JP2577136B2 - Clamp for optical fiber coupler manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clamp for an optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus used in an apparatus for manufacturing an optical fiber coupler used in a communication system or a sensor system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In constructing an optical communication system or an optical data link network, an optical splitter that distributes an optical signal emitted from a light source at a desired ratio is important as a component. One of the optical branching devices is an optical fiber coupler, which is usually made by heating and melting a plurality of optical fibers and fusing them, and stretching the fused portion under a constant tension. Things. At the time of fusion, it is necessary to align the glass portions of the optical fiber in close contact in parallel, and a clamp mechanism is used for this purpose.However, the accuracy of the alignment of the clamp is greatly affected by the characteristics of the manufactured optical fiber coupler. Affect.

Conventionally used clamps are disclosed in
As described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-118705, the optical fiber is pressed from two directions. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clamp described in the above publication, in which two optical fibers 3 and 4 are pressed by a clamp 28, and the aligned optical fibers are pressed from the side by a horizontal position adjusting device 24 so as to be aligned. .

In such a conventional clamp, since it is pressed from two orthogonal directions at a position shifted in the axial direction, the clamp is often twisted and clamped. If the groove of the clamper 28 is deeper than the diameter of the optical fibers 3 and 4, FIG.
And it is difficult to align horizontally.

As shown in FIG. 15, it is conceivable to use two position adjusting devices, a vertical position adjusting device 23 and a horizontal position adjusting device 24, as a clamper mechanism. 3 and 4 are clamped, and if the horizontal position adjusting device 24 is used first, FIG.
It is much more likely that the state shown in FIG. 6B will be used than the case shown in FIG.

After that, even if the vertical position adjusting device 23 is used, the horizontal position adjusting device 24, as shown in FIG.
In the vertical position adjusting device 23, it becomes as shown in FIG.
The two optical fibers 3, 4 remain axially displaced. The same applies even if the vertical position adjusting device 23 is used first.

[0007] Therefore, in the conventional method of sandwiching separately from two perpendicular directions, there is a problem that good clamping cannot be expected.

The optical fiber fixing device described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 1-94904 uses a pair of optical fiber clamps having a thickness and a step smaller than the diameter of the optical fiber and larger than the radius. However, workability is poor,
There is a problem that it is difficult to use.

In the optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 64-80913, two V-grooved blocks are used, and one optical fiber is placed in each V-groove. Two optical fibers are pressed from both sides by the groove wall so as to be tightly clamped.

As described above, when the V-groove is used, the size of the V-groove is determined by the two optical fibers 3 and 4 in a state where the two blocks are in contact with each other as shown in FIG. It cannot be larger than it touches.

In the state of FIG. 17A, as shown in FIG. 17B, when the angle of the V-groove is 90 degrees and the radius of the optical fiber is r, the width M of the opening of the V-groove is M. Since M = 2 (1 + 2 ^1/2 ) r, the maximum possible value of the width D of the opening of the V-groove is M and 2 shown in FIG. Become. When the diameter 2r of the optical fiber is 125 μm, M is 600 μm.
m.

Therefore, in practice, the opening width D of the V groove is
Is about 300 to 200 μm, which is very small. Therefore, the operation of inserting an optical fiber into this V-groove requires a microscope.

Further, it is rare that the two optical fibers are completely parallel to the V-groove due to winding habits or the like, and it is normal that the two optical fibers are slightly shifted. Therefore, in the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 64-80913, it is necessary to confirm that the optical fiber is completely inserted into the V-groove. Given the fatigue of
Clamping is not easy.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an optical fiber clamp having good workability and capable of holding an optical fiber in parallel easily and securely. It was done for the purpose of doing.

[0015]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical fiber groove for inserting an optical fiber, and an optical fiber introduction portion for expanding outward from the optical fiber groove. A clamp for an optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus, comprising two sets of clamps, each having a grooved member having the same and a pushing member movably arranged to push the optical fiber from the optical fiber introduction section toward the optical fiber groove. In the above, the grooved member has an opening on the optical fiber introduction section side, has a bottom surface on the optical fiber groove side, and is formed so as to intersect the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber groove. A pressing member groove, the pressing member having a width larger than an opening width of the optical fiber introducing portion, and formed so as to fit into the pressing member groove; The clamp unit has moving means for moving the pressing member toward the groove so as to clamp the optical fiber at the same time, and urging means for applying a pressing force to the pressing member toward the groove is provided for each pressing. It is characterized by being provided independently on a member. In the invention according to claim 2, a grooved member having an optical fiber groove for inserting an optical fiber and an optical fiber introduction portion expanding outward from the optical fiber groove, and In a clamp for an optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus having two sets of clamps each including a push member movably arranged to push an optical fiber toward an optical fiber groove, the push member includes a push member of the optical fiber introduction section. It has a width larger than the opening width, and is formed so as to be in contact with the end surface of the grooved member, and the two sets of clamps face the pushing member toward the groove so as to simultaneously clamp the optical fiber. A biasing means having moving means for moving, and applying a pressing force to the pressing member toward the groove is provided independently for each pressing member. It is intended. In the invention according to claim 3, the clamp according to claim 1 or 2 is characterized in that the groove pushes the optical fiber by the thickness of the coating of the optical fiber.

The pressing member can be biased by a spring.

The pushing member can be urged by the weight.

The pushing member can be biased by an electromagnet.

[0019]

As shown in FIG. 2, the clamp according to the present invention comprises a grooved member having an optical fiber groove for inserting an optical fiber, an optical fiber introduction portion expanding outward from the optical fiber groove, and an optical fiber. Using a pushing member having a width larger than the opening width of the fiber introduction portion, in a state where the grooved member and the pushing member are separated from each other, the optical fiber is positioned at the optical fiber introduction portion of the grooved member, and the pushing member is turned on. By moving the optical fiber from the fiber introduction section toward the optical fiber groove, the optical fiber can be inserted into the groove and clamped. When an optical fiber is clamped in an optical fiber groove portion using a grooved member having an optical fiber introduction portion, for example, as described in JP-A-2-242208, the width is smaller than the opening width of the optical fiber introduction portion. When the pushing member 2 is used, as shown in FIG. 18A, the optical fiber 3
May be pinched, and the optical fiber 3 cannot be inserted into the optical fiber groove 1a. In the present invention, by using the pushing member 2 having a width larger than the opening width of the optical fiber introduction section, as shown in FIG. 18B, the pushing member 2 causes the optical fiber 3 to move along the optical fiber introduction section. As a result, it can be reliably moved to the optical fiber groove 1a. When the width of the pushing member is larger than the opening width of the optical fiber introduction portion, the pushing member cannot enter the optical fiber introduction portion. However, in the present invention, the grooved member is provided with a pushing member groove, or the pushing member is provided. Is brought into contact with the end surface of the grooved member, the optical fiber can be clamped by the pressing member even though the width of the pressing member is larger than the opening width of the optical fiber introduction portion. In the two sets of clamp portions, urging means for simultaneously pressing two places on both sides of the fusion region and applying a pressing force to the pressing member toward the groove portion are provided independently for each pressing member. Thereby, the optical fibers can be closely adhered in parallel with high accuracy.

Since the pressing members 2 are individually urged by, for example, the spring members 2b, the respective pressing members exert appropriate pressing forces at appropriate positions with respect to the respective grooved members 1. Even if the pushing member advances in a slightly oblique direction with respect to the grooved member, the tip of the pushing member is freely adjusted so as to fit the optical fiber groove, and the optical fiber 4 can be pushed reliably. Optical fibers can be reliably arranged.

[0021]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure,
1 is a grooved member, 2 is a pressing member, 3 and 4 are glass portions of an optical fiber, 5 is an optical fiber coating portion, 6 is a heat fusion portion, 7
Is a burner, 8 is a flame, 9 is a clamp for a covering portion, 10 is a stretching stage, 11a and 11b are sliders, 12 is a stand, and 13 is a guide shaft. Sliders 11a, 11b
And the guide shaft 13 constitute a linear bearing. 2
The two grooved members 1 are mounted on a common stand,
It can be moved simultaneously by the slider 11a. The two pressing members 2 are also supported by the common stand 12, but are attached to the tip of the movable shaft 2a with a certain degree of movement allowed, and are urged toward the grooved member 1 by the spring 2b. I have. The structure for attaching the push member 2 to the movable shaft 2a may be such that the push member 2 can be freely positioned with respect to the movable shaft 2a like a ball joint, or may be attached with some backlash. It may be. Alternatively, a pressing member may be fixed to the movable shaft 2a, and the movable shaft 2a may be movably attached to the stand 12 with play. The stand 12 includes the slider 1
1b, the two pushing members 2 can be moved at the same time. The details of the clamp composed of the grooved member 1 and the pressing member 2 will be described later.

After the coating portions 5 of the two optical fibers 3 and 4 are fixed on the stretching stage 10 by the coating portion clamps 9, they are pressed by a clamp composed of the grooved member 1 and the pressing member 2 and aligned in parallel. The center of the glass parts 3 and 4 of the optical fiber
Heating and fusion is performed by the flame 8 of the burner 7 to form the heat-welded portion 6.

Thereafter, the grooved member 1 and the pushing member 2 are separated from each other, and the heated and fused portion 6 is tensioned by the stretching stage 10 on which the coating clamp 9 to which the optical fiber coating portion 5 is fixed is placed while being heated by the flame 8. Has been added. The heat-fused portion 6 is stretched by this tension, and when a predetermined branching ratio is obtained, the stretching is stopped, and an optical fiber coupler is manufactured.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of one embodiment of the optical fiber clamp of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a grooved member, 1a
Is a groove for an optical fiber, 1b is an optical fiber introduction portion, 1c is a groove for a pushing member into which a pushing member is inserted, and 2 is a pushing member. As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 2 (A), this clamp is such that the pressing member 2 presses the optical fiber and clamps it in a state where the optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber groove 1a of the grooved member 1. It was done. The pressing member 2
The width of the grooved member 1 is set so as to enter the groove 1c for the pressing member.

The optical fiber is inserted side by side into the optical fiber groove 1a of the grooved member 1 and pressed from the outside by the pressing member 2, so that the optical fiber groove 1a as shown in FIG. Is required to be at least about 1.5 times the height of the optical fiber. If it is larger than this, there is no problem because the optical fiber can be sufficiently accommodated in the optical fiber groove 1a. However, as shown in FIG. 1a
Is higher than the bottom of the optical fiber, the difference h between the bottom of the optical fiber groove 1a and the bottom of the pressing member groove 1c needs to be at least about 1.5 times the optical fiber. In this case, the optical fiber groove 1a is also provided to extend at the bottom of the pressing member groove 1c. The bottom of the pressing member groove 1c may be lower than the bottom of the optical fiber groove 1a. However, when the bottom of the pressing member groove 1c is higher than the bottom of the optical fiber groove 1a, there is an advantage that the force exerted on the optical fiber by the pressing member 2 is dispersed on average.

The groove width is, for example, the diameter 125 of the optical fiber.
In the case of μm, it is better to be 130 μm, which is slightly larger than that. If the precision of the diameter of the optical fiber and the processing precision are good, the groove width can be approached to 125 μm. As described above, the depth of the groove may be 125 μm × 1.5 = 187.5 μm or more, and is 250 μm which is twice or more the diameter of the optical fiber.
It is also possible to make it deeper than μm. There is no problem if h described in FIG. 2B is not less than 187.5 μm and not more than 250 μm.

According to FIG. 3, the clamp explained in FIG.
A state where two optical fibers are clamped will be described. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. Reference numerals 3 and 4 denote glass portions of the optical fiber.

Ideally or theoretically, if two optical fibers are properly aligned in the cladding 9 for the covering portion described with reference to FIG. ), But the twisting or bending of the optical fiber itself, or the cladding 9
It is difficult to completely align the coating 27 due to the
As shown in (A), the reality is that the two optical fibers are separated from each other and their positions are also irregular.

Now, as shown in FIG. 3 (A), the grooved member 1 is moved to the glass portions 3 and 4 of the optical fiber by arrows 26.
Proceed in the direction of. If it goes well, the glass parts 3 and 4 fit into the optical fiber groove 1a as shown in FIG. 3B, but if not, one glass part 4 becomes light as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3D, both the glass portions 3 and 4 stop at the entrance of the optical fiber groove 1a and do not enter the fiber groove 1a. Sometimes. In either state, as shown in FIG. 7E, the pushing member 2 is fitted into the pushing member groove of the grooved member 1 and pushes the glass 3 and 4 portions of the optical fiber into the optical fiber groove 1a. Thus, the two optical fibers can be completely aligned.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a process of clamping two optical fibers in the optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus described in FIG. In the figure, 1, 1 ′ is a grooved member,
2 'is a pushing member, 3, 4 is a glass part of an optical fiber, 5,
5 is a covering part.

Before clamping, as shown in FIG. 3A, the grooved members 1, 1 'and the pushing members 2, 2' are located at positions separated from each other. Before entering the fusing step, the grooved members 1, 1 '
And the pushing members 2 and 2 'are moved, and the pushing members 2 and 2' are fitted into the pushing member grooves of the grooved members 1 and 1 ', and the glass portions 3 and 4 of the optical fiber are moved in FIG. Clamp as described. In this case, it is important that the glass parts 3 and 4 of the two optical fibers are symmetrically clamped as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is important that the grooved members 1 and 1 'and the pressing members 2 and 2' press the glass portions 3 and 4 by the thickness of the coating of the optical fiber, respectively.
In order to be able to set as such, it is necessary to consider the position regulation of both, and how to apply a pressing force.

In this case, the pushing members 2 and 2 'are independently pushed by springs, and the tips of the pushing members 2 and 2' have a certain degree of freedom in the direction in which the springs push. 6A, even if the pushing members 2 and 2 ′ advance slightly obliquely with respect to the grooved members 1 and 1 ′ as shown in FIG. The ends of 2 and 2 'are freely adjusted so as to fit into the groove, and the optical fiber 4 can be pushed reliably.

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural view of an embodiment of the clamp driving mechanism. In the drawing, 1 is a grooved member, 2 is a pressing member, 3 and 4 are glass portions of optical fibers, 11a and 11b are sliders, 13a and 13b are guide shafts, 14a and 14b.
Is an air cylinder, 15a and 15b are stoppers, 20
a and 20b are air supply pipes, 21a and 21b are air sources, 2
2a and 22b are weights for urging the clamp in the opening direction. Air sliders are used for the sliders 11a and 11b.

FIG. 12 shows an example of the air slider. A gap is provided between the guide shaft 13 and the slider 11. A plurality of injection holes 29 are provided around the guide shaft 13 and communicate with an air supply pipe 20 attached to one end of the guide shaft 13. Guide shaft 13 from air supply pipe 20
When the compressed air is introduced into the inside, the slider 11 can be floated with respect to the guide shaft 13 by the pressure of the air flowing out from the injection hole 29. Since the slider 11 is levitated by air, the slider 11 can be moved with extremely low friction, and the clamp attached thereto can be moved with a small force.

The operation of the clamp mechanism shown in FIG. 7 will be described. At the time of non-clamping, as shown in the figure, the grooved member 1 and the pushing member 2 are separated from each other, and the glass parts 3 and 4 of the optical fiber are set therebetween. The grooved member 1 is provided with an air cylinder 14a.
To move the glass parts 3 and 4 so as to be accommodated in the grooves. The stop position of the movement of the grooved member 1 is controlled by the stopper 15a. The stop position is preferably such that the groove pushes the glass part 3 of the optical fiber by the thickness of the coating as described with reference to FIG.

The pushing member 2 is pushed by the air cylinder 14b, and the stop position is controlled by the stopper 15b. While the pushing member 2 is supported by the movable shaft 2a, the spring 2b
The glass parts 3 and 4 of the optical fiber are pressed together by the force of the spring 2b.

On the pushing member 2 side, it is only necessary that the force for pushing the optical fiber continues, so if an air slider is used on the pushing member 2 side, after contact with the optical fiber,
Even if the supply of air is stopped, there is no problem because the optical fiber is held down. Not only does it save air, but it does not matter if it shakes.

After fusing the glass parts 3 and 4 of the optical fiber, the clamp is opened. When the air cylinders 14a and 14b move in opposite directions, the grooved member 1 and the pushing member 2 move in a direction in which the grooved member 1 and the pushing member 2 move apart by the pulling force of the weights 22a and 22b, and the process proceeds to the stretching step as described above.

The means for separating the grooved member 1 from the pressing member 2 is not limited to a weight, and an appropriate driving mechanism such as an air cylinder can be used. By utilizing the inclination, the grooved member 1 and the pushing member 2 may be retracted by gravity.

In using the clamp of the present invention,
Care should be taken to reduce the force with which the pushing member pushes the optical fiber to prevent the occurrence of scratches on the optical fiber. From this viewpoint, it is considered that an air floating type bearing is suitable for the pressing member side. Of course, a mechanical slider can also be used.

In the above description, the grooved member 1 is fixed, and the pressing member 2 is pressed by a spring. On the contrary, the pressing member 2 side is fixed at a certain position, and the grooved member 1 is fixed.
The side may be pushed by a spring. However, the former would be more natural. Although it is conceivable that both members are pressed by a spring, it is difficult to adjust the glass parts of the two optical fibers to be completely symmetric as shown in FIG. .

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural view of another embodiment of the clamp driving mechanism. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. 16a and 16b are automatic stages. In this embodiment, the drive and position regulation of the grooved member 1 side and the pressing member 2 side are performed by an automatic stage. Since the positioning of the two has an important significance on the characteristics of the coupler, improvement in accuracy can be expected by using an automatic stage.

FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of the clamp driving mechanism. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, the drive and position control of the grooved member 1 are performed by the automatic stage 16a. As in FIG. 7, the pushing member 2 was pushed by the air cylinder 14b, and the position was controlled by the stopper 15b.

FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining an embodiment in which a weight is used for the driving mechanism of the clamp. (A)
The figure is a plan view and the figure (B) is a side view. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. 17 is a thread, 18 is a roller, and 19 is a weight. Grooved member 1
Is driven by the automatic stage 16a. Push member 2
Is moved by applying a force to the slider 11b by the weight 19, the roller 18, and the thread 17. Prior to the movement, the slider 11b by the air cylinder 14b
The pressing force is released. The glass parts 3 and 4 of the optical fiber are pushed by the force of the weight 19.

The method of moving the clamp is not limited to the above embodiment. Other suitable biasing means, for example,
Electromagnets can also be used. The bearing of the moving stage,
Although a well-known linear bearing can be used, the use of a moving mechanism having a large radius is not limited to a linear bearing.

Further, the grooved members 1 and 1 'and the pushing members 2 and
As shown in FIG. 11, 2 ′ is shifted from the position shown in FIG. 5 in the axial direction of the optical fiber so that the pushing members 2 and 2 ′ are located at positions in contact with the end surfaces of the grooved members 1 and 1 ′. The optical fiber may be clamped. However, since the shearing force applied to the optical fiber is increased, the optical fiber is likely to be broken. Therefore, it is necessary to pay sufficient attention to how to apply the pressing force.

Next, the results of an experiment performed using the mechanism described with reference to FIG. 7 will be described. As a comparative example, the clamp mechanism described with reference to FIG. 15 was used. The prototype has a cladding diameter of 125
A normal single mode optical fiber for ± 1.3 μm band of ± 1.5 μm, MFD of 9.5 ± 1 μm, and cut-off wavelength of 1.2 μm, using an ultraviolet curable resin, has an outer diameter of 0.25 m
An optical fiber finished to m was used. L of wavelength 1.3μm
The D light source was introduced into one optical fiber, and the output light of each optical fiber was detected from the opposite side with a power meter and stretched while monitoring the branching ratio. When the bifurcation reached 50%, the burner was moved away from the fiber and drawing was stopped. An optical fiber coupler was prototyped to evaluate the excess loss, with the aim of keeping the branching ratio within 50 ± 3%. The length of the exposed glass portion from which the coating was removed was about 30 mm, and acetylene and an oxygen burner were used for heat fusion. The fusion was performed by heating the optical fiber at 1400 ° C. for 5 minutes with a radiation thermometer, and then stretching the film with a weight of 3 g for applying a stretching tension.

Thirty couplers prototyped by the conventional technique and 30 couplers prototyped by the apparatus of the present invention were tested. The average value of excess loss of the coupler manufactured according to the comparative example was 0.29 dB, and the maximum value was 0.6 dB.
The average value of excess loss of the coupler manufactured according to the example was 0.18 dB, and the maximum value was as good as 0.46 dB.

[0049]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the optical fiber clamp of the present invention, the optical fiber can be reliably pushed into the groove during fusion in the optical fiber coupler manufacturing process, and the pushing can be achieved. Even if the member advances in a slightly oblique direction, the tip is adjusted so as to fit, and the optical fiber can be clamped with high accuracy. In addition, by simultaneously clamping two locations on both sides of the fusion region, the optical fiber can be closely adhered in parallel with high accuracy, and excess loss can be reduced. In addition, the optical fibers can be reliably aligned each time, and an optical fiber coupler with good reproducibility can be manufactured.

As can be confirmed from the experimental results, it is possible to reduce the variation of the excess loss of the manufactured optical fiber coupler, which is effective for improving the yield.

Further, since the clamp can be automatically opened and closed, there is an effect that it is effective for labor saving.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of one embodiment of an optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of an embodiment of the clamp of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an operation state of the clamp described in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a positional relationship of a glass part of an optical fiber.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a process of clamping two optical fibers in the optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a clamped state by the pressing member of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of one embodiment of a driving mechanism of the optical fiber clamp of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of another embodiment of the drive mechanism of the optical fiber clamp of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of another embodiment of the drive mechanism of the optical fiber clamp of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment using a weight for a driving mechanism of a clamp.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the optical fiber clamp of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an example of an air slider.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a conventional clamp.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of an operation state of the clamp of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another conventional clamp.

16 is an explanatory diagram of an operation state of the clamp of FIG.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of another conventional example.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of an operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Groove member, 2 ... Push member, 2a ... Movable shaft, 2b ...
Spring, 3, 4 ... glass part of optical fiber, 5 ... optical fiber coating part, 6 ... heating fusion part, 7 ... burner, 9 ... clamp for coating part, 10 ... stretching stage, 11, 11a, 11b
... Slider, 12 ... Stand, 13 ... Guide shaft.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Junichi Yoshikawa 1-chome, Taya-cho, Sakae-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Yokohama Works (72) Inventor Kazuhiko Arimoto 7-31, Omorinishi 7-chome, Ota-ku, Tokyo No. Sumiden Opcom Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-2-242208 (JP, A)

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] An optical fiber groove for inserting an optical fiber, a grooved member having an optical fiber introducing portion expanding outward from the optical fiber groove, and a groove from the optical fiber introducing portion to the optical fiber groove. In a clamp for an optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus having two sets of clamps each including a push member movably disposed to push an optical fiber toward the optical fiber coupler, the grooved member has an opening on the optical fiber introduction unit side. The optical fiber groove portion has a bottom surface, and has a push member groove portion formed so as to intersect the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber groove portion, and the push member includes the optical fiber introduction portion. And has a width larger than the width of the opening, and is formed so as to fit into the groove for the pressing member. The two sets of clamps simultaneously clamp the optical fiber.
Moving the pushing member toward the groove so that
And a biasing means for applying a pressing force to the pressing member toward the groove portion is provided independently for each pressing member. 2. A grooved member having an optical fiber groove into which an optical fiber is inserted, an optical fiber introduction portion expanding outward from the optical fiber groove, and a groove from the optical fiber introduction portion to the optical fiber groove. In a clamp for an optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus having two sets of clamp portions each including a push member movably arranged to push an optical fiber toward the optical fiber, the push member has a width larger than an opening width of the optical fiber introduction portion. And the pressing member is formed so as to be in contact with an end face of the grooved member, and the two sets of clamp members are configured to simultaneously clamp the optical fiber.
Has a moving means for moving toward the groove, and
An optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus clamp, wherein biasing means for applying a pressing force to the pressing member toward the groove is provided independently for each pressing member. 3. The clamp according to claim 1 or 2,
A clamp for an optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus, wherein the groove presses the optical fiber by the thickness of the coating of the optical fiber.