JPH0511141A - Method for grinding connector for optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To hold a grinding disk and the connector in constant position relation by making grinding jig fitted with the connector with the optical fiber follow up fluctuations of the top surface of the grinding disk due to waving if the grinding disk waves. CONSTITUTION:The tip part of the optical axis 2B of the connector 2A for the optical fiber is arranged in the position relation of orthogonality to the reverse surface of the grinding jig 3, which is slide freely and relatively to the top surface of the grinding disk 1 to make the tip surface 2B of the connector 2A for the optical fiber securely follow up variation in the top surface angle of the grinding disk 1 due to the waving, thereby holding the grinding disk 1 and the connector 2A for the optical fiber in invariably constant position relation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for polishing an optical fiber connector capable of polishing the front end surface of the connector with high accuracy.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of polishing apparatus, the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-207552 has been used. In this polishing apparatus, an arm to which a connector 2A of an optical fiber cable 2 (see FIG. 7B) (optical fiber connector) is attached to a column 1 extending vertically as shown in FIG. 7A. 3 is fixed, and the tip portion of the optical axis 2B of the connector 2A is provided in a positional relationship orthogonal to a polishing platen 4 for polishing this.

In the polishing apparatus thus constructed, the tip surface 2C of the connector 2A attached to the arm 3 is slid on the polishing platen 4 by rotating the polishing platen 4, whereby The connector 2A is polished.

[0004]

By the way, in the above polishing apparatus, since the arm 3 supporting the connector 2A is fixed to the support column 1, the fixing portion between the support column 1 and the arm 3 is fixed. It is necessary to precisely position the arm 3 while adjusting the positional relationship of the connector 2A with respect to the polishing platen 4, and high workability is required for positioning the arm 3. Even if the arm 3 is positioned in this way, if the polishing platen 4 for polishing the connector 2A is undulated, the positional relationship of the connector 2A with respect to the polishing platen 4 is changed, which results in high accuracy. There was a problem that polishing could not be done.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. (1) Positioning of a connector with respect to a polishing plate is simple and workability for positioning is good, (2)
Provided is a method for polishing a connector which, when waviness occurs in the polishing disc, surely follows a change in the upper surface angle of the polishing disc due to the waviness and always maintains a constant positional relationship between the polishing disc and the connector. With the goal.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, the optical axis tip portion of the connector is arranged in a positional relationship orthogonal to the lower surface of the polishing jig, and the polishing jig is attached to the polishing plate. The tip end surface of the optical fiber connector is polished by the polishing plate by freely moving and sliding relative to the upper surface of the optical fiber connector.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the tip of the optical axis of the connector is arranged in a positional relationship orthogonal to the lower surface of the polishing jig, and the polishing jig is
Since it is made to freely move and slide relative to the upper surface of the polishing plate, when undulation occurs on the polishing plate, the change in the upper surface angle of the polishing plate due to the undulation can be reliably followed and the polishing plate The positional relationship between the connector and the connector is always constant. Further, since the tip of the connector may be provided on the polishing jig in a positional relationship orthogonal to the lower surface of the connector, it is not necessary to adjust the positional relationship between the connector and the polishing board as in the conventional case.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

First, FIGS. 1 and 3 are an external view and a main part, respectively, showing the entire polishing apparatus for an optical fiber connector according to the present invention. In these figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a polishing disc that rotates in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis (not shown), and an upper surface 1A of the polishing disc 1
A polishing jig 3 to which a connector 2A (optical fiber connector) (see FIG. 7B) of the optical fiber cable 2 is attached is freely movable relative to the upper surface 1A of the polishing board 1 and It is slidable. That is, the polishing jig 3 is mounted on the upper surface 1A of the polishing plate 1 in a state where it can freely move around, for example, in the circumferential direction.

The optical axis 2B of the connector 2A of the optical fiber cable 2 is perpendicular to the upper surface 1A of the polishing board 1, and the tip surface 2C (abutment with the connector of the other optical fiber cable) is made. Part) is in surface contact with the upper surface 1A of the polishing board 1, and the polishing jig 3
When the polishing disc 1 is rotated in this state, the polishing jig 3 moves relative to the polishing disc 1 so that Optical axis 2B of the attached connector 2A (Fig. 7 (B))
(See) is polished in a direction orthogonal to the length direction.

Further, a cable housing portion 5 for housing the cable portion 2D of the optical fiber cable 2 in a rolled state is detachably attached to the upper portion 3 of the polishing jig. The cable storage portion 5 is formed in a double-cylinder shape, and has a ring-shaped portion (indicated by reference numeral 5A) formed in the double-cylinder shape (described later with reference to FIG. 4).
In addition, the optical fiber cable 2 has a cable portion 2D that is rolled up and stored.

Next, referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a procedure for polishing the tip surface 2C of the connector 2A of the optical fiber cable 2 and a procedure for attaching the connector 2A to the polishing jig 3 will be described. The structure will be described.

[Step 1] As shown in FIG. 2, the connector 2A is rubbed on the sandpaper 12 in order to remove the adhesive adhering to the tip surface 2C of the connector 2A. At this time, the connector 2A is manually held so that the optical axis 2B of the connector 2A is in a positional relationship orthogonal to the sandpaper 12.

[Step 2] As shown in FIG. 3, the connector 2A is provided on the mounting portion 3A of the polishing jig 3 with the tip surface 2C thereof facing and contacting the upper surface 1A of the polishing plate 1. The connectors 2A are arranged so as to be in contact with the reference planes 3B and 3C which are orthogonal to each other, and in this state, the connector 2A is screwed 8 and 9 toward the respective reference planes 3B and 3C via the spacers 6 and 7. As a result, the connector 2A of the optical fiber cable 2 is fixed to the mounting portion 3A of the polishing jig 3, and the connector 2A has a positional relationship in which its optical axis 2B is substantially orthogonal to the polishing board 1. Retained.

[Step 3] As shown in FIG. 4, the cable portion 2D of the optical fiber cable 2 is rolled into a predetermined size and is held in the rolled state.
It is stored in the ring part 5A. After that, the cable housing portion 5 housing the cable portion 2D is mounted on the polishing jig 3. This mounting is performed by fitting the lower part of the cable storage part 5 to the upper part of the polishing jig 3, for example.

[Step 4] When the attachment of the optical fiber cable 2 to the polishing jig 3 is completed by the above steps 1 to 3, the polishing board 1 is driven as shown in FIG. At this time, the polishing jig 3 on the polishing disc 1 should not follow the rotation of the polishing disc 1 as it is.
The flow stop jig 10 is arranged so as to project to the upper surface of the. The flow stop jig 10 is the same as the polishing jig 3 described above.
It has two rollers 11 that come into contact with the upper cable housing portion 5, and these rollers 11 hold the polishing jig 3 in a rotatable state while stopping the flow, and thereby the polishing jig 3 is held. The tip end surface 2C of the connector 2A attached to the polishing jig 3 is slid by sliding 3 on the polishing board 1.

As described above, according to the polishing apparatus for the connector 2A shown in this embodiment, the tip of the optical axis 2B of the connector 2A is arranged in a positional relationship orthogonal to the lower surface of the polishing jig 3, and the polishing jig is used. Since 3 is freely moved and slid relative to the upper surface of the polishing table 1, when the polishing table 1 has a waviness, it is possible to reliably change the upper surface angle of the polishing table 1 due to the waviness. Following this, the positional relationship between the polishing board 1 and the connector 2A can be constantly set to a constant state.
That is, it is possible to obtain an effect that the optical axis 2B of the connector 2A can be polished into a positional relationship that is orthogonal to the length direction of the connector 2A.

In the above embodiment, four connectors 2A can be attached to one polishing jig 3 as shown in FIG. 3, but the number of connectors 2A attached is not particularly limited. Further, although one polishing jig 3 having the cable housing 5 mounted therein is arranged for one polishing plate 1 in FIG. 5, the present invention is not limited to this, and is shown in FIG. Thus, a plurality (three in FIG. 6) may be provided for one polishing plate 1.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the tip of the optical axis is arranged in a positional relationship orthogonal to the lower surface of the polishing jig, and the polishing jig can be freely moved with respect to the upper surface of the polishing table. Since relative movement and sliding are performed, when undulations occur on the polishing plate, the changes in the upper surface angle of the polishing plate due to the undulations are reliably followed, and the positional relationship between the polishing plate and the connector is always constant. That is, the effect that the optical axis of the connector can be polished into a positional relationship that is orthogonal to the length direction can be obtained.

Further, since the optical axis of the connector may be provided in a positional relationship orthogonal to the lower surface of the polishing jig, it is not necessary to adjust the positional relationship between the connector and the polishing board as in the conventional case. As a result, it is possible to obtain the effect that the work for attaching the connector is simplified and the work efficiency is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a polishing apparatus for an optical fiber connector to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an optical fiber connector is polished with sandpaper.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which an optical fiber connector is attached to a polishing jig.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where the cable portion of the optical fiber cable is stored in the cable storage portion.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the polishing apparatus for an optical fiber connector is actually used.

6 is a plan view showing another aspect of the polishing apparatus for the optical fiber connector shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a conventional polishing apparatus for an optical fiber connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Support post, 1A ... Top surface of polishing machine, 2 ... Optical fiber cable, 2A ... Connector (optical fiber connector), 2B ... Optical axis, 2C ... Tip surface, 2D ... Cable part, 3 ... polishing tool, 3A ... mounting part, 3B ... reference surface, 3C ... reference surface, 4 ... polishing plate, 5 ... cable storage part, 6 ... spacer, 7 ... spacer, 8 ... Screwing, 9 ... Screwing, 10 ... Flow stop jig, 11 ...
Laura, 12 …… Sandpaper.

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A tip of an optical axis of a connector is arranged in a positional relationship orthogonal to a lower surface of a polishing jig, and the polishing jig is freely moved relative to an upper surface of the polishing board. A polishing method for an optical fiber connector, characterized in that the tip surface of the optical fiber connector is polished by the polishing plate by sliding.