JP2533144B2 - Tape-shaped optical fiber - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire.

[Prior art and its problems]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a tape-shaped optical fiber core in which a plurality of optical fiber strands are arranged in parallel and a coating layer is collectively provided to form one optical fiber core. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional example. As shown in the figure, the optical fiber strand is composed of a glass fiber 1 composed of a core and a clad, and a coating layer 2 coated on the outside thereof. Here, the coating layer 2 is made of, for example, a silicone resin, and forms a buffer layer for preventing a mechanical impact or the like from being applied to the glass fiber 1. The four optical fiber wires thus configured are arranged in parallel in a plane, and are integrated by a coating layer 3 made of, for example, urethane acrylate resin as shown in FIG.

By the way, in recent years, introduction of subscriber optical fiber cables has been promoted, but for this purpose, it is necessary to branch a multi-core optical fiber cable. However, it is not easy to branch a tape-shaped optical fiber core into a plurality of cores. Specifically, for example, the dotted line A in FIG.
It is not easy to cut the tape-shaped optical fiber in the longitudinal direction into two optical fibers as shown in Fig. 2, and if the fiber is actually cut, the transmission characteristics of the glass fiber 1 deteriorate due to the stress at that time. There were many things. On the other hand, FIG. 3 (b)
After removing the coating layer 3 together with the coating layer 2 to expose the glass fiber 1 as shown in FIG.
Can also be connected to an optical connector (not shown) or to another optical fiber. However, this method requires a step of removing the coating layer 2 and the coating layer 3 and requires highly accurate centering, which makes branching work extremely difficult.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire that can be easily branched into a plurality of optical fiber core wires without deteriorating the transmission characteristics of the optical fiber.

[Means for solving problems]

The tape-shaped optical fiber core wire according to the present invention is a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire in which a plurality of optical fiber wires are arranged in parallel on a predetermined plane and covered with a coating layer, among the plurality of optical fiber wires. The coating layer is a separate body between at least one of the optical fiber strands and another optical fiber strand adjacent to one side of the optical fiber strand. It is integrated, and the connecting material is formed of a material oriented in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber strand.

[Action]

According to the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire of the present invention, the coating layer is a separate body at the portion to be branched, and these are integrated by the connecting material made of the material oriented in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber element wire. Therefore, it can be easily torn into a plurality of optical fiber cores here.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements will be denoted by the same reference symbols, without redundant description.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire according to an embodiment. As shown in the figure, this tape-shaped optical fiber core is composed of four optical fiber strands, and has a coating layer 2a, 2b on one side and a coating layer 2c, 2c on the other side. 2d are touching each other. And a coating layer of two intermediate optical fibers adjacent to each other.
2b and 2c are separated by a certain interval. Therefore, 4
Each of the two optical fiber strands constitutes two optical fiber core wires, which are integrated with each other by the coating layers 3a and 3b. The connecting member 4 for unifying these core wires is formed so as to be constricted at this interval portion (branching portion). Here, the connecting member 4 is formed of a thermosetting resin, an ultraviolet curable resin, or the like, and has orientation in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber strand.

According to this tape-shaped optical fiber core wire, branching into two optical fiber core wires can be easily performed. That is,
Since the connecting member 4 has excellent tearability in the longitudinal direction, it is possible to cut it into one optical fiber core wire including the glass fibers 1a and 1b and the other optical fiber core wire including the glass fibers 1c and 1d. You can branch easily. At this time,
Since the optical fiber strands are covered with the coating layers 3a and 3b, respectively, the strands are not exposed after branching.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a modification of the above embodiment. In the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire of FIG. 4A, the optical fiber core wire on one side including the two glass fibers 1 on the right side,
The coating layer 3 is in contact with the other optical fiber core wire including the three glass fibers 1 on the left side, although they are separate from each other, and they are connected to each other with orientation in the longitudinal direction. Material 4 is provided. Therefore, since the tearability of this portion in the longitudinal direction is excellent, it can be easily branched into two core wires.

In the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire of the same figure (b), the coating layer 3 is separate from each other between the three optical fiber core wires including the two glass fibers 1, and these are long. They are integrated by a connecting member 4 oriented in the direction. Therefore, by tearing the connecting member 4, it can be branched into two core wires.

Further, in the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire of the same figure (c), the coating layer 3 is separate from each other between two optical fiber core wires each including four glass fibers 1, but they are in contact with each other. There is. And these are integrated by the connecting material 4, but are not constricted. However, since the connecting member 4 is formed of a material oriented in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber strand,
It has low physical strength and is easy to tear, and can be easily branched into two core wires.

Furthermore, in the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire of FIG.
The coating layer 3 is in contact with the two optical fiber core wires each including the two glass fibers 1 as separate bodies. And these are integrated by the connecting material 4 which covers the whole. Also by this, since the connecting member 4 has the orientation in the longitudinal direction, branching into two optical fiber core wires can be easily performed.

The present invention is not limited to the above description, but various modifications are possible.

For example, the coating material and the connecting material are not limited to the UV resin, but may be a thermosetting resin, and in this case, they are cured by a heater or an electron beam. There is no particular limitation on the degree (orientation) of the connecting material as long as the binding directions of the molecules are biased in a certain direction. Alternatively, the covering layer and the connecting material may be integrally formed and locally annealed with an electron beam or the like so that only the connecting material has orientation. Further, one or two in the connecting member 4 in the longitudinal direction.
More than one wire may be embedded. If you do this,
By pulling this wire in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, the connecting material can be preliminarily cut and split to facilitate branching.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above in detail, according to the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire of the present invention, the coating layer is connected by the connecting material having the orientation in the longitudinal direction at the portion to be branched, so that the coating layer is easily torn here. Can be a plurality of optical fiber cores. Therefore, it is possible to branch into a plurality of optical fiber core wires without deteriorating the transmission characteristics of the optical fiber and without exposing the optical fiber element wires.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a modification thereof, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tape-shaped optical fiber core wire according to a conventional example. is there. 1,1a-1d ... glass fiber, 2,2a-2d ... coating layer, 3 ... coating layer, 4 ... connecting material.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A tape-shaped optical fiber core wire in which a plurality of optical fiber element wires are arranged in parallel on a predetermined plane and covered with a coating layer, wherein at least one of the plurality of optical fiber element wires,
The coating layer is a separate body from another optical fiber strand adjacent to one side of the optical fiber strand, and these are integrated by a separate connecting material between the coating layers. The tape-shaped optical fiber core wire, wherein the connecting member is formed of a material oriented in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber element wire.