JP2012037624A - Optical connector and optical connector assembly tool - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical connector and an optical connector assembly tool to improve reliability and assembly workability.SOLUTION: An optical connector comprises: a ferrule 1; a flange 2 holding the ferrule 1 and including a pore part 8 in which a coated portion of an optical fiber inserted into the ferrule 1 is bent and an optical fiber bending regulating part 9; and an optical fiber holding part 3 for elastically holding the optical fiber. The pore part 8 has an inner diameter sized to allow bending of the optical fiber. The optical fiber bending regulating part 9 is a cylinder which is located at a portion nearer to the ferrule 1 than a center position of the pore part 8 and has a major axis on a center axis of a major axis direction of the ferrule 1, and has a hole diameter slightly larger than an outer diameter of the coated portion of the optical fiber. The optical fiber holding part 3 elastically holds the coated portion of the optical fiber in the state of an end of the optical fiber projecting from an end face of the ferrule 1 and presses and connects end faces of optical fibers with each other by elastic recovery force generated by bending of the optical fibers.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector and an assembly tool used for assembling the optical connector.

  There is a mechanical splice as an optical fiber connector capable of connecting an optical fiber with a simple operation (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, and Patent Document 4). The mechanical splice includes a substrate having a V-groove that accommodates an optical fiber, a lid member, and a spring member. The two optical fibers from which the coating has been removed are accommodated in the V-groove so that their end faces are in physical contact with each other, and the substrate and the lid member are overlapped with a spring member so that the optical fiber is fixed in the V-groove. By pressing, a connection portion between the optical fibers is formed.

  The mechanical splices proposed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 will be described below. The optical fiber coating is removed to expose the glass, and the glass is cleaved to form the end. The substrate having the V groove of the optical fiber connector and the lid member are overlapped, and the optical fiber from which the coating of the end portion is removed is inserted into the V groove of the optical fiber connector from both ends of the optical fiber connector. The glass cleaved surface of the optical fiber inserted from both ends is in physical contact with the center position in the direction. When inserting the optical fiber from which the coating has been removed into the mechanical splice, the substrate having the V-groove and the lid member are overlapped, and the wedge is inserted from the side surface parallel to the direction of the V-groove. The gap between the members is widened and an optical fiber is inserted. Thereafter, the wedge is pulled out and the substrate and the lid member are pressed by the spring member to elastically hold the state of the optical fiber connector.

  According to the above optical fiber connection method, the optical fiber connector is completed by simple optical fiber tip processing operations such as optical fiber coating removal and cleavage, and simple assembly operations such as optical fiber insertion and lid closing. However, the cleaved surface of the optical fiber has an angular deviation from the vertical plane with respect to the optical axis direction, and is not completely flat, so the end surfaces of the optical fibers are not in close contact with each other. By using a refractive index matching agent having a refractive index equivalent to that of the core of the optical fiber, an increase in connection loss and reflection loss is suppressed. However, the refractive index matching agent has a problem in reliability because the value of the refractive index changes depending on the temperature. Furthermore, there is a problem that the structure does not use a ferrule and is not compatible with a conventional optical fiber connector.

  As a means for solving the above-described problem of incompatibility with conventional optical fiber connectors, there is an optical connector as an optical fiber connector that allows optical fibers to be easily attached to and detached from each other. An optical connector in which a ferrule and a member having a mechanical splice structure are connected has been proposed (Patent Document 3). The optical fiber hole of the ferrule is linearly abutted with the V groove of the substrate of the mechanical splice part, and the optical fiber inserted from the mechanical splice part is inserted into the optical fiber hole of the ferrule without being bent. . In the ferrule, the optical fiber is fixed with an adhesive with the coating removed. When assembling the optical connector, as in the case of the mechanical splice, an optical fiber is inserted into the ferrule by removing the coating of the optical fiber to expose the glass and cleaving the glass into an end portion. The substrate having the V-groove and the lid member are overlapped, and the wedge is inserted from the side surface parallel to the direction of the V-groove to widen the gap between the substrate having the V-groove and the lid member, and the optical fiber is inserted. Thereafter, the wedge is pulled out and the substrate and the lid member are pressed by the spring member to elastically hold the state of the optical connector.

  According to the above-mentioned optical fiber connection method, it is compatible with the conventional optical fiber connector, and the optical fibers can be easily attached to and detached from each other. However, reliability against temperature change caused by refractive index matching agent used to suppress large splice loss and reflection loss due to angular deviation from the vertical plane relative to the axial direction of the cleavage plane of the optical fiber and imperfect flatness The gender problem has not been solved.

  With respect to the temperature change caused by the refractive index matching agent used to suppress large splice loss and reflection loss due to the above-mentioned angular deviation from the vertical plane with respect to the axial direction of the cleavage plane of the optical fiber and imperfect flatness An optical connector that solves the problem of reliability has been proposed by the present applicant (Patent Document 4). An optical connector according to Patent Document 4 is shown in FIG. A ferrule 1, a flange 2 for gripping the ferrule, an optical fiber gripping portion 3 connected to the flange, a housing 4, a clamper 5, an optical fiber holding lid 6, and an optical fiber holding portion base 7 are included. The flange has an optical fiber bending hole portion 8 of a size that allows the optical fiber to be bent. The flange and the optical fiber gripping part are arranged so that the optical fiber bending hole inside the flange and the central axis of the optical fiber hole of the optical fiber gripping part are on the extension line of the central axis of the small diameter hole of the ferrule. The optical fiber was stripped and the glass was cleaved to form an end face, and the end face was tapered. The tip from which the coating of the optical fiber is removed is inserted from the optical fiber gripping part, and the optical fiber is not bent, passes through the optical fiber bending hole, and is inserted into the small-diameter hole of the ferrule. In this structure, the optical fiber is elastically held. In the optical fiber holding part, the optical fiber is positioned between the groove of the optical fiber holding part base and the optical fiber holding part cover, and is elastically held by a clamper. The clamper can move back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the optical connector. When inserting the optical fiber into the optical connector, the clamper is positioned rearward so that the optical fiber can be inserted into the ferrule without applying a force to the optical fiber gripper cover. When the tip of the optical fiber reaches a predetermined position, the optical fiber is elastically held by pressing the optical fiber holder lid from above by moving the clamper forward and mounting it on the optical fiber gripper lid. At this time, by holding the tip of the optical fiber in a state protruding about 100 μm from the ferrule end face, the optical fiber bends at the optical fiber bending hole when the optical connectors are connected. The optical fiber end faces are connected to each other by a PC (Physical Contact) by an elastic restoring force generated by bending. In other words, the burr around the end face caused by the cleaving of the optical fiber is removed by taper processing, and the area of the end face is small except for the vicinity of the core through which the optical signal passes, so that the optical fibers are in close contact with each other. Connection is realized, low-loss, low-reflection optical connection can be realized, and reliability can be ensured against temperature change. However, it still has the following problems. The optical fiber located in the ferrule is stripped to expose the glass, and the optical fiber located in the optical fiber bending hole inside the flange is bent, and the optical fiber located in the optical fiber holding part is removed. The optical fiber is in a state of being covered with the elastically held portion. The length of removal of the coating of the optical fiber is approximately the same as the sum of the length of the small-diameter hole of the ferrule and the protruding length from the ferrule end face. However, when the length of removal of the coating of the optical fiber becomes longer than a predetermined length, the glass portion may be bent and the optical fiber may be broken. The optical connector is attached not at the manufacturing factory but at the construction site. Therefore, when the coating of the optical fiber is removed at the construction site, it may be longer than a predetermined coating removal length. Furthermore, it is necessary that the optical fiber is held by the optical fiber gripping portion in a construction site in a state in which the tip of the optical fiber protrudes about 100 μm from the ferrule end face without using a microscope or the like. There is also a problem with the optical fiber gripper. In a structure in which the optical fiber is gripped by moving the clamper back and forth, the optical fiber gripping portion lacks the force to grip the optical fiber, and when the optical fiber is pulled, the tip of the optical fiber may be retracted into the ferrule. It was.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-061655 JP 2001-324638 A Japanese Patent No. 3485465 JP 2009-192908 A

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an optical fiber having a glass stripped and glass exposed is inserted into an optical connector, and the optical fiber tip is slightly protruded from the ferrule end face. With respect to the optical connector and the optical connector assembling tool for connecting the optical fiber end faces to each other by the elastic restoring force generated by the bending of the optical fiber at the time of connection, an object is to improve reliability and assembling workability.

  In order to solve the above problems, it is proposed to use the following optical connector according to the present invention. An optical connector having a hole into which a glass portion from which an optical fiber coating has been removed is inserted along a central axis in a major axis direction, a ferrule, and an optical fiber coating that holds the ferrule and is inserted into the ferrule. A flange having an air hole portion where the attached portion is bent and an optical fiber bending restricting portion, and an optical fiber gripping portion that elastically holds the optical fiber, and the air hole portion has an inner diameter that allows the optical fiber to be bent. The optical fiber deflection restricting portion is a cylinder having a long axis on the central axis in the long axis direction of the ferrule, which is located in a portion closer to the ferrule than the center position of the hole portion, and has an optical fiber coating The hole diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the portion, and the optical fiber gripping portion elastically holds the portion with the optical fiber coating in a state where the tip of the optical fiber protrudes from the ferrule end face. Wherein the connection by pressing the optical fiber end faces by elastic restoring force generated by the body. In order to assemble the optical connector, an optical connector cap, a gripping part pressing tool, and an assembly tool according to the present invention are used.

  There is an effect of improving the reliability by bending only the coated portion of the optical fiber without bending the glass exposed by removing the coating. By attaching the optical connector cap to the optical connector from the factory shipment to the completion of installation at the construction site, the required amount of optical fiber protruding from the ferrule end face can be ensured without attaching dust to the ferrule end face. In addition, it can be set with good workability, and dust can be prevented from adhering until just before installation at the construction site. By attaching the gripping part pressing tool to the optical connector, the wedge can be reliably inserted into the wedge insertion hole without bending the optical fiber gripping part. By mounting the optical connector equipped with the optical connector cap and gripping part holding tool on the optical fiber insertion tool, the optical fiber holder that grips the optical fiber can be moved forward, and a predetermined amount of optical fiber can be reliably received from the ferrule end face. The optical fiber can be elastically held in the protruding state.

It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a conventional optical connector. (A) is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the optical connector according to the embodiment of the present invention, (b) is an optical fiber gripping of the optical connector at the arrow A in (a) when the cross-sectional shape of the groove is a semicircle (C) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical fiber gripping portion of the optical connector at arrow A in (a) when the cross-sectional shape of the groove is V-shaped. (A) is the cross-sectional schematic diagram of the optical connector which attached the optical fiber concerning embodiment of this invention, (b) is the cross-sectional schematic which expanded the front-end | tip part of the optical connector of (a) which attached the optical fiber. FIG. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the optical connector at the time of connection of optical connectors concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the optical connector cap concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a mimetic diagram of an optical connector with an optical connector cap concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the optical connector cap concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the cross-sectional schematic diagram which expanded the wall with which the optical fiber front-end | tip collides of the optical connector cap concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a mimetic diagram of a grasping part presser tool concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram of the optical connector equipped with the holding part pressing tool according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the optical connector equipped with the holding part pressing tool according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram of the optical fiber insertion tool concerning embodiment of this invention. (A)-(d) is a cross-sectional schematic diagram at the time of optical fiber insertion to the optical connector with an optical fiber insertion tool, respectively.

  FIG. 2A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical connector. A ferrule 1 having a hole into which a glass portion from which the optical fiber coating has been removed is inserted along the central axis in the longitudinal direction of the optical connector, and a portion with a coating of the optical fiber that holds the ferrule and is inserted into the ferrule Is formed of a flange 2 having a hole portion 8 and an optical fiber deflection regulating portion 9, an optical fiber gripping portion 3 connected to the flange and elastically holding the optical fiber, and a housing 4. The hole 8 has an inner diameter that allows the optical fiber to bend. The optical fiber bending restricting portion is located at a position closer to the ferrule than the center position of the hole portion, and is a cylinder having a long axis on the central axis in the long axis direction of the ferrule, and outside the portion where the optical fiber coating is attached. The hole diameter is slightly larger than the diameter. The optical fiber gripper elastically holds the portion of the optical fiber covered with the end of the optical fiber protruding from the ferrule end surface, and presses the end surfaces of the optical fibers by the elastic restoring force generated by the bending of the optical fiber. Connect. The optical fiber gripping portion includes a grooved substrate 10, a lid 6, and a clamper 5, and the optical fiber passes through a gap between the groove of the substrate 10 and the lid 6. The grooved substrate and the lid are held in an overlapped state by a clamper having a U-shaped cross section. The small-diameter hole 11 of the ferrule is linearly abutted with the hole through which the optical fiber bends in the flange and the optical fiber of the optical fiber gripping part pass. The entrance of the small-diameter hole of the ferrule shown in FIG. 2 (a) is tapered, but since the optical connector of the present invention has an optical fiber deflection restricting portion, the tapered shape However, the taper processing may not be performed. The glass is cleaved by removing the coating to make an end face, and an optical fiber whose end face is tapered is inserted from the optical fiber gripping section, and the optical fiber is elastically held by the optical fiber gripping section. 2B and 2C are cross-sectional views of the optical fiber gripper in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the optical connector at arrow A in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2B shows a case where the cross-sectional shape of the groove of the substrate is a semicircle, and FIG. 2C shows a case where the cross-sectional shape of the groove is a V-shape. In each of FIGS. 2B and 2C, the process of inserting the optical fiber into the optical fiber gripping portion described below is indicated by arrows. The substrate and lid have a wedge insertion hole 12 on the surface not covered by the clamper. When the wedge 13 is not inserted into the wedge insertion hole, the gap between the groove of the substrate 10 and the lid 6 is so small that the optical fiber cannot pass therethrough. By inserting the wedge 13 into the wedge insertion hole, the gap between the grooved substrate and the lid can be widened, and the optical fiber can be inserted from the optical fiber gripping portion toward the ferrule side. In the conventional optical connector, for example, the optical connector described in Patent Document 4, in order to insert and hold the optical fiber, it is necessary to move the clamper back and forth in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the optical connector. For this reason, the clamping force of the clamper cannot be made larger than the magnitude that can move the clamper back and forth. On the other hand, in the present invention, the clamper has a structure that opens and closes by inserting and removing the wedge and does not need to be moved back and forth. Therefore, the clamper of the present invention can increase the clamping force compared to the conventional clamper. As shown in FIG. 1, when the clamper is moved back and forth in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the optical connector, the optical fiber may be retracted only by applying a tensile force of about 2N to the elastically held optical fiber. It was. When the clamper has a structure that does not move back and forth in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the optical connector as in the optical connector of the present invention, the optical fiber may be retracted even when a tensile force of about 5 N acts on the optical fiber. There wasn't. The concrete shape of the groove | channel which can endure the tensile force of about 5N is shown. Both the semicircular and V-shaped grooves have a cross-sectional shape that is such that when an optical fiber is installed in the groove, the cross-section perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber is half buried in the groove. The length in the longitudinal direction was about 5 mm to 10 mm.

  FIG. 3A shows an optical connector in which the optical fiber is held after the optical fiber protruding from the end face of the ferrule is set to a predetermined length and the optical fiber 15 is inserted from the optical fiber holding portion toward the ferrule. The cross-sectional schematic diagram of is shown. The tip of the optical fiber is held in a state protruding about 100 μm from the end face of the ferrule. FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view in which the tip of the optical connector of FIG. An optical fiber from which the coating has been removed is positioned in the small-diameter hole of the ferrule, and an optical fiber with a coating is positioned at the flange portion and the optical fiber gripping portion.

  FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical connector when the optical connectors are connected to each other. By holding the optical fiber tip protruding from the ferrule end face, the optical fiber bends at the optical fiber bending hole 8 inside the flange when the optical connector is connected. The optical fiber end faces are connected to each other by PC (Physical Contact) due to the elastic restoring force of the optical fiber generated by the bending of the optical fiber. Here, the hole diameter of the optical fiber bending restricting portion 9 is such that even if the optical fiber is in a bent state, the optical fiber bending restricting portion holds the coated optical fiber so that the coated optical fiber is in a straight state. It is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the attached optical fiber. The length of the glass part from which the coating has been removed is designed to be about the same as the sum of the length of the small-diameter hole of the ferrule and the protrusion from the ferrule end face. However, when the coating is removed, the coating removal length may be longer than a predetermined length. If the coating removal length is too long and the glass portion of the optical fiber is bent, the glass may be damaged. Even if the optical fiber is bent by the optical fiber bending restricting portion, the optical fiber is inserted in a state of going straight into the small-diameter hole of the ferrule, so that the glass portion can be prevented from being damaged.

  5 and 6 are schematic views of the optical connector cap 16 and the optical connector 18 to which the optical connector cap 16 is attached, respectively. FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of the optical connector cap 16. The optical connector cap is used to protrude the optical fiber tip from the ferrule end face by a predetermined length. The optical connector cap is attached so as to cover the ferrule 1 of the optical connector shown in FIG. The optical connector cap has a pair of locking pieces 17 inside, and fits with a locking projection of the housing 4 of the optical connector. The optical connector cap and the optical connector can be attached to and detached from each other by operating the housing. The optical connector cap has a ferrule insertion cylinder 19 into which a ferrule is inserted, and there is a wall against which the end face of the ferrule abuts.

  FIG. 8 shows the ferrule end face inserted into the ferrule insertion cylinder 19 and the optical fiber tip inserted into the small-diameter hole 11 of the ferrule 1. In the center of the wall 20 where the ferrule abuts, there is a recessed hole with a diameter of about 1 mm. When the optical fiber is inserted from the optical fiber gripping portion 3 of the optical connector with the optical connector cap attached to the optical connector, the end face of the optical fiber abuts against the bottom 21 of the recessed hole. The structure is such that the tip of the optical fiber protrudes from the ferrule end face by installing a wall 21 against which the optical fiber hits from the position where the ferrule end face hits. By making the depth of the recessed hole equal to the length of the optical fiber to be protruded from the ferrule end face, it is possible to set the protrusion length of the desired optical fiber tip. When the optical connector cap is attached to the optical connector and the optical fiber is inserted with dust attached to the ferrule end face, the protruding length of the optical fiber from the ferrule end face becomes equal to or longer than a predetermined length. When the protruding length is increased, the bending of the optical fiber is increased inside the flange, so that bending loss of the optical fiber occurs. When the optical connector is shipped from the factory, if the optical connector cap is attached to the optical connector, dust does not adhere to the end surface of the ferrule, so that an accurate predetermined protrusion length can be obtained at all times. is there. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering to the ferrule end face until just before installation at the construction site.

  FIGS. 9 and 10 are schematic views of the optical connector with the gripping portion pressing tool 22 and the gripping portion pressing tool, respectively, and FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the optical connector with the gripping portion pressing tool. The gripping part pressing tool is attached to the surface opposite to the surface where the wedge insertion hole 12 of the optical fiber gripping part 3 of the optical connector is provided. When the gripping part pressing tool is mounted, a part of the gripping part pressing tool is inserted into the housing 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the optical fiber gripping portion 3 of the optical connector is connected to the flange 2 in a state of being located outside the housing 4. Therefore, when the wedge is inserted into the wedge insertion hole 12, the optical fiber gripping portion is not supported by a sufficient force that does not deform against the pressure of the wedge, and the optical fiber gripping portion is inclined and the wedge cannot be inserted. Sometimes. As shown in FIG. 11, by inserting a part of the gripping part pressing tool into the gap between the housing and the optical fiber gripping part, when inserting the wedge into the wedge insertion hole, the optical fiber gripping part is not inclined, The wedge can be reliably inserted to a predetermined position.

  FIG. 12 shows a schematic diagram of the optical connector 18 on which the optical fiber insertion tool 22, the optical connector cap 16, and the gripping part pressing tool 23 are mounted. The optical fiber insertion tool is used to insert an optical fiber into an optical connector in which an optical connector cap and a gripping part pressing tool are previously mounted, and to make the optical fiber elastically held by the optical fiber gripping part 3. The optical fiber insertion tool includes a wedge 13, a wedge operating lever (not shown), an optical connector cap installation portion 24, an optical fiber holder guide portion 25, an optical fiber guide portion 26, and an optical fiber holder. The The wedge can be moved up and down with respect to the optical fiber insertion tool by the wedge operating lever. 13A, 13B and 13D are schematic cross-sectional views when the optical fiber is inserted into the optical connector using the optical fiber insertion tool and the optical fiber is gripped by the optical fiber gripping portion. Indicates.

  As shown in FIG. 13A, when the optical connector is mounted on the optical fiber insertion tool, the wedges are projected upward. The positions of the optical connector cap installation part and the wedge coincide with the optical connector cap attached to the optical connector and the wedge insertion hole of the optical fiber gripping part, so the optical connector cap attached to the optical connector is moved to the optical connector cap installation part. When fitted, the wedge insertion hole of the optical connector is arranged on the wedge. Next, when the optical connector is pushed from above and the optical connector cap attached to the optical connector is inserted to the bottom surface of the optical connector cap installation portion, the wedge is simultaneously inserted into the wedge insertion hole.

  FIG. 13B shows a state in which the wedge is inserted into the wedge insertion hole. At this time, since the gripping part pressing tool is attached, the wedge is reliably inserted to a predetermined position without bending the optical fiber gripping part. When the wedge is inserted into the wedge insertion hole, the gap between the grooved substrate and the lid in the optical fiber gripping portion is widened, and the optical fiber can be inserted into the optical connector. Next, the optical fiber is inserted into the optical connector.

  FIG. 13C is a schematic diagram when the tip of the optical fiber held by the optical fiber holder 27 hits the wall in the optical connector cap. The optical fiber holder is used to reliably and easily insert an optical fiber into an optical connector attached to an optical fiber insertion tool. The position of the optical fiber holder that holds the optical fiber is such that when the optical fiber holder is attached to the optical fiber holder guide, the optical fiber passes over the optical fiber guide and is inserted into the optical connector from the rear end of the optical connector. Designed to. The optical fiber holder holding the optical fiber is attached to the optical fiber holder guide part and advanced in the direction of the optical connector. The optical fiber held by the optical fiber holder is accurately inserted into the optical connector by the optical fiber guide portion. Here, the tip of the optical fiber inserted into the optical connector hits the wall 21 against which the tip of the optical fiber in the optical connector cap 16 abuts, and the optical fiber is reliably projected from the ferrule end face by a predetermined length. There is a need. For this reason, the fiber insertion tool does not emit light at a position where the distance between the optical fiber insertion surface of the optical connector and the optical fiber holder of the optical fiber holder is longer than the length of the optical fiber bending hole 8 in the optical connector. Designed to stop the fiber holder. With this design, when the tip of the optical fiber hits the wall 21 against which the tip of the optical fiber in the optical connector cap 16 hits, the optical fiber does not bend in the bending space of the optical connector, and the optical fiber insertion surface and the optical fiber are inserted. It can be confirmed that the optical fiber tip is abutted by bending between the fiber holders. Conversely, if the distance between the optical fiber insertion surface of the optical connector and the optical fiber holder of the optical fiber holder is shorter than the length of the optical fiber flex hole in the optical connector, the tip of the optical fiber is within the optical connector cap. When hit, the optical fiber is bent at the optical fiber bending hole of the optical connector. In this state, when the wedge is pulled out, the optical fiber is held by the optical fiber holding part, and the optical connector cap is removed, the optical fiber bent in the optical fiber bending hole in the optical connector is released from the bending. The protrusion length from the ferrule end face is larger than a predetermined value. An increase in the protruding length of a predetermined length or more is a bending loss of the optical fiber that bends at the time of connection, and thus needs to be suppressed. The optical fiber holder is stopped at a position where the distance between the optical fiber insertion surface of the optical connector and the optical fiber holder of the optical fiber holder is longer than the length of the optical fiber bending hole in the optical connector. Does not bend in the bending space of the optical connector, and there is an effect that the optical fiber of a predetermined length protrudes from the end face of the ferrule and can be visually confirmed as the bending of the optical fiber. After confirming that the tip of the optical fiber inserted into the optical connector has abutted in the optical connector cap, as shown in FIG. 13 (d), the wedge is lowered and extracted from the wedge insertion hole, and the optical fiber is held by the optical fiber gripping portion. The fiber holder is removed from the optical fiber. After the optical fiber is elastically held by the optical fiber gripping part, the optical connector is removed from the optical fiber insertion tool, and the optical connector cap and the gripping part pressing tool are removed, thereby completing the assembly of the optical connector.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ferrule 2 Flange 3 Optical fiber holding part 4 Housing 5 Clamper 6 Lid 7 Optical fiber holding part base 8 Optical fiber bending hole part 9 Optical fiber bending restriction part 10 Grooved substrate 11 Narrow hole 12 Wedge insertion hole 13 Wedge 14 Ferrule Optical fiber protruding length 15 from end face Optical fiber 16 Optical connector cap 17 Locking piece 18 Optical connector 19 Ferrule insertion tube 20 Wall against which ferrule abuts 21 Wall 22 against which optical fiber abuts 22 Holding part pressing tool 23 Optical fiber insertion tool 24 Optical connector Cap installation part 25 Optical fiber holder guide part 26 Optical fiber guide part 27 Optical fiber holder

Claims (8)

An optical connector,
A ferrule having a hole into which the glass portion from which the coating of the optical fiber is removed is inserted along the central axis in the long axis direction;
A flange that grips the ferrule and has a hole portion and an optical fiber bending restricting portion in which a portion with the coating of the optical fiber inserted into the ferrule is bent;
An optical fiber gripping portion that elastically holds the optical fiber, and the hole portion has an inner diameter that allows the optical fiber to bend,
The optical fiber bending restricting portion is a cylinder located at a position closer to the ferrule than the center position of the hole portion, and has a long axis on a central axis in the long axis direction of the ferrule, and the coating of the optical fiber is Has a hole diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the attached part,
The optical fiber gripping portion elastically holds a portion of the optical fiber covered with the end of the optical fiber protruding from the ferrule end face, and the optical fiber is elastically restored by an elastic restoring force generated by bending of the optical fiber. An optical connector characterized in that the end faces are connected by pressing.   The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the glass part from which the coating of the optical fiber has been removed is tapered.   The optical fiber gripping portion includes a grooved substrate, a lid, a clamper having a U-shaped cross section, and a wedge insertion hole into which a wedge is inserted into a surface not covered by the clamper, The grooved substrate and the lid are held in an overlapped state, and when inserting the optical fiber, the wedge is inserted into the wedge insertion hole, and the optical fiber is inserted into the gap between the groove of the grooved substrate and the lid. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the optical connector is inserted. An optical connector cap used in the assembly of an optical connector that presses and connects the end faces of the optical fibers by elastic restoring force generated by bending of the optical fiber,
A locking piece;
A wall against which the end face of the optical connector abuts,
The optical connector includes a ferrule, a housing, and a locking projection on the housing, and the optical fiber end surface is recessed in the center of the wall against which the optical connector end surface abuts. In the optical connector cap, the locking piece covers the ferrule side of the optical connector, is detachably fitted to the housing of the optical connector, and is fixed to the optical connector by the locking projection of the housing of the optical connector. The end face of the ferrule abuts against the wall against which the end face of the optical connector abuts, and when the optical fiber is inserted into the optical connector, the end face of the optical fiber abuts against the wall against which the end face of the optical fiber abuts. An optical connector cap characterized in that it protrudes from the end face of the connector for a predetermined length. A gripping part pressing tool used in the assembly of an optical connector that presses and connects the end faces of the optical fibers by elastic restoring force generated by bending of the optical fiber,
The optical connector to be assembled has an optical fiber gripping part for gripping the optical fiber, and a housing,
The optical fiber gripping portion includes a grooved substrate, a lid, a clamper having a U-shaped cross section, and a wedge insertion hole into which a wedge is inserted into a surface not covered by the clamper, Holding the grooved substrate and the lid in an overlapped state, the gripping part pressing tool is configured to be inserted between the clamper and the housing, and when inserting the optical fiber, the clamper and the lid are inserted in advance. By inserting the gripping portion pressing tool between the housing and the housing, the optical fiber gripping portion is not bent when the wedge is inserted into the wedge insertion hole, and the groove of the grooved substrate and the lid A gripping part pressing tool, wherein the optical fiber can be inserted into a gap between the gripping parts. An optical fiber insertion tool used in the assembly of an optical connector that presses and connects the optical fiber end faces by elastic restoring force generated by bending of the optical fiber,
With wedges,
Wedge control lever,
An optical connector cap installation part;
An optical fiber holder guide,
An optical connector to be assembled with an optical fiber guide portion includes an optical fiber bent hole portion, a grooved substrate, a lid, a clamper having a U-shaped cross section, and a wedge on a surface not covered by the clamper. A wedge insertion hole, and the clamper holds the grooved substrate and the lid in a stacked state, and when the wedge is inserted into the wedge insertion hole, the groove of the grooved substrate and the lid An optical connector in which a gap between the optical fiber and the optical fiber can be inserted into the optical connector,
The wedge and the optical connector cap installation part are configured to fit an optical connector equipped with an optical connector cap used to allow the tip of the optical fiber to protrude a predetermined length from the end face of the optical connector. And the wedges are arranged to be inserted into the wedge insertion holes,
The wedge operating lever can be operated to fix the wedge in a raised state and a lowered state,
The optical fiber holder is used to hold the optical fiber, and when the optical fiber holder is attached to the optical fiber holder guide part, the optical fiber passes over the optical fiber guide, The optical fiber holder is designed to be inserted into the optical connector, and when the optical fiber holder is advanced toward the optical connector, the stop position of the optical fiber holder is between the optical connector rear end and the optical fiber holder end. An optical fiber insertion tool, wherein the distance is longer than the length of the optical fiber bending hole. An assembly method of an optical connector using an assembly tool and an optical connector cap to press and connect the end faces of the optical fibers by elastic restoring force generated by bending of the optical fiber,
Attaching the optical connector cap to the optical connector;
Operating the wedge operating lever of the assembly tool to fix the wedge attached to the assembly tool in a raised state;
The optical connector with the optical connector cap attached is fitted into the optical connector cap installation portion of the assembly tool, and the wedge is simultaneously fitted with the optical connector with the optical connector cap attached to the optical connector cap installation portion of the assembly tool. Expanding the hole for inserting the optical fiber of the optical fiber gripping part for gripping the optical fiber of the optical connector by being inserted into the wedge insertion hole of the optical connector;
Holding the optical fiber in an optical fiber holder of the assembly tool;
Advancing the optical fiber holder holding the optical fiber along an optical fiber holder guide of the assembly tool, and inserting the optical fiber into an optical connector while being in contact with the upper portion of the optical fiber guide;
Stopping the optical fiber holder at a position where the distance between the optical connector rear end and the optical fiber holder is longer than the optical fiber bending hole;
After the optical fiber is bent by the optical fiber guide portion, the wedge operating lever is operated to lower the wedge and remove it from the wedge insertion hole, and the optical fiber gripping portion grips the optical fiber. An assembly method comprising the steps of:   8. The assembly method according to claim 7, further comprising a step of attaching a gripping portion pressing tool to a gap between the clamper and the housing of the optical connector before inserting the wedge into the wedge insertion hole of the optical connector. .

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