Polishing device and polishing method

Abstract

To provide a polishing device capable of reducing steps manually executed by an operator and preventing increases in size and cost of a device.SOLUTION: This polishing device for polishing an object to be polished, which is mounted on a holder comprises: a polishing mechanism for polishing the object by rotary-driving a grinder in a state where it is disposed on the upper surface of a turntable; a washing mechanism for washing the object; a holder moving mechanism for moving the holder; a grinder moving mechanism for moving the grinder; and a control mechanism for controlling the positions of the holder and the grinder with respect to the polishing mechanism. The holder and the grinder are configured to move in linkage with each other in at least a prescribed axial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus and a polishing method used for polishing optical fibers or samples. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when polishing an object to be polished such as an optical fiber using a polishing device, the steps other than polishing the object to be polished are generally performed manually by an operator. For example, the step of placing the polishing plate on the upper surface of the turntable of the polishing device and the step of cleaning the object to be polished mounted on the holder after polishing are basically performed manually. Therefore, the operator cannot always leave the polishing device, which causes a problem of poor work efficiency.

[0003] In order to solve the above problems, Patent Document 1 discloses a polishing apparatus for polishing optical fibers, which automatically performs the steps of placing a polishing disk on a turntable and cleaning the optical fiber by machine. However, the mechanism for moving the polishing disk to the turntable and the mechanism for moving the holder to the cleaning position are installed independently. Therefore, it is unavoidable that the apparatus becomes large in size and expensive. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-42891 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention provides a polishing apparatus and a polishing method that can reduce the number of steps that are manually performed by an operator and that avoid an increase in the size and cost of the apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The polishing apparatus of the present invention is a polishing apparatus for polishing an object to be polished attached to a holder, and is equipped with a polishing mechanism for polishing the object to be polished by rotating a polishing disk placed on the upper surface of a turntable, a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the object to be polished, a holder moving mechanism for moving the holder, a polishing disk moving mechanism for moving the polishing disk, and a control mechanism for controlling the position of the holder and the position of the polishing disk relative to the polishing mechanism, and the holder and the polishing disk are configured to move in conjunction with each other at least in a predetermined axial direction. In the polishing apparatus configured as described above, a holder moving mechanism for moving the holder and a polishing disk moving mechanism for moving the polishing disk are provided, and the holder and the polishing disk are configured to move in conjunction with each other at least in a predetermined axial direction.

[0007] In the above configuration, the holder moving mechanism is configured to move the holder at least between a polishing position where the workpiece is polished by the polishing mechanism and a cleaning position where the workpiece is cleaned by the cleaning mechanism, and the specified axial direction is the direction in which the holder is moved between the polishing position and the cleaning position. In the polishing apparatus configured as described above, the holder is configured to move between the polishing position and the cleaning position, and the polishing disk is also configured to move in conjunction with the holder in the moving direction of the holder.

[0008] In the above configuration, the polishing disk moving mechanism is configured to move the polishing disk between a polishing disk holding position in which the polishing disk stored at least in a storage location is held by the polishing disk moving mechanism and a polishing disk placement position in which the polishing disk held by the polishing disk moving mechanism is placed on the upper surface of the polishing mechanism, and the specified axial direction is the direction in which the polishing disk is moved between the polishing disk holding position and the polishing disk placement position. In the polishing apparatus configured as described above, the polishing disk is configured to move between a polishing disk holding position and a polishing disk placement position, and the holder is also configured to move in conjunction with the polishing disk in the direction of movement of the polishing disk.

[0009] In the above configuration, when the holder is located at the polishing position, the polishing disk stored in the storage location is held by the polishing disk moving mechanism, and when the holder is located at the cleaning position, the polishing disk held by the polishing disk moving mechanism is placed on the upper surface of the turntable of the polishing mechanism. In the polishing apparatus configured as described above, when the holder is in the polishing position, the polishing disk moving mechanism is in the polishing disk holding position, and when the holder is in the cleaning position, the polishing disk moving mechanism is in the polishing disk placement position. In other words, the polishing disk is held by the polishing disk moving mechanism while the workpiece is being polished, and the polishing disk is placed on the upper surface of the turntable while the workpiece is being cleaned.

[0010] In the above configuration, the apparatus may further include a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the polishing plate and a cleaning mechanism moving mechanism for moving the cleaning mechanism, wherein the control mechanism controls the position of the cleaning mechanism relative to the polishing mechanism, and the cleaning mechanism is configured to move in conjunction with the holder and the polishing plate at least in the specified axial direction. In the polishing apparatus configured as described above, a cleaning mechanism moving mechanism that moves the cleaning mechanism is provided, and the cleaning mechanism, the holder, and the polishing disk are configured to move in conjunction with one another at least in a predetermined axial direction.

[0011] In the above configuration, the polishing disk moving mechanism may be capable of holding two or more polishing disks simultaneously, and the polishing disk moving mechanism may be configured to have a polishing disk replacement mechanism that swaps the positions of the two or more polishing disks in the specified axial direction. In the polishing apparatus configured as described above, two or more polishing plates, for example, a polishing plate before use and a polishing plate after use, can be held simultaneously and their positions can be interchanged.

[0012] In the above configuration, the control mechanism may be configured to move the stop position of the turntable to a predetermined position after polishing the workpiece. In the polishing apparatus configured as above, the stop position of the turntable is always fixed at a predetermined position.

[0013] In the above configuration, the holder may further include a fixation switching mechanism that switches between a fixed state in which the holder is fixed to the polishing apparatus and a released state in which the holder is released from the polishing apparatus, and the control mechanism may be configured to switch between the fixed state and the released state. In the polishing apparatus configured as described above, when the holder is attached to or detached from the polishing mechanism, the holder is switched between a fixed state and a released state by the fixation switching mechanism.

[0014] In the aforementioned configuration, in the fixed state, the holder may be fixed in a state in which it can be separated from the holder moving mechanism by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction. In the polishing apparatus configured as described above, the holder is configured to move away from the holder moving mechanism when the holder is attached to the polishing mechanism.

[0015] In the above configuration, the polishing apparatus may further include a polishing liquid supply mechanism that supplies a polishing liquid to the polishing plate, and the control mechanism may be configured to control the supply of the polishing liquid from the polishing liquid supply mechanism to the polishing plate. In the polishing apparatus configured as above, the supply of polishing liquid to the polishing plate is also controlled by the control mechanism.

[0016] In the above configuration, the cleaning mechanism may include an air blower that cleans the workpiece by spraying air, and the air blower may be configured to spray air in both one direction and the other direction based on the vertical direction. In the polishing apparatus configured as described above, the workpiece is cleaned and dried by jetting air.

[0017] In the above configuration, the polishing mechanism may be configured to apply a polishing pressure to the workpiece by moving the turntable from below to above. In the polishing apparatus configured as described above, polishing pressure is applied from below the turntable, that is, no device for applying pressure is disposed above the turntable. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a polishing apparatus and a polishing method that can reduce the number of steps that are manually performed by an operator and that avoid an increase in the size and cost of the apparatus. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the optical fiber polishing apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the optical fiber polishing apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an optical fiber polishing holder attached to a polishing machine. [Figure 4] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of an upper portion of a polishing machine with an optical fiber polishing holder attached to the polishing machine. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the internal structure of the clamp post. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a polishing machine. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber cleaning mechanism. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air blower taken along the X-axis direction. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a polishing disk cleaning mechanism. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a polishing liquid supply mechanism. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view of the polishing disk stocker as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a polishing disk moving mechanism. [Figure 13] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a polishing disk gripping mechanism grips a polishing disk placed on the upper surface of a turntable. FIG. [Figure 14]13 is a front view showing a state in which the holder is fixed to the clamp post by the holder moving mechanism. FIG. [Figure 15] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the polishing apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a holder with a sample attached thereto being attached to a polishing machine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as an example. In this embodiment, an apparatus for polishing an optical fiber as an object to be polished will be described as an example. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front side of an optical fiber polishing apparatus 1 (hereinafter, the polishing apparatus 1). FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear side of the polishing apparatus 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the polishing apparatus 1 has a polisher (polishing mechanism) 10, an optical fiber cleaning mechanism 20 (hereinafter, the cleaning mechanism 20), a polishing disk cleaning mechanism 30 (hereinafter, the cleaning mechanism 30), a polishing liquid supply mechanism 40, a polishing disk stocker 50, a polishing disk moving mechanism 60, a holder moving mechanism 70, an operation unit 80, and a control mechanism 90. The left-right direction in FIG. 1, that is, the direction in which the polishing disk stocker 50, the polishing machine 10, and the cleaning mechanism 20 are arranged, is defined as the X-axis direction. The front-rear direction (depth direction) when the polishing machine 10 is viewed from above is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the height direction (vertical direction) of the polishing machine 10 is defined as the Z-axis direction.

[0021] The polishing apparatus 1 has a pedestal 2 on which the polishing machine 10, the cleaning mechanism 20, the polishing disk stocker 50, etc. are placed. Above the pedestal 2, a polishing disk moving mechanism 60, a holder moving mechanism 70, the polishing machine 10, the cleaning mechanism 20, and a polishing liquid supply mechanism 40 (including a tank for supplying a polishing liquid, etc.) are arranged. The polishing machine 10 is arranged near the center in the X-axis direction, the cleaning mechanism 20 is arranged on one side of the polishing machine 10 in the X-axis direction, and the polishing disk stocker 50 is arranged on the other side. That is, the polishing machine 10 is arranged between the cleaning mechanism 20 and the polishing disk stocker 50 in the X-axis direction. The polishing liquid supply mechanism 40 is arranged adjacent to the polishing machine 10. Below the pedestal 2, a control mechanism 90, a device for circulating and purifying the liquid used in the cleaning mechanism 20 from a storage tank through a filter using a pump, etc. are accommodated.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, an X-axis rail 3A extending in the X-axis direction and an X-axis drive mechanism 3B are fixed to the upper surface of the base 2. An X-axis movement mechanism 4 that can move in the X-axis direction along the X-axis rail 3A is installed on the X-axis rail 3A. The X-axis movement mechanism 4 is configured to be able to move in the X-axis direction along the X-axis rail 3A by the X-axis drive mechanism 3B. A plate 5 having a flat surface formed in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction is fixed to the X-axis movement mechanism 4. The polishing disk movement mechanism 60, the holder movement mechanism 70, and the cleaning mechanism 30 are fixed to the plate 5, and are configured to move together with the X-axis movement mechanism 4 fixed to the plate 5 at least in the X-axis direction. In other words, the X-axis movement mechanism 4 has a function of moving the polishing disk, the holder, and the cleaning mechanism in the X-axis direction, and it can be said that the X-axis movement mechanism 4 plays a part of the functions of the polishing disk movement mechanism, the holder movement mechanism, and the cleaning mechanism movement mechanism. The cleaning mechanism 30 is fixed to the plate 5 and disposed above the polishing machine 10. The control mechanism 90 controls the overall operation of the polishing device 1. For example, the control mechanism 90 controls the polishing operation of the polishing machine 10 and the positions and speeds of the polishing disk moving mechanism 60, the holder moving mechanism 70, and the cleaning mechanism 30 when they are moved in each axial direction by an operator operating the operating unit 80.

[0023] A cable holder 6 is installed on a frame arranged above the pedestal 2. By hanging an optical fiber cable on the cable holder 6, the cable can be held by the cable holder 6 so as not to interfere with the operation of the polishing device 1. The cable holder 6 is fixed to the frame above the pedestal 2 via an X-axis slide rail 7 installed facing the X-axis direction and a Y-axis slide rail 8 installed facing the Y-axis direction. The cable holder 6 is configured to be slidable in the X-axis direction along the X-axis slide rail 7 and in the Y-axis direction along the Y-axis slide rail 8. When the tip side of an optical fiber attached to an optical fiber polishing holder 11 (hereinafter, holder 11) described later moves, the cable holder 6 is configured to be simultaneously movable in the X-axis and Y-axis directions in accordance with the movement of the tip side of the optical fiber.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the holder 11 attached to the polishing machine 10. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the upper part of the polishing machine 10 with the holder 11 attached to the polishing machine 10. A plurality of fixing jigs 12 are provided on the upper surface of the holder 11. An optical fiber ferrule 9 (hereinafter, ferrule 9) or an optical connector is attached to each fixing jig 12 by an operator in advance. The polishing machine 10 has a polishing machine 14 disposed on the upper surface of the turntable 13 by a polishing machine 10 moving mechanism 60. The polishing machine 14 moves in the X-axis direction by the X-axis moving mechanism 4 and moves in the Z-axis direction by the polishing machine 10 moving mechanism 60. The movement of the polishing machine 14 will be described later in detail. The polishing machine 14 is composed of a polishing pad 14A made of an elastic member, glass, metal, ceramic, or the like, and a polishing film 14B attached to the upper surface of the polishing pad 14A. The polishing pad 14A has a disk shape that matches a circular recess formed on the upper surface of the turntable 13. The surface of the polishing film 14B is coated with an abrasive. The polishing roughness can be changed by changing the type of film (type of abrasive) attached to the polishing pad 14A. When the ferrule 9 is attached to the holder 11, the end face of the ferrule 9 protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the holder 11. In this state, the turntable 13 is moved from bottom to top to apply polishing pressure and rotated, whereby the end face of the ferrule 9 is polished by the polishing film 14B of the polishing disk 14.

[0025] Clamp posts 15 for mounting and fixing the holder 11 are installed near the four corners of the upper surface of the grinding machine 10. FIG. 5 is a front view showing the internal structure of the clamp post 15. The clamp post 15 has a holder mounting surface 15A, an actuator 15B, a lock lever 15C, a clamp member 15D, and a support shaft 15E. When the actuator 15B is driven to move upward with the holder 11 mounted on the holder mounting surface 15A, the lock lever 15C rotates around the support shaft 15E formed on the clamp member 15D. As a result, the tip of the lock lever 15C presses the holder 11 downward, thereby fixing the holder 11 to the grinding machine 10. When the actuator 15B is driven to move downward from this state, the lock lever 15C rotates so that the tip of the lock lever 15C moves upward. As a result, the holder 11 is released from the fixing of the grinding machine 10, and the holder 11 can be lifted upward. This allows the holder 11 to be switched between a fixed state in which it is fixed to the grinding machine 10 and a released state in which it is released from the grinding machine 10. The clamp post 15 corresponds to the fixation switching mechanism of the present invention. The control mechanism 90 switches the holder 11 between the fixed state and the released state by controlling the driving of the actuator 15B.

[0026] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the grinding machine 10. The turntable 13 is driven to revolve around the revolution shaft 16 by the revolution motor 16A, and is driven to rotate around the rotation shaft 17 by the rotation motor 17A. A resin bush 16B is provided between the turntable 13 and the revolution shaft 16. That is, the turntable 13 is supported on the revolution shaft 16 via the resin bush 16B. The resin bush 16B allows the turntable 13 to rotate around the revolution shaft 16 relative to the revolution shaft 16, and also allows the turntable 13 to move in the axial direction relative to the revolution shaft 16. The lower surface of the turntable 13 is movably supported on the base plate 19 by a spline (not shown) via a thrust ring 18. The thrust ring 18 and the spline (not shown) are configured to be movable up and down in the vertical direction by an air cylinder (not shown). The turntable 13 is placed on the horizontal surface on the upper surface of the thrust ring 18, and moves vertically in conjunction with the up and down movement of the thrust ring 18. When the end face of the ferrule 9 is polished, the turntable 13 is moved from below to above, so that a polishing pressure is applied to the end face of the ferrule 9 via the polishing disk 14 .

[0027] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the cleaning mechanism 20. The cleaning mechanism 20 is composed of an ultrasonic cleaner 21 and an air blower 22. The ultrasonic cleaner 21 has a tank 21A large enough to accommodate the holder 11 therein and an ultrasonic generator (not shown) provided in the tank 21A. A cleaning liquid (water) is poured into the tank 21A. The holder 11 after the polishing operation is moved into the tank 21A with the ferrule 9 attached thereto. In this state, the ultrasonic generator generates ultrasonic vibrations in the cleaning liquid to clean the polished ferrule 9 attached to the holder 11. A heating device or the like may be provided to control the temperature of the cleaning liquid in the tank 21A. The cleaning liquid in the tank 21A is purified by circulating it to the outside of the tank by a pump (not shown). The control mechanism 90 controls the circulation speed of the cleaning liquid to be slow in order to suppress the flow of the cleaning liquid in the tank 21A while the ferrule 9 is being cleaned, and to be fast when the ferrule 9 is not being cleaned. When the holder 11 after polishing is moved to the ultrasonic cleaner 21 and when the holder 11 after cleaning is moved to the polisher 10, the holder 11 passes above the air blower 22. The air blower 22 has a plurality of air injection ports formed linearly along the Y-axis direction. When the holder 11 passes above the air blower 22, the air blower 22 injects air to clean and dry the ferrule 9 and the holder 11. The holder 11 is moved in the X-axis direction by the X-axis movement mechanism 4 and in the Z-axis direction by the holder movement mechanism 70; the movement of the holder 11 will be described in detail later.

[0028] 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air blower 22 cut along the X-axis direction. The air blower 22 has a first air blower 22A arranged on the polisher 10 side, a second air blower 22B arranged on the ultrasonic cleaner 21 side, and a partition plate 22C arranged between the first air blower 22A and the second air blower 22B. As shown in FIG. 8, the air injection direction of the first air blower 22A is inclined toward the polisher 10 side by a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction. On the other hand, the air injection direction of the second air blower 22B is inclined toward the ultrasonic cleaner 21 side by a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction. In other words, the air blower 22 is configured to be able to inject air in both one direction and the other direction based on the vertical direction. When the holder 11 after polishing is moved to the ultrasonic cleaner 21, air is jetted from the first air blower 22A to blow away polishing debris toward the polisher 10, thereby cleaning and drying the ferrule 9 and holder 11 while preventing the polishing debris from entering the ultrasonic cleaner 21. When the holder 11 after cleaning is moved to the polisher 10, air is jetted from the second air blower 22B to blow away water droplets toward the ultrasonic cleaner 21, thereby cleaning and drying the ferrule 9 while preventing the water droplets from entering the polisher 10.

[0029] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the cleaning mechanism 30. The cleaning mechanism 30 has a water-absorbent nonwoven fabric 31, a first roller 32 on which the nonwoven fabric 31 is wound before use, a second roller 33 on which the nonwoven fabric 31 is wound after use, a third roller 34 arranged between the first roller 32 and the second roller 33 for stretching the nonwoven fabric 31 downward, a fourth roller 35 that contacts the third roller 34 to rotate the third roller 34, and an air cylinder 36 that presses the third roller 34 and the fourth roller 35 downward. In addition to the first roller 32, the second roller 33, the third roller 34, and the fourth roller 35, a plurality of guides are provided to adjust the path of the nonwoven fabric, increase the area of ​​contact of the nonwoven fabric with the outer periphery of the third roller 34, and provide an appropriate frictional force for feeding the nonwoven fabric. The second roller 33 is driven to rotate by a motor 37. The fourth roller 35 is driven to rotate by a motor not shown. Because the third roller 34 is in contact with the fourth roller 35, when the fourth roller 35 rotates, the third roller 34 rotates in the opposite direction to the fourth roller 35. When the second roller 33 and the fourth roller 35 are rotated by a motor, the nonwoven fabric 31 is pulled out from the first roller 32, passes through the third roller 34, and is wound up by the second roller 33. A rotary damper is built into the first roller 32, and when the nonwoven fabric 31 is pulled out, a force is applied in the opposite direction to the pulling direction. The outer periphery of the third roller 34 and the fourth roller 35 is preferably formed from a material having elasticity and friction, such as urethane.

[0030] The cleaning mechanism 30 is moved in the X-axis direction by the X-axis moving mechanism 4. With the lower part of the third roller 34 positioned at the cleaning start position of the polishing disc 14, the entire cleaning mechanism 30 is moved in the X-axis direction while the air cylinder 36 presses the third roller 34 and the fourth roller 35 from above to below, thereby wiping off the polishing dust and polishing liquid on the upper surface of the polishing disc 14 after polishing with the nonwoven fabric 31. The control mechanism 90 controls the movement speed of the cleaning mechanism 30 in the X-axis direction and the rotation speed of the fourth roller 35, that is, the feed speed of the nonwoven fabric 31, and also controls the torque of the second roller 33 to properly wind up the fed nonwoven fabric 31, thereby controlling the tension of the nonwoven fabric 31. From the viewpoint of reliably cleaning the polishing disc 14, it is preferable that the feed speed of the nonwoven fabric 31 is greater than the movement speed of the cleaning mechanism 30 in the X-axis direction. Furthermore, it is preferable that the feed speed of the nonwoven fabric 31 is about 1.5 times the movement speed of the cleaning mechanism 30 in the X-axis direction. The air cylinder 36 has a function of moving the third roller 34 and the nonwoven fabric 31 in the Z-axis direction, and it can be said that the air cylinder 36 plays a part of the function of the cleaning mechanism moving mechanism. The moving operation of the cleaning mechanism 30 will be described in detail later.

[0031] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the polishing liquid supply mechanism 40. The polishing liquid supply mechanism 40 has a pump 41 that supplies the polishing liquid from a tank 45, a nozzle 42 that discharges the polishing liquid supplied by the pump 41 onto the polishing plate 14, a tube 43 that connects the pump 41 and the nozzle 42, and a nozzle support mechanism 44 that supports the nozzle 42 and moves it in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. The tank 45 is replenished with the polishing liquid by an operator in advance. It is also possible to replenish a plurality of tanks 45 with different types of polishing liquid. After the polishing plate 14 placed on the turntable 13 is replaced, the nozzle support mechanism 44 moves the nozzle 42 above the polishing plate 14. In this state, the pump 41 is driven to discharge the polishing liquid from the nozzle 42. At the same time, the turntable 13 is rotated on its own axis, and the polishing liquid is supplied from the nozzle 42 to the upper surface of the polishing plate 14 during one rotation of the turntable 13. The control mechanism 90 controls the position of the nozzle 42, the drive timing of the pump 41, and the like. That is, the control mechanism 90 controls the supply of the polishing liquid from the polishing liquid supply mechanism 40 to the polishing disk 14 .

[0032] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the polishing disk stocker 50 as seen from the rear side. The polishing disk stocker 50 is divided into a plurality of storage spaces, and a plurality of polishing disks 14 are stored in each storage space in advance by an operator. In this embodiment, the polishing disk stocker 50 is used, which can store a total of 16 polishing disks 14 in two rows in the X-axis direction and eight rows in the Z-axis direction. The polishing disks 14 are supported by bottom plates formed on the left and right sides in the X-axis direction, and there is no bottom plate near the center in the X-axis direction, so the polishing disks 14 are exposed downward. A polishing disk preparation mechanism 51 that can move in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction is disposed on the rear side (rear side) of the polishing disk stocker 50 in the Y-axis direction. Four protrusions 51A protruding upward are formed on the upper surface of the polishing disk preparation mechanism 51. The polishing disk preparation mechanism 51 is moved in the Y-axis direction until the polishing disk 14 is located near the center of the four protrusions 51A. From that position, the polishing disk preparation mechanism 51 is moved upward in the Z-axis direction. Since there is no bottom plate near the center of the polishing disk 14, the polishing disk 14 is held by the polishing disk preparation mechanism 51. Since the protrusions 51A have a conical shape with a gradually increasing diameter toward the bottom, even if the position of the polishing disk 14 is slightly shifted from the center of the four protrusions 51A, the polishing disk 14 is held at the center of the four protrusions 51A along the conical shape. After holding the polishing disk 14, the polishing disk preparation mechanism 51 moves in the Y-axis direction and returns to the rear side of the polishing disk stocker 50. At this position, the polishing disk 14 waits until it is moved by the polishing disk moving mechanism 60. The used polishing disk 14 can be stored in the polishing disk stocker 50 by reversing the above-mentioned procedure.

[0033] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the polishing disk moving mechanism 60. The polishing disk moving mechanism 60 is fixed to the X-axis moving mechanism 4 and configured to move in the X-axis direction together with the X-axis moving mechanism 4. The movement range of the polishing disk moving mechanism 60 is between a polishing disk holding position where the polishing disk 14 stored in the polishing disk stocker 50 is held by a polishing disk gripping mechanism 61 (hereinafter, the gripping mechanism 61) and a polishing disk arrangement position where the polishing disk 14 held by the gripping mechanism 61 at the polishing disk holding position is arranged on the upper surface of the turntable 13 of the polishing machine 10. The polishing disk holding position is, strictly speaking, a position where the polishing disk 14 held by the polishing disk preparation mechanism 51 is held by the gripping mechanism 61. The polishing disk moving mechanism 60 moves the polishing disk 14 along the X-axis direction between the polishing disk holding position and the polishing disk arrangement position.

[0034] The polishing disk moving mechanism 60 has two gripping mechanisms 61 and can hold two polishing disks 14 simultaneously. The two gripping mechanisms 61 are arranged along the X-axis direction and are connected to each other by a connecting plate 62 arranged at the top. A polishing disk replacement mechanism 63 is provided at the center of the connecting plate 62. The polishing disk replacement mechanism 63 can switch the positions of the two gripping mechanisms 61 in the X-axis direction by rotating the connecting plate 62 180 degrees in the horizontal direction. At the polishing disk arrangement position, the polishing disk 14 before use is held by one of the gripping mechanisms 61, and the polishing disk 14 whose upper surface has been cleaned by the cleaning mechanism 30 after polishing is completed is held by the other gripping mechanism 61. In this state, the positions of the two gripping mechanisms 61 are swapped by the polishing disk replacement mechanism 63, and the polishing disk 14 before use is placed on the upper surface of the turntable 13. By using the polishing disk replacement mechanism 63, the number of times that the gripping mechanism 61 moves back and forth between the polishing disk holding position and the polishing disk arrangement position can be reduced.

[0035] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the gripping mechanism 61 grips the polishing disk 14 arranged on the upper surface of the turntable 13. The gripping mechanism 61 has three claw members 61A and an actuator 61B for driving the claw members 61A. Each claw member 61A has a substantially L-shaped shape extending from the actuator 61B to the outside in the radial direction of the polishing disk 14 and extending vertically downward. The tip of the claw member 61A further has a claw portion 61A1 extending to the inside in the radial direction of the polishing disk 14. The claw portion 61A1 has an inclined surface whose height increases from the inside in the radial direction to the outside. As shown in FIG. 13, the actuator 61B is operated in a state in which the gripping mechanism 61 is lowered to the vicinity of the polishing disk 14. When the actuator 61B is operated, the claw portion 61A1 of the claw member 61A moves radially inward. As a result, the three claw members 61A enter below the polishing disk 14 and grip the polishing disk 14. In this state, the gripping mechanism 61 can be moved upward to remove the polishing disk 14 from the turntable 13. Although the operation of the gripping mechanism 61 to grip the polishing disk 14 at the polishing disk placement position has been described, the operation of the gripping mechanism 61 to grip the polishing disk 14 at the polishing disk holding position is substantially the same.

[0036] The turntable 13 has three recesses 13A formed at positions corresponding to the three claw members 61A. This allows the claw members 61A to enter below the polishing disc 14 when they move radially inward. After the end face of the ferrule 9 is polished and the end face of the ferrule 9 separates from the polishing disc 14, the control mechanism 90 moves the turntable 13 to a predetermined rotation position. In other words, the stop position of the turntable 13 is moved to a predetermined position. This causes the positions of the three recesses 13A of the turntable 13 to coincide with the positions of the three claw members 61A when the gripping mechanism 61 grips the polishing disc 14.

[0037] As described above, the holder moving mechanism 70 is fixed to the X-axis moving mechanism 4 and is configured to move in the X-axis direction together with the X-axis moving mechanism 4. The movement range of the holder moving mechanism 70 is between an optical fiber polishing position (hereinafter, polishing position) where the ferrule 9 is polished by the polisher 10 and an optical fiber cleaning position (hereinafter, cleaning position) where the ferrule 9 is cleaned by the cleaning mechanism 20. The holder moving mechanism 70 moves the holder 11 along the X-axis direction between the polishing position and the cleaning position. In addition, the holder moving mechanism 70 can move the holder 11 in the Z-axis direction at the polishing position and the cleaning position. The holder 11 is placed on the polisher 10 by moving the holder 11 downward in the Z-axis direction at the polishing position. In addition, the holder 11 is moved into the storage tank 21A by moving the holder 11 downward in the Z-axis direction at the cleaning position. When the holder 11 held by the holder moving mechanism 70 is located at the polishing position, the gripping mechanism 61 of the polishing disk moving mechanism 60 holds the polishing disk 14 at the polishing disk holding position, and when the holder 11 is located at the cleaning position, the gripping mechanism 61 places the polishing disk 14 on the upper surface of the turntable 13 at the polishing disk placement position before polishing begins.

[0038] FIG. 14 is a front view showing a state in which the holder 11 is fixed to the clamp post 15 by the holder moving mechanism 70. Note that in FIG. 14, some components are omitted for the sake of simplicity. The holder 11 has four vertically extending columns 11A and two handles 11B that extend horizontally from above the columns 11A and connect the two columns 11A. An operator can carry the holder 11 by holding the handles 11B and set it on the holder moving mechanism 70. The holder moving mechanism 70 has a handle placement surface 71 on which the handles 11B are placed and a fixing mechanism 72 that fixes the handles 11B of the holder 11. An operator places the handles 11B on the handle placement surface 71 and operates the fixing mechanism 72 to attach the holder 11 to the holder moving mechanism 70. The holder 11 is fixed to the holder moving mechanism 70 with a predetermined distance of play in the vertical direction (up and down direction). That is, the holder 11 is mounted on the holder moving mechanism 70 in a state in which it can be separated from the holder moving mechanism 70 by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction. When the holder 11 is mounted on the grinding machine 10 by the holder moving mechanism 70, the holder 11 descends together with the holder moving mechanism 70 and is placed on the holder mounting surface 15A of the clamp post 15, and then the handle mounting surface 71 of the holder moving mechanism 70 further descends by a predetermined distance. When the holder 11 is mounted on the grinding machine 10, a gap C is formed between the lower surface of the handle 11B of the holder 11 and the handle mounting surface 71 of the holder moving mechanism 70. This gap C is equal to a predetermined distance by which the holder 11 can move vertically relative to the holder moving mechanism 70. By forming the gap C, the holder 11 can be reliably seated on the holder mounting surface 15A of the clamp post 15, and the holder moving mechanism 70 can be prevented from affecting the grinding. The predetermined distance is preferably about 0.1 to 5.5 mm.

[0039] The cleaning mechanism 30 is fixed to the plate 5 and configured to move in the X-axis direction together with the X-axis moving mechanism 4. When the holder 11 moves between the polishing position and the cleaning position, that is, when the gripping mechanism 61 moves between the polishing disc holding position and the polishing disc arrangement position, the cleaning mechanism 30 moves in the X-axis direction so as to pass above the turntable 13. Then, only when the holder 11 moves from the polishing position to the cleaning position after the ferrule 9 is polished, the cleaning mechanism 30 moves downward in the Z-axis direction by the air cylinder 36. In this way, the polishing debris and polishing liquid remaining on the upper surface of the polishing disc 14 after polishing are wiped off by the nonwoven fabric 31.

[0040] 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the polishing apparatus 1 of the present invention. In particular, the following describes the positions and timings at which the cleaning mechanism 30, polishing disk preparation mechanism 51, polishing disk moving mechanism 60, and holder moving mechanism 70 operate in relation to the X-axis position of the X-axis moving mechanism 4. In the following description, the position of the X-axis moving mechanism 4 in the X-axis direction when the holder 11 is in the polishing position and the gripping mechanism 61 of the polishing disk moving mechanism 60 is in the polishing disk holding position is defined as position A, and the position of the X-axis moving mechanism 4 in the X-axis direction when the holder 11 is in the cleaning position and the gripping mechanism 61 is in the polishing disk arrangement position is defined as position B.

[0041] The polishing disk preparation mechanism 51 holds the polishing disk 14 stored in the polishing disk stocker 50 (step S1-1). Simultaneously with the operation of step S1-1, the X-axis moving mechanism 4 moves from position B to position A. The gripping mechanism 61 of the polishing disk moving mechanism 60 grips the polishing disk 14 of the polishing disk preparation mechanism 51 (step S2-1). The X-axis moving mechanism 4 moves from position A to position B. In addition, the polishing disk preparation mechanism 51 holds the polishing disk 14 to be used next from the polishing disk stocker 50 while the polishing disk 14 is moving (step S1-2). The polishing disk 14 held by the gripping mechanism 61 is placed on the upper surface of the turntable 13 (step S2-2). The polishing liquid supply mechanism 40 supplies the polishing liquid to the polishing disk 14 placed on the turntable 13 (step S2-3). The X-axis moving mechanism 4 moves from position B to position A. The holder 11 held by the holder moving mechanism 70 is fixed to the polishing machine 10 by the clamp post 15 (step S3-1). The turntable 13 is rotated to polish the end face of the ferrule 9 attached to the holder 11 by the polishing disk 14 (step S3-2). While the ferrule 9 is being polished, the gripping mechanism 61 of the polishing disk moving mechanism 60 grips the polishing disk 14 to be used next from the polishing disk preparation mechanism 51 (step S2-4). The X-axis moving mechanism 4 moves from position A to position B. During the movement of the X-axis moving mechanism 4 from position A to position B, when the holder 11 passes above the first air blower 22A, air is sprayed from the first air blower 22A to remove polishing debris and the like attached to the ferrule 9 and the holder 11 (step S3-3). In addition, while the X-axis moving mechanism 4 is moving from position A to position B, the cleaning mechanism 30 moves downward when passing above the turntable 13, thereby wiping off the polishing debris and polishing liquid on the upper surface of the polishing disk 14 with the nonwoven fabric 31 (step S4-1). After the X-axis moving mechanism 4 moves to position B, the holder moving mechanism 70 moves the holder 11 downward in the Z-axis direction and immerses the holder 11 in the cleaning liquid of the ultrasonic cleaner 21. The ultrasonic cleaner 21 is operated to clean the ferrule 9 attached to the holder 11 (step S3-4). The gripping mechanism 61 grips the used polishing disk 14, and the polishing disk replacement mechanism 63 switches the positions of the two gripping mechanisms 61, and the polishing disk 14 for the next process is placed on the upper surface of the turntable 13 (step S2-5).The polishing liquid supply mechanism 40 supplies the polishing liquid to the polishing disk 14 placed on the turntable 13 (step S2-6). The X-axis moving mechanism 4 moves from position B to position A. When the holder 11 passes above the second air blower 22B while the X-axis moving mechanism 4 moves from position B to position A, the second air blower 22B sprays air to remove water and the like adhering to the ferrule 9 and the holder 11 (step S3-5). After the X-axis moving mechanism 4 moves to position A, the holder 11 held by the holder moving mechanism 70 is fixed to the polishing machine 10 by the clamp post 15 (step S3-6). In addition, the used polishing disk 14 held by the holding mechanism 61 of the polishing disk moving mechanism 60 is placed on the polishing disk preparation mechanism 51 (step S2-7). The polishing disk preparation mechanism 51 stores the used polishing disk 14 in the polishing disk stocker 50 (step S1-3) and holds the polishing disk 14 to be used next (step S1-4). By repeating the above steps, the polishing operation of the ferrule 9 is automatically performed while changing the polishing disk 14.

[0042] In the above-mentioned process, the polishing disk replacement mechanism 63 replaces the positions of the two gripping mechanisms 61 in the X-axis direction as necessary during the movement of the polishing disk 14 in the X-axis direction, etc. In this embodiment, the polishing disk stocker 50 is configured to accommodate the polishing disks 14 in two rows, left and right, in the X-axis direction. For example, in the case where the gripping mechanism 61 grips the polishing disk 14 accommodated in the polishing disk stocker 50 on the left side (the side farther from the turntable 13) in the process of step S2-1, since it is desired that the gripping mechanism 61 gripping the polishing disk 14 be disposed on the right side (the turntable side), the polishing disk replacement mechanism 63 replaces the positions of the two gripping mechanisms 61 in the X-axis direction while the gripping mechanism 61 moves in the X-axis direction. On the other hand, in the process of step S2-4, when the gripping mechanism 61 grips the polishing disk 14 housed in the polishing disk stocker 50 on the left side (the side farther from the turntable 13), it is necessary to first grip the used polishing disk 14 with the gripping mechanism 61 not gripping the polishing disk 14, and then to swap the positions of the two gripping mechanisms 61 in the X-axis direction, so there is no need to swap the positions of the two gripping mechanisms 61 in the X-axis direction in advance. The opposite is true when the gripping mechanism 61 grips the polishing disk 14 housed in the polishing disk stocker 50 on the right side (the side closer to the turntable 13). Similarly, when the used polishing disk 14 is placed in the polishing disk stocker 50, the polishing disk replacement mechanism 63 determines whether to swap the positions of the two gripping mechanisms 61 in the X-axis direction depending on the position of the polishing disk stocker 50 housing the polishing disk 14 in the X-axis direction.

[0043] As described above, in the polishing apparatus 1 of the present invention, the replacement work of the polishing disk 14 and the cleaning work of the ferrule 9 after polishing, which have been conventionally performed manually by an operator, can be automatically performed by a machine. The polishing disk moving mechanism 60 and the holder moving mechanism 70 are integrally configured with the X-axis moving mechanism 4 and are configured to move in the X-axis direction in conjunction with the X-axis moving mechanism 4. By moving only the X-axis moving mechanism 4 without providing multiple moving mechanisms in the X-axis direction, it is possible to avoid the increase in size and high cost of the apparatus as much as possible, even though the above-mentioned work is automated. Furthermore, by performing the cleaning work of the polishing disk 14 after polishing by the cleaning mechanism 30, it is possible to prevent the intrusion of polishing debris and the like into the polishing machine 10 and the like, and to make it possible to reuse the polishing disk 14 after use as it is. In addition, the cleaning mechanism 30 is also configured to move in the X-axis direction in conjunction with the X-axis moving mechanism 4, thereby avoiding the increase in size and high cost of the apparatus. By adopting a structure in which the polishing disk moving mechanism 60 can simultaneously hold two polishing disks 14 and the polishing disk replacement mechanism 63 can replace the positions of the two gripping mechanisms 61, the number of times the polishing disk moving mechanism 60 moves in the X-axis direction to replace the polishing disk 14 is minimized while the polishing disk moving mechanism 60 is linked to the X-axis moving mechanism 4. By moving the stop position of the turntable 13 to a predetermined position after polishing the end face of the ferrule 9, the polishing disk 14 can always be gripped at a fixed position without rotating the gripping mechanism 61. By adopting a structure in which the clamp post 15 switches between a fixed state in which the holder 11 is fixed to the polishing machine 10 and a released state in which the holder 11 is released from the polishing machine 10, the attachment and detachment of the holder 11 to the polishing machine 10 can be automated. The holder 11 can be reliably attached to the polishing machine 10 by adopting a structure in which the holder 11 is fixed to the holder moving mechanism 70 in a state in which it can be separated by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction. The polishing liquid supplying work, which was conventionally performed by an operator, can be automated by supplying the polishing liquid to the polishing disk 14 using the polishing liquid supply mechanism 40. By using a first air blower 22A that moves along the X axis from position A to position B and sprays air toward the polishing machine 10, and a second air blower 22B that moves along the X axis from position B to position A and sprays air toward the ultrasonic cleaner 21, it is possible to blow away polishing debris, water droplets, etc. in the optimal direction.The polishing machine 10 of the present invention is configured to apply polishing pressure to the end face of the ferrule 9 by moving the turntable 13 from below to above. Since there is no need to provide a mechanism for applying polishing pressure above the turntable 13, the polishing disk moving mechanism 60 and the holder moving mechanism 70 can be disposed above the turntable 13.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the polishing disk moving mechanism 60, the holder moving mechanism 70, and the cleaning mechanism 30 are fixed to the X-axis moving mechanism 4, and these parts move together in the X-axis direction. However, these parts do not necessarily have to be fixed to the X-axis moving mechanism 4. For example, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which a link mechanism or the like is interposed between the X-axis moving mechanism and these parts. It is sufficient that the polishing disk moving mechanism, the holder moving mechanism, and the cleaning mechanism moving mechanism (cleaning mechanism) move in the X-axis direction (predetermined axis direction) in accordance with the movement of the X-axis moving mechanism in the X-axis direction, and such an operation is expressed as "moving in conjunction with each other." In addition, it is not necessarily necessary to distinguish between the X-axis moving mechanism and the polishing disk moving mechanism, the holder moving mechanism, and the cleaning mechanism moving mechanism, and the X-axis moving mechanism may directly perform some of the functions of the polishing disk moving mechanism, the holder moving mechanism, and the cleaning mechanism moving mechanism. Furthermore, it is not necessarily necessary for all of the polishing disk moving mechanism, the holder moving mechanism, and the cleaning mechanism moving mechanism (cleaning mechanism) to move in the X-axis direction in conjunction with each other. For example, the present invention also includes a configuration in which the polishing plate moving mechanism and the holder moving mechanism move in the X-axis direction in conjunction with each other.

[0045] In the above embodiment, a structure in which the ferrule 9 is fixed to the holder 11 by the fixing jig 12 has been described, but the structure for holding the ferrule in the holder is not limited to this. It is also possible to hold the ferrule in the holder by a nut or the like without using a fixing jig, or to fix the connector directly to the holder. Also, although a structure in which the ferrule is fixed to the holder has been described, the present invention is also applicable to a structure in which an optical fiber is fixed directly to the holder.

[0046] In the above embodiment, an example of changing the polishing roughness depending on the type of polishing film 14B has been described, but the polishing film may not be coated with an abrasive, and the ferrule or optical fiber may be polished by refilling the upper surface of the polishing pad with a polishing liquid containing an abrasive. In this case, the polishing roughness can be changed by changing the type of polishing liquid to be refilled. By preparing multiple tanks for each type of polishing liquid and configuring the control mechanism to change the type and number of tanks to be used, it is possible to obtain the same effect as changing the type of polishing film.

[0047] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the turntable 13 is rotated by both the revolution shaft 16 and the rotation shaft 17, but the structure to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to this. As long as the turntable is structured to rotate in the horizontal direction, it may be structured to be rotated by only one of the revolution shaft or the rotation shaft.

[0048] In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the turntable 13 is moved up and down in the vertical direction by an air cylinder, but other structures can be used as long as they are capable of moving the turntable in the vertical direction. For example, it is also possible to use a drive mechanism other than an air cylinder, such as a hydraulic cylinder or an electric motor.

[0049] In the above embodiment, a structure was described in which the resin bush 16B enables the turntable 13 to rotate about the axis and move in the axial direction relative to the revolution shaft 16, but it is also possible to use something other than a resin bush. For example, it is also possible to use a ball guide or an oil-free bush to enable relative rotation about the axis and relative movement in the axial direction relative to the revolution shaft. Also, by adopting a structure in which the revolution shaft and the rotation shaft move up and down together with the turntable, it is also possible to omit parts such as a ball guide that enable relative rotation about the axis and relative movement in the axial direction relative to the revolution shaft.

[0050] In the above embodiment, a structure has been described in which the polishing disk 14 housed in the polishing disk stocker 50 is temporarily pulled out in the Y-axis direction by the polishing disk preparation mechanism 51 and then held by the polishing disk moving mechanism 60. However, it is also possible to use a storage mechanism instead of the polishing disk stocker 50 without providing the polishing disk preparation mechanism 51, and to directly hold the polishing disk 14 by the polishing disk moving mechanism 60. In either case, the position where the polishing disk 14 is held by the polishing disk moving mechanism 60 is defined as the polishing disk holding position. The number of rows in the X-axis direction and the number of stages in the Z-axis direction of the polishing disk stocker can also be changed as appropriate.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the polishing disk moving mechanism 60 has two gripping mechanisms 61, but the number of polishing disk moving mechanisms 60 is not limited to two. For example, it is also possible to use three gripping mechanisms to arrange three polishing disks at intervals of 120°, and to change the rotational positions of the three polishing disks 14 using the polishing disk replacement mechanism 63. By providing two or more gripping mechanisms, it is possible to hold two or more polishing disks simultaneously, and by using the polishing disk replacement mechanism to replace the positions of the two or more polishing disks in the X-axis direction, it is possible to reduce the movement of the polishing disk moving mechanism in the X-axis direction.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the flow has been described in which the polishing disk 14 is replaced after the ferrule 9 has been washed and the next polishing operation is started, but it is also possible to add a step of cleaning the end face of the ferrule 9 with nonwoven fabric between each polishing step or after the completion of the final polishing step. In this case, it is also possible to place a polishing pad 14A with nonwoven fabric attached to its upper surface instead of the polishing film 14B on the turntable 13 and clean the end face of the ferrule 9 by rotating the turntable 13.

[0053] In the above embodiments, examples of polishing an optical fiber as an object to be polished have been shown, but the object to be polished by the polishing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to an optical fiber. It is also possible to polish objects other than optical fibers. For example, the polishing apparatus of the present invention can be used to polish samples used for research, experiments, quality control, and the like. Here, the samples to be polished include optical microscope samples, electron microscope samples, strength test pieces, and the like used for testing, inspection, and analysis. For example, the polishing apparatus of the present invention can be used when mirror-polishing the surface of a processing object to prepare a sample for surface observation by an optical microscope, an electron microscope, or the like. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a state in which a holder 110 for polishing a sample (hereinafter, holder 110) with a sample 100 attached thereto is attached to a polishing machine 10. As shown in FIG. 16, the sample 100 is attached to the holder 110, and the polishing machine 10 is driven in this state to polish the sample 100. Since the process is the same as the process of polishing an optical fiber except that the sample 100 is attached to the holder 110, detailed description will be omitted. In order to perform polishing for various purposes, it is necessary to appropriately change the polishing conditions, polishing disk (polishing pad, polishing film), polishing liquid, holder, etc., but by changing the polishing conditions, the polishing device can be used for polishing for various purposes. In addition, this polishing device (this polishing machine) uses a polishing mechanism in which a polishing plate is placed on the top surface of a turntable and rotated (rotated and revolved) to polish the object to be polished. The polishing holder on which the sample is attached is fixed to the polishing machine, so polishing is possible without being affected by the size or shape of the sample, compared to polishing machines that have movements such as rotating the jig (such as the polishing holder) that holds the sample.

[0054] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. -Appropriately change and apply the mutually replaceable members and configurations disclosed in the above embodiments. · Appropriately replacing members and configurations that are not disclosed in the above embodiments but are publicly known and can be mutually substituted for the members and configurations disclosed in the above embodiments, and changing the combinations thereof for application. - Substitute members and configurations, etc. that are not disclosed in the above embodiments but that a person skilled in the art could imagine as substitutes for the members and configurations, etc. disclosed in the above embodiments based on publicly known techniques, and change the combinations and apply the present invention. is disclosed as one embodiment of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1...optical fiber polishing device, 2...base, 3A...X-axis rail, 3B...X-axis drive mechanism, 4...X-axis movement mechanism, 5...plate, 6...cable holder, 7...X-axis slide rail, 8...Y-axis slide rail, 9...optical fiber ferrule, 10...polishing machine, 11...optical fiber polishing holder, 12...fixing jig, 13...turntable, 14...polishing disk, 15...clamp post, 16...revolution axis, 17...rotation axis, 18...thrust ring, 19...base plate, 20...optical fiber cleaning mechanism, 21...ultrasonic cleaner, 22...air blower, 30...polishing disk cleaning mechanism, 31 ...nonwoven fabric, 32...first roller, 33...second roller, 34...third roller, 35...fourth roller, 36...air cylinder, 37...motor, 40...polishing liquid supply mechanism, 41...pump, 42...nozzle, 43...tube, 44...nozzle support mechanism, 45...tank, 50...polishing disk stocker, 51...polishing disk preparation mechanism, 60...polishing disk moving mechanism, 61...gripping mechanism, 62...connecting plate, 63...polishing disk replacement mechanism, 70...holder moving mechanism, 71...handle mounting surface, 72...fixing mechanism, 80...operation unit, 90...control mechanism, 100...sample, 110...holder for sample polishing.

Claims

1. A polishing apparatus for polishing an object to be polished that is attached to a holder, comprising: a polishing mechanism that polishes the workpiece by rotating a polishing disk disposed on an upper surface of a turntable; A cleaning mechanism for cleaning the object to be polished; A holder moving mechanism that moves the holder; a polishing disk moving mechanism for moving the polishing disk; a control mechanism for controlling a position of the holder and a position of the polishing disk relative to the polishing mechanism, A polishing apparatus, characterized in that the holder and the polishing disk are configured to move in conjunction with each other at least in a predetermined axial direction.

2. the holder moving mechanism is configured to move the holder between at least a polishing position where the polished object is polished by the polishing mechanism and a cleaning position where the polished object is cleaned by the cleaning mechanism; 2. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined axial direction is a direction in which the holder is moved between the polishing position and the cleaning position.

3. The polishing disk moving mechanism is configured to move the polishing disk between a polishing disk holding position where the polishing disk stored in at least a storage location is held by the polishing disk moving mechanism and a polishing disk placement position where the polishing disk held by the polishing disk moving mechanism is placed on the upper surface of the polishing mechanism, 2. A polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined axial direction is a direction in which the polishing disc is moved between the polishing disc holding position and the polishing disc disposing position.

4. When the holder is located at the polishing position, the polishing disk stored in the storage location is held by the polishing disk moving mechanism; 4. The polishing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the holder is located at the cleaning position, the polishing disk held by the polishing disk moving mechanism is placed on the upper surface of the turntable of the polishing mechanism.

5. a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the polishing disk; A cleaning mechanism moving mechanism that moves the cleaning mechanism, the control mechanism controls a position of the cleaning mechanism relative to the burnishing mechanism; 2. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning mechanism is configured to move in conjunction with the holder and the polishing disk at least in the predetermined axial direction.

6. The polishing plate moving mechanism is capable of holding two or more polishing plates simultaneously, 2. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polishing table moving mechanism includes a polishing table replacement mechanism that replaces the positions of the two or more polishing tables in the predetermined axial direction.

7. 2. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control mechanism moves the stop position of the turntable to a predetermined position after polishing the object to be polished.

8. a fixation switching mechanism for switching between a fixed state in which the holder is fixed to the polishing apparatus and a released state in which the holder is released from the polishing apparatus, 2. The polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control mechanism is configured to switch between the fixed state and the released state.

9. 9. A polishing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein in the fixed state, the holder is fixed in a state in which it can be separated from the holder moving mechanism by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction.

10. a polishing liquid supply mechanism for supplying a polishing liquid to the polishing plate; 2. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control mechanism controls the supply of the polishing liquid from the polishing liquid supply mechanism to the polishing plate.

11. The cleaning mechanism includes an air blower that cleans the workpiece by spraying air, 2. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air blower is configured to inject air in both one direction and the other direction with respect to a vertical direction.

12. 12. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polishing mechanism is configured to apply a polishing pressure to the workpiece by moving the turntable from below to above.

13. A method for polishing an object to be polished that is attached to a holder, comprising the steps of: a step of polishing the workpiece by a polishing mechanism by rotating a polishing disk disposed on an upper surface of a turntable; cleaning the object to be polished by a cleaning mechanism; moving the holder by a holder moving mechanism; moving the polishing disk by a polishing disk moving mechanism; Equipped with A method for polishing an object to be polished, characterized in that the holder and the polishing disk are configured to move in conjunction with each other at least in a predetermined axial direction.

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