JP3909546B2 - Extra length storage tray, optical connection to it, and extra length storage method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an extra length storage tray for storing an optical connection portion and an extra length of optical fibers in an optical closure, for example.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As an optical closure installed at the connection point of the optical fiber cable in the optical line, a tray-type mechanical optical closure is widely adopted in which an optical connection part between optical fibers and an extra length storage tray for storing extra length are stacked inside. ing.
The extra-length storage tray in this type of optical closure includes a plurality of pairs of holding ribs that hold the optical connection portion when storing an optical connection portion formed by, for example, fusion-connecting optical fibers and protecting them with a protective sleeve. For example, a plastic molded product having a structure provided integrally with the bottom plate portion is generally employed.
[0003]
FIG. 9 shows an example of a conventional extra length storage tray in which the optical connecting portion is held by the holding rib as described above, and is a plan view of the main part of the tray bottom plate portion. In the case of adopting a method of holding the optical connecting portion with the holding rib, conventionally, as shown in the figure, the tray bottom plate portion 1 has a plurality of holding portions having a thick portion 2a on both sides and a thin portion 2b in the intermediate portion. An extra length storage tray having a structure in which the ribs 2 are arranged side by side is used.
This holding rib 2 is a single extra-length storage tray, and can be used as a protective sleeve for a single core (single core optical fiber) or a protective sleeve for a ribbon core (ribbon optical fiber). It is designed to be compatible. That is, generally, as shown in FIG. 9, the protective sleeve 4a used for the connecting portion of the single-core optical fiber 3a is thin and long, and the protective sleeve 4b used for the connecting portion of the ribbon optical fiber 3b is thick and short. The holding rib 2 having the thick portion 2a and the thin portion 2b can hold the protective sleeve 4b for the ribbon core wire only in a wide space formed between the thin portions 2b as shown in the figure. It is possible to hold both sides of the protective sleeve 4a for a single core wire in a narrow space formed between the thick portions 2a on both sides. The holding rib 2 has a narrow inlet, and the protective sleeves 4a and 4b are pushed in from the narrow inlet to be accommodated as shown in FIG. It does not jump out of the space between the two.
[0004]
Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the interval between the holding ribs 8 on the outer side in the length direction is narrow, the interval between the holding ribs 9 on the center side in the length direction is wide, and the holding rib 8 on the outer side in the length direction has a small diameter. There is also a structure in which the single core wire protection sleeve 4a is sandwiched and the ribbon core wire protection sleeve 4b having a large diameter is sandwiched by the holding rib 9 at the center in the length direction. In addition, 10 is a shallow recessed part match | combined with the protection sleeve 4b for ribbon core wires with a large diameter. In this structure, since the protective sleeves 4a and 4b are strongly held by the holding ribs 8 or 9, the protective sleeves 4a and 4b are securely fixed.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the structure shown in FIG. 9, the holding rib 2 does not firmly hold the protective sleeves 4a and 4b and does not completely fix the protective sleeves 4a and 4b. Therefore, if the optical closure moves violently during installation work or the like, the protective sleeve 4a, 4b may move and jump out of the holding portion (the space between the holding ribs 2).
[0006]
On the other hand, in the structure of FIG. 10, since the holding ribs 8 and 9 hold the protective sleeves 4a and 4b and securely fix them, the problem that the protective sleeves 4a and 4b move is solved, but another problem occurs. . That is, the structure of FIG. 10 is a structure that can be fixed only when the lengths of the single core wire protective sleeve 4a and the ribbon core wire protective sleeve 4b are different. In the case of a general protective sleeve used in Japan, as described above, there is a difference in the lengths of the single-core protective sleeve 4a and the ribbon-core protective sleeve 4b, so the structure of FIG. 10 is effective. However, there are cases where the length of the protective sleeve for a single core wire is the same as that of the protective sleeve for a ribbon core wire overseas, and in such a case, this structure cannot be applied.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can hold an optical connection portion between optical fibers, for example, a protective sleeve portion so as not to move freely, and the size, such as the diameter and length of the optical connection portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide an extra length storage tray that can easily cope with cases where the sizes are different.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention for solving the above problems is an extra-length storage tray for storing an optical connection portion and an extra length of optical fibers,
In the optical connection part storage area of the tray bottom plate part, an optical connection part group holder capable of holding a plurality of optical connection parts is detachably provided, and two types of optical connection part group holders are prepared as the optical connection part group holders. And
Each of the two types of optical connection portion group holders is generally a cylinder formed by protecting the fusion splicing portion between optical fibers with a protective member on the upper surface of a flat plate portion that can be attached to and detached from the optical connection portion storage area of the tray bottom plate portion. A plurality of pairs of holding ribs for holding the optical connection portion, and one of the optical connection portion group holders has holding ribs that can hold the protective sleeve of the single-core optical fiber fusion-bonded connection portion in two upper and lower stages. An optical connection part group holder for a single optical fiber, and the other optical connection part group holder is an optical connection for a ribbon optical fiber having a holding rib capable of holding a protective sleeve of a ribbon optical fiber fusion splicing connection part. It is a part group holder, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
[0009]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the optical connection portion group holder in the extra length storage tray according to the first aspect is engaged with an engagement hole formed in the optical connection portion storage region of the tray bottom plate portion on the lower surface of the flat plate portion. It is characterized by having nails.
[0010]
The invention of claim 3 is an optical connection portion / extra length storage method to an extra length storage tray for storing an optical connection portion between optical fibers and an extra length in the extra length storage tray of claim 1,
With the optical connection portion group holder removed from the tray bottom plate portion, the optical connection portion between the optical fiber core wires is held on the holding rib, and then this optical connection portion group holder is stored in the optical connection portion of the extra-length storage tray. It is attached to the area.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an extra length storage tray 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the extra length storage tray 11 of FIG. This extra-length storage tray 11 is a plastic molded product such as polypropylene, and surrounds the elongated and generally oblong tray bottom plate portion 12 with a linear side wall 13 and a substantially C-shaped side wall 14 integral therewith, The cord pressing tongues 15 extend inward from a plurality of locations on the upper edge of the side walls 13 and 14, respectively. The lower position of the tongue piece 15 for holding the core wire of the tray bottom plate 12 is a hole 12e. A space between both ends of the straight side wall 13 and both ends of the C-shaped side wall 14 is used as an optical fiber port 16. In the illustrated example, the optical fiber port 16 is divided into two by a partition plate 17.
A hinge portion 20 is provided on the outer surface of the side wall (side wall 13) on one side where the optical fiber port 16 of the extra length storage tray 11 is located, and the engaging claw 21 is provided on the side wall on the other side (straight portion of the side wall 14). And the engagement recessed part 22 is provided. As will be described later, the engaging claws 21 and the engaging recesses 22 are for locking adjacent ones of the stacked extra length storage trays 11.
[0012]
Both side portions of the tray bottom plate portion 12 of the extra length storage tray 11 are extra length accommodation portions 23, and the central portion is an optical connection portion accommodation area 24.
The optical connection portion storage area 24 is a portion on which an optical connection portion group holder 26, which will be described later in detail, is mounted. As shown in enlarged views in FIGS. A shallow flat rectangular recess 12a into which the group holder 26 is fitted, an engagement hole 12b at the four corners of the rectangular recess 12a, and an engagement hole 12c at the center are provided. As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the engagement holes 12b at the four corners have stepped portions 12d on the back side rather than the whole through holes.
[0013]
The detailed structure of the optical connection portion group holder 26 will be described. The optical connection portion group holder 26 shown in FIGS. 4 (a), 4 (b), and (c) is for a ribbon optical fiber core wire and has a rectangular shape. A plurality of holding ribs 29 are provided on the upper surface of the flat plate portion 28 to hold the ribbon sleeve protective sleeve 4b, and engaging claws 28b that engage with the engaging holes 12b of the tray bottom plate portion 12 are provided at the four corners of the lower surface. And an engaging claw 28c that engages with the engaging hole 12c at the center.
[0014]
FIG. 5 shows an optical connection portion group holder 26 ′ for a single-core optical fiber. The optical connection portion group holder 26 'for the single-core optical fiber core wire has the flat plate portion 28 and the engaging claws 28b, 28c on the lower surface the same as the optical connection portion group holder 26 for the ribbon optical fiber core wire described above. However, the holding rib 29 'provided on the upper surface of the flat plate portion 28 has a shape having an 8-shaped holding portion with a slightly constricted central portion in the height direction, and the protective sleeve 4a for the single core wire is arranged in two upper and lower stages. Hold.
[0015]
The operation at the time of connecting the optical fiber cable will be described. In FIG. 2, the optical fiber core 3 taken out from one (left side) optical fiber cable 31 and the optical fiber taken out from the other (right side) optical fiber cable 31 in FIG. The core wire 3 is welded between bare fibers by an optical fiber fusion splicer, and then the fusion spliced portion is protected by a protective sleeve 4 (4a or 4b).
Next, the optical connecting portion of the connected optical fiber core wire 3, that is, the portion of the protective sleeve 4 is fitted into the holding rib 29 (29 ′) on the optical connecting portion group holder 26 (26 ′). 4 is pinched. Depending on whether the optical fiber is a single core wire or a ribbon core wire, the single-core-wire optical connection portion group holder 26 'or the ribbon-core-wire optical connection portion group holder 26 is used.
Then, the left and right optical fiber core wires 3 are respectively guided from the left and right optical fiber ports 16 and are stored by being rotated around the extra length storage portion 23 and the optical connection portion group holder 26 holding each protective sleeve 4 is optically connected. It is attached to the part storage area 24. As a result, the optical connection portion (portion of the protective sleeve 4) of the optical fiber core wire 3 and the extra length portions on both sides thereof are accommodated in the extra length storage tray 11.
[0016]
The state where the optical connection portion group holder 26 holding each protective sleeve 4 is attached to the optical connection portion storage area 24 is as shown in FIG. 6, and the flat plate portion 28 is fitted into the rectangular recess 12 a of the optical connection portion storage region 24. At the same time, the engaging claw 28b at the four corners and the engaging claw 28c at the center are inserted into the engaging holes 12b and 12c and engaged. In this case, since the shallow rectangular recess 12 a is provided in the optical connection portion accommodation area 24, the flat plate portion 28 of the optical connection portion group holder 26 does not protrude from the upper surface of the tray bottom plate portion 12. Further, since the step portion 12d is formed in the engagement hole 12b, the engagement claw 28b does not protrude from the back surface of the tray bottom plate portion 13.
6 is an optical connection portion group holder 26 for ribbon optical fiber cores, and the ribbon core wire protective sleeve 4b is held between holding ribs 29 having a wide holding interval. When the optical fiber core wire is a single-core optical fiber core wire, the optical connection portion group holder 26 'shown in FIG. 5 is used. Since the single core wire is thinner than the ribbon core wire, the holding interval of the holding ribs 29 ′ of the optical connection portion group holder 26 ′ for the single core wires is narrower than the interval of the holding ribs 29 for the ribbon core wires.
[0017]
As described above, the extra-length storage tray 11 includes the dedicated optical connection group group holders 26 (26 ′) for the detachable single core wires and the ribbon core wires. Thus, both single-core optical fiber and ribbon optical fiber can be used. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the extra length storage tray depending on the type of the protective sleeve 4, which is economical.
In addition, since it is a dedicated optical connection section group holder 26 (26 ′) and the holding means of the protective sleeve 4 does not depend on the length of the protective sleeve 4 and is the same even if it is the same, there is no problem in using it overseas. Does not occur.
Further, since the optical connection portion group holder 26 (26 ′) holds the optical connection portion (part of the protective sleeve 4) by the holding rib 29 (29 ′), it can be firmly fixed, and the optical connection portion (protective sleeve 4). 4) will not move slowly. Therefore, the workability of the light closure installation operation is improved.
In addition, since the optical connection unit group holder 26 holding a plurality of optical connection units is exchanged, all the holding units can be exchanged by one exchange operation, and workability is improved in this respect as well.
[0018]
FIG. 7 schematically shows an optical closure 35 in which the extra-length storage trays 11 are stacked. The optical closure 35 is attached to, for example, a cylindrical plastic sleeve 36, end plates 37 on both sides, and end plates 37. A sealing member 38 for sealing the opened cable through hole portion, a cable gripping bracket 39 for gripping the optical fiber cable 31, a connecting rod 40 for integrally connecting the cable gripping brackets 39 on both sides, and a tension member (slot rod for the optical fiber cable 31) Etc.) A tension member gripping bracket 42 for gripping 41 is provided, and the extra length storage tray 11 is stacked on the connecting rod 40, for example.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 8, each of the extra length storage trays 11 stacked as shown in FIG. 7 is connected so that the vertically adjacent ones are relatively pivotable in the vertical direction by the hinge portion 20 and The engagement claws 21 (see FIG. 1) of the excess surplus storage tray 11 engage with the engagement recesses 22 of the upper surplus storage tray 11 and are locked to each other.
[0020]
In the embodiment, the extra-length storage trays 11 are stacked and used, but it is naturally possible to use them without stacking.
In the above embodiment, the example in which the fusion spliced portion of the optical fiber is protected by the protective sleeve has been described. However, other protection structures may be used, and the optical connecting portion by the connector connection instead of the fusion splicing may be used. Applicable to the case. In this case, the optical connector can be attached to and detached from the upper surface of the optical connection unit group holder.
The extra length storage tray of the present invention is usually installed in an optical closure, but can be applied to various connection locations where it is necessary to store optical connection portions and extra lengths of optical fibers.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
The surplus length storage tray of the present invention has a configuration in which an optical connection portion group holder capable of holding a plurality of optical connection portions is detachably provided in the optical connection portion storage region of the tray bottom plate portion , and is used for a single core wire. Since the two types of optical connection portion group holders for the ribbon core and the ribbon core are prepared, by exchanging them, both the single core and the ribbon core can be handled. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the extra-length storage tray depending on the type of the protective sleeve, which is economical.
Also, it is a dedicated optical connection part group holder.For example, when the optical connection part is a protective sleeve, the holding means of the protective sleeve does not depend on the length of the protective sleeve, and even if it is the same, there is no particular problem. There is no problem with the use of.
Moreover, since the optical connection part group holder clamps the optical connection part with the holding rib, it can be firmly fixed, and the optical connection part does not move excessively. Therefore, the workability of the light closure installation operation is improved.
Further, since each optical connection unit group holder holding a plurality of optical connection units can be exchanged, all the holding units can be exchanged by one exchange operation, and workability is improved in this respect as well.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an extra length storage tray according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the extra length storage tray of FIG. 1;
3A is a detailed enlarged view of a holder mounting portion of a tray bottom plate portion of the extra length storage tray, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.
FIGS. 4A and 4B show an optical connection part holder attached to a holder attachment part of the extra length storage tray, wherein FIG. 4A is a plan view, FIG. 4B is a front view, and FIG. 4C is a left side view.
FIGS. 5A and 5B show another embodiment of the optical connection part holder attached to the holder attachment part of the extra length storage tray, where FIG. 5A is a plan view, FIG. 5B is a front view, and FIG. FIG.
6 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which the optical connection holder of FIG. 4 is attached to a holder attachment portion of an extra-length storage tray, corresponding to FIG.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an optical closure provided with the extra length storage tray.
FIG. 8 is a side view showing a state in which a plurality of the extra length storage trays are stacked.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of a main part of an optical connection unit storage unit in a conventional extra length storage tray.
FIG. 10 is a plan view of an essential part showing another example of an optical connection portion storage portion in a conventional extra length storage tray.
[Explanation of symbols]
3 Optical fiber core wire 3a Single optical fiber core wire (single core wire)
3b ribbon optical fiber (ribbon core)
4 Protection sleeve (optical connection)
4a Single core wire protective sleeve 4b Ribbon core wire protective sleeve 11 Extra length storage tray 12 Tray bottom plate portion 12a Rectangular recess 12b, 12c Engagement hole 12d Step portion 13, 14 Side wall portion 15 Core wire pressing tongue 16 Light Fiber port 20 Hinge portion 21 Engaging claw 22 Engaging recess 23 Extra length accommodation portion 24 Optical connection portion accommodation area 26, 26 'Optical connection portion group holder 28 Flat plate portion 28b, 28c Engagement claws 29, 29' Holding rib 31 Light Fiber cable 35 Optical closure

Claims (3)

An extra length storage tray for storing optical connection portions and extra lengths of optical fibers,
In the optical connection part storage area of the tray bottom plate part, an optical connection part group holder capable of holding a plurality of optical connection parts is detachably provided, and two types of optical connection part group holders are prepared as the optical connection part group holders. And
Each of the two types of optical connection portion group holders is generally a cylinder formed by protecting the fusion splicing portion between optical fibers with a protective member on the upper surface of a flat plate portion that can be attached to and detached from the optical connection portion storage area of the tray bottom plate portion. A plurality of pairs of holding ribs for holding the optical connection portion, and one of the optical connection portion group holders has holding ribs that can hold the protective sleeve of the single-core optical fiber fusion-bonded connection portion in two upper and lower stages. An optical connection part group holder for a single optical fiber, and the other optical connection part group holder is an optical connection for a ribbon optical fiber having a holding rib capable of holding a protective sleeve of a ribbon optical fiber fusion splicing connection part. A surplus length storage tray which is a group holder. The said optical connection part group holder was equipped with the engagement nail | claw engaged with the engagement hole opened in the optical connection part accommodation area | region of the tray bottom plate part on the lower surface of the flat plate part. Extra length storage tray. An optical connection portion / extra length storage method to an extra length storage tray for storing an optical connection portion between optical fibers and an extra length in the extra length storage tray of claim 1,
  With the optical connection portion group holder removed from the tray bottom plate portion, the optical connection portion between the optical fiber core wires is held on the holding rib, and then this optical connection portion group holder is stored in the optical connection portion of the extra-length storage tray. An optical connection portion / extra length storage method for an extra length storage tray, which is mounted in an area.

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