JP2014063127A - Optical connector and optical fiber cable having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve cooling efficiency of a process of cooling an optical fiber core wire by cooling a housing.SOLUTION: An optical connector has a cylindrical housing 10 and a cylindrical sleeve chuck 30. The housing 10 has a chuck accommodating bore 16 which is for accommodating the sleeve chuck 30 and is formed to have an open rear end and a front end side portion 16c whose inner diameter decreases toward the front end side. The sleeve chuck 30 is put into the chuck accommodating bore 16 of the housing 10 and an optical fiber core wire 90 is inserted from the rear end side thereof, which causes a front end side portion 31 of the sleeve chuck 30 to move toward the front end side and get caught by the front end side portion 16c of the chuck accommodating bore 16, by which the optical fiber core wire 90 is swaged and held. The optical fiber core wire 90 is thus secured to the housing 10.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connector and an optical fiber cable using the same.

  In an optical connector used for an optical fiber cable for laser light transmission that transmits high-power laser light, it is desired to cool the laser light emitting end efficiently.

  Patent Document 1 discloses that the optical fiber in the optical connector is cooled with water.

Special table 2009-526265

  By the way, in the optical connector 100 ′ shown in FIG. 16 (a), as shown in FIG. 16 (b), the housing 10 ′, the nut 37 ′, the sleeve chuck 30 ′, and the pressing ring 36 ′ are arranged in this order. After inserting the optical fiber core wire 90 ′ from the holding ring 36 ′ side, the sleeve chuck 30 ′ is caulked with a nut 37 ′ to fix the optical fiber core wire 90 ′, and an adhesive is applied to them, and FIG. As shown in (c), the rear end is pressed by the pressing ring 36 'and accommodated in the housing 10'. However, in this structure, when the housing 10 ′ is cooled and the optical fiber core 90 ′ is cooled, two members, the sleeve chuck 30 ′ and the nut 37 ′, are interposed, and it is difficult to obtain high cooling efficiency. is there.

  An object of the present invention is to improve the cooling efficiency when cooling the optical fiber core wire by cooling the housing.

The optical connector of the present invention comprises a cylindrical housing and a cylindrical sleeve chuck,
A chuck housing hole for housing the sleeve chuck is formed at the rear end of the housing, and a front end portion of the chuck housing hole is formed such that an inner diameter becomes smaller toward the front end side. And
The sleeve chuck is accommodated in the chuck accommodating hole of the housing, and an optical fiber core wire is inserted from the rear end side. In this state, the front end portion of the sleeve chuck moves to the front end side, and the chuck The optical fiber core wire is caulked by being fitted to the front end side portion of the accommodation hole, thereby fixing the optical fiber core wire to the housing.

  The optical fiber cable of the present invention has an optical fiber core, and the optical connector of the present invention is provided at the light emitting end.

  According to the present invention, since the housing and the sleeve chuck are in direct contact with each other, the cooling efficiency when cooling the optical fiber core wire by cooling the housing is improved as compared with a structure in which a nut for caulking the sleeve chuck is interposed. be able to.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the laser beam emission end part of the optical fiber cable for laser beam transmission provided with the optical connector which concerns on embodiment. It is (a) front view, (b) rear view, and (c) right side view of a water cooling housing. It is (a) IIIA-IIIA sectional view in Drawing 2 (a), and (b) IIIA-IIIA sectional view. It is (a) IVA-IVA sectional view in Drawing 2 (c), (b) IVB-IVB sectional view, and (c) IVC-IVC sectional view. It is (a) front view, (b) rear view, (c) right side view, and (d) arrow X front view of the water cooling cover. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of (A) VIA-VIA, FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of (B) VIB-VIB, (c) is a cross-sectional view of VIC-VIC, and (d) is a cross-sectional view of VID-VID. is there. It is a cross-sectional view in a part with a water supply port and a drain port of a water cooling unit. (A) VIIIA-VIIIA sectional view, (b) VIIIB-VIIIB sectional view, and (c) VIIIC-VIIIC sectional view in FIG. It is (a) front view, (b) rear view, and right side view of a sleeve chuck. It is XX sectional drawing in Fig.9 (a). It is a perspective view of the optical fiber core wire for laser beam transmission. (A) And (b) is explanatory drawing which shows the fixing method to the optical fiber core wire of the water cooling housing in the optical connector which concerns on embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure where the optical fiber was penetrated by the fiber penetration hole of the fiber cooling part. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the installation structure of a sapphire block. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the installation structure of a quartz block when an optical connector shrinks with the change of atmospheric temperature. (A)-(c) is explanatory drawing which shows the fixing method to the optical fiber core wire of the housing using a nut and a sleeve chuck.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail.

(Optical connector)
FIG. 1 shows an optical fiber cable C for laser light transmission in which an optical connector 100 according to an embodiment is provided at a laser light emitting end. Note that the upper half section of FIG. 1 is a section of a portion rotated 120 degrees in the axial rotation direction with respect to the lower half section.

  The optical connector 100 according to the present embodiment is made of, for example, a metal such as SUS, and a water-cooled cooling mechanism is configured therein.

  In the optical connector 100 according to the present embodiment, a water cooling unit U is configured by the water cooling housing 10 and the water cooling cover 20. The water cooling housing 10 of the water cooling unit U houses a sleeve chuck 30 for fixing the optical fiber core wire.

  2 to 4 show the water-cooled housing 10. 5 and 6 show the water cooling cover 20. 7 and 8 show a water cooling unit U configured by attaching a water cooling cover 20 to the water cooling housing 10.

  The water cooling housing 10 includes a fiber cooling part 11 on the front end side and a chuck housing part 12 on the rear end side.

  The fiber cooling unit 11 is formed in a thin cylindrical shape, and has a fiber insertion hole 13 therein. A flange portion 14 is provided at the tip of the fiber cooling portion 11, and the flange portion 14 is formed so as to spread outward over the entire circumference. A pair of partitioning portions 15 are disposed on the side surface of the fiber cooling unit 11 so as to sandwich the fiber insertion hole 13, and each partitioning unit 15 is a chuck on the rear end side from an intermediate portion in the length direction of the fiber cooling unit 11. It is comprised by the protrusion extended to the accommodating part 12. As shown in FIG. In addition, the outer diameter of the collar portion 14 and the width between the top portions of the pair of partition portions 15 have the same dimensions.

  The chuck accommodating portion 12 is formed in a shape in which a substantially hollow cone whose outer diameter is discontinuously expanded stepwise as it goes to the rear end side continuously to the fiber cooling portion 11 and a cylinder having a uniform outer diameter connected thereto are combined. Has been. A chuck housing hole 16 is formed in the chuck housing portion 12 so as to open at the rear end. The chuck housing hole 16 is composed of three parts: a rear end side part 16a, an intermediate part 16b, and a front end side part 16c. The rear end side portion 16a is formed in a cylindrical hole extending to the front end side continuously to the opening at the rear end, and a female screw is formed on the inner periphery. The intermediate portion 16b has an inner diameter that is discontinuously reduced from the rear end side portion 16a by having a step at the end of the rear end side portion 16a, and is formed in a cylindrical hole that extends to the front end side with the reduced inner diameter. . The distal end side portion 16c is formed in a substantially conical hole having a tapered inner diameter gradually decreasing toward the distal end side continuously to the intermediate portion 16b, and communicates with the fiber insertion hole 13 of the fiber cooling section 11. ing.

  The water cooling cover 20 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and is provided so as to cover a part of the fiber cooling portion 11 of the water cooling housing 10 and the tip side of the chuck housing portion 12.

  At the tip of the water cooling cover 20, the flange 14 at the tip of the fiber cooling part 11 of the water cooling housing 10 is positioned. The inner diameter of the water cooling cover 20 is the same as the outer diameter of the flange 14, so that the flange 14 is provided in a state of being fitted into the opening at the tip of the water cooling cover 20. And the perimeter which they contacted is made into the welding part 21a, and the opening of the front-end | tip of the water cooling cover 20 is sealed by it. Further, the entire circumference of the water cooling housing 10 at the rear end of the water cooling cover 20 in contact with the chuck housing portion 12 is also a welded portion 21b, and the opening at the rear end of the water cooling cover 20 is also sealed.

  The inner diameter of the water cooling cover 20 has the same size as the width between the tops of the pair of partitioning portions 15 on the side surface of the fiber cooling unit 11, and therefore, the rear end portion inside the water cooling cover 20 is the pair of partitioning portions 15. Is divided into two regions. A water supply port 22 communicating with one of these two regions is formed on the side surface of the rear end portion of the water cooling cover 20, and a drain port 23 communicating with the other is formed. These two regions communicate with each other at the front end portion inside the water cooling cover 20. And the cooling water flow path 24 is comprised in the inside of the water cooling unit U by these. That is, a cylindrical fiber cooling unit 11 into which the optical fiber 91 exposed by removing the coating layer 92 from the optical fiber core wire 90 is inserted is provided on the tip side of the sleeve chuck 30. The outside is configured as a cooling water flow path 24. Therefore, the optical fiber core wire 90 and / or the optical fiber 91 included therein are not in direct contact with the cooling water, and therefore are not damaged by the water pressure of the cooling water. The cooling water flow path 24 is highly airtight and reliable because the water cooling cover 20 is welded to the water cooling housing 10 as described above. Therefore, even if the temperature of the optical connector 100 rises locally, the cooling water flow path 24 is not damaged. There is no need to worry.

  9 and 10 show the sleeve chuck 30.

  The sleeve chuck 30 includes a front end side portion 31 and a rear end side portion 32. The front end portion 31 is formed in a shape in which a front end side cylinder and a hollow cone whose outer diameter gradually increases in a tapered shape as it goes to the rear end side are connected to the front end side portion 31. The front end portion 31 is formed with four slits 34 extending in the length direction from the front end at intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction, and is divided into a cross shape in a front view. The rear end side portion 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A pair of U-shaped grooves 35 extending in the length direction are symmetrically formed on the side surface of the rear end side portion 32.

  A core wire insertion hole 33 communicating with the front end portion 31 and the rear end portion 32 is formed. The portion from the distal end side of the distal end side portion 31 of the core wire insertion hole 33 to a half is a relatively small inner diameter, and a female screw is formed on the inner periphery. The subsequent portion of the core wire insertion hole 33 extends to the rear end with a relatively large inner diameter after the inner diameter is increased in a tapered shape.

  In the optical connector 100 according to the present embodiment, the sleeve chuck 30 is accommodated in the chuck accommodating hole 16 in the chuck accommodating portion 12 of the water-cooled housing 10, and the pressing ring 36 having a male screw formed on the outer periphery is provided in the chuck accommodating hole 16. When the rear end side portion 16a is tightened, the holding ring 36 contacts the rear end of the sleeve chuck 30 to move the sleeve chuck 30 to the front end side, whereby the front end side portion 31 of the sleeve chuck 30 is moved to the chuck receiving hole. It is crimped so that the core wire insertion hole 33 is contracted by being fitted to the distal end side portion 16c of 16.

  The water cooling unit U is provided with a tubular thermostat mounter 41 having a thermostat 42 bonded and fixed to the outer surface. The thermostat mounter 41 is disposed so as to contact the rear end of the water cooling cover 20, and is provided so as to be fitted on the water cooling housing 10, and is fixed by screws from the outside. Further, a pair of anti-rotation screws S different from these screws are provided in the screw holes 17 penetrating from the outside of the thermostat mounter 41 to the chuck accommodating hole 16 of the chuck accommodating portion 12 of the water-cooled housing 10, and FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, these engage with a U-shaped groove 35 formed in the rear end portion 32 of the sleeve chuck 30, thereby preventing the sleeve chuck 30 from rotating.

  The water cooling unit U is provided with a cylindrical PD mounter 43. The front end portion of the PD mounter 43 is provided so as to be fitted on the rear end portion of the water-cooled housing 10, and is fixed with screws from the outside. The side surface of the PD mounter 43 is formed with a through hole 44 that extends obliquely from the rear end side to the front end side and communicates with the inside. A photodiode 45 (PD) is fitted into the through hole 44. Bonded and fixed.

  The water cooling unit U is provided with cylindrical first and second skirts 51 and 52. The first skirt 51 is provided so that the front end of the first skirt 51 is fitted to the rear end of the water-cooling cover 20 and is fixed with screws from the outside. The first skirt 51 extends to the rear end and extends to the rear-end side. The PD mounter 43 is accommodated. A portion on the front end side of the second skirt 52 is provided so as to be fitted into the rear end portion of the first skirt 51, and is fixed from the outside of the first skirt 51 with a screw.

  The water cooling unit U is provided with a cylindrical guide sleeve 61. The rear end portion of the guide sleeve 61 is provided so that a female screw formed on the inner periphery of the guide sleeve 61 is screwed into a male screw formed on the front end portion of the water cooling cover 20 and is externally fitted. It is fixed. An aperture 64 to which a sapphire block 65 is attached is internally fitted and fixed at the center of the guide sleeve 61. A stopper 62 protrudes from the distal end side of the aperture 64 inside the guide sleeve 61 over the entire inner periphery, and a cylindrical block accommodating portion 63 is formed at the distal end side. The guide sleeve 61 is provided with a cylindrical protective tube 66 having a vinyl cap attached to the outside. A portion on the rear end side of the protective tube 66 is externally fitted to the distal end portion of the guide sleeve 61.

  The water cooling unit U is provided with an insulating contact mounter 67 to which a pair of contacts 68 are attached. The contact mounter 67 is accommodated and fixed in a recess 25 formed in the water-cooled cover 20. The water cooling cover 20 is formed with a through hole 26 communicating from the recess 25 to the rear end, and a contact wire connected to each contact 68 is passed through the through hole 26. One contact wire is electrically connected to one lead wire of the thermostat 42, and the other contact wire is electrically connected to the disconnection detection wire.

  A U-shaped groove 27 is formed over the entire circumference on the rear end side of the portion where the contact mounter 67 of the water cooling unit U is provided, and an O-ring 69 is fitted in the U-shaped groove 27. .

  The optical connector 100 according to this embodiment is attached to the distal end portion of the cable body tube 70.

  The cable body tube 70 is composed of a SUS flexible tube 72 covered with a resin layer 71 of polyvinyl chloride resin, and is fitted inside the second skirt 52 and fixed with screws from the outside. An optical fiber core wire 90 is inserted into the cable main body tube 70 in a state in which an enamel wire for disconnection detection is spirally wound and a nylon net tube is covered with the wire for disconnection detection.

  FIG. 11 shows an optical fiber core wire 90 for laser light transmission.

  The optical fiber core 90 includes an optical fiber 91 and a coating layer 92 that covers the optical fiber 91.

  The optical fiber 91 includes a core 91a having a relatively high refractive index and a clad 91b having a relatively low refractive index covering the core 91a. The core 91a is made of pure quartz, and the clad 91b is made of quartz doped with a dopant that lowers the refractive index.

  The covering layer 92 has an inner buffer layer 92a and an outer jacket layer 92b covering the inner buffer layer 92a. The buffer layer 92a is made of silicone resin, and the jacket layer 92b is made of nylon resin.

  The optical fiber core 90 has, for example, a core wire diameter of 1.3 mm, a fiber diameter of 500 μm, a core diameter of 100 μm, and a numerical aperture of 0.20 of the core 91a.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, the portion of the optical fiber core wire 90 that protrudes from the cable body tube 70 is guided into the optical connector 100, and the holding ring 36 and the sleeve in the chuck housing hole 16 of the chuck housing portion 12. The chucks 30 are inserted in order. Then, as shown in FIG. 12 (b), the pressing ring 36 is fastened to the rear end side portion 16 a of the chuck housing hole 16, and the pressing ring 36 contacts the rear end of the sleeve chuck 30 to bring the sleeve chuck 30 to the front end. When moved to the side, the distal end portion 31 of the sleeve chuck 30 is fitted into the distal end portion 16c of the chuck receiving hole 16, and the core wire insertion hole 33 is crimped so as to be reduced as indicated by an arrow, thereby the optical fiber. The core wire 90 is held by the distal end portion 31 of the sleeve chuck 30 and fixed to the water-cooled housing 10. At this time, the caulking is facilitated by the slit 34 formed in the tip end portion 31 of the sleeve chuck 30. Further, the fixing strength of the optical fiber core wire 90 is increased by the internal thread of the inner periphery of the core wire insertion hole 33.

  The optical connector 100 according to this embodiment has a structure in which the water-cooled housing 10 and the sleeve chuck 30 are in direct contact with each other as described above. Therefore, the nut 37 for caulking the sleeve chuck 30 ′ shown in FIG. Compared with the structure in which 'is interposed, the cooling efficiency when cooling the water-cooled housing 10 and cooling the optical fiber core wire 90 can be enhanced. Further, if the sleeve chuck is fixed to the water-cooled housing with an adhesive, repair cannot be performed when damage such as burnout occurs. However, an optical fiber for laser light transmission using the optical connector 100 according to the present embodiment is not possible. According to the cable C, since no adhesive is interposed between the water-cooled housing 10 and the sleeve chuck 30, repair in such a case is possible.

  The coating layer 92 is peeled off and removed from the optical fiber core wire 90 so that the optical fiber 91 is exposed at a portion closer to the tip than the sleeve chuck 30. The exposed optical fiber 91 is inserted into the fiber insertion hole 13 of the fiber cooling unit 11 of the water-cooled housing 10 and then inserted into the sapphire block 65 attached to the aperture 64, and the air gap formed by the stopper 62 is removed. A structure in which the cylindrical quartz block 93 accommodated in the block accommodating portion 63 of the guide sleeve 61 is joined by fusion is formed.

  Of the portion of the exposed optical fiber 91 inserted through the fiber insertion hole 13, the outer peripheral surface is etched or laser processed as shown in FIG. A mode stripper 94 is formed by roughening. The mode stripper 94 efficiently radiates the clad mode propagating in the clad 91b out of the laser light propagating through the optical fiber 91 to the outside from the optical fiber 91, and causes the optical connector 100 to absorb the heat generated by the irradiation. It can be cooled by a built-in water cooling type cooling mechanism. Further, from the viewpoint of enhancing this effect, as shown in FIG. 13, the outer periphery of the optical fiber 91 is inserted into the fiber insertion hole 13 of the fiber cooling unit 11 in which the optical fiber 91 having the mode stripper 94 provided on the outer peripheral surface is inserted. It is preferable that the inner wall 13a facing the surface is also roughened to increase the surface area.

  The sapphire block 65 constitutes a transparent annular member that is provided on the tip side of the sleeve chuck 30 and into which the optical fiber 91 exposed by removing the coating layer 92 from the optical fiber core wire 90 is inserted. This sapphire block 65 can effectively scatter laser beam misalignment components and reflected light from the object to be processed, thereby preventing the optical connector 100 from being broken. From the viewpoint of enhancing this effect, as shown in FIG. 14, the surface 65a on the front end side of the sapphire block 65 is a smooth surface, and other surfaces, that is, the rear end surface 65b, the outer peripheral surface 65c, and At least one of the inner peripheral surfaces 65d is preferably roughened by polishing, and at least the rear end surface 65b is preferably roughened by polishing, and the rear end surface 65b, It is more preferable that both the outer peripheral surface 65c and the inner peripheral surface 65d are roughened by polishing. The opening on the rear end side of the insertion hole of the optical fiber 91 in the sapphire block 65 may be formed in a shape in which the hole diameter increases toward the rear end side so that the optical fiber 91 can be easily inserted. .

  The quartz block 93 constitutes a block member joined to the tip of the optical fiber 91 included in the optical fiber core wire 90. An AR coat for preventing reflection may be provided on the front surface of the quartz block 93. The quartz block 93 improves the resistance of the tip surface of the optical fiber 91 to the laser light, and also reduces the energy density of the laser light, thereby preventing damage at the laser light emitting end. The block accommodating part 63 accommodates the quartz block 93 so that it may guide in the length direction. The stopper 62 locks and fixes the block member 93 accommodated in the block accommodating portion 63 so as to be movable at the front end side and immovable at the rear end side at the fixed position. Therefore, the stopper 62 constitutes a locking and fixing means.

  In this laser light transmission optical fiber cable C, the quartz block 93 is not bonded and fixed by the adhesive as described above. Therefore, the adhesive burns out due to the misalignment component of the laser light or the reflected light from the workpiece, and the optical connector 100. Will not be damaged.

  Further, when the quartz block 93 is fixed to the optical connector 100 by an adhesive, screwing, or caulking, a compressive force is applied to the optical fiber 91 when the optical connector 100 contracts as the ambient temperature changes. The optical fiber 91 is strong against tensile strain due to its structure, but is weak against compressive strain. Therefore, when the compressive strain is applied, the optical fiber 91 easily buckles or breaks. However, in this laser light transmission optical fiber cable C, the quartz block 93 is not fixed to the optical connector 100 by an adhesive, screwing, or caulking, and as shown by a virtual line in FIG. The vertical wall of the surface 62a on the front end side of the stopper 62 abuts on the surface 93a on the rear end side of the quartz block 93, so that it is locked and fixed so as to be movable on the front end side and immovable on the rear end side. Therefore, even if the optical connector 100 contracts as the ambient temperature changes, the quartz block 93 can move the block housing portion 63 toward the distal end side, so that the quartz block 93 is moved to the block housing portion 63 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the optical fiber 91 moves relative to the distal end side, so that it is possible to prevent the optical fiber 91 from being buckled or broken due to compression strain.

  The disconnection detection enamel wire is electrically connected to the other lead wire of the thermostat 42, and the disconnection detection wire is electrically connected to the other contact wire.

  The optical connector 100 according to the present embodiment is connected to the water supply port 22 of the water cooling cover 20 with a water supply pipe joint 81 attached to the front end of the water supply pipe, and to the drain outlet 23 to be attached to the front end of the drain pipe. A drainage pipe joint 82 is connected.

  In the optical connector 100 according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration, the optical fiber core wire 90 and / or the optical fiber 91 included in the optical fiber core 90 are configured so as not to directly contact the cooling water, so that they are damaged by water pressure. Can be prevented.

(Assembly method of optical fiber cable C for laser light transmission)
A method for assembling the optical fiber cable C for laser light transmission using the optical connector 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  <Step 1> An aperture 64 provided with a sapphire block 65 is press-fitted and attached to the guide sleeve 61.

  <Step 2> The water cooling housing 20 is covered with the water cooling cover 20, and both ends thereof are welded by the welded portions 21a and 21b to constitute the water cooling unit U.

  <Step 3> At the rear end portion of the first skirt 51, the portion on the front end side of the second skirt 52 is internally fitted and fixed from the outside of the first skirt 51 with screws.

  <Step 4> Solder a PD electric wire to the lead wire of the photodiode 45. Then, a photodiode 45 connected with the PD electric wire is fitted into the through hole 44 of the PD mounter 43 and fixed with an adhesive.

  <Step 5> The thermostat mounter 41 is externally fitted to the water cooling housing 10 of the water cooling unit U from the rear end side, and is disposed so as to contact the rear end of the water cooling cover 20, and is fixed and attached with screws from the outside. Further, the front end portion of the PD mounter 43 to which the photodiode 45 is attached in step 4 is externally fitted to the rear end portion of the water cooling housing 10 of the water cooling unit U, and is fixed by screws from the outside.

  <Step 6> The thermostat 42 is fixed to the outer surface of the thermostat mounter 41 attached to the water cooling unit U in step 5 with an adhesive.

  <Step 7> A pair of anti-rotation screws S are provided in the water cooling housing 10 so as to penetrate from the outside of the thermostat mounter 41 to the chuck housing hole 16 of the chuck housing portion 12 through the screw hole 17. Further, the sleeve chuck 30 is temporarily inserted into the chuck housing hole 16. At this time, the U-shaped groove 35 formed in the rear end side portion 32 of the sleeve chuck 30 is made to correspond to the pair of anti-rotation screws S protruding from the chuck housing hole 16. Further, the pressing ring 36 is temporarily tightened to the rear end side portion 16 a of the chuck housing hole 16 to such an extent that it comes into contact with the sleeve chuck 30.

  <Step 8> A contact wire is soldered to each of the pair of contacts 68. Then, the contact 68 to which these contact wires are connected is fixed and attached to the contact mounter 67 with an adhesive.

  <Step 9> A contact wire extending from the pair of contacts 68 is inserted into the through hole 26 communicating with the recess 25 formed in the water cooling cover 20. Then, a contact mounter 67 provided with a contact 68 is accommodated in the recess 25 formed in the water-cooled cover 20 and fixed and attached with an adhesive.

  <Step 10> The optical fiber core wire 90, the cable body tube 70, the nylon net tube, and the cutting detection electric wire are each cut to a predetermined length. At this time, the lengths of the optical fiber core wire 90 and the cable body tube 70 are set so that the former protrudes from the latter at the laser light emitting end portion where the optical connector 100 is provided when the former is inserted into the latter.

  <Step 11> An enameled wire for disconnection detection is spirally wound around the optical fiber core wire 90, and a nylon net tube is covered thereon. Then, it is inserted into the cable body tube 70.

  <Step 12> The optical fiber 91 is exposed by peeling off the coating layer 92 by a predetermined length from the tip of the optical fiber core wire 90 protruding from the cable body tube 70 at the laser light emitting end. Subsequently, grease is applied to a predetermined length of the proximal end portion of the exposed optical fiber 91, and the mode stripper is formed by immersing the optical fiber 91 in an etching solution for a predetermined time to roughen the outer peripheral surface. Thereafter, the etching solution and grease on the surface of the optical fiber 91 are wiped off with alcohol. Then, the optical fiber 91 corresponding to the unnecessary length is cut and removed from the tip. As a method for forming the mode stripper, in addition to the above-described etching method, there are a method in which the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 91 is grooved with a laser beam and a method by sandblasting.

  <Step 13> In step 3, the cable body tube 70 is inserted through the second skirt 52 attached to the rear end of the first skirt 51. Further, in step 7, the holding ring 36 temporarily tightened to the rear end side portion 16 a of the chuck housing hole 16 of the chuck housing portion 12 in the water cooling housing 10, the sleeve chuck 30 temporarily inserted into the chuck housing hole 16, and the fiber cooling portion 11. The optical fiber core wire 90 protruding from the cable body tube 70 is inserted in the order of the fiber insertion hole 13, and the entire exposed optical fiber 91 is protruded from the fiber cooling unit 11. Then, the exposed optical fiber 91 is immersed in alcohol and subjected to ultrasonic cleaning.

  <Step 14> Position adjustment by screwing the female screw at the rear end side of the guide sleeve 61 to which the aperture 64 is attached in Step 1 to the male screw at the tip of the water cooling cover 20 of the water cooling unit U and screwing it. After that, fix it from the outside with screws.

  <Step 15> The quartz block 93 is joined to the tip of the optical fiber 91 by fusion.

  <Step 16> The optical fiber core 90 is moved to the rear end side until the quartz block 93 is accommodated in the block accommodating portion 63 of the guide sleeve 61 and engaged with the stopper 62, and the exposed optical fiber 91 is moved to the fiber cooling portion. 11 to accommodate.

  Then, the pressing ring 36 is fastened to the rear end side portion 16 a of the chuck accommodating hole 16 of the chuck accommodating portion 12. At this time, the pressing ring 36 contacts the rear end of the sleeve chuck 30 and the sleeve chuck 30 moves to the front end side. The sleeve chuck 30 is prevented from rotating when a pair of anti-rotation screws S projecting into the chuck housing hole 16 are engaged with the U-shaped groove 35. The distal end portion 31 of the sleeve chuck 30 is fitted into the distal end portion 16c of the chuck housing hole 16 and caulked so that the core insertion hole 33 is reduced, whereby the optical fiber core 90 is connected to the distal end side of the sleeve chuck 30. It is held by the portion 31 and fixed to the water cooling housing 10.

  Finally, the pair of anti-rotation screws S are tightened, and the sleeve chuck 30 is clamped and fixed by the pair of anti-rotation screws S in the chuck housing hole 16.

  Further, the rear end side portion of the protective tube 66 is attached by being fitted to the distal end portion of the guide sleeve 61, and a vinyl cap is attached to the outer side of the protective tube 66.

  <Step 17> One lead wire of the thermostat 42 and one contact wire are connected by soldering. Further, the other lead wire of the thermostat 42 is connected to the disconnection detection enamel wire by soldering. Further, the other contact wire and the disconnection detection wire are connected by soldering. Insulation is applied to the soldered portion.

  <Step 18> The electric wire connected to the lead wire of the photodiode 45 is inserted into the cable body tube 70 fitted in the second skirt 52. Moreover, the front-end | tip part of the 1st skirt 51 is externally fitted in the rear-end part of the water cooling cover 20, and it fixes and attaches with a screw from the outer side. Further, the distal end portion of the cable main body tube 70 is positioned on the second skirt 52 and fixed from the outside with screws.

  <Step 19> A water supply pipe joint 81 attached to the front end of the water supply pipe is connected to the water supply opening 22 of the water cooling cover 20 of the water cooling unit U, and a drainage pipe joint 82 attached to the drain outlet 23 at the front end of the drain pipe. Connect. Further, an O-ring 69 is fitted into the U-shaped groove 27 of the water cooling unit U.

  <Step 20> At the laser light incident end, the optical connector 100 is connected to a receptacle (not shown). Accordingly, the pair of contacts 68 on the optical connector 100 side are electrically connected to the pair of contacts on the receptacle side, respectively. A pair of contacts on the receptacle side is connected to an electric wire so as to be short-circuited, thereby forming a closed circuit including a wire for detecting disconnection and an enameled wire for detecting disconnection. One contact on the receptacle side is connected to a control unit including a disconnection detection circuit of the laser light source by an electric wire.

(Operation of optical fiber cable C for laser light transmission)
The operation of the optical fiber cable C for laser light transmission using the optical connector 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

  The laser light transmission optical fiber cable C is used in, for example, a laser processing machine. In this laser light transmission optical fiber cable C, when the laser light from the laser light source is input to the core 91a of the optical fiber core wire 90 at the laser light incident end, it is transmitted to the laser light emitting end. In this section, laser light is emitted from the core 91a of the optical fiber 91 through the quartz block 93, which is subjected to laser processing such as cutting and welding.

  Here, since the power of the laser light transmitted through the optical fiber cable C for laser light transmission is in the kilowatt class, the optical connector 100 provided at the laser light emitting end is provided by a built-in water-cooled cooling mechanism. To be cooled. Specifically, when the cooling water is supplied from the water supply port 22 of the water cooling unit U via the water supply pipe joint 81, the cooling water is divided into two regions in the rear end portion inside the water cooling cover 20. Then flows to the front end portion where the two regions communicate, and then flows to the other of the rear end portions and is discharged from the drain port 23 via the drain pipe joint 82. That is, the cooling water flows through the cooling water flow path 24 in the optical connector 100. At this time, the fiber cooling section 11 in direct contact with the flowing cooling water is cooled by heat exchange, thereby cooling the optical fiber 91 provided in the fiber insertion hole 13 therein. Moreover, the whole water cooling unit U and the part incidental to it are also cooled. For example, by cooling the fiber cooling unit 11 with cooling water, the chuck housing unit 12 provided integrally with the fiber cooling unit 11 is also cooled, and the sleeve chuck 30 fitted in and directly contacting the chuck housing unit 12 is also cooled, Further, the optical fiber core wire 90 held by the sleeve chuck 30 is also cooled.

  Further, in the optical fiber cable C for laser light transmission, although not all of the laser beam to be transmitted is emitted from the quartz block 93, such light that is not emitted is provided on the rear end side of the quartz block 93. It can be scattered by the sapphire block 65.

  Further, in the optical fiber cable C for laser light transmission, an excessive cladding mode is radiated from the optical fiber 91 through the mode stripper 94 in the fiber cooling unit 11 or an excessive laser beam misalignment is transmitted to the fiber cooling unit 11. When excessive reflected light from a component or a workpiece is incident, the light can be detected by the photodiode 45 to detect an abnormality.

  Further, in the optical fiber cable C for laser light transmission, when the optical fiber core wire 90 generates heat and the disconnection detection enamel wire is disconnected, or when the thermostat 42 built in the optical connector 100 operates, The resistance value of the closed circuit including the wire for disconnection detection and the enamel wire for disconnection detection becomes infinite, which is detected by the disconnection detection circuit in the control unit of the laser light source, thereby detecting the abnormality of the optical fiber cable C for laser light transmission. Can be detected.

(Other embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the optical connector 100 is provided at the laser light emitting end of the optical fiber cable C for laser light transmission. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the optical connector 100 is for laser light transmission. The structure provided also in the laser beam incident end part of the optical fiber cable C may be sufficient.

  In the above-described embodiment, the water-cooled cooling mechanism is provided inside the optical connector 100. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the cooling mechanism using other refrigerant is provided. May be.

  In the above-described embodiment, the slit 34 extending in the direction is formed in the distal end portion 31 of the sleeve chuck 30. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and it may facilitate caulking of the distal end portion 31. Other configurations may be used.

  The present invention is useful for an optical connector and an optical fiber cable using the same.

C Optical Fiber Cable for Laser Light Transmission 100 Optical Connector 10 Water Cooling Housing 11 Fiber Cooling Portion 16 Chuck Receiving Hole 16a Rear End Side Portion 16c Front End Side Portion 24 Cooling Water Channel 30 Sleeve Chuck 31 Front End Side Portion 32 Rear End Side Portion 34 Slot 80 Stopper (locking fixing means)
63 Block housing portion 65 Sapphire block (annular member)
65a Front end surface 65b Rear end surface 65c Outer peripheral surface 65d Inner peripheral surface 90 Optical fiber core wire 91 Optical fiber 92 Cover layer 93 Quartz block (block member)
94 mode stripper

Claims (10)

An optical connector comprising a cylindrical housing and a cylindrical sleeve chuck,
A chuck housing hole for housing the sleeve chuck is formed at the rear end of the housing, and a front end portion of the chuck housing hole is formed such that an inner diameter becomes smaller toward the front end side. And
The sleeve chuck is accommodated in the chuck accommodating hole of the housing, and an optical fiber core wire is inserted from the rear end side. In this state, the front end portion of the sleeve chuck moves to the front end side, and the chuck An optical connector that holds the optical fiber core by being fitted into a distal end portion of the accommodation hole, thereby fixing the optical fiber core to the housing. The optical connector according to claim 1,
An optical connector in which a slit extending in a length direction is formed on a tip side portion of the sleeve chuck. In the optical connector according to claim 1 or 2,
A water-cooled cooling mechanism is configured inside the optical connector,
An optical connector configured such that the optical fiber core wire and / or the optical fiber included therein does not contact cooling water. The optical connector according to claim 3,
A cylindrical fiber cooling unit provided on the tip side of the sleeve chuck and through which the optical fiber exposed by removing the coating layer from the optical fiber core wire is inserted, and the outside of the fiber cooling unit is cooled. An optical connector configured in a water channel. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A block accommodating portion that accommodates a block member joined to the tip of an optical fiber included in the optical fiber core wire so as to guide the block member in a length direction thereof, and the block member accommodated in the block accommodating portion are fixed. An optical connector comprising: a locking and fixing means that locks and fixes the movable portion to the front end side and to the rear end side in a position. The optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An optical connector having a transparent annular member, which is provided on the tip side of the sleeve chuck and into which an optical fiber exposed by removing a coating layer from the optical fiber core wire is inserted. The optical connector according to claim 6,
The annular member is a light whose surface on the front end side is a smooth surface, and at least one of the other surface on the rear end side, the outer peripheral surface, and the inner peripheral surface of the fiber insertion hole is roughened by polishing. connector.   An optical fiber cable having an optical fiber core wire, wherein the optical connector according to claim 1 is provided at a light emitting end portion. The optical fiber cable according to claim 8, wherein
An optical fiber cable in which no adhesive is interposed between the housing and the sleeve chuck. The optical fiber cable according to claim 8 or 9,
The optical fiber cable has a portion where the coating layer is removed and the optical fiber is exposed on the tip side of the sleeve chuck, and a mode stripper is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the exposed optical fiber. .

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