Optical fiber connector, optical fiber connector assembling method, fusion-spliced portion reinforcing method, pin clamp, cap-attached optical fiber connector, optical fiber connector cap, optical fiber connector assembling tool, and optical fiber connector assembling set

A method of assembling an optical fiber connector, comprising the steps of:

• fusion-splicing an other end portion of an inserted optical fiber to a front end portion of an external optical fiber, one end portion of the inserted optical fiber being fixed to a ferrule and the other end portion being protruded from the ferrule;
• applying one or more reinforcing members to secure the fusion-spliced portion of the other end portion of the inserted optical fiber and the front end portion of the external optical fiber to the ferrule;
• and
• applying a ferrule boot to cover the surrounding of the other end portion of the inserted optical fiber, the ferrule boot being attached to the ferrule, and
• wherein the ferrule boot is secured to the ferrule by the one or more reinforcing members.

A method of assembling an optical fiber connector, comprising the steps of:

• fusion-splicing and other end portion of an inserted optical fiber to a front end portion of an external optical fiber, one end portion of the inserted optical fiber being fixed to a ferrule and the other end portion being protruded from the ferrule;
• and
• applying one or more reinforcing members to secure the fusion-spliced portion of the other end portion of the inserted optical fiber and the front end portion of the external optical fiber to the ferrule,
• wherein the one or more reinforcing members comprise a first reinforcing member having a shaft portion and a second reinforcing member,
• wherein the securing of the fusion-spliced portion between the first and second reinforcing members being performed using an assembling tool comprising a reinforcing member holding portion and a bearing portion, the method comprising:
• holding the second reinforcing member on the reinforcing member holding portion at a predetermined position,
• placing the fusion-spliced portion on the second reinforcing member,
• holding the shaft portion of the first reinforcing member on the bearing portion, and
• rotating the first reinforcing member toward the second reinforcing member about the shaft portion in the bearing portion until the fusion-spliced portion is pinched between the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member.

An optical fiber connector assembling tool, comprising:

• a bearing supporting portion which comprises a reinforcing member holding portion being formed to hold a second reinforcing member at a predetermined position, and a bearing portion being formed to rotatably hold a shaft portion of a first reinforcing member,
• wherein the bearing portion enables the first reinforcing member to rotationally move toward the second reinforcing member held by the reinforcing member holding portion until the first reinforcing member pinch the fusion-spliced portion,
• wherein the shaft portion of the first reinforcing member being positioned at an end opposite to a ferrule, and the second reinforcing member being opposed to the first reinforcing member,
• wherein the ferrule being part of an optical fiber connector having an inserted optical fiber of which one end portion is fixed to the ferrule and an other end portion protrudes from the ferrule, and having an external optical fiber of which a front end portion is fusion-spliced to the other end portion of the inserted optical fiber,
• wherein the first and second reinforcing members pinch and reinforce the fusion-spliced portion of the other end portion of the inserted optical fiber and the front end portion of the external optical fiber.