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EP-3913414-B1 - METHOD OF MANUFACTURING OPTICAL CONNECTOR

EP3913414B1EP 3913414 B1EP3913414 B1EP 3913414B1EP-3913414-B1

Inventors

  • ARAO, YUKI

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20200115

Claims (4)

  1. A method of manufacturing an optical connector (1), comprising: preparing a multi-core optical fiber (f) including a glass fiber (g) and a resin coating that covers the glass fiber (g); inserting into a ferrule (10) the glass fiber (g) exposed from the resin coating at one end of the multi-core optical fiber (f) such that the glass fiber (g) protrudes from an end surface of the ferrule (10) by a length A mm; rotating and aligning the multi-core optical fiber (f) with respect to the ferrule (10); fixing the multi-core optical fiber (f) to the ferrule (10); and polishing one end of the protruded glass fiber (g) and the end surface of the ferrule (10) so as to scrap off a tip end of the ferrule (10) by a length B mm, wherein a first deviation angle in a circumferential direction between a first initial end surface of the one end of the prepared glass fiber (g), which is at one end of the prepared glass fiber (g), and a cross section of the glass fiber (g) separated from the first initial end surface by a length A + B mm is equal to or less than 0.9°, the first deviation angle being obtained by the angle formed, when the observation result on the first initial end surface and the observation result on the cross section are superposed, by a straight line connecting a marker of the first initial end surface and a center of the glass fiber (g) and a straight line connecting a marker of the cross section and a center of the glass fiber (g), wherein preparing the multi-core optical fiber (f) includes: a first sub-step of measuring a second deviation angle of the multi-core optical fiber (f) in the circumferential direction along a longitudinal direction of the glass fiber (g) from a second initial end surface of the one end of the glass fiber (g) and a further cross section separated from the second initial end surface by the length A + B mm; the second initial end surface being at one end of the glass fiber (g) at the beginning of the step of preparing the multi-core optical fiber (f), the second deviation angle being obtained by the angle formed, when the observation result on the second initial end surface and the observation result on the further cross section are superposed, by a straight line connecting a marker of the second initial end surface and a center of the glass fiber (g) and a straight line connecting a marker of the further cross section and a center of the glass fiber (g), and a second sub-step of cleaving the multi-core optical fiber (f) at a position separated from the second initial end surface of the glass fiber (g) by the length A + B mm or greater when the second deviation angle exceeds 0.9°, and setting the second initial end surface as the first initial end surface of the one end of the prepared glass fiber (g) when the second deviation angle is equal to or less than 0.9°, wherein the first sub-step and the second sub-step are repeated until the second deviation angle between the second initial end surface of the glass fiber (g) and the further cross section separated by the length A + B mm becomes equal to or less than 0.9°, and wherein the first and the second deviation angles of the multi-core optical fiber (f) in the circumferential direction are measured from a side surface of the glass fiber (g).
  2. A method of manufacturing an optical connector (1), comprising: preparing a multi-core optical fiber (f) including a glass fiber (g) and a resin coating that covers the glass fiber (g); inserting into a ferrule (10) the glass fiber (g) exposed from the resin coating at one end of the multi-core optical fiber (f) such that the glass fiber (g) protrudes from an end surface of the ferrule (10) by a length A mm; rotating and aligning the multi-core optical fiber (f) with respect to the ferrule (10); fixing the multi-core optical fiber (f) to the ferrule (10); and polishing one end of the protruded glass fiber (g) and the end surface of the ferrule (10) so as to scrap off a tip end of the ferrule (10) by a length B mm, wherein a first deviation angle in a circumferential direction between a first initial end surface of the one end of the prepared glass fiber (g), which is at one end of the prepared glass fiber (g), and a cross section of the glass fiber (g) separated from the first initial end surface by a length A + B mm is equal to or less than 0.9°, the first deviation angle being obtained by the angle formed, when the observation result on the first initial end surface and the observation result on the cross section are superposed, by a straight line connecting a marker of the first initial end surface and a center of the glass fiber (g) and a straight line connecting a marker of the cross section and a center of the glass fiber (g), wherein preparing the multi-core optical fiber (f) includes: a first sub-step of measuring a second deviation angle of the multi-core optical fiber (f) in the circumferential direction along a longitudinal direction of the glass fiber (g) from a second initial end surface of the one end of the glass fiber (g) and a further cross section separated from the second initial end surface by the length A + B mm; the second initial end surface being at one end of the glass fiber (g) at the beginning of the step of preparing the multi-core optical fiber (f), the second deviation angle being obtained by the angle formed, when the observation result on the second initial end surface and the observation result on the further cross section are superposed, by a straight line connecting a marker of the second initial end surface and a center of the glass fiber (g) and a straight line connecting a marker of the further cross section and a center of the glass fiber (g), and a second sub-step of cleaving the multi-core optical fiber (f) at a position separated from the second initial end surface of the glass fiber (g) by the length A + B mm or greater when the second deviation angle exceeds 0.9°, and setting the second initial end surface as the first initial end surface of the one end of the prepared glass fiber (g) when the second deviation angle is equal to or less than 0.9°, wherein the first sub-step and the second sub-step are repeated until the second deviation angle between the second initial end surface of the glass fiber (g) and the further cross section separated by the length A + B mm becomes equal to or less than 0.9°, and wherein the first and second deviation angles of the multi-core optical fiber (f) in the circumferential direction are measured from an end surface of the glass fiber (g).
  3. A method of manufacturing an optical connector (1), comprising: preparing a multi-core optical fiber (f, f') including a glass fiber (g, g') and a resin coating that covers the glass fiber (g'); inserting into a ferrule (10) the glass fiber (g, g') exposed from the resin coating at one end of the multi-core optical fiber (f, f') such that the glass fiber (g, g') protrudes from an end surface of the ferrule (10) by a length A mm; rotating and aligning the multi-core optical fiber (f, f') with respect to the ferrule (10); fixing the multi-core optical fiber (f, f') to the ferrule (10); and polishing one end of the protruded glass fiber (g, g') and the end surface of the ferrule (10) so as to scrap off a tip end of the ferrule (10) by a length B mm, wherein a first deviation angle in a circumferential direction between a first initial end surface of the one end of the prepared glass fiber (g, g'), which is at one end of the prepared glass fiber (g, g'), and a cross section of the glass fiber (g, g') separated from the first initial end surface by a length A + B mm is equal to or less than 0.9°, the first deviation angle being obtained by the angle formed, when the observation result on the first initial end surface and the observation result on the cross section are superposed, by a straight line connecting a marker of the first initial end surface and a center of the glass fiber (g, g') and a straight line connecting a marker of the cross section and a center of the glass fiber (g, g'), wherein preparing the multi-core optical fiber (f, f') includes: preparing a first multi-core optical fiber (f) having a third deviation angle in the circumferential direction equal to or less than ±0.9° between one end surface and a further cross section separated by the length A + B mm from the one end surface; the first multi-core optical fiber (f) extending between the one end and another end, and fusion-splicing a second multi-core optical fiber (f') having the same core arrangement as the first multi-core optical fiber (f) at the other end of the first multi-core optical fiber (f); and setting the one end surface of the first multi-core optical fiber (f) as the first initial end surface of the one end of the prepared glass fiber (g, g'), and wherein the first and third deviation angles of the multi-core optical fiber (f, f') in the circumferential direction are measured from a side surface of the glass fiber (g, g').
  4. A method of manufacturing an optical connector (1), comprising: preparing a multi-core optical fiber (f, f') including a glass fiber (g, g') and a resin coating that covers the glass fiber (g'); inserting into a ferrule (10) the glass fiber (g, g') exposed from the resin coating at one end of the multi-core optical fiber (f, f') such that the glass fiber (g, g') protrudes from an end surface of the ferrule (10) by a length A mm; rotating and aligning the multi-core optical fiber (f, f') with respect to the ferrule (10); fixing the multi-core optical fiber (f, f') to the ferrule (10); and polishing one end of the protruded glass fiber (g, g') and the end surface of the ferrule (10) so as to scrap off a tip end of the ferrule (10) by a length B mm, wherein a first deviation angle in a circumferential direction between a first initial end surface of the one end of the prepared glass fiber (g, g'), which is at one end of the prepared glass fiber (g, g'), and a cross section of the glass fiber (g, g') separated from the first initial end surface by a length A + B mm is equal to or less than 0.9°, the first deviation angle being obtained by the angle formed, when the observation result on the first initial end surface and the observation result on the cross section are superposed, by a straight line connecting a marker of the first initial end surface and a center of the glass fiber (g, g') and a straight line connecting a marker of the cross section and a center of the glass fiber (g, g'), wherein preparing the multi-core optical fiber (f, f') includes: preparing a first multi-core optical fiber (f) having a third deviation angle in the circumferential direction equal to or less than ±0.9° between one end surface and a further cross section separated by the length A + B mm from the one end surface; the first multi-core optical fiber (f) extending between the one end and another end, and fusion-splicing a second multi-core optical fiber (f') having the same core arrangement as the first multi-core optical fiber (f) at the other end of the first multi-core optical fiber (f); and setting the one end surface of the first multi-core optical fiber (f) as the first initial end surface of the one end of the prepared glass fiber (g, g'), and wherein the first and third deviation angles of the multi-core optical fiber (f, f') in the circumferential direction are measured from an end surface of the glass fiber (g, g').

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing an optical connector. BACKGROUND ART JP 2013-238692 A discloses a method of manufacturing an optical connector for manufacturing a connector for multi-core optical fibers, the method includes: a step of placing the optical fiber on a ferrule; a step of monitoring the optical fiber from an end surface of the optical fiber and rotating and aligning the optical fiber; and a step of polishing the end surface of the optical fiber. US 2013/299076 A1 and WO 2015/098863 A1 disclose other example of devices belonging to the relative prior art. SUMMARY OF INVENTION SOLUTION TO PROBLEM In order to achieve the above objects and effects, the technical solution implemented by the present invention is defined in the independent claims. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing an optical connector, including: preparing a multi-core optical fiber including a glass fiber and a resin coating that covers the glass fiber; inserting into a ferrule the glass fiber exposed from the resin coating at one end of the multi-core optical fiber such that the glass fiber protrudes from an end surface of the ferrule by a length of A mm; rotating and aligning the multi-core optical fiber with respect to the ferrule; fixing the multi-core optical fiber to the ferrule; and polishing one end of the protruding glass fiber and the end surface of the ferrule so as to scrap off a tip end of the ferrule by a length B mm. A first deviation angle in the circumferential direction between an end surface (first initial end surface) of the one end of the prepared glass fiber, which is at one end of the prepared glass fiber, and a cross section of the glass fiber separated from the first initial end surface by a length A + B mm is equal to or less than 0.9°. The deviation angle is obtained by the angle formed, when the observation result on the first initial end surface and the observation result on the cross section are superposed, by a straight line connecting a marker of the first initial end surface and a center of the glass fiber and a straight line connecting a marker of the cross section and a center of the glass fiber. Preparing the multi-core optical fiber includes a first sub-step of measuring a second deviation angle of the multi-core optical fiber in the circumferential direction along a longitudinal direction of the glass fiber from a second initial end surface of the one end of the glass fiber and a further cross section separated from the second initial end surface by the length A + B mm; the second initial end surface being at one end of the glass fiber at the beginning of the step of preparing the multi-core optical fiber, the second deviation angle being obtained by the angle formed, when the observation result on the second initial end surface and the observation result on the further cross section are superposed, by a straight line connecting a marker of the second initial end surface and a center of the glass fiber and a straight line connecting a marker of the further cross section and a center of the glass fiber, and a second sub-step of cleaving the multi-core optical fiber at a position separated from the second initial end surface of the glass fiber by the length A + B mm or greater when the second deviation angle exceeds 0.9°, and setting the second initial end surface as the first initial end surface of the one end of the prepared glass fiber when the second deviation angle is equal to or less than 0.9°. The first sub-step and the second sub-step are repeated until the second deviation angle between the second initial end surface of the glass fiber and the further cross section separated by the length A + B mm becomes equal to or less than 0.9°. The first and the second deviation angles of the multi-core optical fiber in the circumferential direction are measured from a side surface of the glass fiber. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing an optical connector, comprising preparing a multi-core optical fiber including a glass fiber and a resin coating that covers the glass fiber; inserting into a ferrule the glass fiber exposed from the resin coating at one end of the multi-core optical fiber such that the glass fiber protrudes from an end surface of the ferrule by a length A mm; rotating and aligning the multi-core optical fiber with respect to the ferrule; fixing the multi-core optical fiber to the ferrule; and polishing one end of the protruded glass fiber and the end surface of the ferrule so as to scrap off a tip end of the ferrule by a length B mm. A first deviation angle in a circumferential direction between a first initial end surface of the one end of the prepared glass fiber, which is at one end of the prepared glass fiber, and a cross section of the glass fiber separated from the first initial end surface by a length A + B mm is equ