WO2002095468A1

WO2002095468A1 - Ferrule for optical fiber array and optical fiber array

Info

Publication number: WO2002095468A1
Application number: PCT/JP2001/004348
Authority: WO
Inventors: Akira Matsumoto; Masashi Fukuyama; Akiyoshi Ide
Original assignee: Ngk Insulators, Ltd.
Priority date: 2001-05-24
Filing date: 2001-05-24
Publication date: 2002-11-28

Abstract

A ferrule for an optical fiber array (10) for aligning and fixing at least one optical fiber, characterized by comprising at least one cylindrical member (2) each having a through hole (2a) receiving therethrough and housing therein an optical fiber (1a), a substrate (3) having cylindrical members (2) aligned on at least one groove (3a) formed in at least one surface thereof and conforming to the outer shapes of members (2), and a fixing member (4) for pressing and fixing members (2) aligned on the substrate (3) toward the substrate (3).

Description

Specification

Ferrule for optical fiber array and optical fiber array

The present invention relates to an optical fiber array ferrule and an optical fiber array. More specifically, the present invention relates to a ferrule for an optical fiber array, which is capable of efficiently aligning and fixing a plurality of optical fibers without breaking, and having excellent reliability, and an optical fiber array using the same. Background art

In various optical devices, optical fiber connection products such as an optical fiber array ferrule and an optical connector are used for coupling between a waveguide and an optical fiber and between optical fibers.

The ferrule for an optical fiber array is provided with a substrate having one or more high-precision, for example, V-shaped grooves, and aligns and fixes optical fibers in the V-shaped grooves. As a material of such a substrate, for example, ceramic, glass, or glass ceramic is used, and a highly accurate pattern of V-shaped grooves is formed by grinding or glass pressing technology. In recent years, with the diversification of optical switch technology and the like, the demand for high-definition, high-efficiency, and various forms of products, such as tens to There is an increasing demand for hundreds of optical fibers and two-dimensional alignment of optical fibers, and various proposals are being made in response to such demands.

As shown in FIG. 7, in an ordinary ferrule for an optical fiber array, an optical fiber 101 is placed on a substrate 102 having a plurality of V-shaped grooves 102a on one surface thereof. Align the books one by one, and then use the lid substrate 103 A ferrule 100 for an optical fiber array in which an optical fiber 101 is bonded and fixed on a substrate 102 has been proposed.

Such a ferrule for an optical fiber array not only takes a long time to assemble as a product, but also may cause a problem that the optical fiber comes into contact with the substrate and breaks during alignment of the optical fiber, and the reliability is reduced. However, it was not always satisfactory.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, it has been proposed that a ferrule for introducing an optical fiber is prepared in advance and an optical fiber is inserted therein, thereby shortening a product assembling time. Also in this case, a plurality of substrates each having a V-shaped groove on one surface are hierarchically assembled to form a ferrule having a space formed by the groove of one substrate and the plane of the other substrate. In order to ensure the alignment accuracy of the optical fiber, the optical fiber must be inserted into the space with almost no clearance, depending on the handling during insertion of the optical fiber. However, it was not possible to solve the problem that the wire was damaged due to contact with the groove and could be disconnected.

As shown in FIG. 8, as a ferrule for an optical fiber array for aligning the optical fibers 101 two-dimensionally, an optical fiber 101 is conventionally provided with a plurality of V-shaped grooves 1 on one surface. A plurality of optical fibers 101 are one-dimensionally adhered and fixed on the substrate 102 by the lid substrate 103, and are arranged one by one on the substrate 102 having 0a. Thus, an optical fiber array 100 in which these are laminated has been proposed. However, in the case of such an optical fiber array 100, it is extremely necessary to form groove patterns on a plurality of substrates so as to maintain the same relative distance between centers of optical fibers mounted thereon. Not only is it difficult, but also extremely fine-tuning (alignment of several meters level) the corresponding positional relationship of each optical fiber However, since it is difficult and inevitably requires a skill and a long time, there is a problem that the bending of the optical fiber is apt to occur, the chance of disconnection increases, and the reliability decreases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and has a highly reliable ferrule for an optical fiber array that can efficiently align and fix a plurality of optical fibers without breaking. And an optical fiber array using the same. Disclosure of the invention

As a result of intensive studies to solve the above-described problems, the present inventor has found that, instead of directly aligning optical fibers on a substrate having a groove, the optical fibers are indirectly aligned and fixed using a cylindrical member. As a result, it has been found that the above object can be achieved, and the present invention has been completed.

That is, the present invention provides the following ferrule for optical fiber array and optical fiber array.

[1] A ferrule for an optical fiber array for aligning and fixing one or more optical fibers, wherein the at least one cylindrical member having a through hole capable of penetrating and storing the optical fiber; A substrate having the cylindrical member aligned on at least one groove formed on one surface corresponding to an outer shape of the cylindrical member, and pressing the cylindrical member aligned on the substrate toward the substrate A ferrule for an optical fiber array, comprising: a fixing member fixed by fixing.

[2] The ferrule for an optical fiber array according to [1], wherein the optical fiber is a polarization maintaining optical fiber.

[3] The ferrule for an optical fiber array according to [1] or [2], wherein the groove of the substrate is a V-shaped groove. [4] The substrate has, on both surfaces thereof, grooves having substantially the same shape and installation interval corresponding to the outer shape of the cylindrical member, which can align the cylindrical member. ] The ferrule for an optical fiber array according to any one of [3] to [3].

[5] A plurality of substrates having grooves of substantially the same shape and installation interval on both surfaces are arranged hierarchically so that the grooves face each other, and the cylinder is provided between the plurality of substrates. The ferrule for an optical fiber array according to the above [4], wherein the ferrule is sandwiched and aligned.

[6] The through-hole of the cylindrical member has a taper portion that widens toward an opening on a side where the optical fiber is to be inserted.

The ferrule for an optical fiber array according to any one of [1] to [5].

[7] The ferrule for an optical fiber array according to [6], wherein an end of the tapered portion on the opening side protrudes outward by one or more from corresponding ends of the substrate and the fixing member.

[8] An optical fiber array formed by penetrating the optical fiber into each through-hole of the cylindrical member of the optical fiber array ferrule according to any one of [1] to [7].

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a ferrule for an optical fiber array which is capable of efficiently aligning and fixing a plurality of optical fibers without breaking, and which is excellent in reliability and an optical fiber array using the same. I can do it. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 (a) shows an embodiment of a ferrule for an optical fiber array according to the present invention in which cylindrical members are one-dimensionally aligned and optical fibers are accommodated in through holes of the cylindrical member. It is sectional drawing which shows typically. FIG. 1 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 1 (a).

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing that the ferrule for an optical fiber array of the present invention fully demonstrates its function when a polarization maintaining optical fiber is used as the optical fiber. .

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the ferrule for an optical fiber array of the present invention in which cylindrical members are one-dimensionally aligned and optical fibers are accommodated in through holes of the cylindrical member. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the ferrule for an optical fiber array according to the present invention, in which cylindrical members are two-dimensionally aligned and optical fibers are accommodated in winning holes of the cylindrical member. It is sectional drawing shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 schematically shows another embodiment of the ferrule for an optical fiber array of the present invention in which cylindrical members are two-dimensionally aligned and optical fibers are accommodated in through holes of the cylindrical member. FIG.

FIG. 6 schematically shows another embodiment of the ferrule for an optical fiber array of the present invention in which cylindrical members are two-dimensionally aligned and optical fibers are accommodated in through holes of the cylindrical member. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a conventional ferrule for an optical fiber array.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing another example of a conventional ferrule for an optical fiber array. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1 (a), an optical fiber array ferrule 10 of the present invention is an optical fiber array ferrule 10 for aligning and fixing one or more optical fibers 1a. 1) at least one cylindrical member 2 having a through hole 2a capable of penetrating through and a The substrate 3 with the cylindrical member 2 aligned on one or more grooves 3a corresponding to the outer shape of the cylindrical member 2 and the cylindrical member 2 aligned on the substrate 3 are placed on the substrate 3 side. And a fixing member 4 pressed and fixed. As shown in FIG. 1 (b), the ferrule 10 for an optical fiber array of the present invention has an optical fiber 1a in which the through-hole 2a of the cylindrical member 2 has the outer coating 1b removed. The fact that the tapered portion 2b has a tapered portion 2b that expands toward the opening on the side to be inserted for storage is required to allow the optical fiber 1a to pass through the through hole 2a of the cylindrical member 2 This is preferable in that the insertion can be performed smoothly. The opening side end 2c of the tapered portion 2b is rougher than the corresponding substrate end 3b and the corresponding fixing member end 4a. Considering the length of the optical fiber, it is necessary to protrude outward by 1 m or more in order to effectively prevent disconnection of the optical fiber due to contact with the end 3b of the substrate and the end 4a of the fixing member. Is preferred. The protrusion is preferably 5 mm or less.

Since optical fibers are usually made of quartz, if they are damaged on the outer surface, they tend to break due to stress concentration. Since the ferrule for an optical fiber array of the present invention is aligned and fixed while being housed in the cylindrical member 2, it is effective for the outer surface of the core to be damaged by contact with a substrate or the like and break. And the reliability as a ferrule for an optical fiber array can be improved. In addition, the work of aligning and fixing the optical fiber is simple without the necessity of complicated handling, the work time can be shortened, and the productivity can be improved. Due to shortening, the chance of breakage due to contact with a substrate or the like can be reduced, and reliability can be improved.

In particular, when the optical fiber is a polarization-maintaining optical fiber, the ferrule for an optical fiber array of the present invention can fully exhibit its function. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, since the polarization maintaining optical fiber 1c is inserted into the through hole 2a of the cylindrical member 2, the adhesive layer 5 around the fiber 1c becomes substantially uniform, and Since the stress attributable to the adhesive layer 5 to the wave holding optical fiber 1c is substantially the same, no extra stress is generated, and the ability to maintain the polarization does not deteriorate. In the drawings, reference numeral 6 denotes a stress applying portion, and reference numeral 7 denotes a core.

The material of the cylindrical member 2 used in the present invention can be processed with high precision and is sufficient to prevent the optical fiber 1a housed in the through hole 2a from being damaged by contact with the outside. The material is not particularly limited as long as it is a suitable material, but when it is fixed to the base material 3 described below using an ultraviolet-curable adhesive, a material that is light-transmissive is preferable. For example, borosilicate glass is a preferred example.

Since the outer diameter of the cylindrical member 2 varies depending on the thickness of the optical fiber 1a, etc., the optimum value cannot be uniquely determined, but usually the outer diameter is Φ 0.25 to 2.7 mmm. And those having an inner diameter of φθ.126 to 0.13 mm.

The inner diameter of the through hole 2a is preferably φ0.126 to 0.13 mm, and is set slightly larger than the outer diameter of the optical fiber 1a to facilitate insertion. Is preferred.

The substrate used in the present invention has one or more grooves 3a corresponding to the outer shape of the cylindrical member 2, which can smoothly align the above-mentioned cylindrical member 2 and securely fix it. There is no particular limitation as long as it is provided, but for the same reason as in the case of the cylindrical member 2, for example, one made of borosilicate glass can be mentioned as a preferred example.

As described above, the shape of the groove 3a allows the cylindrical member 2 to be smoothly aligned and securely fixed according to the outer shape of the cylindrical member 2. There is no particular limitation as long as it can be supported, but it is preferably a V-shaped groove capable of securely supporting the cylindrical member 2 at three points.

The installation intervals of the grooves 3a may be arranged so as to provide a constant interval between the cylindrical members 2 as shown in FIG. 1 (a), and as shown in FIG. The cylindrical members 2 may be densely arranged so as to contact each other.

The fixing member 4 used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can press the cylindrical member 2 aligned on the substrate 3 toward the substrate 3 and securely fix it. For the same reason as in the case of 2, for example, one made of borosilicate glass can be mentioned as a preferred example.

As a method of fixing the alignment on the substrate to the substrate side, for example, a ferrule cylindrical member and a fixing member are temporarily fixed with an adhesive in a groove formed in the substrate, and this is set as a ferrule. An optical fiber array is introduced by inserting an optical fiber into the cylindrical member, and finally fixing the substrate, the cylindrical member, and the fixing member by adhesive with an adhesive.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ferrule 10 for an optical fiber array of the present invention is a two-dimensionally aligned cylindrical member 2 containing an optical fiber 1a on a plurality of base materials 3 stacked in a hierarchy. It may be of a configuration having a configuration.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the ferrule 10 for an optical fiber array of the present invention, the substrate 3 has substantially the same shape corresponding to the outer shape of the cylindrical member 2 on both surfaces of which the cylindrical member 2 can be aligned. It may have a groove 3a having a shape and an installation interval.

In FIG. 5, two substrates 3 are arranged hierarchically so that respective grooves 3a face each other, and a cylindrical member 2 is sandwiched and aligned between these two substrates 3. Then, on the substrate 3 further above, another cylindrical member 2 is placed. The ferrule 10 for an optical fiber array, which is aligned and fixed, is shown. The ferrule 10 for an optical fiber array having such a configuration can utilize the fact that the grooves 3a formed on both sides of the substrate 3 can be processed with high definition with substantially the same shape and installation interval. In addition, since the positioning of the cylindrical member 2 on the substrate 3 can be performed accurately and easily, the upper and lower cylindrical members 2 that are two-dimensionally and hierarchically arranged thereon are opposed to and adjacent to each other. The distance between the centers of the cylindrical members 2 can be accurately set, and the positional relationship of the cylindrical members 2 can be higher than that shown in FIG. -FIG. 6 shows a case where the cylindrical member 2 is aligned and fixed on the substrate 3 below in addition to the case shown in FIG. In this way, the distance between the centers of the cylindrical members 2 facing each other and the centers of the adjacent cylindrical members 2 arranged hierarchically in three rows can be accurately set. Industrial applicability

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The ferrule for an optical fiber array of the present invention is suitably used for coupling between a waveguide and an optical fiber and between optical fibers in various optical devices.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. A ferrule for an optical fiber array in which one or more optical fibers are aligned and fixed,

One or more cylindrical members having a through-hole capable of penetrating and storing the optical fiber,

A substrate formed on at least one surface thereof and having the cylindrical member aligned on at least one groove corresponding to the outer shape of the cylindrical member;

A ferrule for an optical fiber array, comprising: a fixing member that presses and fixes the cylindrical member aligned on the substrate toward the substrate.

2. The ferrule for an optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is a polarization maintaining optical fiber.

3. The ferrule for an optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the groove of the substrate is a V-shaped groove.

4. The substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein on both surfaces thereof, grooves having substantially the same shape and installation interval corresponding to the outer shape of the cylindrical member are provided so that the cylindrical members can be aligned. The ferrule for an optical fiber array according to any one of the above.

5. A plurality of substrates having grooves of substantially the same shape and installation interval on both surfaces are hierarchically arranged so that the grooves face each other, and the cylindrical member is provided between the plurality of substrates. 5. The ferrule for an optical fiber array according to claim 4, wherein the ferrules are sandwiched and aligned.

6. The through-hole of the cylindrical member according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the through-hole has a tapered portion that widens toward an opening on the side into which the optical fiber is housed. Ferrule for optical fiber array.

7. The opening-side end of the taper portion is a pair of the substrate and the fixing member. 7. The ferrule for an optical fiber array according to claim 6, wherein the ferrule protrudes outward by 1 m or more from a corresponding end.

8. An optical fiber array, wherein the optical fiber is penetrated and housed in each through hole of the cylindrical member of the optical fiber array ferrule according to any one of claims 1 to 7.