JP2000187118A - Coating layer cutting tool for coated optical fiber ribbon - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coating layer cutting tool for a coated optical fiber ribbon which is capable of stabilizing the thickness of the coating layer after cutting and preventing the disconnection in a subsequent coating removing stage. SOLUTION: The tool 24, which cuts part of the coating layer of the coated optical fiber ribbon to a laminar form, has a holder base 25 which holds the coated optical fiber ribbon, a main body 27 which is freely attachably and detachably disposed via guide rods 26 at the holder base 2 and a blade 28 which is disposed at the main body 27 and bites into the coating layer of the coated optical fiber ribbon. In such a case, the counter holder base flank 28a of the blade 28 is set approximately perpendicularly to the coating layer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coating layer cutting tool for an optical fiber ribbon.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the field of communication, optical fibers capable of high-speed and large-capacity transmission have become the mainstream of transmission lines, and most of middle- and long-distance trunk lines have already been replaced by metal fiber cables with optical fiber cables. Further, several years later, efforts are being made at a rapid pace for realizing an optical subscriber transmission system in which a line to each home is converted to an optical fiber.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an optical fiber ribbon 1 is composed of a plurality of (four in the example) optical fibers 2 arranged side by side and a tape-shaped covering the optical fibers 2. It is composed of an integral coating layer 3 (resin, plastic material, etc.). 4 is a holder for clamping the optical fiber ribbon 1. For the connection of the optical fiber ribbon 1 as described above, fusion splicing for melting and joining the butting surfaces of the optical fibers 2 has been performed. Although fusion splicing has high reliability, it has a problem in that it takes time to reinforce after connection, the apparatus is expensive, and a power source is required.

Therefore, a mechanical splice 5 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 has been developed (JP-A-8-2340).
37, JP-A-9-73023, JP-A-9-90148, JP-A-9-96733, JP-A-9-318836, etc.). This type of mechanical splice 5 includes a fiber pressing substrate 6 for holding the optical fiber 2, a coating pressing substrate 7 for holding the coating layer 3, a V-groove substrate 8 facing the pressing substrates, and pressing substrates 6,7. A V-groove substrate 8 and a clamp spring 9 sandwiching the V-groove substrate 8. The V-groove substrate 8 has a V-groove 10 formed therein. An insertion opening 12 into which the wedge member 11 is inserted is formed on the mating surface between the V-groove substrate 8 and the holding substrates 5 and 7.

FIG. 7 shows the connection between the optical fiber ribbons 1 using such a mechanical splice 5. First, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7A, the wedge member 1 is inserted into the insertion port 12.
Then, a gap is formed between the holding substrates 6 and 7 and the V-groove substrate 8. Next, as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7B, the optical fiber ribbon 1 from which the coating layer 3 of the terminal is removed and the optical fiber 2 is exposed is inserted into the gap, and butted.
Finally, the wedge member 11 is pulled out of the insertion opening 12, and the axis of each optical fiber 2 is aligned with the V-groove 1 by the spring force of the clamp spring 9.
The optical fiber 2 and the coating layer 3 are held while being aligned by zero.

Meanwhile, in such a mechanical splice 5, the stripped optical fiber 2 is held by the fiber holding substrate 6 and the V-groove substrate 8, and the coating layer 3 is held by the coating holding substrate 7 and the V-groove substrate 8. Because of the holding, the thickness D of the coating layer 3 that can be gripped is limited, which causes a problem. That is, the 4-core optical fiber ribbon 1 has a standard coating thickness of 0.
Since the 4 mm type and the 0.3 mm type are mixed, they cannot be connected by the mechanical splice 5 having the same structure and the same dimensions.

For example, if the dimensions are such that the tape core wire 1 having a standard coating thickness of 0.3 mm can be gripped, the standard coating thickness is set to 0.
4mm tape core 1 cannot be inserted. Further, if the dimensions are such that the core wire 1 having a standard coating thickness of 0.4 mm can be inserted, the tape core wire 1 having a standard coating thickness of 0.3 mm cannot be gripped after connection. Therefore, the present inventors have thought of cutting the coating layer 3 of the tape core wire 1 having a standard coating thickness of 0.4 mm into a layer and reducing the thickness to about 0.3 mm, and developed a tool shown in FIGS. did.

As shown in the figure, the tool 13 includes a holder base 14 for holding the optical fiber ribbon 1, a main body 16 provided on the holder base 14 via a guide rod 15 so as to be able to approach and separate, and a main body 16. And a blade 17 that cuts into the coating layer 3 of the optical fiber ribbon 1. The holder base 14 has a concave portion 18 into which the holder 4 of the optical fiber ribbon 1 shown in FIG. 4 is fitted. Body 16
Is a base portion 16a provided with a guide rod 15,
Lid 1 attached to the base 16a so as to be openable and closable
6b. The blade 17 is attached to the lid 16b so as to face the cutting direction like a plane blade. That is, anti-holder pad side 17a of the cutting edge of the blade 17 is set at an obtuse angle theta ₂ of more than 90 degrees with respect to the cutting direction 18 (surface of the covering layer 3).

[0009] Such a coating layer cutting tool 13 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), first, the holder 4 of the optical fiber ribbon 1 is fitted and held in the concave portion 18 of the holder base 14,
Next, as shown in FIG. 9C, the cover 16b is closed and the blade 1 is closed.
7 is cut into the coating layer 3 of the tape core 1, and the coating layer 3 is held between the blade 17 and the facing surface 16c. In this state, as shown in FIG. By separating from the main body 16 along the guide rod 15, the coating layer 3 of the tape core wire 1 is cut into a layer, and the thickness of the coating layer 3 is formed to a gap set value between the blade 17 and the opposing surface 16 c. is there. FIG. 10 shows the tape core wire 1 from which the coating layer 3 has been cut by the tool 13.

Here, in FIG. 8B, the distance L ₂ from the end face of the concave portion 18 of the holder base 14 to the blade 17 is the distance L ₂ from the holder 4 of the tape core 1 to the cutting start position 19 of the blade 17 in FIG. distance corresponds to L _2, spaced stroke S ₂ relative to the body 16 of the holder base 14 in FIG. 9 (d) corresponds to the length S ₂ of the distal end side from the cutting start point 19 in FIG. 10, FIG. 9 (d distance G from the tip 20 of the ribbon 1 to the main body 16 in), the tip 20 ribbon 1 from the end portion 21 of the spacing stroke S ₂ in FIG. 10
Equivalent to distance.

[0011]

By the way, this tool 1
When cutting the coating layer 3 into a layer by using the
7, the coating layer 3 cuts into the blade 17 mounted opposite to the cutting direction like a plane blade, so that the coating layer 3 is cut as shown in FIG. The finished dimension X of the blade 17 and its facing surface 1
6c is smaller than the gap setting value. Further, it was also found through experiments that the finished size X was not stable.

After the coating layer 3 is cut into a layer by the tool 13, the process proceeds to a step of completely removing the coating layer 3 of the terminal by, for example, a heating type coating stripper. Since the finished dimension X is not stable, the blade 23 of the heating type coating stripper may enter the coating layer 3 too deeply at the position where the blade 23 hits the coating layer 3 as shown by a virtual line in FIG. There is also a problem that the disconnection of the optical fiber 2 inside the device frequently occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention, which has been made in view of the above circumstances, is to cut a coating layer of an optical fiber ribbon, in which the thickness of the coating layer after cutting is stabilized and disconnection can be prevented in a subsequent coating removing step. To provide tools.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a tool for cutting a part of a coating layer of an optical fiber ribbon in a layered manner, wherein the holder base holds the optical fiber ribbon. A main body provided on the holder base so as to be able to approach and separate via a guide rod, and a blade provided on the main body, which bites into a coating layer of the optical fiber ribbon, and the cutting edge of the blade is opposite to the side of the holder base. Is set substantially at right angles to the coating layer.

According to the present invention, since the side surface of the blade edge of the blade opposite to the holder base is set substantially perpendicular to the coating layer, the coating layer does not cut into the blade during cutting. Therefore, the finished dimension according to the gap setting value between the blade and the opposing surface can be stably obtained.

It is preferable that the stroke of separating the holder base from the main body is set so that the cutting end position of the coating layer cut by the stroke is the removal starting end position of the coating layer.

In this way, the blade of the coating layer removing tool (for example, a heated stripper) used after the coating layer is cut by the present tool does not enter the coating layer too deeply, and the optical fiber in the coating layer is disconnected. Can be prevented.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a coating layer cutting tool according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a view showing a process of cutting a coating layer of an optical fiber ribbon using the tool, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing an optical fiber ribbon in which a part of a layer is cut into a layer.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tool 24 includes a holder table 25 for holding the optical fiber ribbon 1, a main body 27 provided on the holder table 25 via a guide rod 26 so as to be able to approach and separate freely. A blade 28 is provided on the main body 27 and cuts into the coating layer 3 of the optical fiber ribbon 1.
The holder base 25 has a concave portion 29 into which the holder 4 of the optical fiber ribbon 1 shown in FIG. 4 is fitted. Body 2
Reference numeral 7 denotes a base 27a provided with a guide rod 26, and a lid 27b attached to the base 27a via a hinge or the like so as to be freely opened and closed.

The base portion 27a and the holder base 25 include:
As shown in FIG. 2 (b), when the holder 4 of the tape core 1 is fitted into the recess 29 of the holder base 25, grooves 30 and 31 into which the tape core 1 fits are respectively formed. The base portion 27a is provided with a concave surface 32 at the center of the base portion 27a on which the blade 28 is fitted, and seating surfaces 33 on both sides of which the lid portion 27b is seated. The facing surface 32 and the seating surface 33 are parallel to the direction in which the holder 25 is separated from the main body 27 (the cutting direction 34 of the coating layer 3), and
5 is formed in parallel with the tape surface 1a (see FIGS. 4 and 5) of the tape core wire 1 fitted into the tape core 1.

The blade 28 has a triangular cross section as shown in FIG. 1, and is attached to a window 35 formed in the lid 27b. Specifically, the blade 28
The cutting edge 34 (the coating layer 3)
Surface or as an angle theta ₁ formed between the opposing surface 32) is substantially perpendicular, it is attached to the window portion 35 of the lid portion 27b. The distance between the edge of the blade 28 and the facing surface 32 is
In this embodiment, when the lid 27b is seated on the seating surface 33
It is set to 0.33mm. This value is set in order to cut the tape core wire 1 of the type in which the thickness of the coating layer 3 is 0.4 mm to about 0.3 mm.

As shown in FIG. 3, the separation stroke S ₁ (see FIG. 2D) of the holder base 25 from the main body 27 is a cutting end position 36 of the coating layer 3 cut by the stroke S ₁ . Is set to be the removal start end position of the coating layer 3. That is, in the tape core wire 1 in which the coating layer 3 is thinly cut into a layer using the tool 24, the coating 3 of the terminal is thereafter completely removed by a heating type coating stripper or the like. cutting-in position 23 (removed starting end position 37 of the covering layer 3), so that the cutting end position 36 of the covering layer 3 according to the present tool is the spacing stroke S ₁ is set.

The method of using the coating layer cutting tool 24 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the holder base 25 is brought into close contact with the main body 27, and the optical fiber ribbon 1 is inserted into the recess 29 of the holder base 25.
(The thickness D of the coating layer 3 is 0.4 mm) The holder 4 is fitted and held. Next, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), the cover 27b is closed and the blade 28 is cut into the coating layer 3 of the tape core 1, and the coating layer 3 is inserted between the blade 28 and the facing surface 32 (the blade). The distance between the blade edge of No. 28 and the facing surface 32 is 0.33 mm).

Next, in this state, as shown in FIG. 2D, the holder base 25 is moved along the guide rod 26 into the main body 27.
Away from, away until viz spaced stroke S ₁ full until the slide stops. Thereby, the coating layer 3 of the tape core wire 1 is cut into a layer and the shavings are discharged from the window portion 35, and the thickness of the coating layer 3 is reduced to the gap between the blade 28 and the opposing surface 32 as shown in FIG. It is cut and formed to the set value (0.33mm).

Here, the distance L ₁ from the end face of the concave portion 29 of the holder base 25 to the blade 28 in FIG. 1B is the distance from the holder 4 of the tape core 1 to the cutting start position 38 of the blade 28 in FIG. corresponds to the distance L _1, spaced stroke S ₁ with respect to the body 27 of the holder base 25 in FIG. 2 (d), 3
Corresponds to the length S ₁ from the cutting start position 38 to the cutting end position 36 in. In this embodiment, FIG.
As shown in (2), even if the holder table 25 is separated from the full stroke S ₁ , the entire tape core 1 is not pulled out from the main body 27.

According to the cutting of the coating layer 3 using the tool 24, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), the angle θ ₁ of the cutting edge of the blade 28 with respect to the coating layer 3 of the side surface 28a opposite to the holder base is substantially perpendicular. Since it is set, the coating layer 3 (soft) does not bite into the blade 28 during cutting. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the finished dimension X of the cut portion is formed stably according to the gap setting value (0.33 mm) between the blade 28 and the facing surface 32. On the other hand, in the conventional type tool 13 shown in FIG. 8, since the blade 17 is mounted opposite to the cutting direction 18 like a plane blade, the coating layer 3 is eroded on the blade 17 and FIG. As shown in the figure, the finished dimension X of the coating layer 3 was smaller than the set value of the gap between the blade 17 and the facing surface 16c, and the finished dimension X was not stable.

FIG. 9D shows the conventional type tool 13.
Spaced to elicit ribbon 1 from all the body 16 as shown in the stroke S ₂ and to contrast had the tool 24 in the ribbon as shown in FIG. 2 (d) of Embodiment 1
Are not drawn out of the main body 27.
Since the _1, towards the spaced stroke S ₁ of the present embodiment is shorter than the separation stroke S ₂ of the conventional type.
Therefore, the tool 24 of the present embodiment is a conventional type tool 1
When the holder base 25 (14) is separated from the main body 27 (16) along the guide rod 26 (15), the shaft runout with respect to the guide rod 26 (15) is smaller than that of the holder base 25 (14). To contribute.

Further, the tape core wire 1 in which the coating layer 3 is thinly cut into a layer using the tool 24 is thereafter completely removed by a heating type coating stripper or the like. Here, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the cutting position 37 of the coating stripper blade 23 (the start position of the removal of the coating layer 3) is the cutting end position 36 of the coating layer 3 by the tool 24. The separation stroke S ₁ is set so that the blade 23 of the coating stripper is coated with the coating layer 3.
Of the optical fiber 1 inside the coating layer 3 can be prevented.

The inventor of the present invention used a four-core light source having a standard coating thickness of 0.4 mm using a tool 24 according to the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and a conventional type tool 13 shown in FIGS. An experiment was conducted in which the coating layer 3 of the fiber ribbon 1 was cut 30 times. The finished dimension X was 0.27 to 0.33 mm for the conventional type tool 13, which was smaller than the gap setting value (0.33 mm) between the cutting edge 17 and the facing surface 16 c and large in variation, while the tool 24 of the present embodiment was large. 0.32-0.
It becomes 34mm and the gap setting value between the blade edge 28 and the facing surface 32 (0.33
mm) and the dispersion was small.

After the coating layer 3 was cut, the terminal coating layer 3 was removed with the blade 23 of the heating stripper. As a result, the optical fiber 1 inside the coating layer 3 of the conventional type tool 13 was reduced by 9 mm. It was also confirmed that the optical fiber 1 inside the coating layer 3 was not broken in the tool 24 of the present embodiment, although the wire was broken. Further, insertion into the mechanical splice 5 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 could be performed without any problem.

[0033]

As described above, according to the coating layer cutting tool for an optical fiber ribbon according to the present invention, the following effects can be exhibited.

(1) According to the coating layer cutting tool of the first aspect, the thickness of the coating layer after cutting becomes the same as the set value of the tool and is stable.

(2) According to the coating layer cutting tool of the second aspect, disconnection of the optical fiber in the subsequent coating removing step can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a coating layer cutting tool for an optical fiber ribbon showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is a perspective view showing a separated state, and FIG. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a process chart showing a method of using the above-mentioned coating layer cutting tool.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an optical fiber ribbon whose coating layer has been cut by the coating layer cutting tool.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an optical fiber ribbon and a holder.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of an optical fiber ribbon.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a mechanical splice.

FIG. 7 is a process chart showing a method of using a mechanical splice.

8 is an explanatory view of a coating layer cutting tool for an optical fiber ribbon developed by the present inventors in advance, FIG. 8 (a) is a perspective view showing a separated state, and FIG. 8 (b) is a close state FIG.

FIG. 9 is a process chart showing a method for using the above-mentioned coating layer cutting tool.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the optical fiber ribbon whose coating layer has been cut by the coating layer cutting tool.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Optical fiber tape core wire 2 Optical fiber 3 Coating layer 24 Coating layer cutting tool 25 Holder stand 26 Guide rod 27 Main body 28 Blade 28a Anti-holder base side surface 36 Cutting end position 37 Removal start end position θ ₁ blade anti-holder base side and coating Angle with layer S ₁ Separation stroke

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takeshi Sakamoto 5-1-1, Hidaka-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture Within the Opto-System Research Laboratory, Hitachi Cable, Ltd. (72) Inventor Akira Sato Akira Hidaka-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture 5-1-1, Hitachi Cable, Ltd. Opto-System Research Laboratory (72) Inventor Toshiaki Katagiri 3-19-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Inside Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Masaaki Takaya Shinjuku, Tokyo 3-19-2 Nishi-Shinjuku-ku, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation F-term (reference) 2H038 CA03 5G353 AA15 AC02 CA04

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A tool for cutting a part of a coating layer of an optical fiber ribbon in a layered form, comprising: a holder for holding the optical fiber ribbon; And a blade provided in the main body, which bites into a coating layer of the optical fiber ribbon,
A coating layer cutting tool for an optical fiber ribbon, wherein the edge of the blade opposite to the holder base is set to be substantially perpendicular to the coating layer. 2. The optical fiber tape according to claim 1, wherein the stroke of separation of the holder base from the main body is set such that a cutting end position of the coating layer cut by the stroke is a start position of removal of the coating layer. Core layer coating layer cutting tool.