JP2013083879A - Cutter for plastic optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cutter for a plastic optical fiber capable of simple and stable cutting regardless of an operator, and capable of reducing a transmission loss by suppressing roughness of a cut surface.SOLUTION: A cutter for a plastic optical fiber comprises: a metal blade 24; voltage applying means 31 for applying current to the blade 24; a temperature control IC 32 for controlling temperature of the blade 24; and an optical fiber insertion hole 27 which is arranged in a case part 22 and in which a cut surface of the plastic optical fiber can be inserted until it comes into contact with the blade 24.

Description

  The present invention relates to a plastic optical fiber cutter for cutting a plastic optical fiber (POF), and in particular, at a work site where plastic optical fiber wiring is performed, a plastic optical fiber can be easily used without using additional equipment. The present invention relates to a plastic optical fiber cutter that can be cut.

  A plastic having a case part provided with a plurality of optical fiber insertion holes, a blade holding part slidable with respect to the case part, and a blade attached to the blade holding part, and protruding from the optical fiber insertion hole Various types of plastic optical fiber cutters that cut the end of an optical fiber are known. Roughly speaking, a rotary type in which a blade holding part is rotatably attached to a shaft part provided in a case part ( For example, it is divided into patent document 1) and a slide type (for example, patent document 2) in which the blade holding part is slidably attached to the case part.

JP-A-10-307213 JP 2002-71967 A

  Various types of plastic optical fibers have been put into practical use, but it is important for the transmission loss to be maintained that the cut surface is clean. The plastic optical fiber called SI-POF has a core diameter of about 1.0 mm, and even if the cut surface is rough, the effect on transmission loss is small, but the plastic optical fiber called GI-POF is used. The fiber has a core diameter of about 50 to 300 μm and is easily affected by transmission loss. The roughness of the cut surface varies greatly depending on the material of the core, cladding, and coating, and also varies depending on the operator. For example, a plastic optical fiber having a hard core and a small diameter is likely to have a rough cut surface. However, in contrast to such disadvantageous plastic optical fiber, the conventional optical fiber is either a rotating type or a sliding type. However, it was difficult to suppress the roughness of the cut surface.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a plastic optical fiber cutter that can be cut easily and stably without depending on an operator, and that can reduce transmission loss by suppressing roughening of the cut surface. is there.

  A plastic optical fiber cutter according to a first invention includes a case portion provided with an optical fiber receiving portion, a blade holding portion movable with respect to the case portion, and a blade attached to the blade holding portion. In a plastic optical fiber cutter for cutting a plastic optical fiber portion protruding from the optical fiber receiving portion, a metal plate disposed in the case portion, a voltage applying means for flowing a current through the metal plate, and a temperature of the metal plate And a temperature control IC for controlling the optical fiber insertion hole and an optical fiber insertion hole which is provided in the case portion and can be inserted until the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber comes into contact with the metal plate.

  A plastic optical fiber cutter according to a second invention includes a case portion provided with an optical fiber receiving portion, a blade holding portion movable with respect to the case portion, and a metal blade attached to the blade holding portion. In the plastic optical fiber cutter for cutting the plastic optical fiber portion protruding from the optical fiber receiving portion, voltage applying means for flowing current to the blade, temperature control IC for controlling the temperature of the blade, and case And an optical fiber insertion hole that is inserted in the plastic optical fiber until the plastic optical fiber cut surface comes into contact with the blade.

  The cutter cutting method may be a rotary type in which a blade holding part is rotatably attached to a shaft part provided in the case part, or a slide type in which the blade holding part is slidably attached to the case part. There may be.

  Although the end face of the plastic optical fiber may be roughened by cutting, according to the plastic optical fiber cutter of the first invention, by heating the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber with a metal plate built in the cutter after cutting. Thus, the cut surface can be prepared, whereby a plastic optical fiber end face free from roughness can be obtained regardless of the configuration of the cutter and the material of the plastic optical fiber.

  According to the plastic optical fiber cutter of the second invention, the blade for cutting the plastic optical fiber also serves as a metal plate for heating the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber, and according to the first invention. It has the same function as the plastic optical fiber cutter, and further, the metal plate for heating can be omitted, and the configuration can be simplified.

  As a power source for heating, a battery may be used, and AC 100V may be used. For example, the voltage application means includes an AC power connector provided in the case portion and connected to the temperature control IC, and an AC power adapter connected thereto. The plastic optical fiber cutter according to the present invention can be used as a form included in a kit including a pair of media converters for connecting an electric signal cable and an optical fiber cable and an AC power adapter necessary for installing the media converter. In this case, preferably, the AC power adapter attached to the kit is used as the power source of the voltage applying means, so that heating for adjusting the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber without preparing a separate power source such as a battery is required. A heating means for heating a metal plate or a blade to be a plate can be obtained.

  According to the plastic optical fiber cutter of the present invention, after cutting, the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber can be prepared by heating the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber with a metal plate built in the cutter. Roughness of the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber can be suppressed regardless of the material and the operator, and transmission loss can be reduced.

  In addition, since the blade for cutting the optical fiber also serves as a metal plate that heats the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber, the configuration can be simplified.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a first embodiment of a plastic optical fiber cutter according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing a second embodiment of the plastic optical fiber cutter according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view schematically showing a cut surface of a plastic optical fiber obtained by using the plastic optical fiber cutter according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a cut surface of a plastic optical fiber obtained by using a conventional plastic optical fiber cutter.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, “upper and lower” and “left and right” refer to the upper and lower and left and right in FIG. 1, and the front side in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a plastic optical fiber cutter (1) according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a rectangular parallelepiped synthetic resin case portion (2) having a recess (2a) opened upward, and a lower portion. Is inserted into the recess (2a) and moved up and down in the recess (2a) together with the blade holding part (3) that can move up and down relative to the case part (2). A metal blade (4) attached to the blade holder (3) and having a lower surface as the blade tip (4a), and a hot plate (5) for heating the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber. Yes.

  The lower end portion of the case portion (2) is provided with a plurality of optical fiber insertion holes (6) penetrating the lower end portion of the front and rear walls back and forth. As shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure, when the blade holding portion (3) is in the upper position, the blade edge (4a) is above the optical fiber insertion hole (6), and the blade holding portion (3) is When moved to the lower position (the position indicated by the solid line in the figure), the cutting edge (4a) moves below the optical fiber insertion hole (6), and is thereby inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole (6). The plastic optical fiber (not shown) is cut.

  The hot plate (5) has a metal plate (11) disposed in the recess (2a) of the case part (2) and a heating means (12) for heating the metal plate. The part corresponding to the metal plate (11) of the case part (2) is provided with an optical fiber insertion hole (13), and the end of the plastic optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole (13). Thus, the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber can be brought into contact with the metal plate (11).

  The heating means (12) includes a voltage application means (14) for causing a current to flow through the metal plate (11), and a temperature control IC (15) for controlling the temperature of the metal plate (11).

  The voltage application means (14) includes an AC power connector (16), a pair of heating electrodes (17) connected to the AC power connector (16) via the temperature control IC (15), and an AC power connector (16). A power adapter (18), and the AC power adapter (18) connected to the AC power supply is connected to the AC power connector (16), whereby a current flows through the metal plate (11), The metal plate (11) is heated. The heating temperature of the metal plate (11) is controlled to 70 ° C. to 150 ° C. by the temperature control IC (15).

  Although not shown, the case portion (2) is provided with an LED that lights up when the temperature of the metal plate (11) reaches a required temperature. Further, the metal plate (11) is housed in the recess (2a) of the case part (2) in a state of being sandwiched between the heat insulating materials.

  According to this plastic optical fiber cutter (1), when the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber is rough, the cut surface can be prepared by heating the cut surface with the metal plate (11). It can be made with less roughness.

  When the cut surface of the conventional plastic optical fiber cutter is observed with a microscope by the hot plate (5), as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the core (F1) is cracked inward ( C) or a mica-like crack (D) occurs on the surface, but according to the plastic optical fiber cutter (1) of the present invention, the hot plate (5) is removed after cutting. When the end surface of the plastic optical fiber is observed with a microscope by using it, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a clean cut surface without cracks or cracks is obtained. 3 (a) (b) and 4 (a) (b), (F1) is the core, (F2) is the cladding, (F3) is the primary coating, and (F4) is the secondary. Each coating is shown.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the plastic optical fiber cutter (21) according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the plastic optical fiber cutter (21) has a recess (22a) opened upward. A rectangular parallelepiped synthetic resin case part (22), a blade holding part (23) whose lower part is fitted in the recess (22a) and movable up and down relative to the case part (22), and a blade holding part A metal blade (24) that is attached to the blade holding part (23) so as to move up and down in the recess (22a) integrally with the part (23), and whose lower surface is the blade edge (24a), and a blade ( Heating means (25) for heating 24).

  The lower end portion of the case portion (22) is provided with a plurality of optical fiber insertion holes (26) penetrating the lower end portion of the front and rear walls back and forth. As shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure, when the blade holding part (23) is in the upper position, the blade edge (24a) is above the optical fiber insertion hole (26), and the blade holding part (23) is When moved to the lower position (the position shown by the solid line in the figure), the cutting edge (24a) moves downward from the optical fiber insertion hole (26), and is thereby inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole (26). The plastic optical fiber (not shown) is cut.

  The heating means (25) includes a voltage applying means (31) for causing a current to flow through the blade (24), and a temperature control IC (32) for controlling the temperature of the blade (24).

  An optical fiber insertion hole (27) is provided in a portion corresponding to the blade (24) of the case portion (22). This optical fiber insertion hole (27) has the same shape as the optical fiber insertion hole (26) used for cutting, but above the optical fiber insertion hole (26) (in the middle of the case part (22)). Even if the blade holding part (23) is in the lower position, the end face of the plastic optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole (27) so that the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber is cut. It can come into contact with the blade (24).

  The voltage application means (31) includes an AC power connector (33), a pair of heating electrodes (34) connected to the AC power connector (33) via the temperature control IC (32), and an AC power connector (33). A power adapter (35), and the AC power adapter (35) connected to the AC power source is connected to the AC power connector (33). (24) is heated. The heating temperature of the blade (24) is controlled to 70 ° C. to 150 ° C. by the temperature control IC (32). The blade (24) is housed in the recess (22a) of the case portion (22) in a state of being sandwiched by a heat insulating material (not shown).

  In this embodiment, a hot plate is formed by the blade (24), the heating means (25) for heating the blade (24), and the optical fiber insertion hole (27) provided in the middle of the case part (22). Has been.

  Therefore, according to the plastic optical fiber cutter (21) of the second embodiment, when the cut surface of the plastic optical fiber is rough, the cutting surface is heated by using the blade (24), thereby cutting the plastic optical fiber. The surface can be trimmed and the cut surface can be made less rough.

  In the first and second embodiments, the AC power adapter (18) (35) is used as the power source, but a battery (including a rechargeable battery and a storage battery) can be used instead. . This plastic optical fiber cutter (1) (21) is a kit including a pair of media converters for connecting an electric signal cable and an optical fiber cable and an AC power adapter (18) (35) necessary for the installation. In this case, by using the AC power adapter (18) (35) attached to this kit, a metal plate (11 ) Or blade (24) can be heated.

  In addition, the plastic optical fiber cutters (1) and (21) are of a slide type in which the blade holding parts (3) and (23) are slidably attached to the case parts (2) and (22). Although not shown, the plastic optical fiber cutter may be a rotary type in which a blade holding part is rotatably attached to a shaft part provided in the case part.

(1) (21) Cutter for plastic optical fiber
(2) (22) Case part
(3) (23) Blade holder
(4) (24) Blade
(5) (25) Optical fiber insertion hole
(11) Metal plate
(13) (27) Optical fiber insertion hole
(14) (31) Voltage application means
(15) (32) Temperature control IC

Claims (2)

A plastic optical fiber provided with a case portion provided with an optical fiber receiving portion, a blade holding portion movable with respect to the case portion, and a blade attached to the blade holding portion and protruding from the optical fiber receiving portion In plastic optical fiber cutters that cut parts,
A metal plate disposed in the case portion, voltage applying means for flowing current through the metal plate, a temperature control IC for controlling the temperature of the metal plate, and a plastic optical fiber cut surface provided in the case portion with the metal plate A plastic optical fiber cutter, further comprising an optical fiber insertion hole capable of being inserted until it comes into contact with the optical fiber. A plastic having a case portion provided with an optical fiber receiving portion, a blade holding portion movable with respect to the case portion, and a metal blade attached to the blade holding portion, and protruding from the optical fiber receiving portion In the plastic optical fiber cutter that cuts the optical fiber part,
A voltage applying means for passing a current through the blade, a temperature control IC for controlling the temperature of the blade, an optical fiber insertion hole provided in the case portion and capable of being inserted until the plastic optical fiber cut surface comes into contact with the blade; A plastic optical fiber cutter characterized by further comprising:

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