Optical fiber connector polishing apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9296081-B2
Application number	US-201214394170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2012
Priority date	Apr 27, 2012
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A polishing apparatus for polishing an optical fiber connector is disclosed. The polishing apparatus has a base portion to support a polishing media; and a polishing puck. The polishing puck includes a connector mount, to receive and hold the optical fiber connector secured to a terminal end of an optical fiber, and a polishing gear configured to engage with a ring gear disposed in the base portion such that a fiber tip of optical fiber mounted in the optical connector traces a roulette pattern on the polishing media upon rotational engagement of the polishing gear within the ring gear.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A polishing apparatus for polishing an optical fiber connector, comprising:
a base portion to support a polishing media; and
a polishing puck having a connector mount, to receive and hold the optical fiber connector secured to a terminal end of an optical fiber, and a polishing gear configured to engage with a ring gear disposed in the base portion, wherein, when mounted, a fiber tip of optical fiber traces a roulette pattern on the polishing media upon rotational engagement of the polishing gear within the ring gear.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ring gear has a plurality of interior teeth disposed along an interior circumferential edge of the ring gear; and wherein the polishing gear has a plurality of exterior teeth protruding from the circumferential edge of the polishing gear that engage with the interior teeth of the ring gear of the polishing apparatus housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more compliant backing pads are disposed between the polishing media and the base portion of the polishing apparatus housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the one or more compliant pads comprise a first compliant backing pad disposed between the polishing media and a second compliant backing pad.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fiber tip experiences a contact force of from about 100 grams force to about 150 grams force when the optical fiber connector is disposed in the connector mount and the polishing puck is placed in the polishing apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connector is held in the mount at a predetermined angle, the predetermined angle providing for one of a flat polish that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fiber and an angled polish.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the angled polish comprises an angle from perpendicular from about 2° to about 12°.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connector mount is asymmetrically mounted in the polishing gear.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connector mount is rotatably mounted in the polishing gear.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a ratio of interior gear of the base portion of the housing to the exterior teeth on the polishing gear has a non-integer value.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the roulette is a hypocycloid.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , where in the optical fiber connector is a remote grip optical fiber connector.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , where in the optical fiber connector is a multi-fiber optical fiber connector.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cover portion attached to the base portion.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the cover portion can comprise an attachment ring and a lid.

16. The polishing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the attachment ring forms a lip that extends beyond an interior circumferential edge of the ring gear to guide and retain the polishing gear while polishing the tip of the optical fiber.

17. A method of polishing an optical fiber connector comprising:
providing an optical fiber having a stripped terminal end;
cleaving an exposed end of the optical fiber to produce a fiber tip;
inserting the fiber through a connector body and a ferrule such that the fiber tip protrudes from the end of the ferrule;
securing the optical fiber in the optical fiber connector;
placing the optical fiber connector in a connector of a polishing apparatus, the polishing apparatus including a polishing apparatus housing including a base portion that supports a polishing media and includes an ring gear having a plurality of interior teeth disposed along the interior circumferential edge of the ring gear and a polishing puck comprising the connector mount disposed within a polishing gear, wherein the polishing gear has a plurality of exterior teeth protruding from the circumferential edge of the polishing gear that engage with the interior teeth of the ring gear of the polishing apparatus housing; and
moving the polishing gear in a circular path within the ring gear such that the fiber tip traces a roulette on the polishing media.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the roulette is a hypocycloid.

Assignees

• Wang Jianhua
• Hu Guanpeng
• Pepin Ronald P
• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Wang Jianhua
• Hu Guanpeng
• Pepin Ronald P

Classifications

• B24B19/226 Primary

  of the ends of optical fibres · CPC title

• G02B6/3863

  fabricated by using polishing techniques (grinding of the fibre ends B24B19/226) · CPC title