secured between the other end 42b of the stop lever 42 and one end edge 20b of the base 20 facing the other end 42b. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the optical fiber insertion base 30 is allowed to rotate around the connecting shaft 31 a with respect to the base 20.

As shown in FIG. 10, when one end 42 a of the stop lever 42 is pressed with a finger or the like so as to compress the spring 44 against the urging force of the spring 44, the other end 42 b of the stop lever 42 is connected to the base 20. It abuts on one end edge 20b. As a result, in the optical fiber insertion base 30, the optical fiber guide groove of the grooved guide member 32 is parallel to the central axis (alignment axis) of the optical fiber insertion hole 2 of the ferrule 1 held by the ferrule holding part 21. As described above (at this time, the bottom surface 20a of the base 20 and the bottom surface 31e of the insertion base body 31), the orientation with respect to the base 20 is fixed.
The end surface 42c on the other end 42b side of the stop lever 42 is the same as the extending direction of the optical fiber guide groove 33 when the stop lever 42 is pushed in until the one end 42a of the stop lever 42 contacts the bottom surface 41a of the lever housing groove 41. When the orientation of the optical fiber insertion base 30 is adjusted so that the end face 42c is in surface contact with the one end edge 20b of the base 20, the orientation of the optical fiber guide groove 33 is changed to the ferrule holding portion 21. It is adjusted so as to go straight in the abutting direction of the held ferrule 1.

Next, an example of how to use the optical connector assembly tool of the present invention will be described.
First, the ferrule 1 is attached to the ferrule holding part 21 and the optical fiber 3 is stored in the optical fiber guide groove 33 of the optical fiber insertion base 30.
The ferrule 1 is attached to the ferrule holding part 21 via the attachment pin 21a.
To store the optical fiber 3 in the optical fiber guide groove 33, the fiber pressing members 35, 36, and 37 are opened with respect to the upper surface 31c of the optical fiber insertion base 30 (see FIG. 12 and the like), and the resin coating at the tip portion is applied. The optical fiber 3 (see FIG. 7) from which the bare optical fiber 3a is removed is inserted into the optical fiber guide groove 33, and then the fiber pressing members 36 and 37 are closed to press the optical fiber 3. The pressing member 35 remains open. At this time, the optical fiber 3 is disposed on the optical fiber guide groove 33 so that the bare optical fiber 3a at the tip portion faces the ferrule holding portion 21 side. The optical fiber 3 is previously passed through the boot 6b.

Next, the second pressing member 36 is slid toward the ferrule holding portion 21, whereby the optical fiber 3 is slid along the optical fiber guide groove 33 by friction with the pressing member 36, and integrated with the second pressing member 36. And is inserted into the ferrule 1 through the optical fiber guide groove 33.
At this time, due to the rotation of the optical fiber insertion base 30 with respect to the base 20 around the connecting shaft 31a, the end portion of the optical fiber guide groove 33 on the ferrule holding portion 21 side is the opposite end portion (far from the ferrule holding portion 21). The direction of the optical fiber insertion base 30 with respect to the base 20 is adjusted so as to be above the end of the side (that is, as shown by a two-dot chain line (reference numeral 30A) in FIG. The optical fiber insertion base 30 is tilted). As a result, as the optical fiber 3 is fed into the ferrule 1, the bare optical fiber 3a at the tip of the optical fiber 3 reaches the guiding groove 4c (see FIG. 7) in the ferrule 1, and the bare optical fiber The work of inviting 3a and placing it in the groove 4c becomes easy.
It can be easily confirmed by visually observing the bare optical fiber 3a from the window 4a of the ferrule 1 that the bare optical fiber 3a has reached the guiding groove 4c.
During the operation of feeding the optical fiber 3 into the ferrule 1, the state in which the first and third pressing members 37 press the optical fiber 3 so as not to leave the optical fiber guide groove 33 is continued. The pressing force with which the member 37 presses the optical fiber 3 in the optical fiber guide groove 33 against the grooved guide member 32 is such that the feeding operation of the optical fiber 3 is not hindered. The optical fiber 3 is forcibly moved toward the ferrule holding portion 21 while sliding on the third pressing member 37 under the first and third pressing members 37 as the ferrule holding portion 21 moves.
The second pressing member 36 functions as a feeding pressing member that feeds the optical fiber 3 into the ferrule 1.

After the bare optical fiber 3a reaches the guiding groove 4c, the feeding of the optical fiber 3 into the ferrule 1 using the second pressing member 36 is continued, so that the bare optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole 2 of the ferrule 1. 3a is inserted.
At this time, one end 42 a of the stop lever 42 is pushed in from the bottom surface 31 e side of the insertion base body 31 (see FIG. 10B), and the other end 42 b of the stop lever 42 rotated around the support shaft 43 is connected to the base 20. The optical fiber 3 is fed into the ferrule 1 after adjusting the direction of the optical fiber guide groove 33 to be in contact with the one end edge 20b so that the direction of the ferrule 1 held in the ferrule holding portion 21 is straight. The end of the optical fiber guide groove 33 on the ferrule holding part 21 side may be the opposite end (far from the ferrule holding part 21), as indicated by a two-dot chain line 30B in FIG. The direction of the optical fiber insertion base 30 with respect to the base 20 is changed so as to be lower than the end of the optical fiber 3 and the optical fiber 3 is fed into the ferrule 1 using the second pressing member 36. It may be continued. In this case, since the bare optical fiber 3a enters the optical fiber insertion hole 2 of the ferrule 1 while maintaining the state where the bare optical fiber 3a is pressed against the guiding groove 4c, the bare light entering the optical fiber insertion hole 2 is reached. The fiber 3a can be inserted smoothly and reliably.
The optical fiber 3 is pushed in until the bare optical fiber 3a passes through the optical fiber insertion hole 2 and further protrudes from the joining end face 5 of the ferrule 1 as shown in FIG. 7 (projection amount L). After the optical fiber is inserted, the second pressing member 36 is opened above the optical fiber insertion base 30. The third pressing member 37 is kept closed, and the state where the optical fiber 3 is pressed into the optical fiber guide groove 33 is maintained.

  Next, with the end face of the optical fiber 3 protruding from the joining end face 5 of the ferrule 1, the first pressing member 35 is closed, and then the slider 90 is slid along the rail 14 as shown in FIG. The master ferrule 13 is brought into contact with the ferrule 1. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the master ferrule 13 and the ferrule 1 are connected to each other by inserting the guide pin 13 c protruding from the master ferrule 13 into the guide pin hole of the ferrule 1 and fitting them together. The joint end faces 13b and 5 are abutted with each other in a state where the positional relationship is positioned with high accuracy. For this reason, the optical fiber 13d protruding from the joining end face 13b of the master ferrule 13 is accurately abutted against the bare optical fiber 3a inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole 2 of the ferrule 1, and this optical fiber 13d is the optical fiber 3 The bare optical fiber 3a is pushed toward the rear end side of the ferrule 1 (the rear end face 6 side). When the joining of the joining end faces 13b and 5 is completed, the position of the end face of the bare optical fiber 3a is positioned with respect to the joining end face 5 of the ferrule 1.

When the optical fiber 3 is pushed into the rear end side of the ferrule 1 by the master ferrule 13 (specifically, the optical fiber 13d on the master ferrule 13 side), the rear end face 6 of the ferrule 1 and the other end on the ferrule holding part 21 side The optical fiber 3 is bent so as to float above the optical fiber guide groove 33 between the holding member 37 and the optical fiber guide groove 33. As a result, it can be recognized that the optical fiber 3 has been positioned against the master ferrule 13. Further, the pressing force of the optical fiber 3 against the master ferrule 13 can be ensured by the elastic force of the optical fiber 3 itself, and the positioning accuracy of the end face of the bare optical fiber 3a with respect to the joining end face 5 of the ferrule 1 can be ensured reliably. At this time, the spring 92 built in the slider 90 is pressed and contracted by pushing the master ferrule 13 abutted against the ferrule 1 into the slider 90, so that the urging force of the spring 92 is also reduced by the master ferrule. 13 acts as a pressing force of the optical fiber 3 against 13. Further, in the slider 90, after the spring 92 is compressed, the locking piece 95 is engaged with the locking pin 24 projecting on the base 20 and separated from the ferrule holding part 20. Movement is restricted, and the spring 92 is kept in a compressed state.
In addition, the space | interval of the ferrule 1 and the 3rd pressing member 37 is ensured to such an extent that the bending (bending) of the optical fiber 3 does not become excessive. The third pressing member 37 functions as a stopper and a fixing pressing member for preventing the optical fiber 3 from moving backward in the butting direction due to abutment of the master ferrule 13.

In addition, since the first pressing member 35 functions as a lifting prevention pressing member, the optical fiber 3 inserted into the ferrule 1 is affected by a change in direction and position due to the formation of the deflection. Can be prevented.
When the first pressing member 35 is not provided, as shown in FIG. 13, a force (hereinafter referred to as displacement) that is displaced upward toward the tip of the optical fiber 3, that is, toward the surface of the ferrule 1 where the window 4 a is opened. Force), and there is a possibility that the tip of the optical fiber 3 is unevenly distributed in the optical fiber insertion hole 2. FIG. 13 exaggeratedly shows the clearance formed in the optical fiber insertion hole 2 into which the optical fiber 3 is inserted due to the difference between the inner diameter of the optical fiber insertion hole 2 and the outer diameter of the optical fiber 3. Referring to FIG. 13, the optical fiber 3 inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole 2 has a boundary between the optical fiber insertion hole 2 and the guiding groove 4c (specifically, the groove bottom) due to the above-described bending. There is a tendency that the tip side is inclined upward from the vicinity, and this force acts on the tip end of the optical fiber 3 as the above-described displacement force, causing uneven distribution of the tip end of the optical fiber 3 in the optical fiber insertion hole 2. .
However, in the present invention, the optical fiber 3 is formed on the rear side (the side fixed by the third pressing member 37) of the first pressing member 35 by the first pressing member 35 that is a lifting preventing pressing member. Since the influence of the bending can be prevented from acting on the optical fiber 3 in the ferrule 1, the uneven distribution of the tip of the optical fiber 3 in the optical fiber insertion hole 3 as described above can be prevented, and the axis of the optical fiber insertion hole 2 can be prevented. Positioning accuracy of the center of the optical fiber 3 (in other words, the optical axis) with respect to (the cross-sectional center) can be ensured, and even when particularly high positioning accuracy is required, it can be easily handled. In the present invention, even if the difference between the inner diameter of the optical fiber insertion hole 2 and the outer diameter of the optical fiber 3 is relatively large and the clearance formed in the optical fiber insertion hole 2 into which the optical fiber 3 is inserted is large, It is possible to suppress the uneven distribution of the tip of the optical fiber 3 in the fiber insertion hole 2 and to secure a desired positioning accuracy.

  Further, the slider 90 with the locking piece 95 engaged with the locking pin 24 is in a locked state with respect to the locking pin 24 unless the locking release levers 94 (specifically, the operation portion 94b) on both the left and right sides are operated. Since the spring 92 is not released, the state in which the spring 92 is compressed can be stably maintained.

When the butting of the joining end faces 13b and 5 is completed, an adhesive is injected from the window 4a of the ferrule 1 while the butted state of the ferrule 1 and the master ferrule 13 is maintained, and the optical fiber 3 is bonded and fixed to the ferrule 1. Thereby, an optical connector is assembled at the tip of the optical fiber 3, and an optical connector with an optical fiber is obtained.
Note that the boot 6b passed through the optical fiber 3 has a covering portion 3b of the optical fiber 3 (a portion where the bare optical fiber 3a is not exposed) by the insertion (feeding) operation of the optical fiber 3 into the ferrule 1. After reaching the insertion port 6a of the ferrule 1 (see FIG. 7), the ferrule 1 is fitted into the insertion port 6a before starting the operation of injecting the adhesive from the window 4a.

When the adhesive fixing of the optical fiber 3 is completed, the operation for taking out the ferrule 1 from the ferrule holding part 21 is performed.
In this take-out operation, first, the operation portions 94b of the lock release levers 94 on both the left and right sides of the slider 90 are pressed toward the slider main body 91 to release the engagement of the lock pieces 95 with the lock pins 24. The slider 90 is moved backward in the abutting direction of the master ferrule 13 with respect to the ferrule 1 while the pressing operation of the operation portion 94b is continued. Next, the third pressing member 37 of the optical fiber insertion base 30 is opened, and the ferrule 1 is removed from the mounting pin 21 a of the ferrule holding part 21. Since the space secured between the two supports 21b and 12b of the ferrule holding part 21 is located on the extension of the optical fiber guide groove 33, the ferrule 1 (optical connector with optical fiber) is connected to the base 20 side from the mounting pin 21a. The optical connector with the optical fiber can be easily detached from the optical connector assembly tool 10 together with the optical fiber 3.

According to the optical connector assembly tool 10 of the present invention, the optical fiber insertion base 30 having the optical fiber guide groove 33 formed to extend toward the ferrule holding portion 21 is connected to the base 20 (rotatable connection). Therefore, the insertion jig (optical fiber insertion base 30) for inserting the optical fiber 3 into the ferrule 1 is not separated from the base 20. Therefore, even when assembling work is performed in an unstable place such as a power pole, for example, the work can be easily performed. Since the fiber holder separated from the tool can be omitted, inconveniences such as dropping the fiber holder can be avoided. Further, since the optical fiber insertion base 30 is rotatably attached to the base 20, the orientation of the optical fiber guide groove 33 with respect to the optical fiber insertion hole 2 of the ferrule 1 can be easily adjusted. 1 can improve the workability of inserting the optical fiber 3 (bare optical fiber 3a) into 1.
Furthermore, when the slider 90 is slid along the base 20 and the master ferrule 13 is abutted against the ferrule 1, the slider 20 is moved by the locking piece projecting from the base 20 and / or the slider 90. 90 is locked with respect to the base 20, and movement in the direction away from the ferrule holding part 21 is restricted. Therefore, movement of the slider in the direction away from the ferrule holding part such as fixing of the slider to the base is prevented. Even if a special operation for regulating is not performed, the butted state of the master ferrule 13 and the ferrule 1 can be reliably maintained. In addition, since the slider 90 can be easily pulled back in the direction away from the ferrule holding portion 21 by operating the lock release lever 94, the master ferrule 13 and the master ferrule 13 are both brought into contact with each other and released from the contact. Easy to do. In addition, since the slider 90 has a very simple structure, the cost can be reduced.
As described above, the structure of the tool can be simplified, and the tool can be reduced in size and cost. In addition, the work procedure can be simplified, and workability and efficiency can be improved.

  Further, since the rotation restricting mechanism 40 for stopping the rotation of the optical fiber insertion base 30 with respect to the base 20 is provided, the positions of the optical fiber 3 and the ferrule 1 are shifted due to the unexpected rotation of the optical fiber insertion base 30. Inconvenience such as can be avoided. The rotation restricting mechanism 40 can be easily operated only by pressing the stop lever 42, and when the pressing force against the stop lever 42 is released, the optical fiber insertion base 30 is automatically set in a state where it can be rotated with respect to the base 20. Return to.

14 and 15 show another embodiment of the present invention, in which the lifting prevention pressing member 35 and the feeding pressing member 36 are slid along the mounting shaft 34 into a single unit (holding unit 50). It is a thing. In this embodiment, of the four movement restricting protrusions 38a, 38b, 38c, and 38d provided on the insertion base body 31 of the optical connector assembly tool 10 shown in FIG. Installation is omitted.
The feeding pressing member 36 can be opened independently even when the lifting preventing pressing member 35 remains closed. Further, when the feeding pressing member 36 is closed with respect to the lifting prevention pressing member 35 in a closed state (inserted into the window 35e of the lifting prevention pressing member 35), the optical fiber in the optical fiber guide groove 33 is provided. 3 can be pressed into the optical fiber guide groove 33.
In the operation of inserting the optical fiber 3 into the ferrule 1 held by the ferrule holding part 21, the lifting prevention pressing member 35 and the feeding pressing member 36 are closed, and the movement of the pressing unit 50 on the optical fiber insertion base 30 is restricted. By moving from the vicinity of the protrusion 38c toward the movement restricting protrusion 38a, the optical fiber 3 in the optical fiber guide groove 33 is pressed toward the ferrule 1 while being pressed into the optical fiber guide groove 33 by the feed pressing member 36. Move.
When the master ferrule 13 is abutted against the ferrule 1, the lifting prevention pressing member 35 is closed and the feeding pressing member 36 is opened. As a result, the optical fiber 3 pressed by the master ferrule 13 and pushed out from the ferrule 1 under the pressing member 35 for preventing the optical fiber 3 from being lifted is pushed between the pressing members 35 and 37. The master ferrule 13 for the ferrule 1 can be confirmed by forming a bend in the space ensured in FIG.
Note that when the lifting prevention pressing member 35 is opened with respect to the insertion table main body 31, the feeding pressing member 36 is also collectively released.

Although the present invention has been described based on the best mode, the present invention is not limited to the above-described best mode, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, the configurations and structures of the base, the ferrule holding unit, the slider, the master ferrule, the rotation restricting mechanism, and the like are not particularly limited to the above embodiment.
The number of ferrule cores (the number of optical fiber insertion holes) is not particularly limited.
The ferrule in the present invention is not limited to the MT type optical connector, and various types can be adopted. In the above-described embodiment, the guide pin is fitted and fixed to the master ferrule 13. However, for example, the length of the mounting pin 21a of the ferrule holding part 21 is extended to protrude from the joining end surface of the ferrule 1. The guide pin hole 13h formed in the master ferrule 13 (the empty guide pin hole 13h in which no guide pin is inserted) is inserted and fitted into the portion of the mounting pin 21a protruding from the joining end face of the ferrule 1. In addition, it is possible to employ a configuration that ensures the positioning accuracy between the master ferrule 13 and the ferrule 1.
When the guide pin 13 c is provided on the master ferrule 13, a pin clamp for fixing the guide pin 13 c to the master ferrule 13 may be separately assembled.
The positioning member may be other than the master ferrule.
In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the locking piece for locking the slider with respect to the base is projected from the slider is exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which both the base and the slider are protruded, or a configuration in which both the base and the slider are provided with engaging claw-shaped locking pieces that are engaged with each other. Moreover, the shape of the locking piece protruding from the base and / or the slider, the installation position, and the like can be changed as appropriate. However, the locking piece allows the slider to be detachably locked with respect to the base at a position where the abutting force between the positioning member and the ferrule by the urging force of the urging means can be maintained.
The lock release lever may be configured to be able to release the lock of the slider with respect to the tool body, and the specific structure thereof can be appropriately changed according to the structure of the lock piece. In the above-described embodiment, the locking pieces 95 on both sides of the slider 90 and the two locking pins 24 are such that the two locking pieces 24 are opposite to the slider main body 91 of the locking piece 95 of the slider 90. The locking piece 95 and the locking pin 24 elastically deform the locking piece 95 by moving the slider 90 from the standby position to the locking position. Therefore, the positional relationship between the locking piece 95 and the locking piece 24 can be changed as appropriate. Needless to say, the structure of the locking release lever is also changed depending on the positional relationship between the locking piece 95 and the locking piece 24. Further, the number of the locking pieces is not limited to two, and may be one, three or more.

It is a figure which shows an example of the optical connector assembly tool of this invention, Comprising: (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view. It is a front sectional view showing the structure of the slider of the optical connector assembling tool of FIG. It is the side view (left side view) which looked at the optical connector assembly tool of FIG. 1 from the left side. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the relationship between the optical fiber insertion stand of the optical connector assembly tool of FIG. 1, and a grooved guide member. It is a perspective view which shows the master ferrule, a spring, and spring fastening member as a positioning member integrated in a slider. It is a partial notch front view which shows an example of a master ferrule. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of a ferrule. It is a partial notch front view which shows the state which faced | matched the front end surfaces of a ferrule and a master ferrule. It is the schematic explaining a mode that an optical fiber is inserted in a ferrule. It is a figure which shows the state which moved the slider to the ferrule holding stand side, and matched the master ferrule with the ferrule currently hold | maintained at the ferrule holding part, (a) is a top view, (b) is a partial notch front view is there. (A)-(c) is a figure which shows the engagement relationship of the latching piece of the slider with respect to the latching pin of a base. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of an optical fiber insertion stand. It is a figure which shows notionally the uneven distribution of the optical fiber front-end | tip produced in the optical fiber insertion hole of a ferrule when there is no 1st pressing member. It is a figure which shows another embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows another embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of uneven distribution of the optical fiber in an optical fiber insertion hole.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Ferrule, 2 ... Optical fiber insertion hole, 3 ... Optical fiber, 5 ... Front end surface of ferrule, 6 ... Rear end surface of ferrule, 10 ... Optical connector assembly tool, 13 ... Positioning member (master ferrule), 13a ... Master ferrule Tip end surface (joint end surface), 13b ... optical fiber insertion hole of master ferrule, 13c ... guide pin, 13h ... guide pin hole, 20 ... base, 21 ... ferrule holding part, 21a ... mounting pin, 24 ... locking piece ( (Locking pin), 30 ... optical fiber insertion base, 31 ... insertion base main body, 31c ... upper surface of insertion base main body, 32 ... grooved guide member, 33, 33a, 33b ... optical fiber guide groove, 35 ... fiber pressing member ( First pressing member), 36 ... Feeding pressing member (second pressing member), 37 ... Fixing pressing member (second pressing member), 40 ... Rotation restricting mechanism, 0 ... pressing unit, 90 ... slider, 92 ... urging means (spring), 94 ... unlocking lever 95 ... engaging piece.

Claims (7)

For assembling the optical connector by inserting the optical fiber (3) into the optical fiber insertion hole (2) opened in the distal end surface (5) of the ferrule (1) of the optical connector and attaching the ferrule to the distal end of the optical fiber. An optical connector assembly tool used,
A ferrule holding part (21) for detachably holding the ferrule at one end, and an end face of the optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole are positioned by abutting against the front end face of the ferrule held by the ferrule holding part. A positioning member (13) and an optical fiber insertion base (30) in which an optical fiber guide groove (33) extending toward the ferrule holding part extends on the upper surface (31c);
In the optical fiber insertion stand,
A holding press for feeding the optical fiber stored in the optical fiber guide groove toward the ferrule holding part, which is allowed to slide along the extending direction of the optical fiber guide groove while holding the optical fiber. A member (36);
The optical fiber is pushed out from the ferrule to the rear in the abutting direction when the positioning member is abutted against the ferrule held at the ferrule holding part, farther from the ferrule holding part than the feeding pressing member. Holding member (37) for holding the optical fiber to serve as a stopper for restraining the backward movement,
It is arranged closer to the ferrule holding part than the holding member for feeding, presses the optical fiber arranged on the optical fiber guide groove, and abuts the positioning member against the ferrule held by the ferrule holding part When the optical fiber is pushed backward from the ferrule in the butting direction, a lifting prevention pressing member (35) that allows the optical fiber to retreat is mounted side by side in the extending direction of the optical fiber guide groove. An optical connector assembling tool (10) characterized by comprising: For assembling the optical connector by inserting the optical fiber (3) into the optical fiber insertion hole (2) opened in the distal end surface (5) of the ferrule (1) of the optical connector and attaching the ferrule to the distal end of the optical fiber. An optical connector assembly tool used,
A ferrule holding part (21) for detachably holding the ferrule at one end, and an end face of the optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole are positioned by abutting against the front end face of the ferrule held by the ferrule holding part. A positioning member (13) and an optical fiber insertion base (30) in which an optical fiber guide groove (33) extending toward the ferrule holding part extends on the upper surface (31c);
In the optical fiber insertion stand,
A holding press for feeding the optical fiber stored in the optical fiber guide groove toward the ferrule holding part, which is allowed to slide along the extending direction of the optical fiber guide groove while holding the optical fiber. A member (36);
The optical fiber is pushed out from the ferrule to the rear in the abutting direction when the positioning member is abutted against the ferrule held at the ferrule holding part, farther from the ferrule holding part than the feeding pressing member. A fixing pressing member (37) that functions as a stopper that holds back the optical fiber and restricts the backward movement, and is mounted side by side in the extending direction of the optical fiber guide groove,
The feeding pressing member holds the optical fiber disposed in the optical fiber guide groove, and light from the ferrule to the rear in the butting direction when the positioning member abuts against the ferrule held by the ferrule holding portion. When the fiber is pushed out, the lifting prevention pressing member (35) that allows the optical fiber to retreat slides along the extending direction of the optical fiber guide groove integrally with the feeding pressing member. The optical connector assembly tool (10) is characterized in that the feeding pressing member can open and close the optical fiber guide groove independently of the lifting prevention pressing member. ).   3. The optical connector assembling tool according to claim 1, wherein the ferrule holding portion is provided on a base (20) rotatably connected to the optical fiber insertion base.   The optical connector assembling tool according to claim 1, wherein the ferrule holding portion is provided on a base on which a slider holding the positioning member is slid.   Light for assembling an optical connector with an optical fiber by inserting the optical fiber (3) into the optical fiber insertion hole (2) opened in the tip surface (5) of the ferrule (1), attaching the ferrule to the tip of the optical fiber In the manufacturing method of the connector,
  While using the optical connector assembling tool of any one of Claims 1-4, while pressing down the said optical fiber with the said fixing pressing member (37), the said optical fiber is pressed with the said pressing holding member (36). Sending out toward the ferrule holding part and inserting it into the optical fiber insertion hole of the ferrule, and pressing the optical fiber with the lifting prevention pressing member (35) in a state of protruding from the tip end surface of the ferrule, The optical fiber is bonded and fixed to the ferrule in a state where the positioning member is abutted against the front end surface of the ferrule and the optical fiber is pushed backward in the butting direction and bent with the fixing pressing member. An optical connector manufacturing method. In the optical connector assembly tool, the ferrule holding part is provided on a base (20) rotatably connected to the optical fiber insertion base,
A positioning step of positioning the end face of the optical fiber by abutment of the positioning member ; in this positioning step, the orientation of the optical fiber is adjusted by adjusting the orientation of the optical fiber insertion base with respect to the base; optical connector manufacturing method according to claim 5, characterized in that one is kept to be parallel to the central axis of the optical fiber insertion hole. The positioning step is a step performed after an optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole of the ferrule, and an optical fiber that has been inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole by bonding a positioning member (13) to the distal end surface of the ferrule. 7. The method of manufacturing an optical connector according to claim 6, wherein the end face of the optical fiber is positioned by pressing the end face toward the rear end side opposite to the tip end face of the ferrule by the positioning member.

Images