Fixture for optical fiber polishing and optical fiber polishing device

Abstract

The present invention provides an optical fiber polishing jig capable of fixing an optical fiber ferrule and releasing the fixing of the optical fiber ferrule only by a lever operation, and capable of applying an appropriate load to the optical fiber ferrule and fixing the optical fiber ferrule by appropriately reducing the load for fixing the optical fiber ferrule. The optical fiber polishing jig according to the present invention is used for polishing an optical fiber ferrule, and comprises: a jig body having an insertion hole into which the optical fiber ferrule can be inserted; a rotating lever disposed so as to be capable of rotating about a rotating shaft portion with respect to the jig body; and a fixing stopper which is pressed by the rotary rod to respond when the rotary rod rotates so as to fix the optical fiber ferrule inserted into the insertion hole to the clamp body. The rotating lever has a cavity in at least a part of a virtual region between a force acting surface when the fixing stopper is pressed when the optical fiber ferrule is connected and fixed and the rotating shaft part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fiber optic grinding jig for grinding an optical fiber and a fiber optic grinding device having the fiber optic grinding jig. Background Art

[0002] When grinding an optical fiber, a plate-shaped fiber optic grinding jig is used to fix an optical fiber ferrule that holds the optical fiber inside. In Patent Document 1, a structure is proposed in which a fixed stopper provided so as to be movable relative to the fiber optic grinding jig by the rotation of a rotary rod, whereby the optical fiber ferrule can be fixed to and released from the fiber optic grinding jig. Accordingly, it is possible to attach and remove the optical fiber ferrule without using tools such as a wrench or a screwdriver.

[0003] (Prior Art Document)

[0004] (Patent Document)

[0005] (Patent Document 1) Japanese Patent No. 6192797 Gazette Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical Problem to be Solved

[0007] In the fiber optic grinding jig described in Patent Document 1, depending on the type (shape, etc.) of the optical fiber ferrule, the load for fixing the optical fiber ferrule may be too large, which may sometimes cause deterioration of the grinding characteristics. Manually adjusting the gap between the rotary rod and the fixed stopper to reduce the load is time-consuming, and if the gap is too large, there is a problem that the optical fiber ferrule cannot be properly fixed.

[0008] The present invention provides a fiber optic grinding jig that can apply an appropriate load to and fix an optical fiber ferrule by appropriately reducing the load for fixing the optical fiber ferrule in a fiber optic grinding jig in which the optical fiber ferrule can be fixed and released by only operating a rotary rod.

[0009] Means for Solving the Problem

[0010] The fiber optic grinding jig of the present invention is a fiber optic grinding jig for grinding an optical fiber ferrule, comprising: a jig body having an insertion hole into which the optical fiber ferrule can be inserted; a rotary rod configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis portion relative to the jig body; and a fixed stopper that responds by being pressed by the rotary rod when the rotary rod rotates, thereby fixing the optical fiber ferrule inserted into the insertion hole to the jig body, wherein at least a part of the rotary rod within a virtual area of the rotation axis portion has a cavity in a surface on which a force acts when the rotary rod presses the fixed stopper while connecting and fixing the optical fiber ferrule.

[0011] In the fixture for optical fiber grinding configured as described above, by forming a cavity in a part of the region of the rotary rod that supports the load, the rigidity of the rotary rod is reduced, making the tip of the rotary rod more likely to flex when the rotary rod presses against the fixed block. Accordingly, without shortening the pressing amplitude when the rotary rod presses against the fixed block, the load generated between the rotary rod and the fixed block is reduced.

[0012] In the above configuration, a leaf spring can be provided as a biasing device for biasing the fixed block upward.

[0013] In the fixture for optical fiber grinding configured as described above, by biasing the fixed block upward with a leaf spring, the fixed block moves toward the rotary rod in a state where no pressing force is applied from the rotary rod to the fixed block, and the fixed block and the optical fiber ferrule do not interfere with each other. In this state, the optical fiber ferrule can be attached to and detached from the fixture body.

[0014] In the above configuration, the cavity can be a cut formed from at least a part of the outer periphery of the rotary rod to at least a part of the virtual region.

[0015] In the fixture for optical fiber grinding configured as described above, by forming the cut as a cavity, the rigidity of the rotary rod can be reduced.

[0016] In the above configuration, the cavity can be a hole that does not communicate with the outer periphery of the rotary rod when viewed from the side.

[0017] In the fixture for optical fiber grinding configured as described above, by forming the cut as a hole, the rigidity of the rotary rod can be reduced.

[0018] In the above configuration, a reinforcing member can also be disposed in the cavity.

[0019] In the fixture for optical fiber grinding configured as described above, by forming a cavity, the rigidity of the rotary rod is reduced, and the strength of the rotary rod is increased by the reinforcing member.

[0020] In the above configuration, the reinforcing member can be made of a material with a strength lower than that of the rotary rod.

[0021] In the fixture for optical fiber grinding configured as described above, by forming the reinforcing member using a material with a strength lower than that of the rotary rod, the strength of the rotary rod is not overly increased.

[0022] In the above configuration, the rotary rod can be configured such that when the upper end of the rotary rod is rotated downward, the lower end of the rotary rod presses against the fixed block.

[0023] In the fixture for optical fiber grinding configured as described above, the downward rotation in the rotational movement of the rotary rod is transmitted to the fixed stopper. Conversely, when the rotary rod rotates upward, no pressing force is transmitted from the rotary rod to the fixed stopper.

[0024] In the above configuration, the fixture body may have a plurality of insertion holes, and the rotary rod and the fixed stopper are provided for each of the plurality of insertion holes.

[0025] In the fixture for optical fiber grinding configured as described above, the optical fiber ferrule is fixed using the rotary rod and the fixed stopper for each of the plurality of insertion holes. Accordingly, there is a structure for fixing a plurality of optical fiber ferrules to the fixture for optical fiber grinding.

[0026] In the above configuration, on the upper surface of the fixture body, there is a raised portion formed in a ring shape with respect to the plurality of insertion holes by the first support portion, the second support portion, and the rotation opening. Among them, the first support portion supports the upper end of the rotary rod in an upward rotation state, the second support portion supports the upper end of the rotary rod in a downward rotation state, and the rotation opening communicates the first support portion and the second support portion.

[0027] In the fixture for optical fiber grinding configured as described above, the rotary rod is rotated up and down in the rotation opening provided in the raised portion. In addition, by adopting a structure capable of supporting the rotary rod at both the first support portion and the second support portion, the rotary rod is positioned at the fixed position and the release position.

[0028] In the above configuration, it may include: a sliding lock that can slide along the axial direction of the rotary rod in a state of being inserted around the rotary rod; a spiral spring that biases the sliding lock toward the lower end side of the rotary rod; and a locking portion formed in the raised portion for locking the lower end portion of the sliding lock.

[0029] In the fixture for optical fiber grinding configured as described above, the movement of the rotary rod is prevented by locking the sliding lock to the locking portion by the spiral spring.

[0030] The present invention can also be implemented as an optical fiber grinding apparatus having a fixture for optical fiber grinding.

[0031] Effects of the Invention

[0032] According to the present invention, there can be provided a fixture for optical fiber grinding. In the fixture for optical fiber grinding in which the optical fiber ferrule can be fixed and the fixing of the optical fiber ferrule can be released by only operating the rotary rod, by appropriately reducing the load for fixing the optical fiber ferrule, an appropriate load can be applied to the optical fiber ferrule for fixing. Description of the Drawings

[0033] Figure 1It is a perspective view showing a state where a jig for optical fiber grinding is mounted on an optical fiber grinding device.

[0034] Figure 2 It is a perspective view showing a state where the jig for optical fiber grinding is removed from the optical fiber grinding device.

[0035] Figure 3 It is an enlarged perspective view of the raised portion.

[0036] Figure 4 It is a perspective view of the rotary rod.

[0037] Figure 5 It is a side view of the rotary rod.

[0038] Figure 6 It is a perspective view of the fixed stopper.

[0039] Figure 7 It is a view showing a state where the fixing of the optical fiber ferrule is released.

[0040] Figure 8 It is a view showing a state where the optical fiber ferrule is fixed to the jig body.

[0041] Figure 9 It is a view showing the contact state between the rotary rod and the fixed stopper.

[0042] Figure 10 It is a side view of the rotary rod of another embodiment.

[0043] Figure 11 It is a side view of the rotary rod of another embodiment.

[0044] (Description of Reference Numerals)

[0045] 1: Jig for optical fiber grinding, 2: Optical fiber ferrule, 10: Jig body, 11: Insertion hole, 20: Raised portion, 21: Rotary opening, 22: First support portion, 23: Second support portion, 24: First locking portion, 25: Second locking portion, 30: Rotary rod, 31: Body portion, 32: Rotation shaft portion, 33: Pressing portion, 34: Intermediate portion, 35: Notch, 36: Notch depth, 40: Fixed stopper, 41: Lateral fixing portion, 42: Upper fixing portion, 43: Rotation shaft portion, 44: Tilted portion, 45: Contact portion, 50: Handle, 60: Leaf spring, 70: Slide lock, 71: Large diameter portion, 72: Helical spring, 100: Optical fiber grinding device, 101: Turntable, 130: Rotary rod, 135: Notch, 136: Reinforcing member, 230: Rotary rod, 235: Hole. Detailed Embodiment

[0046] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings shown as an example. Figure 1Fig. 0 is a perspective view showing a state where a fixture 1 for optical fiber grinding (hereinafter referred to as fixture 1) is mounted on an optical fiber grinding apparatus 100 (hereinafter referred to as grinding apparatus 100). Figure 2 Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a state where the fixture 1 is removed from the grinding apparatus 100. The grinding apparatus 100 has a rotatable turntable 101 on its upper surface. An optical fiber ferrule 2 (hereinafter referred to as ferrule 2) is detachably mounted on the fixture 1, and the fixture 1 is detachably mounted on the grinding apparatus 100. The ferrule 2 is a rectangular MT ferrule in plan view. When the fixture 1 is mounted on the grinding apparatus 100, the upper surface of the turntable 101 faces the bottom surface of the fixture 1. A grinding film or the like is disposed on the upper surface of the turntable 101 and the turntable 101 is driven to rotate. In this state, the ferrule 2 protruding downward from the bottom surface of the fixture 1 is ground by the grinding film or the like. Structures for mounting the fixture 1 on the grinding apparatus 100, the structure and operation of the grinding apparatus 100, etc. can use existing well-known technologies, and thus detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0047] As Figure 2 shown, the fixture 1 includes: a fixture body 10 formed in a plate shape; a raised portion 20 raised in a ring shape on the upper surface of the fixture body 10; a rotary rod 30 configured to be rotatable relative to the fixture body 10 and the raised portion 20; a fixed stopper 40 for fixing the ferrule 2 to the fixture body 10 in response to the rotary rod 30; and a pair of handles 50 for an operator to hold when lifting the fixture 1. In Figure 2 the figure, in order to simplify the drawing, only one ferrule 2 and one rotary rod 30 are shown respectively, but by arranging a plurality of rotary rods 30 and a plurality of fixed stoppers 40 in a ring shape, a plurality of ferrules 2 can be fixed to the fixture 1 and ground simultaneously.

[0048] The fixture body 10 is made of a metal such as aluminum and an alloy or a synthetic resin, and is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. As Figure 7 shown, an insertion hole 11 into which the ferrule 2 can be inserted is formed in the fixture body 10. The insertion hole 11 opens in a rectangular shape and penetrates the fixture body 10 in the vertical direction. A plurality of insertion holes 11 are arranged in a ring shape on the fixture body 10. When the ferrule 2 is inserted into the insertion hole 11 and fixed by the fixed stopper 40, the tip of the ferrule 2 protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the fixture body 10 by a predetermined length. In this state, the tip of the ferrule 2 is ground by the grinding apparatus 100.

[0049] Figure 3It is an enlarged perspective view of the raised portion 20. The raised portion 20 is made of a metal such as aluminum and an alloy or a synthetic resin, and is formed in a ring shape (circular ring shape). The raised portion 20 is disposed on the upper surface of the jig body 10 and fixed to the jig body 10. The raised portion 20 has rotary openings 21 at positions corresponding to the plurality of insertion holes 11, respectively. A rotary rod 30 is disposed in each rotary opening 21 so as to be rotatable relative to the raised portion 20. Each rotary opening 21 includes: a first support portion 22 located radially inside the raised portion 20; and a second support portion 23 located radially outside the raised portion 20. The first support portion 22 is formed by a wall surface extending in the vertical direction and having a semicircular shape in plan view. When the upper end of the rotary rod 30 is rotated upward, the rotary rod 30 abuts against the first support portion 22, thereby supporting (positioning) the rotary rod 30 at the upper position. The second support portion 23 is formed by a wall surface extending in the horizontal direction and having a semicircular shape in side view. When the upper end of the rotary rod 30 is rotated downward, the rotary rod 30 abuts against the second support portion 23, thereby supporting (positioning) the rotary rod 30 at the lower position. The rotary opening 21 communicates with the first support portion 22 and the second support portion 23.

[0050] Figure 4 It is a perspective view of the rotary rod 30. Figure 5 It is a side view of the rotary rod 30. The rotary rod 30 is made of a synthetic resin such as polyoxymethylene resin (POM resin). The rotary rod 30 includes: a cylindrical main body portion 31; a pair of cylindrical rotary shaft portions 32 extending horizontally left and right from the main body portion 31; a pressing portion 33 formed in a planar shape at the lower end tip of the main body portion 31; and an intermediate portion 34 located between the rotary shaft portion 32 and the pressing portion 33. The lower end of the rotary rod 30 is inserted into the rotary opening 21 of the raised portion 20, and the rotary rod 30 is supported by the rotary shaft portion 32 on the wall surface between the first support portion 22 and the second support portion 23 of the raised portion 20. When the operator operates the upper end side of the rotary rod upward or downward, the rotary rod 30 rotates relative to the jig body 10 and the raised portion 20 with the rotary shaft portion 32 as the center. When the upper end side of the rotary rod 30 rotates downward (radially outward), the pressing portion 33 abuts against the fixed stopper 40 and presses the fixed stopper 40 radially inward. When the upper end side of the rotary rod 30 rotates upward (radially inward), the abutment between the pressing portion 33 and the fixed stopper 40 is released. A cutout 35 is formed in the intermediate portion 34 between the pressing portion 33 and the rotary shaft portion 32 of the rotary rod 30. The cutout 35 is formed in an arc shape from a part of the outer periphery of the intermediate portion 34 toward the inside. The structure and function of the cutout 35 will be described in detail later.

[0051] Figure 6is a perspective view of the fixed stopper 40. The fixed stopper is made of a synthetic resin such as polyoxymethylene resin (POM resin). The fixed stopper 40 includes: a side fixing portion 41 having a wall surface adjacent to the ferrule 2 and formed in the vertical direction; an upper fixing portion 42 that slightly protrudes horizontally toward the ferrule 2 above the side fixing portion 41; a rotating shaft portion 43 that serves as a shaft when the fixed stopper 40 rotates; an inclined portion 44 formed such that the height decreases from the upper fixing portion 42 toward the rotating shaft portion 43; and an abutting portion 45 that abuts against a leaf spring 60 described later in Figure 7 etc. When the swing rod 30 swings, the inclined portion 44 of the fixed stopper 40 is pressed by the pressing portion 33 of the swing rod 30, so that the fixed stopper 40 rotates about the rotating shaft portion 43. Accordingly, as the side fixing portion 41 presses the ferrule 2 from the side, the upper fixing portion 42 is disposed above the ferrule 2, thereby preventing the ferrule 2 from coming off upward. That is, the fixed stopper 40 responds by being pressed by the swing rod 30 when the swing rod 30 swings, and fixes the ferrule 2 inserted into the insertion hole 11 of the jig body 10 to the jig body 10. The abutting portion 45 protrudes in the left-right direction below the inclined portion 44 and is disposed such that the horizontal plane of the lower surface of the abutting portion 45 abuts against the leaf spring 60.

[0052] Hereinafter, with reference to Figure 7 and Figure 8 , the operations of the respective components when the ferrule 2 is fixed to the jig body 10 by the swing rod 30 and the fixed stopper 40 will be described. Figure 7 is a view showing the state where the fixing state of the ferrule 2 is released. The fixed stopper 40 is provided at a position adjacent to each insertion hole 11 of the ferrule 2 on the jig body 10. The swing rod 30 is provided such that the lower end portion is located above the inclined portion 44 of the fixed stopper 40. In Figure 7 the state shown, as indicated by the arrow, the upper end side of the swing rod 30 swings upward. At this time, the pressing portion 33 located on the lower end side of the swing rod 30 moves radially outward of the jig body 10 ( Figure 7 to the left in the figure), and the pressing portion 33 does not abut against the inclined portion 44 of the fixed stopper 40, so that the fixed stopper 40 is not pressed. A leaf spring 60 is disposed as a biasing device that biases the fixed stopper 40 upward between the upper surface of the jig body 10 and the abutting portion 45 of the fixed stopper 40. In Figure 7 the state shown, the fixed stopper 40 rotates upward about the rotating shaft portion 43 by the leaf spring 60. The side fixing portion 41 and the upper fixing portion 42 of the fixed stopper 40 do not abut against the ferrule 2, and the operator can install and remove the ferrule 2 by moving the ferrule 2 in the vertical direction.

[0053] Figure 8 is a view showing the state where the ferrule 2 is fixed to the jig body 10. InFigure 8 In the state shown, as indicated by the arrow, the upper end side of the swing rod 30 swings downward. As the upper end side of the swing rod 30 swings downward, the pressing portion 33 located on the lower end side of the swing rod 30 gradually moves toward the radially inner side ( Figure 8 the right side in the figure) of the jig body 10. At this time, the pressing portion 33 of the swing rod 30 presses the inclined portion 44 of the fixed stopper 40. The fixed stopper 40 pressed by the swing rod 30 rotates (moves) toward the radially inner side of the jig body 10 about the rotation shaft portion 43 against the acting force of the leaf spring 60. In Figure 8 the state shown, as the side fixing portion 41 of the fixed stopper 40 presses the side of the ferrule 2, the upper fixing portion 42 is located above the ferrule 2, thereby fixing the ferrule 2 to the jig body 10. The length from the rotation shaft portion 32 of the swing rod 30 to the tip of the pressing portion 33 is set to be slightly longer than the distance between the rotation shaft portion 32 and the inclined portion 44 of the fixed stopper 40 in the state where the swing rod 30 presses the fixed stopper 40. Accordingly, when the pressing portion 33 abuts against the inclined portion 44, the tip of the swing rod 30 elastically deforms. The rotation shaft portion 32 bears the force generated by this elastic deformation, so that the swing rod 30 is not easily moved from the fixed state. The ferrule 2 is fixed to the jig body 10 in a state inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction, and in this state, the ferrule 2 is ground (APC grinding).

[0054] A cylindrical sliding lock 70 is inserted around the body portion 31 of the swing rod 30. In addition, a large-diameter portion 71 having a diameter larger than that of the body portion 31 is fixed to the upper end portion of the swing rod 30. The sliding lock 70 has a body portion 70A and a knob portion 70B having a diameter larger than that of the body portion 70A. A coil spring 72 is disposed between the knob portion 70B of the sliding lock 70 and the large-diameter portion 71, and the sliding lock 70 is downwardly biased by the coil spring 72. That is, the sliding lock 70 is biased toward the lower end side of the swing rod 30. When the upper end side of the swing rod 30 is swung upward (radially inward), the operator holds the knob portion 70B and slides the sliding lock 70 upward, thereby compressing the coil spring 72. A first locking portion 24 adjacent to the first support portion 22 and a second locking portion 25 adjacent to the second support portion 23 are formed on the raised portion 20. As Figure 7 shown, when the operator's hand leaves the knob portion 70B in the state where the upper end side of the swing rod 30 is swung upward (radially inward), the sliding lock 70 is pressed against the first locking portion 24 by the acting force of the coil spring 72, thereby fixing the swing rod 30. As Figure 8As shown, when the operator's hand leaves the knob portion 70B in the state where the upper end side of the swing rod 30 swings downward, the sliding lock 70 is pressed against the second locking portion 25 by the force of the coil spring 72 to fix the swing rod 30. As described above, by pressing the sliding lock 70 against the first locking portion 24 or the second locking portion 25 using the force of the coil spring 72, the swing of the swing rod 30 is prevented and the fixed state of the ferrule 2 is maintained.

[0055] Refer to Figure 9 , the structure and function of the cutout 35 formed in the swing rod 30 will be described. Figure 9 is a view showing the contact state between the swing rod 30 and the fixed stopper 40. The contact portion between the pressing portion 33 of the swing rod 30 and the inclined portion 44 of the fixed stopper 40 is enlarged and shown. In Figure 9 , there is a portion where the pressing portion 33 overlaps with the inclined portion 44. However, in reality, when the pressing portion 33 abuts against the inclined portion 44, the tip of the swing rod 30 elastically deforms the width of this overlapping portion toward the rotary shaft portion 32 side. The rotary shaft portion 32 bears the force that the tip of the swing rod 30 receives from the inclined portion 44. On the contrary, the swing rod 30 presses the fixed stopper 40. At this time, if the force with which the swing rod 30 presses the fixed stopper 40 is too large, the influence on the grinding characteristics cannot be avoided, and sometimes the required grinding performance cannot be obtained. This is because if the pressing force is too large, depending on the type (shape, etc.) of the ferrule 2, the ferrule 2 may be fixed to the fixture body 10 in a state where its shape is deformed by the strong pressing force. To solve this problem, in the present invention, by forming the cutout 35 in the swing rod 30, the rigidity of the tip portion (lower end portion) of the swing rod 30 is reduced. By reducing the rigidity of the swing rod 30, the force with which the swing rod 30 presses the fixed stopper 40 can be reduced while maintaining the existing interval between the swing rod 30 and the fixed stopper 40.

[0056] The cutout 35 is a portion that is cut from the bottom surface toward the inside (upward) slightly above the tip of the swing rod 30 in the intermediate portion 34 between the pressing portion 33 and the rotary shaft portion 32. That is, the cutout 35 has an opening facing downward and is U-shaped. The entrance portion (lower side) of the cutout 35 is linear, while the inner portion (upper side) is arc-shaped. The position where the cutout 35 is formed needs to be located between the rotary shaft portion 32 that bears the load for fixing the ferrule 2 on the swing rod 30 side and the contact surface where the load is generated between the swing rod 30 and the fixed stopper 40. Hereinafter, refer to Figure 9 , a more detailed description of the position where the cutout 35 is formed will be given. The area where the rotary shaft portion 32 of the swing rod 30 is formed ( Figure 9The width of the rotation shaft portion 32 formed therein is marked as 32A. When the rotary lever 30 is pressed against the fixed stopper 40, the contact surface (contact area) where the two come into contact and force acts thereon is marked as CA. Further, the center in the width direction of the rotation shaft portion 32 is marked as 32C, and the center of the contact surface CA is marked as CC. In the virtual area VA connecting the area 32A of the rotation shaft portion 32 and the contact surface CA ( Figure 9 the area shown by the dashed line therein), at least a part of the incision 35 is formed. More preferably, the incision 35 is formed in at least a part of the virtual line VL connecting the center 32C of the rotation shaft portion 32 and the center CC of the contact surface CA.

[0057] Samples of the rotary lever 30 with different depths 36 of the incision 35 were prepared, and experiments were conducted to compare the change in the load generated at the tip of the rotary lever 30 when the pressing amount of the tip of the rotary lever 30 was changed. The results are shown in Table 1. "None" indicates an existing product without an incision formed. In Table 1, each value except for the pressing amount (mm) shown in the first column, the incision depth (mm) shown in the first and second rows, and the ratio (%) shown in the last row represents the load (kgf) generated at the tip of the rotary lever 30. The ratio represents the ratio of the load of each sample when the load of the rotary lever 30 without an incision is 100%. The inner part of the incision 35 is formed in an arc shape. The shaded columns indicate cases where the load is too weak to measure the value. From the experimental results shown in Table 1, it can be seen that as the incision depth increases, the load generated at the tip of the rotary lever 30 decreases. In the sample with the arched incision 35 having a depth of 1.5 mm, compared with the sample without an incision, the load becomes 14%, and preferably, the effect of the present invention of reducing the load of the rotary lever 30 pressing the fixed stopper 40 is exhibited.

[0058]

Table 1

[0059]

[0060] As described above, in the jig 1 of the present invention shown in the embodiment, by providing a notch 35 in a part of the intermediate portion 34 of the rotary rod 30 that bears a load between the pressing portion 33 and the rotary shaft portion 32, the rigidity of the rotary rod 30 with respect to the load can be reduced. Accordingly, when the rotary rod 30 presses the fixed stopper 40, the tip of the rotary rod 30 is made flexible, thereby reducing the load applied to the fixed stopper 40. The rotary rod 30 does not press the fixed stopper 40 excessively, so that deterioration of the grinding characteristics can be prevented. In addition, since there is no need to manually adjust the gap between the rotary rod 30 and the fixed stopper 40, nor to set the gap larger than necessary, the ferrule 2 can be reliably fixed. According to the above configuration, a jig 1 that can appropriately fix various types of ferrules 2 can be provided. This feature is particularly effective when fixing small ferrules 2. Even if there are individual differences between multiple ferrules 2, a load for fixing the optical fiber ferrule 2 can be appropriately generated.

[0061] Figure 10 FIG. is a side view of a rotary rod 130 according to another embodiment. A notch 135 is provided on the rotary rod 130 similarly to the rotary rod 30. A cylindrical reinforcing member 136 is disposed inside the notch 135. The reinforcing member 136 is made of a material (soft material) having a lower strength than the rotary rod 130. For example, the rotary rod 130 is made of polyoxymethylene resin (POM resin), while the reinforcing member 136 is made of polyurethane resin. Accordingly, while reducing the rigidity of the rotary rod 130, a certain strength can be ensured. Except that the reinforcing member 136 is disposed inside the notch 135, the rotary rod 130 has the same structure as the rotary rod 30. In addition, the reinforcing member 136 does not necessarily have to be cylindrical. Further, the reinforcing member 136 may use a structure that fills a part of the notch 135, or a reinforcing member 136 having substantially the same shape as the notch 135 to fill the entire notch 135.

[0062] Figure 11 FIG. is a side view of a rotary rod 230 according to another embodiment. A hole 235 is provided on the rotary rod 230. The hole 235 is different from the notch 35 and the notch 135 in that the hole 235 does not connect to the outer periphery of the rotary rod 230 in a side view. However, in terms of reducing the rigidity of the rotary rod 230 and reducing the load applied to the fixed stopper 40, it has the same effect as the notch 35 and the notch 135. As long as there is a cavity such as the notch 35, 135 or the hole 235 between the action points of the forces when the rotary shaft portions 32 of the rotary rods 30, 130, 230 press the fixed stopper 40, the effects of the present invention can be exerted. That is, the cavity is a concept including notches and holes. Except for forming the hole 235 instead of the notch 35, the rotary rod 230 has the same structure as the rotary rod 30. The position where the hole 235 is formed is the same as the position where the notch 35 is formed. In connection Figure 9At least a part within the shown region 32A and the virtual region VA of the working surface CA forms the hole 235. More preferably, the hole 235 is formed at least in part on a virtual line VL connecting the center 32C of the rotary shaft portion 32 and the center CC of the working surface CA.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the MT ferrule that is rectangular in plan view is taken as an example for description, but the type of the ferrule is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied to any structure in which a ferrule with an embedded optical fiber is fixed to a jig for polishing.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the structure in which the raised portion 20 is formed in a ring shape and the ferrule 2 is fixed to the jig 1 in a ring shape is described, but the arrangement of the ferrule is not limited to this. For example, the raised portion may be formed linearly on the jig body 10 and a plurality of ferrules may be arranged linearly. Or, instead of forming the raised portion, a rotary rod or the like may be directly arranged on the jig body.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the lower end of the rotary rod 30 presses the fixed stopper 40 when the upper end of the rotary rod 30 is rotated downward is described. However, it may also be configured such that the lower end of the rotary rod 30 presses the fixed stopper 40 when the upper end of the rotary rod 30 is rotated upward.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the leaf spring 60 is used as the biasing device for biasing the fixed stopper 40 upward is described, but the biasing structure is not limited to the leaf spring. A coil spring or an elastic member such as rubber or resin may be used instead of the leaf spring.

[0067] In the above embodiment, a jig for APC polishing in which the ferrule 2 is polished in a state of being inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction is described, but the use of the jig of the present invention is not limited to APC polishing. The jig of the present invention is also effective in the case of flat polishing in which the ferrule is arranged in the vertical direction and polished at a right angle.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the structure in which the rotation of the rotary rod 30 is prevented by using the sliding lock 70, the coil spring 72, the first locking portion 24, and the second locking portion 25 is described, but this structure is not necessarily adopted. By using the rotary shaft portion 32 to withstand the force of the elastic deformation of the rotary rod 30 caused by the contact between the rotary rod 30 and the fixed stopper 40, the rotation of the rotary rod 30 can be prevented.

[0069] In the above-described embodiments, as examples of the voids, the cuts 35, 135 and the holes 235 were described as examples. The shapes of the cuts and the holes are not limited to the shapes described in the embodiments. In addition, voids other than the cuts and the holes are also included in the present invention. Here, the voids refer to the voids intentionally formed in the design, and are not intended to include, for example, the voids inevitably formed inside the resin when the resin cools during the formation of the rotating rod with resin.

[0070] In addition, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For those skilled in the art, it will be naturally considered that the following are all disclosed as an embodiment of the present invention:

[0071] The interchangeable components, configurations, etc. disclosed in the above-described embodiments are appropriately combined and changed for application;

[0072] The components and configurations, etc. that are not disclosed in the above-described embodiments but are well-known technologies and can be interchanged with the components and configurations, etc. disclosed in the above-described embodiments are appropriately replaced and combined and changed for application;

[0073] The components and configurations, etc. that are not disclosed in the above-described embodiments but are thought of by those skilled in the art as substitutes for the components and configurations, etc. disclosed in the above-described embodiments based on well-known technologies, etc. are appropriately replaced and combined and changed for application.

Claims

1. A fixture for optical fiber grinding, which is used for grinding an optical fiber ferrule, and is characterized in that it includes: a fixture body, the fixture body having an insertion hole into which the optical fiber ferrule can be inserted; a rotating rod, the rotating rod being arranged so as to be able to rotate relative to the fixture body about a rotation shaft portion; and a fixed stopper, the fixed stopper being pressed by the rotating rod when the rotating rod rotates and responding, thereby fixing the optical fiber ferrule inserted into the insertion hole to the fixture body, at least a part within a virtual area between a force application surface when the rotating rod presses the fixed stopper when connecting and fixing the optical fiber ferrule and the center of the rotation shaft portion of the rotating rod has a cavity.

2. The fixture for optical fiber grinding according to claim 1, characterized in that a leaf spring is provided as a biasing device for biasing the fixed stopper upward.

3. The fixture for optical fiber grinding according to claim 1, characterized in that the cavity is a cut formed from a part of the outer periphery of the rotating rod to at least a part of the virtual area.

4. A fixture for optical fiber grinding, which is used for grinding an optical fiber ferrule, and is characterized in that it includes: a fixture body, the fixture body having an insertion hole into which the optical fiber ferrule can be inserted; a rotating rod, the rotating rod being arranged so as to be able to rotate relative to the fixture body about a rotation shaft portion; and a fixed stopper, the fixed stopper being pressed by the rotating rod when the rotating rod rotates and responding, thereby fixing the optical fiber ferrule inserted into the insertion hole to the fixture body, at least a part within a virtual area between a force application surface when the rotating rod presses the fixed stopper when connecting and fixing the optical fiber ferrule and the rotation shaft portion of the rotating rod has a cavity, the cavity is a hole that does not communicate with the outer periphery of the rotating rod when viewed from the side.

5. A fixture for optical fiber grinding, which is used for grinding an optical fiber ferrule, and is characterized in that it includes: a fixture body, the fixture body having an insertion hole into which the optical fiber ferrule can be inserted; a rotating rod, the rotating rod being arranged so as to be able to rotate relative to the fixture body about a rotation shaft portion; and a fixed stopper, the fixed stopper being pressed by the rotating rod when the rotating rod rotates and responding, thereby fixing the optical fiber ferrule inserted into the insertion hole to the fixture body, at least a part within a virtual area between a force application surface when the rotating rod presses the fixed stopper when connecting and fixing the optical fiber ferrule and the rotation shaft portion of the rotating rod has a cavity, a strengthening member is arranged in the cavity.

6. The fixture for optical fiber grinding according to claim 5, characterized in that the strengthening member is made of a material with a strength lower than that of the rotating rod.

7. The fixture for optical fiber grinding according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotating rod is configured such that when the upper end of the rotating rod is rotated downward, the lower end of the rotating rod presses the fixed stopper.

8. The fixture for optical fiber grinding according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the fixture body has a plurality of insertion holes. The rotary rod and the fixed stopper are provided for each of the plurality of insertion holes.

9. The optical fiber grinding jig according to claim 8, wherein on the upper surface of the jig body, there is a raised portion formed in a ring shape with respect to the plurality of insertion holes by a first support portion, a second support portion, and a rotary opening, wherein the first support portion supports the upper end of the rotary rod in an upwardly rotatable state, the second support portion supports the upper end of the rotary rod in a downwardly rotatable state, and the rotary opening communicates the first support portion and the second support portion.

10. The optical fiber grinding jig according to claim 9, wherein it includes: a sliding lock that can slide along the axial direction of the rotary rod while being inserted around the rotary rod; a helical spring that biases the sliding lock toward the lower end side of the rotary rod; and a locking portion formed on the raised portion for locking the lower end portion of the sliding lock.

11. An optical fiber grinding device, wherein the optical fiber grinding device has the optical fiber grinding jig according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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