Provided is an optical fiber ferrule polishing jig capable of fixing an optical fiber ferrule and releasing the optical fiber ferrule. An optical fiber ferrule polishing jig 10A has; a base 12a having insertion holes 20 into which optical fiber ferrules 51 can be detachably inserted; pivoting rods 13 which are adjacent to the insertion holes 20 of the base 12a and rotatable around lower end portions 36; fixing pieces 14a installed in installation recesses 19a formed in the base 12a to fix the optical fiber ferrules 51 with respect to the insertion holes 20 by being moved as the rods are pivoted; and a plurality of coil springs 15a installed in the installation recesses 19a to bias the fixing pieces 14a so as to release fixing of the optical fiber ferrules 51 with respect to the insertion holes 20.

A polishing method and a polishing film are provided for automatically performing multi-stage batch polishing on an end surface of a workpiece. An end surface of a workpiece and a polishing plate are moved relative to each other while bringing the end surface of the workpiece into contact with a polishing film of the polishing plate. The end surface is moved in a circular motion with a diameter 2 R relative to the polishing film; the center of the circular motion is moved linearly by a distance S on the polishing film; the polishing film is provided with first, second, and third polishing surfaces; and the polishing film is further provided with cleaning surfaces between the polishing surfaces so that the range of the distance S in which one rotation in the circular motion crosses over different polishing surfaces is reduced, or does not cross over different polishing surfaces.

A polishing sheet capable of reducing recesses formed at the core of the end surface of an optical fiber, and a manufacturing method for an optical fiber connector using the polishing sheet are provided. The method includes a step of the final polishing of an optical fiber ferrule assembly in which an optical fiber protrudes from the end surface of a ferrule, the protruding optical fiber having a recess in the tip end core. During the final polishing step, the optical fiber having the recess in the core is inserted into a flocked portion of a flocked polishing sheet. The optical fiber ferrule assembly and the flocked polishing sheet are disposed opposite one another and moved relatively to each other in order to polish the optical fiber. Fibers constituting the flocked portion have silica particles with an average particle diameter from 0.01 m to 0.1 m adhered to the surface.

An optical sub-module comprises a lens and a optical fiber ferrule assembled with the lens, the lens comprises a receiving hole receiving the optical fiber ferrule; wherein the optical fiber ferrule includes a mating surface mating with the lens and a refractive index matching epoxy disposed on the mating surface for reducing optical return loss, and the mating surface has an APC-type end.

An optical fiber polishing machine includes at least one of a media exchange assembly and a cleaning assembly. The media exchange assembly comprises a media exchange platen configured and arranged to support polishing media and an exchange arm having a media engaging assembly configured and arranged to selectively engage the polishing media and configured and arranged to move between the media exchange platen and a polishing machine platen. The cleaning assembly comprises an arm, a housing operatively connected to the arm, a nozzle operatively connected to the housing, and at least one of a water inlet and an air inlet in communication with the nozzle. The arm is configured and arranged to move the housing between first and second positions. The second position is proximate the fixture so that at least one of water and air dispensed through the nozzle during a cleaning process contacts the fixture.

An integrated equipment for processing a plurality of fiber optic ferrules comprises a polishing system, a ferrule cleaning system, a drying system, a wiping system, and a robot system. The polishing system polishes a plurality of front end faces of the plurality of fiber optic ferrules mounted on a carrier. The ferrule cleaning system cleans the carrier and the fiber optic ferrules on the carrier after the fiber optic ferrules have been polished. The drying system dries the carrier and the fiber optic ferrules on the carrier after the carrier and the fiber optic ferrules have been cleaned. The wiping system wipes the front end faces of the fiber optic ferrules on the carrier after the carrier and the fiber optic ferrules have been dried. The robot system transfers the carrier to the polishing system, the ferrule cleaning system, the drying system, and the wiping system.

A polishing holder mounting jig 10 is configured to mount an optical fiber ferrule polishing holder 50 to a mounting shaft 104 of an optical fiber ferrule polishing machine 103 when the mounting shaft 104 of the optical fiber ferrule polishing machine 103 is inserted into an insertion space of an insertion pipe 12, the exposed end portion 36 is moved gradually outward in a radial direction along a tip inclined face 108 against a biasing force of a coil spring 15, the exposed end portion 36 is slid on an outer peripheral surface of the mounting shaft 104 until the exposed end portion 36 reaches a central recess 109, and the exposed end portion 36 is moved inward in the radial direction toward the central recess 109 by the biasing force of the coil spring 15 until the exposed end portion 36 is exposed to the central recess 109.

A tool for chamfering cleaved tips of optical fibers. The tool including conical bores of relatively smooth and hard material terminate at a cylindrical bore that is slightly larger than the fiber core maximum diameter and a fiber centering bore that is slightly larger than the fiber coating maximum diameter. The tool provided such that when a cleaved fiber tip is inserted into the centering bore the sharp edge falls upon the chamfer that, when rotated relative to the fiber, gently grinds the edge to the chamfer angle. Chamfering cannot occur on the core face due to the absence of tool surface at this dimension.

A polishing machine for fine polishing and abrading work configured to employ a random walk theory algorithm to generate the movement pattern of the polishing or abrading element.

A process for polishing the end face of a plastic optical fiber (POF) to produce a mirror smooth surface without any defect. Smooth POF end faces reduce the optical coupling loss when two plastic optical fibers are connected. The polishing process can be used to produce POF end faces which are recessed relative to the adjacent end face of a ferrule surrounding the fiber. When the ends of two ferrules are inserted in a connector designed to align the end faces of the ferrules while allowing those end faces to abut each other, the confronting recessed POF end faces will be separated by an air gap.