JPH03132607A - Adhesive filler - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accurately fill an adhesive by every constant volume and to automatize the filling work of the adhesive in a ferrule by forming a nozzle in divergent shape directing to a tip. CONSTITUTION:An adhesive storage part 1, a constant volume discharge part 3, the nozzle 4, and a suction part 5 are provided, and the nozzle 4 is formed in the divergent shape directing to the tip. Since the constant volume discharge part 3 is provided, the adhesive 2 in a supply tube 21 is discharged by every constant volume with the discharge part 3, and since the nozzle 4 is formed so as to be diverged to the outside directing to the tip, the adhesive 2 stagnated in the nozzle 4 droops in spherical shape. When the ferrule A is brought into contact with the adhesive 2 by raising the ferrule 4 with a holder 6 at such state and the adhesive 2 is sucked from the suction part 5 at such state, the adhesive 2 is sucked in a precision pore (a) in the ferrule A. Thereby, it is possible to accurately fill the adhesive 2 by every constant volume, and to automatize the filling work of the adhesive to the ferrule A.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an adhesive filling device for filling precision pores of a ferrule with adhesive in an optical connector assembly process.

(Prior Art) In the assembly process of an optical connector, in order to fill an adhesive into the precision pore a of a ferrule A having a structure as shown in FIG.
Previously, it was done as follows.

As shown in Fig. 5, set the ferrule A in the holder B with its fine hole a facing down, attach the vibrator C to the upper end of the ferrule A, and attach it to the tip of the thin 11D etc. inside the pipe C. Then, the adhesive E2 accumulated in the vibrator C is sucked from the suction port F of the holder B and filled into the ferrule A.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) Conventional adhesive filling methods had the following problems.

(2) It was troublesome to attach and detach the vibrator C to the ferrule A, and it took time to pour the adhesive E into the vibrator C, resulting in poor workability.

■It was difficult to automate the filling process.

(2) Since the adhesive was simply poured from the tip of a thin rod, it was difficult to accurately fill the adhesive in quantitative amounts.

(Objective of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to realize an adhesive filling device that can accurately fill adhesive in fixed quantities and can automate the filling operation of adhesive into a ferrule.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The adhesive filling device according to claim 1 of the present invention has an adhesive storage part l and an adhesive 2 supplied from the storage part l as shown in FIG. A fixed amount dispensing unit 3 that dispenses a fixed amount at a time, and the same dispensing unit 3
The nozzle 4 is provided with a nozzle 4 for retaining the other adhesive 2 discharged from the nozzle 4, and a suction section 5 for sucking the adhesive 2 retained in the nozzle 4 from the ferrule A side and filling the inside of the ferrule A. As shown in FIG. 3, it is formed to expand outward toward the tip.

A second aspect of the present invention provides an adhesive filling device.

Adhesive storage section in the first aspect of the invention], constant discharge section 3. Nozzle 4. In addition to the suction part 5, as shown in FIG.
A moving mechanism 8 that reciprocates the ferrule A set in the holder 6 to below the nozzle 4, and a lifting mechanism 9 that moves the ferrule A set in the holder 6 up and down toward the nozzle 4. That is.

In the adhesive filling device according to a third aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG.
A sealing material 13 is provided to maintain airtightness between the ferrule A and the outer circumferential surface 12 of the ferrule A.

(Function) In the adhesive filling device according to claim 1 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. It is dispensed in fixed amounts. Further, since the nozzle 4 widens outward toward the tip, the adhesive 2 staying in the nozzle 4 becomes spherical and drips down as shown in Figure 3. In this state, push up the ferrule A together with the holder 6 shown in FIG. 1 to bring the ferrule A into contact with the adhesive 2.
When the adhesive 2 is suctioned, the same adhesive 2 is suctioned into the precision pore a in the ferrule A.

In the adhesive filling device according to claim 2 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. The ferrule A is set in the holder 6 and the nozzle 4 is moved to the bottom of the nozzle 4.
Easy to set underneath. Further, since the ferrule A is raised and lowered together with the holder 6 by the lifting mechanism 9, the operation of bringing the ferrule A into contact with the adhesive 2 and separating it from the adhesive 2 becomes easy.

In the adhesive filling device according to the third aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG.
Since the sealing material 13 is provided inside the insertion hole 10, airtightness between the inner peripheral surface 11 of the insertion hole 10 and the outer peripheral surface 12 of the ferrule A inserted into the insertion hole 10 is maintained. Therefore, when the adhesive 2 is suctioned by the suction section 5, the inside of the pore a of the ferrule A is reliably suctioned, and the adhesive 2 is reliably suctioned into the same pore a.

(Example) Figure 2 shows an adhesive filling device of the present invention. In this figure, 20 is a pressure tube, ■ is an adhesive storage part in which the adhesive 2 is stored, and 21 is an adhesive storage part 1 which is transferred from the adhesive storage part 1 by pressurized air or a gas from the pressure tube 20. is the supply tube from which the

As shown in FIG. 2, the adhesive storage section 1 is composed of a cylinder la and a lid 1b that covers the cylinder la.

Reference numeral 3 in FIG. 1 denotes a fixed quantity dispensing section which is disposed outside the supply tube 2I and discharges the adhesive 2 in the tube 21 in fixed amounts at a time. As shown in FIG. 2, this quantitative discharge unit 3 is composed of a front-stage push roller 3a, a rear-stage push roller 3b, a push pad 3C, and a tube support 3d.

In this quantitative discharge section 3, the adhesive 2 is not normally discharged from the supply tube 21 because the rear-stage push roller 3b is pressed against the tube support 3d as shown in FIG. 2a. To discharge the adhesive 2, press the front push roller 3a against the tube support 3d as shown in Figure 2, and then release the rear push roller 3b. The adhesive 2 up to the lower end does not flow downward from the supply tube 21 because the adhesive 2 itself has viscosity and surface tension.
When the supply tube 21 is pushed by the push butt 3c and moved downward while pressing the pad 3c against the tube support 3d, the supply tube 21 is gradually crushed from top to bottom, and the inside of the tube 21 is crushed. Adhesive 2 is extruded down the tube 21.

Although the quantitative discharge unit 3 shown in FIG. 2 is effective in dispensing a fixed amount of adhesive 2 whose viscosity changes, it has the disadvantage that the discharge pulsates when the adhesive 2 has a high viscosity and surface tension.

Therefore, in the present invention, the pulsation is suppressed by applying pressure with air or other gas to the adhesive in the adhesive storage section 1 from the pressurizing tube 20 and sending out the adhesive 2 as described above. The pressure in this case is 2 to 4 kgf/c
It is about m2.

Reference numeral 4 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a nozzle, which stores the adhesive 2 discharged from the quantitative discharge section 3 as shown in FIG. 3a. This adhesive 2 normally stays at the same position as the cutout (lower end) of the nozzle 4 as shown in Figure 2a, but the nozzle 4 is curved outward toward the tip to increase the cross-sectional area. Therefore, when the adhesive 2 is discharged from the two-quantity discharge portion 3, the adhesive 2 staying in the nozzle 4 hangs down in a spherical shape below the lower end of the nozzle 4 as shown in FIG.

6 in FIG. 1 is a holder that holds the ferrule A, and as shown in FIG. 4, an insertion hole 10 into which the ferrule A is inserted.
is formed, and a ring-shaped sealing material 13 is attached within the insertion hole 10. This sealing material 13 is applied to the inner peripheral surface 11 of the insertion hole 10 and the outer peripheral surface 1 of the ferrule A.
This is to maintain airtightness between the two. Also,
This sealing material 13 is made of a soft material or an elastic material so that the ferrule A can be inserted and removed smoothly.

At the bottom of this insertion hole 10, as shown in FIG.
A cylindrical suction part 5 for suctioning the water is connected, and the suction part 5 is connected to a suction device (not shown).

Reference numeral 7 in FIG. 1 is a setting mechanism, which automatically sets the ferrule A into the insertion hole 10 of the holder 6.

This includes a robot hand 7a that clamps the ferrule A,
The robot hand 7a is moved up and down, the ferrule A is set in the holder 6 when the robot hand 7a is lowered, and the ferrule A is raised when the setting is completed. This setting can also be done manually.

Reference numeral 8 in FIG. 1 is a moving mechanism which, after setting the ferrule A in the holder 6, moves the holder 6 in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. It is carried to the bottom.

Reference numeral 9 in FIG. 1 is a lifting mechanism, for which an air cylinder or the like is used. This elevating mechanism 9 is i? Push up the Y-marked holder 6 along with the support base 24 in the direction of arrow Y (upward) in FIG. Stagnant adhesive 2
It is intended to be brought into contact with. When the upper end of the ferrule 4 is completely covered with the adhesive 2 due to this contact, the adhesive 2 is sucked from the suction part 5 of the holder 6, and the ferrule A is filled with the adhesive 2. In this case, the upper end of ferrule A is tightly covered with adhesive 2, so
Air, etc. will not enter the ferrule A from the outside.

Once the ferrule A is filled with the adhesive 2, the elevating mechanism 9 lowers the holder 6 in which the ferrule A is set together with the support base 24, so that the upper end of the ferrule A is free of the adhesive remaining in the nozzle 4. Separate from 2.

Note that the rodless cylinder 23 of the moving mechanism 8 operates to return the ferrule A filled with the adhesive 2 to the initial position when the ferrule A is lowered by the lifting mechanism 9.

(Effect of the invention) The adhesive filling device of the present invention has the following various effects.

(2) Since there is a quantitative discharge part 3, the adhesive 2 can be stably discharged in a fixed amount at a time.

■4 The nozzle 4 widens outward toward the tip, so the adhesive 2 becomes spherical and hangs down from the nozzle 4.
Since it becomes difficult for air to enter the ferrule A, air bubbles are not generated in the adhesive 2 filled in the ferrule A. Incidentally, if air bubbles enter the adhesive 2, the transmission loss between the optical fibers connected via the ferrule A increases.

② Since there is a moving mechanism 8, it is possible to automatically move the ferrule A set in the holder 6 under the nozzle 4 and return the ferrule A filled with the adhesive 2 to its original position. It will be done.

(2) Since the upper setting mechanism 7 is provided, the setting and removal of the ferrule A to the holder 6 is facilitated.

■ Since there is a lifting mechanism 9, the ferrule A to the adhesive 2
contact and separation becomes easier.

(2) Since the sealing material 13 is provided in the insertion hole 10 of the holder 6, the outer periphery of the ferrule A inserted into the insertion hole 10 is sealed, and the absorption of the adhesive 2 is ensured. Also,
Since the sealing material 13 is made of a soft material or an elastic material, insertion of the ferrule A into the insertion hole 10,
It can be easily extracted.

(2) By providing the horizontal setting machine 7, the moving mechanism 8, and the lifting mechanism 9, the adhesive filling operation can be fully automated, resulting in significant labor savings.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of the adhesive filling device of the present invention, Fig. 2 a, b, and c are explanatory diagrams of the quantitative dispensing section in the same device, and Fig. 3 a, b are nozzles in the same device. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the holder and suction part in the device, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional adhesive filling method, and FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ferrule. (3) is the adhesive storage section 2, the adhesive 3, the quantitative discharge section 4, the nozzle 5, the suction section 6, the holder 7, the setting mechanism 8, the moving mechanism 9, the elevating mechanism 10, the insertion hole II, the inner peripheral surface 12 of the insertion hole The outer peripheral surface 13 of the ferrule is a sealing material.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) An adhesive storage section 1, a metered discharge section 3 that discharges a fixed amount of adhesive 2 supplied from the storage section 1, and a nozzle 4 that retains the adhesive 2 discharged from the discharge section 3. , a suction part 5 that sucks the adhesive 2 staying in the nozzle 4 from the ferrule A side and fills the inside of the ferrule A, and the nozzle 4 is formed to expand outward toward the tip. Features adhesive filling equipment. (2) In the adhesive filling device, the ferrule A
a holder 6 for holding the ferrule A, a setting mechanism 7 for automatically setting the ferrule A in the holder 6, a moving mechanism 8 for reciprocating the ferrule A set in the holder 6 to below the nozzle 4, and the holder 6. 6. The adhesive filling device according to claim 1, further comprising a lifting mechanism 9 for lifting and lowering the ferrule A set in the nozzle 4 toward the nozzle 4 side. (3) In the adhesive filling device, an insertion hole 10 into which the ferrule A is inserted is formed in the holder 6, the insertion hole 10 communicates with the suction part 5, and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 10 is 2. The adhesive filling device according to claim 2, further comprising a sealing material 13 for maintaining airtightness between the ferrule A and the outer circumferential surface 12 of the ferrule A.