JPH0374363B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a multi-channel optical connection device capable of transmitting multi-channel optical information between a rotating part and a fixed part or between rotating parts.

Conventionally, there has been a method as shown in FIG. 1 as an optical connection method between a fixed part and a rotating part. This is a rod lens on the same optical axis X-X on the fixed side and rotating side.
AB, the rotating side rod lens B rotates around the optical axis, and the fixed side rod lens A
The parallel light made parallel by the rotating rod lens B
The light is collected by the rotor and made to enter the optical fiber transmission line on the rotating side.

However, this has the disadvantage that although it is possible to optically connect a single-core cable, it is not possible to optically connect a multi-channel cable.

The present invention relates to a multichannel optical connection device that overcomes this difficulty. The present invention, as shown in FIG.
Two or more sets of optical fiber bundles 2 in which a large number of optical fibers 1 are focused are formed, and one longitudinal end of the optical fibers 1 in each optical fiber bundle is expanded into a ring shape as shown in FIG. 2. Optical connection channels 3 having different diameters are formed as shown in FIG. 3, and are arranged concentrically with the smaller diameter on the inside as shown in FIG. In this case, a light separation layer 4 is provided between the optical connection channels 3 arranged concentrically, as shown in FIG. 4, to prevent light leakage between the optical connection channels 3.

The diameter of the annular optical connection channel 3 is appropriately selected depending on the number of optical fibers 1 constituting the optical fiber bundle 2, their arrangement interval, etc.

The focusing ends 5 of the optical fiber focusing body 2 may be fused and integrated, and the optical fiber end faces of each optical connection channel 3 may also be integrated so that there is no gap between the optical fibers. If the optical fiber end faces are not fused and there is a gap between the optical fibers, when the optical connection channels 3 are made to face each other as shown in Figure 3, the gap between the optical connection channels 3 is determined by the numerical aperture of the optical fiber.
It is preferable to widen the NA so that the optical connection loss between the opposing optical connection channels 3 is reduced.

Further, when optical transmission is unidirectional, if the width of the optical connection channel 3 on the receiving side is made wider than the width of the optical connection channel 3 on the output side, the optical connection becomes reliable and optical connection loss is further reduced.

Reference numerals 6 and 7 in FIG. 3 are rod lenses, one of which converts the light incident on the optical fiber condenser 2 facing it into parallel light, and the other rod lens 7 converts the light incident on the optical fiber condenser 2 facing it into parallel light. It focuses the light emitted from the focusing body 2.

As described above, since the present invention combines two or more optical connection channels with different diameters in a concentric manner,
Multi-channel optical connections can be easily and reliably established between the rotating part and the fixed part or between the rotating parts.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional optical connection method, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an optical connection channel in the optical connection device of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the same optical connection device. FIG. 4 is a front view showing another example of the same optical connection device. 1 is an optical fiber, 2 is an optical fiber concentrator, 3 is an optical connection channel, and 4 is an optical separation layer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An optical connection device that performs multi-channel optical connection between a rotating part and a fixed part or between rotating parts, which forms two or more sets of optical fiber bundles in which a large number of optical fibers are focused. , the optical coupling ends of the optical fibers in each optical fiber assembly are expanded into a ring shape to form two or more optical connection channels with different diameters, and the optical connection channels are arranged concentrically so that the one with the smaller diameter is on the inside. A multi-channel optical connection device with a rotating part. 2. The multi-channel optical connection device for a rotating part according to claim 1, wherein an optical separation layer is formed between the optical connection channels.