JP2000146752A - Method and apparatus for screening optical fiber core - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an apparatus which can impart a large bend to a glass fiber exposed at the terminal of an optical fiber core and can determine the stress being applied to the glass fiber by the bend. SOLUTION: A glass fiber 2 exposed by removing a coating at the terminal of an optical fiber core 1 is imparted with a bend and an optical fiber core having a glass fiber not withstanding the bend is detected and removed. In such a screening apparatus, a glass fiber holding/turning means 6 imparts a bend to the glass fiber 2 by moving a part 3 for holding the coated part of the optical fiber core 1 and a part close to the forward end of the glass fiber 2 exposed by turning about a direction perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber core along the arc of rotation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a glass fiber whose strength is degraded in an optical fiber core in which the coating is removed at the end of the optical fiber core coated on a glass fiber to expose the glass fiber. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus and a screening method used for screening an optical fiber for detecting and removing an optical fiber having the following.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When connecting an optical fiber coated on a glass fiber or attaching a connector to the optical fiber, the coating is removed at the end of the optical fiber to expose the glass fiber. However, the glass fiber may be damaged at the time of the coating removing operation, thereby deteriorating the strength of the glass fiber. Even if it is a slight injury that cannot be found visually, if the connection or the connector is attached as it is, an accident such as disconnection may occur during a long-term use.

Therefore, when the coating is removed at the end of the optical fiber and the glass fiber is exposed, the vicinity of the tip of the glass fiber is moved in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber with a fingertip or the like. In this method, an optical fiber having a glass fiber whose strength has been deteriorated is removed by applying an appropriate bending to the optical fiber and removing the optical fiber having a glass fiber that cannot withstand the bending. However, the screening method in which the glass fiber is bent with the fingertip has a problem that screening conditions are not constant.

Therefore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 7-49287 and 8-101104 propose a screening method using a special screening device.
The outline of the method described in JP-A-7-49287 is as shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, 11 is an optical fiber core, 12 is a glass fiber, 13 is an optical fiber support, 14 is a rotation driving device, 15 is a lever, 16
Is a glass fiber holding member.

In this method, first, the coating is removed at the end of the optical fiber core 11 to expose the bare glass fiber 12, but the vicinity of the coating end is placed on an optical fiber core support 13 to support the core. I do. In addition, glass fiber 12
Is a ring-shaped glass fiber holding member 1 near its tip.
And hold it through hole 6. Then, the lever 15 is rotated around the axis of the optical fiber 11 by the rotation driving device 14, and the tip of the glass fiber 12 is moved by the glass fiber holding member 16 that rotates together with the lever 15 to the axis of the optical fiber 11. To bend the glass fiber 12.

The outline of the method described in JP-A-8-101104 is as shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, 17 is an optical fiber core, 18 is an exposed glass fiber, 19 is a coating clamp means, and 20 is a lifting and lowering means. In this method, the coated end of the optical fiber core 17 is pressed and fixed by the clamp means 19, and the raising and lowering means 20 is pressed against the vicinity of the tip of the glass fiber 18, so that the glass fiber is perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber core. The glass fiber is bent by raising and lowering the tip of the glass fiber.

[0007]

In the prior art described above, the method of performing screening by bending the glass fiber by grasping and moving the tip of the glass fiber with a fingertip does not provide a constant screening condition. In some cases, even the same degree of flaw can be removed by screening or not.

The method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-49287 is a method in which screening is performed by rotating the tip of a glass fiber around the axis of an optical fiber core. The vicinity of the tip of the fiber is always ahead of the end of the optical fiber core than when the glass fiber is exposed, and it is not possible to give a large bend to a part that is easily damaged when cutting the coating when the glass fiber is exposed. . When the optical fiber is a tape-shaped optical fiber having a plurality of glass fibers, since the plurality of glass fibers are entangled in the ring of the glass fiber holding member, the optical fiber having a plurality of glass fibers is used. Not applicable to cored wires.

In the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-101104, the vicinity of the tip of the glass fiber is raised and lowered in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber. The raising and lowering position is always in front of the optical fiber core in the direction of the end of the optical fiber than when the glass fiber is exposed. There's a problem.

[0010] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and makes it possible to give a large bend to the glass fiber exposed at the end of the optical fiber, and to quantify the stress of the glass fiber due to the bend. It is intended to provide a screening device and a screening method capable of giving a gentle bending.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An optical fiber screening apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that a bending is applied to a glass fiber exposed by removing the coating at the end of the optical fiber coated on the glass fiber. What is claimed is: 1. A screening apparatus for detecting and removing an optical fiber core having a glass fiber that cannot withstand the bending thereof, wherein the optical fiber core holding part holds a portion having a coating of the optical fiber core, and the optical fiber Provided with a glass fiber holding and rotating means for rotating around a direction perpendicular to the axis of the core wire and moving the portion near the tip of the exposed glass fiber along the arc of the rotation to bend. It is.

Using this screening apparatus, the portion having the coating of the optical fiber is held by the optical fiber holding portion, and the portion near the tip of the exposed glass fiber is sandwiched so as to sandwich the axis of the optical fiber. The glass fiber is bent by rotating about a direction perpendicular to the glass fiber, and the glass fiber that cannot withstand the bending is broken, and the optical fiber having the glass fiber that cannot withstand the bending is detected and removed. Thus, an optical fiber core having an exposed glass fiber whose long life is guaranteed can be obtained.

Further, the glass fiber holding and rotating means includes a rotating body having a rotating surface parallel to the axis of the optical fiber core and a rotating axis perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber core, and a rotating body parallel to each other. And two pillars fixed to the rotating body upright on the rotating surface of the rotating body, and the tip of the exposed glass fiber is disposed between the two pillars to rotate the rotating body. Accordingly, if the glass fiber is bent, a large bending can be given when the glass fiber is exposed.

In the case of a tape-shaped optical fiber having a plurality of glass fibers arranged in parallel, the alignment direction of the exposed glass fibers and the direction of the rotation axis of the rotator can be adjusted to adjust the length of the column. Since the vertical direction and the arrangement direction of the glass fibers are parallel, the same bending can be given to a plurality of glass fibers.

[0015]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an optical fiber core wire screening apparatus according to the present invention.
1A is a front view, FIG. 1B is a side view, FIG. 1C is an enlarged front view of an optical fiber core holding section, and FIG. 1D is an enlarged side view of the optical fiber core holding section in the X direction. FIG. 1 (E) is an enlarged side view in the Y direction of the glass fiber holding and rotating means.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an optical fiber core, 1a
Is a wire coating, 1b is a batch coating, 2 is a glass fiber, 3
Is an optical fiber core holder, 3a is a lower member, 3b is an upper member, 3c is a hinge, 3d is a fixed magnet, 4 is a column, 5 is a rotating body, and 6 is a rotating body with two columns 4 in parallel. A glass fiber holding and rotating means fixed to the rotating body 5 upright on the rotating surface of 5; 6a, a rotation driving device; 7, a base; 7a, 7b;
7c is a fixing member.

The optical fiber core 1 is formed by arranging a plurality of glass fibers 2 on a glass fiber 2 with a wire coating made of an ultraviolet-curing resin or the like in parallel, and applying a collective coating made of an ultraviolet-curing resin or the like. It is tape-shaped. Although FIG. 1 illustrates a tape-shaped optical fiber core having a plurality of glass fibers, the present apparatus can also be applied to a single-core optical fiber core coated with one glass fiber. is there. The glass fiber 2 is mainly composed of quartz. At the end of the optical fiber 1, the coating consisting of the wire coating and the collective coating is removed to expose a glass fiber having a length of about 20 to 30 mm. ing.

Usually, the coating removal is performed by a coating removal tool of a type in which the coating is cut in the thickness direction of the tape of the tape-shaped optical fiber core with a blade and the blade is moved in the terminal direction of the optical fiber core. Have been done. Therefore, when the glass fiber is damaged, the damage is likely to occur when the glass fiber is exposed, and often occurs on the surface of the glass fiber farthest from the central arrangement surface of the plurality of glass fibers. Therefore, the glass fiber exposed in the tape-shaped optical fiber core is bent up and down in a direction in which the inclination becomes large with respect to the arrangement surface of the glass fibers, so that the glass fiber having the damage is broken. This makes it possible to detect and remove an optical fiber core having a glass fiber that cannot withstand bending.

In the screening apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the optical fiber core holding unit 3 has a lower member 3a having a groove for inserting the optical fiber core 1 and an upper part for pressing and fixing the optical fiber core 1 inserted in the groove. The base member 7 is fixed to the base 7 by a fixing member 7a. Also, the upper member 3
b and the lower member 3a are connected by a hinge 3c so that the upper member 3b can be opened and closed, and the upper member 3b can be fixed to the lower member 3a by a fixed magnet 3d. In addition, the end of the optical fiber core holding part 3 is inserted together with the time of removing the coating of the optical fiber core 1,
The coating is pressed and fixed by the lower member 3a and the upper member 3b.

When the optical fiber core 1 has a plurality of glass fibers 2, the groove of the lower member 3a is formed to be wide in the horizontal direction, and the glass fibers 2 are held so that the arrangement direction is horizontal. I do. Further, the form of the optical fiber core holding section 3 is not limited to the illustrated form, and any form can be used as long as the coated end of the optical fiber core can be pressed and fixed on the coating without damaging the optical fiber core. It is possible.

Further, the glass fiber holding and rotating means 6 comprises:
The rotating body 5 is composed of a rotating body 5 and two pillars 4 arranged upright and parallel to the rotating body and fixed to the rotating body. The rotating body 5 is rotatably supported on the base 7 by a fixed member 7b. The rotating body 5 is driven by a rotation driving device 6a fixed to the base 7 by a fixing member 7c, and is capable of reciprocating rotation. Further, the glass fiber holding and rotating means 6
The rotating surface of the rotating body 5 is arranged in parallel with the axial direction of the optical fiber core 1 fixed by the optical fiber holding part 3, and the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating body 5 is They are arranged to intersect perpendicularly with the axial direction.

The vicinity of the tip of the exposed glass fiber 2 extending from the optical fiber core 1 fixed by the optical fiber core holder 3 is disposed between two pillars 4 fixed to the rotating body 5. You. When there are a plurality of glass fibers 2, the arrangement direction of the glass fibers 2 is horizontal as shown in FIG. Make the length direction horizontal.
Then, the plurality of glass fibers 2 are bent by the same size by the columnar body 4 moving along the arc with the rotation of the rotating body 5.

FIG. 2 is a front view for explaining the state of bending of the glass fiber, and the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 denote the same parts. When the rotating body 5 rotates to the left, the column 4 moves along the arc as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, and the glass fiber 2 is bent to the left. When the rotating body 5 rotates to the right, the column 4 moves along an arc as shown by the broken line in FIG. 2, and the glass fiber 2 is bent to the right. Since the rotation angle of the rotating body 5 can be set to 90 ° or more, a considerably large bending can be given when the glass fiber is exposed if necessary.

The rotation of the rotating body 5 is controlled by the glass fiber 2
Are rotated alternately at a constant angle to the left and a constant angle to the right from the linear reference position. Further, a stopper for limiting the rotation angle may be provided, and the rotation direction may be automatically reversed based on a signal when the stopper comes into contact with the stopper. In addition, since the rotation limit angle may be various, the position of the stopper should be movable.

Since the exposed length of the glass fiber 2 differs depending on the connection method to be applied, the distance between the optical fiber core holding section 3 and the column 4 is adjusted so that the glass fiber 2 can be adapted to various exposed lengths of glass fiber. It is desirable to be able to change. As an example, as shown in FIG. 3, a guide 4a is provided on the rotating body 5, and the position of the column 4 can be slid along the guide 4a.

The optical fiber core holding unit 3 or the glass fiber holding / rotating means 6 can be moved on the base 7 together with the fixing member in the left-right direction with respect to the plane of the paper, so that the glass fiber can be held at the same rotation angle. The distance between the fixed point and the center of rotation can be made different, and the glass fiber can be bent in various shapes. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the center axis 5a of the rotating body 5 is connected to the end of the optical fiber core holding portion 3 on the terminal side of the optical fiber core,
That is, it can be adjusted when the glass fiber is exposed.
In this case, the glass fiber 2 is the center axis 5a of the rotating body.
Fixed on the glass fiber 2 by rotation of the column 4
Is rotated in the vicinity of the tip of the glass fiber 2, so that it is easy to calculate the bending stress value at each position in the longitudinal direction of the glass fiber 2.

FIG. 5 is a view mainly showing quartz having a diameter of 125 μm.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a result obtained by calculating a bending state of a glass fiber when one end of a glass fiber having a length of 20 mm and a length of 20 mm is fixed and the other end is rotated. The X direction is the axial direction of the optical fiber core, and the Y direction is a direction perpendicular to the X direction. The glass fiber is XY
It is bent in a plane. Further, since the radius of curvature of the bend varies depending on the position in the longitudinal direction of the glass fiber, different bending stresses are applied depending on the position in the longitudinal direction of the glass fiber. The bending stress σ applied to the glass fiber can be obtained by the following equation. σ = E × r / R σ: bending stress (kg / mm ² ) E: Young's modulus of glass fiber (kg / mm ² ) r: radius of glass fiber (mm) R: radius of curvature of bending (mm)

An example of the bending stress is as follows. When the rotation angle of the tip of the glass fiber is about 85 °, the state becomes almost the same as the state where the glass fiber is bent most in FIG. 5, but the bending stress of the glass fiber at this time is
The weight is about 65 kg / mm ^{2 at} the fixed end and about 32 kg / mm ² at a position 15 mm from the fixed end. Since the screening conditions can be quantified by quantifying the bending stress of the glass fiber as described above, it is easy to standardize the screening method.

FIGS. 1 to 4 show a disk-shaped rotator 5 as long as the center of rotation and the portion where the column 4 is fixed are provided. Therefore, a lever-shaped arm protruding from the center of rotation or a semicircular rotating body may be used. The column 4 is shown as having a columnar shape, but the column has only a function of sandwiching the glass fiber without damaging the glass fiber. A semi-cylindrical shape may be used. However, the position where the column and the glass fiber are in contact with each other is slightly shifted due to the rotation. Therefore, it is desirable that the portion in contact with the glass fiber, that is, the portion where the two columns face each other has a smooth cylindrical curved surface.

The radius of curvature of the cylindrical surface of the column can be about 1 mm. Also, the interval between the two pillars is
Even if the glass fiber passes obliquely between the columns, the interval is set to be wide enough to prevent unnecessary bending by the columns, and is set to about 1 to 2 mm. Therefore, although the glass fiber is sandwiched between two pillars,
It is not held by two pillars. The pillars 4 are made of a smooth material such as a smooth-plated metal or a tetrafluoride resin. Even if the pillar is made of a smooth material, the surface of the glass fiber in contact with the pillar by screening may have small scratches on the surface. When providing for connection or the like, it is desirable to cut and remove the contact portion with the pillar after screening before use.

The glass fiber 2 and the column 4 are brought into contact with each other by the rotation of the rotating body 5 while the contact point is shifted toward the end of the glass fiber, that is, the glass fiber is displaced in a direction in which the glass fiber comes out from between the columns. The position 4 needs to be fixed at a position that takes that into account. For example, in the case of FIG.
Assuming that the rotating body 5 rotates about 90 °, the contact point with the column is shifted by about 8 mm.
It is necessary to fix the column at about 10 mm from the point where the glass fiber is exposed.

[0032]

According to the optical fiber core screening apparatus of the present invention, the glass fiber exposed at the end of the optical fiber is bent to form an optical fiber having a glass fiber that cannot withstand the bending. A screening device for detecting and removing, comprising: an optical fiber core holding unit that holds a portion having a coating of an optical fiber core; and a rotation device that is rotated around a direction perpendicular to an axis of the optical fiber core to expose the core. The glass fiber is provided with glass fiber holding and rotating means for moving the portion near the tip of the glass fiber along the arc of rotation to bend the glass fiber. It is also possible to rotate the tip by 90 ° or more, and it is possible to perform screening in which a large bend is given to the exposed portion of the glass fiber. Further, by performing this screening, screening can be performed by applying a predetermined bending stress, so that an optical fiber core having an exposed portion of a glass fiber whose life is guaranteed for a long term can be obtained.

Further, the glass fiber holding and rotating means includes a rotating body having a rotating surface parallel to the axis of the optical fiber core and a rotating axis perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber core, and a rotating body parallel to each other. And two pillars fixed to the rotating body upright on the rotating surface of the rotating body, and the tip of the exposed glass fiber is disposed between the two pillars to rotate the rotating body. Accordingly, if the glass fiber is bent, the bending stress applied to the exposed portion of the glass fiber can be obtained by calculation, and a large bending can be given when the glass fiber is exposed.

Further, the optical fiber core wire screening apparatus of the present invention comprises a plurality of glass fibers arranged and sandwiched between two pillars in parallel with the length direction of the pillars.
Since the same bend can be given to a plurality of glass fibers, it is suitable as a screening device for a tape-shaped optical fiber core having a plurality of glass fibers.

By making the position of the column fixed to the rotating body movable and making the relative position of the rotating body and the optical fiber holding portion variable, various bending can be performed in accordance with glass fibers having various exposure lengths. It can be a screening device that gives conditions.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of an optical fiber core wire screening apparatus according to the present invention, wherein (A) is a front view and (B).
Is a side view, (C) is an enlarged front view of the optical fiber core holding section, (D) is an enlarged side view of the optical fiber core holding section in the X direction, and (E) is an enlarged side view of the glass fiber holding and rotating means in the Y direction. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating a state of bending of a glass fiber in the optical fiber core wire screening apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating the position of a column related to the optical fiber core wire screening apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view for explaining a position change of a rotating body or an optical fiber core holding unit according to the optical fiber core wire screening apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a result obtained by calculating a bending state of a glass fiber.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional screening method.

FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating a conventional screening method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Optical fiber core wire 1a: Element wire coating 1b: Collective coating 2: Glass fiber 3: Optical fiber core wire holding portion 3a: Lower member 3b: Upper member 3c: Hinge 3d: Fixed magnet 4: Column 4a: Guide 5 : Rotating body 5a: rotating shaft 6: glass fiber holding and rotating means 6a: rotation driving device 7: base body 7a, 7b, 7c: fixing member

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber core having a glass fiber which is not endurable by bending the exposed glass fiber by removing the coating at the end of the optical fiber core coated on the glass fiber. A screening device that detects and removes, an optical fiber core holding unit that holds a portion having a coating of the optical fiber core, and around a rotation axis in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber core. An optical fiber core wire screening, comprising: a glass fiber holding and rotating means for rotating and moving a portion near the tip of the exposed glass fiber along an arc of the rotation to bend the glass fiber. apparatus. 2. The glass fiber holding and rotating means comprises: a rotating body having a rotation surface parallel to the axis of the optical fiber core and a rotation axis in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber core; 2. The structure according to claim 1, comprising two pillars that are fixed to the rotating body upright on the rotating surface of the rotating body.
6. The optical fiber core wire screening apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The optical fiber core screening apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the positions of the two pillars are variable in a radial direction of the rotating body. 4. The optical fiber core holding section or the glass fiber holding / rotating means has a variable position in the axial direction of the optical fiber core, and a rotation axis of a rotating body constituting the glass fiber rotating means and the rotating shaft. The optical fiber core screening apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the distance between the optical fiber core holding part and the end of the optical fiber core terminal side can be changed. 5. An optical fiber core having a glass fiber which is not endurable by bending the exposed glass fiber by removing the coating at the end of the optical fiber core coated on the glass fiber. A method for detecting and removing the optical fiber core wire, wherein the portion having the coating of the optical fiber core wire is held by the optical fiber core holding portion, and the axis of the optical fiber core wire is sandwiched by the portion near the tip of the exposed glass fiber. Detecting and removing an optical fiber core having a glass fiber that cannot withstand bending by rotating the glass fiber around the direction perpendicular to the glass fiber and bending the glass fiber to break the glass fiber that cannot withstand bending. A method for screening an optical fiber. 6. The optical fiber core wire is a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire having a plurality of glass fibers arranged in parallel, and the arrangement direction of the exposed glass fibers is set at the tip of the glass fiber. 6. The method of screening an optical fiber core according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of glass fibers are each given the same amount of bending by matching the direction of the rotation axis in rotation.