JP3392215B2 - Multi-core tape fiber, its manufacturing method and optical fiber cable - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-core optical fiber having two or more optical fiber cores arranged in parallel and having a tape coating on the outer periphery thereof, and an optical fiber cable composed of the tape fiber. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a method for manufacturing the above multi-core tape fiber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Tape fibers have been conventionally used in which optical fibers are arranged in parallel and a tape coating is applied to the outer periphery in order to increase the density of optical fiber cables. In the wiring section using the tape fibers, in order to improve the efficiency at the time of connection, multi-fiber batch connection of the tape fibers is performed by a connector or fusion splicing. However, at the end of the wiring, etc., it is necessary to divide into a single-core optical fiber core wire depending on the wiring form, and in that case, the multi-core tape fiber is connected after the single-core branch.

As a method of branching a multi-core tape fiber, a method of branching a tape fiber of a cable end in a factory in advance and a conversion cord for converting a multi-core to a single core shown in FIG. 9 are connected to the tape fiber. There is a way to do it.

[0004]

As described above, in the wiring section constituted by the conventional tape fiber,
For example, when it is necessary to reconnect, for example, one core in the same tape fiber in order to drop the wiring to a new subscriber, a conversion cord for multi-core and single-core is interrupted and connected in the middle of the wiring section, It is performed after branching to the optical fiber.

FIG. 9 is an example in which a conventional tape fiber is post-branched.
The single-core conversion code 12 is inserted to connect with the subscriber's drop line 11. In the case of this conventional method,
Compared with the state before the post-branch shown in FIG. 8, as shown in FIG.
The number of core wires that have been reconnected has doubled, and there has been a problem of increased transmission loss and increased cost.

[0006]

As a result of various studies on the above-mentioned problems, the present inventor has made a part of the tape coating of the tape fiber different from the other material and removed the foreign parts to make the same. The present invention has been completed by finding that it is possible to provide a tape fiber capable of post-branching any optical fiber in the tape fiber.

That is, the present invention: In a multi-core tape fiber having two or more optical fiber cores arranged in parallel and having a tape coating on the outer periphery, a part of the tape coating in the tape longitudinal direction is made of a material different from other parts. Provided is a multi-core tape fiber which can be separated into a single-core optical fiber by removing the tape coating material of the heterogeneous part. Another feature is that at least one end of the tape fiber is provided with an optical connector, and the foreign portion is formed in the vicinity of the optical connector. Another feature is that the material of the foreign portion is a material that can be removed with a solvent. Also,

[0008] The multi-core tape fiber according to any one of the above items, wherein a step of partially removing the tape coating of the normal part of the multi-core tape fiber and a step of applying a tape coating material of a different material to the removed portion and curing the tape coating material. A method of manufacturing the same is also provided. Further, in the tape fiber of the terminal portion where the optical fiber cable is composed of one or more tape fibers and the coating of the optical fiber cable is removed, one part of the tape coating in the tape longitudinal direction is composed of a material different from other parts. Also provided is an optical fiber cable that can be separated into a single-core optical fiber core by removing the tape covering material of the foreign portion. .

The present invention also includes the following embodiments. The material of the tape coating of the normal part is one of UV curable resin, cyanoacrylate resin, polyurethane, and epoxy resin, and the different tape coating material forming the foreign part is different from the tape coating material of the normal part It is also characterized in that it is a curable resin, cyanoacrylate resin, polyurethane, or epoxy resin. It is also characterized in that the means for removing the foreign tape coating material forming the foreign portion is a solvent or a blade tool capable of dissolving the foreign tape coating material.

The solvent is an aliphatic alcohol such as methyl alcohol or ethyl alcohol; benzene, toluene,
It is also characterized in that it is an aromatic hydrocarbon such as xylene; an aliphatic or alicyclic hydrocarbon such as pentane, hexane, heptane, and cyclohexane; a halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon such as chlorobenzene, or a combination thereof. Have.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The heterogeneous tape covering material used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a material different from the tape covering material of the normal part covering the optical fiber core wire and is a plastic material which can be easily peeled off, UV curable resin that can be easily dissolved and removed with a solvent, such as epoxy acrylate, epoxy methacrylate, urethane acrylate,
Examples thereof include urethane methacrylate, ester acrylate, ester methacrylate, cyanoacrylate resin, polyurethane resin, and epoxy resin.

In particular, ultraviolet curable resins, cyanoacrylate resins, polyurethane resins and the like are preferable because they can be easily removed with a solvent, and epoxy resins and the like can be easily peeled off with a dedicated tool equipped with a sharp blade. In this
An ultraviolet curable resin can be preferably used because it is convenient for on-site work.

As the peeling means, both mechanical means (for example, a dedicated tool equipped with a blade) and chemical means (peeling with a solvent) can be used. In the case of mechanical removal, the material of the foreign material to be peeled off may be made to have a lower Young's modulus or lower adhesiveness than the normal part so that it can be easily removed by a blade or the like.

Further, in the case of chemically removing, the different tape coating material forming the foreign portion is dissolved as the solvent, but any solvent can be used as long as it does not attack the tape coating material in the normal portion, For example, aliphatic alcohols such as methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol; aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene and xylene; aliphatic or alicyclic hydrocarbons such as pentane, hexane, heptane and cyclohexane;
Examples of the halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon such as chlorobenzene or a combination thereof,
Aliphatic alcohols such as ethyl alcohol, which are harmless to workers in the field work, can be advantageously used.

[0015]

As described above, by making it easier to remove the tape-coated foreign portion of the tape fiber compared to other coating portions,
In the removal section, it can be easily separated into a plurality of single-core optical fiber strands. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, by cutting only the optical fiber to be reconnected and attaching an optical connector thereto, only the desired optical fiber can be taken out without interrupting communication within the same tape fiber. It will be possible.

In order to remove the tape coating in a live condition, it is important that the optical fiber is not bent or stressed so as not to affect the transmission loss.
For that purpose, it is necessary to apply a material such as a solvent-soluble resin or a soft resin (such as a vinyl resin) that is easily peeled off to the tape-coated foreign portion so that the coating can be easily removed.

[0017]

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following examples, which do not limit the scope of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the structure of a multi-core tape fiber in which a part of the tape fiber is made of a material different from the material of the tape coating of the normal portion. In FIG. 1, (a) a part of the tape fiber 1 in which the optical fiber core wire 2 is protected by a tape coating 3
It is composed of a foreign tape coating 4 made of a material different from the tape coating 3 of the normal portion and easily removed, for example, a foreign portion 5 made of a foreign tape coating 4 made of an ultraviolet curable resin.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a state in which one core of the separated optical fiber core wires is branched after the foreign tape coating is removed. In FIG. 2, after the heterogeneous tape coating 4 of the heterogeneous portion 5 shown in FIG. 1 is removed, the single-core optical fiber core wire 2 is separated into a single-core separation portion 6.
An optical fiber core wire 7 is formed by branching the core.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view for explaining the manufacturing process of the multi-core tape fiber of the present invention. In FIG. 3, (A)
The figure shows (a) the tape coating 3 provided on the surface of the tape fiber 1, and (b) a part of the tape coating 3 is removed by using a knife or the like to expose the optical fiber core wire 2 to expose the single-fiber separating portion. It is a schematic diagram which shows the process set to 6.

FIG. 4B shows (a) an intermediate step of covering the removed single-core separating portion 6 with the foreign tape coating 4, and (b) as a result, the foreign tape coating 4 is coated to form the foreign portion 5. It is a schematic diagram which shows the produced multi-core tape fiber. The foreign tape coating 4 is made of a material that can be easily removed by using a solvent or a blade, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin. As a method for producing a multi-core tape fiber, it can be produced through the steps (A), (B) and (B), (A) and (B) described above, but the normal coating and the heterogeneous tape coating are performed in the middle. It can also be manufactured by coating with a material or the like.

Since the ultraviolet curable resin can be easily removed with a solvent such as ethyl alcohol, the branching (separation) operation can be easily performed. As a result of monitor evaluation by injecting light into the optical fiber during the branching work, it was confirmed that there was no problem such as instantaneous interruption of transmission light and loss fluctuation.

Also, in the heat cycle test at -40 ° C. to + 60 ° C., it was confirmed that the loss fluctuation was 0.1 dB or less, which is practically no problem. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a case where the heterogeneous tape coating 4 is applied to the terminal portion of the optical fiber cable. FIG. 4 shows a state in which a multicore collective connector 9 is provided at the end of the tape fiber 1 at the tip of the optical fiber cable 8, and a heterogeneous tape coating 4 is provided in the vicinity of the connector 9 to form a heterogeneous portion 5. .

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a case where the optical fiber core wire is branched after the foreign tape coating 4 provided on the end portion of the optical fiber cable is removed. In FIG. 5, since the heterogeneous tape coating 4 is in the vicinity of the connector 9, the heterogeneous tape coating 4 is removed and the single fiber is separated, then the optical fiber core wire 7 is branched and the single fiber connector 10 is attached to the optical fiber core wire 7. Once installed,
It has a structure that allows easy connector connection with a drop cable.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the terminal portion provided in the foreign portion is connected to the terminal portion through the optical connector. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a connection form with a cable to be pulled down.
In FIG. 7, the pull-down cable 11 is connected to the optical fiber core wire 7 branched from the state of FIG. 6 by removing the foreign portion, and the single-core connector 10 attached to the optical fiber core wire 7.

Depending on the method of accommodating the connecting portion, it is necessary to protect the single-fiber separating portion 6 and the branched optical fiber core wire 7. However, the separating portion is taped again using the foreign tape coating method of the present invention. It becomes possible to protect it.
FIG. 10 is a state diagram for explaining the method of re-taping. In FIG. 10, (a) the coating jig 13 impregnated with the resin is slid on the single-core separating section 6 several times (b) to (c) to coat the resin, and the heterogeneous tape coating 4 is formed thereon. Then, the coating is cured by allowing the resin to stand at room temperature or by heating to form the foreign portion 5.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, (i)
Since any optical fiber core in the tape fiber can be branched afterward without hindering communication of other optical fiber cores, it is easy to handle wiring to a new telephone subscriber. (Ii) Since the connection can be performed without increasing the number, the transmission loss does not increase, and the cost can be reduced as compared with the conventional method. (Iii) Since the rear branch portion is downsized as compared with the conventional method, the connection point storage portion can be downsized, the storage portion can be increased in density, and the facility cost can be reduced. (Iv) It is effective to use the tape fiber of the present invention in advance in a place where it may be dropped in the future.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a structure of a multi-core tape fiber in which a part of the tape fiber is made of a material different from the material of the tape coating of the normal portion.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which one core is branched among the separated optical fiber core wires after the foreign tape coating is removed.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a manufacturing process of the multi-core tape fiber of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a state in which a heterogeneous tape coating is applied to the end portion of the optical fiber cable.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a case where the optical fiber core wire is branched after removing the foreign tape coating provided near the end portion of the optical fiber cable.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a connection state of a terminal portion provided with a foreign portion and a state before a rear branch.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a connection form with a cable that has been pulled down.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a connection state of a conventional terminal and a state before a post-branch.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a case where a conventional tape fiber is post-branched.

FIG. 10 is a state diagram illustrating a method of forming a tape again.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 tape fiber 2 Optical fiber core 3 tape coating 4 Foreign tape coating 5 foreign parts 6 Single core separation section 7 branched optical fiber 8 optical fiber cable 9 Multi-core batch connector 10 Single-core connector 11 Drop cable 12 Multi-core / single-core conversion code 13 Coating jig

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Tetsusho Watanabe Tetsusho Watanabe 1 Taya-cho, Sakae-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Yokohama Works (72) Inventor Shusuke Kiyosue 1-6, Uchiyuki-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Japan Japan (56) References JP-A-2-211412 (JP, A) JP-A-63-13008 (JP, A) JP-A-3-10203 (JP, A) JP-A-1-196004 ( JP, A) JP 64-9403 (JP, A) Actually developed 63-24513 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02B 6/00-6/54

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A multi-core tape fiber having two or more optical fibers arranged in parallel and having a tape coating on the outer periphery, wherein a part of the tape coating in the tape longitudinal direction is made of a material different from that of the other portion. A multi-core tape fiber characterized by being able to be separated into a single-core optical fiber core at the part by removing the tape coating material of the foreign part. 2. The multi-core tape fiber according to claim 1, wherein an optical connector is provided at at least one end of the tape fiber, and the foreign portion is formed in the vicinity of the optical connector. 3. The multi-core tape fiber according to claim 1, wherein the foreign material is a solvent removable material. 4. A step of partially removing a tape coating of a normal portion of a multi-core tape fiber, and a step of applying a tape coating material of a different material to the removed portion and curing the tape coating material. A method for producing a multi-core tape fiber according to any one of 1. 5. In a tape fiber of a terminal portion in which an optical fiber cable is composed of a single or a plurality of tape fibers and the coating of the optical fiber cable is removed, a part of the tape coating in the tape longitudinal direction is made different from other materials. The optical fiber cable, which is characterized in that the optical fiber cable can be separated into a single-core optical fiber core by removing the tape covering material of the different portion.