JP3500542B2 - Device to prevent intrusion of processing agent and processing debris into the chuck for polishing the end face of optical connector ferrule - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing agent for polishing an end face of an optical connector ferrule, which is attached to a chuck for gripping and fixing an optical connector ferrule with good reproducibility in processing work to prevent processing agent and processing waste from entering the chuck. -Relating to a device for preventing processing dust from entering the chuck.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in an optical connector, an optical connector ferrule (hereinafter referred to as a ferrule), which is a rod-shaped member, has a convex spherical surface in order to improve optical connectivity. This convex spherical surface is formed by polishing. However, in the optical connector, optical fiber core portions having a diameter of 10 μm are butted against each other for optical connection, and therefore it is required to highly accurately polish the ferrule so that the deviation of the convex spherical vertex position and the optical fiber core position is within 50 μm. .

FIG. 2 shows an example of a conventional ferrule end surface polishing method, in which the tip of the ferrule α held and fixed by the chuck A ₁ is pressed against the rotary driven polishing plate (a), and the abrasive β is applied. The end face of the ferrule α is polished while being supplied. In this case, a general three-claw collet chuck A _{1 as} shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B or a V-groove chuck A ₂ as shown in FIG. 4 is used.

FIG. 3 (a) is a sectional view of the collet chuck A1 taken along the line IIIa-IIIa in FIG. 3 (b).
(B) is an external perspective view of a three-jaw chuck. α is a ferrule, B is a chuck body, Ba is an inner peripheral tapered surface, C is a rotation adjusting cylinder, Ca is a knob, Cb is a male screw portion, Cc is a collar portion, D is a three-jaw chuck, Da is a slide groove, and Db is Db. Is a sliver, Dc is a tapered outer surface, Dd is a chuck hole, De
Is a female screw portion, E is a guide pin, and F is an end stop plate.

In FIG. 3 (b), a three-jaw chuck D has a thread Db, and one claw has a cantilever flexural elastic structure. In the free state, the chuck hole Dd is larger than the outer diameter of the gripped ferrule α due to elastic restoration.

In FIG. 3 (a), when the ferrule α is inserted, the three-jaw chuck D is pulled rearward in the figure by the rotation adjusting tube C, and the chuck body B and the three-jaw chuck D respectively. The wedge engagement between the outer peripheral tapered surface Dc and the inner peripheral tapered surface Ba is loosened, and the chuck hole Dd is widened. Knob C when gripping the ferrule α
By rotating a and pushing the three-jaw chuck D forward, the outer peripheral taper surface Dc is wedged with the inner peripheral taper surface Ba to narrow the chuck hole Dd. A slide groove Da is cut in the three-jaw chuck D, and a guide pin E fixed and projected in the chuck body B is engaged to prevent rotation. Although the knob Ca rotates, its axial movement is restricted by the collar portion Cc that engages with the chuck body B.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the chuck A2 having a V groove. In the figure, α is a ferrule, G is a chuck body, G
a is a thread, Gb is a mating V groove, Gd is a coupling spring part, H
Is a tightening screw. The chuck body G is cut with a sliver Ga in a diametrical direction passing through the center. Further, a mating V-groove Gb is cut out symmetrically about the center.

Normally, the tightening screw H is loose, and the surface distance between the upper and lower mating V-grooves Gb in the figure is wider than the outer shape of the ferrule α. By inserting the ferrule α and tightening the tightening screw H, the interval between the engagement V grooves Gb is narrowed, and the ferrule α is held and fixed. Also, by loosening the tightening screw H, the coupling spring portion Gc
Due to the restoring elastic action of, the mutual V-grooves Gb expand and the ferrule α is removed.

[0009]

However, in the structure of the conventional chuck, there are clearances Db and Gb between the grasping claws and the V-grooves, and from this clearance, a polishing agent as a processing agent or a polishing waste as a processing waste. When the chips are dried and adhered, the functions of the chucks A ₁ and A ₂ may not be fulfilled. Further, due to the structure of the ferrule α, in order to take out the ferrule α after polishing, the ferrule α must be pulled out again in the direction opposite to the insertion direction. At this time, the abrasive or polishing debris attached to the end of the ferrule α is chucked by the chuck A ₁ , there may no longer play a in the same way as described above chuck function by drawing in a _2.

Furthermore, the former invading or the latter retracting abrasive or polishing debris adheres to the ferrule gripping surfaces of the chucks A ₁ and A ₂ , thereby deteriorating the gripping accuracy when gripping the next ferrule α. There was a defect such as a cause. Further, in order to make up for this defect, in the polishing work, the chuck had to be cleaned every time one ferrule α was polished, and there was a problem in workability.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and prevents intrusion of abrasives or polishing debris into the chuck to improve workability and reproducibly grip and fix. An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for preventing intrusion of a processing agent / processing waste into the chuck for polishing the end face of an optical connector ferrule capable of obtaining high performance.

[0012]

The solution of the above-mentioned problems can be achieved by adopting the novel characteristic constitutional means listed below in the present invention. A first feature of the present invention is to define a hollow portion inside, and to form a through hole penetrating through the hollow portion at a tip portion of an optical connector ferrule which is gripped and fixed to a chuck and protrudes. A seal box, which communicates with the hollow portion and is provided with an air introduction port for supplying compressed air from the outside, is attached to the chuck tip surface so as to be air-sealable, and the through-hole has a chuck of the seal box with the hollow portion as a boundary. Optical connector ferrule end face polishing agent whose hole diameter on the side is smaller than the hole diameter on the outer side of the ferrule
This is a device to prevent machining chips from entering the chuck.

A second feature of the present invention is the first feature of the present invention.
In the above-mentioned feature, the air introduction port is provided on the outer periphery 1 side of the seal box, and is a device for preventing intrusion of a machining agent / machining dust into the chuck for polishing the end face of the optical connector ferrule.

A third aspect of the present invention is the first aspect of the present invention.
Alternatively, a processing agent / processing for polishing an end face of an optical connector ferrule, in which the chuck tip surface in the second feature is formed with a recessed portion capable of accommodating an outward end of a claw group for inserting and gripping and fixing the optical connector ferrule. This is a device to prevent dust from entering the chuck.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is a processing agent for polishing an end face of an optical connector ferrule, wherein the chuck in the first, second or third aspect of the present invention is a three-jaw chuck or a V-groove chuck.・ It is a device to prevent machining chips from entering the chuck.

[0016]

According to the present invention, by taking the novel means as described above, the ferrule tip end is projected from the seal box provided on the chuck tip surface to hold and fix the ferrule. Air is supplied from the air inlet into the seal box, and the tip of the chuck is air-sealed by surrounding the ferrule tip outer circumference with a compressed air flow flowing along the tip axial direction, and at the same time, the through hole and the ferrule outer diameter are provided. The air flow ejected from the gap between and prevents the inflow of the polishing agent or polishing debris during polishing, and further prevents the polishing agent or polishing debris from adhering to the outer periphery of the protruding ferrule tip.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the present embodiment attached to the tip surface of a collet chuck.

In the drawing, α is a ferrule, B is a chuck body, D is a three-jaw chuck, 1 is a seal box, 1a is a chuck side back plate of the seal box 1, and 1b is a tip side of the ferrule α of the seal box 1. Front plate part 2, air introduction port, 3 through hole, 3a chuck side through hole provided on chuck side front plate part 1a, 3b ferrule α tip end side front plate part 1b ferrule α outer protrusion Side through holes, a is a polishing plate, 4 is a hollow portion, and 5 is a concave portion.

Here, in the central portion of the seal box 1 fixed to the front end surface of the chuck body B, a chuck side through hole 3a and a ferrule outer collision side through hole 3b are provided at positions concentric with the center of the chuck body B. It is provided. The chuck-side through hole 3a is sized so that the ferrule α can be easily attached and detached and that the gap between the ferrule α and the outer diameter of the ferrule α is as small as possible. Although not shown, the air supplied from another air supply source is
The air flows in from the air introduction port 2, passes through the hollow portion 4, passes through the chuck side through hole 3a and the ferrule outer protruding side through hole 3b along the ferrule α front end axis, and flows out as a series of air flows. There is.

Here, the execution procedure for using this embodiment will be described. First, with the air supplied from the air introduction port 2, the ferrule α is attached to the ferrule outer collision side surface plate portion 1b.
Insert until the tip protrudes from the through hole 3b, hold the outer periphery of the ferrule α with the three-jaw chuck D, and press the outer tip of the ferrule α against the polishing plate a to polish.

At this time, the air outlet is only the gap between the chuck-side through-hole 3a and the ferrule outer-projection-side through-hole 3b of the seal box 1 and the outer diameter of the ferrule α, and the outside of the chuck-side through-hole 3a and the ferrule α. From the gap with the diameter,
By increasing the gap between the ferrule outer collision side through hole 3b and the outer diameter of the ferrule α, a large amount of air flows out in the larger gap, that is, in the outer collision direction of the ferrule α.

Due to the air flow flowing out of the ferrule α in the outward collision direction, abrasives or polishing debris are generated in the chuck body B.
It will prevent the invasion of the inside. Further, since the air flowing out in the outward collision direction of the ferrule α flows along the outer periphery of the ferrule α, it is possible to prevent the abrasive or polishing debris from adhering to the outer peripheral portion of the ferrule α. it can. In this embodiment, the case where the invention is applied to the three-jaw chuck A ₁ has been described, but it is needless to say that the invention can also be applied to the V-groove chuck A ₂ .

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, the ferrule tip portion is projected from the seal box provided on the tip surface of the chuck to hold and fix the ferrule, and air is supplied from the air introduction port during polishing or when attaching or detaching the ferrule. Then
The air flow ejected from the gap between the through hole and the outer diameter of the ferrule prevents the intrusion of abrasives or polishing debris during polishing, and further prevents the adhesion of abrasives or polishing debris to the outer periphery of the protruding ferrule tip. Therefore, it becomes possible to always hold and fix the ferrule with reproducibility even when performing continuous polishing.

Furthermore, in the conventional polishing apparatus using a chuck, the work of cleaning the chuck every time one polishing is performed is completely unnecessary, and the workability is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a central vertical cross-sectional view attached to a tip surface of a collet chuck in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional optical connector ferrule end face polishing method.

3A is a cross-sectional view of a collet chuck provided in the same as above, taken along the line IIIa-IIIa in FIG. 3B, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view of a three-jaw chuck.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a V-groove chuck.

Continuation of the front page (56) Bibliography 3-130341 (JP, U) Hei 2-53343 (JP, U) Sumi 42-18695 (JP, Y1) (58) Fields investigated (Int .Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B23B 31/10

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A hollow portion is defined inside, and a through hole penetrating through the hollow portion to penetrate the tip portion of the optical connector ferrule which is gripped and fixed to a chuck and protrudes is formed in the hollow portion. A seal box provided with an air introduction port communicating with the outside to supply compressed air from the outside is attached to the chuck tip surface so as to be air-sealable, and the through-hole has a hole diameter on the chuck side of the seal box with the hollow portion as a boundary. An optical connector ferrule end surface polishing device with a smaller diameter than the hole on the outer side of the ferrule, which prevents the intrusion of processing agents and chips into the chuck. 2. The device for preventing intrusion of a machining agent / machining waste into a chuck for polishing an optical connector ferrule end surface according to claim 1, wherein the air introduction port is opened on the outer periphery 1 side of the seal box. 3. The optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the chuck tip surface is provided with a concave portion capable of accommodating an outgoing end of a claw group for inserting and gripping and fixing the optical connector ferrule. A device for preventing the processing agent and processing chips from entering the chuck for polishing the ferrule end surface. 4. The device for preventing intrusion of processing agent / processing waste into a chuck for polishing an end face of an optical connector ferrule according to claim 1, wherein the chuck is a three-jaw chuck or a V-groove chuck.