JPH01102515A - Optical fiber connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simply connect optical fibers in an arbitrary combination by only rotating a mirror by forming a constitution body by two groups of those each of which is made of plural optical fibers arranged at equal intervals in parallel whose tips are put in order on a straight line, and mirrors rotating to the right and left at a prescribed angle, arranged at an equal interval on the same plane between the optical fibers. CONSTITUTION:In case of transmitting an optical signal to an optical fiber f1 from an optical fiber f5, it will suffice that states of each mirror placed between two optical fibers are set to M5(-theta), m5(0), M4(0) m4(0), M3(0), m3(0), M2(0), m2(0) and M1(+theta), respectively. That is, a light beam which is emitted from the optical fiber f5 goes to parallel rays by a condensing lens 7, reflected by the mirror M5(-theta) and reaches the mirror m5(0), and thereafter, not influenced so much by a single intensity drop caused by broadening of the light beam, reflected repeatedly by the mirrors M4(0), m4(0), M3(0), m3(0), M2(0) and m2(0) in order, and reflected by the mirror M1(+theta) in the end, thereafter, made incident vertically on the optical fiber f1. In such a way, arbitrary optical fibers can be connected simply.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector for connecting one optical fiber to all of a plurality of other optical fibers in optical communications.

(Prior Art) In conventional optical communications, an optical fiber connector shown in FIG. 4 has been proposed as a method for interconnecting a plurality of optical fibers. In FIG. 4, 1 is a connector board, 2 is a groove having a V-shaped cross section, 3 is a groove for holding a guide rod, 4 is an optical fiber, and 5 is a guide rod for connecting the connector board.

In this optical fiber connector, two connector boards 1 each having an optical fiber 4 fixed in a 7-shaped groove are placed so that the tips of the optical fibers face each other, and a guide rod 5 is inserted into the guide rod holding groove 3 of the two connector boards. It is used by fixing it to Due to this structure, the ends of the optical fibers are connected with high precision, so that good optical signals can be transmitted between the optical fibers of each set, but signals cannot be transmitted to other optical fibers other than the combination.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention provides an optical fiber connector that is capable of transmitting optical signals from one optical fiber to a plurality of other optical fibers in a connector incorporating a plurality of optical fibers. It's about doing.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention arranges a plurality of optical fibers whose tips are aligned in a straight line in parallel at equal intervals, and a mirror that rotates left and right at a constant angle is connected to the optical fibers. 2i & 11 arranged on the same plane with equal intervals between them are used as a structure, and the optical fiber and the mirror incorporated in one of the structures are connected to the mirror and the optical fiber of the other structure, respectively. Combine them so they face each other.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of the optical fiber connector of the present invention, in which 4 is an optical fiber whose tips are arranged in a straight line, and 6 is a perspective view showing the structure of an optical fiber connector of the present invention.
is a mirror that can rotate at a fixed angle left and right, and each optical fiber and mirror face each other on the same plane.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the optical fiber connector of FIG. 1,
The functions of the optical fiber connector of the present invention will be described using this figure.

The optical fibers lined up on the top side of Figure 2 are F++
h+ Fs+ F4+ Fs+ Fh+ and mirror MI
+ Mt+ M3+M4. Let Ms be the optical fibers and mirrors lined up below, respectively fl+ ft, f+,
fa, fs and ml+ mz, m31m4. m
%+1116. Each mirror is usually in a state facing the optical fiber (this state is defined as M, (0) or mfi(0
), where n is any number from 1 to 6),
The right side is rotated by the angle θ (this state is expressed as h(+θ) or Ill, (10)), and the left side is rotated by the angle θ.
Rotate [This state is M, (-〇) or 11. (−
It can also be represented by 〇).

When the light emitted from one optical fiber hits a mirror in the state of M, (10) or Ill (+θ), or the state of MR (-θ) or TI, % (-θ)-,
The incident light is reflected at an angle of 2θ and hits a mirror of m7°1 or MyBH, or a mirror of m7.1 or 1.1, and is then reflected at an angle of 2θ to a mirror in the state of M(0) or m(0). When incident, the reflected light is M, %1 or mll+1, or 1lIn-1 or m7-
Set the distance between the mirror and Il so that it hits the mirror of No. 1.

(Example) Regarding the connector of the present invention shown in Fig. 2, the optical fiber f
, to the optical fiber F6 will be explained.

The state of the mirror between two optical fibers is expressed as m3 (
10), 114(0), m4(0), m5(0
), Ms(0), +116(10).

In other words, the light emitted from the optical fiber f is mirror M3 (10)
is reflected and reaches mirror ma(0), and after this, mirror -5(0
), repeating reflections in the order of MS (0), mirror +16 (
After the final reflection at +θ), the light enters the optical fiber F6 perpendicularly.

Generally, light emitted from the end face of an optical fiber has a certain degree of spread. For this reason, when the distance between the optical fibers to be connected is short, the connector shown in Figure 2 can be used satisfactorily, but as the distance between the optical fibers becomes longer and the number of reflections on the mirror increases (as a result, transmission is transmitted to the other optical fiber). The spread of light becomes an important issue because the optical signal transmitted becomes weaker.
The figure shows an optical fiber connector in which a condenser lens 7 is attached in front of each optical fiber 4 in order to alleviate the above-mentioned problem in FIG.

Regarding the connector of the present invention shown in Figure 3, the optical fiber f
% to the optical fiber f will be explained.

The states of each mirror between two optical fibers are MS(-〇), m5(0), m4(, respectively, as in Fig. 2).
0).

114(0), Ms(0), m5(0), Ms
(0), get(0), M+(10), that is, the light emitted from the optical fiber f is turned into parallel light by the condensing lens 7, reflected by the mirror MS (-θ), and then reflected by the mirror MS (-θ). o+5(0), after which the mirror Ma(0),
m, (0), Ms(0), +113(0), M
z(0).

The light is reflected repeatedly in the order of mt(0), and after the final reflection at the mirror MlC10), it enters the optical fiber f1 perpendicularly.

As can be seen from the above examples, in the optical fiber connector of the present invention, only the mirror facing the two optical fibers to be connected is rotated by an angle θ, and the direction of rotation depends on the position of the other optical fiber to be connected. By simply selecting either 〇) or (-〇), you can easily connect any optical fiber.

Although FIGS. 2 and 3 show examples in which the tips of the optical fibers are arranged in a straight line, in the connector of the present invention, the light enters and exits perpendicularly to the end face of the fiber, so each optical fiber There is no problem even if the end faces are not in a straight line or are irregular.

This means that when fixing the optical fiber, there is no need to consider the front and back positioning of the optical fiber, making it easier to fix the optical fiber to the connector of the present invention.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the optical fiber connector of the present invention can create any combination of a large number of optical fibers incorporated in the optical fiber connector by simply rotating the mirror corresponding to each optical fiber. Optical fibers can be easily connected.

This advantage allows it to be used not only as an optical fiber connector but also as an optical switch or optical exchange.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical fiber connector of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of an optical fiber connector in which a lens is placed in front of an optical fiber, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional multi-core optical fiber connector. 1... Connector board 2... Groove with ■-shaped cross section 3... Groove for holding guide rod 4... Optical fiber 5... Guide rod 6 for connecting connector board
... Rotatable mirror 7... Condensing lens
b Chi ji 5. ．． fl
2 4Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of optical fibers whose tips are aligned in a straight line are arranged in parallel at equal intervals, and a mirror that rotates left and right at a constant angle is placed between the optical fibers at equal intervals. Two sets arranged on a plane constitute a structure, and the optical fiber and the mirror incorporated in one of the structures are combined with the mirror and the optical fiber of the other structure so that they face each other. An optical fiber connector featuring: 2. The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein in the above structure, an optical lens is disposed in front of each optical fiber.