Prussure module and polishing fixture module for fiber optic polisher
A pressure module and two polishing fixture modules are herein disclosed for fiber optic polisher, or polishing machine. Said pressure module further includes an adjustable spring between a top turntable and a bottom turntable, which are kinematically connected and driven by at least three pair of drive-pins and drive-bushes. Said pressure module is able to apply an adjustable pressure from bottom of the polishing fixture module. So the Fixture Module could not be floating in the pressure direction and maintain stationary when polishing machine is working. Two different quick-release mechanisms for a flexure polishing fixture module were invented for holding and releasing fiber ferrules or connectors during the polishing process controlled by sets of magnets. It's easy to work, and to protect the fixture flexure from the un-proper torque applied by different operators. The current invention is an improvement over our previous invention.
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to a fiber optical polishing machine to polish end surfaces of optical fibers secured in ferrules, or the connection end surfaces of optical connectors with high polishing quality. The Pressure device and fixture for fiber optic polisher herein disclosed is an improvement over our previous invention in U.S. Pat. No. 7,491,114.
2. Description of Related Art
Unlike electrical wires, optical fibers require end-surface treatment for proper light propagation. The two most common ways of end surface preparations are cleaving and polishing, in which polishing is essential and key process for almost all glass-based fibers with cladding diameters larger than 200 microns. Furthermore, polishing is required for all glass fiber connectors used in optical communication to achieve low insertion loss and high return loss. Because the diameter of most optical fibers ranges from 80 um to 1000 um, too small to be polished directly, ceramic, metal, or glass ferrules are often used to protect the fibers. The most commonly used fiber connectors employ ceramic or metal ferrules. Glass ferrules are preferred when optical coating is necessary after polishing for better adhesion. Unlike lens polishing, the convex surfaces of the fiber ferrules are achieved by pressing the ferrules on flexible polishing pads. The polished dome surface is ideal for true physical contact between two single mode fiber cores. Physical contact is also possible with multimode fibers when the core diameter is small. The dome radius of curvature is determined by the polishing locus (movement path), pressing force, the hardness and the thickness of the polishing pad. A true physical contact also requires a slight undercut of the fiber. The amount of undercut is the result of the type of polishing film used, polishing locus, the force applied, and the polishing speed. As one can imagine, a consistent high-quality and high speed polish can only be achieved by a polishing machine with a well designed polishing locus.
Generally speaking, a fiber optic polishing machine, or a polisher, consists of the following modules: Mechanical transmission module, Fixture Module, Pressure Module, Accessory module, and Control module if it is needed.
Mechanical transmission module, would convert the rotation of motor, or human hand, into desired polishing motion of a turntable, which provides a support for polishing pad, or polishing film.
A polishing Fixture Module is used to clamp, or secure fiber optic connectors, or ferrules during polishing operations. Fixture Module should maintain stationary when polishing machine is working in all directions, except in the pressure direction in some design.
For a polishing machine, or a polisher, it is required that the foremost end surface of the ferrule is normally brought into pressure contact with the working surface of the polishing film during each polishing operation. Pressure module is a mechanism to enable the jig, or fixture to be pressed against the polishing film with an adjustable pressure.
In our previous invention in U.S. Pat. No. 7,491,114, a fiber optic polishing apparatus is disclosed including a single degree-of-freedom (DOF) gear transmission system, a pressure module, a fixture module, and a housing assembly. The single DOF gear transmission system would enable a fiber optic polishing machine, or polisher to be driven by only one motor, or by human hand. The manual polisher is a unique field polishing machine where electricity or battery is not available or not allowed. Both manual polisher and motorized polisher have the following features: polishing up to four connectors or ferrules simultaneously; adjustable force ensures consistent finish for a wide variety of connector types and the number of connectors in the fixture; quick release for convenient removal of polish fixture; small footprint for multiple-machine operation to avoid time-consuming film change.
The polishing fixture module in our previous invention is made of single metal plate with flexuous features, cut out by wire EDM method, for holding and releasing fiber ferrules or connectors during the polishing process controlled by a set screw. One of the drawback to use set screw in this invention is to cause damage to the flexure from the variable torque applied by different operators.
Like most prior arts, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,979,334, and 5,674,114, the pressure module in our previous invention is to apply an adjustable pressure on top of the polishing fixture module. So the Fixture Module could be floating in the pressure direction to maintain a constant polishing pressure. The disadvantage of those inventions is that the Fixture Module cannot maintain stationary when polishing machine is working. Actually it is movable in the pressure direction.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,808,314, the adjustable pressure is applied on 4 corners of the fixture plate through 4 springs in 4 supporting posts. The drawback of this invention is the difficulty to maintain the 4 spring forces equal. Also the Fixture Module cannot maintain stationary when polishing machine is working.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn order to solve the aforementioned problem, the first object of the present invention is to provide a pressure module for fiber optic polishing machine, or polisher, which is able to apply an adjustable pressure from bottom of the polishing fixture module. So the Fixture Module could not be floating in the pressure direction and maintain stationary when polishing machine is working.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a quick-release mechanism for polishing fixture module, for holding and releasing fiber ferrules or connectors during the polishing process controlled by sets of magnets. It's easy to work, and to protect the fixture flexure from the un-proper torque applied by different operators.
The present invention is now described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings for particular applications. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.
One of a preferred embodiment in our previous invention in U.S. Pat. No. 7,491,114, is the manual polisher as illustrated in
One of a preferred embodiment in current invention is illustrated in
As shown in
Refer to
Refer to
The advantage of the quick-release mechanism for polishing fixture module in the current invention is that the clamping force on the polished fiber ferrules or connectors remain the same, not reply on the operator's personal skill.
Polishing pressure is provided by the pressure module of the polishers in the current invention. As shown in
Claims
1. A fiber optic polisher, or polishing machine, comprises:
- a rotating power source;
- a Mechanical transmission module;
- a main housing to install said rotating power source and said Mechanical transmission module inside;
- a Pressure Module, located on top of said main housing, to hold polishing pad, to provide adjustable polishing pressure and polishing motion during the polishing process; and
- a Polishing Fixture Module, located on top of said Pressure Module, to secure, or release a plurality of fiber ferrules or connectors during polishing process, wherein
- said Mechanical transmission module provides polishing motion and torque converted from said rotating power source to said Pressure Module.
2. A fiber optic polisher, or polishing machine, according to claim 1, wherein said Polishing Fixture Module further comprising:
- a main fixture plate, a couple of supporting apparatus, at least three pair of magnets, and a flexure mechanism secured on said main fixture plate for holding and releasing a number of fiber ferrules or connectors during the polishing process;
- a quick-release mechanism located on said main fixture plate to control said flexure mechanism for holding and releasing a plurality of fiber ferrules or connectors during the polishing process;
- said main fixture plate is secured on top of said main housing through said supporting apparatus; and
- the poles of said three pair of magnets are arranged to attract each other for each pair; wherein one of the magnets in each pair is fixed on said main fixture plate, and another magnets in each pair is fixed on said supporting apparatus.
3. A Polishing Fixture Module, according to claim 2, wherein said flexure mechanism further comprising:
- a relative rigid frame, a plurality of compliant cantilevers, and a plurality of clamping holes for holding and releasing a plurality of fiber ferrules or connectors during the polishing process; and
- said clamping hole geometrically having two-half cylinders, wherein the first half cylinder located on said rigid frame, and the second half cylinder on said compliant cantilever; wherein said two compliant cantilevers adjacent each other so as to form a tapered open slot; the size of said tapered open slot can be adjusted so that said second half cylinder be able to move against, or out of said first half cylinder to tighten, or release the fiber ferrules or connectors in said clamping holes respectively during the polishing process.
4. A Polishing Fixture Module, according to claim 2, wherein said quick-release mechanism further comprising a first optional quick-release mechanism, and a second optional quick-release mechanism.
5. A fiber optic polisher, or polishing machine, according to claim 1, wherein said Pressure Module further comprising:
- a top turntable, a bottom turntable, a polishing pad located on top surface of said top turntable, at least three pairs of drive-pins and drive-bushes, pressure nut, and pressure threaded stud engaged with said pressure nut;
- wherein said drive-pins are secured with said bottom turntable, and connected with said Mechanical transmission module kinematically; said drive-bushes are secured beneath said top turntable; and
- wherein said drive-pin and said drive-bush in each pair are relatively movable along the drive-pin axis direction so that said top turntable is movable relative to said bottom turntable along said drive-pin axis direction, said threaded stud is secured beneath said top turntable; said pressure nut is engaged with said threaded stud by their thread; said pressure spring is located between said nut and said bottom turntable so as to physically to provide a support to said top turntable along said drive-pin axis direction; said each drive-pins further have scales on its surface to indicate the pressure levels; and the polishing pressure can be adjusted by turning said pressure nut to specific lines of said scales for different polishing requirements.
6. A quick-release mechanism for Polishing Fixture Module, according to claim 4, wherein said first optional quick-release mechanism further comprising:
- a drive-bar with two distal ends, a compression spring, a release lever, a pin, a release holder with a central hole, a first pair of magnets, and a second pair of magnets;
- wherein the poles of said first pair of magnets are arranged to attract each other, and the poles of second pair of magnets are arranged to repel each other, the pole axes between said first pair of magnets and said second pair of magnets are arranged perpendicular each other;
- said release holder is secured on said main fixture plate to provide the host to one of said first pair of magnets, said spring, and said drive-bar; said release lever is rotatable relative to said release holder through said pin; said release lever further provides the host to one of said first pair of magnets, and one of said second pair of magnets; said drive-bar have a tapered tip on said one of distal ends, wherein engaged with said tapered open slot on said flexure mechanism, and said drive-bar further provide host to one of said second pair of magnets on another said distal ends; said compression spring is secured around said drive-bar in said central hole of said release holder; said release lever have a switch-on and a switch-off positions relative to said release holder;
- at said switch-on position, said first pair of magnets move together to attract each other, while said second pair of magnets move together to repel each other to force said drive-bar move into said tapered open slot on said flexure mechanism to clamp fiber ferrules or connectors in said clamping holes during the polishing process, and at the same time, said spring is compressed; and
- at said switch-off position, said both first and second pair of magnets move away each other, and at the same time, said spring is released to force said drive-bar move out of said tapered open slot on said flexure mechanism to release fiber ferrules or connectors in said clamping holes.
7. A quick-release mechanism for Polishing Fixture Module, according to claim 4, wherein said second optional quick-release mechanism further comprising:
- a drive-bar with two distal ends, a compression spring, a release lever, a pin, a release holder with a central hole, a pair of magnets, and a set screw;
- wherein the poles of said pair of magnets are arranged to attract each other, said release holder is secured on said main fixture plate to provide the host to one of said pair of magnets, said spring, and said drive-bar;
- said release lever is rotatable relative to said release holder through said pin;
- said release lever further provides the host to one of said pair of magnets, and said set screw;
- said drive-bar have a tapered tip on said one of distal ends, which engaged with said tapered open slot on said flexure mechanism, and said drive-bar further provide physical contact with said set screw on another said distal ends;
- said compression spring is secured around said drive-bar in said central hole of said release holder;
- said release lever have a switch-on and a switch-off positions relative to said release holder;
- at said switch-on position, said pair of magnets move together to attract each other, while said set screw move to contact said drive-bar to force said drive-bar move into said tapered open slot on said flexure mechanism to clamp fiber ferrules or connectors in said clamping holes during the polishing process, and at the same time, said spring is compressed; and
- at said switch-off position, said pair of magnets move away each other, and at the same time, said spring is released to force said drive-bar move out of said tapered open slot on said flexure mechanism to release fiber ferrules or connectors in said clamping holes.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 21, 2013
Publication Date: Sep 25, 2014
Applicant: Princetel Inc. (Hamilton, NJ)
Inventors: Hong ZHANG (North Brunswick, NJ), Boying B. ZHANG (Lawrenceville, NJ)
Application Number: 13/848,245
International Classification: B24B 19/22 (20060101); B24B 41/06 (20060101);