JPH09304661A - Method and device for manufacturing bidirectional optical module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the productivity by reducing the man-hours for operation and automating the manufacture. SOLUTION: Ferrules 49 and COM ports 41 fitted atop of optical fibers connected to waveguides 43 are arranged on a palette 1 at equal intervals, the ferrules 49 are taken out in order to assemble laser diode modules 48, and the palettes 1 is moved in sequence each time it is completed. At assembly time, a power supply block which is provided successively to a clamp block is moved forward and clamped, and the laser diode is powered to illuminate; and the output light from the COM port 41 is measured by a power meter 4 to perform automatic alignment. On the palette 1, bidirectional optical modules before and after the assembly are mounted and moved and the clamping, power supply, and monitoring are mechanized to enable the automation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a bidirectional optical module used for optical fiber communication.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A bidirectional optical module is provided on the subscriber side and enables bidirectional communication between a subscriber and another subscriber or an information provider via an optical communication network. Along with the spread of optical communication, a low-priced bidirectional optical module is required. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the bidirectional optical module. Signal light of two types of wavelengths for communication and for image input to the COM port 41 on the subscriber side via the optical communication network is demultiplexed by the waveguide 43 through the bidirectional optical fiber 42,
It is sent to the video optical fiber 44 and the communication optical fiber 45. The video signal light demultiplexed to the video optical fiber 44 is transmitted to and utilized by a subscriber side device (not shown). On the other hand, the signal light for communication reaches the photodiode module 47 (hereinafter referred to as PD module) through the ferrule 46, is photoelectrically converted, and is sent out as an electric signal from the terminal to the device on the subscriber side. An electric signal transmitted from the subscriber side is applied to a terminal of a laser diode of a laser diode module 48 (hereinafter referred to as an LD module), converted into a laser beam by the laser diode, passed through a ferrule 49, and a communication optical fiber 50.
Sent to The signal light is sent to the optical fiber from the COM port 41 to the optical communication network via the waveguide 43 and the bidirectional optical fiber 42. Therefore, the subscriber can transmit the electric signal as an optical signal to the optical communication network and receive the optical signal transmitted from the optical communication network as the electric signal, and use the optical communication network to make another subscription. Bidirectional communication with a person or an information provider.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are sectional views showing the assembled state of the LD module. FIG. 7A shows an assembled state of the ferrule 49 of the LD module 48 into the ferrule collar 51. The ferrule 49 is inserted into the ferrule collar 51, and the YAG laser light of the YAG laser oscillation light source 31 is applied to the insertion site of the ferrule 49 to melt and fix it. At this time, the ferrule 49 is adjusted in the vertical direction to bring the ferrule 49 into a predetermined condensing state. Laser diode 5
2 (hereinafter referred to as LD), LD color 53, lens 54,
The lens collar 55 has been adjusted and assembled in advance. FIG. 7B shows an assembled state of the ferrule collar 51 and the lens collar 55. The YAG laser light of the YAG laser oscillation light source 32 is applied to the contact portion between the ferrule collar 51 and the lens collar 55 to melt and fix.
At this time, the positions of the ferrule collar 51 and the lens collar 55 in the direction perpendicular to the optical axes are adjusted so that the ferrule 49 and the optical axis of the laser light coincide with each other. For adjusting the condensed state and the position of the optical axis, power is supplied to the electrode pin 52a of the LD 52 to cause it to emit light, and the optical output sent to the optical fiber 50 is measured,
It is performed so that it becomes a predetermined value.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional LD module assembling apparatus. A waveguide 43 is installed on the table 30, and the assembled P is connected to the waveguide 43 via an optical fiber.
The D module 47 is placed at a predetermined position on the base 30, and the COM port 41, which is also connected via an optical fiber, is installed at the measurement position of the power meter 40. The LD module 48 is assembled as follows. Lens color 55 with LD 52, LD color 53, and lens 54 incorporated in advance
On the other hand, the ferrule collar 51 is inserted into the insertion hole of the centering device 34, and the ferrule connected to the waveguide 43 via the optical fiber is inserted into the upper hole of the ferrule collar 51. Further, when the socket 35 for supplying the light emitting power of the LD 52 is inserted and the control device of the automatic assembly device (not shown) is activated, the laser light output of the LD 52 enters the power meter 40 from the COM port 41 via the optical fiber and the waveguide 43. To be done. The power meter 40 obtains the vertical position of the ferrule 49 and the initial value of measurement corresponding to the concentricity of the optical axis of the laser light, and the arithmetic unit in the control device and this initial value and a predetermined vertical position (Z Direction focusing degree) and a value corresponding to the concentricity of the optical axis (X and Y directions), and the driving of the aligning device 34 is controlled via an aligning control device (not shown) to move the ferrule 49 up and down. Ferrule color 5
When the horizontal position adjustment 1 is performed and the focusing degree and the concentricity of the optical axis reach predetermined values, the YAG laser oscillation light sources 31 and 32 are activated to melt and fix predetermined locations.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a conventional centering device. The LD 52, the LD collar 53, the lens 54, and the lens collar 55, which have been assembled in advance, are inserted into the collet chuck 33a of the fixture 33 at predetermined positions, and the portion of the lens collar 55 is fixed by the knob 33b. Ferrule color 5
1 is inserted into the hole 34b provided in the horizontal movement block 34a of the centering device 34, but at this time, the clamp arm 34d protruding from the vertical movement block 34c is in an open state,
Further, the ferrule 49 is inserted into the upper hole of the ferrule collar 51. When the control device of the automatic assembly device (not shown) is activated, the clamp arm 34d closes and the ferrule 49 is closed.
Then, according to the measurement value of the power meter 40, the horizontal movement block 34a moves in the XY direction and the vertical movement block 34a.
c adjusts the fine movement in the Z direction to perform the alignment operation of the LD module 48, and the YAG oscillation light sources 31 and 32 weld a predetermined portion.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-27978 discloses a device for assembling a laser diode module, and more particularly, a device for mounting a laser light monitoring photodiode on a substrate on which the laser diode is mounted. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-93826 describes a method for manufacturing an optical module using a mold. JP-A-5-127048 discloses that in an optical fiber module having an external connection conductor terminal of a dual in-line type package, a connection conductor penetrating the inside and outside of the package and a conductor side connection of a lead connecting each element in the package are leads. There is described an optical fiber module in which a connection conductor is penetratingly supported in a hole provided in and a manufacturing method thereof.

[0007]

In the conventional manufacturing method and apparatus shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the waveguide on the table and the PD module connected to the waveguide by the optical fiber and the COM port on the power meter are installed. Next, the LD, the LD collar, the lens, the attachment of the lens collar to the fixture of the LD module that is assembled in advance, and the electrode pin 52 of the power socket.
The work such as insertion into a, installation with the ferrule to the aligning device inserted in the ferrule collar, and removal after welding and assembly, etc., will be done by the operator, which requires man-hours.
There was a problem in productivity as well as cost increase.

The devices described in JP-B-6-27978, JP-A-5-93826 and JP-A-5-127048 are LD modules, PD modules and COM ports connected to a waveguide by optical fibers. It cannot be applied to the constituent bidirectional optical modules.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing method and apparatus that realizes automation of assembly of an LD module connected to a bidirectional optical module by an optical fiber, and that reduces the number of work steps and improves productivity.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a waveguide,
A plurality of bidirectional optical modules each consisting of a ferrule and a COM port, which are respectively connected via the waveguide and an optical fiber, are arranged on a pallet at equal intervals, and the ferrules are sequentially taken out from the pallet, and the ferrule is provided with a light emitting element or a light receiving element Is a method for manufacturing a bidirectional optical module. In addition, the pallet is arranged on a movable table, and is automatically sent sequentially after each mounting of the light emitting element or the light receiving element, and a new bidirectional optical module is assembled. Is. Furthermore, in the method of manufacturing the bidirectional optical module, the power meter is moved forward by the linear motion mechanism and connected to the COM port to monitor the optical output of the light emitting element. When mounting the light emitting element, a conductive piece for causing the light emitting element to emit light by monitoring is brought into contact with an electrode pin of the light emitting element by a direct-acting mechanism. Further, in the method of manufacturing the bidirectional optical module, the light emitting element is pressed and fixed by the linear movement mechanism of the clamp block when the light emitting element is mounted.

The present invention also provides a waveguide, a pallet for arranging a plurality of bidirectional optical modules each consisting of a ferrule and a COM port, which are connected to the waveguide via an optical fiber, at equal intervals, and from the pallet. A robot for sequentially taking out the ferrules, a clamp block for pressing and fixing a light receiving element mounted on the ferrule, and a power supply block provided in parallel with the clamp block for supplying electric power to the light emitting element A conductive piece is provided at a front end portion of the power supply block, and the clamp block and the power supply block are advanced together by a single linear motion mechanism to fix the light emitting element and an electrode of the light emitting element. An apparatus for manufacturing a bidirectional optical module, which is capable of supplying power by contacting a pin.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention. A pallet 1 in which a plurality of bidirectional optical modules are set is placed on a carrier table 2, and the carrier table 2 is configured to move / stop on a carrier guide 3 at a predetermined pitch by a driving device (not shown). Each waveguide 43 of the bidirectional optical module on the pallet 1 is set at a predetermined interval with a direction substantially perpendicular to the moving direction of the pallet 1 as a longitudinal direction, and each COM port 41 is connected to the waveguide 43 by an optical fiber.
Means that the respective optical axes are parallel to each other in the same direction and at the same pitch as the moving direction of the carrier table 2, and the tip of the optical axis is slightly protruding from the end of the pallet 1 on a straight line parallel to the moving direction of the carrier table 2. To be installed. The power meter 4 is installed on the moving table 5, and the moving table 5 can be moved back and forth on the slide rail 6 by a driving device (not shown). When the pallet 1 is stopped, the light receiving optical axis of the power meter 4 is on the pallet 1. It is configured so as to coincide with the optical axis of the COM port 41. Further, a plurality of PD (light receiving element) modules 47 can be set at appropriate positions on the pallet 1 at intervals equal to the moving / stopping pitch of the carrier table 2.

On the other side of the COM port 41 on the pallet 1, both the ferrule 49 before assembling and the LD (light emitting device) module 48 after assembling can be set.
Are provided at intervals equal to the movement / stop pitch of the carrier 2.
The latch hole 7 may be, for example, a hole having the same diameter as the large-diameter lens collar 55 and a hole having the same diameter as the smaller-diameter ferrule 49, or may be a separate hole having two diameters. . A known robot 8 is provided, and the end finger of the ferrule 49 set in the latch hole 7 is grasped by the finger.
It is possible to move this to a predetermined position of the centering device 34 and return the assembled LD module 48 incorporating the ferrule 49 to the latch hole 7. The aligning device 34 and the YA are placed at appropriate positions facing the robot 8 and the carrier 2.
G laser oscillation light sources 31 and 32 are installed, and a centering device 34
An electric power supply fixing device 10 is provided below. Further, the component supply device (not shown) has a single ferrule collar and L
It is possible to set the lens color in which D and the lens are assembled to the aligning device 34 and the power supply fixing device 10, respectively.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing an assembled state.
The centering device 34 and the YAG laser oscillation light sources 31 and 32 have the same structure as the conventional one, and the power supply fixing device 10 below the device has the following structure. The fixed base 11 has a vertical fixed surface 11a and a horizontal receiving surface 11b, and the clamp block 12 whose V-shaped surface faces the fixed surface 11a is fixed to the receiving surface 11
The lens collar 55 to be installed upright on the b
Install so that it can be pressed on a. Also, the clamp block 12
A power supply block 13 is provided below the
The conductive piece provided at the tip can contact the LD electrode pin 52a. Clamp block 12 and power supply block 1
3 are both supported by a rod 14 and moved forward and backward by a linear cylinder 15.

FIG. 3 is a view as seen from the P direction in FIG.
The receiving surface 11b is the LD5 that is assembled in advance and is in a coupled state.
2, the LD collar 53, the lens 54, and the lens collar 55 can be vertically supported by the lower end of the LD electrode pin 52a, and the clamp block 12 moves back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface to fix the side surface of the lens collar 55 to the fixed surface 11a. It can be clamped and unclamped by pressing. Power supply block 13
The conductive strips 13a are individually biased in the forward direction to ensure contact with the electrode pins 52a.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. An unfinished bidirectional optical module having only a plurality of LD modules 48 set in parallel on the pallet 1 at a predetermined pitch, and an operator mounts the pallet on a predetermined position of the carrier 2. At this time, the bidirectional optical module set at the forefront of the traveling direction of the pallet is the target of the assembly first. When the control device of the automatic assembly device (not shown) is activated,
The component supply device (not shown) sends out the lens collar 55 having the LD 52 and the lens 54 assembled to it and sets it at a predetermined position on the receiving surface 11a, and the ferrule collar 5 alone.
1 is delivered and inserted into the hole 34b of the aligning device 34. At this time, the clamp block 12 is in the retracted position together with the power supply block 13. Then, the robot 8 is activated and the ferrule 4 is moved from the latch hole 7 at a predetermined position on the pallet 1 to the ferrule 4.
When 9 is pulled out and inserted into the upper hole of the ferrule collar 51 through the space between the clamp arms 34d in the open state, the clamp arm 34d is closed and holds the ferrule 49, and the robot 8 retracts to the fixed position. At the same time, the movable table 5 at the retracted position moves forward to a predetermined measurement position, and the output light from the COM port 41 on the pallet 1 is output to the power meter 4
Is in a measurable state.

The clamp block 12 moves forward together with the power supply block 13 to press and fix the lens collar 55, and the conductive piece 13a contacts the electrode pin 52a to apply power to the LD 52. The emitted laser light enters the power meter 4 from the COM port 41 via the optical fiber and the waveguide 43. The laser light incident on the power meter 4 is converted into an electric signal, and this value is used as an initial measurement value, and the arithmetic unit in the control device (not shown) has the same initial value, predetermined vertical position (focusing degree), and optical axis. Compared with the value corresponding to the concentricity, the aligning device 34 is driven and controlled, the vertical position of the ferrule 49 and the horizontal position of the ferrule collar 51 are adjusted, and the focusing degree and the concentricity of the optical axis are set to predetermined values. Then, the YAG laser oscillation light sources 31 and 32 are activated to melt and fix a predetermined portion, and the LD module 48 is in an assembled state.

Next, the LD module 48 in which the robot 8 is completed is moved backward together with the clamp block 12 and the power supply block 13, and the clamp arm 34d is opened.
Holding the ferrule 49, and returning it to the corresponding latch hole 7 on the pallet 1 and setting. After the assembly cycle of the first set of bidirectional optical modules is completed, the controller of the automatic assembly apparatus advances the carrier table 2 by a predetermined pitch and performs the same assembly cycle for the next bidirectional optical module. When the assembly of all the bidirectional optical modules on the plurality of pallets 1 is completed continuously, the carrier 2 is returned to the initial position and stopped. The operator removes the pallet 1 from the carrier 2, sets the pallet 1 on which the new unassembled bidirectional optical module is set on the carrier 2, and starts the automatic assembling apparatus.

In the above, the assembly of the LD module was targeted, but if the light receiving power meter is used as the laser emitting device and the power supply block is the contact power receiving block and the control detection function and program of the automatic assembly device are changed, the PD module is assembled. In addition, when using a linear transfer guide, the transfer table is returned to the initial position and stopped as described above, but a transfer table with a plurality of pallets is used as the transfer guide in a closed loop. If a plurality of corresponding aligning devices, power supply fixing devices, power meters, robots, etc. are installed, the production amount can be expanded.

[0019]

According to the present invention, when assembling an LD module forming a part of a bidirectional optical module, an operator needs to individually attach and detach a ferrule, a ferrule collar, and a subassembly of an LD and a lens to an assembly device. In addition, there is no need to insert the power supply socket into the LD individually or C
Since it is not necessary to connect the OM port to the light receiving power meter, it is possible to reduce the number of working steps and to cope with the increase in production amount due to automation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing an assembled state,

FIG. 3 is a diagram viewed from the P direction in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional LD module assembling apparatus;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a conventional centering device,

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a bidirectional optical module,

7A and 7B are cross-sectional views showing an assembled state of the LD module.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Pallet 2 Transfer stand 3 Transfer guide 4
Power meter 5 Moving stand 6 Slide rail 7 Latch hole
8 Robot 10 Power Supply Fixing Device 11 Fixing Base 12 Clamp Block 13 Power Supply Block 13a Conductive Piece 15 Direct Acting Cylinder
34 Aligning device 41 COM port 42, 4
5,50 Optical fiber 46,49 Ferrule
47 PD module 48 LD module 5
1 Ferrule color 52 LD 52a Electrode pin

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of bidirectional optical modules each comprising a waveguide and a ferrule and a COM port connected to the waveguide through an optical fiber are arranged at equal intervals on a pallet, and the ferrules are sequentially taken out from the pallet. ,
A method for manufacturing a bidirectional optical module, comprising mounting a light emitting element or a light receiving element on the ferrule. 2. The pallet is arranged on a movable table and automatically sent one after another when the mounting of the light emitting element or the light receiving element is completed, and a new bidirectional optical module is assembled. Method for manufacturing bidirectional optical module of. 3. The method for manufacturing a bidirectional optical module according to claim 1, wherein the power meter is moved forward by a linear motion mechanism and connected to the COM port to monitor the light output of the light emitting element. 4. The bidirectional optical module according to claim 1, wherein when mounting the light emitting element, a conductive piece for causing the light emitting element to emit a monitor light is brought into contact with an electrode pin of the light emitting element by a linear motion mechanism. Method. 5. The method for manufacturing a bidirectional optical module according to claim 1, wherein, when mounting the light emitting element, the light emitting element is pressed and fixed by a linear movement mechanism of a clamp block. 6. A pallet for arranging a plurality of bidirectional optical modules, each of which includes a waveguide, a ferrule and a COM port connected to the waveguide via an optical fiber, at equal intervals, and the ferrule from the pallet. It comprises a robot for sequentially taking out, a clamp block for pressing and fixing the light emitting element mounted on the ferrule, and a power supply block provided in parallel with the clamp block for supplying electric power to the light emitting element. , A conductive piece is provided at a front end portion of the power supply block, and the clamp block and the power supply block are advanced together by a single linear motion mechanism to fix the light emitting element and contact the electrode pin of the light emitting element. A bidirectional optical module manufacturing apparatus, which is capable of supplying electric power.