JPS61192460A - Grinding method for end face of optical connector core into convex spherical surface - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To grind a convex spherical surface easily with a simple device, by butting an optical connector core to an elastic plate to be ground having such a nature that its surface is depressed, and by performing the grinding through utilization of the concave surface of the produced concavity. CONSTITUTION:The end face of an optical connector core 2 to be ground is butted to the surface of an elasticity grinding machine 5, wherein a grinding layer 5B is affixed over a soft elastic material layer 5A, and the surface of this elasticity grinding machine 5 is depressed at its portion butted. In this condition, the elasticity grinding machine 5 is rotated unidirectionally while the connector core 2 is being rotated in reversals of more than 360 deg. by a core rotating mechanism 10 with the aid of a core holder 8. This performance of grinding, wherein the surface of the elasticity grinding machine 5 is partially depressed by the end face of the optical connector core 2 to be ground, will remove edge parts of the end face of the optical connector core 2 gradually with the concave surface of the produced concavity to yield finally a well ground product with convex spherical surface.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a method for polishing an optical connector core into a convex spherical end face by polishing the end face of an optical connector core into a convex spherical shape.

[Summary of the Invention] The present invention has the characteristic that when pressed, the part is recessed.
□Using an elastic polishing disk, press the end face of the optical connector core against the surface in a perpendicular direction to make the surface of the elastic polishing disk concave, and rotate the optical connector core around its axis. By polishing the end face of the optical connector core into a convex spherical shape by rotating the elastic polishing disk while rotating, it is possible to easily polish the end face of the optical connector core into a convex spherical shape using a simple device. This is how it was done.

[Prior art] Polishing the end face of the optical connector core into a convex spherical shape brings the end face of the optical fiber in the optical connector core into contact with the end face of the opposite optical fiber (physical contact), which reduces connection loss. This is to obtain the connection status.

Conventionally, when polishing the end face of an optical connector core into a convex spherical shape, as shown in FIG. This was done by bringing the end faces of the cores 2 into contact and driving the connector core 2 with a mortar drive mechanism (not shown).

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when a pestle drive mechanism is used, the movement is complicated, so the structure of the pestle drive mechanism is also complicated, and the polishing device becomes expensive.

In addition, in order to polish the end face of the optical connector core into a convex spherical shape using a grinding motion, there is a drawback that high precision is required of the polishing device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for polishing an optical connector core into a convex spherical end face, which can easily polish the end face of an optical connector core into a convex spherical shape with a simple movement.

1 Means for Solving Problems J The means of the present invention for achieving the above object will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 corresponding to the embodiments. Using an elastic polishing disk 5 having a characteristic that the surface portion is concave, the end face of the optical connector core 2 is pressed against the surface of the elastic polishing disk 5 in a perpendicular direction to make the surface of the elastic polishing disk 5 concave. By rotating the elastic polishing disk 5 while rotating the core 2 around its axis, the end surface of the optical connector core 2 is polished into a convex spherical shape.

[Operation of the invention] When polishing is performed by recessing the surface of the elastic polishing disc 5 with the end face of the optical connector core 2 in this way, the end face of the optical connector core 2 is polished with the recessed surface of the elastic polishing disc 5. When the edge portion of the end face of the optical connector core 2 is removed, the shape of the recess of the elastic polishing disc 5 changes accordingly, and the end face of the optical connector core 2 is polished into a convex spherical shape.

[Example] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of a polishing apparatus for polishing an optical connector core into a convex spherical end face for carrying out the method of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the device of this embodiment has a rotating disk 3 that is rotationally driven in a horizontal state, and the rotating disk 3 has a rotating shaft 4 that is rotationally driven by a rotational drive source (not shown). ing. An elastic polishing disk 5 is fixed to the upper surface of the rotating disk 3, which has a characteristic that when pressed, the pressed surface portion becomes depressed. The elastic polishing disk 5 is constructed by pasting a polishing layer 115B such as a diamond lapping film on a soft elastic material layer 5A made of rubber or plastic. A stand 6 is erected on the fixed system adjacent to the rotary disk 3, and a workpiece support 7 is supported on the stand 6 so as to extend over the elastic polishing M-board 5 and make a reciprocating circular arc movement. There is. A core holder 8 is rotatably supported on the top surface of the tip end side of the polished member support stand 7 . The core holder 8
An optical connector core 2 is supported through the center.

The optical connector core 2 has an optical fiber 9 penetratingly supported at the center thereof, and is configured to rotatably pass through a support base 7 for a member to be polished and be pressed against the surface of an elastic polishing board 5. A core rotation mechanism 10 for rotating the optical connector core 2 around its axis via a core holder 8 is mounted on the member-to-be-polished support base 7 . This core rotation mechanism 10 is
A motor 12 supported on the workpiece support base 7 via a bracket 11, a pulley 14 supported by the output shaft 13 of the motor 12, and a link between the pulley 14 and the bobbin portion 8A of the core holder 8. The intermediate part consists of an endless belt 15.

Next, the polishing method of this embodiment using such a polishing apparatus will be explained. The end face of the optical connector core 2 to be polished is pressed against the surface of the elastic polishing disc 5, so that the surface of the elastic polishing disc 5 is depressed by the pressed portion. In this state, the connector core 2 is elastically polished 51 while being reciprocated by 360 degrees or more by the core rotation mechanism 10 via the core holder 8.
85 is also rotated in one direction. When polishing is performed by partially recessing the surface of the elastic polishing disk 5 on the end surface of the optical connector core 2 to be polished, the edge portion of the end surface of the optical connector core 2 is gradually polished by the concave surface of the recess. As it is no longer polished, the shape of the concave surface gradually changes, and the end surface of the optical connector core 2 is finally polished into a convex spherical shape.

During such polishing work, it is preferable to move the member-to-be-polished support 7 to change the radial position of the elastic polishing disk 5 against which the optical connector core 2 comes into contact.

FIG. 4 shows another example of the polishing apparatus used in the present invention. This embodiment shows an example in which the member-to-be-polished support 7 is fixed.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the present invention, an elastic polisher is used which has a characteristic that the surface of the part is dented when pressed, and an optical connector core is pressed against the surface of the elastic polisher to dent the surface of the elastic polisher. Since the concave surface of the recess is used for polishing, the end surface of the optical connector core can be easily polished into a convex spherical shape with a simple polishing device.

Since the optical connector core is pressed perpendicularly to the surface of the elastic polishing plate and rotated around its axis, it is possible to easily polish an axially symmetrical convex spherical surface.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a polishing state according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are a side view and a plan view of an example of a polishing apparatus used in the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a polishing apparatus used in the present invention. FIG. 5, a plan view showing another example, is an explanatory diagram of a conventional polishing method. 2... Optical connector core, 3... Rotating disk, 5...
Elastic polisher, 5A... Soft elastic material layer, 5B... Polishing layer, 7... Polished member support stand, 8... Core holder,
9... Optical fiber, 10... Core rotation mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Using an elastic polishing disk that has a characteristic that the surface of that part becomes concave when pressed, the end face of the optical connector core is pressed against the surface of the disk in a perpendicular direction to make the surface of the elastic polishing disk concave. Polishing an end face of an optical connector core into a convex spherical shape, the end face of the optical connector core being polished into a convex spherical shape by rotating the elastic polishing disk while rotating the connector core around its axis. Method.