GB2365439A - Grinding optical fibre connectors using a grinding liquid containing an alcohol - Google Patents
Grinding optical fibre connectors using a grinding liquid containing an alcohol Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2365439A GB2365439A GB0112822A GB0112822A GB2365439A GB 2365439 A GB2365439 A GB 2365439A GB 0112822 A GB0112822 A GB 0112822A GB 0112822 A GB0112822 A GB 0112822A GB 2365439 A GB2365439 A GB 2365439A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- grinding
- optical fiber
- optical fibers
- fiber connector
- connector
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 239000013307 optical fiber Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 55
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 24
- LFQSCWFLJHTTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ethanol Chemical compound CCO LFQSCWFLJHTTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 title claims abstract description 7
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 17
- LYCAIKOWRPUZTN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ethylene glycol Chemical compound OCCO LYCAIKOWRPUZTN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium oxide Inorganic materials [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Al+3].[Al+3] PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 13
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 9
- 150000005846 sugar alcohols Polymers 0.000 claims abstract 2
- 239000000843 powder Substances 0.000 claims description 10
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 description 10
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 description 10
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 description 9
- 239000012153 distilled water Substances 0.000 description 8
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Chemical compound O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 8
- WGCNASOHLSPBMP-UHFFFAOYSA-N hydroxyacetaldehyde Natural products OCC=O WGCNASOHLSPBMP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- NBZANZVJRKXVBH-GYDPHNCVSA-N alpha-Cryptoxanthin Natural products O[C@H]1CC(C)(C)C(/C=C/C(=C\C=C\C(=C/C=C/C=C(\C=C\C=C(/C=C/[C@H]2C(C)=CCCC2(C)C)\C)/C)\C)/C)=C(C)C1 NBZANZVJRKXVBH-GYDPHNCVSA-N 0.000 description 2
- CETPSERCERDGAM-UHFFFAOYSA-N ceric oxide Chemical compound O=[Ce]=O CETPSERCERDGAM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229940044927 ceric oxide Drugs 0.000 description 2
- 229910000422 cerium(IV) oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000003795 chemical substances by application Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000003746 surface roughness Effects 0.000 description 2
- 229920001187 thermosetting polymer Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 1
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910003460 diamond Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010432 diamond Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
- B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- B24B19/00—Single-purpose machines or devices for particular grinding operations not covered by any other main group
- B24B19/22—Single-purpose machines or devices for particular grinding operations not covered by any other main group characterised by a special design with respect to properties of the material of non-metallic articles to be ground
- B24B19/226—Single-purpose machines or devices for particular grinding operations not covered by any other main group characterised by a special design with respect to properties of the material of non-metallic articles to be ground of the ends of optical fibres
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
- B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- B24B1/00—Processes of grinding or polishing; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such processes
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Light Guides In General And Applications Therefor (AREA)
- Mechanical Coupling Of Light Guides (AREA)
Abstract
A method of grinding an optical fiber connector such that the end faces of optical fibers 4 to be held by the optical fiber connector 2 extend externally from the end face 2e of said optical fiber connector, comprising a step of grinding the end faces of the optical fibers while applying a grinding liquid containing a grinding material and alcohol onto a grinding sheet. The grinding material may be alumina and the alcohol may be a polyalcohol such as monoethylene glycol. The method allows improved connections between fibres held in abutting connectors.
Description
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METHOD OF GRINDING OPTICAL FIBER CONNECTOR Background of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of grinding an optical fiber connector.
In recent years, an integral resin-molded MT connector has been used as a multi-core connector. As shown in Fig. 4(A), the MT connector I has a plastic ferrule body 2 formed with an opening 2a at one end and a rubber boot portion 3 externally extending from the distal end of the ferrule body 2.
The distal end of the body 2 is also provided with a flange 2b. The flange 2b includes an aperture 2f formed therethrough. The aperture 2f communicates with the opening 2a. The opening 2a also communicates with a plurality of through-holes 2c which are formed through the body 2 and opened at the end face 2e thereof. The body 2 includes a pair of pin receiving apertures 2d formed therein at the opposite sides (see Fig. 4(B)).
Where the MT connector I is used to hold optical fibers 4, the tip end of an optical fiber tape 5 is first stripped off to expose the optical multi-core fibers 4 housed within the optical fiber tape 5.
The exposed tip ends of the optical fibers 4 are then inserted into the opening 2a through the aperture 2f. After the exposed optical fibers 4 have been passed through the through-holes 2c, their tip ends extend externally from the end face 2e of the body 2.
Subsequently, an adhesive 6 (e.g., thermosetting adhesive) is injected into the opening 2a to cover the optical fibers 4 extending externally from the end face 2e (see Fig. 4(C)).
After the adhesive 6 has thermally been hardened, the end face
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2e of the body 2 is ground to remove the externally extending optical fiber tips 4 and adhesive 6. Thus, the optical fibers 4 can be held within the MT connector 1.
As shown in Figs. 5(A), (B) and Fig. 6(A), a pair of such MT connectors la and lb respectively holding the optical fibers 4 are connected to each other through a pair of connection pins 7. More particularly, the connection pins 7 are first inserted into the pin receiving apertures 2d in one of the MT connectors la and then inserted into the pin receiving apertures 2d in the other MT connector I b.
Finally, as shown in Fig. 6(B), a fitting clip 8 is mounted around the pair of connected MT connectors la and lb to hold them in the abutting relationship. This completes the connection of optical fibers. Alternatively, the MT connectors la and lb may fixedly be mounted in housings which are in turn inserted into a connector adaptor to hold the MT connectors I a and I b in the abutting relationship.
In the prior art, the end faces of the MT connector 1 and optical fibers 4 have been ground flat. In such a case, however, an index matching agent (or matching oil) must additionally be applied onto the end face 2e to avoid any connection loss and to ensure a desired return loss.
To avoid such an additional work, there has been proposed a technique known as PC (Physical Contact) connection in which the end face 2e of the body 2 is ground such that the end faces of the optical fibers 4 externally extend from the end face 2e of the body 2 by few microns. On connection, the optical fibers 4 in the MT connectors are brought into contact with one another. As a result, the connection property of low loss and reflection can be realized without use of any index matching agent. The grinding process herein was carried out
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while applying a mixture of alumina power and distilled water onto a grinding sheet.
In such a prior art grinding process, the cores of the optical fibers 4 will be ground more than the clad portions to create recesses at the cores of the optical fibers 4. When the optical connecters are connected to each other, the recesses create gaps between the cores. This may adversely affect the light transmission and return loss to reduce the reliability in the optical connectors.
Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a method of grinding an optical fiber connector such that the end faces of optical fibers to be held by the optical fiber connector extends externally from the end face of said optical fiber connector, comprising a step of grinding the end faces of the optical fibers while applying a grinding liquid containing a grinding material and alcohol onto a grinding sheet.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figs. I (A) to (C) are plan views illustrating a process of grinding an optical fiber connector according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a side view showing a grinding sheet and grinding liquid which are used in the process of grinding an optical fiber connector according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3(A) is a view illustrating a recess created at an optical fiber core when it is ground according to the prior art grinding process while Fig. 3(B) a view illustrating a recess created at an optical fiber core when it is ground according to the present invention.
Fig. 4(A) is a plan view of an MT connector; Fig. 4(B) is a front
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view of the same; and Fig. 4(C) is a plan view illustrating optical fibers externally extending from the end face of the connector body and covered with an adhesive.
Fig. 5(A) is a plan view showing a pair of MT connectors prior to connection while Fig. 5(B) is a similar plan view showing the MT connectors after connected to each other.
Fig. 6(A) is a side view showing the pair of MT connectors prior to connection while Fig. 6(B) is a similar side view showing the MT connector pair held by a fitting clip in the abutting state.
Detailed Description The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings. Parts similar to those of the prior art are denoted by similar reference numerals and will not further be described.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive 6 (e.g., thermosetting adhesive) is injected into the opening 2a to cover the optical fibers 4 externally extending from the end face 2e of the body (see Fig. 4(C)). After the adhesive 6 has thermally been hardened, the adhesive 6 deposited on the end face 2e of the body 2 is ground off (see Fig. I(A)). This adhesive removing step is continued for about 60 seconds.
The flatting is carried out to improve the flatness and to reduce scratches on the end face 2e of the body (see Fig. I (B)). This flatting step is continued for about 30 seconds. The grinding step is then performed such that the end faces of the optical fibers 4 extend externally from the end face 2e of the body 2 (see Fig. I (Q). This grinding step is continued for about 90 seconds.
Finally, the finishing step is made to remove small scratches on
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the end faces of the optical fibers 4. This finishing step is continued for about 5 seconds.
The aforementioned grinding step is carried out by mounting a grinding sheet I I of about one mm thick on a grinder 9 of a grinding machine (not shown) as shown in Fig. 2 and rotating the grinder 9 to grind the end faces of the body and optical fibers while applying a grinding liquid 12 consisting of a mixture of grinding material and alcohol onto the grinding sheet 11.
The grinding sheet I I may be in the form of diamond sheet, for example. The grinding liquid 12 may be a liquid prepared by mixing alumina power with monoethylene glycol in a ratio of 1:2. In the prior art, a grinding liquid prepared by mixing aluminum powder with distilled water was used. In such a case, the finished fiber faces were inferior. Thus, the prior art must grind the optical fibers by using a grinding liquid prepared by mixing ceric oxide with distilled water in the finishing step. Nevertheless, it could not avoided that the recesses 4a were created at the cores of the optical fibers 4 merely by performing the grinding step using that grinding liquid.
On the contrary, the finished optical fiber end faces can be improved when the grinding liquid consisting of alumina powder and monoethylene glycol is used as in this embodiment. In the finishing step, the creation of recesses 4a in the optical fibers can be reduced without use of the grinding liquid prepared by mixing ceric oxide with distilled water., Fig. 3 shows experimental results which were obtained by the inventors. Figs. 3(A) and (B) show measurements obtained by using a surface roughness measuring machine when the later was used to measure the surface roughness in the ground MT connector 1. Fig. 3(A) shows the result from the prior art while Fig. 3(B) shows the result
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from the grinding process according to this embodiment.
Referring to Fig. 3(A), the prior art created a recess 4a having its depth of about 0. 1 gm or less at the core of the optical fiber 4.
On the other hand, the grinding process according to this embodiment will create no recess at the core of the optical fiber 4, as shown in Fig. 3(B).
As a result, the Fresnel reflection of this embodiment created when the ground MT connectors are connected to each other in the abutting relationship as shown in Fig. 6 was smaller than that of the prior art.
Experimental estimation of the grinding liquid carried out by the inventors will be described below.
As shown in Table 1, the fiber end recess, fiber extension and operability were estimated relating to a grinding liquid (or grinding material) prepared by mixing one part of alumina powder with 1-3 parts of monoethylene glycol by weight and another grinding liquid (or grinding material) prepared by mixing one part of alumina powder with 1-3 parts of distilled water by weight.
TABLE I Grinding For One Part of Alumina Powder by Weight Material Mono thylene Glycol Distilled Water 1 2 3 1 2 3 Fiber None None None Yes Yes Yes recess Fiber Good Good Bad Good Good Bad Extension (None) (None) Operability Slightly Good Good Good Good Good Bad
As will be apparent from Table 1, the grinding liquid prepared by mixing one part of alumina powder with 1-2 parts of monoethylene
<Desc/Clms Page number 7>
glycol by weight does not form any fiber recess and provides good fiber extension.
The inventors also performed experiments relating to the concentration of the grinding liquid. Usually, the mixed liquid has been prepared by mixing one part of alumina powder with two parts of monoethylene glycol by weight. The experiments were carried out by using grinding liquids prepared by mixing monoethylene glycol with distilled water in various ratios shown in Table 2.
TABLE 2 Alumina Powder Monoethylene Distilled Water Glycol Type I log 15g 5g Type 2 log log log Type 3 log 5g 15g Normal log 20g Og
Table 3 shows the results from the above experiments. As will be apparent from Table 3, no core was formed and the finished end faces were good, even though the concentration was changed. However, it was found that as the concentration of the monoethylene glycol decreased, the fiber extension also decreased.
TABLE3 Extension Core Recess Finished End Face Type I 2.95gm None Good Type 2 2.83[tm None Good Type 3 2.61im None Good
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but may be modified or changed into various forms without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the appending claims. For
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example, the present invention may be applied to any connector other than the MT connector.
According to this embodiment of the present invention, the creation of recess in the cores of the optical fibers can be reduced to provide good extension of the optical fibers from the end face of the ferrule body, since the optical fibers are ground by using the grinding sheet while applying the grounding liquid prepared by mixing a grinding material with alcohol. As a result, the return loss can be improved to increase the reliability in the optical fiber connector.
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Claims (4)
- Claims 1. A method of grinding an optical fiber connector such that the end faces of optical fibers to be held by the optical fiber connector extends externally from the end face of said optical fiber connector, comprising a step of grinding the end faces of the optical fibers while applying a grinding liquid containing a grinding material and alcohol onto a grinding sheet.
- 2. The method of grinding an optical fiber connector as defined in claim I wherein said grinding liquid is prepared by mixing alumina powder with polyalcohol.
- 3. The method of grinding an optical fiber connector as defined in claim I wherein said grinding liquid is prepared by mixing alumina powder with monoethylene glycol.
- 4. The method of grinding an optical fiber connector as defined in claim 3 wherein said grinding liquid is prepared by mixing one part of alumina powder with 1-2 parts of monoethylene glycol by weight.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2000154735 | 2000-05-25 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB0112822D0 GB0112822D0 (en) | 2001-07-18 |
| GB2365439A true GB2365439A (en) | 2002-02-20 |
Family
ID=18659789
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0112822A Withdrawn GB2365439A (en) | 2000-05-25 | 2001-05-25 | Grinding optical fibre connectors using a grinding liquid containing an alcohol |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US20020115386A1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2348296A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2365439A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN107350961A (en) * | 2016-12-20 | 2017-11-17 | 北京航空航天大学 | A kind of adjustable angle polarization maintaining fiber pigtail block grinding clamp |
Families Citing this family (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20090298391A1 (en) * | 2007-03-09 | 2009-12-03 | Kunio Yamada | Method of polishing end face of multi-fiber optical connector |
| US7806601B2 (en) * | 2007-03-21 | 2010-10-05 | Corning Cable Systems Llc | Multifiber ferrule with precision bumpers and methods for making the same |
| US12280467B1 (en) * | 2020-01-14 | 2025-04-22 | Legrand DPC, LLC | Multi-fiber fiber optic ferrule polishing systems and methods |
| CN113352212A (en) * | 2021-06-03 | 2021-09-07 | 国网河南省电力公司商丘供电公司 | A network connector deoxidizer |
| CN116355536B (en) * | 2023-04-04 | 2025-07-11 | 蘅东光通讯技术(深圳)股份有限公司 | Optical fiber drawing polishing liquid, preparation method and optical fiber drawing polishing process |
| CN116355537B (en) * | 2023-04-04 | 2025-07-11 | 蘅东光通讯技术(深圳)股份有限公司 | Optical fiber polishing grinding liquid, preparation method and optical fiber polishing grinding process |
Citations (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1418088A (en) * | 1972-09-26 | 1975-12-17 | Wacker Chemitronic | Polishing semi-conductor surfaces |
| GB1418103A (en) * | 1972-02-17 | 1975-12-17 | Ricoh Kk | Polishing method and composition |
| GB1530934A (en) * | 1975-09-03 | 1978-11-01 | Xerox Corp | Composition and method for repairing selenium |
| US4839993A (en) * | 1986-01-28 | 1989-06-20 | Fujisu Limited | Polishing machine for ferrule of optical fiber connector |
| JPH0770554A (en) * | 1993-09-03 | 1995-03-14 | Nippon Telegr & Teleph Corp <Ntt> | Optical fiber connector end face abrasive |
| EP0860488A1 (en) * | 1997-02-21 | 1998-08-26 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Polishing composition and method of polishing end surfaces of light guides |
| JPH10273648A (en) * | 1997-03-28 | 1998-10-13 | Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd | Abrasion solution |
Family Cites Families (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SG108221A1 (en) * | 1999-03-15 | 2005-01-28 | Tokyo Magnetic Printing | Free abrasive slurry compositions and a grinding method using the same |
-
2001
- 2001-05-24 US US09/865,047 patent/US20020115386A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2001-05-24 CA CA002348296A patent/CA2348296A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2001-05-25 GB GB0112822A patent/GB2365439A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1418103A (en) * | 1972-02-17 | 1975-12-17 | Ricoh Kk | Polishing method and composition |
| GB1418088A (en) * | 1972-09-26 | 1975-12-17 | Wacker Chemitronic | Polishing semi-conductor surfaces |
| GB1530934A (en) * | 1975-09-03 | 1978-11-01 | Xerox Corp | Composition and method for repairing selenium |
| US4839993A (en) * | 1986-01-28 | 1989-06-20 | Fujisu Limited | Polishing machine for ferrule of optical fiber connector |
| JPH0770554A (en) * | 1993-09-03 | 1995-03-14 | Nippon Telegr & Teleph Corp <Ntt> | Optical fiber connector end face abrasive |
| EP0860488A1 (en) * | 1997-02-21 | 1998-08-26 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Polishing composition and method of polishing end surfaces of light guides |
| JPH10273648A (en) * | 1997-03-28 | 1998-10-13 | Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd | Abrasion solution |
Non-Patent Citations (2)
| Title |
|---|
| WPI Abstract Accession No. 1995-145101/19 & JP 07 070 554 A * |
| WPI Abstract Accession No. 1998-603390/51 & JP 10 273 648 A * |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN107350961A (en) * | 2016-12-20 | 2017-11-17 | 北京航空航天大学 | A kind of adjustable angle polarization maintaining fiber pigtail block grinding clamp |
| CN107350961B (en) * | 2016-12-20 | 2019-09-13 | 北京航空航天大学 | An angle-adjustable polarization-maintaining fiber pigtail block grinding fixture |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| US20020115386A1 (en) | 2002-08-22 |
| CA2348296A1 (en) | 2001-11-25 |
| GB0112822D0 (en) | 2001-07-18 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |