JP2787605B2 - Water sensor with lock mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an immersion sensor with a lock mechanism used for detecting intrusion of water into a cylindrical closure or the like accommodating a connection portion of an optical fiber cable. is there.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional telecommunications networks use copper cables, and if the copper wires in this copper cable leak into water, communication will be disrupted, so the outer surface of the copper cable will be damaged and the copper wire inside will be flooded Preventing the situation was an important issue. In order to prevent the inundation, a so-called "gas maintenance method" has been usually taken. This is because a constant gas is always sealed in the cable and maintained at a constant pressure, and the pressure is reduced by the gas flowing out of the cable, thereby damaging the cable (and eventually flooding the cable). ) Is detected.

However, recently, an optical fiber cable has been used in place of the above-mentioned copper cable, and since the optical fiber core used for communication is sufficiently protected in this optical fiber cable, only the connection portion is flooded. It is sufficient to perform maintenance management by detecting such information.

The connection of the ends of this type of optical fiber cable generally uses a cylindrical closure, the end of one optical fiber cable is introduced into the closure from one end face, and the other optical fiber cable is connected from the other end face. Are introduced, and the optical fiber cores drawn out from both ends are connected with their ends abutting each other. It is not appropriate to use the conventional gas maintenance method for the connection portion of the optical fiber cable having such a structure because of problems such as structural problems and management costs.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

For this reason, the present inventors have developed and studied an immersion sensor device which is easy to maintain and have a long life, and have already applied for a patent (Japanese Patent Application No. 1-149927). This water sensor 8
Is disposed at the bottom of the cylindrical closure 6 as shown in FIG. 7, and an optical fiber core A drawn out from the pair of right and left optical fiber cables 1, 1a introduced into the closure 6 and abutted therein is inserted therein. It has become accommodating. In FIG. 7, 2, 2a is a cable gripper, 3, 3a is a tension member, 4, 4a is a tension member gripper,
Reference numeral 10 denotes a connection storage portion (excess length processing portion) for the optical fiber core A, and reference numeral 7 denotes an end plate. As is clear from the drawing, the water immersion sensor device 8 accommodates the connection portion of the lowermost optical fiber core A that is not used for optical communication, and has a bottom surface through hole as shown in FIG. Box-shaped casing 40, a pair of optical fiber core wire outlets 41 and 42 formed so as to cross the casing 40, a long plate-shaped slider 45, a shaft body 43 for supporting the same, and a water-absorbing expansion material 46. And a stopper 47 integrally provided on the casing 40.
And Reference numeral 48 denotes a locking projection, and 49 denotes a lid, which has locking claws 50 at four corners for locking with the locking projection 48. Then, when the optical fiber core wire A passing through the optical fiber core wire outlets 41 and 42 is flooded, the water-absorbing expansion material is used.
As shown in FIG. 9, the slider 46 rotates around one end as shown by a chain line in FIG. 9, whereby the optical fiber core A is pushed to the hitting portion 47. It is deformed by being pressed. As a result, the transmission loss of the optical fiber changes, and this is used to detect a flooded state. However, in this water immersion sensor device, when the water-absorbing swelling material (made of a water-absorbing polymer) comes into contact with water for a relatively long time, it dissolves, disintegrates, and gradually desorbs. The slider returns to the state shown by the solid line. As a result, the change in the light transmission loss disappears, and the transmission loss becomes the same value as in the normal state. Therefore, in order not to miss the change in the transmission loss due to the flooding, it is necessary to constantly monitor the change in the transmission loss of the optical fiber.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a water immersion sensor device with a lock mechanism that retains the state once the water absorption state is detected and does not return to the original state.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a waterlogging sensor device with a locking mechanism, which is a waterlogging sensor device for accommodating an optical fiber cable core, wherein a box-shaped casing having at least a bottom surface formed in a water absorbing portion; A pair of optical fiber cord outlets formed in a corresponding manner on the side wall surface of the box-shaped casing, and a base point provided in the casing substantially along an imaginary line connecting the pair of optical fiber cord outlets. A slider whose end is rotatable around a center, a water-absorbing expansion member provided in the box-shaped casing, which presses and biases the end of the slider in the imaginary line direction during water-absorption expansion, and a base point in the casing. A lock member is provided rotatably at the center and is rotated by being pressed and urged by the water-swelling expansion of the water-swelling material, the end of which engages with the end of the slider and stops. A configuration that.

[Action]

In the water immersion sensor device with a locking mechanism according to the present invention, when the water-absorbing and expanding member absorbs and expands, the water-absorbing and expanding member pushes the slider around one end, thereby pushing the optical fiber core. Curving changes the optical transmission loss. At this time, the rocking member is pushed and rotated about one end by the water-swelling expansion of the water-swelling material, and the other end is engaged with the other end of the slider, thereby stopping the slider from returning.
Therefore, the water-absorbing expanding material comes into contact with water for a relatively long time to be dissolved and desorbed, and even if the slider is not pressed as described above, the slider is detented by the locking member. Therefore, the bent state of the optical fiber core is maintained. Therefore, even if the transmission loss of the optical fiber core is not constantly monitored, the inundation can be detected only by intermittent monitoring.

 Next, examples will be described.

〔Example〕

1 and 2 show one embodiment of the present invention. In these figures, 20 is a box-shaped casing,
An optical fiber core outlet 21 is provided on one side wall, and an optical fiber core outlet 22 corresponding to the optical fiber core outlet 21 is formed on the other side wall facing the optical fiber core outlet 21. A is an optical fiber core passing through both the outlets 21 and 22. A cylindrical concave portion 23 is formed in a side wall portion near the optical fiber core wire outlet 21, and a shaft portion 25 at one end of a long plate-shaped slider 24 is loosely fitted therein.
As a result, the other end 25 of the slider 24 is
a can rotate. Reference numeral 26 denotes a substantially square water-absorbing expansion material, and the slider 24 and the box-shaped casing 20 are provided.
Are disposed in a space B surrounded by the left and right side walls and the front wall. Reference numeral 27 denotes a locking member, in which a shaft portion 29 at one end is loosely fitted into a cylindrical concave portion 28 formed on one side wall of the upper casing 20, and the other end 29a can rotate around the shaft portion 29. Reference numeral 30 denotes a stopper formed in the rear wall of the casing 20 so as to stop the slider 24 from hitting. Reference numeral 31 denotes a lid, and mounting portions 32 on both left and right sides thereof are casings.
The casing 20 is detachably fitted by fitting the mounting recesses 33 formed on the outer surfaces of the left and right side walls of the casing 20 and the mounting portion 34 on the rear portion into the mounting recesses 35 formed on the outer surface of the rear wall of the casing 20. Attached to 20. 32a and 34a are engaging projections, 33a and 35a are corresponding engaging concave portions, and 36 and 37 are slits. The immersion sensor device having such a structure is disposed at the bottom of the closure 6 shown in FIG.

In this configuration, when the water immersed in the closure reaches the inside of the casing 20, the water-absorbing expansion material 26 absorbs and expands from the state shown in FIG. 2 and FIG.
24 is pushed to rotate upward around the shaft 25 at one end. As a result, the optical fiber core wire A is pushed, and is bent greatly between the slider 24 and the stop portion 30, so that the transmission loss of the optical fiber changes and water in the closure is detected. In this case, the rocking member 27 is simultaneously pushed by the water-absorbing expansion of the water-absorbing expansion material 26, and is turned upright from the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as shown in FIG. In this state, the other end 29 of the locking member 27
a engages with the engagement step 25b of the other end 25a of the slider 24 to detent the slider 24. Therefore, the water-absorbing expansion material
Even if the slider 26 is in contact with the water that has entered the casing 20 for a relatively long time and dissolves and desorbs, the slider 24 attempts to return to the original state due to the elastic restoring force of the optical fiber core A. 27 is detented.
Accordingly, the change in the transmission loss of the optical fiber based on the curvature of the optical fiber core A is maintained. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the state of maintaining the transmission loss in comparison with that shown in FIG. FIG. 5 shows the result of the immersion sensor device of the present invention, and the transmission loss does not decrease with time, but in FIG. 6 (the immersion sensor device of FIG. 8), the transmission loss decreases with time.

In this water immersion sensor device, the slider 24 is configured to rotate around a shaft portion 25 at one end.
Even if the amount of expansion of 26 is slight, it rotates with a large and strong force by leverage. Therefore, even if the immersion sensor device is small, it causes a change in the transmission loss of the optical fiber sufficient for detecting the immersion. In addition, slider 24,
The center of rotation of the locking member 27 does not necessarily have to be an end. In the above-described embodiment, the casing 20 is disposed horizontally in the closure 6 (FIG. 7). However, in some cases, the casing 20 may be disposed in an upright state. Absent.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, the immersion sensor device of the present invention is provided with a slider whose end is rotatable around a base point, and operates the slider by the water-swelling expansion of the water-swelling material to bend the optical fiber core. Change the optical transmission loss. At the same time as this operation, the locking member is operated, and its end is engaged with the end of the slider to stop the slider from returning. Therefore, even if the water-absorbing expandable material comes into contact with the inundated water for a relatively long time and dissolves, and loses the operating force on the slider, the slider attempts to return to the original state due to the elastic restoring force of the optical fiber core wire, and the locking member is used. Stops the slider. As a result, the bent state of the optical fiber core is maintained. That is, according to the waterlogging sensor device of the present invention, once waterlogging occurs, the detection state of the waterlogging is maintained for a long time and does not disappear over time. Therefore,
It is not necessary to constantly observe so as not to overlook the change in light transmission loss due to water inundation, and intermittent observation is sufficient. Therefore, it will be possible to realize a great ease of monitoring.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a state in which a cover thereof is removed, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged views of a portion X surrounded by a circle in FIG. FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a curve diagram showing the change over time of light transmission loss according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a curve diagram showing the change over time of light transmission loss due to a water immersion sensor device on which the present invention is based. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the immersion sensor device is attached to the closure, FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of an example of the immersion sensor device on which the present invention is based, and FIG. 20: Box-shaped casing, 21, 22: Optical fiber cable outlet, 24: Slider, 26: Water-absorbing expansion material, 27: Lock member

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A water-immersion sensor device for accommodating an optical fiber cable core, wherein a box-shaped casing having at least a bottom surface formed in a water-absorbing portion and a side wall surface of the box-shaped casing are formed in a corresponding state. A pair of optical fiber cord outlets, a slider provided in the casing in a state substantially along an imaginary line connecting the pair of optical fiber cord outlets, the end of which is rotatable around a base point; A water-absorbing and expanding member provided in a box-shaped casing for pressing and pressing the end of the slider in the direction of the imaginary line during water-absorbing and expanding; and a water-absorbing and expanding member provided in the casing so as to be rotatable around a base point. An immersion sensor device with a lock mechanism, comprising: a lock member which is rotated by being pressed and urged by expansion and whose end is engaged with an end of the slider and stopped.