JPH09178981A - Multi-fiber optical connector assembly jig and assembly method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: A ferrule (20) is fixed on a jig (40), a feeding member (46) is moved forward, and an optical fiber (12) is inserted into a fiber hole (28).
May be inserted. At this time, the optical fiber may fail to enter the fiber hole, hit the inner surface of the ferrule, and damage the end surface. A base 42 is divided into a ferrule fixing portion 420 and a fiber slide portion 422. The feed member 46 moves forward, and the tip of the optical fiber 12 is moved to the guide groove 2
When it reaches the upper part of 6, the fiber slide part 42
Tilt 2 upward and backward. Then, the optical fiber 12
The tip of the guide enters the guide groove 26, and then is guided into the fiber hole 28 without difficulty. Therefore, the end face of the optical fiber is prevented from being scratched, which is particularly effective in non-polishing assembly.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-fiber optical connector, and more particularly to a method of assembling an MT connector and a jig used for the assembly.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A resin-molded rectangular MT connector is known as one of optical connectors for connecting multi-core optical fibers.
Has been put to practical use. [Conventional MT connector ferrule] An example is shown in FIG. Inside the body 22 of the ferrule 20, the rear surface 220
A core wire insertion hole 24 is provided from the front to the front, and a fiber hole 28 is provided in the front thereof in a connected state. Further, at the bottom of the core wire insertion hole 24, the fiber hole 28
A guide groove 26 is provided for guiding the optical fiber 12. In addition, 30 is a guide pin hole and 32 is a window.

[Non-polishing assembly method] By the way, a non-polishing assembling method for shortening the assembling time, which is one of the problems of the MT connector, that is, after cutting the optical fiber, the end face of the optical fiber is polished, A method has been proposed in which the optical fiber is fixed at a position where the end face of the optical fiber is aligned with the end face of the ferrule that has been polished so that the polishing step is unnecessary.

[Conventional non-polishing assembly method] 40 in FIG.
A jig for assembling, which includes a base 42 and a positioning block 44.
Consists of The base 42 is in the shape of an elongated rectangular thick plate. The positioning block 44 is in the shape of a square piece whose surface on the ferrule side is polished, and is fixed to the tip of the base 42. On the base 42, a feed member 46 is guided by a rail 48 and can be moved forward and backward with respect to the ferrule 20.

The ferrule 20 is fixed on the base 42 so that its front end face is in close contact with the positioning block 44. The feed member 46 is caused to grip 10 (see FIG. 3).
(A)). The feeding member 46 is advanced to feed the optical fiber 12 into the ferrule 20 (FIG. 3B). The optical fiber 12 is inserted into the fiber hole 28,
When the tip hits the positioning block 44, it stops (FIG. 3C) and is fixed in the ferrule 20.

[0006]

Generally, when assembling a connector without using a jig, the optical fiber 12 is first used.
The tip of the fiber is tilted downward and is housed in the guide groove 26, and then pushed along the guide groove 26 so that the fiber hole 2
To be guided within 8. However, when the jig 40 is used as described above, the optical fiber 12 moves only in the length direction. Therefore, the optical fiber 12 does not enter the guide groove 26 once but goes straight toward the fiber hole 28. However, since the fiber hole 28 has a diameter slightly larger than the optical fiber diameter,
It misses the fiber hole 28 and hits the inner surface of the ferrule,
The optical fiber may be broken or the end face may be damaged.

[0007]

As illustrated in FIG. 1, as an assembly jig 40, a base 42 has a ferrule fixing portion 420 for fixing the ferrule 20, and a fiber for slidably mounting an optical fiber. A slide unit 422 that is divided and is rotatably connected is used. When the feed member 46 moves forward and the tip of the optical fiber 12 approaches the upper portion of the guide groove 26, the fiber slide portion 422 tilts backward and upward, which causes the tip of the optical fiber 12 to reach the guide groove 26. Then, the feed member 46 is further advanced, and the optical fiber 1
2 so that it can be guided into the fiber hole 28.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[Structure of Jig 40] For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, the base 42 of the jig 40 is divided into a ferrule fixing part 420 and a fiber slide part 422, and a hinge 424 is provided between them.
And the rear portion of the fiber slide portion 422 can be lifted up. The ferrule fixing part 420 is
This is a part that has a positioning block 44 and to which the ferrule 20 is fixed. The fiber slide portion 422 has a rail 48 on the upper surface, and the feed member 46 can move forward and backward on the rail 48.

[Assembly] As in the conventional case, the ferrule 20 is fixed on the ferrule fixing portion 420 such that the front end surface of the ferrule 20 is in close contact with the positioning block 44. The feed member 46 is caused to grip 10 (FIG. 1A). The feeding member 46 is advanced to feed the optical fiber 12 into the ferrule 20 (FIG. 1B).

When the tip portion of the optical fiber 12 approaches the guide groove 26, the fiber slide portion 4
The rear part of 22 is lifted, and the fiber slide part 422 is slightly rotated about the hinge 424 as an axis. Then, the fiber slide portion 422 tilts forward and downward (see FIG.
(C), the tip of the optical fiber 12 enters the guide groove 26. At this time, while observing with a microscope from above through the window 32, the optical fiber 1 which is out of the guide groove 26
If you have 2, put it in.

After that, the feeding member 46 is continuously advanced to feed the optical fiber 12. The optical fiber 12 is guided by the guide groove 26 and enters the fiber hole 28 without difficulty (FIG. 1D). When that happens, the fiber slide portion 422 is returned to the original horizontal state (FIG. 1E), the optical fiber 12 is further advanced, and when the tip hits the positioning block 44, it is stopped and fixed.

In the above, the case of the non-polishing assembly has been described, but the present invention can also be used in the assembly for polishing, and in that case also contributes to the improvement of workability. It goes without saying that it can be used not only for multiple cores but also for single cores.

[0013]

The optical fiber can be inserted into the ferrule on the jig. It is possible to prevent the end face of the optical fiber from being damaged during the polishing-free assembly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of an assembly jig and an assembly method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a conventional ferrule.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of an assembling jig and an assembling method according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 tape core wire 12 optical fiber 20 ferrule 22 ferrule main body 220 rear surface 222 front surface 24 core wire insertion hole 26 guide groove 28 fiber hole 30 guide pin hole 32 window 40 jig 42 base 420 ferrule fixing portion 422 fiber slide portion 424 hinge 44 Positioning block 46 Feeding member 48 Rail

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A ferrule having a fiber hole and a guide groove for guiding an optical fiber into the fiber hole is fixed on a base of a jig, and a tape core wire is held on the base. In the step in which the feeding member advances toward the ferrule so that the optical fiber is inserted into the fiber hole, the base is divided into a ferrule fixing portion and a fiber slide portion, and the feeding is performed. When the member moves forward and the tip of the optical fiber approaches the upper portion of the guide groove, the fiber slide portion inclines backward and upward, so that the tip of the optical fiber fits in the guide groove, and then the further. A method for assembling a multi-fiber optical connector, characterized in that the feeding member advances. 2. A multi-fiber optical connector assembly jig for guiding an optical fiber to a ferrule and inserting the optical fiber into a fiber hole on the front surface of the ferrule, wherein the assembly jig is a ferrule fixing part for fixing the ferrule. And a fiber slide part on which an optical fiber is slidably mounted, and the ferrule fixing part and the fiber slide part are rotatably connected to each other. Assembly jig.