Abrading – Abrading process – Glass or stone abrading
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-24
2001-10-30
Eley, Timothy V. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Abrading process
Glass or stone abrading
C451S059000, C451S296000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309278
ABSTRACT:
This application is a continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/JP97/
00516
filed Feb. 24, 1997.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for polishing optical connector end faces, which is able to polish the end face of an optical connector protruding from the connection end face of optical connectors by using a polishing tape, and a small-sized and easily transportable machine for achieving the method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A method for detachably connecting optical fibers by using a single-core optical connector or a multiple-core optical connector has been used as one of the methods for connecting optical fibers.
FIG. 10
shows a generally known multiple-core optical connector, which is used for detachably connecting multiple-core optical fibers. As shown in the same drawing, a plurality of optical fiber insertion holes (not illustrated) are juxtaposed and formed inside a ferrule
1
, bare optical fibers
5
at which the tip end side covering of an optical tape
2
is eliminated are inserted into these optical fiber insertion holes in such a state where they protrude therefrom, and the bare optical fibers
5
are fixed to the ferrule
1
by an adhesive agent, etc. thereby causing a multiple-core optical connector
4
to be composed.
The multiple-core optical connector
4
is set to, for example, a polishing machine shown in
FIG. 11
, in a state that the optical tape
2
is connected to the ferrule
1
, wherein the connection end face
3
side of the ferrule
1
is pressed to the polishing surface
42
of a grinding wheel
41
on the turntable
40
which is rotating, the end face of the optical fiber
5
is polished along with the connection end face
3
of the ferrule
1
, and the multiple-core connector
4
is polish-finished when the same is polished to the position Lm shown in FIG.
10
.
However, for example, as shown in
FIG. 11
, since a conventional polishing machine has a grinding wheel
41
disposed on the turntable
40
and is large-sized, the machine is remarkably large and heavy in weight. Therefore, it is very cumbersome to convey the same to the site of connections of optical connectors such as multiple-core connectors
4
, etc., and the same is an obstacle in view of improving the working efficiency of connections of optical connectors.
Furthermore, in a conventional method for polishing optical connector end faces, as described above, if a force for pressing an optical connector such as a multiple-core connector
4
, etc. to a grinding wheel
41
, etc. is weak, there arises such a problem, where the polishing efficiency is bad and it takes longer for polishing since the end face of an optical fiber
5
is polished to the position where the same is polished together with the connection end face of a ferrule
1
. On the other hand, if the optical connector is strongly pressed to the grinding wheel
41
side in order to increase the polishing efficiency, there arises another problem that the tip end side of optical fiber
5
may be cracked causing the optical fiber end face side to be damaged. Furthermore, such problems also occurred in implementing an elastic polishing disk described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 192460 of 1986 in order to spherically polish the optical fiber end faces, using the polishing machine shown in FIG.
11
.
Furthermore, since, in conventional polishing machines, a grinding wheel, polishing disk, etc. are very large with respect to optical connectors, there arises still another problem that since it is difficult to position optical connectors with respect to a polishing machine, only one side of the optical connector end face is polished if the parallelism of the grinding wheel surface or the surface of a grinding disk with the optical connector end face slightly slips.
The present invention was developed in order to solve the abovementioned problems, and it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method for polishing the end face of optical connector, by which the optical fiber end faces of optical connector can be easily polished to an appointed shape of end face in a short time so as not to damage the optical fiber end face sides without using any turntable type polishing machine, and to provide a small-sized and easily transportable polishing machine adapted for the polishing method.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is provided with the following means. A method for polishing optical connector end faces according to the invention comprises the steps of: positioning an optical connector, in which an optical fiber protrudes from the connection end face thereof, in a polishing machine, arranging a polishing tape having flexibility at the side opposite the connection end face side of an optical connector and bringing the end face of the abovementioned optical fiber into engagement with a polishing abrasive surface of the abovementioned polishing tape, arranging a tape support member provided with a tape travelling plane of a shape corresponding to an appointed end face shape of the abovementioned optical fiber against an opposite surface of the polishing abrasive surface of the abovementioned polishing tape, and causing the abovementioned polishing tape to travel between the tape travelling plane of the abovementioned tape support member and the optical fiber end face.
Furthermore, a method for polishing optical connector end faces according to the invention is also characterized in that the abovementioned optical connector is a multiple-core optical connector in which a plurality of optical fibers are aligned in parallel substantially in a single plane, and a polishing tape is caused to travel orthogonally to the transverse direction of the aligned optical fibers of the abovementioned multiple-core optical connector. Furthermore, it is preferable that in order to prevent the optical fiber end faces from being damaged when being polished, the axial direction of optical fibers is formed to an adequate degree of angle exceeding 90° where it is assumed that the travelling direction of the polishing tape is 0°.
Furthermore, a polishing machine according to the invention comprises an optical connector attaching portion for attaching an optical connector in which optical fibers protrude from the connection end face, a tape support member provided with a tape travelling plane shaped so as to correspond with an appointed end face shape of the abovementioned optical fibers and positioned facing the connection end face of optical connectors to be attached to the optical connector attaching portion, a polishing tape which has an abrasive polishing surface thereon and travels along the tape travelling plane of the abovementioned tape support member with the polishing surface positioned against the optical fiber end face, a tape travelling drive means for carrying out a travelling drive of the abovementioned polishing tape, which is advanced from a pay-out shaft onto a winding shaft via the abovementioned tape travelling plane, and a polishing pressure applying means for giving polishing pressure for a polishing tape to the optical fiber end faces by pressing at least one of the tape travelling plane and the optical connector side, both of which are opposite each other, to the other thereof.
Furthermore, a polishing machine according to the invention is also characterized in that the tape travelling plane of the abovementioned tape support member has a wider plane than the optical fiber end face to be polished by a polishing tape travelling along the abovementioned tape travelling plane, the tape travelling plane of the abovementioned tape support member is formed to be concave, or the tape travelling plane of the abovementioned tape support member is formed to be convex.
Furthermore, a polishing machine according to the invention is also characterized in that the abovementioned polishing tape is constructed of a continuous tape in which a thicker fine-grained abrasive tape is linked to a coarse-grained abrasive tape at a terminal en
Iizuka Shinichiro
Shiino Masato
Suzuki Kenji
Tanabe Etsuo
Xu Jie
Eley Timothy V.
Lacasse & Associates
Nguyen Dung Van
The Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd.
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for polishing optical connector end faces does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for polishing optical connector end faces, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for polishing optical connector end faces will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2609941