JPH01144004A - Method for switching and connecting optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To rapidly switch and connect optical fibers to another optical fibers by inserting the aligning pins of a 3rd arraying plug into the pin insertion holes of a parallel moved arraying plug, thereby aligning the optical fiber ends. CONSTITUTION:A pin arraying part connector 30 which is constituted freely relatively movable is produced by disposing two pieces of the arraying members 10b, 20b in such a manner that fiber insertion grooves 10d face each other and inserting the pins 10h into the pin insertion holes 10a, 10b. An exposed optical fiber fixing member 40 is produced by inserting the exposed parts 10f of the optical fibers into the fiber insertion grooves 10d of the arranging members 10B, 20B of the connector 30 and fixing the optical fibers 10f by retaining members 10C, 20C. The exposed fibers 10f are grasped by a fiber vibrationproof support 100a and vibrationproof support cover 100b and are scored by a fiber scoring knife 100c in the position of the end faces of the arraying plugs 10A, 20A. The 1st plug 10A is fixed and the 2nd plug 20A is disconnected by pulling the same on the aligning pins 10h. The broken end face of the arraying plug in the circuit under signal transmission is joined by the aligning pins 10h to the end face of the 3rd arraying plug which does not transmit the signals. The sure circuit work is thereby executed with high accuracy.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention is directed to an optical fiber core that includes a plurality of optical fibers that are currently transmitting signals as a working line. The present invention relates to a method for directly mechanically switching and connecting a wire to another optical fiber core.

Conventional optical fiber communication lines can realize large-capacity transmission lines that can transmit a large amount of information. In order to appropriately and promptly operate and maintain such large-capacity optical fiber communication lines, it is important to note that signals are not being transmitted promptly in the event of a problem with the optical fiber core line, which includes multiple optical fibers that are transmitting signals as a working line. Technology for switching and connecting to different optical fibers is becoming important.

However, since optical fiber is a waveguide transmission line made of glass material, and the signal is transmitted through the central core, switching connection methods using simple branch connection methods such as multi-connection of metallic transmission lines are not possible. It is. Therefore, as a switching connection method, an optical fiber connector is inserted and installed in the optical fiber communication line in advance (the line is configured with a cable with optical fiber connectors attached to both ends).
A method is used in which this optical fiber connector is switched and connected to another optical fiber connector that is not transmitting signals when necessary.

Since such connectors are important parts, a wide variety of structures have been developed over the years, and one representative example is the one shown in Figure 9.
urnal of Lightwave Techn
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86. P, 1232).

In Fig. 9, /a and /b are the first and second plugs, respectively, and guide pin insertion holes 2a, 2b, 3az 3b are provided on both sides of the cross section of each plug /a and /b. has been done.

The first and second plugs /a and /b are guide pin insertion holes 2a
A guide pin is inserted and connected to z 2bs 3as 3b as an axis alignment member.

Otsu a and 7a are optical fiber cores. In this optical fiber connector, the optical fibers are arranged inside the guide pin insertion hole, with the center of the guide pin insertion hole and the center of the optical fiber being aligned on the same straight line, and the intervals between the optical fibers being equal. Therefore, it is possible to arrange a plurality of optical fibers at once, and in FIG. 9, an example of an arrangement of five fibers is shown as B, 7.

A method of mechanically switching and connecting such an optical fiber connector to another optical fiber connector in a short time without manual operation has been carried out as follows. That is, the guide pins inserted into the first and second plugs /a, /b≠, and the first
Or move the second plug and the guide pin ≠
, j is removed from the inserted state, and one of the plugs is moved to the position of the third plug (not shown), and then the guide pin ≠
,! The procedure was to reinsert the plug into one of the plugs and the third plug.

Therefore, in order to enable switching connections in a short time, an optical fiber connector is inserted into the optical fiber communication line in advance. That is, it is necessary to construct a communication line in which the cable connection points are connected with optical fiber connectors. With the current state of the art, optical fiber connectors are still more expensive than fusion splicing, and if all connection points are connected with connectors, the cost of constructing communication lines will increase significantly. In addition, if the communication line is fusion spliced rather than connected with an optical fiber connector, it becomes impossible to switch and connect the optical fiber core wire that has caused a problem in a short time, and the optical fiber communication line will be disconnected for several hours or more. There was a problem that made it unusable for several dozen hours (the time required for repairs).

Furthermore, the following conditions are required in the procedure for switching and connecting an optical fiber that is transmitting a signal to an optical fiber that is not transmitting a signal.

The conditions for this series of steps are, for example, when targeting a high-speed digital line, the optical loss fluctuation is 1 dB or less, and the switching time is several tens of hours or less. The optical fiber of interest is a single mode optical fiber for a wavelength of 1.3 μm, and the relationship between the distance between the optical fiber end faces at the optical fiber cutting point and the splice loss is as shown in FIG.

From FIG. 10, as an example, the cutoff wavelength λC=1.2μ
In the case of m, in order to suppress the loss fluctuation to 1 dB or less, it is necessary to suppress the fiber end face spacing to 50 μm or less when cutting the optical fiber and when aligning the axis after moving the optical fiber. Furthermore, in order to reduce splice loss, it is necessary to make the cutting angle (end face angle) of the fiber end face 1 degree or less.

In the present invention, before cutting the optical fiber, an array plug is manufactured on site to improve the precision of the optical fiber array and cutting position (uniform cut length), and then to prevent the fiber from being damaged. Since the fiber is scratched after being supported by the vibrating member, it is possible to prevent the fiber from being bent due to the blade pressure of the scratching blade, and it is possible to make the scratching position of each fiber exactly the same.

Furthermore, when cutting the fiber, the alignment pin is used as a guide to pull the array plug in the long axis direction of the fiber.
Only pure tensile stress acts on the fiber, making it possible to reduce the fiber end cut angle to 1 degree or less. Therefore, the optical fiber cutting length of an array plug including a plurality of optical fibers can be accurately cut with a deviation within 20 μm. In addition, after cutting, the first array plug is moved to the position where the axis is aligned with the third array plug, but in this case as well, the fiber cutting length is accurately controlled, so the fiber end face spacing when aligning the optical fiber axis is The deviation can be suppressed to within 40 μm.

When the fiber is scratched and then pulled and cut in the axial direction, the load per fiber is usually about 200 mm.

Figure 11 shows the relationship between the optical loss fluctuation and load that occurs when a load (lateral load) is applied in a direction perpendicular to the long axis of the fiber when cutting the optical fiber, using the fiber cutting length l as a parameter. show.

From Figure 11, if the cutting length is 0.5 am or more, 1 to 5
When a load of f is applied, a displacement occurs in the fiber, and 1 dB
It can be seen that the above loss fluctuations can easily occur.

Therefore, it can be seen that in order to suppress the loss variation during cutting to 1 dB or less even when the cutting length is less than 0.5 square meters, it is necessary to support the fiber so that no lateral load is applied to the fiber during cutting.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem in optical fiber communication lines that include a plurality of optical fibers that are not connected to connectors, to which conventional techniques are difficult to apply. An object of the present invention is to provide a new switching connection method that enables smooth signal transmission on a communication line by quickly switching and connecting to another optical fiber core wire that is not used for signal transmission when this occurs.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention provides an optical fiber communication line during signal transmission.
removing the covering of a part of a coated optical fiber including a plurality of optical fibers to expose the optical fiber, cutting the optical fiber at the exposed part to divide it into first and second optical fiber ends, An optical fiber core switching connection in which the first optical fiber end is connected to a separate third optical fiber end that is not transmitting a signal, so that the first optical fiber 9 signal can be transmitted to the third optical fiber. In the method, an optical fiber insertion groove in which a plurality of exposed optical fibers are inserted in the center, a coated fiber insertion part in which a coated optical fiber is inserted, and an alignment pin is inserted at a position equidistant from the fiber insertion grooves at both ends. The first arrangement member and the second arrangement member of the arrangement plug, which is composed of an arrangement member having a hole and a pressing member that fits into the fiber insertion groove, are inserted through an alignment pin inserted into the insertion hole. The optical fibers are connected to face each other so as to be movable relative to each other, and both sides of the exposed portion of the optical fiber to be cut during signal transmission are connected to the fiber insertion grooves of the first and second arrangement members, and the optical fiber coated portions are connected to each other so as to allow relative movement. The first step is to insert the coated optical fiber into the coated wire insertion section, overlap the holding member, and fix the optical fiber integrally to create an exposed optical fiber fixing section, and the first and second exposed optical fiber fixing members.
The array plug is gripped by a vibration isolating member that has the function of preventing vibrations generated during cutting, and a scratching blade is pressed against the optical fiber at the end face of one of the array members to scratch the optical fiber surface. , a second step of stress-cutting the optical fiber by pulling the optical fiber around the scratch using one of the first or second alignment plugs as a guide, and an end face portion created in the first and second steps. A third array plug having a cut surface of the optical fiber is installed in parallel to the exposed optical fiber core fixing member, and after cutting the fiber, the alignment pin of the array plug on the side where the fiber was cut is pulled out, and the third array plug is placed in parallel with the exposed optical fiber core fixing member. Move parallel to the position opposite the array plug of 3,
a third step of inserting the alignment pin of the third array plug into the pin insertion hole of the parallel-moved array plug to align the axis of the optical fiber end; A refractive index matching material is applied before aligning the optical fibers.

Effect of the present invention The present invention comprises arranging two array members with their fiber insertion grooves facing each other, inserting a pin into the pin insertion hole, producing a pin array unit connection body that is relatively movable; Insert the exposed part of the optical fiber coated wire into the fiber insertion groove of the array member, fix the optical fiber coated wire with a holding member to create an exposed optical fiber coated wire fixing member, and then insert the exposed optical fiber coated wire into the fiber shield. The array plug is held between the vibration support and the vibration-proof support cover, and is scratched with a fiber scratching blade at the position of the end face of the array plug.
The first array plug is fixed, and the second array plug is separated by pulling it on the alignment pin.

According to the above procedure, the second array plug slides in parallel on the alignment pin, so no eccentric load is applied to the fiber, only pure tension stress is applied, and the fiber is reliably cut.

Since the optical fiber is gripped and cut using a vibration isolating member that has the function of preventing vibration, the optical fiber can be cut accurately with low loss fluctuation.

In the third step, the cut end surface of the array plug for the line transmitting signals is joined to the end surface of the third array plug that does not transmit signals produced in the first and second steps with an alignment pin, so it is possible to achieve high precision. This brings about the effect that line work can be carried out reliably and connection can be completed in a short time.

Examples Examples of the optical fiber core switching connection method of the present invention are shown in Figs. 1 (a), (b), (C), Figs. 2 (a), (b), and 3
This will be explained using FIGS.

FIGS. 1 to 3 are diagrams illustrating an arrangement plug and a pin arrangement section connection body used in the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an array plug.

In the figure, 10IA, 10h and 10'A are array plugs, 10B, /'B are array members, io'c.

/QC is a holding member, 10a and 10b are alignment pin insertion holes, 10d is a fiber insertion groove, lOe is a coated wire insertion portion, 10f is a fiber from which the coating has been removed, 10g is an optical fiber coated portion, and ioh is a It is an alignment pin. Array member / OB, IO'B is a rectangular plate-like body, parallel to the short side of the center, one level lower than the top surface, with equally spaced centers, and semicircular or V-shaped cross sections on the same straight line (not shown) A plurality of fiber insertion holes 10d are provided, and a coated core wire insertion portion ioe is formed lower than the fiber insertion groove 10d.

The pin insertion holes 10a and 10b have a circular cross section, and their centers are provided on the same straight line as the center of the fiber insertion groove 10d at equal intervals from the center of the fiber insertion groove 10d at both ends. Further, an alignment pin 10h is inserted into the pin insertion grooves 10a and 10b. Array members 10B, 10
The optical fiber 10f whose coating has been removed is inserted into the fiber insertion groove 10d of /B, and the optical fiber core portion 10g whose coating has not been removed is inserted into the coated fiber insertion portion 10e, and a holding member coated with adhesive or the like is inserted. When /QC and IO'C are fitted to the array members 10B and IO'B, the optical fibers are integrally fixed and an array plug 10'A11OA1101B is produced.

FIG. 1(a) shows a presser member 10 that fits with the array member ioB.
1(b) is a case where the portion 10'i of the holding member IOC that contacts the fiber is a semicircular groove.

The arrangement plug 10'A shown in FIG. 1(a) has a structure in which the fibers are pressed uniformly with a flat surface of the fiber, and the structure shown in FIG. 1(b) is a structure in which the position of the fiber is held accurately with a circular groove.

FIG. 1(C) shows an array plug structure in which the end face of the fiber insertion groove 10d is shifted backward from the end face of the alignment pin insertion holes 10a and 10b, taking into consideration the improvement of the fiber cutting characteristics. .

Figure 2(a) and Figure 2(b) are respectively Figure 1(a) and Figure 2(b).
It is a completed view of the array plug of FIG. 1(C).

FIG. 3 shows the first array member 10B and the first array member 10B.
A second array member 20f3 having the same structure as the one shown in FIG.
,/(Insert the alignment pin 10h into 7b and 20b,
The first and second array members 10B and 20B are aligned with the alignment pin i.
This is a pin arrangement unit connection body 30 which is connected to each other so as to be movable relative to each other via oh.

The procedure for configuring the array plug used in the optical fiber switching method of the present invention has been described above.

In an optical fiber communication line during signal transmission, the coating is removed from a part of an optical fiber core wire containing a plurality of optical fibers to expose the optical fiber, and the optical fiber is cut at the exposed part to cut the first and second optical fibers. splitting the first optical fiber into a second optical fiber and connecting the first optical fiber end to a separate third optical fiber end that is not carrying a signal to transmit the signal of the first optical fiber to the third optical fiber; The steps of the optical fiber connection switching method that makes this possible will be sequentially explained below.

First, the first procedure for producing an array plug at the end of an optical fiber will be described.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which an array plug is fabricated on the pin array section connector 30 of FIG. 3. The fiber 10f from which the coating of the optical fiber coated log during signal transmission has been removed is placed in the first and second arrangement members 7t7B.

20B into the fiber insertion grooves /ad and 20d, and the optical fiber coated portions 10g at both ends of the fiber 10f are inserted into the eleventh second array member 10B of the pin array section LA, the coated coated wire insertion portion 10e of JOB, 20e, bring it into contact with the fiber insertion grooves 10d and 20d, fit the first and second holding members/QCS20C, and place the first and second array members 10
B, 20B, and an exposed optical fiber core fixing member 4AO shown in FIG. 4 is produced.

Next, a second procedure for cutting the optical fiber attached to the exposed optical fiber core fixing member≠0 will be explained.

FIG. 5 shows a state where the fiber surface is scratched with a scratching blade at the boundary between the fiber coating portion and the exposed portion of the end face of the first array plug IOA.

100a is a fiber vibration isolation support, 1OOb is a fiber vibration isolation support cover, and the fiber vibration isolation support cover 1oob is fitted to the fiber vibration isolation support 100a.

100c is a scratching blade.

Fiber anti-vibration support 100a and anti-vibration support cover 1oo
b is a fiber insertion groove 100d with a semicircular cross section.

Aligning pin insertion groove with semicircular cross section / 00 e, 10
The fiber insertion groove 100d and the alignment pin insertion groove 100e each have a semicircular cross section.

The centers of 100f are arranged on the same straight line, and the first,
The fiber insertion groove (/
Od% -20d), alignment pin insertion hole (1
0a, 10b, 20a, 20b) and are arranged on the same plane.

When scratching the fiber at the position 100g of the end face of the first array plug IOA, the fiber vibration isolation support / 00a
The fiber is inserted into the fiber insertion groove 1ooa, and the alignment pin 10h is inserted into the alignment pin insertion groove 100e to position the fiber. Thereafter, the fiber scratching blade 100c is moved in the direction of the arrow to scratch the fiber.

FIG. 5(a) shows a scratching blade 100c with a sharp tip.
Figure 5 (b) shows a case where a wide blade is used to scratch multiple fibers at once. Figure 5 (b) shows a blade with a sharp tip as the scratching blade, and the blade is rotated in a circular shape. The figure shows a case in which a plurality of fibers are sequentially scratched by moving in the direction of the arrow.

FIG. 6 shows a procedure for cutting a fiber whose surface has been scratched by the end face of the first array plug IOA by pulling the second array plug 2OA in the axial direction.

After scratching the fiber surface, the vibration-proof support 1ooa
Fiber insertion groove 100d and alignment pin insertion groove 10
The anti-vibration support cover 100 is inserted so that the fibers and alignment pins on the anti-vibration support 1ooa are inserted into 0e and 100f.
f;) is fitted into the vibration isolating support 100a.

Next, the first array plug 10A is fixed, and the second array plug 10A is fixed.
Pull the array plug 20k in the direction of the arrow. In this case, since the second array plug 2OA slides in parallel on the alignment pin IOh, no eccentric load is applied to the fiber, and only pure tensile stress acts on the fiber, and the fiber is transferred to the scratched first array plug 10k. is reliably cut at the end face position ioog.

Note that in the second step, the fiber scratching blade 100c
If the gripping and moving part (not shown) of the scratching blade can be made small, the fiber vibration-proof support cover 1oob can be fitted to the fiber vibration-proof support 100a before scratching and cutting the fiber. There are no problems with the answers even if you go.

Next, the first array plug 70 with the exposed fiber cut
The third procedure for aligning the axis of the person and the third array plug 3A will be described.

Figure 7 shows the first array plug IOA with the fiber cut.
This figure shows a procedure for aligning the optical fiber with the third harsh plug 3A made at the end of the third optical fiber that is not transmitting the signal. The third array plug 3A is manufactured on one of the array members of the pin array section connector shown in FIG. 3 using the array plug manufacturing procedure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,
The alignment pin 2h is inserted into the alignment pin insertion groove of the third alignment plug 3A, and is installed in parallel with the pin array unit connection body 30 from which the first and second alignment plugs are made. In order to switch and connect the array plug IOA to the array plug 3A, the vibration isolating member 100 is attached when the array plug IOA is moved.
In order to prevent the vibration isolating members 100a and 100b from coming into contact with the end faces of the array plug IOA and the array plug IOA, the vibration isolating members 100a and 100b are slightly moved in the direction of the fiber core of the array plug IOA (in the direction of the arrow ■).

Next, pull out the alignment pin 10h of the array plug 10h in the direction of the array plug 2OA (in the direction of arrow ■). Next, the array plug IOA is moved in parallel (in the direction of the arrow ■) to a position where its axis is aligned with the array plug 3A, and the array plug 10h and the array plug 3A are made to face each other. Next, align the alignment pin 2h of the array plug 3A and the direction of the array plug/□A (direction of the arrow ■)
Move the alignment plug lOA to the alignment pin insertion hole io
a.

10b. Finally, move the array plug IOA a little in the direction of the array plug 3A (in the direction of the arrow ■). Through this series of operations, the first optical fiber end and the third optical fiber end can be switched and connected.

Note that by applying a refractive index matching agent to the end face of the array plug 3A in advance and aligning the axis of the array plug IOA, the Fresnel reflection loss of 0.3 dB at the end face can be excluded, which is highly effective. In addition, even if the end face angle when cutting the fiber is about 1 degree, the first fiber end and the third fiber end are connected via the refractive index matching agent, making it possible to achieve alignment connection with low loss. There is.

FIG. 8 shows the loss fluctuation characteristics when cutting the optical fiber of this example. The dotted line in FIG. 8 shows the case when cutting is performed without using the vibration isolating member, and the solid line shows the case when cutting using the vibration isolating member. Cutting without using a vibration isolator will cause a loss fluctuation of up to 15 dB, but using a vibration isolator will reduce the loss fluctuation and
; It can be seen that it can be suppressed to 1 dB or less.

Furthermore, the settling time of the loss fluctuation was 200 m5ec1 for the former and 10?7 LSeC for the latter, indicating that the effect of using the vibration isolating member is extremely large.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, in the first step, the present invention constitutes a pin arrangement unit connection body consisting of arrangement plugs that face each other and are relatively movable, and arranges and fixes a plurality of optical fibers at equal intervals with high precision. In the second step, the optical fibers to be cut are held accurately in the array position between the array plugs, and the optical fibers are gripped with a vibration isolating member that has the function of preventing vibration, and the optical fibers are scratched and pulled. Since stress cutting is performed, the optical fibers transmitting signals can be cut accurately with extremely low loss fluctuations at the position of the end face of the array plug. Using array plugs and array plugs fabricated on fiber ends that are not transmitting signals, alignment of the fiber ends with each other can be performed with high precision and line switching work can be performed reliably, making it possible to perform line switching work on communication lines that have not been connected to optical fiber connectors in advance. Also, optical fiber line switching work can be carried out in a short time, and extremely effective practical effects can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1(a), (b), and (C) are exploded perspective views of the inebriant plug parts used in the present invention, FIG. 2(a) is the same as that of FIG. 1(a), and FIG. Figure 1 (C) is a perspective view of the completed wiring plug, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the pin array unit connector used in the present invention, and Figure 4 is a pin array unit connector used to fix exposed fibers to the array plug. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the procedure for cutting the fiber used in the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the exposed optical fiber core fixing member. Figure 8 is a loss variation characteristic diagram when cutting the optical fiber of this embodiment, Figure 9 is a structural diagram of a conventional optical fiber connector, and Figure 10 is the optical fiber end face at the optical fiber cutting point. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between spacing and splice loss. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between load and optical loss fluctuations that occur when a load (lateral load) is applied in a direction perpendicular to the long axis of the fiber when cutting an optical fiber. , is shown. 1OIA11OA, %101A, 20 A: array plug, 10B, 20B: array member, IO'C, / OC: holding member - 10a, 10b: alignment pin insertion hole, 10d: fiber insertion groove, lOe: coated core wire insertion part, lOf: uncoated fiber, log: optical fiber coated part, lOh: alignment pin, 30: pin array section connection body 1, Sn! , : exposed optical fiber core wire fixing member, 100a: fiber vibration isolation support, 1OOb: fiber vibration isolation support cover, /θOC: S imparting blade, 100d: fiber insertion groove, 100e, 100f: alignment pin insertion groove, 100h
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Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In an optical fiber communication line during signal transmission, the coating of a part of the optical fiber core containing multiple optical fibers is removed to expose the optical fiber, and the optical fiber is cut at the exposed part. splitting the first and second optical fiber ends, and connecting the first optical fiber end to a separate third optical fiber end that is not carrying a signal, so that the signal of the first optical fiber is transmitted to the third optical fiber end. In an optical fiber switching connection method that enables transmission to an optical fiber, an optical fiber insertion groove into which a plurality of exposed optical fibers are inserted at the center, a coated wire insertion section into which a coated optical fiber coating is inserted, and a coated wire insertion section at both ends. The first arrangement member and the second arrangement member of the arrangement plug are composed of an arrangement member having an alignment pin insertion hole at a position equidistant from the fiber insertion groove, and a presser member that fits into the fiber insertion groove. The first and second arrays are connected to each other so as to be movable relative to each other via an alignment pin inserted into a pin insertion hole, and both sides of the exposed portion of the optical fiber to be cut during signal transmission are connected to the first and second arrays. A first step of inserting the optical fiber coated part into the fiber insertion groove of the member and into the coated coated wire insertion part, overlapping the holding member, and fixing the optical fiber integrally to create an exposed optical fiber coated wire fixing part. First and second exposed optical fiber core fixing members
The array plug is gripped by a vibration isolating member that has the function of preventing vibrations generated during cutting, and the scratching blade is pressed against the optical fiber at the end face of one of the array members to scratch the optical fiber surface. , a second step of stress-cutting the optical fiber by pulling the optical fiber around the scratch using one of the first or second alignment plugs as a guide, and an end face portion created in the first and second steps. A third array plug having a cut surface of the optical fiber is installed in parallel to the exposed optical fiber core fixing member, and after cutting the fiber, the alignment pin of the array plug on the side where the fiber was cut is pulled out, and the third array plug is placed in parallel with the exposed optical fiber core fixing member. Move parallel to the position opposite the array plug of 3,
A method for switching and connecting an optical fiber core, comprising: a third step of inserting an alignment pin of a third alignment plug into the pin insertion hole of the parallel-moved alignment plug to align the axis of the optical fiber end. . (2) A method for switching and connecting optical fibers, characterized in that a refractive index matching material is applied before aligning the optical fibers on the end face of the third array plug.