JPS62282856A - End face grinding device for optical fiber connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance the extent of photoconductivity and stabilize a product in quality as well as to improve it, by operating a rocking table along a fixed circular arc with the center almost accorded with the center of an abrasive surface of a grindstone, and grinding a ferrule end face into a spherical form. CONSTITUTION:A rocking table, supporting an end face of a ferrule 24 of an optical fiber connector oppositely to an abrasive surface 17 of a concave spherical grindstone 16 in rotation is made as rocking along a fixed circular arc having a concave spherical center of the grindstone 16, thus the end face of the ferrule 24 is ground. Therefore, grinding can be done in the state that a spherical apex is accurately made into congruity on a central axis of the ferrule and, what is more, ground ferrules themselves are accurately opposable. In consequence, photoconductivity is improvable, while unevenness in the spherical surface comes smaller than even before, thus a product is stabilized in quality and improvable.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention 3. Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention grinds the end face of an optical fiber connector against a concave spherical grinding wheel surface that rotates to polish the end face of the optical fiber connector into a convex spherical shape. The present invention relates to a device for polishing the end face of a ferrule forming a connector into a convex spherical shape by bringing the connector into contact with the connector.

[Conventional technology]

As this type of prior art, the one shown in FIG. 4 is known. That is, 1 is a rotary table, which rotates in conjunction with a motor, and supports at its upper end a grindstone 3 having a concave spherical surface 2 of radius R formed on its upper surface. Reference numeral 4 denotes a disk-shaped jig, which fixes the ferrule F whose tip end surface is to be polished at a plurality of locations on the portion facing the concave spherical surface 2. Furthermore, a polishing apparatus is used in which the jig 4 is supported by a ball bearing 5 at its center and the jig 4 swings around the ball bearing 5.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In order to polish the tip end surfaces of the ferrules F with such a conventional device, as shown in FIG. However, since the jig 4 is stationary at a fixed position, the attachment of the ferrule F to the jig 4 may be uneven or the length of the ferrule F itself may be uneven, as shown in Fig. 5. In some cases, the intersection point of the line passing through the center of the ferrule F and the center A of the concave spherical surface 2 of the grinding wheel 3 may be shifted vertically, or the centers may be shifted left and right as shown in Fig. 6. A situation occurs.

Therefore, in both cases of Fig. 5 and Fig. 6,
The end surface of the polished ferrule F is polished so that the highest part of the spherical surface is deviated from the central axis of the ferrule F, and as a result of the variation in the spherical surface of the end surface, the connectors made of such a ferrule F are When connected, the shape of the tip surface (spherical surface) where the fiber tip is located on the end surface of each ferrule F will be different due to the curvature of the grindstone and the deviation of the center position of the ferrule F and the center position of the fiber F. As a result, there is a drawback that the optical conductivity decreases due to the connection of the optical fiber, or the polished finish results in variations in the optical conductivity.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, the present invention provides a rocking table in which the ferrule end face of an optical fiber connector is supported so as to face the polishing surface of a rotating concave spherical grindstone.
The end face of the ferrule is polished while being oscillated along a fixed circular arc whose center is approximately coincident with the center of the concave spherical surface of the whetstone.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a central vertical cross-sectional view of the polishing apparatus of the present invention, with 10
1 is a rotary table having a hole 10a in the center thereof, and is rotatably supported by a rotary drive means (not shown). Reference numeral 11 denotes a whetstone head, which has a hole 11a formed in the center, and a plurality of vertical shafts 12 provided on the whetstone head 11 are loosely fitted into slide bearings 13 provided on the rotary base 10, so that the whetstone head 11 is rotated relative to the rotary base 10. It is supported so that it can be moved slightly up and down. Reference numeral 14 denotes an adjustment screw, which is screwed perpendicularly into the grinding wheel head 11, and a spring 15 is provided in a compressed state between the lower end of the adjusting screw 14 and the rotary table 10, so that the elastic force of the spring 15 causes the wheel head 11 to The upward pressing force of the grindstone head 11 is adjusted by constantly pressing it upward and screwing or loosening the adjusting screw 14 against the whetstone head 11. Further, reference numeral 16 denotes a grindstone, the lower part of which is fixed to the 11 grindstones, and has a concave spherical polishing surface 17 with a radius R2 formed on the upper surface, and a hole 16a formed in the center. Reference numeral 18 denotes a support stand which is erected and fixed so as to pass through the hole 10a of the turntable 10, the hole 11a of the grindstone head 11, and the hole 16a of the grindstone 16. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of roller bearings 19 are arranged in an arc shape on the upper and lower sides of the support base 18 so as to form a groove with a constant width between them. , this arc has radius R1,
The center thereof is aligned with the center of the arc of the polishing surface 17 of the grindstone 16. Reference numeral 20 denotes a rocking table, in which arc-shaped rails 21.21 on both sides of the lower end are loosely fitted into grooves formed by the roller bearings 19, and the rocking table 20 moves in an arc along the arc-shaped grooves formed by the roller bearings 19. It is set up so that you can exercise. Further, the upper cylindrical portion 20a of the rocking table 20 is fitted into the inner cylindrical portion 22a of the silk hat-shaped jig 22, and fixed to the cylindrical portion 20a with the screw 23. Further, the collar 22b of the jig 22 has a plurality of ferrules 24.2 to be polished.
4 is removably attached, and the center axis of the ferrule 24 is arranged to coincide with the center of the circular arc of the polishing surface 17.

Reference numeral 25 denotes a swinging arm, the central part of which is swingably supported with respect to a shaft 26 provided on the support base 18 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and two prongs 27 formed at the upper end thereof is loosely fitted onto a connecting shaft 28 provided on the rocking table 20. 29 is a motor, and a crank 31 is attached to the rotating shaft 30 of the motor 29.
The crankshaft 32 and the lower end of the swinging arm 25 are connected by a ball joint link 33, and the swinging arm 25 swings back and forth about the shaft 26 by rotation of the motor 29.

The apparatus of the present invention is constructed as described above, and its operation will be explained next. First, in preparation for polishing the end face of the ferrule 24, a plurality of ferrules 24 are fixed in a predetermined position to the collar of the jig 22 which has been removed from the cylindrical part 20a, and then the cylindrical part 20a is attached to the inner cylindrical part 22a of the jig 22. After fitting them together, gradually tighten the screws 23.

As a result, the lower end surface of the ferrule 24 comes into contact with the polishing surface 17 of the grindstone 16, and when the screw 23 is further screwed in, the grindstone head 11 compresses the spring 15 via the grindstone 16 and moves downward as shown in FIG. As a result, the lower end of the ferrule 24 and the polishing surface 17 are pressed together by the elastic force of the spring 15.

Under this condition, the separately installed motor (next motor 29
The grinding wheel 16 is rotated by the rotational force of the motor 29 (the rotational force of the motor 29 may be used), and the swinging arm 25 swings about the shaft 26 via the crank 31 and the ball joint link 33 due to the rotation of the motor 29. Further, the rocking table 20 to which the jig 22 is fixed via the forks 27 has rails 21 and 21 that are connected to the roller bearing 1.
The end face of the ferrule 24 is polished by the polishing surface 17 of the rotating grindstone 16 while swinging at a predetermined amplitude along the groove formed in step 9.19.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rail 21 of the slide table 20 is supported in an arc-shaped groove formed by a ball bearing and is moved in an arc, but other embodiments may be employed in which the rail 21 of the slide table 20 is supported in an arc-shaped groove formed by a ball bearing. A rocking table may be supported and rocked around the center.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention provides a rocking table supported with the end face of an optical fiber connector, that is, the end face of the ferrule facing the polishing surface of a rotating concave spherical grindstone, with the center substantially coincident with the center of the polishing surface of the grindstone. By polishing the ferrule end face into a spherical shape while swinging it along a fixed circular arc, the polished ferrule end face can be polished so that the top of the spherical surface is precisely aligned with the central axis of the ferrule. , the polished ferrules can be accurately opposed (connected) to each other, resulting in increased optical conductivity, and the variation in the spherical surface is extremely small compared to conventional ones, resulting in stable product quality. Effects such as improvement and improvement can be obtained. Furthermore, since the polishing surface of the whetstone used operates so that the object to be polished moves in an oscillating manner, there is no need to shape it into a precise concave spherical shape in advance, and the concave spherical curvature of the polishing surface cannot be modified. It has many features such as not having to do it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic central sectional view of a fiber connector end face polishing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view showing a swinging mechanism constituting the polishing device of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is the same as that of FIG. X
-X sectional view and FIG. 4 are sectional views of essential parts of a conventional polishing device, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams for explaining problems with the conventional polishing device, respectively. 10: Turning table, 11: Grinding wheel head, 16: Grinding wheel, 17: Polishing surface, 20: Rocking table, 22: Jig, 24: Ferrule, 2
5: Swing arm, 29: Motor

Claims (1)

[Claims] A rotary table equipped with a grindstone having a concave spherical polishing surface,
The grinding wheel is equipped with a support mechanism that brings a ferrule constituting an optical fiber connector (the surface to be polished) into contact with the polished surface of the grindstone, and is driven along a fixed circular arc whose center almost coincides with the center of the concave spherical polished surface. An end face polishing device for an optical fiber connector, comprising a rocking table that swings, and a drive mechanism that drives the rotary table and the rocking table.