JP2004317600A - Optical fiber reel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To miniaturize an optical fiber reel permitting to wire an optical fiber for connecting between optical communication equipment without leaving a remaining length, and an optical fiber remaining length treatment part used for equipment related to optical fiber. <P>SOLUTION: As an optical fiber wound round by a remaining length treating part of an optical fiber, an optical fiber with large losses caused by general bending is not used but an optical fiber with small losses by bending and a small minimum bending radius, a holy fiber, or a photonic crystal fiber is used. Thus, a low-loss and small type remaining length treating part can be obtained. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical fiber reel used for an optical fiber housing device or the like, and more particularly, to miniaturization of an optical fiber extra length processing unit of the optical fiber reel.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the conventional optical fiber housing device, as described in Patent Document 1, when a case has a winding portion, there is a point that the winding length cannot be finely adjusted.
[0003]
On the other hand, the optical fiber extra length processing device described in Patent Document 2 prevents twisting and improves the appearance, but has a point that the extra length processing portion itself is large because there are two winding portions.
[0004]
The extra length processing section of the optical fiber depends on the minimum bending radius of the optical fiber, and the extra length processing section is created while keeping the radius. As a result, the conventional optical fiber extra length processing section has a relatively large size. Therefore, an apparatus using an optical fiber extra length processing unit cannot be sufficiently reduced in size because it depends on its size.
[0005]
On the other hand, the space for installing the device using the optical fiber extra length processing unit in an apartment house or a general home is limited, so that it is necessary to reduce the space as much as possible. Therefore, the optical fiber extra length processing section must be miniaturized as much as possible.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-249840 A
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-11-174239
[Patent Document 3]
JP-A-06-005845 [0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, there is a great need for miniaturization of an apparatus using the optical fiber extra length processing unit, but for that purpose, it is necessary to reduce the size of the optical fiber extra length processing unit that occupies a place. However, if the extra length processing section is made smaller, the internal optical fiber becomes smaller than the minimum bending radius, so that the total reflection of light in the optical fiber is interrupted, and a problem that transmission loss increases. This problem must be solved in order to reduce the size of the optical fiber extra length processing unit.
[0010]
In order to solve this problem, it is possible to make the optical fiber as short as possible. However, in practice, it is extremely difficult because optical fibers are fused together. In addition, in the case where optical fibers are reconnected to each other, or when a situation such as reeling in and out frequently occurs, if there is no extra length, handling becomes extremely difficult. It is not always practical to reduce the size by not making such extra length.
[0011]
As an example of the extra length processing, for example, Patent Document 3 proposes a device that adjusts the length of both ends using two reels. Then a twist occurs. Furthermore, miniaturization is difficult, and it is not possible to adapt to the problem in this case.
[0012]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to realize a miniaturization of an optical fiber extra length processing unit of an optical fiber reel.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention uses a holey fiber for an optical fiber wound around a reel or an excess length processing unit, and forming a coating material on an outer surface of the holey fiber into a loose tube structure. The tube diameter is variable depending on the number of cores wound on the reel.
[0014]
As described above, in the present invention, in order to reduce the minimum bending radius of the optical fiber itself used for the extra length processing, an optical fiber or the like having a small transmission loss due to bending is used, and the extra length processing unit itself is reduced. In addition, the size of the optical fiber reel can be reduced. Further, by forming the outer surface of the holey fiber into a loose tube structure, the diameter of the tube can be changed depending on the number of cores wound around the reel.
[0015]
In order to achieve the above object, another aspect of the present invention uses a holey fiber as an optical fiber wound around a reel or a surplus length processing unit, and a part of the inscribed circle is wound around the holey fiber. A fiber guide having such a shape is formed.
[0016]
As described above, in the present invention, a fiber guide having a shape along a pair of inscribed circles is formed at a portion where the holey fiber is wound, so that a non-expert is not required, as in a measure (measure tape measure) for measuring dimensions. It is possible to realize an optical fiber reel that can be easily handled and optical wiring can be easily performed.
[0017]
In the present invention, the use of the holey fiber makes it possible to reduce the minimum bending radius of the optical fiber to 3 cm or less.
[0018]
Furthermore, in the present invention, an optical fiber or a photonic crystal fiber having a bending loss equal to or less than the bending loss of the holey fiber is preferably used instead of the holey fiber.
[0019]
Further, in the present invention, by using non-halogen polyethylene as the coating material of the holey fiber, low friction, low abrasion, high tensile strength and high side pressure protection can be obtained.
[0020]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(1st Embodiment)
In the present invention, various types of specific drawings are conceivable. Here, an optical fiber reel 10 as shown in FIG. 1 will be described as an example. The optical fiber reel 10 has connectors 11 at both ends of an optical fiber 12. The form of the optical fiber reel 10 is a type of reel in which the left and right lengths are wound symmetrically, and is constituted by components as shown in FIG.
[0021]
That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the optical fiber reel 10 has an upper plate 20, a lower plate 22, and a groove 23 large enough to allow the optical fiber 12 to pass between the upper plate 20 and the lower plate 22. Or, it is constituted by a winding section 21 having a space (not shown).
[0022]
FIG. 3 is a view showing a state when the optical fiber 12 is passed through the central groove 23 of the winding section 21. In addition, for the sake of simplicity, here, at least the upper plate 20 is illustrated as being a transparent plate, but it is not necessarily required to be transparent. As shown in FIG. 3, after passing the optical fiber 12 through the groove 23 at the center of the winding section 21, the optical fiber is turned along the peripheral surface of the winding section 21 by turning the entire optical fiber reel 10 in a predetermined direction. And is wound up, as shown in FIG.
[0023]
In the case of a conventional optical fiber reel, the radius of the winding portion 21 is limited to about 3 cm at most due to the bending radius of the optical fiber. However, by using a fiber or holey fiber having a large relative refractive index difference between the core and the clad of the single mode optical fiber as the optical fiber 12, the fiber is bent more than a general optical fiber used in the conventional optical fiber reel. Since the radius can be significantly reduced, the radius of the winding portion 21 can be 3 cm or less.
[0024]
Similarly, even if an optical fiber or a photonic crystal fiber having a low bending loss equal to or less than the bending loss of the holey fiber is used instead of the holey fiber, the radius of the winding portion 21 can be 3 cm or less. Become like
[0025]
Here, the photonics crystal fiber has holes in the fiber, and a photonics crystal fiber having holes and guided by total reflection is called an holey fiber. The holey fiber is a fiber made of silica glass, and is provided with a plurality of air holes (cavities) having regularity, thereby obtaining an effect such as a large difference in refractive index. In the case of a conventional general optical fiber, a loss of 10 dB or more occurs when the bending diameter is set to 10 mm, but almost no loss occurs in the holey fiber employed in the present invention even when the bending diameter is set to 10 mm. However, only a very small loss below the measurement limit is required, and even if the bending diameter is 5 mm, the loss is only 0.1 dB or less.
[0026]
As can be seen from FIG. 3, the groove 23 of the winding section 21 has a shape that matches the inscribed circle of the winding section, and the diameter of the inscribed circle corresponds to the radius of the winding section 21. . The groove 23 is formed along the outer circumference when two inscribed circles are arranged.
[0027]
Considering that the optical fiber 12 to be wound is pulled many times, a coating material is used in consideration of low friction, low abrasion, tensile strength and lateral pressure protection. As an example of such a coating material, non-halogen polyethylene (FRPE) can be used. Since FRPE does not contain lead or halogen, it has the advantage that no halogen-based gas is emitted when it is burned, and that it also has flame retardancy. Further, considering that the optical fiber 12 is wound on a reel, it is necessary to make its coating thinner, but FRPE is suitable as a material having a high tensile strength even if it is made thin.
[0028]
The curvature can be reduced by forming the outer surface of the optical fiber 12 into a loose tube structure. The loose tube structure refers to a form in which an optical fiber is put in a pipe-like object. The number of wires to be put into a pipe-shaped object ranges from a single core to 12 cores, and the tube diameter changes accordingly. That is, by adopting the loose tube structure, the tube diameter can be changed depending on the number of core wires wound around the reel.
[0029]
In a general optical fiber used in a conventional optical fiber reel, the loss was 0.01 dB / turn at a bending radius of 30 mm. However, the loss at a bending radius of 10 mm was achieved by using the holey fiber according to the present invention. Can be suppressed to 0.01 dB / turn or less, and according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the conventional extra-length processing portion equivalent to a diameter of 6 cm to a diameter of 2 cm or less according to the present invention.
[0030]
(Other embodiments)
The above is an example of the description of the miniaturization of the extra length processing, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the present invention can be applied to a single-end fixed type optical fiber reel. Thus, the present invention can be applied to things such as information outlets. The winding of the optical fiber reel is not limited to manual winding, but may be an automatic winding type having a motor and a spring. Further, if the optical fiber take-up unit is incorporated into a device or a unit and the drive unit of the optical fiber take-up unit is connected to a control system of the device or the unit, fine adjustment of the take-up becomes possible.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the optical fiber extra length processing section of the optical fiber reel can be remarkably reduced in size, so that devices such as cabinets and network devices incorporating optical fibers can also be reduced in size, The optical fiber reel can be mounted in a place where a sufficient installation space cannot be secured.
[0032]
Further, in the present invention, by forming a fiber guide along a pair of inscribed circles at a portion where the optical fiber is wound, it becomes possible to wind without worrying about twisting of the optical fiber, and the appearance is good. Benefits are obtained.
[0033]
Further, according to the present invention, since the optical fiber reel is remarkably small, it is easy to carry the optical fiber reel easily for wiring, and it is possible to not only reduce the work load of the contractor but also to perform wiring by a general individual. Become. Also, with the downsizing of the reel, a wall-mounted information terminal outlet can be realized.
[0034]
Further, according to the present invention, since the optical fiber is strongly bent, wiring can be performed through minute gaps such as windows and doors, as well as wiring near walls.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall appearance of an optical fiber reel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing components of the optical fiber reel of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a top view showing a state where an optical fiber is passed through a groove in FIG. 2;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Optical fiber reel 11 Connector 12 Optical fiber 20 Upper plate 21 Winding part 22 Lower plate 23 Groove

Claims (6)

Using a holey fiber for the optical fiber wound on the reel or extra length processing unit,
An optical fiber reel, characterized in that the outer diameter of the holey fiber is formed into a loose tube structure so that the diameter of the tube can be varied according to the number of cores wound around the reel. The optical fiber reel according to claim 1, wherein a fiber guide having a shape along a pair of inscribed circles is formed at a portion where the holey fiber is wound. Using a holey fiber as an optical fiber wound on a reel or extra length processing unit,
An optical fiber reel, wherein a fiber guide having a shape along a pair of inscribed circles is formed at a portion where the holey fiber is wound. 4. The optical fiber reel according to claim 1, wherein the minimum bending radius of the optical fiber is set to 3 cm or less by using the holey fiber. An optical fiber or a photonic crystal fiber having a bending loss equal to or lower than the bending loss of the holey fiber is used in place of the holey fiber. An optical fiber reel as described. 4. The optical fiber reel according to claim 1, wherein non-halogen polyethylene is used as a coating material for the holey fiber.

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