JP2516859Y2 - Optical fiber amplifier - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to an optical fiber amplifier, and more particularly to a housing structure thereof.

<Prior Art> An optical fiber amplifier is provided in the middle of an optical fiber in an optical communication system for transmitting an optical signal, and amplifies the attenuated optical signal and outputs the amplified optical signal again.

Conventionally, as an optical fiber amplifier, it is composed of an optical component part consisting of a laser diode and an optical component, an optical fiber part such as a doped optical fiber doped with a rare earth element such as Er or Nd in the vicinity of the core, and a power supply part. Things are known.

In this optical fiber amplifier, the input optical signal that is input is introduced into a doped optical fiber together with the pumping light emitted from the laser diode, where it is amplified and output as an output optical signal. The power supply unit supplies driving power to the laser diode.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> As described above, the optical fiber amplifier is composed of the optical component section, the optical fiber section, and the power supply section. this house,
The optical fiber portion is weak against heat and cannot be used stably in a high heat environment. On the other hand, since the power source section generates a high temperature due to its structural property, the power source section must radiate heat to the surroundings. Therefore, it is necessary to separate the power supply unit and the optical fiber unit.

Therefore, conventionally, these are arranged on the same plane, and the power supply section and the optical fiber section are two-dimensionally separated by, for example, arranging an optical component section between them. However, in order to separate the two in a plane, a sufficient installation space is required, and therefore, the size reduction of the optical fiber amplifier, particularly the reduction of the occupied area, is significantly limited.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an optical fiber amplifier capable of protecting the optical fiber section from the thermal influence of the power supply section and reducing the size.

<Means for Solving the Problems> In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an optical component housing portion for housing an optical component and an excitation light source, and an optical component and an optical connection to the excitation light source. An optical fiber storage unit for storing the generated optical fiber and a power supply unit storage unit for storing a power supply unit for supplying drive power to the excitation light generation source, and the storage units are sequentially stacked to form an optical fiber amplifier. did.

<Operation> According to the above configuration, since the respective accommodating portions are laminated, it is possible to reduce the area occupied by the optical fiber amplifier. Further, by adopting the multi-layered structure, it becomes possible to separate the thermal environment of the hot weak optical fiber part and the thermal environment of the power source housing part which is the heat generating part.

<Example> Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on an example shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the electrical and optical connection relationship of an optical fiber amplifier.

In these figures, reference numeral 1 is an optical fiber amplifier, 2
Is a casing, 3 is an optical component storage, 4 is an optical fiber storage, and 5 is a power supply storage. These storage parts 3, 4, 5
Has a multilayer structure in which the casing 2 is sequentially laminated.

That is, in the casing 2, two substrates, that is, the power supply substrate 6 and the optical component mounting substrate 7 are horizontally housed with a space vertically provided therebetween. Therefore, the inside of the casing 2 is separated by the substrates 6 and 7, and the separated spaces form the optical fiber storage unit 4, the optical component storage unit 3, and the power supply unit storage unit 5 in order from the bottom.

A laser diode (excitation light source) 8 and an optical component 11 such as an optical isolator 9 and an optical filter 10 are stored in the optical component storage portion 3. The optical isolator 9 and the connecting optical fiber 10 are mounted on the surface of the optical component mounting substrate 7. Since the laser diode 8 generates a small amount of heat, it is attached to the casing 2 exposed on the outer surface in order to enhance the heat radiation effect.

The doped optical fiber 12 and the coupler / connector 13 are housed in the optical fiber housing 4. The connection portion 13 is attached to the back surface of the optical component attachment board 7. The doped optical fiber 12 is locked by a locking claw 14 provided on the back surface of the optical component mounting board 7. Although not shown in the figure, the optical fiber storage unit 4 also stores an extra length fiber of the connecting optical fiber 10.

The power supply housing 5 includes, as the power supply 19 components, an automatic output controller (APC) 15 and a switching regulator (SPC).
R) 16, an AC adapter 17, and a key switch 18 are housed, and these are attached to the power supply substrate 6.

Although not shown, the casing 2 is provided with an optical signal input terminal 22 and an output terminal 23.

Next, the electrical and optical connection relationship among the optical component 11, the laser diode 8, the doped optical fiber 12, and the power supply unit 19 will be described.

The optical signal input to the input terminal 22 is sent to the optical isolator 9 via the fiber coupler housed together with the connection section 13. The pumping light emitted from the laser diode 8 is also combined with the optical signal via the fiber coupler and sent to the optical isolator 9. The return light is blocked by the optical isolator 9, and both the optical signal and the pump light are introduced into the doped optical fiber 12. And doped optical fiber
Within 12, the optical signal is amplified. The amplified optical signal and pumping light are demultiplexed by passing through the optical filter 10, and only the signal light is guided from the connection portion 13 to the output terminal 23 and output.

In the figure, 20 is a monitor unit for the input optical signal, and 21 is a monitor unit for the excitation light.

The power supply unit 19 supplies drive power for the laser diode 8 and is electrically connected to the laser diode 8.

In this embodiment, the power supply section storage section 5 is the uppermost layer, the optical component storage section 3 for storing the optical components 11 and the like, which are relatively heat resistant, is the intermediate layer, and the optical fiber storage section 4 is the lowermost layer. There is. Therefore, the heat radiated from the power supply unit 19 is easily dissipated from the upper portion of the casing 2, and the other storage units 3,
4 is less likely to be affected by heat. Further, since the optical component storage unit 3 is interposed between the power supply unit storage unit 5 and the optical fiber storage unit 4, the thermal environment is further separated.

In this embodiment, the stacking order is set to enhance the effect, but the stacking order is not limited to this and other stacking orders may be used.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the storage units 3, 4, and 5 are stacked in the vertical direction, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the same effect can be obtained by a multilayer structure in which the storage units are stacked in the horizontal direction.

<Effect of the Invention> According to the present invention, since each of the accommodating portions has a multi-layered structure, the area occupied by the optical fiber amplifier can be reduced. Further, since the multi-layer structure is adopted, the thermal environment of the power source section and the thermal environment of the optical fiber section can be separated.

Therefore, the optical fiber part can be protected from the heat effect of the power supply part, and the size of the optical fiber amplifier can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective view showing its optical connection relationship and electrical connection relationship. 1 ... Optical fiber amplifier 3 ... Optical component storage 4 ... Optical fiber storage 5 ... Power supply storage 8 ... Laser diode (excitation light source) 11 ... Optical component 12 ... Doped optical fiber ( Optical fiber)

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Minoru Yoshida, 4-3 Ikejiri, Itami City, Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture Mitsubishi Electric Wire Industries Co., Ltd. Itami Works (72) Hiroyuki Tanaka, 4-3 Ikejiri, Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture Mitsubishi Electric Line Industrial Co., Ltd. Itami Works (72) Inventor Toshikazu Gozen 4-3 Ikejiri, Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture Mitsubishi Electric Wire Co., Ltd. Itami Works

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An optical component housing portion for housing an optical component and an excitation light source, and an optical fiber housing portion for housing an optical fiber optically connected to the optical component and the excitation light source.
An optical fiber amplifier, comprising: a power supply unit storage unit that stores a power supply unit that supplies driving power to the excitation light generation source, and these storage units are sequentially stacked.