JP2919847B2 - Optical fiber contact holding device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention manufactures a fusion-stretched optical fiber used for branching and coupling an optical signal in an optical fiber communication system, an optical fiber sensor, and the like. The present invention relates to an optical fiber close-contact holding device used in such a case.

"Conventional technology and its problems" Conventionally, as one of the optical fiber couplers used for branching and coupling of an optical signal, a part of a plurality of optical fibers is heated and fused, and further stretched by fusion and stretching. A fusion-stretched optical fiber coupler in which a portion is formed is known.

FIG. 7 shows a first example of a conventional fusion-stretched optical fiber coupler.
FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a production example of the present invention. In this example, two optical fibers 3 in which the coating 1 is partially removed to expose the bare optical fiber 2 are arranged in parallel, and each bare optical fiber 2 is brought into close contact by twisting, and a part of the two is further attached. An optical fiber coupler is produced by heat fusion and stretching.

However, if the optical fiber bare wire 2 is twisted and then fused and stretched as described above, there is a problem that the loss tends to increase, and a low-loss and high-quality optical fiber coupler cannot be obtained.

FIG. 8 shows a second example of a conventional fusion drawn optical fiber coupler.
FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a production example of the present invention. In this example, the bare optical fiber 2 of each of the two optical fibers 3 from which the coating 1 was partially removed was arranged in parallel, and then the portion indicated by the symbol A in the figure was fixed with a thread or fixed with an adhesive, The central portion of the fixed portion is heated and fused, and further stretched to produce an optical fiber coupler.

However, in the above method, since the formation of the fixed portion is performed manually, there is a problem that the manufacturing process is complicated and the performance of the obtained optical fiber coupler tends to vary.

FIG. 9 is a third view of a conventional fusion-stretched optical fiber coupler.
FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a production example of the present invention. In this example, two sets of clamps 4 are used to fix the two bare optical fibers 2 in parallel in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. Then, a part thereof is fused and drawn to produce an optical fiber coupler.

However, in the above method, after clamping in the left-right direction, when clamping in the up-down direction, two clamps 4 are required.
The torsional force is applied in the narrow gap of the optical fiber.
However, there was a drawback that it was easily broken.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a close-contact holding apparatus capable of favorably holding an optical fiber in a pre-process of fusing and stretching two optical fibers.

“Means for Solving the Problems” As means for solving the above problems, the present invention includes a pair of blocks having a V-groove on the facing surface, and each block is provided between the facing surfaces from a position in a contact state where the blocks contact the facing surfaces. Both blocks are mounted so as to be symmetrically movable with respect to the contact surface in the contact state up to a separated position where a predetermined space is provided between the facing surfaces, and a part of the coating is provided between the V-grooves of these blocks. A first fixed body that fixes each of the bare optical fibers of the two optical fibers in close contact with each other and a second fixed body that fixes the covered portions of the two optical fibers in close contact with each other. To form a close contact holding device.

[Function] The close contact holding device having the above-described configuration has two V-grooves facing each other when two optical fibers from which a part of the coating is removed are arranged in parallel and both ends of the coating removed portion are fixed by the fixing device. Since the bare optical fiber is fixed by the block, the bare optical fiber having a small diameter can be easily and reliably held.

In addition, since the optical fiber bare wires are adhered after fixing the covering part of the two optical fibers in advance, each optical fiber bare wire is not applied to the two optical fibers without external force such as loosening or twisting. Can be melt-stretched, so that a low-loss optical fiber coupler can be manufactured.

Embodiment FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 are views showing a first embodiment of the present invention, in which reference numeral 11 denotes a contact holding device.
The close contact holding device 11 includes a pair of blocks having a V-shaped groove 12.
A first fixing means for sandwiching and fixing each bare optical fiber 2 of two optical fibers 3 from which a part of the coating 1 has been removed between the V grooves 12 of these blocks 13; Body 14 and
It comprises two sets of fixing devices 16 including a second fixing body 15 for fixing these two portions of the optical fiber 3 in close contact with each other.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first fixed body 14 has a pair of blocks 13 each having a V-shaped groove 12 formed therein, a fixed base 17 for fixing both blocks 13, and a movable base for both fixed bases 17. It comprises a mounted guide rail 18 and a swing arm 20 having both ends fixed to both fixed bases 17 and transmitting the vertical movement of the fulcrum base 19 to both fixed bases 17 to open and close both blocks 13. ing. In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes a guide groove. The guide groove 21 guides a guide pin mounted on the back of the fulcrum base 19 in the up-down direction, so that the middle of the two blocks 13 and the two optical fibers 3 are provided. Is exactly the same as the middle.

In the first fixed body 14, the bare optical fiber 2 is inserted into the V-grooves 12 of both blocks 13 as shown in FIG. The bare optical fiber 2 is fixed in a close contact state.

The second fixed body 15 includes a lower clamp having a guide groove formed in accordance with the outer diameter of the covering portion of the two optical fibers 3, and an upper clamp hinged to the lower clamp. By magnetically attracting and bonding the upper clamp and the upper clamp, the covering portions of the two optical fibers inserted into the guide grooves are fixed.

In order to hold two optical fibers in close contact using the contact holding device configured as described above, two optical fibers 3 from which a part of the coating 1 has been removed are arranged in parallel, and both ends of the coating removed portion are separated. Each is fixed by the fixing device 16. In order to fix the ends of the uncoated portions by both fixing devices 16, the coated portions of the two optical fibers 3 are inserted into the guide grooves of the second fixed body 15, and the upper and lower clamps are adhered by suction. 2 and the two bare optical fibers 2 in the vicinity thereof are inserted between the V-shaped grooves 12 of both the blocks 13 of the first fixed body 14, and the fulcrum base 19 is fixed to the position shown in FIG. By moving the block 13 in the middle and lower directions, the two blocks 13 are joined to each other, and the two bare optical fiber wires 2 between the respective V-shaped grooves 12 are fixed in a close contact state.

In this manner, both ends of the uncoated portion of the two optical fibers 3 are fixed by the fixing device 16, and both fixing devices are fixed so that the bare optical fiber 3 held between the two fixing devices 16 is not loosened. By keeping 16 separate, both fixing devices
The two bare optical fibers 3 between 16 can be held in close contact.

After holding the two bare optical fibers 2 in close contact with each other as described above, a part of the two bare optical fibers 2 is heated and fused, and at least one fixing device 16 is attached to the other. By extending the fused portion by moving the fused portion in the direction in which the optical fiber coupler is separated, a fused stretched optical fiber coupler is obtained.

The close contact holding device 11 according to this example is configured as described above, so that two optical fibers 3 from which a part of the coating 1 has been removed are arranged in parallel, and both ends of the coating removed portion are respectively fixed to the fixing device 16.
Block with two facing V-grooves 12 when fixing with
Since the optical fiber bare wire 2 is sandwiched and fixed by 13, the thin optical fiber bare wire 2 can be held simply and reliably.

In addition, since the coated portions of the two optical fibers 3 are fixed in advance, and the bare optical fiber 2 is adhered to the optical fiber 3, the optical fibers 3 are not subjected to external force such as unraveling or twisting, so that each optical fiber 3 has its own Since the bare fiber 2 can be fused and drawn, a low-loss optical fiber coupler can be manufactured. Further, when a two-core tape core wire is used as the two optical fibers, the fixing operation can be more reliably performed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In the above-described first embodiment, the pair of blocks 13 of the first fixed body 14 are opened and closed by using the swing arm 20, but in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. The pair of blocks 13 is attached to the opening / closing device 22, and the blocks 13 are opened and closed. In the figure, reference numeral 23 denotes a screw rod having a reverse screw at the center, 24 denotes a fulcrum, and 25 denotes a support rod. The opening and closing device 22 includes a pair of blocks 13 attached to a support rod 25 by rotating a screw rod 23.
Is opened and closed. By using this method, it is easy to open and close the pair of blocks 13 of the first fixed body 14 by driving the motor.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are views showing a third embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the block 13 of the first fixed body 14 has a rectangular column shape, and the rectangular V-shaped groove 12 is formed in the rectangular column.
In this embodiment, a block 26 having a V-shaped groove 12 formed on the outer periphery of a cylindrical body is used as shown in FIG. In order to hold the two bare optical fibers 2 in close contact using this block 26, insert the two bare optical fibers 2 into the V-grooves 12 of both blocks 26 as shown in FIG. , By bringing both blocks 26 closer together. By using the block 26, the pressing surface when the two bare optical fibers 2 are brought into close contact with each other becomes a curved surface, so that damage to the fiber can be reduced as compared with the case where the optical fiber has a corner. Further, when the block 26 is fixed, it is easy to make the fiber axis directions parallel to each other, which facilitates setting.

“Effects of the Invention” As described above, the present invention has the following effects by the above configuration.

When fixing both ends of the coating removed portion with a fixing device by arranging two optical fibers with some coating removed in parallel,
Since the optical fiber bare wire is sandwiched and fixed by the two facing blocks with V-grooves, the small-diameter optical fiber bare wire can be held simply and reliably.

Also, to fix the bare optical fiber tightly by pressing,
An adhesive or the like can be eliminated.

In addition, since the optical fiber bare wires are adhered after fixing the covering part of the two optical fibers in advance, each optical fiber bare wire is not applied to the two optical fibers without external force such as loosening or twisting. Can be melt-stretched, so that a low-loss optical fiber coupler can be manufactured.

Further, the present invention includes a pair of blocks having a V-groove on the facing side, and both blocks are movably mounted from a contact state where each block contacts the facing side to a separated state where a predetermined interval is provided between the facing sides. Since the first fixed body is provided and the bare optical fiber of each of the two optical fibers from which a part of the coating has been removed is sandwiched and fixed between the V-grooves of these blocks in a close contact state. The two optical fibers can be fixed in an aligned state by a very simple movement of inserting the optical fibers between the blocks in the separated state and sandwiching the optical fibers between the blocks, which is advantageous for automatic production by a machine. In addition, after fixing the coated part of the two optical fibers, the bare optical fiber is sandwiched between a pair of blocks and fixed, so that when the optical fiber is fixed, the bare optical fiber contacts extra members. It will not damage the surface.

In particular, in the present invention, a pair of blocks constituting the first fixed body is provided on the contact surface in the contact state from a position in a contact state where the first surface comes into contact to a position in a separated state where a predetermined interval is provided between the opposite surfaces. On the other hand, since both blocks can be moved symmetrically, both blocks move simultaneously from both sides of the two optical fibers inserted between the V-grooves of both blocks to sandwich the two optical fibers. Therefore, an external force is evenly applied to the two optical fibers, which is advantageous in accurately manufacturing an optical fiber coupler having excellent optical characteristics.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 to 3 are views showing a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a contact holding device, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of a main part of a close contact holding device showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are views showing a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a block, FIG. 6 is a side view of a main part of a close contact holding device, and FIGS. 7 to 9 are diagrams for explaining an example of manufacturing a conventional optical fiber coupler. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Coating, 2 ... Optical fiber bare wire, 3 ... Optical fiber, 11 ... Adhesion holding device, 12 ... V-groove, 13,26 ... Block, 14 ... First fixed body, 15 ... ... second fixed body, 16 ...
... Fixing device.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A contact surface in a contact state from a position in a contact state in which each block has a V-groove on a facing surface to a position in a separated state in which a predetermined interval is provided between the facing surfaces. The two blocks are mounted movably symmetrically with respect to each other, and between the V-grooves of these blocks, the bare optical fiber of each of the two optical fibers from which a part of the coating has been removed is sandwiched and adhered. An optical fiber contact holding device comprising two sets of fixing devices each including a first fixing member to be fixed and a second fixing member to fix the coated portions of the two optical fibers in a tight contact state.