JP2000137120A - Tool for fixing optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tool for fixing an optical fiber capable of easily and accurately laying an optical fiber along an object such as a wall without performing any construction work especially for laying. SOLUTION: This is a fixing tool 20 for maintaining the angle of bending of an optical fiber 11 at the time of fixing the optical fiber 11 to an object. This fixing tool 20 is provided with a main body 22 for holding the optical fiber 11 and a base part 24 for fixing the main body 22 to the object while maintaining the angle of bending of the optical fiber 11 for the object.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber fixture for laying a plastic optical fiber cable on an object, for example.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, multi-mode optical fibers such as plastic optical fibers made of relatively flexible plastic resin such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) have been developed. Applications to digital optical communication over relatively short distances, such as transmitting signals on the order of every second, have been made. Since the diameter of such a plastic optical fiber is relatively large,
The connection between the plastic optical fiber and the light emitting element and the light receiving element, or the connection between the plastic optical fibers can be performed relatively easily. Therefore, it is expected that a multi-mode optical fiber such as a plastic optical fiber will be used as an optical communication medium between consumer digital devices, particularly as a communication medium for input / output of electronic devices at home. For this reason, when optical communication is performed by connecting consumer digital devices at home with a plastic optical fiber cable, it is necessary to lay the optical fiber cable on a ceiling, floor, wall, or the like in the room. Under such circumstances, conventionally, when laying an optical fiber cable indoors, a pipe made of metal, vinyl chloride, or the like is installed and passed through the pipe, or fixed to the floor or wall using a binding band or the like. Alternatively, instead of fixing an optical fiber (hereinafter also referred to as an optical fiber cable), means for simply crawling a corner of a floor has been used.

[0003]

By the way, for example, when plastic optical fiber cables are used to connect household digital devices in a home and perform optical communication, it is necessary to lay optical fiber cables indoors. When fixing optical fiber cables to indoor floors and walls with pipes, etc.
Construction is required. However, in the case of consumer equipment, there are relatively many opportunities to move the installation location, and it has been necessary to repeat the optical fiber cable laying work each time. on the other hand,
When creeping a corner of the floor without fixing the optical fiber cable, it is difficult for the optical fiber alone to crawl along the wall because the plastic optical fiber is rich in elasticity and hard to bend for small bending. In particular, there is a drawback that a person turns away from a wall at a right-angled corner such as a corner of a room. Therefore, the present invention has been proposed in view of such a conventional situation, and an optical fiber can be easily and reliably applied to an object such as a wall without performing construction or the like particularly for laying. It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber fixture that can be crawled on the optical fiber.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fixture for maintaining a bending angle of the optical fiber when the optical fiber is fixed to an object, comprising: a main body for holding the optical fiber; And a base for fixing the main body to the object while maintaining the bending angle of the optical fiber with respect to the object. Thus, the optical fiber can be easily and reliably fixed to the object while maintaining the bending angle even if it is hard to bend.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the fixture for an optical fiber according to the first aspect, the base has an angle setting portion for setting the bending angle of the optical fiber to an arbitrary angle. Thereby, the bending angle of the optical fiber can be set to an arbitrary angle according to the installation location, and the convenience is improved.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the optical fiber fixing device according to the second aspect, the optical fiber fixing device includes a cutout portion. Thereby, the bending angle of the optical fiber can be set to an arbitrary angle according to the installation location only by forming a simple notch.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the fixture for an optical fiber according to the second aspect, only by arranging the core material on the base portion, the bending angle of the optical fiber can be set to an arbitrary value according to the installation location by the force of the core material. Angle can be set.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the optical fiber fixing device according to the first aspect, the main body has a guide groove for inserting and fixing the optical fiber. Thus, the optical fiber can be easily fixed simply by inserting it into the guide groove.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the optical fiber fixing device according to the first aspect, the back side of the base is fixed to the object with an adhesive. Thus, the fixture for the optical fiber can be easily fixed to the object by the adhesive.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the optical fiber fixing device according to the first aspect, the optical fiber is a plastic optical fiber. Plastic optical fibers are more useful because they can be bent more freely than optical fibers made of glass.

[0011]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are preferred specific examples of the present invention,
Although various technically preferable limits are given, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these modes unless otherwise specified in the following description. The present inventor has conducted intensive studies in order to achieve the above-described object, and as a result, when a plastic optical fiber is used as the optical fiber, for example, an arbitrary object such as a wall or a floor is used. By fixing at a bending angle, there is no need to perform special optical fiber fixing work, and anyone can easily follow the optical fiber for transmitting an optical signal along an object such as a wall or a floor. Find out what you can do.

FIG. 1 shows an example in which a so-called connected home is connected to an information provider in the world via a network as an object to which the optical transceiver of the present invention can be applied. Various electric devices, information devices, and the like are arranged in the house 200. The house 200 provides information from the external content provider 201 to the home server 203 via the access network 202, or sends information from the home server 203 to the content provider 201 via the access network 202. Is available. The house 200 is provided with an antenna 204, from which information from the content provider 201 is transmitted to the artificial satellite 20.
5 can be sent. As a method of providing this information, in addition to a satellite link using the artificial satellite 205, a method using terrestrial waves can be adopted.

In the house 200 shown in FIG. 1, a control system 210 for the above-described devices and a multimedia system 220 are provided. The control system 210 is a device used in a general household, for example, an electric light 210A, a refrigerator 210B, a microwave oven 210.
C, a signal path for controlling the indoor unit 210D of the air conditioner, the electric carpet 210E, the gas water heater 210F, the home medical device 210G, and the like is formed. On the other hand, the multimedia system 220 is a device corresponding to the multimedia age, such as a computer 220A, a telephone 220B, and an audio device 220.
C, portable information device 220D, digital still camera 2
20E, a printer / facsimile 220F, a digital video recorder 220G, a game machine 220H, a DVD (digital versatile disc or digital video disc: trademark) player 220I, and a signal path for controlling a television receiver 220J and the like.

Various devices of the control system 210 and the multimedia system 220 digitally transmit and receive optical signals to and from the home server 203 using, for example, a single-core bidirectional optical communication system using an optical fiber described later. , Control system 2
10 to perform on / off control of each device, supply information to various devices, and perform operations such as switching on and off the television receiver 220J of the multimedia system 220, and supplying and sending information. Is available.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the optical transceiver 1 for connecting the home server 203 between various devices of the control system 210 or the multimedia system 220 shown in FIG. This optical transceiver 1 is used, for example, in a so-called single-core bidirectional optical communication circuit.
The optical fiber 11 can transmit and receive an optical signal between one device M1 and the other device M2. These devices M1 and M2 are the devices of the control system 210, the devices of the multimedia system 220, and the home server 20 shown in FIG.
It is the third magnitude.

FIGS. 3 to 5 show an example of an optical fiber fixing device used for fixing the optical fiber 11 used in the system of FIGS. 1 and 2 to an object such as a floor or a wall. ing. The fixing device 20 is a member for fixing the optical fiber 11 to, for example, a wall (a kind of object) 100 as shown in FIG. 5 while maintaining a predetermined bending angle as shown in FIG. It is. The fixture 20 is preferably provided with an optical fiber, for example, a plastic optical fiber cable or a glass optical fiber cable, which is preferably detachably laid.
The fixture 20 is made of a material such as plastic or metal, for example. The fixture 20 is a main body 22
And a base 24. In the example of FIG. 3, the main body 22 is formed integrally with the base 24.

A guide groove 26 is formed in the main body 22 along the longitudinal direction. The guide groove 26 is, for example, in a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 5 when viewed in cross section, into which the optical fiber 11 can be detachably inserted and held. The diameter of the inserted optical fiber 11 is such that it does not easily come out of the guide groove 26. The height A of the main body 22 and the base 24 shown in FIG. 3 is, for example, 10 mm,
The length L of the main body 22 and the base 24 is, for example, 120 mm. The width W of the groove 26 is, for example, about 3 mm.
The width W1 of the main body 22 is, for example, about 10 mm. Base 2
4 has a width W2 of, for example, 18 mm. Guide groove 2
The depth D of 6 is, for example, 5 mm. The main body 22 has a groove 2
6 so that it has a U-shaped structure when viewed in cross section. The height H of the main body 22 is, for example, about 7 mm.

As described above, the main body 22 and the base 24 are integrated, and any material that can maintain a stable shape, such as synthetic rubber, a synthetic resin material, or a metal material, may be used. The optical fiber 11 has, for example, a core wire diameter of about 1 mm and an outer diameter of the coating of about 3 m.
m is, for example, a polymethyl methacrylate-based step index type plastic optical fiber.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show an example in which the optical fiber 11 is laid on the corner portion of the wall 100, for example, near the ceiling, while maintaining the optical fiber 11 in a substantially right-angled state (L-shape in FIG. 4). ing. The part 101 and the part 102 of the wall 100 are at right angles, for example, and this part 1
5, the base 24 of the fixture 20 is fixed to the wall 100 by sticking with an adhesive 30, as shown in FIG. This adhesive 3
Instead of 0, a double-sided adhesive tape or another type of adhesive can be used.

Thus, the base 24 of the fixture 20 is
The optical fiber 11 can be easily and reliably fixed to the wall 100 while maintaining the state where the optical fiber 11 is bent at an angle of degrees. To be able to do this,
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the base 24 of the fixture 20 has an angle setting unit 40. The angle setting section 40 has, for example, one or a plurality of notches 42, and the user bends the fixture 20 at an angle of, for example, 90 degrees depending on the number and size of the notches 42 set. Meanwhile, it can be fixed to the wall 100 with the adhesive 30 as shown in FIG. By changing the size and number of the notches 42, the set angle is not 90 degrees, but is, for example, 60 degrees or 3 degrees.
It is also possible to change it to 0 degrees or other angles.

Without the use of this kind of fixture 20, it is difficult for the optical fiber 11 to maintain a bend having a radius of about 20 cm or less by its own weight due to the elasticity of the optical fiber 11; If only the optical fiber 11 is to be fixed to the wall 100 alone without using the optical fiber 11, the optical fiber 11 tends to separate from the portions 101 and 102 of the wall 100. However, by using the fixture 20, the optical fiber 11 can maintain a substantially vertical bending state near the portions 101 and 102 of the wall 100, and the portions 101 and 1 of the wall 100 can be maintained.
02 and can be reliably laid. For this reason, if this kind of fixture (also referred to as a guide) 20 is used, anyone can easily use an optical fiber (optical fiber cable) without any special work for setting or fixing the optical fiber. ) Can be adjusted along an object such as the wall 100, and it is easy to arbitrarily re-lay the optical fiber even when the digital device is moved.

FIGS. 6 to 8 show another embodiment of the optical fiber fixing device of the present invention. The differences between the optical fiber fixture 20 of FIGS. 6 to 8 and the optical fiber fixture 20 of FIGS. 3 to 5 are as follows. That is, the main body 22
A is made of a different material from the material of the base 24A,
Both are integrated with an adhesive or the like. By doing so, the main body 22A can be made of a relatively soft material that can easily hold the optical fiber 11, for example, a material such as rubber, and the base 24A can be made to adhere or adhere to the object in comparison with this. It can be made of a relatively hard material that is easy to fix, such as plastic or metal. FIG.
8 for the other parts of the fixture 20 in FIG.
Since it is the same as the corresponding part of the fixture 20 of FIG. 5, its description is referred to and its description is omitted.

FIGS. 9 to 11 show examples of other shapes of the fixing tool 20 of FIGS. 6 to 8 and the guide grooves of the fixing tool of FIGS. 3 to 5, for example. Guide groove 26 of fixture 20 of FIG.
A has an introduction portion 26B having a constant width and a holding portion 26C having a circular cross section. The optical fiber 11 passes through the introduction portion 26B and is fitted into the holding portion 26C so that the optical fiber 11 can be held so as not to come out.

The guide groove 26D shown in FIG. 10 has an introduction portion 26E and a holding portion 26F. The holding portion 26F has, for example, a substantially triangular shape, but by inserting the optical fiber 11 into the holding portion 26F via the introduction portion 26E, the optical fiber 11 is prevented from easily coming out. . The guide groove 26G in FIG. 11 shows an example in which there are a plurality of optical fibers 11, and the guide groove 26G is
6H and two holding portions 26I and 26J. In this example, the two optical fibers 11, 11 are
H and fit into the holding portions 26I and 26J, respectively.

FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of the optical fiber fixture of the present invention. The fixing tool 120 has a main body 122 and a base 124, and the main body 122 and the base 124 have an integral structure. Similarly, the fixture 1 of FIG.
Also for 20A, the main body 122A and the base 124A have an integral structure. Fixtures 120, 120A of FIGS. 12 and 13
, A rectangular guide groove 126 is formed. The optical fiber 11 can be inserted and held in the guide groove 126.

In the example of FIG. 12, the main body 122 and the base 124
An angle setting section 140 is formed in the middle of the process. The angle setting section 140 has a plurality of notches 142.
On the other hand, in the fixing device 120A of FIG. 13, the angle setting section 140 extends along the longitudinal direction as indicated by the broken line.
A is built in. As the angle setting units 140, 140, for example, core wires 140A made of a metal such as soft iron, etc.
140A (wire) can be used. This core material 14
The diameter of 0A is, for example, 1 mm. By bending this fixture 120A to a required angle by the user,
Due to the plastic deformation force of the cores 140A, 140A,
20A can be set to a predetermined angle. The bases 124 and 124A in FIGS. 12 and 13 can be easily and reliably fixed to an object such as a wall by providing the adhesive or the double-sided tape as described above.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show the fixture 120 of FIG.
Is bent at 90 degrees, for example, and FIG.
FIG. 5 shows an example in which the optical fiber 11 is fixed along the portions 101 and 102 of the wall 100 using the fixing tool 120. The fixture 120 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 is formed of, for example, highly flexible polyvinyl chloride.

FIG. 16 shows another embodiment of the fixture of the present invention. This fixture 320 is used for the optical fiber 11
Is fixed along the portions 103, 104, and 105 of the wall 100 substantially along an S-shape. As the fixing member 320, various examples as illustrated above can be adopted, but since the fixing member 320 is bent at two places,
Angle setting sections 340, 340 are provided at two locations over the base or the main body and the base. This angle setting unit 34
For example, 0,340 adopts a notch as shown in FIG. The fixing member 320 is fixed to the wall 100 with an adhesive or a double-sided tape, so that the optical fiber 11
It can be set to be substantially S-shaped by being bent at approximately 90 degrees at the location, that is, in parallel with the portions 103, 104, and 105, while maintaining the substantially S-shaped shape without large bending. Similarly, the fixture 120A of FIG.
Also, the optical fiber 11 can be held and fixed in a bent state as shown in FIGS. FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 show still another embodiment, in which the fixture 420 is the main body 1.
22 and a base 124, and are formed in a form in which an angle θ of, for example, 90 degrees is set in advance. This fixture 42
No. 0 fixes the optical fiber 11 at an angle of 90 degrees by fitting and holding the optical fiber 11 in the guide groove 426 as shown in FIG.
May be an angle other than 90 degrees. The length X1 of the straight portion of the fixing tool 420 is, for example, 10
cm, and is formed in advance so as to be bent almost vertically at the center with a curvature of, for example, about 3 cm. The width of the guide groove 426 of the optical fiber 11 is, for example, about 3 mm,
The depth of the guide groove 426 is, for example, about 8 mm, and the guide groove 426 is formed at the center of the main body 122. The cross-sectional shape of the guide groove 426 is concave, and the width W6 and the thickness W7 of the main body 122 are each 15 mm, for example. The material is, for example, a synthetic rubber material. The optical fiber 11 is a step index type plastic optical fiber similar to that described above.

As explained above, the fixture of the present invention
The optical fiber 11 can be easily and reliably laid along an object such as a wall, a floor, or a ceiling while keeping the optical fiber 11 in an arbitrary shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be used when an optical fiber is set on an outer peripheral surface or a part other than a surface constituting a room. Also,
The object is not particularly limited, such as a building, a car, and a ship. The optical fiber is not limited to a plastic optical fiber, but can be used for setting another type, for example, a glass optical fiber.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In particular, it is possible to easily and reliably lay the optical fiber over an object such as a wall without performing construction or the like for laying.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of optical fibers when the optical fiber fixing device of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an optical fiber provided between the devices shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a fixture for fixing an optical fiber to an object such as a wall.

FIG. 4 is a view showing an example in which an optical fiber is set at a corner of a wall by the fixture of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the fixing device of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the fixing device of the present invention.

7 is a diagram showing an example in which an optical fiber is set at a corner of a wall by the fixture of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the fixing device of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the shape of the guide groove of the optical fiber in the fixture.

FIG. 10 is a view showing another example of the shape of the guide groove of the optical fiber in the fixture.

FIG. 11 is a view showing another example of the shape of the guide groove of the optical fiber in the fixture.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the optical fiber fixture of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the optical fiber of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state where the fixture for the optical fiber of FIG. 12 is bent.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example in which the optical fiber fixture of FIG. 14 is set for a corner of a wall.

FIG. 16 is a view showing still another embodiment of the fixing device of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a view showing another embodiment of the fixing device of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example in which the fixing tool of FIG. 17 is set for a corner portion of a wall.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... optical fiber, 20 ... fixture, 22 ...
Main body, 24 ... base, 26 ... guide groove, 40 ...
Angle setting unit, 42: Notch, 100: Wall (object)

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A fixing device for maintaining a bending angle of an optical fiber when fixing an optical fiber to an object, a main body holding the optical fiber, and A base for fixing the fiber to the object while maintaining the bending angle of the fiber. 2. The optical fiber fixture according to claim 1, wherein the base has an angle setting section for setting the bending angle of the optical fiber to an arbitrary angle. 3. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 2, wherein the angle setting section is formed by a notch. 4. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 2, wherein the angle setting portion is a core material arranged on the base portion. 5. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the main body has a guide groove for inserting and holding the optical fiber. 6. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 1, wherein a back surface of the base is fixed to the object with an adhesive. 7. The optical fiber fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is a plastic optical fiber.