JP2006251319A - Heating device for reinforcing optical fiber fusion-spliced part, and reinforcing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heater such that cooling air is uniformly blown to a heat-shrinkage sleeve after heating and then the heat-shrinkage sleeve is efficiently cooled in a short time to be hardened. <P>SOLUTION: Disclosed is a reinforcing device for fusion splicing connection which heats the fusion-spliced part of an optical fiber protected by the heat-shrinkage sleeve, the reinforcing device including a heating table where a storage portion storing the optical fiber is arranged along the length, coated optical fiber pressers provided at both lengthwise ends of the heating table, and a cover portion provided to the heating table to cover the storage portion, and being equipped with an air blowing opening which is arranged almost in the center of the heating table and where the cooling air is blown from a bottom surface to a top surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a heating apparatus and a reinforcing method for reinforcing a detachable optical fiber fusion spliced part, which are used when heating a heat-shrink sleeve that reinforces a spliced optical fiber connection part.

  When the optical fibers are fusion-spliced, as a method, first, the coverings of the connection ends of the two core wires are removed. A method is known in which exposed optical fibers are heated and melted by arc discharge, fusion splicing is performed when the optical fibers are melted, and then the optical fibers are cooled.

  The optical fiber connection part with the core wire removed and the spliced connection is generally weak in mechanical strength, and the connection part is exposed to the outside air in the state of glass, so the glass deteriorates early. Since it advances, the connection part is reinforced by the protection member. In addition, a cylindrical heat-shrink sleeve that collects in the radial direction by being heated by a fusion splicing reinforcement device (hereinafter referred to as a heater) or the like is usually used as the protective member.

  The heat-shrinkable sleeve includes a heat-shrinkable sleeve for a single-core to multi-fiber optical fiber with a sleeve length of 40 mm, a heat-shrinkable sleeve for a single-fiber optical fiber with a sleeve length of 60 mm, etc. A glass strength member is used, and in the latter case, a stainless rod strength member is used.

  FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing how the heat shrink sleeve is heated by the heater. As shown in FIG. 4, the covering of the connection ends of the two core wires 39a and 39b is removed, and the exposed optical fibers 37a and 37b are fusion-connected. The fused optical fibers 37a and 37b are inserted into the cylindrical heat-shrink sleeve 33 so that the fused connection portion 35 of the optical fibers 37a and 37b is located at the center. It heats at the temperature of about 230 degreeC with the heater 27 comprised by these. By this heating, the heat shrink sleeve 33 is contracted and contracted in the inner diameter direction. Thereafter, in order to prevent deformation of the heat-shrinkable sleeve, the heat-shrinkable sleeve is generally cooled to a predetermined temperature and cured by a cooling fan or the like.

  Further, the above-described heater will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing a conventional heater. The heater 27 shown in FIG. 5 includes a heating table 41 having a housing portion 43 in which the fusion-spliced optical fiber is heated, and a core wire pressing unit 45 that holds the core wire at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the heating table. 47, and a lid 49 for attaching the accommodating portion 43 to the substantially central portion of the heating table 41 is attached. In addition, the lid | cover 49 shown in FIG. 5 shows the open state.

  The fusion-spliced optical fiber is inserted into a cylindrical heat-shrink sleeve so that the joint portion of the optical fiber is located at the center, and is accommodated in the accommodating portion 43 in that state. The optical fiber and the heat-shrinkable sleeve that are accommodated are fixed to the core wire by the core wire pressing portions 45 and 47, respectively. When the optical fiber and the heat-shrink sleeve are set in the heater 27, the operator operates the operation unit (not shown) to start heating the optical fiber and the heat-shrink sleeve. When the heat-shrink sleeve is contracted / reduced in the inner diameter direction, the heating operation is completed.

Here, the above-described heater needs to be cooled in order to cure the heat-shrinkable sleeve in a short time after heat-shrinking the heat-shrinkable sleeve. Thereby, the working time of the worker can be shortened. About cooling of a heat-shrink sleeve, it is disclosed by patent document 1, for example. Patent Document 1 is a document disclosing the invention of a heat shrink sleeve heater, and discloses a heater that cools a heat shrink sleeve that has been heat shrunk using a fan.
JP 2004-42317 A

  However, in the heater using the fan shown in Patent Document 1 described above, the heat shrink sleeve is cooled, but the cooling air blown from the fan is only applied to the lower part of the heat shrink sleeve. Yes, cooling air is not applied to the entire heat shrink sleeve. Therefore, the heat-shrink sleeve is not always cooled efficiently in a short time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and provides a heater that can be efficiently cooled in a short time by uniformly applying cooling air to a heat-shrinkable sleeve.

  An aspect of a fusion splicing reinforcement device of the present invention is a fusion splicing reinforcement device that heats a fusion splicing portion of an optical fiber that is protected by a heat-shrink sleeve. The fusion splicing reinforcement device accommodates an optical fiber. A heating table that is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the storage unit, a cord retainer that is provided at both ends of the heating table in the longitudinal direction, and a lid unit that is provided in the heating table and covers the storage unit. It has the ventilation port which is arrange | positioned substantially in the center and flows a cooling wind toward the upper surface from a bottom face, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  As a result, the cooling air flows from the bottom surface of the heater through the air blowing port to the upper surface, is stirred by the lid, and the heat shrink sleeve set in the housing portion is cooled. That is, by providing the air outlet in the heater, the cooling effect is higher than that of the conventional heater.

  An aspect of a fusion splicer according to the present invention includes a first and second operation unit to which an external command is input, a discharge unit that fusion-connects optical fibers based on the input first external command, and a discharge A windshield cover that winds against the wind, two holder clamps that are disposed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the discharge section, and grips the optical fiber, and heats the optical fiber based on the input second external command And a fusion splicing reinforcing device.

  An aspect of the fusion splicing reinforcement method of the present invention is a fusion splicing reinforcement method for heating a fusion splicing portion of an optical fiber protected by a heat shrink sleeve, wherein the spliced optical fiber is used as a heat shrink sleeve. Through, the optical fiber is housed in the housing part of the heating table and the heat shrink sleeve is heated, and after the heat shrink sleeve is heated, the cooling air blown from the cooling device passes through the air outlet of the heating table. And a cooling step of refluxing with a lid of the heating table, stirring in the accommodating portion, and cooling the heat shrink sleeve.

  With the heater of the present invention, the cooling air blown from a cooling device such as a fan is uniformly applied to the heat shrink sleeve, so that the cooling effect is enhanced and the heat shrink sleeve can be cured in a shorter time than before.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing how the heater of the present invention is arranged in a fusion splicer. The fusion splicer 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a fusion splicer equipped with operation units 7a and 7b, a monitor unit 17, and a heater 3. The operation unit 7a for inputting an external command is a set of discharge units 11, The operation part 7b has a configuration in which buttons for setting and resetting the heater 3 are arranged.

  The discharge unit 11 includes a pair of fiber holder fixing bases 13 that can move in the proximity and separation directions, and holder clamps 9 and 10. The fiber holder fixing base 13 mounts a fiber holder (not shown) for holding a single-core or multi-core core wire from which the sheath of the core wire has been removed in a set state, and the fiber holder is a fiber holder. It is fixed on the fixed base 13 by holder clamps 9 and 10.

  The region of the discharge electrode of the discharge unit 11 is covered with a windshield cover 5 so as to be freely opened and closed, and is configured so that the discharge beam is not adversely affected by wind or the like when the optical fiber is discharged and fused by the discharge electrode. .

  The monitor unit 17 is composed of a liquid crystal television or the like, and the monitor unit 17 is formed so as to be rotatable so that the screen can be adjusted to an easy-to-view angle, and can be stopped at an arbitrary rotation position.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the heater of the present invention. A heater 3 shown in FIG. 2 includes a heating table 23 in which a housing portion 21 (with a lid 19) for housing an optical fiber fusion splicing portion is disposed in the longitudinal direction, and cords on the left and right ends in the longitudinal direction. Holding parts 15 and 16 are formed. Furthermore, a lid 19 that covers the accommodating portion 21 is provided at the approximate center of the heater, and the lid 19 shown in FIG. 2 shows an opened state. The optical fiber fusion spliced portion is covered with a heat-shrink sleeve and accommodated in the accommodating portion 21, and the lid 19 is covered with the core wires pressed by the core wire pressing portions 15 and 16 on both sides of the fusion spliced portion. By heating with the base 23, the heat shrink sleeve is closely contracted to the connection portion of the optical fiber, and the fusion splicing portion is reinforced. After the reinforcement, the lid 19 is opened and the reinforced optical fiber is taken out.

  Furthermore, the heating table 23 of the heater 3 is provided with blower ports 25a and 25b through which cooling air passes, and the blower port opens from the bottom of the heating table 23 toward the lid. The cooling air is blown from a cooling device such as a fan (not shown) provided at the bottom of the heater 3, passes through the air blowing ports 25 a and 25 b, is recirculated by the closed lid 19, and is fusion set in the housing portion 21. Cool the heat shrink sleeve of the connection. In other words, the heat shrink sleeve of the fusion splicing portion has a high cooling effect because the cooling air blown from the blowing ports 25a and 25b of the heater 3 is returned and cooled by the lid 19.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing how the heat shrink sleeve is cooled. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure similar to each part of the heater shown by FIG. 2, and the description is abbreviate | omitted. The heater 3 includes a heating table 23 that includes the accommodating portion 21 and a lid 19 that is included in the heating table 23. The accommodating portion 21 accommodates the heat shrink sleeve 26.

  The arrows shown in FIG. 3 indicate the direction in which the cooling air flows. That is, the cooling air enters the air outlets 25 a and 25 b from the bottom surface of the heating table 23, is blown from the upper surface of the heating table 23, and is refluxed by the lid 19. The recirculated cooling air is stirred in the accommodating portion 21 to cool the heat shrink sleeve 26. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the heat-shrink sleeve 26 is increased by providing the blower opening in the heater 3.

  Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

  With the heater of the present invention, the cooling air blown from the cooling device such as a fan is uniformly applied to the heat shrink sleeve, so that the cooling effect is enhanced and the heat shrink sleeve can be cured in a shorter time than before. High availability.

It is a perspective view which shows a fusion splicer typically. It is a perspective view which shows the heater of this invention typically. It is sectional drawing which shows typically a mode that a heat-shrink sleeve is cooled with the heater of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that a heat-shrink sleeve is heated. It is a perspective view which shows the conventional heater typically.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fusion splicer 3, 27 Heater 5 Windshield cover 7a, 7b Operation part 9, 10 Holder clamp 11 Discharge part 13 Holder fixing stand 15, 16, 45, 47 Core wire holding part 17 Monitor part 19, 49 Lid 21, 43 Housing parts 23, 29, 41 Heating bases 25a, 25b Air outlets 26, 33 Heat shrink sleeve
31 Heater 35 Fusion splicing part 37a, 37b Optical fiber 39a, 39b Core wire

Claims (3)

A fusion splicing reinforcement device for heating a fusion spliced portion of an optical fiber protected by a heat shrink sleeve,
The fusion splicing reinforcement device is
A heating table disposed along the longitudinal direction of the accommodating portion in which the optical fiber is accommodated, and
A cord retainer provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the heating table;
A lid provided on the heating table, the cover being covered;
A fusion splicing reinforcement device, characterized in that it has a blower opening that is arranged substantially at the center of the heating table and through which cooling air flows from the bottom to the top. First and second operation units to which an external command is input;
A discharge unit for fusion-splicing an optical fiber based on the input first external command;
A windshield cover that covers the discharge part and wind-proofs;
Two holder clamps disposed at both ends of the discharge part in the longitudinal direction and holding the optical fiber;
The fusion splicing reinforcement device according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is heated based on the input second external command.
A fusion splicer characterized by comprising: A fusion splicing reinforcing method for heating a spliced splice of an optical fiber protected by a heat shrink sleeve,
A heating step of passing the fusion-bonded optical fiber through the heat-shrink sleeve, housing the optical fiber in a housing part of a heating table, and heating the heat-shrink sleeve;
After the heat-shrink sleeve is heated, the cooling air blown from the cooling device passes through the air outlet of the heating table, is recirculated by the lid of the heating table, is stirred in the housing portion, and the heat-shrink sleeve A cooling process for cooling,
A fusion splicing reinforcement method comprising the steps of:

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