JPH02264207A - Manufacture of multiple optical fiber connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the multiple optical fiber connector with high accuracy by molding the multiple optical fiber connector while supporting both end parts of a single core pin by using the core pin. CONSTITUTION:The core pin 23 is a single type and extends from one optical fiber mount groove formation part 24. Further, the core pin 23 is movable in its lengthwise direction together with an optical fiber mount groove formation part 24B and a jacket part mount groove formation part 25B, and core pin support pieces 26A - 26D can move up and down. The base part of the core pin 23 is clamped and supported by the core pin support pieces 26C and 26D from above and below and the tip part is clamped and supported by the core pin support pieces 26A and 26B. For example, epoxy resin is injected into a metallic mold like this and set and then the core pin clamping pieces 26A - 26D are drawn vertically; and the core pin 23 is drawn out to the right direction and metal mold main bodies 21A and 21B are opened. Consequently, the high- accuracy multiple optical fiber connector whose fiber fitting hole has high linearlity is obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a multi-core optical fiber connector for collectively connecting a plurality of optical fibers.

[Prior art]

The inventors of the present invention previously proposed a multi-core optical fiber connector as shown in Figures 10 to 715 (Japanese Patent Application No. 63-14
0450). This multi-core optical fiber connector 11 has a lid body 1.
Used in combination with 2.

The multi-fiber optical fiber connector 11 has an optical fiber alignment part 15 at the center in the longitudinal direction of the upper surface, and a plurality of optical fibers (two in this example) are fitted in the alignment part 15 in the longitudinal direction. Holes 14 are formed parallel to the same horizontal plane. Further, a slot 16 is formed in the longitudinal center portion of the centering portion 15 so as to reach the optical fiber fitting hole 14 from the upper surface. The bottom of the slot 16 is the optical fiber fitting hole 1
A semicircular groove 17 that is continuous with the optical fiber fitting hole 14 is formed there. Further, the optical fiber fitting holes 14 are provided on both sides of the centering portion 15.
Optical fiber mounting groove 18A - 18B with the same axis as
is formed. This optical fiber mounting groove 18A/18
Although B is a V-groove, it may be a U-groove. Further, on both sides of the optical fiber mounting grooves 18A and 18B, optical fiber mounting grooves 19A and 19B are formed for mounting the coating portions of the optical fibers.

On the other hand, the lid 12 has a recess 20 formed on its lower surface into which the head of the optical fiber centering section 15 is fitted.

To connect multi-core optical fibers at once using this multi-core optical fiber connector, first remove the coating from the ends of the multi-core optical fibers to be connected to expose multiple optical fibers. After trimming the tips of the optical fibers, insert the tips of the optical fibers into the optical fiber mounting grooves 18A - 18B, respectively.
to cents. After that, attach the optical fiber to the
18A and 18B, and insert the tip into the optical fiber fitting hole 14. When the end surfaces of the optical fibers on both sides face each other with a small gap maintained within the groove 6, an optical matching agent is injected into the gap, and the optical fibers on both sides are butted together. This brings the optical fibers into an optically connected state. After that, the sheathing portion of the multi-core optical fiber is fixed to the sheathing portion mounting grooves 19A-19B with adhesive or the like.
Furthermore, it is sufficient to cover the lid body 12 and fix it to the connector 11 with adhesive or the like.

As described above, with this multi-core optical fiber connector, simply by sliding multiple optical fibers along the optical fiber mounting groove, the tips of the optical fibers are inserted into the optical fiber fitting holes, and the optical fibers are connected to each other. Since the centers of the fibers are aligned, there is an advantage that multi-core optical fibers can be connected all at once.

〔assignment〕

To manufacture multi-core optical fiber connectors like the one above at low cost, resin molding (transfer molding, etc.) is required.
However, if it is manufactured by a molding method, there are the following problems. That is, the optical fiber fitting hole 1
4 has an inner diameter of approximately 126 μm, and its length is at least 1 m on one side to ensure alignment accuracy of the optical fiber.
n+ or more is required. In addition, the width of the slot 16 is determined by the length of the optical fiber cut, the length of the protrusion into the slot (1
In consideration of the variation in the length (when the distance is 00 μm), the misalignment between the center of the microscope and the center of the connector when checking the end face with a microscope, and the ease of injecting the optical matching agent, at least 0.5 mm or more is required. Therefore, the core pin forming the optical fiber fitting hole 14 has an outer diameter of 126 μm and at least 1
A length of 25 mm or more is required.

In addition, if the bottom of the optical fiber mounting groove 18 is also molded with the same core pin to facilitate the insertion of the optical fiber into the optical fiber fitting hole, the optical fiber mounting groove 18 may have a guiding function for the optical fiber and a Due to adhesive strength, it is less (
Considering that both require a length of 31 mm or more, the core pin has a length of at least 4.25 mm or more.

When molding is performed by placing an extremely thin and relatively long core pin in the mold, the core pin becomes easily bent due to the resin pressure during molding, making it possible to form the optical fiber fitting hole with high precision. Difficult to form.

[Means for solving problems and their effects]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has an optical fiber centering part in which a plurality of optical fiber fitting holes are formed in the longitudinal direction in the center part of the upper surface, and both sides of the centering part. In a method for manufacturing a multi-fiber optical fiber connector, the optical fiber connector has an optical fiber mounting groove whose axis is aligned with the optical fiber fitting hole, and coating part mounting grooves on both sides of which the coating part of the optical fiber is mounted. , the optical fiber fitting hole is formed by a single core pin continuous in the longitudinal direction, and both ends of the core pin are directly or indirectly supported from above and below in a mold for molding the connector. The present invention is characterized in that the connector is molded.

In this way, the optical fiber fitting hole is formed by a single core pin, and the core pin is prevented from being bent.
It becomes possible to manufacture a highly accurate multi-core optical fiber connector with highly linear optical fiber fitting holes.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a mold used in a method for manufacturing a multi-core optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Code 9 21A・2
1B is a mold body, 22 is a cavity for forming a multi-core optical fiber connector, 23 is a core pin that forms an optical fiber fitting hole of the multi-core optical fiber connector, 24A and 24B are optical fiber mounting groove forming parts, 25A and 25B 26A to 26D are core pin support pieces. There is only one core pin 23, and one optical fiber mounting groove forming part 2
It extends from 4B. In addition, the core pin 23, together with the optical fiber mounting groove forming part 24B and the coating part mounting groove forming part 25B,
It is movable in its longitudinal direction. Also, core pin support piece 2
6A to 26D are movable in the vertical direction. Core pin 2
The base portion of 3 is supported by the core pin support pieces 26C and 26D, and the tip portion is sandwiched and supported from above and below by the core pin support pieces 26A and 26B, respectively.

For example, an epoxy resin is injected into such a mold and cured, and then the core bin gripping pieces 26A to 26D are pulled out in the vertical direction, and the core pin 23 is pulled out in the right direction.
When the mold bodies 21A and 21B are opened, Figures 2 to 8 are shown.
It is possible to manufacture a multi-core optical fiber connector 11 as shown in FIG.

The manufactured multi-fiber optical fiber connector 11 has vertical holes 31 formed by core pin support pieces on both sides of the optical fiber alignment portion 15. The rest of the structure is substantially the same as the multi-core optical fiber connector shown in FIGS. 10 to 15 described above, so corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals. As mentioned above, the core pin 23 is one piece, and both ends of the core pin 23 are connected to the core pin support pieces 2.
Since the molding is performed while being supported by the core pins 6A to 26D, the core pins 23A and 23B are not bent, and the formed optical fiber fitting holes 14A and 14B have extremely high linearity.

It is preferable to form a tapered portion at the entrance of the optical fiber fitting holes 14A and 14B in order to facilitate the insertion of the optical fiber, but in the embodiment shown in FIG. Even if a portion can be formed, a part of the taper cannot be formed at the tip. Therefore, post-processing is required to form a portion of the taper.

In order to eliminate this problem, for example, as shown in FIG.
It is preferable that the protrusion 32 is supported by a protrusion 32 protruding from the core pin support pieces 26A and 26B, and a tapered surface T is formed on the outer periphery of the tip of the protrusion 32.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, a single core pin is used and a multi-core optical fiber connector is molded with both ends of the core pin supported, so that highly linear optical fibers can be fitted. A high-precision multi-core optical fiber connector with mating holes can be manufactured.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a mold used in the method for manufacturing a multi-fiber optical fiber connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 2 and 3 are views of a multi-fiber optical fiber connector manufactured by the same manufacturing method. A plan view and a vertical cross-sectional view, and FIGS. 4 to 8 are cross-sectional views taken along line A-A to E-4 in FIG. 3, respectively.
Figure 9 is a sectional view of the main parts showing another embodiment of the present invention.
1O and 11 are a plan view and a vertical cross-sectional view of a conventional multi-core optical fiber connector, and FIGS. 12 to 15 are cross-sectional views taken along line FF to line I-■ in FIG. 11, respectively. 11: Multi-core optical fiber connector, 14: Optical fiber fitting hole, 15: Optical fiber alignment part, 16: Slot, 1
8A -18B: Optical fiber mounting groove, 19A/19B
: Covering part mounting groove, 21A/21B: Mold body, 22: Cavity, 23: Core pin, 24A/24B: Optical fiber mounting groove forming part, 25A/25B: Covering part mounting groove forming part, 26A to 26D = Core pin support Piece 31: Hole. Figure- Figure-2 Figure-4 Figure-5 Figure-6 Figure-7 Figure-8 Figure-

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. There is an optical fiber alignment part in which a plurality of optical fiber fitting holes are formed in the longitudinal direction in the center part of the top surface in the longitudinal direction, and the axis line is the same as the optical fiber fitting hole on both sides of the alignment part. In the method for manufacturing a multi-fiber optical fiber connector, the optical fiber fitting hole is continuous in the longitudinal direction. The connector is formed from a single core pin, and is characterized in that the connector is molded with both ends of the core pin directly or indirectly supported from above and below in a mold for molding the connector. A method for manufacturing a multi-core optical fiber connector.