JP2015069036A - Optical fiber device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical fiber device that enables suppression of a displacement of ferrules with respect to sleeves.SOLUTION: An optical fiber device 1 according to the present invention comprises: a ferrule 112 that is provided in an end of an optical fiber 111; a sleeve 12 that is formed into a cylinder for at least a tip part of the ferrule 112 to be inserted and has a communication hole 121b causing an internal part and an external part to be communicated with; a stationary body 13 that is inserted into the communication hole 121b, contacts with the ferrule 112 and thereby makes the ferrule 112 stationary to the sleeve 12; and a detection part 14 that detects a position of the stationary body 13. The detection part 14 includes: an action part 142 that acts by displacing the stationary body 13 with respect to the sleeve 12; and a switch part 143 that is turned ON/OFF by the action of the action part 142.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber device including a ferrule provided at an end of an optical fiber and a cylindrical sleeve into which the ferrule is inserted.

  Conventionally, as an optical fiber device, an optical fiber device including a ferrule provided at an end portion of an optical fiber and a cylindrical sleeve into which the ferrule is inserted is known (for example, Patent Document 1). Such an optical fiber device includes a ferrule detection unit that detects the presence / absence of a ferrule in the sleeve, and a lock nut detection unit that detects the presence / absence of a lock nut to be tightened at an end of the sleeve.

  According to such an optical fiber device, the state of the device (for example, a normally connected state, an adapter is exposed, a ferrule is inserted, a dust cover is attached) is detected. can do. Therefore, it can be detected that the ferrule has slipped out of the sleeve.

  However, in such an optical fiber device, it is possible to detect that the ferrule has come out of the sleeve only when the ferrule in the sleeve is not detected. Therefore, the ferrule cannot be prevented from being displaced with respect to the sleeve, and therefore, the ferrule cannot be prevented from coming out of the sleeve.

JP 2012-108400 A

  Therefore, in view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber device capable of suppressing the displacement of the ferrule with respect to the sleeve.

  An optical fiber device according to the present invention includes a ferrule provided at an end portion of an optical fiber, a sleeve that is formed in a cylindrical shape so that at least a tip portion of the ferrule is inserted, and has a communication hole that communicates the inside and the outside. A fixed body that is inserted into the communication hole and contacts the ferrule to fix the ferrule to the sleeve; and a detection unit that detects a position of the fixed body, the detection unit including the fixed body An operation unit that operates by being displaced with respect to the sleeve, and a switch unit that is turned on and off by the operation of the operation unit.

  According to the optical fiber device of the present invention, the ferrule is provided at the end of the optical fiber, and the sleeve formed in a cylindrical shape is inserted into at least the tip of the ferrule. The sleeve has a communication hole that communicates the inside and the outside, and a fixed body that is inserted into the communication hole is in contact with the ferrule, thereby fixing the ferrule to the sleeve.

  The operating part operates when the fixed body is displaced with respect to the sleeve, and the switch part is turned on and off by the operation of the operating part. Accordingly, since the position of the fixed body can be detected by turning on and off the switch unit, it is possible to detect that the fixed body has been displaced. Therefore, since it can be detected that the ferrule can be displaced with respect to the sleeve, it is possible to suppress the ferrule from being displaced with respect to the sleeve.

  In the optical fiber device according to the present invention, the ferrule may include an insertion hole into which a distal end portion of the fixed body is inserted.

  According to such a configuration, the ferrule includes the insertion hole, and the distal end portion of the fixed body is inserted into the insertion hole. As a result, the distal end of the fixed body can lock the ferrule insertion hole in the axial direction and circumferential direction of the ferrule, thereby preventing the ferrule from being displaced in the axial direction and radial direction of the ferrule. can do.

  In the optical fiber device according to the present invention, the operation unit may be arranged on an outer peripheral part of the sleeve.

  Further, in the optical fiber device according to the present invention, the operation unit may be arranged at a distal end portion of the fixed body.

  Moreover, in the optical fiber device which concerns on this invention, the structure that the said operation | movement part is arrange | positioned inside the said ferrule may be sufficient.

  As described above, the optical fiber device according to the present invention has an excellent effect that the ferrule can be prevented from being displaced with respect to the sleeve.

1 is a perspective view of an optical fiber device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing of the optical fiber apparatus which concerns on the embodiment is shown. It is a figure explaining the position detection of the fixed body of the optical fiber device concerning the embodiment, Comprising: An expanded sectional view is shown. It is a figure explaining the position detection of the fixed body of the optical fiber device concerning the embodiment, Comprising: An expanded sectional view is shown. It is a figure explaining the position detection of the fixed body of the optical fiber device concerning the embodiment, Comprising: An expanded sectional view is shown. Sectional drawing of the optical fiber apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention is shown. Sectional drawing of the fixing body and detection part which concern on the embodiment is shown. The disassembled perspective view of the fixing body and detection part which concern on the embodiment is shown. It is a figure explaining the position detection of the fixed body of the optical fiber device concerning the embodiment, Comprising: An expanded sectional view is shown. It is a figure explaining the position detection of the fixed body of the optical fiber device concerning the embodiment, Comprising: An expanded sectional view is shown. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of an optical fiber device according to still another embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining the position detection of the fixed body of the optical fiber device concerning the embodiment, Comprising: An expanded sectional view is shown. It is a figure explaining the position detection of the fixed body of the optical fiber device concerning the embodiment, Comprising: An expanded sectional view is shown.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of an optical fiber device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In each figure, the dimensional ratio in the drawing does not necessarily match the actual dimensional ratio.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical fiber device 1 according to the present embodiment includes an optical fiber portion 11 that propagates light and a sleeve 12 that is inserted into the optical fiber portion 11. The optical fiber device 1 also includes a fixed body 13 that fixes the optical fiber portion 11 inserted into the sleeve 12 and a detection unit 14 that detects the position of the fixed body 13.

  The optical fiber device 1 includes a control unit 15 that receives information from the detection unit 14 and an output unit 16 that outputs information from the control unit 15. Although not shown, the optical fiber device 1 includes a light source that emits laser light and an optical system that causes the laser light emitted from the light source to pass through the inside of the sleeve 12 and enter the optical fiber unit 11. I have.

  The optical fiber unit 11 is provided with a plurality of (two in the present embodiment) optical fibers 111 and 111 that propagate light, and ferrules that are provided at the ends of the optical fibers 111 and 111 and hold each optical fiber 111 inside. 112. The optical fiber portion 11 includes a protective tube 113 for protecting each optical fiber 111 and a cylindrical protective tube fixing portion 114 for fixing the protective tube 113 to the ferrule 112.

  Although not shown, the optical fiber 111 is disposed in the center portion and propagates the laser light, disposed outside the core, clad having a lower refractive index than the core, and disposed outside the cladding. A covering layer for covering the clad is provided.

  The ferrule 112 is formed in a cylindrical shape. And the ferrule 112 is provided with the insertion hole 112a inserted in the front-end | tip part of the fixed body 13 in the outer peripheral part at the front-end | tip side. The insertion hole 112a is formed so as to expand toward the outside. Specifically, the opening end portion of the insertion hole 112a is formed in a tapered shape.

  The sleeve 12 includes a cylindrical ferrule insertion portion 121 into which the tip end portion of the ferrule 112 is inserted at one end side. Further, the sleeve 12 is provided with a cylindrical laser beam path 122 on the other end side through which laser light incident on the optical fiber 111 passes. And the ferrule insertion part 121 and the laser beam path part 122 are connected, and the sleeve 12 is formed in the cylinder shape as a whole.

  The ferrule insertion part 121 includes an abutting part 121 a that abuts on the end part of the ferrule 112 at the inner end part. Moreover, the ferrule insertion part 121 is provided with the communicating hole 121b which connects an inside and the exterior by radial direction in the side part. The communication hole 121 b is formed so as to engage with the fixed body 13. In the present embodiment, at least the opening end portion side of the communication hole 121b has a female screw shape.

  The fixed body 13 is connected to a long fixed main body 131 inserted into the communication hole 121b and a base end of the fixed main body 131, and has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the fixed main body 131 and the inner diameter of the communication hole 121b. And a large diameter portion 132 which is a diameter. And the fixed body 13 fixes the ferrule 112 to the sleeve 12 when the front-end | tip part of the fixed main-body part 131 contacts the ferrule 112. FIG.

  The fixed main body 131 includes an engaging portion 131a that engages with the inner peripheral portion of the communication hole 121b on the outer peripheral portion. Further, the distal end portion of the fixed main body portion 131 is formed so as to become smaller toward the distal end side. Specifically, the distal end portion of the fixed main body 131 is formed in a tapered shape.

  The engaging portion 131 a is disposed on the proximal end side of the fixed main body portion 131 so that the distal end portion of the fixed main body portion 131 is engaged with the communication hole 121 b at a position where the distal end portion is inserted into the insertion hole 112 a of the ferrule 112. In the present embodiment, the engaging portion 131a has a male screw shape that is screwed with the female screw shape of the communication hole 121b.

  The detection unit 14 is turned on and off by the operation of the detection unit main body 141 that is a casing, the operation unit 142 that protrudes from the detection unit main body 141 and operates when the fixed body 13 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 12. The switch part 143 is provided. The detection unit 14 includes a signal line 144 that outputs on / off information of the switch unit 143 toward the control unit 15, and a cover body 145 that covers the operation unit 142 with respect to the fixed body 13.

  The operating part 142 is disposed on the outer peripheral part of the sleeve 12. And since the operation part 142 is urged | biased toward the exterior of the detection part main body 141, when the external force is not acting, a part is located in the reference position which protrudes from the detection part main body 141. . At this time, the switch unit 143 is in an off state. Further, when the operation unit 142 to which an external force is applied is positioned at a position on the inner side of the detection unit main body 141 (hereinafter referred to as “operation position”) by a predetermined distance from the reference position, the switch unit 143 is switched to the on state. .

  The cover body 145 is formed in a flat plate shape and has elasticity. The base end portion of the cover body 145 is fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the sleeve 12, and the distal end portion of the cover body 145 is disposed between the large diameter portion 132 and the operation portion 142 of the fixed body 13. . As a result, the front end portion of the cover body 145 comes into contact with the large diameter portion 132 of the fixed body 13.

  The cover body 145 is elastically deformed by being in contact with the fixed body 13 and is in contact with the operating portion 142. As a result, the operating unit 142 operates by transmission of the cover body 145 when the fixed body 13 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 12. At this time, the fixed body 13 rotates about the axial direction. However, the operation unit 142 is not a force in the rotation direction from the fixed body 13 but a force from the cover body 145, that is, the same direction as the operation direction of the operation unit 142. Receive the power of Thereby, it is possible to prevent the operating unit 142 from being damaged.

  The control unit 15 receives information on the on / off state of the switch unit 143 via the signal line 144. Then, the control unit 15 causes the output unit 16 to switch to the output unit 16 when the switch unit 143 is switched from the on state to the off state by the natural displacement (or erroneous operation) of the fixed body 13 with respect to the sleeve 12. To output the information.

  In addition, when the light source is in an on state (a state in which the light source emits laser light), the control unit 15 switches the light source from the on state to the off state when the switch unit 143 is switched from the on state to the off state. The state is switched to (a state in which the emission of laser light from the light source is stopped). Thereby, since exposure of a light source (laser light) can be prevented, a worker's safety can be improved.

  The output unit 16 receives the information that the switch unit 143 is switched off from the control unit 15 and outputs the information to the outside. For example, the output unit 16 is a display device that turns on an indicator lamp and outputs the information, and is an alarm device that sounds a buzzer and outputs the information.

  The configuration of the optical fiber device 1 according to the present embodiment is as described above. Next, the method for detecting the position of the fixed body 13 of the optical fiber device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. explain.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the ferrule 112 is inserted into the ferrule insertion unit 121. And as shown in FIG. 4, the fixing body 13 is inserted in the communicating hole 121b. At this time, when the communication hole 121b of the ferrule insertion part 121 and the insertion hole 112a of the ferrule 112 communicate with each other, the tip of the fixed body 13 (fixed main body part 131) is inserted into the insertion hole 112a of the ferrule 112. The Thereby, the engaging part 131a of the fixed body 13 contacts the opening end of the communication hole 121b.

  The engaging portion 131a of the fixed body 13 is engaged with the communication hole 121b, whereby the fixed body 13 is displaced inward in the radial direction with respect to the sleeve 12. At this time, the fixed body 13 abuts on the cover body 145 and the cover body 145 abuts on the operating portion 142, so that the operating portion 142 is also displaced with respect to the sleeve 12, so that the operating portion 142 is also in the sleeve 12 (and ferrule 112 In addition, it is displaced with respect to the detection unit main body 141). Specifically, the operation unit 142 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 12 in the same direction as the direction in which the fixed body 13 is displaced.

  Then, when the operation unit 142 is displaced from the reference position to the operation position, the switch unit 143 is switched from the off state to the on state. Furthermore, when the fixed body 13 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 12, the fixed body 13 contacts the ferrule 112 as shown in FIG. 5. Thereby, the ferrule 112 is fixed to the sleeve 12.

  From this state, when the fixed body 13 is displaced radially outward with respect to the sleeve 12, the transmission of the cover body 145 causes the operating portion 142 to be displaced radially outward with respect to the sleeve 12. The switch unit 143 is switched from the on state to the off state. And since the output part 16 outputs the said information via the control part 15, before the ferrule 112 displaces with respect to the sleeve 12, the fixing body 13 can be returned to an appropriate position.

  By the way, when the communication hole 121b and the insertion hole 112a are not in communication, that is, when the ferrule 112 is not in an appropriate position in the circumferential direction with respect to the sleeve 12, the distal end portion of the fixed body 13 is the outer peripheral portion of the ferrule 112. Abut. Therefore, since the engaging part 131a of the fixed body 13 is separated from the opening end part of the communication hole 121b, the engaging part 131a cannot be engaged with the communication hole 121b. Thereby, the operator can grasp that the ferrule 112 is not in an appropriate position in the circumferential direction with respect to the sleeve 12.

  Further, when the ferrule 112 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 12 in either the circumferential direction or the axial direction, there is a problem that the amount of light incident on the optical fiber 111 is reduced. However, since the distal end portion of the fixed body 13 is inserted into the insertion hole 112 a of the ferrule 112, the ferrule 112 is securely fixed to the sleeve 12 in the circumferential direction and the axial direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the amount of light incident on the optical fiber 111 from decreasing.

  As described above, according to the optical fiber device 1 according to the present embodiment, the ferrule 112 is provided at the end of the optical fiber 111, and the sleeve 12 formed in a cylindrical shape is inserted into the tip of the ferrule 112. ing. The sleeve 12 has a communication hole 121b that allows communication between the inside and the outside. The fixing body 13 inserted into the communication hole 121b contacts the ferrule 112, thereby fixing the ferrule 112 to the sleeve 12. ing.

  The operation unit 142 operates when the fixed body 13 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 12, and the switch unit 143 is turned on / off by the operation of the operation unit 142. Thereby, since the position of the fixed body 13 can be detected by turning the switch unit 143 on and off, it can be detected that the fixed body 13 is displaced. Therefore, since it can be detected that the ferrule 112 can be displaced with respect to the sleeve 12, it is possible to suppress the ferrule 112 from being displaced with respect to the sleeve 12.

  Moreover, according to the optical fiber device 1 according to the present embodiment, the ferrule 112 includes the insertion hole 112a, and the distal end portion of the fixed body 13 is inserted into the insertion hole 112a. As a result, the distal end portion of the fixed body 13 can lock the insertion hole 112a of the ferrule 112 in the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the ferrule 112, so that the ferrule 112 is in the axial direction and circumferential direction of the ferrule 112 with respect to the sleeve 12. It is possible to prevent displacement in the direction.

  By the way, when the ferrule 112 is displaced in the axial direction of the ferrule 112 with respect to the sleeve 12, laser light is incident on the clad outside the core of the optical fiber 111, so that the clad formed of resin or the like is formed. Burnout may occur. However, according to the optical fiber device 1 according to the present embodiment, since the ferrule 112 is prevented from being displaced in the axial direction of the ferrule 112 with respect to the sleeve 12, it is possible to prevent the clad from being burned out.

  Next, a second embodiment of the optical fiber device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In each figure, the dimensional ratio in the drawing does not necessarily match the actual dimensional ratio.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, the optical fiber device 2 according to the present embodiment includes an optical fiber portion 21 that propagates light and a sleeve 22 that is inserted into the optical fiber portion 21. The optical fiber device 2 includes a fixed body 23 that fixes the optical fiber portion 21 inserted into the sleeve 22, a detection unit 24 that is disposed inside the fixed body 23 and detects the position of the fixed body 23, and a fixed body. 23 and an interposition body 25 disposed between the detection unit 24 and the detection unit 24.

  Although not shown, the optical fiber device 2 includes a control unit that receives information from the detection unit 24 and an output unit that outputs information from the control unit. Similarly, although not shown, the optical fiber device 2 includes a light source that emits laser light and an optical system that causes the laser light emitted from the light source to pass through the inside of the sleeve 22 and enter the optical fiber portion 21. It has.

  The optical fiber unit 21 includes an optical fiber 211 that propagates light, and a ferrule 212 that is provided at an end of the optical fiber 211 and holds the optical fiber 211 inside. The optical fiber portion 21 includes a protective tube (not shown) for protecting the optical fiber 211 and a cylindrical protective tube fixing portion 213 that fixes the protective tube to the ferrule 212.

  The ferrule 212 is formed in a cylindrical shape. And the ferrule 212 is provided with the insertion hole 212a inserted in the front-end | tip part of the fixing body 23, and the convex part 212b which is arrange | positioned inside the insertion hole 212a and protrudes toward radial direction outward. The insertion hole 212a is disposed on the outer peripheral portion on the distal end side of the ferrule 212 and is formed so as to expand toward the outside. Specifically, the opening end of the insertion hole 212a is formed in a tapered shape.

  The sleeve 22 includes a cylindrical ferrule insertion portion 221 into which the tip end of the ferrule 212 is inserted at one end side. In addition, the sleeve 22 includes a cylindrical laser beam path portion 222 through which the laser beam incident on the optical fiber 211 passes on the other end side. And the ferrule insertion part 221 and the laser beam path part 222 are connected, and the sleeve 22 is formed in the cylinder shape as a whole.

  The ferrule insertion portion 221 includes an abutting portion 221a that abuts against the end portion of the ferrule 212 at the inner end portion. Moreover, the ferrule insertion part 221 is provided with the communicating hole 221b which connects an inside and the exterior by radial direction in the side part. The communication hole 221 b is formed to engage with the fixed body 23. In the present embodiment, the communication hole 221b and the female screw shape are used.

  The fixed body 23 is connected to a long cylindrical fixed main body portion 231 inserted into the communication hole 221b and a base end portion of the fixed main body portion 231, and from the outer diameter of the fixed main body portion 231 and the inner diameter of the communication hole 221b. And a cylindrical large-diameter portion 232 having a large outer diameter. Note that the fixed body 23 engages both ends of the detection unit 24 and the interposed body 25 in the axial direction so as to fix the detection unit 24 and the interposed body 25 disposed in the axial direction. The fixed body 23 fixes the ferrule 212 to the sleeve 22 by the tip of the fixed main body portion 231 being in contact with the ferrule 212.

  The fixed main body portion 231 includes an engaging portion 231a that engages with the inner peripheral portion of the communication hole 221b on the outer peripheral portion. Further, the distal end portion of the fixed main body portion 231 is formed so as to become smaller toward the distal end side. Specifically, the distal end portion of the fixed main body portion 231 is formed in a tapered shape.

  The engaging portion 231 a is disposed on the proximal end side of the fixed main body portion 231 so that the distal end portion of the fixed main body portion 231 is engaged with the communication hole 221 b at a position where the distal end portion is inserted into the insertion hole 212 a of the ferrule 212. In the present embodiment, the engaging portion 231a has a male screw shape that is screwed with the female screw shape of the communication hole 221b.

  The detection unit 24 is turned on / off by the operation of the detection unit main body 241 that is a housing, the operation unit 242 that protrudes from the detection unit main body 241, operates when the fixed body 23 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 22, and the operation unit 242. The switch unit 243 is provided. The detection unit 24 includes a signal line 244 that outputs on / off information of the switch unit 243 toward the control unit.

  The operating unit 242 is disposed at the tip of the fixed body 23. And since the operation part 242 is urged | biased toward the exterior of the detection part main body 241, when the external force is not acting, a part is located in the reference position which protrudes from the detection part main body 241. . At this time, the switch unit 243 is in an off state.

  In addition, when the operation part 242 is located at the reference position, the operation part 242 is disposed inside the fixed body 23, that is, does not protrude from the distal end portion of the fixed body 23. Further, when the operation unit 242 to which an external force is applied is positioned at a position (operation position) on the inner side of the detection unit main body 241 by a predetermined distance from the reference position, the switch unit 243 is switched to the on state.

  The interposition body 25 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The interposition body 25 prevents the detection unit 241 from rotating when the fixed body 23 rotates around the axial direction. Thereby, disconnection of the signal line 244 can be prevented. The interposition body 25 is not limited to such a shape, and may be, for example, a bearing. In short, when the fixed body 23 rotates around the axial direction, the detection unit 241 can be prevented from rotating. I just need it.

  The configuration of the optical fiber device 2 according to the present embodiment is as described above. Next, the method for detecting the position of the fixed body 23 of the optical fiber device 2 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. explain.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the ferrule 212 is inserted into the ferrule insertion part 221, and then the fixed body 23 is inserted into the communication hole 221b. At this time, when the communication hole 221b of the ferrule insertion part 221 and the insertion hole 212a of the ferrule 212 are in communication, the tip of the fixed body 23 is inserted into the insertion hole 212a of the ferrule 212.

  Thereby, since the engaging part 231a of the fixed body 23 contacts the opening end of the communication hole 221b, the engaging part 231a of the fixed body 23 can be engaged (screwed) with the communication hole 221b. When the communication hole 221b and the insertion hole 212a are not in communication, the engagement portion 231a of the fixed body 23 is separated from the opening end of the communication hole 221b, so that the engagement portion 231a engages with the communication hole 221b ( Cannot be screwed).

  Then, the engaging portion 231 a of the fixed body 23 is engaged with the communication hole 221 b, whereby the fixed body 23 is further displaced radially inward with respect to the sleeve 22. Thereafter, the operating portion 242 contacts the convex portion 212b. Thereby, when the fixed body 23 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 22, the operation unit 242 is displaced toward the base end side of the fixed body 23 with respect to the fixed body 23 (so as to enter the detection unit main body 231). . Then, when the operation unit 242 is displaced from the reference position to the operation position, the switch unit 243 is switched from the off state to the on state.

  Further, when the fixed body 23 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 22, the fixed body 23 contacts the ferrule 212 as shown in FIG. 10. Thereby, the ferrule 212 is fixed to the sleeve 22. At this time, since the distal end portion of the fixed body 23 is inserted into the insertion hole 212a of the ferrule 212, the ferrule 212 is securely fixed to the sleeve 22 in the circumferential direction and the axial direction.

  Further, from this state, when the fixed body 23 is displaced radially outward with respect to the sleeve 22, the operating unit 242 is directed toward the distal end side of the fixed body 23 with respect to the fixed body 23 (detection unit). Since the switch 243 is displaced (as it comes out of the main body 231), the switch unit 243 is switched from the on state to the off state. And since an output part outputs the said information via a control part, before the ferrule 212 displaces with respect to the sleeve 22, the fixing body 23 can be returned to an appropriate position.

  By the way, when the communication hole 221 b and the insertion hole 212 a are not in communication, that is, when the ferrule 212 is not in an appropriate position in the circumferential direction with respect to the sleeve 22, the distal end portion of the fixed body 23 is the outer peripheral portion of the ferrule 212. Abut. At this time, even when the fixed body 23 cannot be displaced inward in the radial direction with respect to the sleeve 22, the switch 243 remains off because the operation unit 242 remains at the reference position. .

  Thereby, the operator can grasp that the ferrule 212 is not fixed at an appropriate position with respect to the sleeve 22. Therefore, the ferrule 212 can be fixed at an appropriate position with respect to the sleeve 22.

  As described above, according to the optical fiber device 2 according to the present embodiment, the operation unit 242 operates when the fixed body 23 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 22, and the switch unit 243 is turned on / off by the operation of the operation unit 242. The Thereby, since the position of the fixed body 23 can be detected by turning the switch unit 243 on and off, it can be detected that the fixed body 23 is displaced. Accordingly, since it can be detected that the ferrule 212 can be displaced with respect to the sleeve 22, it is possible to suppress the ferrule 212 from being displaced with respect to the sleeve 22.

  Moreover, according to the optical fiber device 2 according to the present embodiment, the ferrule 212 includes the insertion hole 212a, and the distal end portion of the fixed body 23 is inserted into the insertion hole 212a. Accordingly, the distal end portion of the fixed body 23 can lock the insertion hole 212a of the ferrule 212 in the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the ferrule 212. Therefore, the ferrule 212 is in the axial direction and circumferential direction of the ferrule 212 with respect to the sleeve 22. It is possible to prevent displacement in the direction.

  Next, a third embodiment of the optical fiber device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In each figure, the dimensional ratio in the drawing does not necessarily match the actual dimensional ratio.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the optical fiber device 3 according to the present embodiment includes an optical fiber portion 31 that propagates light and a sleeve 32 that is inserted into the optical fiber portion 31. The optical fiber device 3 includes a fixed body 33 that fixes the optical fiber portion 31 inserted into the sleeve 32, and a detection unit 34 that is disposed inside the optical fiber portion 31 and detects the position of the fixed body 33. ing.

  Although not shown, the optical fiber device 3 includes a control unit that receives information from the detection unit 34 and an output unit that outputs information from the control unit. Similarly, although not shown, the optical fiber device 3 includes a light source that emits laser light, and an optical system that causes the laser light emitted from the light source to pass through the inside of the sleeve 32 and enter the optical fiber unit 31. It has.

  The optical fiber unit 31 includes an optical fiber 311 that propagates light, and a ferrule 312 that is provided at an end of the optical fiber 311 and holds the optical fiber 311 inside. The optical fiber portion 31 includes a protective tube (not shown) for protecting the optical fiber 311 and a cylindrical protective tube fixing portion 313 that fixes the protective tube to the ferrule 312.

  The ferrule 312 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The ferrule 312 includes an insertion hole 312 a that is inserted into the distal end portion of the fixed body 33, and an accommodation portion 312 b that communicates with the insertion hole 312 a and accommodates the detection portion 34. The insertion hole 312a is disposed on the outer peripheral portion on the distal end side of the ferrule 312 and is formed so as to expand toward the outside. Specifically, the opening end of the insertion hole 312a is formed in a tapered shape.

  The sleeve 32 includes a cylindrical ferrule insertion portion 321 into which the tip end portion of the ferrule 312 is inserted at one end side. The sleeve 32 includes a cylindrical laser beam path 322 on the other end side through which the laser beam incident on the optical fiber 311 passes. And the ferrule insertion part 321 and the laser beam path part 322 are connected, and the sleeve 32 is formed in the cylinder shape as a whole.

  The ferrule insertion portion 321 includes an abutting portion 321a that abuts against the end portion of the ferrule 312 at the inner end portion. Moreover, the ferrule insertion part 321 is provided with the communicating hole 321b which connects an inside and the exterior by radial direction in the side part. The communication hole 321 b is formed to engage with the fixed body 33. In the present embodiment, a communication hole 321b and a female screw shape are used.

  The fixed body 33 is connected to a long fixed main body portion 331 inserted into the communication hole 321b and a base end portion of the fixed main body portion 331. And a large-diameter portion 332 having a diameter. The fixed body 33 fixes the ferrule 312 to the sleeve 32 by the tip of the fixed main body portion 331 being in contact with the ferrule 312.

  The fixed main body portion 331 includes an engaging portion 331a that engages with the inner peripheral portion of the communication hole 321b on the outer peripheral portion. Moreover, the front-end | tip part of the fixed main-body part 331 is formed so that it may become small as it goes to a front end side. Specifically, the distal end portion of the fixed main body portion 331 is formed in a tapered shape.

  The engaging portion 331 a is disposed on the proximal end side of the fixed main body portion 331 so that the distal end portion of the fixed main body portion 331 is engaged with the communication hole 321 b at the position where the distal end portion is inserted into the insertion hole 312 a of the ferrule 312. In the present embodiment, the engaging portion 331a has a male screw shape that is screwed with the female screw shape of the communication hole 321b.

  The detection unit 34 is turned on and off by the operation of the detection unit main body 341 that is a housing, the operation unit 342 that protrudes from the detection unit main body 341, operates when the fixed body 33 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 32, and the operation of the operation unit 342. The switch part 343 is provided. Although not shown, the detection unit 34 includes a signal line that outputs on / off information of the switch unit 343 toward the control unit.

  The operating part 342 is accommodated in the accommodating part 312 b inside the ferrule 312. And the front-end | tip part of the action | operation part 342 is formed in spherical shape. Note that the distal end portion of the operating portion 342 is not limited to such a shape, and may be formed in, for example, a taper shape. In short, when the distal end portion of the fixed body 33 abuts on the detection portion main body 341, And any configuration that can be displaced smoothly.

  And since the operation part 342 is urged | biased toward the exterior of the detection part main body 341, when external force is not acting, a part protrudes from the detection part main body 341, and a front-end | tip part is the insertion hole 312a. It is located at the reference position located inside. At this time, the switch unit 343 is in an off state. Further, when the operation unit 342 to which an external force is applied is positioned at a position (operation position) on the inner side of the detection unit main body 341 by a predetermined distance from the reference position, the switch unit 343 is switched to the ON state.

  The configuration of the optical fiber device 3 according to the present embodiment is as described above. Next, the method for detecting the position of the fixed body 33 of the optical fiber device 3 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. explain.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the ferrule 312 is inserted in the ferrule insertion part 321, and the fixing body 33 is inserted in the communicating hole 321b after that. At this time, when the communication hole 321 b of the ferrule insertion portion 321 and the insertion hole 312 a of the ferrule 312 are in communication, the distal end portion of the fixed body 33 is inserted into the insertion hole 312 a of the ferrule 312.

  Thereby, since the engaging part 331a of the fixed body 33 contacts the opening end of the communication hole 321b, the engaging part 331a of the fixed body 33 can be engaged (screwed) with the communication hole 321b. When the communication hole 321b and the insertion hole 312a are not in communication, the engagement portion 331a of the fixed body 33 is separated from the opening end portion of the communication hole 321b, so that the engagement portion 331a is engaged with the communication hole 321b ( Cannot be screwed).

  The engaging portion 331a of the fixed body 33 is engaged with the communication hole 321b, whereby the fixed body 33 is further displaced radially inward with respect to the sleeve 32. Thereafter, it comes into contact with the operating portion 342. As a result, the fixed body 33 is displaced inward in the radial direction with respect to the sleeve 32, and the operating portion 342 is displaced in the axial direction with respect to the sleeve 32 and the ferrule 312 (so as to enter the detection portion main body 341). Then, when the operation unit 342 is displaced from the reference position to the operation position, the switch unit 343 is switched from the off state to the on state.

  Further, when the fixed body 33 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 32, the fixed body 33 contacts the ferrule 312 as shown in FIG. As a result, the ferrule 312 is fixed to the sleeve 32. At this time, since the distal end portion of the fixed body 33 is inserted into the insertion hole 312 a of the ferrule 312, the ferrule 312 is securely fixed to the sleeve 32 in the circumferential direction and the axial direction.

  Further, from this state, when the fixed body 33 is displaced radially outward with respect to the sleeve 32, the operation unit 342 is displaced in the axial direction with respect to the sleeve 32 (so as to come out of the detection unit main body 341). Therefore, the switch unit 343 is switched from the on state to the off state. And since an output part outputs the said information via a control part, before the ferrule 312 displaces with respect to the sleeve 32, the fixing body 33 can be returned to an appropriate position.

  By the way, when the communication hole 321 b and the insertion hole 312 a are not in communication, that is, when the ferrule 312 is not in an appropriate position in the circumferential direction with respect to the sleeve 32, the distal end portion of the fixed body 33 is the outer peripheral portion of the ferrule 312. Abut. At this time, even if the fixed body 33 cannot be displaced inward in the radial direction with respect to the sleeve 32, the operating portion 342 remains at the reference position, and thus the switch portion 343 remains off. .

  Thereby, the operator can grasp that the ferrule 312 is not fixed at an appropriate position with respect to the sleeve 32. Therefore, the ferrule 312 can be fixed at an appropriate position with respect to the sleeve 32.

  As described above, according to the optical fiber device 3 according to the present embodiment, the operation unit 342 operates when the fixed body 33 is displaced with respect to the sleeve 32, and the switch unit 343 is turned on / off by the operation of the operation unit 342. The Thereby, since the position of the fixed body 33 can be detected by turning the switch unit 343 on and off, it can be detected that the fixed body 33 is displaced. Therefore, since it can be detected that the ferrule 312 can be displaced with respect to the sleeve 32, it is possible to suppress the ferrule 312 from being displaced with respect to the sleeve 32.

  Moreover, according to the optical fiber device 3 according to the present embodiment, the ferrule 312 includes the insertion hole 312a, and the distal end portion of the fixed body 33 is inserted into the insertion hole 312a. As a result, the distal end portion of the fixed body 33 can lock the insertion hole 312 a of the ferrule 312 in the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the ferrule 312, so that the ferrule 312 is in the axial direction and circumferential direction of the ferrule 312 with respect to the sleeve 32. It is possible to prevent displacement in the direction.

  The optical fiber device according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and is not limited to the above-described operation effect. In addition, the optical fiber device according to the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the configurations and methods of the plurality of embodiments described above may be arbitrarily adopted and combined (the configurations and methods according to one embodiment may be combined with the configurations and methods according to the other embodiments). Further, it is of course possible to arbitrarily select configurations, methods, and the like according to various modifications described below and adopt them in the configurations, methods, and the like according to the above-described embodiments.

  In the optical fiber devices 1, 2, and 3 according to the above-described embodiment, the ferrules 112, 212, and 312 are configured to be provided at end portions on the incident side of the optical fibers 111, 211, and 311. However, the optical fiber device according to the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, in the optical fiber device according to the present invention, the ferrule may be provided at the end portion on the emission side of the optical fiber.

  Further, in the optical fiber devices 1, 2, and 3 according to the above-described embodiment, the mechanism in which the sleeves 12, 22, and 32 (communication holes 121b, 221b, and 321b) and the fixed bodies 13, 23, and 33 are engaged is a screw. This is a mechanism. However, the optical fiber device according to the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, in the optical fiber device according to the present invention, the mechanism in which the sleeve and the fixed body engage may be a ratchet mechanism.

  Further, in the optical fiber devices 1, 2, and 3 according to the above-described embodiment, the ferrules 112, 212, and 312 are configured to include the insertion holes 112a, 212a, and 312a. However, the optical fiber device according to the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, in the optical fiber device according to the present invention, the ferrule may not include an insertion hole, and the distal end portion of the fixed body may be in contact with the outer peripheral portion of the ferrule.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Optical fiber apparatus, 2 ... Optical fiber apparatus, 3 ... Optical fiber apparatus, 11 ... Optical fiber part, 12 ... Sleeve, 13 ... Fixed body, 14 ... Detection part, 15 ... Control part, 16 ... Output part, 21 ... Optical fiber part, 22 ... Sleeve, 23 ... Fixed body, 24 ... Detection part, 25 ... Intervening body, 31 ... Optical fiber part, 32 ... Sleeve, 33 ... Fixed body, 34 ... Detection part, 111 ... Optical fiber, 112 ... Ferrule, 112a ... insertion hole, 113 ... protection tube, 114 ... protection tube fixing portion, 121 ... ferrule insertion portion, 121a ... contact portion, 121b ... communication hole, 122 ... laser optical path portion, 131 ... fixed main body portion, 131a ... Engagement part 132 ... Large diameter part 141 ... Detection part main body 142 ... Operation part 143 ... Switch part 144 ... Signal line 145 ... Cover body 211 ... Optical fiber 212 ... Ferrule 212a Insertion hole, 212b ... convex part, 213 ... protective tube fixing part, 221 ... ferrule insertion part, 221a ... contact part, 221b ... communication hole, 222 ... laser beam path part, 231 ... fixing main body part, 231a ... engagement part, 232 ... Large diameter part, 241 ... Detection part main body, 242 ... Operation part, 243 ... Switch part, 244 ... Signal line, 311 ... Optical fiber, 312 ... Ferrule, 312a ... Insertion hole, 312b ... Housing part, 313 ... Protection tube 321 ... Ferrule insertion part, 321a ... Contact part, 321b ... Communication hole, 322 ... Laser beam path part, 331 ... Fixed main body part, 331a ... Engagement part, 332 ... Large diameter part, 341 ... Detection part main body, 342 ... operation part, 343 ... switch part

Claims (5)

A ferrule provided at the end of the optical fiber;
A sleeve that is formed in a cylindrical shape so that at least the tip of the ferrule can be inserted, and that has a communication hole that connects the inside and the outside;
A fixed body that is inserted into the communication hole and fixes the ferrule to the sleeve by contacting the ferrule;
A detection unit for detecting the position of the fixed body,
The said detection part is an optical fiber apparatus provided with the operation part which operate | moves when the said fixed body displaces with respect to the said sleeve, and the switch part turned on and off by operation | movement of the said operation part.   The optical fiber device according to claim 1, wherein the ferrule includes an insertion hole into which a distal end portion of the fixed body is inserted.   The optical fiber device according to claim 1, wherein the operating portion is disposed on an outer peripheral portion of the sleeve.   The optical fiber device according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit is disposed at a distal end portion of the fixed body.   The optical fiber device according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit is disposed inside the ferrule.

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