Method and apparatus for polishing optical connector end faces

A method for polishing optical connector end faces comprising the steps of:

• positioning an optical connector, in which an optical fiber protrudes from the connector end face thereof, in a polishing machine,
• arranging a polishing tape having flexibility at the side opposite the connector end face of an optical connector and bringing the end face of the optical fiber into engagement with a polishing abrasive face of the polishing tape, and
• arranging a tape support member with a tape travelling plane of a shape corresponding to an appointed end face shape of the optical fiber against an opposite surface of the polishing abrasive surface of the polishing tape, and
• causing the polishing tape to travel between the tape travelling plane of the tape support member and the optical fiber end face, wherein said tape supporting member includes a groove, narrower than a full width of a connector, in which the tape travelling plane is formed;
• and
• said optical connector is a multiple-core optical connector in which a plurality of optical fibers are juxtaposed to each other.

A machine for polishing optical connector end faces comprises:

• an optical connector attaching portion for attaching an optical connector in which one or more optical fibers protrude from the connector end face,
• a tape support member provided with a tape travelling plane shaped so as to correspond with an appointed end face shape of the optical fibers and positioned facing the connector end face of optical connectors to be attached to the optical connector attaching portion,
• a polishing tape which has an abrasive polishing surface thereon and travels along the tape travelling plane of the tape support member with the polishing surface positioned against the optical fiber end face,
• a tape travelling drive means for carrying out a travelling drive of the polishing tape, which is advanced from a pay-out shaft onto a winding shaft via the tape travelling plane, and
• a polishing pressure applying means for giving polishing pressure for a polishing tape to the optical fiber end faces by pressing at least one of the tape travelling plane side and the optical connector side, both of which are opposite each other, to the other thereof wherein said tape supporting member includes a groove, narrower than a full width of a connector, in which the tape travelling plane is formed.

A machine for polishing optical connector end faces comprises:

• an optical connector attaching portion for attaching an optical connector in which one or more optical fibers protrude from the connector end face,
• a tape support member provided with a tape travelling plane shaped so as to correspond with an appointed end face shape of the optical fibers and positioned facing the connector end face of optical connectors to be attached to the optical connector attaching portion,
• a polishing tape which has an abrasive polishing surface thereon and travels along the tape travelling plane of the tape support member with the polishing surface positioned against the optical fiber end face,
• a tape travelling drive means for carrying out a travelling drive of the polishing tape, which is advanced from a pay-out shaft onto a winding shaft via the tape travelling plane,
• a polishing pressure applying means for giving polishing pressure for a polishing tape to the optical fiber end faces by pressing at least one of the tape travelling plane side and the optical connector side, both of which are opposite each other, to the other thereof, wherein said tape supporting member includes a groove, narrower than a full width of a connector, in which the tape travelling plane is formed, and
• wherein the tape travelling plane of said tape support member is formed to be concave.

A machine for polishing optical connector end faces comprises:

• an optical connector attaching portion for attaching an optical connector in which one or more optical fibers protrude from the connector end face,
• a tape support member provided with a tape travelling plane shaped so as to correspond with an appointed end face shape of the optical fibers and positioned facing the connector end face of optical connectors to be attached to the optical connector attaching portion,
• a polishing tape which has an abrasive polishing surface thereon and travels along the tape travelling plane of the tape support member with the polishing surface positioned against the optical fiber end face,
• a tape travelling drive means for carrying out a travelling drive of the polishing tape, which is advanced from a pay-out shaft onto a winding shaft via the tape travelling plane,
• a polishing pressure applying means for giving polishing pressure for a polishing tape to the optical fiber end faces by pressing at least one of the tape travelling plane side and the optical connector side, both of which are opposite each other, to the other thereof, wherein said tape supporting member includes a groove, narrower than a full width of a connector, in which the tape travelling plane is formed, and
• wherein the tape travelling plane of said tape support member is formed to be convex.

A machine for polishing optical connector end faces comprises:

• an optical connector attaching portion for attaching an optical connector in which one or more optical fibers protrude from the connector end face,
• a tape support member provided with a tape travelling plane shaped so as to correspond with an appointed end face shape of the optical fibers and positioned facing the connector end face of optical connectors to be attached to the optical connector attaching portion,
• a polishing tape which has an abrasive polishing surface thereon and travels along the tape travelling plane of the tape support member with the polishing surface positioned against the optical fiber end face,
• a tape travelling drive means for carrying out a travelling drive of the polishing tape, which is advanced from a pay-out shaft onto a winding shaft via the tape travelling plane,
• a polishing pressure applying means for giving polishing pressure for a polishing tape to the optical fiber end faces by pressing at least one of the tape travelling plane side and the optical connector side, both of which are opposite each other, to the other thereof, wherein said tape supporting member includes a groove, narrower than a full width of a connector, in which the tape travelling plane is formed, and
• wherein said polishing tape is constructed of a continuous tape in which a thicker fine-grained abrasive tape is linked to a coarse-grained abrasive tape at the terminal end thereof.

A machine for polishing optical connector end faces comprises:

• an optical connector attaching portion for attaching an optical connector in which one or more optical fibers protrude from the connector end face,
• a tape support member provided with a tape travelling plane shaped so as to correspond with an appointed end face shape of the optical fibers and positioned facing the connector end face of optical connectors to be attached to the optical connector attaching portion,
• a polishing tape which has an abrasive polishing surface thereon and travels along the tape travelling plane of the tape support member with the polishing surface positioned against the optical fiber end face,
• a tape travelling drive means for carrying out a travelling drive of the polishing tape, which is advanced from a pay-out shaft onto a winding shaft via the tape travelling plane,
• a polishing pressure applying means for giving polishing pressure for a polishing tape to the optical fiber end faces by pressing at least one of the tape travelling plane side and the optical connector side, both of which are opposite each other, to the other thereof, wherein said tape supporting member includes a groove, narrower than a full width of a connector, in which the tape travelling plane is formed, and
• wherein a coarse-grained abrasive tape and a thicker fine-grained abrasive tape are prepared as separate and independent polishing tapes, and said coarse-grained abrasive tape and fine-grained abrasive tape are adapted for mounting between a pay-out shaft and a winding shaft so as to be freely replaced.

A machine for polishing optical connector end faces comprises:

• an optical connector attaching portion for attaching an optical connector in which one or more optical fibers protrude from the connector end face,
• a tape support member provided with a tape travelling plane shaped so as to correspond with an appointed end face shape of the optical fibers and positioned facing the connector end face of optical connectors to be attached to the optical connector attaching portion,
• a polishing tape which has an abrasive polishing surface thereon and travels along the tape travelling plane of the tape support member with the polishing surface positioned against the optical fiber end face,
• a tape travelling drive means for carrying out a travelling drive of the polishing tape, which is advanced from a pay-out shaft onto a winding shaft via the tape travelling plane,
• a polishing pressure applying means for giving polishing pressure for a polishing tape to the optical fiber end faces by pressing at least one of the tape travelling plane side and the optical connector side, both of which are opposite each other, to the other thereof, wherein said tape supporting member includes a groove, narrower than a full width of a connector, in which the tape travelling plane is formed, and
• wherein a polishing coolant supplying means is provided for supplying a polishing coolant to an area where said optical fiber end faces are pressed to and are brought into contact with the polishing surface of a polishing tape and are polished thereat.

A machine for polishing optical connector end faces comprises:

• an optical connector attaching portion for attaching an optical connector in which one or more optical fibers protrude from the connector end face,
• a tape support member provided with a tape travelling plane shaped so as to correspond with an appointed end face shape of the optical fibers and positioned facing the connector end face of optical connectors to be attached to the optical connector attaching portion,
• a polishing tape which has an abrasive polishing surface thereon and travels along the tape travelling plane of the tape support member with the polishing surface positioned against the optical fiber end face,
• a tape travelling drive means for carrying out a travelling drive of the polishing tape, which is advanced from a pay-out shaft onto a winding shaft via the tape travelling plane,
• a polishing pressure applying means for giving polishing pressure for a polishing tape to the optical fiber end faces by pressing at least one of the tape travelling plane side and the optical connector side, both of which are opposite each other, to the other thereof, wherein said tape supporting member includes a groove, narrower than a full width of a connector, in which the tape travelling plane is formed, and
• wherein an optical connector is detachably attached to a collet chuck and said collet chuck is detachably attached to the connector attaching portion.

A machine for polishing an end face of at least one optical fiber which projects from an optical connector comprising:

• a length of polishing tape having an abrasive surface thereon;
• drive means for advancing the polishing tape in a linear path;
• a tape support member having a tape travelling plane shaped so as to correspond with an appointed end face shape of the optical fiber provided on the linear path of the polishing tape;
• attaching means for securing an optical connector in the machine with the end face of the optical fiber facing the tape travelling plane;
• and
• means for contacting the end face of the optical fiber at a polishing pressure against the abrasive surface of the polishing tape adjacent the tape travelling plane, wherein said tape supporting member includes a groove, narrower than a full width of a connector, in which the tape travelling plane is formed.

A machine for polishing an end face of at least one optical fiber which projects from an optical connector comprising:

• a length of polishing tape having an abrasive surface thereon;
• drive means for advancing the polishing tape in a linear path;
• a tape support member having a tape travelling plane shaped so as to correspond with an appointed end face shape of the optical fiber provided on the linear path of the polishing tape;
• attaching means for securing an optical connector in the machine with the end face of the optical fiber facing the tape travelling plane;
• and
• means for contacting the end face of the optical fiber at a polishing pressure against the abrasive surface of the polishing tape adjacent the tape travelling plane, wherein said tape supporting member includes a groove, narrower than a full width of a connector, in which the tape travelling plane is formed, and
• wherein the abrasive polishing surface includes a plurality of stages each having a progressively decreasing abrasive coarseness.