JPH08179137A - Optical fiber array substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To fix optical fibers in a small stress state on the optical fiber array substrate for fixing the optical fibers. CONSTITUTION: The optical fiber array substrate 1 has a core holding part 2 where V grooves 5 for fixing the coated optical fiber parts (a) of plural optical fibers A are provided in parallel along the length direction of the optical fiber array substrate 1 and a jacket holding part 3 where V grooves 5, for fixing the jacket parts (b) of the optical fibers A are provided spreading out almost in a sector shape along the length direction of the optical fiber array substrate 1, and is provided with a recessed part 4 which comes into contact with neither the coated optical fiber parts (a) nor the jacket parts (b) of the optical fibers A between the coated optical fiber holding part 2 and jacket holding part 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber alignment substrate having grooves for fixing a plurality of optical fibers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to connect an optical element such as an optical waveguide, a light emitting element, a light receiving element and a plurality of optical fibers with a high density, a V is arranged on an optical fiber alignment substrate made of silicon, ceramics, quartz glass or the like. A groove is provided, and an optical fiber is fixed and adhered to the V groove, and then an optical element is optically connected.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a conventional optical fiber alignment substrate, (a) is a plan view and (b) is a plan view after fixing the optical fibers. As shown in FIG. 4, the optical fiber alignment substrate 11 fixes the core holding portion 12 provided with the V groove 15 for fixing the core portion a of the optical fiber A, and the coating portion b of the optical fiber A. And a coating holding portion 13 provided with a V-shaped groove 15 ′ at both ends, and a concave portion 1 having a depth that does not contact the core portion a and the coating portion b of the optical fiber A in the center.
4 is provided.

Since the optical fiber A can be bent in the recess 14, it can be fixed even if the V-grooves 15 of the core wire holding portion 12 and the V-grooves 15 'of the coating holding portion 13 have different arrangement pitches. A small optical fiber alignment substrate 11 can be manufactured.

[0005]

However, in the conventional optical fiber alignment substrate 11 as shown in FIG. 4, since the core portion a of the optical fiber A and the covering portion b have different diameters, the V groove 1 is formed.
When both 5 and 15 'are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber alignment substrate 11, the V-grooves 15 and 15' to be fixed become larger in the position of the optical fiber on the outer side. Therefore, when fixing the optical fiber A, it is necessary to bend the concave portion 14 into an S-shape, and there is a problem that the bending stress increases.

When the bending stress of the optical fiber A increases,
There is a problem in that the optical fiber A becomes unstable during the bonding work, and the core portion a of the optical fiber A comes into contact with the edge portion of the V groove 15 in the vicinity of the concave portion 14 at the time of fixing, causing damage and breaking.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in an optical fiber alignment substrate having grooves for fixing a plurality of optical fibers, the optical fiber alignment substrate is a plurality of optical fiber alignment substrates. The core holding part, which has a groove for fixing the exposed core part of the optical fiber parallel to the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber alignment substrate, and the covering part that covers the core parts of a plurality of optical fibers are fixed. And a coating holding portion provided with a groove for spreading so as to spread out in a substantially fan shape outward in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber alignment substrate, and the core of the optical fiber is provided between the core holding portion and the coating holding portion. The optical fiber alignment substrate is provided with a concave portion having a depth that does not contact the line portion and the coating portion.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the groove for fixing the coating portion of the plurality of optical fibers is the coating holding portion provided so as to spread outward in a substantially fan shape, whereby the optical fiber is bent in the concave portion. The stress becomes small.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 show three embodiments of the present invention, in which the same members are designated by the same reference numerals. FIG. 1 shows the first embodiment of the present invention.
Is a plan view of the optical fiber alignment substrate, (b) is a left side view, (b ') is a right side view,
(C) is a front view, (d) is a plan view of an optical fiber alignment substrate after a plurality of optical fibers are bonded, and (e) is a front view of (d). As shown in FIG. 1, the optical fiber alignment substrate 1
Has a core wire holding portion 2 and a coating holding portion 3 at both ends, and a recess 4 is provided therebetween. The core wire holding portion 2 has a V groove 5 for holding the core wire portions a of the plurality of optical fibers A arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber alignment substrate 1 and is used as an optical element connected to the tip. It is formed with a matching pitch interval.
Although the groove has a V-shape in this embodiment, it may have any shape as long as it can fix the optical fiber A, for example, a trapezoid or a U-shape.

The coating holding portion 3 has a V groove 5'for holding the coating portions b of the plurality of optical fibers A, which is oblique to the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber alignment substrate 1. Although the groove is V-shaped in this embodiment, it may have any shape as long as it can fix the optical fiber A, for example, trapezoidal or U-shaped. Further, in the present embodiment, the plurality of V-shaped grooves 5 ′ are configured so as to spread outward in a fan shape.
The groove 5'may be straight.

The recess 4 may have a depth such that the optical fiber alignment substrate 1 does not come into contact with the core portion a and the coating portion b of the optical fiber A.

The ratio of the core wire holding portion 2, the concave portion 4, the coating portion 3 to the optical fiber alignment substrate 1, and the V of the coating holding portion 3
The degree of slanting of the groove 5 '(particularly outside) depends on each optical fiber A.
The shape may be such that the bending stress of is reduced. In addition, in this embodiment, the concave portion 4 and the V groove 5,
5'is formed to fabricate the optical fiber alignment substrate 1,
The optical fiber alignment substrate 1 may be manufactured by preliminarily manufacturing only the portions of the core wire holding portion 2 and the coating holding portion 3 that project from the recesses 4 and adhering these portions on the substrate.

With the above arrangement, all the optical fibers A are
However, since the concave portion 4 is fixed in a bent state only at one place, the bending stress is fixed in a small state.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention, in which an optical fiber A adhered on an optical fiber alignment substrate 1 is used.
It is a structure that protects.

As shown in FIG. 2, the concave portion 4 and the coating holding portion 3 are provided.
The upper optical fiber A is covered with the fixing agent 6, and the optical fiber A on the core wire holding portion 2 is fixed by being sandwiched between the optical fiber pressing substrates 7. The fixing agent 6 may be a resin such as a UV curable adhesive or a low melting point glass, and the optical fiber pressing substrate 7 may be the same material as the optical fiber aligning substrate 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention, in which an optical fiber A adhered on an optical fiber alignment substrate 1 is used.
It is a structure that protects.

As shown in FIG. 3, the optical fiber A on the concave portion 4 is covered with the fixing agent 6, and the entire optical fiber A on the optical fiber alignment substrate 1 is sandwiched by the optical fiber pressing substrate 7 '. The substrate 7'is a stepped portion in which the surface on the core holding portion 2 which is the core portion a of the optical fiber A having a small diameter is a convex portion as compared with the surface on the coating holding portion 3 or the concave portion 4. It is preferable that the shape is such that the force is uniformly applied to the entire optical fiber A.

[0018]

As described above, according to the optical fiber alignment substrate of the present invention, the bending stress of the optical fiber is increased by providing the plurality of grooves of the coating holding portion so as to spread outward in a substantially fan shape. The optical fiber alignment substrate can be fixed in a small state.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view, (b) is a left side view, (b ′) is a right side view, and (c) is a front view. , (D) is a plan view after bonding a plurality of optical fibers, and (e) is a front view of (d).

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

4A and 4B are schematic configuration diagrams showing a conventional optical fiber alignment substrate, FIG. 4A is a plan view, and FIG. 4B is a plan view after a plurality of optical fibers are bonded.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 11: Optical fiber alignment substrate 6: Fixing agent 2, 12: Cord holder 7,
7 ': Optical fiber pressing member 3, 13: Cover holding part A: Optical fiber 4, 14: Recess a: Core part 5, 5', 15, 15 ': V groove b: Cover part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber alignment substrate having a groove for fixing a plurality of optical fibers, wherein the optical fiber alignment substrate has a groove for fixing an exposed core portion of the plurality of optical fibers. A core wire holding portion provided parallel to the longitudinal direction of the alignment substrate and a groove for fixing the coating portion that coats the core portions of the plurality of optical fibers are provided outside in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber alignment substrate. And a coating holding portion provided so as to spread in a substantially fan shape, and a concave portion having a depth that does not contact the core portion of the optical fiber and the coating portion is provided between the core holding portion and the coating holding portion. An optical fiber alignment substrate characterized by the above.