JP2003167148A - Fusion splicing machine for optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fusion splicing machine for an optical fiber which can mount a holder at a proper position even when the holder is sloppily installed on a stage. <P>SOLUTION: The fusion splicing machine is provided with a pair of discharge electrodes 3 disposed oppositely at a space, the stage 4 for opposing the splicing end surfaces of the optical fibers between the discharge electrodes 3 and for making the splicing end surfaces approach in fusion bonding, and a holder 50 mounted on the stage 4 for holding the optical fibers. A first magnet 5 is fixed to the stage 4. A second magnet 51 attracted to the first magnet 5 is provided at the surface opposed to the stage 4 of the holder 50. The first and second magnets 5 and 51 are attached with a deviation to each other when the holder 50 is placed at a proper position on the stage 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber fusion splicer. In particular, the present invention relates to a fusion splicer capable of easily mounting a holder holding an optical fiber at an appropriate position on a sliding stage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, there has been known a splicer which discharges electric discharge between electrodes which are opposed to each other with a space therebetween and fuses connecting end faces of optical fibers abutted between the electrodes by the heat of discharge. There is.

This connecting machine comprises a pair of stages provided opposite to each other with both electrodes sandwiched therebetween, and fusion bonding is carried out using a holder mounted on this stage. The holder is attachable to and detachable from the stage, and holds the optical fiber by sandwiching the optical fiber between the base and the lid. Both stages are configured to slide in a direction in which the connection end faces of the optical fibers sandwiched by the holders are brought close to each other.

When connecting optical fibers, both stages are slid to bring the end faces of the optical fibers close to each other. And
When both end surfaces reach a predetermined distance with respect to the electrodes, discharge is generated between the electrodes, and the discharge heat is used to fuse and connect the end surfaces of the optical fiber.

[0005]

However, in the above fusion splicer, the holder may not be mounted at an appropriate position on the stage.

The holder is mounted along the guide on the stage, but a very small gap is formed between the guide and the holder, and depending on the mounting method, the holder is still mounted at a position deviated from the proper position. The electrodes may be discharged. In particular, fusion splicing of optical fibers requires extremely high accuracy, and even a slight deviation can seriously affect the quality of fusion splicing.

Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber fusion splicer capable of mounting the holder at an appropriate position even if the holder is properly installed on the stage.

[0008]

The present invention achieves the above object by positioning the holder with respect to the stage by using the attraction force of the magnet.

That is, in the fusion splicer of the present invention, a pair of discharge electrodes, which are opposed to each other with a gap, and the connection end faces of the optical fiber are opposed to each other between these discharge electrodes, and the connection end faces are brought close to each other during fusion bonding. The fusion splicer includes a stage and a holder mounted on the stage to hold an optical fiber. The first magnet is fixed to this stage. On the surface of the holder facing the stage, the first
A second magnet that attracts the magnet is provided. The first and second magnets are characterized in that they are attached to each other with a displacement when the holder is placed at an appropriate position on the stage.

Generally, the magnets attracted to each other are attracted to each other. Since the first and second magnets are provided on the stage and the holder so as to be offset from each other, both magnets are attracted so as to overlap each other.
Inevitably, the holder is pulled to a predetermined position on the stage. Therefore, even if the holder is placed on the stage without paying particular attention, the holder can be surely attached to the proper position.

Here, the phrase "attached with a displacement" means that the outer peripheral edge of the other magnet protrudes from the outer peripheral edge of the other magnet. In other words, when both magnets have the same shape and size, the center of gravity of both magnets is deviated. Also, when the sizes and shapes are different, it means that a part of both magnets overlap. By arranging both magnets with such a "deviation", a force that both magnets try to completely overlap is generated, and this force is used as a force to return the holder to the proper position on the stage. To do.

The degree of "displacement" between the two magnets is preferably such that the magnetic forces of the two magnets act on each other and the magnetic force allows the holder to slide on the stage. Although it depends on the size and magnetic force of the magnet, a deviation of about several mm is generally sufficient.

These first and second magnets are different from each other.
It is preferred that they are offset in the direction. Usually, the holder holds its proper position by abutting its two surfaces on the guide of the stage. For example, the side surface and the end surface of the holder are brought into contact with the guide of the stage. At this time, if the force that presses the two surfaces of the holder against the guide of the stage always acts, the holder can be prevented from being displaced from the proper position.

Therefore, the stage is provided with a first guide that comes into contact with one surface of the holder and a second guide that comes into contact with the other surface of the holder that intersects the one surface. And the first and second
It is preferable that the magnets are attached with a displacement so as to press the holder against both the first guide and the second guide by the magnetic force of both.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. 1 is a perspective view of the main body of the fusion splicer of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective plan view of the fusion splicer of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a DD arrow of FIG. FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a perspective view seen from the upper surface side of the holder, FIG. 6 is a perspective view seen from the lower surface of the holder, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a state where the magnets of the stage and the holder are displaced.

(Overall Structure) As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, this connector 1 has a pair of discharge electrodes 3 on a top surface of a cubic body 2.
And a stage 4 (4a, 4b) for holding the optical fiber with the connection end faces facing each other between these discharge electrodes 3. The optical fiber is held on the stage 4 via a holder 50 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). In this example, the first magnet 5 is provided on the upper surface of the stage 4, and the second magnet 51 (see FIGS. 3 and 6) is provided on the bottom surface of the holder 50.

(Discharge Electrode) The discharge electrode 3 has a needle-like shape with a pointed tip which is arranged to face each other with a gap. At the time of fusing, an electric discharge is caused between both electrodes 3, and the end face of the optical fiber is melted by the heat of discharge and connected.

(Stage) The stage 4 is a pedestal for holding and holding a pair of optical fibers in a direction orthogonal to the discharge electrode 3 and for sliding the end faces of both optical fibers close to each other during fusion bonding. In this example, a pair of stage 4
Of these, one (right side of FIGS. 2 and 3) was the movable stage 4b, and the other (left side of FIGS. 2 and 3) was the fixed stage 4a. The movable stage 4b is slid using the rotary cam 6 and the stage drive shaft 7 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The rotating cam 6 is the cam drive shaft of the motor 8.
It is a cup type fixed to 9, and the opening surface 10 is inclined. On the other hand, the stage drive shaft 7 has one fixed end,
The other end is a swing end, and the swing end is in contact with the rotary cam 6. The stage drive shaft 7 is normally urged to the electrode side (left side in FIG. 4) by a tension spring 11. Further, a pressing portion 12 is provided in the middle of the stage drive shaft 7. The pressing portion 12 contacts the pressing piece 13 integrated below the movable stage 4b. Rotating cam 6 by motor 8
When is rotated, the swinging end is pressed according to the eccentricity of the cam 6, and the swinging end is moved in an arc around the fixed end. As the stage drive shaft 7 swings, the pressing portion 12 moves the pressing piece 1
Press 3 and slide the movable stage 4b.

As shown in FIG. 1, each stage 4 is arranged with an inclination such that the electrode side is low and the opposite side is high. The ridge guides 14 (first guides) are provided on both side edges of this inclined surface, and the inverted L
A mold engagement projection 15 (second guide) is provided. The holder 50 is mounted on the stage 4 along the guides 14 and the engaging projections 15.
The guide 14 is set on the upper side, and the side surface of the holder is brought into contact with the one guide 14, and the end surface of the holder is brought into contact with the engaging projection 15 so as to be arranged at an appropriate position.

A circular first magnet 5 was embedded in the surface of each stage. A V-groove support portion 16 is formed between the two stages 4 and the electrode 3. A V groove 17 is formed on the surface of this supporting portion, and the tip portion of the optical fiber protruding from the holder 50 is arranged therein.

(Holder) The holder is attached to and detached from each stage by sandwiching the optical fiber between the lid and the base. As shown in FIG. 5, this holder 50 has a base portion 53 in which a V groove 52 is formed.
And a lid that is attached to the base 53 via a hinge so that it can be opened and closed.
54 and. The optical fiber is held by disposing it on the V groove 52 and closing the lid 54. A magnet 55 is embedded in the surface of the base portion 53, and the metallic lid portion 54 is adsorbed to the optical fiber, so that the optical fiber can be securely pressed.

However, due to the action of this magnet 55,
When opening 54, the base 53 remains attached and the holder 50
The power to lift each is working. Therefore, a groove-shaped notch 56 into which the engaging projection 15 is fitted is provided on the end surface of the base portion 53. When the holder 30 is fitted along the guide 14 on the stage, the engaging projection 15 is fitted in the notch 56. By fitting the engaging projection 15 and the notch 56, the lid portion 54 of the holder 50 is
It is possible to prevent the holder 50 itself from being lifted from the stage 4 when opening the.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a circular second magnet 51 is embedded in the back surface of the base portion 53 (the surface facing the stage 4). As shown in FIG. 7, the second magnet 51 is fixed while being displaced in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction when the holder 50 is arranged at an appropriate position on the stage 4. In this example, the second magnet 51 has the same shape and the same area as the first magnet 5, and the first magnet 5 is displaced by 1 mm in the front-rear direction (direction orthogonal to the electrodes) and 0.5 mm in the left-right direction (direction parallel to the electrodes). .

There is a very small gap between the guide 14 (see FIG. 1) and the holder 50, and the gap or the poor state of abutment with the engaging projection 15 causes the position shift of the holder 50. There is. In the present invention, since the first magnet 5 embedded on the stage 4 and the second magnet 51 on the bottom surface of the holder 50 are displaced from each other, the holder 5 is placed so that the two magnets 5 and 51 overlap each other.
Pull 0. As a result, the holder 50 is
It is mounted on the stage 4 in a state of being abutted against the L-shaped engaging protrusions 15 and can easily hold an appropriate position.

(Cover) The cover 18 covers the periphery of the electrode 3 so that an operator does not accidentally touch the periphery of the electrode during discharge (see FIGS. 2 and 3). This cover 18 is attached to the rear surface of the upper surface of the main body 2 via a hinge so as to be openable and closable. In this example, the cover 18 is provided with a transparent observation window (not shown). The view window is provided so that the operator can directly check the state at the time of discharge from the outside of the cover 18.

(Clamp) A clamp 19 is projectingly provided on the back side of the cover 18. The clamp 19 is to face the V-groove support portion 16 when the cover 18 is closed, and sandwich the tip end of the optical fiber between the clamp 19 and the V-groove support portion 16 to prevent misalignment. In this example, a pair of plunger-like clamps 19 are provided that are normally projected by the biasing force of a compression spring (not shown), but retract when a certain pressing force acts. The tip of the clamp 19 is preferably a cylindrical surface. According to this shape, the optical fiber can be reliably pressed down.
Further, at the time of fusion splicing, the stage 4 is slid to bring the end faces of the optical fibers close to each other, but at that time, the optical fibers can slide smoothly with respect to the clamp 19. The clamp 19 is arranged so that the axial direction of the cylindrical surface is orthogonal to the optical fiber.

(Connecting Procedure) (1) An optical fiber is placed on the base portion 53 of the holder 50 and sandwiched between the lid portions 54.

(2) A pair of holders 50 holding optical fibers
On each stage 4. At this time, the holder 50 is attracted to an appropriate position on the stage 4 by the attraction force of the first magnet 5 and the second magnet 51, and proper positioning can be easily performed.

(3) Close the cover 18. At that time, the cover 18
An optical fiber is sandwiched between the clamp 19 on the back side and the V-groove support portion 16.

(4) In that state, the power is turned on to start the connection operation. First, the movable stage 4b is slid, and the optical fiber held on the stage 4b is brought close to the optical fiber held on the fixed stage 4a side.

(5) Discharge is started when the end face of the optical fiber to be moved comes close to the electrode 3 by a predetermined distance. When the discharge is started, the end faces of the optical fibers that are abutted by the heat of discharge are melted. Further, the movable stage 4b is slid to connect both end faces of the optical fiber.

[0032]

As described above, according to the fusion splicer of the present invention, the first and second magnets are provided on the stage and the holder while being offset from each other. Therefore, regardless of the skill level of the operator, even if the holder is pulled to the proper position on the stage and the holder is placed on the stage without paying special attention, the holder can be surely mounted at the proper position.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main body of a fusion splicer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective plan view of the fusion splicer of the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line D-D in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the holder seen from the upper surface side.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the holder seen from the lower surface side.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the magnets of the stage and the holder are displaced.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Fusion splicer 2 Body 3 Electrode 4 Stage 4a
Fixed stage 4b Movable stage 5 1st magnet 6 Rotating cam 7
Stage drive shaft 8 Motor 9 Cam drive shaft 10 Opening surface 11 Extension spring 12 Pressing part 13 Pressing piece 14 Guide 15 Engaging protrusion 16 V groove supporting part 17 V groove 18 Cover 19 Clamp 50 Holder 51 Second magnet 52 V groove 53 Base 54 Lid 55 Magnet 56 Notch

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A pair of discharge electrodes arranged to face each other at intervals, a stage in which the connection end faces of the optical fiber are opposed to each other between these discharge electrodes, and the connection end faces are brought close to each other at the time of fusion, and fixed to the stage. A first magnet, a holder mounted on the stage to hold the optical fiber, and a second magnet provided on a surface of the holder facing the stage and adsorbed to the first magnet. The magnet is a fusion splicer for optical fibers, wherein the magnets are attached so as to be offset from each other when the holder is placed at an appropriate position on the stage. 2. The stage includes a first guide that comes into contact with one surface of the holder and a second guide that comes into contact with the other surface of the holder that intersects with the one surface, and the first and second magnets are provided with both of them. The optical fiber fusion splicer according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber fusion splicer is attached to both of the first guide and the second guide with a shift so as to press the holder by magnetic force.