A guide block assembly and associated method are provided for retaining a plurality of fiber bore forming pins and at least one guide bore forming pin in precise relation to each other during molding of a multi-fiber ferrule used in a multi-fiber connector. The assembly comprises an array of fiber bore blocks each with a fiber bore therethrough to retain a respective one of the fiber bore forming pins. At least one guide block that defines a guide bore for retaining a guide bore forming pin is assembled with the array of fiber bore blocks. Adjoining surfaces are defined between adjacent fiber bore blocks and between the guide bore blocks and the array of fiber bore blocks. The use of bores more precisely retains the pins during the molding process, and the use of blocks with adjoining surfaces allows for the machining of such surfaces to precisely establish the relationships between successive fiber bore blocks and between the array of fiber bore blocks and the guide bore blocks.
This application is a divisional application of serial number 09/096,971, filed Jun. 12, 1998 and now U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,442, which in turn is a continuation of serial number 08/627,639, filed Apr. 4, 1996 and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,002.
A manufacturing apparatus for multi-fiber optical ferrule includes a spacer whose hardness is equivalent to or higher than the hardness of pins for forming fiber holes. Further, corner portions with respect to the arrangement direction of the pins for forming fiber holes of the spacer are formed as inclined surfaces or rounded surfaces.
A ferrule and a fiber guide member are provided for accurately positioning optical fibers at the front face of a ferrule. The fiber guide member can be used as a removable or permanent template to align the optical fibers in the ferrule. The fiber guide member may also be polished to provide a finished end face, or even removed in a polishing process. A method is also provided for accurately positioning the optical fibers in a ferrule.
An optical connector ferrule 1A is mounted on the distal end of a fiber optic ribbon cable 2 to form an optical connector Ca. A mating surface 11 of the optical connector Ca opposes an optical connector Cb to be mated. Fiber accommodating holes 13 are formed in the mating surface 11 so as to accommodate optical fibers, and a pair of guide projections 10 are formed on the mating surface 11 so as to be positioned with the optical connector Cb. The ferrule 1A is integrally molded with a resin. This provides an optical connector ferrule allowing the easy manufacturing of an optical connector with good transmission performance.
A molding die unit has a shell and a die. The die is located inside the shell. A die hole is formed in the die. The die has first and second portions. The first and second portions include their respective surfaces defining the die hole and facing each other. A first through hole is formed in the shell and penetrates so as to open in an outside surface and in an inside surface of the shell. A second through hole continuing to the first through hole is formed at a position corresponding to the first through hole and in the first portion. The second through hole includes a first region and a second region. The first region opens in a surface of the first portion facing the inside surface of the shell and has a first sectional area. The second region opens in the surface defining the die hole and has a second sectional area smaller than the first sectional area.
