JP4101039B2 - Fusion splicer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fusion splicer for fusion-splicing optical fibers arranged opposite to each other by electric discharge.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, various fusion splicers have been proposed in which end portions of optical fibers are abutted and fusion spliced by electric discharge (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This fusion splicer includes an image observation mechanism for observing an end portion of an optical fiber, an image processing unit for measuring parameter data of a luminance distribution waveform of a cross section of the optical fiber from a captured image, and the measured parameter data in advance. A fuzzy calculation unit that obtains the degree of belonging from the fuzzy data registered in the data registration unit and fuzzifies it to identify the optical fiber type, and the identified optical fiber type is registered in the attachment connection condition registration unit in advance. A collation unit that collates with the attachment connection condition for each optical fiber type, a display device that displays a collation result, a fusion splicing mechanism, and a control unit are provided. Thus, the conventional fusion splicer has high performance and many functions, so it is a large machine with a fusion splicing mechanism provided on the top of a box-shaped main body. There was weight.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-169050 A (page 3-4, FIG. 1)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, with the development of optical communication technology, FTTH (fiber to the home) is required as an optical access system in an optical fiber communication network. In this case, the work when connecting the optical fiber branched from the main line to the home optical fiber is mainly performed outdoors, especially in the vicinity of the utility pole, etc., and the work in the closure part that accommodates a large number of optical fibers terminated and accommodated It becomes. For this reason, the conventional fusion splicer has a problem that it is too large and heavy so that it is not easy to use and the work efficiency when connecting optical fibers is poor.
[0005]
In addition, as described in Patent Document 1, in the conventional fusion splicer, the image observation mechanism serving as the monitor mechanism uses two light sources for the purpose of monitoring the end of the optical fiber with high accuracy. The light from the light source is reflected by the corresponding mirror, and the end of the optical fiber is observed from different biaxial directions. For this reason, the degree of freedom in design for arranging the members constituting the image observation mechanism is small, and the two mirrors must be positioned with high accuracy, which is troublesome to manufacture and expensive. was there.
[0006]
On the other hand, in recent years, the reuse of resources has been called out due to environmental problems, and it has become necessary to separate and collect components for each material even in a fusion splicer. However, in the conventional fusion splicer, a magnet is fixed to the holder base or windshield cover with an adhesive so that the holder holding the optical fiber is held by the holder base or the windshield cover is held closed. Was. For this reason, in the fusion splicer using an adhesive, it has been difficult to separate and recover the constituent members for each material.
[0007]
The first object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive fusion splicer that can efficiently perform the fusion work in a small size and light weight in order to eliminate the above-described problems caused by the prior art. In addition to the first object, a second object of the present invention is to provide a fusion splicer that does not require the use of a mirror and has a high degree of design freedom in arranging a monitor mechanism. And Furthermore, in addition to the second object, a third object of the present invention is to provide a fusion splicer that separates constituent members for each material and facilitates recycling.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a fusion splicer of the present invention includes a display unit that displays information related to fusion splicing, and a main body that includes an input unit that inputs operation information associated with fusion splicing. And a set of holder bases arranged to oppose each holder holding the optical fiber, a set of discharge electrodes arranged to face each other perpendicular to the optical fiber, and the set of holder stands A fusion splicer having a windshield cover that covers the holder in an openable and closable manner, and a monitor mechanism for monitoring the end of the optical fiber, and the ends of the optical fiber disposed opposite to each other are fused by discharge. In the fusion splicer to be connected, the main body is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, the display unit and the input unit are arranged on one upper part in the longitudinal direction, and the main body and the fusion splicing part are arranged on the other upper part. Has a T-shape Disposed, the input unit, characterized in that the width and thickness of the retainable with said input side in the hand is formed in the 10cm or less.
[0010]
Further, in the fusion splicer according to the invention of claim 3, in the above invention, the monitor mechanism is provided on the light source and light receiving means provided on the main body side, and on the windshield cover, and emits light from the light source. And a prism that reflects and guides it to the light receiving means through the opposite portion of the optical fiber.
[0011]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the fusion splicer according to the present invention, the prism is a dove prism.
[0012]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the fusion splicer according to the above-mentioned invention, wherein the electrode holder is held by the respective electrode holders for supporting the one set of discharge electrodes, and extends from the holders. Two V-groove substrates on which V-grooves for arranging the optical fibers are formed are arranged opposite to each other on a common support member.
[0013]
The fusion splicer according to the invention of claim 6 is characterized in that, in the above invention, the windshield cover has a magnet that is magnetically attracted to the fusion splicing part.
[0014]
The fusion splicer according to the invention of claim 7 is characterized in that, in the above invention, the holder base has a magnet for magnetically attracting the holder.
[0015]
In the fusion splicer according to the invention of claim 8, in the above invention, the windshield cover and the holder base have a concave portion in which the magnet is disposed and a holding plate for holding the magnet in the concave portion. It is characterized by that.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a fusion splicer according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
(Embodiment 1)
First, Embodiment 1 according to the fusion splicer of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows a fusion splicer for connecting single optical fibers according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, in which the windshield cover is opened and the holder holding the optical fiber is installed on the holder base. It is the top view which looked at the machine from the upper side. FIG. 2 is a right side sectional view of the fusion splicer with the windshield cover closed. FIG. 3 is a side view of the fusion splicer with the windshield cover open as viewed from the right side. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the fusion splicer with the windshield cover closed. The fusion splicer 1 is a small and lightweight splicer of about 1 kg that has only the minimum functions necessary for fusion splicing of optical fibers and is driven by a DC power source. As shown in FIGS. 2 and the fusion splicing part 3 are arranged in a T-shape. The fusion splicer 1 is used for fusion splicing of optical fibers while holding a main body 2, and a monitor mechanism 8 is provided inside.
[0018]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the main body 2 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape so that an operator having a standard body shape can hold and connect in the palm, and the upper surface thereof is the fusion splicing portion 3. The display portion 2a and the input portion 2b are disposed on one upper portion in the longitudinal direction, and the fusion splicing portion 3 is disposed in a T-shape on the other upper portion, and the input portion 2b side is formed. The width and thickness of each are molded to 10 cm or less. At this time, it is preferable that the input portion 2b side is formed to have a width of 7.5 cm or less because it is easier to hold in the palm. However, the main body 2 can be connected to a work table or the like. The display unit 2a is a liquid crystal display part arranged on the fusion splicing unit 3 side of the main body 2 and displays the progress status related to the optical fiber connection work and also displays information such as input regarding the operation of the fusion splicer 1. To do. The input unit 2b includes a power key Kp for turning on / off the power, a cursor key Kcu for starting the cursor upward movement and connection operation in the display unit 2a, a cursor key Kcd for operating the cursor downward, and a reset key Kr. In addition to various operation keys such as a selection / determination key Ke and an operation key Kop for inputting operation start or position stop, a monitor lamp Lm for displaying a power on / off state is provided.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 2 is provided with an LCD board 2c, a CPU board 2d, a power board 2f, and a discharge board 2g connected to each other via a connector. Part 2h is formed. The LCD substrate 2c, the CPU substrate 2d, the power board 2f, and the discharge substrate 2g are connected to each other via a connector. The CPU board 2d is provided with a CPU 2e for controlling the operation of the fusion splicer 1. In addition, a battery pack Pb in which a plurality of lithium ion batteries are packaged and a battery pack Pb having a communication line and an AC power supply line are interchangeably connected to the storage section 2h (see FIGS. 3 and 4). A plurality of connection pins 2j project from the back of the storage portion 2h toward the insertion side, and a battery connector board 2k connected to the plurality of connection pins 2j on the back side of the storage portion 2h. Is provided. The battery connector board 2k is provided with a power connector and a communication connector, and is connected to the power board 2f by a power cable 2m and a communication cable 2n. At this time, the communication cable 2n is connected to the power board 2f via the communication device 2p.
[0020]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the fusion splicing section 3 has a set of holder bases 4, a discharge electrode 5, and a windshield cover 6 attached to the front upper part of the main body 2. Here, the pair of holder bases 4 and the discharge electrodes 5 are installed on an internal support substrate 3a, and the support substrate 3a is formed from a magnetic metal.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 1, the holder base 4 is a base on which holders 46 made of magnetic metal holding the optical fiber 45 are opposed to each other, and both sides of the support member 7 disposed in the center of the fusion splicing portion 3. Are arranged one by one. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the holder base 4 is provided with projections 4 a and 4 b for positioning the holder 46 on one upper surface on the support member 7 side, and a magnet 41 is installed in the mounting hole 4 c formed in the vicinity. It is installed. The mounting hole 4c has a slightly smaller diameter on the upper surface side, and holds the mounted magnet 41 by a holding plate 42 that is screwed to the lower surface side.
[0022]
Here, the two holder bases 4 slightly approach each other when the windshield cover 6 is closed, the held optical fibers 45 face each other at a predetermined interval suitable for fusion splicing, and return to the original state when they are closed. Is set to In addition, since the fusion splicer 1 according to the present invention is formed in a T shape so that it can be held in the palm of the hand, when the holder 46 is set on the holder base 4, it may fall down due to a force applied vertically downward. It is done. For this reason, the fusion splicer 1 is preferably provided with a support leg Ls for receiving the force applied vertically below the fusion splicer 3.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 1, the discharge electrode 5 is disposed to face the optical fiber 45 so as to be orthogonal to each other, and the ends of the opposed optical fibers 45 are fusion-bonded by discharge. The discharge electrode 5 is supported by the support member 7 shown in FIG. 8, and generates an arc discharge between the electrodes by the electric power supplied from the battery pack Pb inserted into the storage portion 2h.
[0024]
Here, the support member 7 supports the discharge electrode 5 and the distal end side of the optical fiber 45, and as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, two fiber bases 72 and two electrode bases 73 are opposed to each other on the substrate 71. Has been. The substrate 71 has an opening 71a in the center and a screw hole 71b in the vicinity of the outside of the fiber base 72, and a lens member 84 and an image sensor 85, which will be described later, of the monitor mechanism 8 are disposed immediately below the opening 71a. . The fiber table 72 and the electrode table 73 are substantially rectangular parallelepiped members, and the electrode table 73 is formed of ceramic. Each fiber base 72 is provided with a guide plate 72a at the upper part on the opposite surface side. The fiber base 72 has a V-shaped guide groove 72b for guiding the optical fiber 45 at the center of the guide plate 72a, and a fiber groove 72c formed of a V-groove connected to the guide groove 72b on the upper surface. On the other hand, the electrode stand 73 has a V-groove 73a for positioning the discharge electrode 5 on the center upper surface.
[0025]
As shown by an arrow A in FIG. 3, the windshield cover 6 is attached to the upper front portion of the main body 2 so as to be able to rise and fall, and covers the upper portion of the fusion splicing portion 3 so as to be opened and closed. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the windshield cover 6 has magnets 6b disposed in two cylindrical portions 6a provided on the inner side, and the magnets 6b are held by a holding plate 6c screwed to the upper portion of the cylindrical portion 6a. Is retained. Further, the windshield cover 6 has a pressing member 6e (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 13) at the positions where the extending portions 6d cut out in a V shape on the wall surfaces on both sides in the longitudinal direction correspond to the fiber bases 72 on the inner upper surface. ) Are provided.
[0026]
As shown in FIG. 13, the monitor mechanism 8 includes a light source 81, a Dove prism 82, a lens member 84, and an image sensor 85, and monitors the end portion of the optical fiber 45 that is fusion-connected.
[0027]
As the light source 81, an LED is used, and as shown in FIG. 13, the light source 81 is inserted into an insertion hole 3 d formed in the housing upper plate 3 c of the fusion splicing portion 3. The insertion hole 3d is formed at a position overlapping the opening 3b formed in the support substrate 3a in the vertical direction. The dove prism 82 reflects the light emitted from the light source 81 twice by 90 °, changes the direction by 180 °, and guides it to the image sensor 85 through the lens member 84. As shown in FIGS. The presser plate 83 is attached to the windshield cover 6. The lens member 84 is a combination lens that expands the light emitted from the light source 81 and reflected by the dove prism 82. The image pickup device 85 picks up an image of the end portion of the optical fiber 45 to be spliced by light emitted from the light source 81, and a CCD or a CMOS camera is used.
[0028]
Therefore, in the monitor mechanism 8, the optical path PL from the light source 81 to the image sensor 85 is set to an appropriate length. For this reason, the light emitted from the light source 81 travels through the optical path PL indicated by the arrow in FIG. 13, is reflected by the Dove prism 82, passes through the end of the optical fiber 45, and is enlarged by the lens member 84, The light becomes uniform light and enters the image sensor 85, and is displayed on the display unit 2a of the main body 2 as an image of the end portion of the optical fiber 45 to be fusion-connected. Here, the monitor mechanism 8 has an advantage that, when a CMOS camera is used as the image sensor 85, the power consumption can be reduced as compared with the case where a CCD is used.
[0029]
The fusion splicer 1 is configured as described above, and when splicing an optical fiber, first, the tip is protruded, the optical fiber 45 is held by the holder 46, and the coating is removed from the tip of the optical fiber 45, After cleaning, cut to a predetermined length. The holder 45 holding the optical fiber 45 subjected to the terminal processing in this way is set on each holder base 4 by raising the windshield cover 6. As a result, the two optical fibers 45 are disposed between the two discharge electrodes 5 disposed to face each other.
[0030]
Next, the windshield cover 6 is pulled down to cover the upper part of the fusion splicing portion 3. Thereby, each optical fiber 45 protruding from the tip of the holder 46 is guided in the guide groove 72b of the fiber base 72 provided on the support member 7 on the tip side, and set in the fiber groove 72c. At the same time, the optical fibers 45 are pressed against the fiber groove 72c by the pressing member 6e, and are arranged to face each other with a predetermined interval. The optical fiber 45 extends to the outside of the fusion splicer 1 through the extending portion 6d. When the operation key Kop is pressed, electric power is supplied from the battery pack Pb to the one discharge electrode 5, and the two optical fibers 45 arranged opposite to each other by the arc discharge generated are fusion-connected at the tip portion. The state of this series of fusion splicing is displayed on the display unit 2a of the main body 2.
[0031]
The operator raises the windshield cover 6 after confirming the completion of the fusion splicing from the image of the display unit 2a. As a result, the two holder bases 4 are slightly separated from each other, and a tensile force acts between the two connected optical fibers 45 to check the quality of the connected state. At this time, if the connection state is poor, the optical fiber 45 connected to one is easily divided into two. In this way, when the quality of the connected state is confirmed, the optical fiber 45 is removed from the holder 46, and a series of connection work is completed.
[0032]
At this time, the fusion splicer 1 has a main body 2 and a fusion splicing portion 3 arranged in a T shape, a width and a thickness at about the center of the main body 2 of about 7 cm, and a total weight of about 1 kg. It is considered to be a good connection machine. For this reason, for example, when a single-core optical fiber branched from a trunk line is connected to a home-use single-core optical fiber in an access system such as FTTH, the fusion splicer 1 exhibits excellent characteristics in use. . That is, as shown in FIG. 14, an operator who has entered a work bucket Bk supported at the tip of a boom Bm of an aerial work vehicle can easily handle the fusion splicer 1 while holding the main body 2. Since it is small in size, the fusion splicing portion 3 can be inserted into the closure Cs disposed in the vicinity of the utility pole P, so that the fusion splicing operation of the optical fiber can be easily performed in the closure Cs.
[0033]
Further, the monitor mechanism 8 changes the direction of the light emitted from the light source 81 by 180 ° by the Dove prism 82, and does not use a mirror like a conventional fusion splicer. In addition, the monitor mechanism 8 only observes the end of the optical fiber from one axial direction. For this reason, the fusion splicer 1 is easier to position the Dove prism 82 than the case where a mirror is used, has a high degree of design freedom, and can be easily assembled, so that it does not take time to manufacture. Can be manufactured inexpensively.
[0034]
On the other hand, the support member 7 is integrated by arranging two fiber bases 72 and two electrode bases 73 on the substrate 71 so as to face each other. For this reason, since the support member 7 can be provided at low cost, the fusion splicer 1 can be further reduced in cost.
[0035]
The holder base 4 and the windshield cover 6 have a structure in which the magnets 41 and 6b are held by the holding plates 42 and 6c, and no adhesive is used. For this reason, since the fusion splicer 1 can separate and collect the constituent members for each material, the constituent members can be recycled to effectively use the resources.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a main body having a display unit that displays information related to fusion splicing, an input unit that inputs operation information associated with fusion splicing, and a holder that holds an optical fiber, respectively. A pair of holder bases arranged to face each other, a pair of discharge electrodes arranged to face each other perpendicular to the optical fiber, and a windshield covering the holders installed on the one set of holder bases so as to be freely opened and closed A fusion splicer comprising: a fusion splicing portion having a cover; and a monitor mechanism for monitoring an end portion of the optical fiber, wherein the end portion of the optical fiber disposed oppositely is fusion spliced by discharge. Is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, the display unit and the input unit are arranged on one upper part in the longitudinal direction, and the main body and the fusion splicing part are arranged on the other upper part so as to form a T shape, The input unit Since retainably the input side width and thickness of the in is molded into 10cm or less, it is possible to perform efficiently fusing work is small and light, providing an inexpensive fusion splicer There is an effect that can be.
[0037]
In addition, since the fusion splicer of the present invention uses a Dove prism for the monitor mechanism, the Dove prism can be positioned more easily and has a greater degree of design freedom than a mirror. Since it can be assembled, it takes less time to manufacture and can be manufactured at low cost.
[0038]
In the fusion splicer of the present invention, the support member 7 is integrated with a fiber base and an electrode base arranged on a substrate. For this reason, since a support member can be provided cheaply, a fusion splicer can be made further cheaper.
[0039]
In the fusion splicer of the present invention, the holder base and the windshield cover have a structure in which the magnet is held by the holding plate in the recess, and no adhesive is used. For this reason, since the fusion splicer can separate and recover the constituent members for each material, the constituent members can be recycled to effectively use the resources.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 shows a fusion splicer for connecting single optical fibers according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, in which the windshield cover is opened and the holder holding the optical fiber is installed on the holder base. It is the top view which looked at the machine from the upper side.
FIG. 2 is a right sectional view of the fusion splicer with the windshield cover closed.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the fusion splicer with the windshield cover opened, as viewed from the right side.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the fusion splicer with the windshield cover closed.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a holder base used in the fusion splicer of FIG.
6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal direction of the holder base of FIG.
7 is a rear view of the holder base of FIG. 5. FIG.
8 is a perspective view of a support member in which a fiber base and an electrode base are integrally provided on a substrate and used in the fusion splicer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 is a plan view of the support member of FIG.
10 is a perspective view of a windshield cover used in the fusion splicer of FIG. 1 as seen from the back side.
FIG. 11 is a right half bottom view of the windshield cover as seen from the back side.
12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C1-C1 in FIG.
13 is a cross-sectional view of a fusion splicing portion showing a monitoring mechanism of the fusion splicer of FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing how the fusion splicer of FIG. 1 is used at the work site.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fusion splicer 2 Main body 2a Display part 2b Input part 2c LCD board 2d CPU board 2e CPU
2f Power board 2g Discharge board 2h Storage part 2j Connection pin 2k Battery connector board 2m Power cable 2n Communication cable 3 Fusion connection part 3a Support board 3b Opening 3c Housing upper plate 3d Insertion hole 4 Holder bases 4a, 4b Protrusion 4c Mounting Hole 41 Magnet 42 Holding plate 45 Optical fiber 46 Holder 5 Discharge electrode 6 Windshield cover 6a Tube portion 6b Magnet 6c Holding plate 6d Extension portion 6e Press member 7 Support member 71 Substrate 71a Opening 71b Screw hole 72 Fiber base 72a Guide plate 72b Guide Groove 72c Fiber groove 73 Electrode base 73a V groove 8 Monitor mechanism 81 Light source 82 Dove prism 83 Press plate 84 Lens member 85 Image sensor Kp Power key Kcu, Kcd Cursor key Kr Reset key Ke Selection key Kop Operation key Lm Monitor lamp Ls Support Leg Pb Battery Pack

Claims (7)

A main body having a display unit for displaying information related to fusion splicing, and an input unit for inputting operation information associated with the fusion splicing;
A set of holder bases arranged to oppose each holder holding an optical fiber, a set of discharge electrodes arranged to face each other orthogonal to the optical fiber, and the set of holder bases A fusion splicing portion having a windshield cover that covers the holder so as to be freely opened and closed;
A fusion splicer comprising: a monitoring mechanism for monitoring an end of the optical fiber; and fusion-splicing the end of the optical fiber disposed opposite to each other by discharge;
The main body is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the display unit and the input unit are disposed on one upper part in the longitudinal direction, and the main body and the fusion splicing part are disposed on the other upper part so as to form a T shape. The fusion splicer is characterized in that the input part is formed to have a width and thickness of 10 cm or less so that the input part can be held in the palm. The monitor mechanism includes a light source and a light receiving unit provided on the main body side, a prism provided on the windshield cover, reflecting light from the light source, and guiding the light to the light receiving unit through a facing portion of the optical fiber. The fusion splicer according to claim 1, comprising: The fusion splicer according to claim 2 , wherein the prism is a dove prism. Two electrode bases that respectively support the set of discharge electrodes, and two V-groove substrates formed by V-grooves that are held by the holders and in which the optical fibers extending from the holders are disposed, The fusion splicer according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the fusion splicer is disposed so as to face a common support member. The windshield cover, fusion splicer according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that it comprises a magnet for magnetically adsorbed to the fusion splice. The fusion splicer according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the holder base includes a magnet that magnetically attracts the holder. The said windshield cover and the said holder base have a recessed part which arrange | positions the said magnet, and a holding plate which hold | maintains the said magnet in the said recessed part, It is any one of Claims 1-6 characterized by the above-mentioned. Fusion splicer.

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