A new type of combined ferrule fiber array and its method and core adjusting dispensing device

Abstract

The application discloses a novel combined ferrule fiber array and a method and a core adjusting dispensing tool thereof, and the fiber array comprises a fiber, a bottom plate, a cover plate, ceramic ferrules and fixing glue; the ceramic ferrule is a cylindrical ferrule with a center hole in the middle, and the outer diameter tolerance is set as ±0.5μm; the number of the ceramic ferrules is consistent with that of the fibers; the ceramic ferrules are sequentially and closely connected in an array and arranged between the bottom plate and the cover plate; the bottom plate, the ceramic ferrule group and the cover plate are fixed by using the fixing glue; the center hole diameter is matched with the outer diameter of the fiber with the coating layer stripped; the fiber with the coating layer stripped is inserted into the ceramic ferrule one by one, and the novel ferrule fiber array is formed. The high-precision ceramic ferrules are closely arranged on the bottom plate for assembly and fixation, the spacing error of the fibers is small, the precision is high, the number of channels of the fiber array can be flexibly adjusted, the part structure is simple, the assembly is simple by using the core adjusting dispensing tool, and the reliability and stability of the fiber array product are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of FA optical fiber arrays, and in particular to a novel combined core-inserted optical fiber array, a method thereof, and a core-adjusting and gluing device. Background Art

[0002] Existing fiber optic arrays (FAs) consist of optical fibers, a V-groove substrate, and a cover plate. These arrays consist of a bundle of optical fibers or a fiber ribbon mounted on a V-groove substrate at specified intervals. Core pitch refers to the spacing between one optical fiber and another, including the spacing between adjacent channels and non-adjacent channels. Due to the cumulative error in V-groove machining, the cumulative error increases with the number of V-grooved channels processed, significantly reducing pitch accuracy and failing to meet the production requirements of multi-core FAs. Furthermore, failure of the adhesive securing the V-groove and cover plate assembly can significantly impact the product's optical performance. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the problem that the V-grooves on the V-groove substrates of the existing FA optical fiber arrays are affected by the cumulative machining errors of the V-grooves, resulting in a decrease in pitch accuracy and an inability to meet the production requirements of multi-core FAs, the present invention provides a novel combined ferrule optical fiber array, which uses high-precision ceramic ferrules tightly arranged between the base plate and the cover plate and fixed with UV hard glue. The exposed section of the optical fiber after removing the coating is inserted into the central hole of the ceramic ferrule. The high-precision ceramic ferrule ensures pitch accuracy, and the optical fiber pitch is no longer affected by the cumulative machining errors of the V-groove, thereby ensuring the pitch accuracy requirements of the FA optical fiber array.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0005] A novel combined ferrule optical fiber array includes optical fibers and is characterized by further comprising a base plate, a cover plate, a ceramic ferrule, and fixing glue. The ceramic ferrule is a cylindrical ferrule with a center hole in the middle, and the outer diameter tolerance is set to ±0.5 μm. The number of ceramic ferrules is consistent with the number of optical fibers. The ceramic ferrules are tightly connected in sequence and arrayed in a row between the base plate and the cover plate. The base plate, ceramic ferrule group, and cover plate are encapsulated and fixed with fixing glue. The diameter of the center hole matches the outer diameter of the optical fiber stripped of the coating layer. The stripped optical fibers are plugged into the ceramic ferrules in a one-to-one correspondence to form a novel ferrule optical fiber array.

[0006] Preferably, it also includes tail glue. After the optical fiber groups with the coating removed are inserted into the ceramic ferrules, tail glue is provided on the outer side of the tail end of the ceramic ferrule to wrap and fix it. The tail glue is made of UV soft glue.

[0007] Preferably, the outer diameter of the ceramic ferrule is set to 0.5-3 mm, and the gap between the inner side surface of the central hole and the outer side surface of the optical fiber stripped of the coating layer is set to 0.3-0.5 μm.

[0008] Preferably, the fixing glue is UV hard glue.

[0009] Preferably, one end of the center hole for inserting the optical fiber is provided with an arc-shaped chamfer, and the length of the ceramic ferrule is set to 2 to 15 mm.

[0010] The present invention also provides the novel combined core-inserted optical fiber array method, which is characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0011] (1) Place the base plate on the core adjustment and dispensing fixture, position it horizontally against the fixed clamping block, arrange the ceramic ferrules in a row on the base plate, and position them against the fixed clamping block. Position them longitudinally through the limit block so that the end face of the ceramic ferrule is flush with the end face of the base plate. Tighten the other side horizontally through the movable clamping block so that the ceramic ferrule array is closely arranged on the base plate. Place the cover plate on the upper end of the ceramic ferrule group. The outer sides of the cover plate are all flush with the corresponding outer sides of the base plate, and the cover plate, ceramic ferrule and base plate are pressed together by the pressing device;

[0012] (2) Apply UV hard glue to the front end of the ceramic ferrule array. Due to the capillary phenomenon and surface tension, the glue automatically penetrates and fills the entire array gap. Use light to solidify the UV hard glue, and initially fix the cover plate, bottom plate, and ceramic ferrule together.

[0013] (3) Disassemble the core adjustment and dispensing tooling, fill the outer side of the ceramic ferrule between the cover plate and the base plate with appropriate UV hard glue, use light to completely cure the UV hard glue, and completely fix the cover plate, base plate, and ceramic ferrule to obtain a ceramic ferrule array;

[0014] (4) Strip the coating layer from the ends of the coated optical fibers to be arrayed, and pass the stripped optical fiber ends through the ceramic ferrule array one by one. Wrap the outer side of the stripped optical fiber at the tail end of the ceramic ferrule with UV soft glue, and solidify it into tail glue after light exposure;

[0015] (5) Grind the end of the optical fiber passing through the ceramic ferrule into an optical fiber array.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present technology, the ceramic ferrule array can be divided into multiple ceramic ferrule arrays.

[0017] The present invention can use a 0.2mm cutting knife to split a longer ceramic ferrule array into multiple ceramic ferrule arrays. After cutting, the arrays become separate ceramic ferrule array monomers (length ≥ 2mm). After the central hole of the ceramic ferrule is cleaned, it can be assembled with the optical fiber to form a finished optical fiber array. The cutting does not affect the array accuracy and reliability.

[0018] The present invention also provides a core-adjusting and glue-dispensing tooling used in the above-mentioned novel combined core-inserted optical fiber array method, characterized in that: the core-adjusting and glue-dispensing tooling comprises a platform, a fixing seat, a transverse core-fixing fixture, a pressing mechanism and a limiting component;

[0019] The fixing seat is arranged on the rear side of the platform, and a square through hole is provided in the fixing seat which passes through the left and right sides of the fixing seat, and an opening groove is provided on the right side of the upper plane to communicate with the square through hole;

[0020] The transverse centering fixture includes a fixed clamping block, a movable clamping block, a slider, a first compression spring and a closing plate, wherein the fixed clamping block is fixedly connected to the left side of the upper plane of the fixed seat, the movable clamping block is arranged on the right side of the upper plane of the fixed seat, and the lower bottom surface is fixedly connected to the upper end surface of the slider, the upper end of the slider passes through the open slot and is arranged in the square through hole to form a linearly movable connection with the square through hole, the closing plate is arranged on the right side surface of the fixed seat, and the first compression spring is arranged between the closing plate and the slider;

[0021] A first through hole is provided on the corresponding side of the fixing seat on the platform, an arc-shaped groove coaxial with the first through hole is provided between the first through hole and the fixing seat, and a second through hole longitudinally aligned with the first through hole and a third through hole transversely aligned with the first through hole are provided on the bottom surface of the arc-shaped groove;

[0022] The clamping mechanism includes a second compression spring, a column, a crossbeam, an intermediate support rod and a clamping rod. The column is inserted into the first through hole and is provided with an annular flange in the middle. The second compression spring is sleeved on the outer side of the lower end of the column, the lower end is fixedly connected to the platform, and the upper end is fixedly connected to the lower plane of the annular flange, so that the column and the platform form a linear movement connection that can be moved up and down. One end of the crossbeam is fixedly connected to the upper end of the column, the upper end of the intermediate support rod is fixedly connected to the middle of the crossbeam, and the lower end is inserted into the arc groove. The upper end of the clamping rod is fixedly connected to the free end of the crossbeam. When the clamping is working, the lower end of the intermediate support rod is inserted into the second through hole, and the elastic force of the second compression spring causes the clamping rod to press the cover plate downward against the ceramic ferrule. When the clamping mechanism is released, the column is pulled up to rotate, so that the lower end of the intermediate support rod rotates to be inserted into the third through hole;

[0023] The limiting assembly includes a limiting block, a Z-shaped prying plate, a first L-shaped plate and a second L-shaped plate, one end of the first L-shaped plate and the second L-shaped plate are fixedly connected to the front side surface of the fixing seat, and the other ends are arranged facing each other, so that a guide groove is formed between the first L-shaped plate, the second L-shaped plate and the fixing seat, the limiting block is arranged in the guide groove, a first square groove is provided in the limiting block, a second square groove is provided at a position corresponding to the first square groove of the second L-shaped plate, one end of the Z-shaped prying plate passes through the second square groove and is arranged in the first square groove, The Z-shaped pry plate is connected to the second L-shaped plate by a cylindrical pin, and the Z-shaped pry plate is connected to the cylindrical pin in a rotatable manner. The thickness of the end of the Z-shaped pry plate inserted into the first square groove matches the height of the first square groove. A permanent magnet is provided at the lower end of a surface corresponding to the fixing seat of the limit block. The fixing seat is made of an iron material that can be attracted by the permanent magnet. When working, when the outer end of the Z-shaped pry plate is pressed down, the limit block can be pushed upward, and the permanent magnet attracts the fixing seat to fix the limit block. The rear side of the limit block is positioned relative to the ceramic ferrule, the bottom plate, and the cover plate.

[0024] Preferably, the end of the Z-shaped pry plate inserted into the first square groove is provided with semicircular protrusions extending upward and downward. When the outer end of the Z-shaped pry plate is pressed down, the inner semicircular protrusion contacts the upper side of the first square groove, lifting the limit block.

[0025] Preferably, a plastic block is provided on the upper end of one side of the limiting block corresponding to the fixing seat, and the rear side of the plastic block is used to position the workpiece to prevent damage to the bottom plate, the cover plate and the ceramic ferrule.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. High-precision ceramic ferrules are tightly arranged on a base plate for assembly and fixation. The stripped optical fibers are plugged into the ceramic ferrules in a one-to-one correspondence, resulting in small fiber pitch errors and high precision. The number of channels in the fiber array can also be flexibly adjusted. The component structure is simple, and assembly is simplified using a core-aligning and dispensing tool. This improves the reliability and stability of the fiber array product and addresses the problem that the cumulative machining error of the V-grooves on the V-grooved base plate of the existing fiber optic array (FA) increases with the number of V-grooves, resulting in a decrease in pitch accuracy and an inability to meet the production requirements of multi-core FAs. 2. The core-aligning and dispensing tool of the present invention has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and is low in cost, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the fiber array. 3. V-groove fiber arrays in the prior art are difficult to achieve a length below 3 mm. However, the length of the ceramic ferrule array of the present invention can be flexibly adjusted, down to a minimum of 2 mm without affecting structural strength and optical performance. 4. The assembled ceramic ferrule array of the present invention can be divided into multiple ceramic ferrule array products according to a certain length, greatly improving assembly efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the ceramic ferrule array, the base plate, and the cover plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the working state structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the ceramic ferrule structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the working state structure of the core-adjusting and dispensing tooling according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the working state of the transverse core fixing fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the connection structure of the Z-shaped pry plate, the limiting block and the L-shaped plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the platform structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of a fixing seat according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the limit block structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] In the figure: 1, bottom plate, 2, cover plate, 3, ceramic ferrule, 301, center hole, 302, arc chamfer, 4, optical fiber stripped of coating layer, 5, fixing glue, 6, tail glue, 7, optical fiber with coating layer, 8, platform, 801, first through hole, 802, arc groove, 803, third through hole, 804, second through hole, 9, fixing seat, 901, square through hole, 902, open groove, 903, first L-shaped plate, 904, second L-shaped plate, 905, guide groove, 906, second square groove, 1 0. Limit block, 1001. First square groove, 1002. Plastic block, 1003. Permanent magnet, 11. Clamping mechanism, 1101. Second compression spring, 1102. Column, 1103. Middle support rod, 1104. Beam, 1105. Clamping rod, 12. Horizontal centering fixture, 1201. Fixed clamping block, 1202. Movable clamping block, 1203. Slider, 1204. First compression spring, 1205. Closing plate, 1206. Handle, 13. Z-shaped pry plate, 14. Cylindrical pin. Implementation Method

[0037] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] It should be noted that the terms "length", "width", "height", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "head", "tail", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0039] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, Example 1 of the present invention is a multi-core FA optical fiber array for optical fibers with an outer diameter of 0.125 mm (coating stripped), comprising optical fibers, a base plate 1, a cover plate 2, ceramic ferrules 3, and fixing glue 5. The ceramic ferrules 3 are cylindrical ferrules with a central hole 301 in the middle. The outer diameter of the ceramic ferrules 3 is set to Φ1±0.5 μm and the length is set to 5 mm. The number of ceramic ferrules 3 matches the number of optical fibers. The ceramic ferrules 3 are sequentially and tightly connected in an array in a row and arranged between the base plate 1 and the cover plate 2. The base plate 1, the three groups of ceramic ferrules, and the cover plate 2 are encapsulated and fixed with fixing glue 5, which is UV curing glue. The diameter of the central hole 301 matches the outer diameter of the optical fibers without coating stripped, and is set to Φ0.1253 to Φ0.1255 mm. The optical fibers 4 without coating stripped are plugged into the ceramic ferrules 3 in a one-to-one correspondence to form a new ferrule optical fiber array.

[0040] After the four groups of optical fibers with their coatings stripped off are inserted into the ceramic ferrule 3 , tail glue 6 is provided on the outer side of the tail end of the ceramic ferrule 3 to wrap and fix them. The tail glue 6 is made of UV soft glue.

[0041] UV soft glue is resistant to bending, convenient for optical fiber bundling, and not easy to break.

[0042] Preferably, the central hole 301 of the ceramic ferrule 3 is provided with an arc-shaped chamfer at one end for inserting the optical fiber, so as to facilitate the optical fiber plugging.

[0043] Embodiment 2 of the present invention is a novel combined core-inserted optical fiber array method, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0044] (1) Place the base plate 1 on the core adjustment and dispensing fixture, and position it horizontally against the fixed clamping block 1201. Arrange the ceramic ferrules 3 in a row on the base plate 1 and position them against the fixed clamping block 1201. Position them longitudinally through the limit block 10 so that the end face of the ceramic ferrule 3 is flush with the end face of the base plate 1. Tighten the other side horizontally through the movable clamping block 1202 so that the array of ceramic ferrules 3 is closely arranged on the base plate 1. Place the cover plate 2 on the upper end of the group of ceramic ferrules 3. The outer edges of the cover plate 2 are all flush with the corresponding outer edges of the base plate. Press the cover plate 2, ceramic ferrules 3 and base plate 1 together by the pressing device 11.

[0045] (2) Apply UV hard glue to the front end of the ceramic ferrule 3 array. Due to the capillary phenomenon and surface tension, the glue automatically penetrates and fills the entire array gap. Use light to solidify the UV hard glue, and preliminarily fix the cover plate 2, the bottom plate 1, and the ceramic ferrule 3 together;

[0046] (3) Disassemble the core adjustment and dispensing tooling, fill the outer side of the ceramic ferrule 3 between the cover plate 2 and the base plate 1 with appropriate UV hard glue, use light to completely cure the UV hard glue, and completely fix the cover plate 2, base plate 1, and ceramic ferrule 3 to obtain a ceramic ferrule array;

[0047] (4) Strip the coating layer from the ends of the coated optical fibers 7 to be arrayed, and pass the ends of the optical fibers 4 stripped of the coating layer through the ceramic ferrules 3 one by one. Wrap the outer sides of the optical fibers 4 stripped of the coating layer at the tail ends of the ceramic ferrules 3 with UV soft glue, and solidify them into tail glue 6 after exposure to light;

[0048] (5) The end of the optical fiber passing through the ceramic ferrule 3 is ground into an optical fiber array.

[0049] It's worth noting that the ceramic ferrule array can be split into multiple pieces to create multiple finished fiber optic arrays. The cleaver is 0.2mm thick and has a cutting accuracy of 0.02mm. After cutting, each piece becomes a separate ceramic ferrule array (length ≥ 2mm). Once the center hole of the ceramic ferrule is cleaned, it can be assembled with optical fibers to form a finished fiber optic array. Cutting does not affect the array's accuracy or reliability, significantly improving assembly efficiency.

[0050] The present invention uses high-precision ceramic ferrules 3 that are tightly arranged on a base plate 1 for assembly and fixation. The optical fibers 4 with the coating removed are plugged into the ceramic ferrules 3 in a one-to-one correspondence. The optical fiber spacing error is small and the precision is high. At the same time, the number of channels in the optical fiber array can be flexibly adjusted. The parts structure is simple and the assembly is simple using a core adjustment and dispensing tool. This improves the reliability and stability of the optical fiber array product and solves the problem that the cumulative processing error of the V-grooves on the V-groove substrate of the existing FA optical fiber array increases with the increase in the number of V-grooves, resulting in a decrease in pitch accuracy and an inability to meet the production requirements of multi-core FA.

[0051] like Figures 4 to 9 As shown, embodiment 3 of the present invention is a core alignment and dispensing tooling used in a novel combined core-inserted optical fiber array method, comprising a platform 8, a fixing seat 9, a transverse core-aligning fixture 12, a pressing mechanism 11, and a limit assembly;

[0052] The fixing seat 9 is provided on the rear side of the platform 8. A square through hole 901 is provided in the fixing seat 9 and passes through the left and right sides of the fixing seat 9. An opening groove 902 is provided on the right side of the upper plane and communicates with the square through hole 901.

[0053] The transverse core fixture 12 includes a fixed clamping block 1201, a movable clamping block 1202, a slider 1203, a first compression spring 1204 and a closing plate 1205. The fixed clamping block 1202 is fixedly connected to the left side of the upper plane of the fixed seat 9, and the movable clamping block 1202 is arranged on the right side of the upper plane of the fixed seat 9. The lower bottom surface of the movable clamping block 1202 is fixedly connected to the upper end surface of the slider 1203. The upper end of the slider 1203 passes through the open groove 902 and is arranged in the square through hole 901, forming a linearly movable connection with the square through hole 901. The closing plate 1205 is arranged on the right side of the fixed seat 9, and the first compression spring 1204 is arranged between the closing plate 1205 and the slider 1203;

[0054] A handle 1206 is provided on the right end surface of the movable clamping block 1202. When working, the handle 1206 is pulled to the right to facilitate the placement of the workpiece. When the handle 1206 is released, the elastic force of the first compression spring 1204 causes the movable clamping block 1202 to press the ceramic ferrules 3, and the ceramic ferrules 3 are arranged tightly in sequence.

[0055] A first through hole 801 is provided on the corresponding side of the fixing seat 9 on the platform 8. An arcuate groove 802 coaxial with the first through hole 801 is provided between the first through hole 801 and the fixing seat 9. A second through hole 804 longitudinally aligned with the first through hole 801 and a third through hole 803 transversely aligned with the first through hole are provided on the bottom surface of the arcuate groove 802.

[0056] The clamping mechanism 11 includes a second compression spring 1101, a column 1102, a beam 1104, an intermediate support rod 1103 and a clamping rod 1105. The column 1102 is inserted into the first through hole 801. An annular flange is provided in the middle of the column 1102. The second compression spring 1101 is sleeved on the outer side of the lower end of the column 1102. The lower end is fixedly connected to the upper plane of the platform 8, and the upper end is fixedly connected to the lower plane of the annular flange, so that the column 1102 and the platform 8 form a linear movable connection up and down. One end of the beam 1104 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the column 1102, and the upper end of the intermediate support rod 1103 is fixedly connected to the beam 1 104 is fixedly connected in the middle, and the lower end is inserted into the arc groove 802. The upper end of the pressing rod 1105 is fixedly connected to the free end of the crossbeam 1104. During the pressing operation, the lower end of the intermediate support rod 1103 is inserted into the second through hole 804. The elastic force of the second compression spring 1101 causes the pressing rod 1105 to press the cover plate 2 downward against the ceramic ferrule 3. When the pressing mechanism 11 is released, the column 1102 is pulled upward and rotated, and the crossbeam 1104, the intermediate support rod 1103 and the pressing rod 1105 are rotated together, so that the lower end of the intermediate support rod 1103 is rotated to be inserted into the third through hole 803, which facilitates the replacement of workpieces;

[0057] The limiting assembly includes a limiting block 10, a Z-shaped pry plate 13, a first L-shaped plate 903 and a second L-shaped plate 904. One end of the first L-shaped plate 903 and the second L-shaped plate 904 are fixedly connected to the front side of the fixing seat 9, and the other ends are arranged facing each other, so that a guide groove 905 is formed between the first L-shaped plate 903, the second L-shaped plate 904 and the front side of the fixing seat 9. The limiting block 10 is arranged in the guide groove 905, and a first square groove 1001 is provided in the limiting block 10. The second L-shaped plate 904 is provided with a second square groove 905 at a position corresponding to the first square groove 1001. 06. One end of the Z-shaped pry plate 13 passes through the second square slot 906 and is disposed within the first square slot 1001. The center of the Z-shaped pry plate 13 is mounted and connected to the second L-shaped plate 904 via a cylindrical pin 14. The Z-shaped pry plate 13 and the cylindrical pin 14 form a rotatable connection. The end of the Z-shaped pry plate 13 inserted into the first square slot 1001 is provided with semicircular protrusions 1301 extending upward and downward. When the outer end of the Z-shaped pry plate 13 is pressed downward, the limit block 10 is pushed upward, and the rear side of the limit block 10 is positioned relative to the ceramic ferrule 3, the base plate 1, and the cover plate 2.

[0058] The design of the semicircular protrusion of the Z-shaped pry plate reduces the contact area with the first square groove 1001, reduces friction, and increases the service life of the limit assembly.

[0059] A plastic block 1002 is installed at the upper end of the side of the stopper 10 corresponding to the mounting base 9. The rear side of the plastic block 1002 is used to position the ceramic ferrule 3, base plate 1, and cover plate 2, preventing damage to the base plate 1, cover plate 2, and ceramic ferrule 3. Two circular permanent magnets 1003 are installed at the lower end of the stopper 10. The mounting base 9 is made of an iron material that can be attracted by the permanent magnets. The permanent magnets 1003 are used to attract the mounting base 9 when the outer end of the Z-shaped pry plate presses down to lift the stopper 10. This prevents the stopper 10 from moving downward after the Z-shaped pry plate 13 is released, ensuring the stability of the stopper 10 during operation.

[0060] The core-adjusting and glue-dispensing tooling of the present invention has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and has low cost, thereby improving the working efficiency of the optical fiber array.

[0061] In the prior art, it is difficult to achieve a length of less than 3mm for a V-groove optical fiber array. However, the length of the ceramic ferrule array of the present invention can be flexibly adjusted to a minimum of 2mm without affecting the structural strength and optical performance.

[0062] The assembled ceramic ferrule array of the present invention can be divided into sections according to a certain length to be used as multiple ceramic ferrule array products, thereby greatly improving assembly efficiency.

[0063] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and substitutions can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention. These improvements and substitutions should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A novel combined ferrule optical fiber array, comprising optical fibers, characterized in that: The invention also includes a base plate, a cover plate, a ceramic ferrule, and a fixing glue. The ceramic ferrule is a cylindrical ferrule with a central hole in the middle. The outer diameter tolerance is set to ±0.5μm. The number of ceramic ferrules is consistent with the number of optical fibers. The ceramic ferrules are tightly connected in sequence and arrayed in a row between the base plate and the cover plate. The base plate, the ceramic ferrule group, and the cover plate are encapsulated and fixed with fixing glue. The diameter of the central hole matches the outer diameter of the optical fiber stripped of the coating layer. The optical fibers stripped of the coating layer are plugged into the ceramic ferrules in a one-to-one correspondence to form a new ferrule optical fiber array; It also includes tail glue, after the optical fiber groups with the coating layer stripped off are inserted into the ceramic ferrule, the tail glue is wrapped and fixed on the outer side of the tail end of the ceramic ferrule, and the tail glue is made of UV soft glue; The fixing glue adopts UV hard glue; The novel combined core-inserted optical fiber array method comprises the following steps: (1) Place the base plate on the core adjustment and dispensing fixture, position it horizontally against the fixed clamping block, arrange the ceramic ferrules in a row on the base plate, and position them against the fixed clamping block. Position them longitudinally through the limit block so that the end face of the ceramic ferrule is flush with the end face of the base plate. Tighten the other side horizontally through the movable clamping block so that the ceramic ferrule array is closely arranged on the base plate. Place the cover plate on the upper end of the ceramic ferrule group. The outer sides of the cover plate are all flush with the corresponding outer sides of the base plate, and the cover plate, ceramic ferrule and base plate are pressed together by the pressing device; (2) Apply UV hard glue to the front end of the ceramic ferrule array. Due to the capillary phenomenon and surface tension, the glue automatically penetrates and fills the entire array gap. Use light to solidify the UV hard glue, and initially fix the cover plate, bottom plate, and ceramic ferrule together. (3) Disassemble the core adjustment and dispensing tooling, fill the outer side of the ceramic ferrule between the cover plate and the base plate with appropriate UV hard glue, use light to completely cure the UV hard glue, and completely fix the cover plate, base plate, and ceramic ferrule to obtain a ceramic ferrule array; (4) Strip the coating layer from the ends of the coated optical fibers to be arrayed, and pass the stripped optical fiber ends through the ceramic ferrule array one by one. Wrap the outer side of the stripped optical fiber at the tail end of the ceramic ferrule with UV soft glue, and solidify it into tail glue after light exposure; (5) Grind the end of the optical fiber passing through the ceramic ferrule into an optical fiber array.

2. The novel combined ferrule optical fiber array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the ceramic ferrule is set to 0.5-3 mm, and the gap between the inner side of the central hole and the outer side of the optical fiber stripped of the coating layer is set to 0.3-0.5 μm.

3. The novel combined ferrule optical fiber array according to claim 1, characterized in that: An end of the central hole for inserting an optical fiber is provided with an arc-shaped chamfer, and the length of the ceramic ferrule is set to 2 to 15 mm.

4. The novel combined core-inserted optical fiber array method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ceramic ferrule array can be divided into multiple ceramic ferrule arrays.

5. A core alignment and dispensing tool used in the novel combined core-inserted optical fiber array method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core adjustment and dispensing tooling includes a platform, a fixing seat, a transverse core fixing fixture, a pressing mechanism and a limit assembly; The fixing seat is arranged on the rear side of the platform, and a square through hole is provided in the fixing seat which passes through the left and right sides of the fixing seat, and an opening groove is provided on the right side of the upper plane to communicate with the square through hole; The transverse centering fixture includes a fixed clamping block, a movable clamping block, a slider, a first compression spring and a closing plate, wherein the fixed clamping block is fixedly connected to the left side of the upper plane of the fixed seat, the movable clamping block is arranged on the right side of the upper plane of the fixed seat, and the lower bottom surface is fixedly connected to the upper end surface of the slider, the upper end of the slider passes through the open slot and is arranged in the square through hole to form a linearly movable connection with the square through hole, the closing plate is arranged on the right side surface of the fixed seat, and the first compression spring is arranged between the closing plate and the slider; A first through hole is provided on the corresponding side of the fixing seat on the platform, an arc-shaped groove coaxial with the first through hole is provided between the first through hole and the fixing seat, and a second through hole longitudinally aligned with the first through hole and a third through hole transversely aligned with the first through hole are provided on the bottom surface of the arc-shaped groove; The clamping mechanism includes a second compression spring, a column, a crossbeam, an intermediate support rod and a clamping rod. The column is inserted into the first through hole and is provided with an annular flange in the middle. The second compression spring is sleeved on the outer side of the lower end of the column, the lower end is fixedly connected to the platform, and the upper end is fixedly connected to the lower plane of the annular flange, so that the column and the platform form a linear movement connection that can be moved up and down. One end of the crossbeam is fixedly connected to the upper end of the column, the upper end of the intermediate support rod is fixedly connected to the middle of the crossbeam, and the lower end is inserted into the arc groove. The upper end of the clamping rod is fixedly connected to the free end of the crossbeam. When the clamping is working, the lower end of the intermediate support rod is inserted into the second through hole, and the elastic force of the second compression spring causes the clamping rod to press the cover plate downward against the ceramic ferrule. When the clamping mechanism is released, the column is pulled up to rotate, so that the lower end of the intermediate support rod rotates to be inserted into the third through hole; The limiting assembly includes a limiting block, a Z-shaped prying plate, a first L-shaped plate and a second L-shaped plate, one end of the first L-shaped plate and the second L-shaped plate are fixedly connected to the front side surface of the fixing seat, and the other ends are arranged facing each other, so that a guide groove is formed between the first L-shaped plate, the second L-shaped plate and the fixing seat, the limiting block is arranged in the guide groove, a first square groove is provided in the limiting block, a second square groove is provided at a position corresponding to the first square groove of the second L-shaped plate, one end of the Z-shaped prying plate passes through the second square groove and is arranged in the first square groove, The Z-shaped pry plate is connected to the second L-shaped plate by a cylindrical pin, and the Z-shaped pry plate is rotatably connected to the cylindrical pin. The thickness of the end of the Z-shaped pry plate inserted into the first square groove matches the height of the first square groove. A permanent magnet is provided at the lower end of a surface corresponding to the fixing seat of the limit block. The fixing seat is made of an iron material that can be attracted by the permanent magnet. When working, when the outer end of the Z-shaped pry plate is pressed down, the limit block can be pushed upward, and the permanent magnet attracts the fixing seat to fix the limit block. The rear side of the limit block is positioned against the ceramic ferrule, the bottom plate, and the cover plate.

6. The core-adjusting and glue-dispensing tool according to claim 5, characterized in that: The end of the Z-shaped pry plate inserted into the first square groove is provided with semicircular protrusions extending upward and downward. When the outer end of the Z-shaped pry plate is pressed down, the inner semicircular protrusion contacts the upper side of the first square groove to lift the limit block.

7. The core-adjusting and glue-dispensing tool according to claim 5, characterized in that: A plastic block is provided on the upper end of one side of the limit block corresponding to the fixing seat, and the rear side of the plastic block is used to position the workpiece to prevent damage to the bottom plate, cover plate and ceramic ferrule.

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