Method of manufacturing optical fiber assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11372161-B2
Application number	US-201816651808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2018
Priority date	Dec 25, 2017
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an optical fiber assembly into which optical fibers are integrated includes: preparing an alignment member having through holes with a pitch that is greater than a coating diameter of the optical fibers; inserting each of the optical fibers into one of the through holes; after the inserting of the optical fibers into the through holes, holding the optical fibers on both sides of the alignment member by a pair of grippers; after the inserting of the optical fibers into the through holes, connecting at least adjacent ones of the optical fibers by disposing an adhesive material on at least one side of the alignment member; and forming an optical fiber assembly by curing the adhesive material in a state in which the optical fibers held by the grippers are stretched along an optical axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing an optical fiber assembly into which optical fibers are integrated, the method comprising:
preparing an alignment member having through holes with a pitch that is greater than a coating diameter of the optical fibers;
inserting each of the optical fibers into one of the through holes;
after the inserting of the optical fibers into the through holes, holding the optical fibers on both sides of the alignment member by a pair of grippers;
after the inserting of the optical fibers into the through holes, connecting at least adjacent ones of the optical fibers by disposing an adhesive material on at least one side of the alignment member; and
forming an optical fiber assembly by curing the adhesive material in a state in which the optical fibers held by the grippers are stretched along an optical axis.

2. The method of manufacturing an optical fiber assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the holding of the optical fibers comprises:
disposing the alignment member near a first gripper of the pair of grippers;
holding the optical fibers by the first gripper after disposing the alignment member; and
after holding the optical fibers by the first gripper, moving the alignment member from a vicinity of the first gripper toward a second gripper of the pair of grippers.

3. The method of manufacturing an optical fiber assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
the adhesive material is a UV curable resin, and
the curing of the adhesive material comprises applying an ultraviolet ray to the adhesive material.

4. The method of manufacturing an optical fiber assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the adhesive material is a UV curable resin, and
the curing of the adhesive material comprises applying an ultraviolet ray to the adhesive material.

Assignees

• Fujikura Ltd

Inventors

• Kanno Shuhei

Classifications

• G02B6/0065

  Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects · CPC title

• G02B6/3885

  Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448) · CPC title

• G02B6/448

  Ribbon cables · CPC title

• G02B6/381

  of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres · CPC title

• G02B6/3833

  Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture · CPC title