JP6031002B2 - End face observation device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an end face observation apparatus that observes an end face state of an optical connector.

  In optical communication, an optical connector is an indispensable component for connecting various network devices and optical fibers, and reducing the loss in the optical connector is very important for realizing good optical communication. . The loss factor in the optical connector is mainly dust and foreign matter adhering to the connector end face and dirt. For this reason, conventionally, cleaning and observation of the connector end face has been an important task when an optical connector is connected.

  The optical connector is composed of a plug that is a male connector and a female connector that is a receptacle serving as a plug insertion port in a network device or the like.

  So far, cleaners and end face observation devices have been proposed for the plugs and receptacles of these optical connectors. For example, there is a cleaner (see Patent Document 1) including a liner tape for a connector end surface in a receptacle, an observation device for a connector end surface in a receptacle (see Patent Document 2), and the like.

  The optical connector cleaning operation and the observation operation are operations that are alternately repeated when the connector is connected.

JP 2004-219602 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-19728

  However, since the cleaning device and the observation device are provided as separate devices, in addition to the cleaning work and observation work using the respective devices, the replacement work of these devices always occurs. There was a problem of becoming complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an end face observation apparatus in which an end face observation apparatus and an apparatus for performing work other than the end face observation work are integrated. is there.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is an end surface observation device, comprising an end surface cleaning unit having a cleaning tape and a tape sliding guide mechanism on which the cleaning tape is slidably attached, a light source, A first propagation optical path is formed by optically connecting the image receiving unit, at least one lens, and the first lens disposed in the immediate vicinity of the end face of the subject of the at least one lens and the light source. And a first propagation optical path that optically connects the first lens and the image receiving unit so that an end face image of the subject is formed on the image receiving unit. An end face observation unit having two optical systems, and a guide mechanism that guides the end face cleaning part and a tip part of the end face observation part to a predetermined position, wherein the end face cleaning part and the end face observation part are provided on the guide mechanism. Along the inner wall The first optical system and the second optical system are provided with the guide mechanism that allows the end surface cleaning unit and the end portion of the end surface observation unit to move alternately to the predetermined position by moving. And the prism, wherein the end face observation unit moves only at least the first lens and the prism of the first optical system with respect to the guide mechanism.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the end face observation device according to the first aspect, the first optical system includes a bundle fiber.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the end face observation device according to the first aspect, the second optical system includes a bundle fiber.

  The present invention integrates an end face observation apparatus and an apparatus that performs work other than the end face observation work, and thereby achieves effects such as improvement in operability and reduction in work time.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the end surface observation apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the end surface observation apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the end surface observation apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which is observing the optical connector end surface of a receptacle with the end surface observation apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention.

  The end face observation apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention uses a lens having an axially penetrating hole in the center as a connector end face observation mechanism, and an optical connector cleaning cleaner is provided in the lens hole. Yes. This cleaner has a structure in which a cleaning tape is pressed against an end face of an optical fiber at a connector end, and is slid on one axis in the cleaner end face. The sliding guide mechanism of the cleaning tape has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the connector opening at the connector end. The cleaning tape is pressed against the vicinity of the end face of the optical fiber at the center of the connector, and the foreign matter on the end face is removed by sliding. In the end face observation device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning mechanism and the observation mechanism are integrated and can be used simultaneously.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

(Embodiment 1)
1A to 1F show a configuration of an end face observation apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1 (a), (c), (e), what is indicated by a one-dot chain line is an optical connector 200 to be observed and cleaned. The end surface observation apparatus 100 includes a cleaning unit 110 that cleans the end surface of the optical connector 200, an observation unit 120 that observes the end surface of the optical connector 200, and a guide mechanism 130 that guides the cleaning unit 110 and the observation unit 120 to the center position of the end surface of the optical connector 200. Consists of.

  The cleaning unit 110 includes a cleaning tape 111 that cleans an end surface and a tape sliding guide mechanism 112, and although not shown, the sliding slides the cleaning tape 111 in a certain direction together with the tape sliding guide mechanism 112. It has a mechanism. When cleaning the end face of the optical connector 200, it is arranged to face the center of the end face of the optical connector 200, and the cleaning tape pressed against the end face by the sliding device is slid.

  The observation unit 120 includes an illumination light source 121 that illuminates the end face of the optical connector 200, lenses 124 and 125 that are arranged to form an end face image at the center of the optical connector on the image receiving element 122, and the end face and light source of the optical connector 200. In the case of observing the end surface of the optical connector 200, the optical connector 200 is disposed so as to face the center of the end surface of the optical connector 200. .

  In the first embodiment, the guide mechanism 130 is used to move the cleaning unit 110 and the observation unit 120 to a position facing the center of the end face of the optical connector 200.

  FIG. 1C shows an arrangement during cleaning of the cleaning unit 110, the observation unit 120, and the guide mechanism 130 of the end face observation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the cleaning unit 110 is moved to the center position of the end face of the optical connector along the inner wall of the guide mechanism 130, and the observation unit 120 is retracted to a rear position that does not physically interfere with the cleaning unit 110.

  FIG. 1 (e) shows an arrangement during observation of the cleaning unit 110, the observation unit 120, and the guide mechanism 130 of the end face observation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the cleaning unit 110 is retracted to a rear position that does not physically interfere with the observation unit 120, and the optical connector 200 is moved along the inner wall of the guide mechanism 130 until the end surface image is formed on the image receiving element 122. Move closer to.

  In the figure, the drive unit that moves the cleaning unit 110 and the observation unit 120 along the guide mechanism 130 is not shown, but a combination of a manual pushing operation by an operator and a recovery operation by a spring, or an electric motor such as a motor. A mechanism can be used.

  In the first embodiment, the bundle fiber 123 is used for part of the propagation optical path of the end face image and the propagation optical path of the end face illumination light in the observation unit 120. By using the bundle fiber, the propagation optical path can be bent, and an image can be propagated almost independent of the bending shape of the bundle fiber 123. Therefore, if only the alignment of the optical components such as the lenses 124 and 125 in the vicinity of the end face and the image receiving element is adjusted with high accuracy, the accuracy of other portions can be relaxed, and the movement accuracy of the observation unit 120 is relaxed. The structure of the moving mechanism itself can be simplified.

(Embodiment 2)
2A to 2D show a configuration of an end face observation apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the observation unit 120 includes an end face image in addition to the lens 124 disposed on the end face side of the optical fiber 200, the lens 125 disposed on the image receiving element 122 side, the light sources 121a and 121b, and the image receiving element 122. Prisms 126 and 127 that bend the optical path propagating through the beam.

  FIG. 2C shows an arrangement when observing the end face of the end face observation apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The lenses 124 and 125 and the prism 126 are fixed and integrated with one casing, and can be moved together while maintaining their positional relationship. On the other hand, the prism 127 and the image receiving element 122 are fixed to the guide mechanism 130. The end face image is propagated to the image receiving element 122 through the lenses 124 and 125 and the prisms 126 and 127.

  Thus, in the second embodiment, it is not necessary to move the image receiving element 122, so that the moving mechanism can be simplified.

(Embodiment 3)
3A to 3D show a configuration of an end face observation apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the lenses 124 and 125 and the prism 126 are moved together. However, in the third embodiment, the lens 124 and the prism 126 are fixed and integrated with one casing, and the prism 127 and the image receiving element 122 are integrated. A lens 125 is disposed between the two. On the other hand, the lens 125, the prism 127, the light sources 121 a and 121 b, and the image receiving element 122 are fixed to the guide mechanism 130.

  In Examples 2 and 3, the focal lengths of the lenses 124 and 125 are set according to the inter-lens distance and the enlargement ratio of the end face image, respectively.

  FIG. 4 shows a state where the optical connector end face of the receptacle is observed by the end face observation apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In the receptacle, the optical connector 200 is disposed in a cylindrical member called a split sleeve 300. Therefore, by setting the outermost diameter of the distal end portion of the end surface observation device 100 to be equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the split slave 300, the end surface of the optical connector 200 in the receptacle can be cleaned and the end surface can be observed.

  As described above, in any of the first to third embodiments, the outermost diameter in the vicinity of the optical connector is set to be equal to or smaller than the connector diameter, so that the end face observation device can be integrated with the cleaning mechanism in both the receptacle and the plug optical connector. 100 can be configured.

  In the first to third embodiments, two lenses are disposed in the propagation optical path of the end face image. However, an optical system that forms an image on the image receiving element with one objective lens may be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 End surface observation apparatus 110 Cleaning part 111 Cleaning tape 112 Guide mechanism 120 Observation part 121 Light source 122 Image receiving element 123 Bundle fiber 124, 125 Lens 126, 127 Prism 130 Guide mechanism 200 Optical connector 300 Split sleeve

Claims (3)

An end face cleaning unit having a cleaning tape and a tape sliding guide mechanism to which the cleaning tape is slidably attached;
A first propagation in which a light source, an image receiving unit, at least one lens, a first lens disposed in the vicinity of an end face of a subject in the at least one lens, and the light source are optically connected. A first optical system that forms an optical path; and a second propagation optical path that optically connects the first lens and the image receiving unit so that an end face image of the subject is formed on the image receiving unit. An end face observation unit having a second optical system to be formed ;
A guide mechanism that guides the end portions of the end surface cleaning unit and the end surface observation unit to a predetermined position, and the end surface cleaning is performed by moving the end surface cleaning unit and the end surface observation unit along an inner wall of the guide mechanism. The guide mechanism that allows the front end portion of the end portion and the end surface observation portion to alternately move to the predetermined position;
The first optical system and the second optical system include a prism, and the end surface observation unit is configured to move at least the first lens and the prism of the first optical system only with respect to the guide mechanism. An end face observation apparatus characterized by moving . The end face observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first optical system includes a bundle fiber. The end face observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second optical system includes a bundle fiber.

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