Non-contact type discrimination device for alignment between lens of optical component and MT fiber unit

Abstract

In order to completely solve the problems of conventional contact-type discrimination technologies, such as reduced accuracy in misalignment detection due to contact errors and damage to optical components, and to provide a technology that can accurately determine the alignment between a lens and an MT fiber unit without contacting the connection terminal side of the optical component, a non-contact discrimination device for alignment between a lens of an optical component and an MT fiber unit according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by including: a focusing unit that is separated from the terminal side end of the MT fiber connected to the lens of the optical component so as not to come into contact with the end and focuses an optical signal transmitted from the end; a transmission line that receives the signal focused by the focusing unit; and a measuring device that determines the alignment of the MT fiber and the lens using the signal transmitted from the transmission line.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for determining whether a lens and an MT fiber (optical fiber) are correctly manufactured by determining the alignment between the lens and the MT fiber in an assembled unit of an optical component used in optical communications, etc. Specifically, the present invention relates to a technology for accurately determining the alignment between the lens and the MT fiber without contacting the connecting terminal side of the optical component, thereby completely resolving the problems of conventional contact-type determination technology. [Background technology]

[0002] Optical components are units such as lenses and optical cables that are placed on optical communication lines and used to transmit large volumes of data quickly. Optical components include MT fiber and a lens or MT fiber unit called a fiber array (FA). When aligning the lens and fiber, a jumper (extension) optical fiber needs to be connected. However, when directly connecting the jumper optical fiber, a precision connection may not be achieved, resulting in light loss. Therefore, instead of using a jumper (extension) fiber, a fiber focuser that receives an expanded beam or a lens is used to align the expanded beam emitted from the end of the MT fiber with the fiber focuser.

[0003] In such a structure, the alignment between the lens and the MT fiber is recognized as a very important factor for the above-mentioned purpose. Therefore, a structure that can align or couple the lens and the MT fiber stably and precisely is required, and in the manufacturing of optical components that require alignment between the lens and the MT fiber, a technology that can determine whether the alignment between the lens and the MT fiber is performed with high precision and determine whether the product is defective is important.

[0004] 1 to 3 show examples of prior art techniques for determining alignment between a lens and an MT fiber in a component such as an optical cable.

[0005] Referring to FIG. 1, in a first conventional technique for determining the alignment between a lens and an MT fiber, a pin 7 of a male terminal 8 connected to a measuring instrument 9 is inserted into a groove 4 on a female terminal 3 connected to a fiber 2 connected to a lens 1 via a fiber box 2-1. In this case, the ends 5 of the multiple MT fibers 2 present in the MT-shaped fiber 2 on the female terminal 3 side come into contact with the MT fiber 6 on the male terminal 8 side by inserting and connecting the pin 7 to the groove 4. As a result, the signal transmitted to each of the MT fibers 2, 5, and 6 through the lens 1 is analyzed by the measuring instrument 9, and the focus and position determined from the signal are determined to determine the alignment between the lens and the MT fiber.

[0006] However, in this case, a problem like that shown in Figure 2 occurs. That is, when a defect is detected by the measuring instrument 9, according to the above-mentioned purpose, only misalignment between the lens 1 and the MT fiber 2 should be the cause of the defect. However, according to the first technique described above, when inserting the pin 7 of the male terminal 8 into the female terminal 3 as shown in Figure 2(a), a defect is also detected if the left-right angle (a1) is misaligned with respect to the line connecting both sides of the pin 7 as shown in Figure 2(b), or if the top-bottom angle (a2) is misaligned as shown in Figure 2(c). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2(d), if a foreign object (b) is present on the contact surface of the male terminal 8 that contacts the female terminals 3 of multiple optical components, the foreign object will be transferred to the female terminal 3 that contacts the male terminal 8.

[0007] In this case, even if the alignment between the lens 1 and the MT fiber 2 is normal, there is a high possibility that the product will be judged as defective or will be a defective product after the judgment process. In other words, when the measurement device 9 outputs a defective judgment result, it is not possible to determine whether the problem is a misalignment between the lens 1 and the end 5 of the MT fiber 2 or the problems shown in (b) to (d) in Figure 2. This leads to the problem of discarding a normal part by judging it as defective.

[0008] To solve the above problems, there is a second conventional technology that solves the problems shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b) by installing an adapter 8-1 on the male terminal 8 side and hooking the adapter into the groove 3-1 on the female terminal 3 side, as shown in Figure 3. However, this technology does not solve the problem shown in Figure 2(d) at all, and because of the hook-type connection, when the female terminal 3 is separated from the adapter 8-1 after the identification process, the groove 3-1 is damaged or cannot be separated. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The object of the present invention is to completely solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and to provide a technology that completely prevents damage to components during the detection process, such as incorrect detection caused by contact between terminals, contact transfer of foreign matter, or damage during separation in the hook shape, when determining the alignment between the lens of an optical component and an MT fiber. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above object, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a non-contact type discrimination device for determining alignment between a lens of an optical component and an MT fiber unit includes a focusing unit that focuses an optical signal transmitted from a terminal end of an MT fiber connected to a lens of an optical component, the focusing unit being spaced apart so as not to come into contact with the terminal end, a transmission line that receives the signal focused by the focusing unit, and a measuring device that determines alignment between the MT fiber and the lens using the signal transmitted from the transmission line.

[0011] The light-collecting portion is an MT fiber formed such that the diameter of one end of the MT fiber toward the terminal end is larger than the diameter of the other end connected to the transmission line.

[0012] The focusing unit includes a focusing lens installed to have a predetermined first diameter at one end of the MT fiber that faces the terminal end of the MT fiber, and a focusing fiber connected between the focusing lens and the transmission line, the focusing fiber having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter and the smallest diameter at the other end connected to the transmission line.

[0013] The light-collecting unit is spaced a predetermined first distance from the terminal end of the MT fiber, and the first distance is set differently depending on the emission angle of each size of the MT fiber.

[0014] The measuring instrument generates image data that is coupled to a lens according to the signal transmitted from the transmission line, and determines whether the MT fiber and the lens are properly aligned based on the shape and focus matching of the image data.

[0015] The MT fiber is a multi-channel MT fiber in which a large number of optical fibers are arranged, and the light-collecting portion is formed so that its horizontal and vertical diameters are set differently depending on the arrangement shape of the terminal-side ends of the optical fibers.

[0016] The MT fiber is a multi-channel MT fiber in which a number of optical fibers are arranged, and the light-collecting portion is formed so that the maximum diameter is set according to the arrangement and emission angle of the terminal-side end of the optical fiber.

[0017] The MT fiber is a multi-channel MT fiber in which a number of optical fibers are arranged, and the transmission line includes a number of optical fibers arranged in the same arrangement as the MT fiber. Each optical fiber receives a signal collected from the collecting unit and transmits it to the measuring instrument. The measuring instrument determines the alignment of the MT fiber and the lens for each signal transmitted through each of the transmission lines. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, the optical signal from the MT fiber, which is sent from the female terminal on the optical component side with an output area, is collected by the focusing unit in a non-contact state without any contact with the female terminal on the optical component side, and transmitted to the measuring instrument via the transmission line, thereby enabling highly accurate determination of the alignment between the lens and the MT fiber.

[0019] In this case, it is possible to completely prevent the fatal problems of the prior art, such as misidentification and damage to the components due to contact-type discrimination between the terminals on the optical component side and the terminals on the measuring instrument side, thereby greatly improving the accuracy of defect detection and damage prevention for the optical components, and increasing the yield. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique for determining the alignment of a lens and an MT fiber. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique for determining the alignment of a lens and an MT fiber. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a conventional technique for determining the alignment of a lens and an MT fiber. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a non-contact type discrimination device for alignment between a lens of an optical component and an MT fiber unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a light collecting section according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of the shape of the light collecting portion according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of the shape of the light collecting portion according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Various embodiments and / or aspects are described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to facilitate a general understanding of one or more aspects. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that these aspects may be practiced without such specific details. The following description and the accompanying drawings set forth certain exemplary aspects of one or more aspects in detail. However, such aspects are illustrative, and only a portion of various methods may be utilized in accordance with the principles of the various aspects, and the description is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents.

[0022] As used herein, "embodiments," "examples," "aspects," "exemplary," and the like may not be construed as constituting any described aspect or design as better or advantageous over other aspects or designs.

[0023] Additionally, the terms "comprise" and / or "comprising" should be understood to mean that the feature and / or component in question is present, but not to exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, components and / or groups thereof.

[0024] Furthermore, terms including ordinal numbers, such as "first," "second," etc., are used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element can be referred to as a "second element," and similarly, a second element can be referred to as a "first element," without departing from the scope of the present invention. The term "and / or" includes a combination of multiple related listed items or any of multiple related listed items.

[0025] Furthermore, unless otherwise defined in the embodiments of the present invention, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted as idealized or overly formal unless explicitly defined in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] 1 to 3 are diagrams for explaining a conventional technique for determining the alignment of a lens and an MT fiber, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a non-contact determination device for determining the alignment between a lens of an optical component and an MT fiber unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a focusing unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrams for explaining examples of the shape of a focusing unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] On the other hand, in the following description, the items shown in the drawings are shown with some components omitted or enlarged or reduced in size in order to explain the function of each component of the present invention, but it is understood that these items do not limit the technical features and scope of the present invention.

[0028] In the following description, multiple drawings will be simultaneously referenced to explain one technical feature or components constituting the invention.

[0029] Referring to the drawings, a non-contact type discrimination device for alignment between a lens of an optical component and an MT fiber unit according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the "device of the present invention") includes a light focusing unit 10, a transmission line 20, and a measuring instrument 30.

[0030] In the present invention, the optical component refers to any component having a structure in which an MT fiber 2 is connected to a lens portion in a cable-like manner and transmitted to an end portion 5, and in the connecting portion region where the end portion 5 is present, a male terminal is connected to a female groove 4 into which the male pin is inserted via a female terminal 3, thereby connecting to a cable or other device. The optical component in the present invention can be used, for example, in optical communications, and can be used in all data lines or network equipment in which an end portion 5 of an MT fiber 2 is used.

[0031] In the present invention, the fiber 2 has a large number of optical fibers, visible through the side end 5 of the MT fiber 2 as shown in Figure 4, arranged in a line or in three dimensions, enabling high-capacity optical communication. As mentioned above, the MT fiber 2 in the present invention, described below, is understood to refer to the multi-channel MT fiber and the cable surrounding it. However, since the above-mentioned objectives of the present invention also function as a single optical fiber cable, a single optical fiber cable can also be applied to the present invention.

[0032] The light collecting unit 10 is installed away from the end 5 of the MT fiber 2 connected to the lens, i.e., the exposed end, so as not to come into contact with it, and is an element that collects the optical signal transmitted from the end 5. The light collecting unit 10 preferably has a diameter of 4 to 8 mm, and collects light irradiated at an irradiation angle A at one fiber end 51 exposed at the end 5, as shown in FIG. 5. In such an environment, for testing, for example, if there are multiple one fiber ends 51, light is emitted sequentially, and as shown in FIG. 5, the central axis of the light collecting unit 10 is moved to the central axis of each end according to the order of light emission at the one fiber end 51, and the light emitted from each fiber end 51 is sequentially collected and measured by the measuring instrument 30 to determine whether alignment is successful.

[0033] 1 to 3, in the first conventional technique for determining the alignment between a lens and an MT fiber, the pin 7 of the male terminal 8 connected to the measuring instrument 9 is inserted into the groove 4 of the female terminal 3 connected to the lens 1 and the fiber 2. In this case, the ends 5 of the multiple MT fibers 2 present in the MT-shaped fiber 2 on the female terminal 3 side and the MT fibers 6 on the male terminal 8 side are brought into contact by the insertion and connection of the pin 7 and the groove 4. As a result, the signal transmitted to each of the MT fibers 5 and 6 through the lens 1 is analyzed by the measuring instrument 9, and the focus and position determined from the signal are determined to determine the alignment between the lens and the MT fiber.

[0034] This is a technology that is applied in the case of the end 5 of the MT fiber 2 on the terminal side, where when exposed, the light has the optical characteristics of spreading with a certain light distribution angle and emitting light in a straight line, so that in order to accurately determine alignment, a male terminal, i.e., the MT fiber 6 on the measuring instrument 9 side, is brought into contact with the end of the end 5 of the MT fiber 2, so that no light is exposed to the outside.

[0035] However, as mentioned above, when determining whether a product is defective using the measuring instrument 9, the first technique described above will determine whether a product is defective even if, when inserting the pin 7 of the male terminal 8 into the female terminal 3, the left-right angle (a1) is off as shown in FIG. 2(b) or the top-bottom angle (a2) is off as shown in FIG. 2(c), based on the line connecting both sides of the pin 7. As a result, even if there is no misalignment between the lens and the MT fiber, if the cases shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c) occur, a determination error will occur due to a determination that the product is defective. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2(d), for example, if a foreign object (b) is present on the contact surface of the male terminal 8 that contacts the female terminals 3 of multiple optical components, the foreign object will be transferred to the female terminal 3 that contacts the male terminal 8.

[0036] In the above case, when the measuring device 9 outputs a defect judgment result, it is not possible to judge whether the problem is a defect in the alignment between the lens 1 and the MT fiber 2 or the problems shown in (b) to (d) of Figure 2. This results in a problem of discarding a normal part by judging it as defective.

[0037] In this regard, as shown in Figure 3, the problems shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b) can be solved by installing an adapter 8-1 on the male terminal 8 and hooking the adapter into the groove 3-1 on the female terminal 3. However, even in this case, the problem shown in Figure 2(d) cannot be solved at all, and the hook-type connection causes problems such as damage to the groove 3-1 or failure to separate the female terminal 3 from the adapter 8-1 after the identification process.

[0038] In order to completely solve the problems of the first and second conventional techniques, the light-collecting unit 10 of the present invention is spaced apart from the end 5 of the MT fiber 2 so as not to come into contact with it, as described above. Therefore, in order to completely collect the optical signal irradiated with a certain emission area from the end 5 of the MT fiber 2, the light-collecting unit 10 has a dish antenna-like shape as shown in FIG. 4.

[0039] The transmission line 20 receives the condensed signal from the condenser 10 according to the function of the condenser 10 and transmits the condensed optical signal to the MT fiber in the same manner as the fiber 2. The measuring instrument 30 determines the alignment between the end 5 of the MT fiber 2 and the lens using the signal transmitted from the transmission line 20.

[0040] In this case, as mentioned above, the optical signal from the side end 5 of the MT fiber 2, which is sent out from the female terminal 3 on the optical component side with an emission area, is collected by the focusing unit 10 in a non-contact state, without making any contact with the side surface of the terminal end of the female terminal 3 on the optical component side, and transmitted to the measuring instrument 30 via the transmission line, thereby accurately determining the alignment between the lens and the MT fiber.

[0041] In this case, it is possible to completely prevent the problems of the prior art, such as discrimination errors and damage to components due to contact discrimination between the terminals on the optical component side and the terminals on the measuring instrument 30 side, thereby greatly improving the accuracy of defect detection and damage prevention capabilities of optical components, and increasing yields.

[0042] Meanwhile, various embodiments of the present invention will be described below in order to more significantly achieve the core effects of the present invention as described above.

[0043] First, as shown in FIG. 4 etc., in one embodiment of the present invention, the light collecting unit 10 is an integrated structure, and is made up of an MT fiber formed such that the diameter (R1) of one end toward the end 5 of the MT fiber 2 on the terminal 3 side of the MT fiber is larger than the diameter (R2) of the other end, i.e., the end connected to the transmission line 20.

[0044] As described above, due to the characteristics of the non-contact and spaced arrangement, the optical signal is irradiated onto the light distribution unit 10 from the end 5 of the MT fiber 2 so as to spread with a certain emission angle depending on the material and optical characteristics of the end 5 of the MT fiber 2, the diameter of the end 5 of the MT fiber 2, and the like. In this case, it is desirable that one end of the light distribution unit 10, the side facing the end 5 of the MT fiber 2, has a wide diameter (R1) so as to collect the light irradiated over a wide emission area. Desirably, the diameter (R1) is set to be larger than the diameter of the terminal 3, although this varies depending on the emission angle and the separation distance.

[0045] As described above, the light collecting unit 10 is disposed in a non-contact manner at a predetermined first distance (d1) away from the end 5 of the MT fiber 2. Here, the first distance (d1) is set differently depending on the output angle set by the diameter (R1) of the light collecting unit 10, the material of the end 5 of the MT fiber 2, the optical characteristics, the diameter of the end 5 of the MT fiber 2, and the like.

[0046] For this reason, in the present invention, the transmission line 20 is made of a flexible material, and a position setting unit (not shown) for the light collecting unit 10 that moves and fixes the position of the light collecting unit 10 so that the position of the light collecting unit 10 moves and fixes along the d1 direction in Figure 4, i.e., the light irradiation direction, is included as a further component of the device of the present invention.

[0047] Here, the position setting unit can control the position of the focusing unit 10 manually or automatically using a stepping motor system that allows precise control. In the automatic system, when identification information of the optical components including the MT fiber 2 and lens is input to the control terminal, information regarding the diameter (R1) of the focusing unit 10, the material of the MT fiber 2, the optical characteristics, the diameter of the MT fiber 2, etc. is automatically calculated to automatically set the first distance (d1), and then the position of the focusing unit 10 is controlled by the position setting unit, or a specific value for d1 is input from the control terminal and the position of the focusing unit 10 is controlled by the position setting unit.

[0048] Meanwhile, the light-collecting unit 10 is composed of the above-mentioned focusing MT fiber, or to further increase the focusing effect, it is composed of a lens and MT fiber shape. That is, as shown in Figure 5, in one embodiment, the light-collecting unit 10 is composed of a focusing lens 11 and a focusing fiber 12.

[0049] The condenser lens 11 is installed at one end of the MT fiber 2 facing the end 5 to have the predetermined first diameter as described above. Meanwhile, the condenser fiber 12 is an optical fiber-shaped component connected between the condenser lens 11 and the transmission line 20, and has a curved or linear inclined inner surface so that the other end connected to the transmission line 20 has a second diameter smaller than the first diameter and is the smallest.

[0050] In each of the above-described embodiments, the distance between the first diameter and the second diameter, i.e., the distance between one end side and the other end side of the light-collecting unit 10, is a distance for preventing loss of the optical signal depending on the output angle (A) according to the characteristics of the optical signal, as described above, and can be set differently from each other.

[0051] According to this embodiment, as described above, the optical signal irradiated from the exposed end of the MT fiber 2 side end 5 at a certain output angle (A) is again focused by the distant focusing unit 10, and the focused optical signal maintains the sameness as the optical signal in the fiber 2. As a result, an optical signal that maintains the sameness as the optical signal in the fiber 2 is transmitted through the transmission line 20, and this optical signal is received by the measuring instrument 30.

[0052] As described above, the light collecting unit 10 preferably has a diameter of 4 to 8 mm, and collects light emitted at an irradiation angle A at one fiber end side 5-1 exposed at the end 5, as shown in Fig. 5. In such an environment, for testing, if there are multiple one fiber end sides 51, light is emitted sequentially, and as shown in Fig. 5, the central axis of the light collecting unit 10 moves to the central axis of each end side according to the order in which the one fiber end sides 51 emit light, and the light emitted at each fiber end side 51 is collected sequentially and measured by the measuring instrument 30 to determine whether alignment is possible.

[0053] The measuring instrument 30 receives such an optical signal and determines whether the lens and the MT fiber are aligned using the optical signal, which may be a real data signal, a test signal, or an image transmitted from the measuring instrument 30 and focused by a lens, etc. That is, the measuring instrument 30 generates image data to be focused by the lens based on the signal transmitted from the transmission line 20, and determines whether the end 5 of the MT fiber 2 and the lens are aligned properly based on the shape and focus matching of the image data.

[0054] Here, whether the MT fiber 2 and the lens are properly aligned refers to a result value regarding whether the lens-side end of the MT fiber 2 is properly aligned to the focus of the lens when the lens-side end is connected to the lens, and is understood to be a binary value having either one of true / false values ​​or a value corresponding to a specific alignment value.

[0055] Meanwhile, as described above, the MT fiber 2 is a multi-channel MT fiber in which a number of optical fibers are arranged, i.e., it is included in an MT fiber cable, and a number of MT fibers 2 form ends 5 at one terminal 3 and are arranged as shown in the drawing. Here, the light emitted from each optical fiber end 51 is collected and its power is measured by the measuring device 30 to determine whether the fibers are properly aligned. As described above, this allows the power of light emitted from each optical fiber end 51 at the end 5 to be measured when it is generated only at one end in sequence.

[0056] In another embodiment of the present invention, the power of the entire end 5, i.e., the entire optical fiber included in the MT fiber 2, is measured in addition to the power of each optical fiber end 51 to determine whether alignment is successful when light is transmitted through the entire optical fiber. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, in addition to the basic configuration of the light collector 10 and transmission line 20 that basically measures the power of one optical fiber end 51, a sub-collecting light source 10-1 and sub-transmission line 20-1 that irradiate full power, i.e., light from the entire optical fiber included in the MT fiber 2, and collect this light are further connected to the measuring instrument 30 to determine the alignment of each optical fiber and the alignment of the entire MT fiber 2. In this embodiment, the measurement of each optical fiber end 51 and the measurement of the total full power are performed sequentially, and the light collector 10 and the sub-collecting unit 10-1 are implemented to be movable relative to each other.

[0057] Meanwhile, the arrangement of the end of the optical fiber disposed at the end 5 may be implemented differently depending on the type of the MT fiber 2. In this case, the movement of the light collecting unit 10 may be implemented differently depending on the above-described embodiments.

[0058] 6(a) and 6(b), in an embodiment of a multi-channel MT fiber in which the shapes of the ends 5-1 and 5-2 of the MT fibers are formed so that a number of optical fibers are arranged differently, as shown in (a) and (b), the light collecting unit 10 is arranged at the end facing the ends 5-1 and 5-2 of the MT fibers, and different moving means for moving the light collecting unit 10 are formed so that the moving directions (D1, D2) of the light collecting unit 10 differ depending on the arrangement of the optical fibers. Alternatively, the moving means are controlled differently so that the light collecting unit 10 automatically moves in the moving directions D1 and D2.

[0059] This is because if the shapes of the groove 4 and the MT fiber ends 5-1, 5-2 are different for each terminal, the path along which the light-collecting unit 10 should move will be set differently depending on the application of the sequential test signal. In this case, in order to collect all the light sequentially without loss, the position of the end of the light-collecting unit 10 facing the MT fiber ends 5-1, 5-2 should move in each direction (D1, D2) according to the arrangement of the optical fibers.

[0060] According to this embodiment, even without the contact method described above, all optical signals distributed widely at the end 5 of the MT fiber 2 are collected by the light collecting unit 10 and then transmitted to the measuring instrument 30 via the transmission line 20. This allows accurate determination of the alignment between the lens and the MT fiber without optical loss or the problems of the prior art, such as reduced accuracy of error detection and the transfer of foreign matter. Furthermore, by using a hook-type fastening structure when connecting the female terminal on the optical component and the male terminal on the measuring instrument, problems associated with the prior art, such as damage to the components themselves when they are separated, can be completely prevented. In other words, the present invention completely solves the problems of the prior art and allows accurate determination of the alignment between the lens and the MT fiber.

[0061] Although the present invention has been described above by way of example only with reference to the embodiments and drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and variations are possible from the above description. The terms "comprise," "constitute," "have," and the like used above mean that elements not specifically stated to the contrary may be present, and should be interpreted as meaning that other elements may be further included, rather than excluding other elements. The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted in accordance with the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. a focusing section that focuses an optical signal transmitted from a terminal side end of the MT fiber connected to the lens of the optical component and is spaced apart so as not to come into contact with the terminal side end; a transmission line for receiving the signal collected by the light collecting unit; a measuring instrument for determining alignment between the MT fiber and the lens using a signal transmitted from the transmission line; and

2. 2. The non-contact type discrimination device for determining alignment between a lens of an optical component and an MT fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the light-concentrating portion is an MT fiber formed such that the diameter of one end of the MT fiber toward the terminal end is larger than the diameter of the other end connected to the transmission line.

3. the focusing unit is a focusing lens disposed at one end of the MT fiber facing the terminal side of the MT fiber, the focusing lens having a predetermined first diameter; 2. The non-contact type discrimination device for determining alignment between a lens of an optical component and an MT fiber unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a focusing fiber connected between the focusing lens and the transmission line, the focusing fiber having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter and having the smallest diameter at the other end connected to the transmission line.

4. 2. The non-contact type discrimination device for determining alignment between a lens of an optical component and an MT fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the light-collecting unit is spaced a predetermined first distance from the terminal end of the MT fiber, and the first distance is set differently depending on the output angle of the MT fiber according to the size of the MT fiber.

5. 2. The non-contact type determining device for determining alignment between a lens of an optical component and an MT fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device generates image data to be coupled to a lens according to a signal transmitted from the transmission line, and determines whether the MT fiber and the lens are properly aligned based on the shape and focus matching of the image data.

6. the MT fiber is a multi-channel MT fiber in which a large number of optical fibers are arranged, 2. The non-contact type discrimination device for determining alignment between a lens of an optical component and an MT fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the light-concentrating portion is formed so that its horizontal and vertical diameters are set differently depending on the arrangement shape of the terminal side ends of the optical fibers.

7. the MT fiber is a multi-channel MT fiber in which a large number of optical fibers are arranged, 2. The non-contact type discrimination device for determining alignment between a lens of an optical component and an MT fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the light-concentrating portion is formed so that a maximum diameter thereof is set according to an arrangement form and an emission angle of the terminal side end of the optical fiber.

8. the MT fiber is a multi-channel MT fiber in which a large number of optical fibers are arranged, the transmission line includes a plurality of optical fibers arranged in the same arrangement as the MT fibers, and each optical fiber receives a signal collected from the light collecting unit and transmits the signal to the measuring instrument; 2. The non-contact type discrimination device for determining alignment between a lens of an optical component and an MT fiber unit according to claim 1, wherein the measuring instrument determines alignment between the MT fiber and the lens for each signal transmitted through each of the transmission lines.

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