JPH11337749A - Optical fiber array and its assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive optical fiber array using a small number of V-grooved substrates. SOLUTION: V-grooved substrates 4A and 4B having many V grooves 5 formed on one face are arranged on both the flat faces of a plane substrate 6, so that V grooves 5 face the plane substrate 6, and optical fibers 1 are interposed between V grooves of one V-grooved substrate 4A and the plane substrate 6 and between V grooves of the other V-grooved substrate 4B and the plane substrate 6, and they are integrated into one body with an adhesive.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber array in which optical fibers are arranged in two stages and an assembling method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The structure of a conventional optical fiber array of this type is shown in FIG. In the figure, 1 is an optical fiber, 2 is a double-sided V-groove substrate having a large number of V-grooves 3 formed on both sides, 4A, 4B
Is a single-sided V-groove substrate having a large number of V-grooves 5 formed on one side. In this optical fiber array, single-sided V-groove substrates 4A and 4B are arranged on both sides of the double-sided V-groove substrate 2,
The optical fiber 1 is sandwiched between the groove 3 and the V-grooves 5 of the single-sided V-groove substrates 4A and 4B, and an adhesive (not shown) is inserted into a gap between the double-sided V-groove substrate 2 and the single-sided V-groove substrates 4A and 4B and the optical fiber 1. ) Is poured and cured, and the whole is integrated.

[0003]

The conventional optical fiber array requires one double-sided V-groove substrate and two single-sided V-groove substrates to arrange optical fibers in two stages.
There is also a problem that the cost of the grooved substrate is increased because precision processing is required.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber array which is less expensive than the conventional one and a method of assembling the same.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, an optical fiber array according to the present invention comprises: a V-groove substrate having a large number of V-grooves formed on both sides of a flat substrate having both flat surfaces; The surface on the groove side is arranged facing the flat substrate side, and one V
An optical fiber is interposed between each V-groove of the grooved substrate and the plane substrate, and between the V-groove of the other V-groove substrate and the plane substrate. ). In this case, only two V-groove substrates are required on one side, and the cost is low.

In the optical fiber array according to the present invention, a flat substrate is disposed on both sides of a V-groove substrate having a large number of V-grooves formed on both sides, and each V-groove on one surface of the one flat substrate and one surface of the V-groove substrate is provided. An optical fiber may be interposed between the grooves and between the other flat substrate and each of the V-grooves on the other surface of the V-groove substrate so as to be integrated as a whole (claim 2). In this case, the V-groove substrate requires only one double-sided V-groove substrate,
Cost is low.

In the method of assembling an optical fiber array according to the present invention, a large number of V
The V-groove substrate on which the grooves are formed is arranged with the V-groove side facing the flat substrate side, and there is a gap between the flat substrate and the V-groove substrates on both sides to allow an optical fiber to be inserted into each V-groove. In this state, a spacer is interposed between each V-groove of one V-groove substrate and each V-groove of the other V-groove substrate.
After inserting the optical fiber between the groove and the plane substrate, respectively, after pulling out the spacer, sandwiching the optical fiber between the plane substrate and the V-groove substrate on both sides, the plane substrate,
The V-groove substrate and the optical fiber are integrated with an adhesive (claim 3).

In the method of assembling an optical fiber array according to the present invention, a flat substrate is disposed on both sides of a V-groove substrate having a large number of V-grooves formed on both sides, and a flat substrate is provided between the V-groove substrate and the flat substrates on both sides. A spacer is interposed between the V-grooves so that there is a gap enough to insert an optical fiber. In this state, the space between one flat substrate and each V-groove on one surface of the V-groove substrate and the other flat substrate and the V-groove An optical fiber is inserted between each V-groove on the other surface of the groove substrate, then the spacer is pulled out, and the optical fiber is sandwiched between the V-groove substrate and the flat substrates on both sides. The substrate, the planar substrate, and the optical fiber may be integrated with an adhesive (claim 4).

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is an optical fiber, 4A, 4
B is a V-groove substrate having a large number of V-grooves 5 formed on one surface, and 6 is a flat substrate having both surfaces flat. This optical fiber array
On both sides of the flat substrate 6, the V-groove substrates 4A and 4B are arranged with the surface on the V-groove 5 side facing the flat substrate 6 side.
Between each V-groove 5 and the plane substrate 6 and the other V-groove substrate 4B
The optical fiber 1 is sandwiched between each of the V-grooves 5 and the plane substrate 6, and the plane substrate 6, the V-groove substrates 4A and 4B and the optical fiber 1
An adhesive (not shown) is poured into the gap between the two and cured, and the whole is integrated. V-groove substrates 4A, 4B
The material of the flat substrate 6 is preferably glass or ceramic, but silicon or plastic can also be used.

This optical fiber array can be manufactured as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the single-sided V-groove substrates 4A and 4B are arranged on both sides of the flat substrate 6 with the surface on the V-groove 5 side facing the flat substrate 6 side. A spacer 7 is interposed between 4A and 4B so that there is a gap for inserting an optical fiber into each V-groove 5. The V-groove substrates 4A and 4B are accurately positioned by an assembling apparatus (not shown) so that the positions of the V-grooves 5 coincide with each other, and are pressed in the direction of the arrow.

In this state, an optical fiber is inserted between each V-groove 5 of the one V-groove substrate 4A and the plane substrate 6 and between each V-groove 5 of the other V-groove substrate 4B and the plane substrate 6, respectively. It looks like 3. That is, each optical fiber 1 is loosely inserted between the V-groove 5 and the flat substrate 6. Thereafter, when the spacer 7 is pulled out in the direction of arrow H, the flat substrate 6 is removed.
And the V-groove substrates 4A and 4B sandwich the optical fiber 1, and in this state, the flat substrate 6 and the V-groove substrates 4A and 4B
If an adhesive is poured into the gap between B and the optical fiber 1 and cured, an optical fiber array as shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained.

When the optical fiber 1 is inserted into the V-groove 5 on one V-groove substrate 4A and the V-groove 5 on the other V-groove substrate 4B, the optical fiber 1 can be smoothly inserted. For this purpose, as shown in FIG.
It is preferable that the entrance side of the V-groove 5 on the inner surface of 4B be a curved surface 8 with a gently widening interval. FIG. 4 shows an example in which two optical fibers 1 extending from a tape-shaped multi-core optical fiber core 9 are inserted into a V-groove on one V-groove substrate 4A and a V-groove on the other V-groove substrate 4B. Is shown. The two superposed tape-shaped multi-core optical fiber core wires 9 are formed between the optical fiber 1 of the upper tape-shaped multi-core optical fiber core wire 9 and the optical fiber 1 of the lower tape-shaped multi-core optical fiber core wire 9. Are shifted by one optical fiber in the width direction so as to enter.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is an optical fiber, 2 is a double-sided V-groove substrate having a large number of V-grooves 5 formed on both surfaces, and 6A and 6B are flat substrates having both surfaces flat. This optical fiber array has a double-sided V
Plane substrates 6A and 6B are arranged on both sides of the grooved substrate 2, between one planar substrate 6A and each V-groove 3 on one surface of the V-groove substrate 2, and the other of the other planar substrate 6B and the V-groove substrate 2 The optical fiber 1 is sandwiched between the V-grooves 3 on the surface of the optical fiber 1 and an adhesive (not shown) is poured into a gap between the V-groove substrate 2 and the plane substrates 6A and 6B and the optical fiber 1 to be cured. The whole is integrated. V-groove substrate 2 and planar substrates 6A and 6B
The material is preferably glass or ceramic, but silicon or plastic can also be used.

This optical fiber array can be manufactured as follows. First, the planar substrates 6A and 6B are arranged on both sides of the V-groove substrate 2, and a spacer is provided between the V-groove substrate 2 and the planar substrates 6A and 6B on both sides so that there is a gap for inserting an optical fiber into each V-groove 3. Intervene. In this state, the space between one planar substrate 6A and each V-groove 3 on one surface of the V-groove substrate 2 and the other planar substrate 6B and the V-groove substrate 2
The optical fiber 1 is inserted between each V-groove 3 on the other surface of the optical fiber. After that, the spacer is pulled out and the V-groove substrate 2 is removed.
The optical fiber 1 is sandwiched between the flat substrates 6A and 6B on both sides. In this state, if an adhesive (not shown) is poured into the gap between the V-groove substrate 2 and the planar substrates 6A and 6B and the optical fiber 1 and cured, an optical fiber array as shown in FIG. 5 is obtained.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, the number of V-groove substrates that require precision processing can be reduced, so that an inexpensive optical fiber array can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an end view showing an embodiment of an optical fiber array according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end view showing an earlier stage of the method of manufacturing the optical fiber array of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view showing the subsequent stage.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a preferred structure of a V-groove substrate used in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an end view showing another embodiment of the optical fiber array according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an end view showing an example of a conventional optical fiber array.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: optical fiber 2: double-sided V-groove substrate 3: V-groove 4A, 4B: single-sided V-groove substrate 5: V-groove 6, 6A, 6B: flat substrate 7: spacer

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A V-groove substrate having a large number of V-grooves formed on one side thereof on both sides of a flat substrate having both flat surfaces, wherein the V-groove side surface is oriented toward the flat substrate side, and one V-groove substrate is provided. An optical fiber array, wherein the entirety is integrated with an optical fiber between each V-groove and the plane substrate and between each V-groove of the other V-groove substrate and the plane substrate. 2. A V-groove substrate having a large number of V-grooves formed on both sides thereof. A flat substrate is disposed on both sides of the V-groove substrate, and between the one V-groove substrate and each V-groove on one surface of the V-groove substrate and the other. An optical fiber array, wherein the whole is integrated with an optical fiber interposed between a plane substrate and each V-groove on the other surface of the V-groove substrate. 3. A V-groove substrate having a large number of V-grooves formed on one side thereof on both sides of a flat substrate having both flat surfaces. V on both sides
A spacer is interposed between the grooved substrates so that there is a gap for inserting the optical fiber into each V-groove. In this state, the space between each V-groove of one V-groove substrate and the plane substrate and the other V-groove substrate An optical fiber is inserted between each V-groove and the plane substrate. After that, the spacer is pulled out, and the optical fiber is sandwiched between the plane substrate and the V-groove substrates on both sides. An optical fiber array assembling method, comprising: integrating optical fibers with an adhesive. 4. A V-groove substrate having a large number of V-grooves formed on both sides, a flat substrate is disposed on both sides of the V-groove substrate, and an optical fiber can be inserted into each V-groove between the V-groove substrate and both flat substrates. In this state, a spacer is interposed so as to leave a gap, and in this state, the V-groove between the one flat substrate and each V-groove on one surface of the V-groove substrate and the V-groove on the other surface of the other flat substrate and the V-groove substrate The optical fiber is inserted between the V-groove substrate, the flat substrate and the optical fiber after the spacer is pulled out and the optical fiber is sandwiched between the V-groove substrate and the flat substrates on both sides. A method for assembling an optical fiber array.