JP2014149499A - Batch fusion splicing method of optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a batch fusion splicing method of optical fibers, capable of preventing alignment order from being interchanged when inserting single core coated optical fibers in a protective sleeve.SOLUTION: A batch fusion splicing method of optical fibers comprises: a first fiber holding step S1 of holding a plurality of coated optical fibers 11 in an aligned state at a first holding position; a guide insertion step S2 of inserting a coated fiber insertion guide 50 into a protective sleeve 40; a fiber insertion step S3 of inserting each tip part of the plurality of coated optical fibers 11 into an interstice 51 of the coated fiber insertion guide 50; a first sleeve movement step S4 of moving the protective sleeve 40 between each tip part of the plurality of coated optical fibers 11 and the first holding position; an extraction step S5 of extracting the coated fiber insertion guide 50; a fusion step S7 of performing batch fusion splicing of each tip part of the plurality of coated optical fibers 11; and a second sleeve movement step S8 of moving the protective sleeve 40 so as to cover a fusion splicing portion.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber batch fusion splicing method.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus for performing a fusion splicing while aligning a plurality of single-core optical fibers and maintaining the aligned state. This apparatus includes a base having an optical fiber alignment groove, and a core wire alignment lid having a pressing member that is disposed so as to be openable and closable above the optical fiber alignment groove and presses the optical fiber core wire. With a plurality of optical fiber cores fixed to this device, removal of the coating and fiber cutting are performed at once, fusion splicing is performed at once, and the fusion splicing portion is protected by a cylindrical protective sleeve. .

JP 2007-171825 A

  When fusion-connecting a plurality of single-core optical fibers to an optical fiber tape or another single-core optical fiber, as described in Patent Document 1 above The fusion is performed in a state where a plurality of single-core optical fibers are aligned in a predetermined direction. At this time, in order to protect the fusion spliced portion with the protective sleeve, it is necessary to pass a plurality of single-core optical fibers through the protective sleeve before fusion. When inserting the fiber cores into the protective sleeve, the alignment order of the single optical fiber cores may be switched.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and a method for collectively splicing optical fibers that can prevent a change in the order of alignment when a single-core optical fiber is inserted into a protective sleeve. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an optical fiber batch fusion splicing method according to the present invention includes a plurality of optical fiber cores at a first holding position apart from each tip portion of the plurality of optical fiber cores. A first fiber holding step for holding a plurality of optical fiber cores in a state of being aligned in a predetermined direction intersecting with the axial direction, and a gap extending along the axial direction and the predetermined direction of the plurality of optical fiber core wires. A guide insertion step of inserting the core wire insertion guide into the cylindrical protective sleeve, and before or after the guide insertion step, by inserting each tip of a plurality of optical fiber core wires into the gap of the core wire insertion guide A fiber insertion step of aligning the tip portions of the plurality of optical fiber core wires in a predetermined direction, and a first for moving the protective sleeve between the tip portions of the plurality of optical fiber core wires and the first holding position. Sleeve movement A step of removing the core insertion guide from the plurality of optical fiber cores, each tip of the plurality of optical fiber cores, and another plurality of optical fiber cores or optical fiber tape cores And a second sleeve moving step of moving the protective sleeve so as to cover the fusion spliced portion formed by the fusion step.

  In the above method, the plurality of optical fiber core wires are held in an aligned state in the first fiber holding step. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively prevent the alignment state of the plurality of single-core optical fibers from being disturbed before the fusion is performed after the alignment of the plurality of single-core optical fibers. . Further, in the above method, the core insertion guide is inserted into the protective sleeve in the guide insertion step, and before or after that, the tips of the plurality of optical fiber core wires are inserted into the gaps of the core insertion guide in the fiber insertion step. Is inserted. Since the gap between the core insertion guides extends along the axial direction of a plurality of optical fiber cores and a predetermined direction (that is, the direction in which the optical fiber cores are arranged), the tip of the optical fiber core is inserted into such a gap. By inserting the, the order of alignment of the single-core optical fibers is preferably maintained. Thereafter, in the first sleeve moving step, the protective sleeve is moved to an intermediate portion of the plurality of optical fiber cores, thereby passing the optical fiber core wires through the protective sleeve while maintaining the alignment order of the single optical fiber core wires. be able to. As described above, according to the above method, it is possible to easily and effectively prevent the rearrangement of the alignment order when the single-core optical fiber is inserted into the protective sleeve.

  Also, the optical fiber batch fusion splicing method is the first fusion position between the first end of each of the optical fiber cores and the first holding position between the first sleeve moving step and the fusion step. A second fiber holding step for holding the plurality of optical fiber cores in a predetermined direction at the two holding positions, and the first and second fiber holding steps are connected to each other so as to be opened and closed via a hinge; A plurality of optical fiber cores are gripped by sandwiching a plurality of optical fiber cores between the pair of contact parts using a clip member having a pair of contact parts facing each other in the closed state. May be a feature. By gripping the first holding position and the second holding position of the plurality of optical fiber core wires using such a clip member, the clip member prevents the movement of the protection sleeve. It is possible to effectively prevent the movement.

  Further, the optical fiber batch fusion splicing method may be characterized in that at least a portion of the pair of contact portions of the clip member that comes into contact with the plurality of optical fiber core wires is made of foamed resin. As described above, the portion of the clip member that is in contact with the optical fiber core wire is made of foamed resin (for example, sponge or urethane), so that the position of the clip member can be adjusted while holding the optical fiber core wire with an appropriate strength. It can be easily moved in the axial direction of the core wire. Therefore, a sufficiently long working space can be easily secured at the tip portion of the optical fiber core wire in the fusion process.

  Also, the optical fiber batch fusion splicing method is a method in which the clip member is provided at one of the pair of contact portions and the other contact portion is locked to maintain the closed state. And a pair of abutting portions may be biased in the opening direction in the closed state. Thereby, the workability | operativity at the time of attaching a clip member to an optical fiber core wire, and removing a clip member from an optical fiber core wire can be improved.

  Further, the optical fiber batch fusion splicing method is such that the core insertion guide has two resin plate shapes whose thickness direction is a direction intersecting both the axial direction and the predetermined direction of the plurality of optical fiber core wires. The members may be bonded to each other, and the gap may be formed between two plate-like members. By configuring the core wire insertion guide in such a configuration, the core wire insertion guide having the gaps described above can be easily manufactured.

  Also, the optical fiber batch fusion splicing method is such that a gap is formed at one end of a plurality of optical fiber core guides in the axial direction of a plurality of optical fiber core wires, at which one end is inserted. It may be characterized in that it is gradually widened toward. Thereby, in a fiber insertion process, each front-end | tip part of several optical fiber core wire can be easily inserted in the clearance gap between core wire insertion guides.

  The optical fiber batch fusion splicing method may be characterized in that the core wire insertion guide has a bent portion for preventing the optical fiber insertion guide from falling off the protective sleeve. Thereby, in the fiber insertion process, the state in which the core wire insertion guide is inserted through the protective sleeve can be suitably maintained.

  According to the optical fiber batch fusion splicing method according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the rearrangement of the alignment order when the single-core optical fiber core wire is inserted into the protective sleeve.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an optical fiber batch fusion splicing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the first fiber holding step. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the clip member. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the guide insertion process. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the protective sleeve. FIG. 6 is a view showing a cross section of the protective sleeve taken along line VI-VI shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the core wire insertion guide. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the fiber insertion process. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the first sleeve moving step. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the extraction process. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the second fiber holding step. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a process of securing a working space at the tip of the optical fiber core wire at the time of fusion.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of an optical fiber batch fusion splicing method according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an optical fiber batch fusion splicing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Moreover, FIGS. 2-12 is a figure for demonstrating each process included in this method. The batch fusion splicing method of the present embodiment is to fuse each tip portion of a plurality of optical fiber core wires and each tip portion of another plurality of optical fiber core wires or optical fiber tape core wires in a lump. It is a method for making a connection.

  First, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of single-core optical fibers 11 to be fused are aligned in a predetermined direction intersecting the axial direction. Then, by holding the plurality of optical fiber cores 11 using the clip member 30 at the first holding position that is separated from each tip of the plurality of optical fiber cores 11 by a predetermined distance, the alignment state is changed. Hold (first fiber holding step, step S1 shown in FIG. 1).

  Here, the clip member 30 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the clip member 30 that is preferably used in the present embodiment. The clip member 30 is a member for gripping a plurality of aligned optical fiber core wires 11. FIG. 3A shows a state in which the clip member 30 is opened, and FIG. 3B shows a state in which the clip member 30 is closed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the clip member 30 has a pair of contact portions 31 and 32. The pair of contact portions 31 and 32 oppose each other when the clip member 30 is closed as shown in FIG. In this step, the plurality of optical fiber cores 11 are gripped by sandwiching the plurality of optical fiber cores 11 shown in FIG. 2 between the contact part 31 and the contact part 32.

  The contact portions 31 and 32 include a buffer member 33 and a frame body 34 that supports the buffer member 33. The buffer member 33 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, one of which is the contact surface 31a (or 32a). The contact surfaces 31a and 32a are portions that contact the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 in the closed state. The buffer member 33 is preferably made of a material that does not give an excessive load to the optical fiber core wire 11, for example, a foamed resin such as sponge or urethane, or may be made of an elastic material such as rubber. The frame 34 is made of, for example, a resin such as polypropylene, and is attached to a surface opposite to the contact surface 31a (or 32a) of the buffer member 33.

  The contact portions 31 and 32 are connected via a hinge 35 so as to be opened and closed. The hinge 35 is made of, for example, the same material as the frame body 34 (resin such as polypropylene). In this case, the hinge 35 can be integrally formed with the frame bodies 34 of the contact portions 31 and 32. The constituent material of the hinge 35 may be different from that of the frame 34, and various materials can be applied as long as the material has flexibility. Alternatively, a rotating shaft may be provided instead of the hinge 35.

  The contact portions 31 and 32 are preferably urged in the opening direction in the closed state. For example, when the hinge 35 is made of resin such as polypropylene as described above, the contact portions 31 and 32 are urged in the opening direction by the elasticity of the hinge 35. In addition, the structure for giving the urging | biasing force to an opening direction to the contact parts 31 and 32 is not restricted to this, For example, you may provide an elastic member separately.

  The clip member 30 further has a hook-shaped locking portion 36. The locking portion 36 is provided in one of the contact portions 31 and 32 (the contact portion 31 in the present embodiment), and locks the frame 34 of the other contact portion 32. By doing so, the closed state of the clip member 30 is maintained. In one example, the locking portion 36 is made of the same material as the frame body 34 of the contact portion 31 and is molded integrally with the frame body 34.

  The thickness of the contact portions 31 and 32 in the direction perpendicular to the contact surfaces 31a and 32a is, for example, 5 mm each, and the width of the contact portions 31 and 32 in the direction along the hinge 35 is, for example, 10 mm. The lengths of the contact portions 31 and 32 are each 15 mm, for example.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4, the core wire insertion guide 50 is inserted into the protective sleeve 40 (guide insertion step, step S2 shown in FIG. 1). The protective sleeve 40 is a member for covering and protecting the fusion spliced portion of the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11. The core wire insertion guide 50 is a jig used when a plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 are inserted through the protective sleeve 40 in advance before the fusion work.

  Here, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the protective sleeve 40 that is preferably used in the present embodiment. Moreover, FIG. 6 is a figure which shows the cross section of the protective sleeve 40 along the VI-VI line shown by FIG. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the protective sleeve 40 of the present embodiment includes a heat shrinkable tube 41, a tensile body 42 and a heat-meltable adhesive tube 43 (see FIG. 6) housed inside the heat shrinkable tube 41. Reference). The heat-shrinkable tube 41 is a cylindrical member made of a material that shrinks when the temperature rises, and is disposed with the axial direction of the optical fiber core wire 11 as the longitudinal direction. The length of the heat shrinkable tube 41 in the longitudinal direction is, for example, 40 mm, and the inner diameter is, for example, 4.5 mm. The tensile body 42 has an elongated shape extending along the longitudinal direction of the heat shrinkable tube 41, and the cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the extending direction is, for example, a semicircular shape. The tensile body 42 is made of, for example, glass ceramics. The heat-meltable adhesive tube 43 is a cylindrical member made of an adhesive material that melts when the temperature rises, and is disposed in the heat-shrinkable tube 41 along with the strength member 42. The plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 and the core wire insertion guide 50 are inserted into the hot-melt adhesive tube 43.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the core wire insertion guide 50. The core wire insertion guide 50 has a gap 51 that extends along the axial direction and the alignment direction of the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11. From the one end side in the longitudinal direction of the core wire insertion guide 50, the tip portions of the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 can be inserted into the gap 51. In one example, the core wire insertion guide 50 includes two plate-like members 52 and 53 whose thickness direction is a direction intersecting both the axial direction and the alignment direction of the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11. The other end portions of the plate-like members 52 and 53 in the longitudinal direction of the guide 50 are bonded to each other (for example, welded). The gap 51 is formed between these two plate-like members 52 and 53. The plate-like members 52 and 53 are made of a resin such as polypropylene, for example. The thicknesses of the plate-like members 52 and 53 are each 0.2 mm, for example.

  Further, in the core wire insertion guide 50 of the present embodiment, the relative angle between the plate-like members 52 and 53 becomes large at one end side where a plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 are inserted among both end portions in the longitudinal direction. The width of the gap 51 in the thickness direction is gradually widened toward the one end (portion A in the figure). Furthermore, the core wire insertion guide 50 of this embodiment further includes a bent portion 54 that is slightly bent in the thickness direction. The bent portion 54 is a shape portion for preventing the core wire insertion guide 50 from falling off the protective sleeve 40. Such a bent portion 54 may be formed, for example, when the plate-like members 52 and 53 are welded to each other.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8, by inserting the respective distal end portions of the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 into the gap 51 of the core wire insertion guide 50 from one end side, the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11. The tips are aligned in a predetermined direction (fiber insertion step, step S3 shown in FIG. 1). At this time, the optical fiber core wires 11 may be inserted, for example, one by one in order. In this step, a plurality of optical fiber cores are provided between the lower surface of the gap 51 of the core wire insertion guide 50 (ie, the plate surface of the plate-like member 52) and the upper surface of the gap 51 (ie, the plate surface of the plate-like member 53). The alignment state of the optical fiber core wire 11 is maintained by sandwiching the wire 11.

  Further, as described above, in the core wire insertion guide 50, the width of the gap 51 is widened toward the one end side (part A in FIG. 7). Since the core wire insertion guide 50 has such a shape, each tip portion of the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 can be easily inserted into the gap 51 of the core wire insertion guide 50 in the fiber insertion step S3. . Further, as described above, the core wire insertion guide 50 has the bent portion 54. Thereby, in the fiber insertion step S3, the state where the core wire insertion guide 50 is inserted through the protective sleeve 40 can be suitably maintained. In addition to the example described above, the fiber is first inserted from one end side of the core wire insertion guide 50 (step S3), and then the core wire is inserted with the optical fiber core wire 11 being sandwiched between the core wire insertion guides 50. You may make it insert in the protection sleeve 40 from the other end side of the guide 50 (process S2).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9, the protective sleeve 40 is slid between the respective distal end portions of the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 and the first holding position (that is, the position held by the clip member 30). (First sleeve moving step, step S4 shown in FIG. 1).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 10, the core wire insertion guide 50 is removed from the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 (extraction step, S5 shown in FIG. 1).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11, a second holding position located between each tip of the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 and the first holding position (that is, the position held by the clip member 30). , A plurality of optical fiber cores 11 are held (second fiber holding step, S6 shown in FIG. 1). In the present embodiment, at the second holding position, a plurality of optical fiber cores 11 are placed between a contact portion 31 and a contact portion 32 (both see FIG. 3A) of another clip member 30. By sandwiching, the plurality of optical fiber cores 11 are held, and thereby the alignment state of the plurality of optical fiber cores 11 is maintained. The structure of the clip member 30 used at this time is the same as that used in the first fiber holding step S1. After this step, as shown in FIG. 12, the two clip members 30 and the protective sleeve 40 are slid in the direction away from the tip of the optical fiber core wire 11, and the optical fiber core wire 11 in the next fusion process is moved. A working space (region B in the drawing) at the tip portion may be secured.

  Subsequently, the fusion splicing of each tip of the plurality of optical fiber cores 11 and each tip of another plurality of optical fiber cores or optical fiber ribbons is performed (a fusion process, FIG. S7) shown in FIG. Specifically, first, the coating of the tip portion of the optical fiber core wire 11 is removed by using a coating removing tool to expose the glass fiber. Thereafter, the exposed tip portion of the glass fiber is cut to align the end faces of the plurality of glass fibers. Next, a plurality of optical fiber cores 11 are set in a fusion splicer, and fiber end surfaces of another plurality of optical fiber core wires or optical fiber tape core wires and fiber end surfaces of the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 are attached. Butt together and fuse together. When the connection partner is a plurality of optical fiber cores, the steps S1 to S6 of this embodiment may be performed on the plurality of optical fiber cores.

  Subsequently, the protective sleeve 40 is moved so as to cover the plurality of fusion spliced portions formed in the above-described fusion process S7 (second sleeve movement process, S8 shown in FIG. 1). Thereafter, the heat-shrinkable tube 41 is contracted by heating the protective sleeve 40, the heat-meltable adhesive tube 43 is melted, and a plurality of fusion splicing portions are bonded to each other, and these are integrated to fuse. Protect incoming connections.

  In the optical fiber batch fusion splicing method according to the present embodiment described above, the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 are held in an aligned state in the first fiber holding step S1. Thereby, it is effective that the alignment state of the plurality of single-core optical fibers 11 is disturbed before the fusion is performed after the alignment of the plurality of single-core optical fibers 11. Can be prevented.

  Further, in the collective fusion splicing method according to the present embodiment, the core wire insertion guide 50 is inserted into the protective sleeve 40 in the guide insertion step S2, and before or after that, a plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 are inserted in the fiber insertion step S3. Are inserted into the gap 51 of the core wire insertion guide 50. Since the gap 51 of the core wire insertion guide 50 extends along the axial direction and a predetermined direction of the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 (that is, the direction in which the optical fiber core wires 11 are arranged), the gap 51 has an optical fiber. By inserting the tip end portion of the core wire 11, the alignment order of the single-core optical fiber core wires 11 is suitably maintained. Thereafter, in the first sleeve moving step S4, the protective sleeve 40 is moved to an intermediate portion of the plurality of optical fiber cores 11, so that the optical fiber is supplied to the protective sleeve 40 while maintaining the alignment order of the single optical fiber cores 11. The fiber core wire 11 can be passed. Thus, according to the collective fusion splicing method of the present embodiment, it is possible to easily and effectively prevent the rearrangement of the alignment order when the single-core optical fiber core wire 11 is inserted into the protective sleeve 40.

  Further, as in the present embodiment, the second fiber holding step S6 for holding the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 in the aligned state at the second holding position is replaced with the first sleeve moving step S4 and the fusing step S7. It is preferable to carry out between. In this case, in the fiber holding steps S <b> 1 and S <b> 6, it is preferable to sandwich and hold the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 using the clip member 30. By gripping a plurality of optical fiber cores 11 using such a clip member 30, the clip member 30 prevents the protection sleeve 40 from moving, and thus the protection sleeve 40 moves during the fusing operation. Can be effectively prevented.

  Further, as in the present embodiment, it is preferable that at least portions of the contact portions 31 and 32 of the clip member 30 that are in contact with the plurality of optical fiber core wires 11 are made of foamed resin (for example, sponge or urethane). Thereby, the clip member 30 can be easily slid in the axial direction of the optical fiber core 11 while holding the optical fiber core wire 11 with an appropriate strength. Therefore, the holding position of the clip member 30 can be easily adjusted while maintaining the alignment order of the optical fiber core wires 11. Further, in this way, in the process shown in FIG. 12, a sufficiently long working space (region B in FIG. 12) is easily secured at the tip portion of the optical fiber core wire 11 in the fusion process S7. be able to.

  Further, as in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the clip member 30 has the locking portion 36 and the contact portions 31 and 32 are urged in the opening direction in the closed state. Thereby, when attaching the clip member 30 to the optical fiber core wire 11 and removing the clip member 30 from the optical fiber core wire 11, for example, it becomes possible for the operator to detach the clip member 30 with one hand, etc. Workability can be greatly improved.

  Further, as in the present embodiment, the core wire insertion guide 50 is formed by bonding two resin plate-like members 52 and 53 together, and a gap 51 is formed between the two plate-like members 52 and 53. Preferably it is formed. By configuring the core wire insertion guide 50 with such a configuration, the core wire insertion guide 50 having the gap 51 can be easily manufactured.

  The optical fiber batch fusion splicing method according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various other modifications are possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the plurality of optical fiber cores 11 are held using the clip member 30 in the first and second fiber holding steps S1 and S6. The method is not limited to this, and for example, an adhesive tape or the like may be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Single fiber optical fiber, 30 ... Clip member, 31, 32 ... Contact part, 31a, 32a ... Contact surface, 33 ... Buffer member, 34 ... Frame, 35 ... Hinge, 36 ... Locking part, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 40 ... Protective sleeve, 41 ... Heat-shrinkable tube, 42 ... Tensile body, 43 ... Hot-melt adhesive tube, 50 ... Core wire insertion guide, 51 ... Gap, 52, 53 ... Plate member, 54 ... Bending part, S1 ... First fiber holding step, S2 ... guide insertion step, S3 ... fiber insertion step, S4 ... first sleeve moving step, S5 ... extraction step, S6 ... second fiber holding step, S7 ... fusion step, S8 ... Second sleeve moving step.

Claims (7)

The plurality of optical fiber cores are aligned in a predetermined direction intersecting the axial direction of the plurality of optical fiber cores at a first holding position apart from the respective distal end portions of the plurality of optical fiber core wires. A first fiber holding step of holding;
A guide insertion step of inserting a core wire insertion guide having a gap extending along the axial direction and the predetermined direction of the plurality of optical fiber core wires into a cylindrical protective sleeve;
Before or after the guide insertion step, by inserting each tip of the plurality of optical fiber core wires into the gap of the core wire insertion guide, each tip of the plurality of optical fiber core wires is inserted into the gap. A fiber insertion step for aligning in a predetermined direction;
A first sleeve moving step of moving the protective sleeve between the tip portions of the plurality of optical fiber core wires and the first holding position;
Extracting the core wire insertion guide from the plurality of optical fiber core wires; and
A fusion process for performing a fusion-bonding connection between each tip of the plurality of optical fiber cores and each tip of another plurality of optical fiber cores or optical fiber tape cores;
And a second sleeve moving step of moving the protective sleeve so as to cover the fusion spliced portion formed by the fusing step. Between the first sleeve moving step and the fusing step, the plurality of optical fibers at the second holding position located between the tip portions of the optical fiber core wires and the first holding position. A second fiber holding step of holding the optical fiber core in a state aligned in the predetermined direction;
In the first and second fiber holding steps, a clip member having a pair of abutting portions that are connected to each other through a hinge and are opposed to each other in the closed state is used between the pair of abutting portions. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical fiber cores are held by sandwiching the plurality of optical fiber cores.   The method for batch fusion splicing of optical fibers according to claim 2, wherein at least portions of the pair of contact portions of the clip member that are in contact with the plurality of optical fiber core wires are made of foamed resin. The clip member further includes a locking part that is provided in one of the pair of contact parts and maintains the closed state by locking the other contact part,
The method of batch fusion splicing of optical fibers according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the pair of contact portions are biased in the opening direction in the closed state. The core wire insertion guide is formed by bonding two resin plate-like members having a thickness direction in a direction intersecting both the axial direction and the predetermined direction of the plurality of optical fiber core wires,
The method for batch fusion splicing of optical fibers according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gap is formed between the two plate-like members.   The gap is gradually widened toward the one end on one end side where the plurality of optical fiber cores are inserted among both ends of the core insertion guide in the axial direction of the plurality of optical fiber cores. An optical fiber batch fusion splicing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein   The optical fiber batch fusion splicing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the core wire insertion guide has a bent portion for preventing the core wire insertion guide from falling off the protective sleeve.

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