A method of assembling an optical fiber and a connector

Abstract

The application relates to an optical fiber and connector assembling method. The method comprises the following steps: preparing an optical fiber and a ferrule, wherein the length of the ferrule is L1, the inner hole of the ferrule is an inner tapered hole, the inner tapered angle of the inner tapered hole is 60 degrees, the opening diameter of the inner tapered hole is W1, and the outer diameter of the coating layer of the optical fiber is W2; stripping the optical fiber, stripping the coating layer at one end of the optical fiber to obtain a bare fiber, the length of the bare fiber is L2, wherein the bare fiber is inserted into the inner hole of the ferrule from the inner tapered hole until the outer edge of the coating layer end surface and the inner wall of the inner tapered hole are in abutment, the length of the outermost end of the bare fiber inserted out of the inner hole of the ferrule is delta, the depth of the coating layer end surface inserted into the inner tapered hole is H, the optical fiber and the tail handle of the ferrule are fixedly connected, and then the part of the bare fiber inserted out of the inner hole of the ferrule is ground until the outer end of the bare fiber is flush with the outer end of the ferrule. The assembling method is favorable for reducing the process difficulty, improving the quality stability of the final product, and realizing the automation of the optical fiber and connector assembling process.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to optical fiber communication accessories, more particularly to an optical fiber and connector assembling method. BACKGROUND

[0002] Optical fiber communication refers to a way of transmitting information by using light and optical fiber, which belongs to a kind of wired communication. Optical fiber usually needs an optical fiber connector for interfacing / connection. Some optical fibers are assembled with connectors before leaving the factory, and some optical fibers need to be assembled into quick connectors on site. The connector usually has a ceramic ferrule, and when the optical fiber is assembled with the connector, the bare fiber is inserted into the ceramic ferrule from the ceramic ferrule, and a section of bare fiber is exposed at the outer end. The exposed bare fiber is ground to make the bare fiber flush with the outer end of the ferrule, or the bare fiber is pushed into the ceramic ferrule by a sleeve. In the prior art, the length of the bare fiber stripped by the worker is not fixed, which causes the length of the exposed bare fiber to be not completely the same, increasing the difficulty of the subsequent process of processing the exposed bare fiber, and affecting the quality stability of the final product, which needs to be improved. SUMMARY

[0003] The present application aims to overcome the above shortcomings of the prior art and provide an optical fiber and connector assembling method.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application adopts the following technical scheme: an optical fiber and connector assembling method, comprising the following steps:

[0005] Prepare an optical fiber and a ferrule, wherein the length of the ferrule is L1, the inner end of the hole in the ferrule is an inner tapered hole, the inner taper angle of the inner tapered hole is 60 degrees, the opening diameter of the inner tapered hole is W1, and the outer diameter of the coating layer of the optical fiber is W2;

[0006] Strip the optical fiber, and strip the coating layer at one end of the optical fiber to obtain a section of bare fiber, the length of the section of bare fiber being L2,

[0007] wherein

[0008] Insert the bare fiber into the hole in the ferrule from the inner tapered hole until the outer edge of the coating layer end face abuts against the inner wall of the inner tapered hole, the length of the outermost end of the bare fiber inserted out of the hole in the ferrule being δ, and the depth of the coating layer end face inserted into the inner tapered hole being H,

[0009]

[0010] The fiber is fixedly connected with the tail handle of the ferrule, and then the part of the bare fiber protruding from the hole of the ferrule is ground until the outer end of the bare fiber is flush with the outer end of the ferrule; or a sleeve is sleeved on the outer end of the ferrule, the bare fiber is pushed into the ferrule by the sleeve until the outer end of the bare fiber is flush with the outer end of the ferrule, and then the coating layer of the fiber is clamped by the compression structure in the connector.

[0011] The beneficial effects of the present application compared with the prior art are:

[0012] The length of the bare fiber obtained when stripping the fiber is determined according to the corresponding size of the ferrule and the outer diameter of the fiber coating layer, and the size of the ferrule of the same type of connector is basically fixed, for example, the length of the ferrule, the opening diameter of the inner tapered hole, and the inner taper angle of the inner tapered hole is 60 degrees, and the size of the fiber coating layer is also fixed, That is, the height of the inner tapered hole; during installation, the bare fiber is inserted into the ferrule, and the end face of the fiber coating layer abuts against the inner wall of the inner tapered hole, The depth of the fiber coating layer inserted into the inner tapered hole, and δ is the protrusion amount of the bare fiber from the outer end of the ferrule at this time, and the size of the fixed δ can determine the length of the bare fiber obtained by stripping the fiber. When the ferrule is inserted, as long as the end face of the fiber coating layer abuts against the inner wall of the inner tapered hole, the size of the bare fiber exposed at the outer end of the ferrule is δ. The subsequent processing technology of the exposed bare fiber can form a unified effect, the processing difficulty is reduced, the quality stability of the final product is improved, and the automation of the fiber and connector assembly process is also facilitated.

[0013] In addition, δ is not greater than the depth of the fiber coating layer inserted into the inner tapered hole. When the fiber and the quick connector are installed on site, the amount of the bare fiber retracted into the ferrule by the sleeve will not exceed the depth of the fiber coating layer inserted into the inner tapered hole, so that the bare fiber will not be exposed outside the ferrule. Therefore, in the subsequent clamping and fixing step, the compression structure in the connector will only apply compression force to the coating layer of the fiber, and will not directly apply compression force to the bare fiber. Therefore, the risk of cracks in the bare fiber is reduced, and the yield of product production is improved.

[0014] The above description is only a summary of the technical scheme of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, the content of the specification can be implemented, and in order to make the above and other purposes, characteristics and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the following preferred embodiments are described in detail as follows. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view of the bare fiber protruding from the ferrule during the assembly process of the fiber and the ferrule of the present application.

[0016] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view of the bare fiber retracted from the ferrule during the assembly process of the fiber and the ferrule of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, further detailed description will be made to the present application in combination with the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0018] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely in combination with the drawings of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0019] First embodiment

[0020] The first embodiment is an assembling method of optical fiber and connector, which is mainly used for assembling optical fiber and connector before leaving factory. The steps of the assembling method will be introduced in detail as follows.

[0021] First, prepare optical fiber 20 and ferrule 10, as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the length of ferrule 10 is L1, the inner tapered hole 11 at the inner end of hole 12 in ferrule 10, the inner tapered angle of inner tapered hole 11 is 60 degrees, and the opening diameter of inner tapered hole 11 is W1. For SC connector, the opening diameter W1 of inner tapered hole 11 is 1.0 mm, and the length of ferrule 10 is L1 = 10 mm. The outer diameter of coating layer 22 of optical fiber 20 is W2, and W2 is generally 0.25 mm. The optical fiber 20 can be armored optical fiber, and there is an armor tube and an outer sheath outside the coating layer 22 of optical fiber 20. Figure 1 Subsequently, the optical fiber 20 is stripped. Stripping refers to stripping the coating layer 22 at one end of the optical fiber 20, thereby obtaining a bare fiber 21, and the length of the bare fiber 21 is L2. Among them,

[0022]

[0023] Among them

[0024] The cross section of inner tapered hole 11 is an equilateral triangle, that is, the height of inner tapered hole 11,

[0025] is the maximum depth of the coating layer 22 of optical fiber 20 that can be inserted into the inner tapered hole 11, and δ is the maximum length of the bare fiber 21 that can be exposed from the outer end of the hole 12 in the ferrule 10. Before stripping, as long as a δ is determined, the length L2 of the bare fiber 21 can be determined according to the above formula.

[0026] Subsequently, the bare fiber 21 is inserted into the hole 12 in the ferrule 10 from the inner tapered hole 11, as shown in Fig. 2. Figure 1 ​As shown, the coating layer 22 continues to abut against the inner wall of the inner conical hole 11 until the outer edge of the end face of the coating layer 22 abuts against it (that is, the maximum depth to which the coating layer 22 of the optical fiber 20 is inserted into the inner conical hole 11). At this point, the length of the outermost end of the bare fiber 21 that passes through the hole 12 in the ferrule 10 must be δ, and the depth to which the end face of the coating layer 22 is inserted into the inner conical hole 11 must be H.

[0027] Then, the optical fiber 20 is fixedly connected to the tail of the ferrule 10. The fixing method can be glue or the tail clamping the armor of the optical fiber 20 to form a clamping fixation. Subsequently, the part of the bare fiber 21 that passes through the hole 12 of the ferrule 10 is ground off by a grinding process until the outer end of the bare fiber 21 is flush with the outer end of the ferrule 10. After completion, the remaining steps of assembling the optical fiber 20 and the connector can be carried out. The remaining steps are conventional techniques and will not be described in detail here.

[0028] In the first embodiment, the length of the bare fiber 21 obtained during fiber stripping is determined based on the corresponding dimensions of the ferrule 10, the outer diameter of the fiber optic coating 22, and the protrusion allowance. The dimensions of the ferrule 10 for the same type of connector are basically fixed, such as the length of the ferrule 10, the opening diameter of the inner conical hole 11, and the inner conical angle of the inner conical hole 11 being 60 degrees. The outer diameter of the fiber optic coating 22 is also fixed. When stripping the ferrule 10, as long as the end face of the fiber optic coating 22 is ensured to abut against the inner wall of the inner conical hole 11 (i.e., the maximum depth to which the fiber optic coating is inserted into the inner conical hole), the length of the bare fiber 21 protruding from the outer end of the ferrule 10 will definitely be δ. Therefore, as long as the value of δ is determined, the length of the bare fiber 21 is consistent. Subsequent processing of the exposed bare fiber 21 can achieve a uniform effect, reducing process difficulty, improving the stability of the final product quality, and facilitating the automation of the fiber optic and connector assembly process.

[0029] Second Embodiment

[0030] The second embodiment is an assembly method for an optical fiber 20 and a connector, which is mainly used for field installation of optical fibers and quick connectors.

[0031] First, prepare 20mm fiber optic cable and 10mm ferrule, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the ferrule 10 has a length of L1, and the inner end of the hole 12 in the ferrule 10 is an inner tapered hole 11 with an inner tapered angle of 60 degrees and an opening diameter of W1. For the SC connector, the opening diameter W1 of the inner tapered hole 11 is 1.0 mm, and the length of the ferrule 10 is L1 = 10 mm. The outer diameter of the coating layer 22 of the optical fiber 20 is W2, which is typically 0.25 mm.

[0032] Subsequently, the optical fiber 20 is stripped. Stripping involves removing the coating layer 22 from one end of the optical fiber 20 to obtain a bare fiber section 21, the length of which is L2.

[0033] wherein

[0034] the inner tapered hole 11 is in the shape of an equilateral triangle, i.e. the height of the inner tapered hole 11, is the maximum depth that the coating layer 22 of the optical fiber 20 can be inserted into the inner tapered hole 11, and δ is the maximum length that the bare fiber 21 can protrude out of the outer end of the hole 12 in the ferrule 10. Before stripping the fiber, once δ is determined, L2 can be determined according to the above formula.

[0035] Subsequently, the bare fiber 21 is inserted into the hole 12 in the ferrule 10 from the inner tapered hole 11, as shown in FIG. 2, until the outer edge of the end face of the coating layer 22 abuts against the inner wall of the inner tapered hole 11 (i.e. the maximum depth that the coating layer 22 of the optical fiber 20 is inserted into the inner tapered hole 11). At this time, the length of the outermost end of the bare fiber 21 protruding out of the hole 12 in the ferrule 10 must be δ, and the depth of the end face of the coating layer 22 inserted into the inner tapered hole 11 must be H, Figure 1

[0036] Then, as shown in FIG. 3, a sleeve 30 is used to cover the outer end of the ferrule 10, and the sleeve 30 is used to push the bare fiber 21 inwardly into the ferrule 10 until the outer end of the bare fiber 21 is flush with the outer end of the ferrule 10, and then the compression structure in the quick connector is used to clamp the coating layer 22 of the optical fiber 20. The compression structure in the quick connector is a conventional structure. Figure 2 In the second embodiment, δ is not greater than the depth that the coating layer 22 of the optical fiber 20 is inserted into the inner tapered hole 11, i.e.

[0037] Since the length L1 of the ferrule 10, the opening diameter W1 of the inner tapered hole 11, and the diameter W2 of the coating layer 22 of the optical fiber 20 are all substantially fixed and unchangeable, before the bare fiber 21 is inserted, the corresponding coating layer 22 is cut off from the optical fiber 20, and a bare fiber 21 having a length in the range of Since the length of the bare fiber 21 has a specific range, when the quick connector is installed on site, the bare fiber 21 is inserted into the ferrule 10 until the end face of the coating layer 22 of the optical fiber 20 abuts against the inner wall of the inner tapered hole 11, which can ensure that the protruding amount of the outer end of the bare fiber 21 is δ, without the need to carefully observe whether the bare fiber 21 protrudes from the outer end of the ferrule 10, thereby improving the installation speed and convenience of on-site assembly. After being assembled to the state shown in FIG. 4, the sleeve 30 is used to cover the outer end of the ferrule 10, and the sleeve 30 forces the bare fiber 21 to be inwardly retracted into the ferrule 10 until the outer end of the bare fiber 21 is flush with the outer end of the ferrule 10, and the state shown in FIG. 5 is obtained. Since the protruding amount δ is not greater than the depth that the coating layer 22 of the optical fiber 20 is inserted into the inner tapered hole 11, the bare fiber 21 protrudes from the outer end of the ferrule 10 by a length of δ,

[0038] Figure 1 Figure 2 Figures 1 to 2 ​​​​The inner shrinkage of the bare fiber 21 is also δ, so that the inner shrinkage of the bare fiber 21 does not cause the end face of the coating layer 22 of the optical fiber 20 to be separated from the inner tapered hole 11, and in the Figure 2 the bare fiber 21 is not exposed outside the ferrule 10. In the subsequent fixing step, the compression structure of the optical fiber connector only exerts a compression force on the coating layer 22 of the optical fiber 20, and the bare fiber 21 is wrapped in the ferrule 10, so that the bare fiber 21 is not directly subjected to the compression force. The coating layer 22 of the optical fiber 20 is more elastic relative to the bare fiber 21, so that the risk of cracks in the bare fiber 21 is reduced, which helps to improve the yield of product production.

[0039] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "thickness", "depth", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0040] The above is only to further illustrate the technical content of the present application by way of examples, so that the reader can more easily understand, but does not represent that the embodiments of the present application are limited to this, any technical extension or re-creation made according to the present application is protected by the present application. The scope of protection of the present application is subject to the claims.

Claims

1. A method of assembling an optical fiber and a connector, characterized by, It includes the following steps: Prepare the optical fiber and the ferrule, wherein the length of the ferrule is L1, the inner hole of the ferrule is an inner tapered hole, the inner tapered angle of the inner tapered hole is 60 degrees, the opening diameter of the inner tapered hole is W1, and the outer diameter of the coating layer of the optical fiber is W2; Strip the optical fiber, and strip the coating layer at one end of the optical fiber to obtain a bare fiber, wherein the length of the bare fiber is L2, wherein Insert the bare fiber into the inner hole of the ferrule from the inner tapered hole until the outer edge of the coating layer end face abuts against the inner wall of the inner tapered hole, and the length of the outermost end of the bare fiber protruding from the inner hole of the ferrule is δ, and the depth of the coating layer end face inserted into the inner tapered hole is H, Sleeve the ferrule outer end with a sleeve, push the bare fiber into the ferrule with the sleeve until the outer end of the bare fiber is flush with the outer end of the ferrule, and then clamp the coating layer of the optical fiber with the compression structure in the connector.

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