JP4532251B2 - Heating method of optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve and heating apparatus used therefor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for heating a heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve used to reinforce a connection portion between optical fibers and a heating device used therefor.

Conventionally, it is a common practice to cover and reinforce a connecting portion between optical fibers, for example, a fusion splicing portion, with a sleeve such as a heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve.
Specifically, by using a heating device 10 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 covering the fusion splicing portion 12 between the optical fibers 11 and 11 is heated and contracted. Yes. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional general heating apparatus 10 according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which the lid 25 of the heating unit 20 of the heating apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 6 is opened. .
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the heating apparatus 10 mainly includes a heating unit 20 that heats the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 and a heat-shrinking property that covers the fusion splicing part 12 of the optical fiber 11 with the heating unit 20. When the reinforcing sleeve 13 is heated, there are provided clamp portions 21 and 22 for clamping the optical fibers 11 and 11 extending on both sides thereof, and a temperature control portion 23 for controlling the temperature of the heating portion 20.

The case where the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 actually covered with the fusion splicing portion 12 between the optical fibers is contracted by heating will be briefly described.
As shown in FIG. 7, the lid 25 and the clamps 21 and 22 of the heating unit 20 are opened to expose, for example, a plate heater 26 having a configuration in which a heating wire is arranged in a ceramic plate. Subsequently, the plate heater 26 is exposed. A heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 that covers the fusion splicing portion 12 between the optical fibers 11 and 11 is placed thereon as shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic enlarged perspective view showing the state of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 placed on the plate heater 26 more easily.

Here, reference numerals 27 and 27 denote magnets embedded on the heater mounting base 29 side in order to securely fix the clamp portions 21 and 22, and in this case, the clamp portions 21 and 22 are made of iron, or in the clamp portions 21 and 22. When the magnets 27 and 27 are embedded in the portions corresponding to the magnets 27 and 27 and the clamp portions 21 and 22 are brought down, both are designed to attract each other.
Reference numeral 28 denotes a lid 25, which is an observation window provided directly above the plate heater 26. The position of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 placed on the plate heater 26, the state of being heated, and the like. Can be observed from the outside through the observation window 28.

  By the way, the fusion splicing part 12 of the optical fibers 11 and 11 is not simply covered with the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13, but actually is first covered with the hot melt resin tube 14, and further this fusion splicing part. 12 is covered with a heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 together with a reinforcing member 15 made of, for example, a glass rod or a stainless steel rod, and placed on a plate heater 26. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the AA cross section of FIG.

When the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 is placed on the plate heater 26 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the optical fiber 11 extending outward from both sides of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 as shown in FIG. 11 is fixed by tilting the clamp parts 21 and 22. When the lid 25 of the heating unit 20 is further closed, the position is confirmed again through the observation window 28. If there is no problem, the heating conditions such as the heating temperature and the heating time are set by the temperature control panel 24 provided in the temperature control unit 23. Alternatively, simply confirming and turning on the switch provided in the temperature control panel 24 heats and contracts the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 in accordance with preset heating conditions. Incidentally, the hot-melt resin tube 14 inside the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 is heated and melted to be integrated with the fusion splicing portion 12 of the optical fibers 11 and 11.
FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of the reinforcing portion of the optical fiber connecting portion taken out from the heating device 10 after the heat treatment.

The heating device and heating method of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 described above are very general, and for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose similar contents.
More specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses an improvement method for shortening the heating time of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 and the cooling time after the heat-shrinking shrinkage, and Patent Document 2 discloses heating the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13. Improvement methods for shortening the cooling time after shrinkage have been proposed.

JP-A-10-319270 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-304660

By the way, in the heating device 10 of the optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve described above, the heat shrinkable reinforcement is obtained by replacing the one that has been previously incorporated in the optical fiber fusion splicer and completed the fusion splicing to the heating device 10 side. There are one that heats and shrinks the sleeve 13 and one that is separate from the fusion splicer.
Normally, the time required for fusion splicing of optical fibers is only a few seconds, but it takes about 1 minute to heat and shrink the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 covering the fusion splicing portion 12. Therefore, for the purpose of shortening the working time of heating and shrinking of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 and shortening the overall lead time, the heating method has been improved as disclosed in Patent Document 1, As disclosed in Document 2, various methods have been proposed in which a blower is provided under the heater to shorten the cooling time of the heater.

However, in both of those disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 is simply disposed on the plate heater 26 so as to face each other. Since the plate heater 26 and the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 are heated in a state where they are merely placed, the plate-shaped heater 26 and the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 are heated in a state where the contact area is simply a line contact.
Therefore, there is a problem that heating efficiency is poor and heating and shrinking time cannot be shortened easily.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to increase the contact area between the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve covering the optical fiber connecting portion and the heater, to heat the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve, and to heat the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing sleeve that can shorten the shrinkage time. The object is to provide a method and a heating device used to realize this heating method.

  In order to achieve the above object, the heating method of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the heat shrinkable reinforcing sleeve having the connecting portion between the optical fibers is heated by a heater to heat the heat shrinkable reinforcing sleeve. In the heating method for the shrinkable optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve, the heater is a sheet-like heater, and the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve and the sheet-like heater are brought into surface contact with each other, and the heat-shrinkable reinforcement is in this surface contact state. The sleeve is heated by the sheet heater.

Claim 1 heating device for an optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing sleeve in that in the heating apparatus of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing sleeve for heating the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve having a connection portion of the optical fibers therein with a heater, a groove on the surface A heater mounting base, and a lid that covers the surface of the heater mounting base and has a groove on the inside for holding the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve, and the heater is elastic and flexible. A sheet-like heater comprising: a heater-mounting surface that is mounted across the surface of the heater mounting base and the lid; and the sheet-shaped heater is recessed in the groove of the heater mounting base and the groove of the lid Thus, when the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve is heated, the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve comes into surface contact with the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve .

According to the heating device for the optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve according to claim 1 , the heater is a sheet-like heater, and therefore, when heating the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve portion covered on the optical fiber connection portion. In this case, the sheet-like heater is bent into a substantially U shape, and the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve is embraced in the substantially U-shaped portion, and both come into surface contact. As a result, the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve is more efficiently heated by the sheet heater, and the time required for heating and shrinking the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve can be greatly shortened.
In addition , in the heating device for the optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve according to claim 1 , like the heating device for the optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve according to claim 2 , the heater mounting base side on the back surface of the sheet-like heater. It is more preferable that a heat-resistant rubber is attached to the.
Also, as in the heating device of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing sleeve of claim 3, in the heating apparatus of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing sleeve of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the sheet heater, the heater pattern Is preferably sandwiched between two rubber films having electrical insulating properties or a film made of polyimide.
Further, like the fusion splicer according to the fourth aspect , the heating device for the optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve according to any one of the first to third aspects may be incorporated. .

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a heating method of an optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve that can shorten the heating and shrinkage time of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve and a heating device used to realize this heating method. .

Embodiments of the heating method of the optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve of the present invention and the heating device used to realize this method will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a sheet-like heater 1 used in a heating unit 20 of a heating device 10 for an optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, this sheet-like heater 1 has a heater pattern composed of, for example, a heating wire sandwiched between two films such as two rubber films having electrical insulating properties or polyimide films. It is.

Such a sheet-like heater 1 has moderate elasticity and flexibility. In the present invention, the sheet heater 1 is used as a heater constituting the heating unit 20 of the heating device 10.
Specifically, on one side of the sheet heater 1 on the heater mounting base 29 of the heating device 10 on which the conventional plate heater 26 using, for example, a ceramic plate is mounted, Fix with 3. A spiral spring 2 is connected to the opposite side of the sheet-like heater 1 by a connecting member 4 via a connecting band 5, and the other ends of the springs 2 and 2 are also heated by, for example, a bolt (not shown). It is fixed on the mounting base 29.

And as FIG. 2 shows, the elongate recessed part 30 is formed under the center part of the sheet-like heater 1. As shown in FIG. That is, an elongated recess 30 is formed in the heater mounting base 29 corresponding to the axial direction of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 placed on the sheet-like heater 1.
When the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 that covers, for example, the fusion splicing portion 12 of the optical fibers 11 and 11 is heated and contracted, the optical fibers 11 and 11 extending at both ends of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 are grasped. When the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 is lightly pressed against the sheet-like heater 1, the sheet-like heater 1 is made to be substantially U-shaped in the arrow direction against the force of the springs 2 and 2 as shown in FIG. The outer surface of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 and the sheet-like heater 1 face each other as a result of being bent and recessed in the recess 30 so that a part of the outer surface of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 is wrapped along the outer surface. It will be in a contact state and the contact area of both will expand.

In this state, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the lids of the clamp parts 21 and 22 and the heating part 20 are closed, and the positions thereof are confirmed again through the observation window 28. If there is no problem, the temperature control part 23 is provided. In the temperature control panel 24, set the heating temperature and heating time that match the size and material of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13, or if already set, select the appropriate conditions, and then When the switch provided on the temperature control panel 24 is turned on, the sheet-like heater 1 is heated in accordance with preset heating conditions, and the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 is heated by the heat conduction to be contracted. It is done.
At this time, the hot-melt resin tube 14 inside the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 is heated and melted to be integrated with the fusion splicing portion 12 of the optical fibers 11 and 11.

  When a series of heating, shrinking, and cooling operations for the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 are completed, the clamp portions 21 and 22 and the lid 25 are opened, and the connecting portion reinforcing portion of the optical fibers 11 and 11 is taken out from the heating device 10. When the connecting portion reinforcing portion of the optical fibers 11 and 11 is taken out from the heating device 10, the sheet heater 1 is pulled by the force of the springs 2 and 2 to return to the flat state as shown in FIG. It waits for the property reinforcement sleeve 13 to be mounted.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing another embodiment of the sheet-like heater 1 used in the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve for covering the connecting portions 12 of the optical fibers 11 and 11 with the sheet-like heater 1 shown in FIG. It is an expansion perspective view which shows the state just before heating 13.
The difference from the sheet heater 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is that a pin 6 is used instead of the spring 2 and that the hole through which the pin 6 passes is a long hole 7 on one side of the sheet heater 1. It is in providing. The length of the long hole 7 is sufficient when the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 is placed on the sheet-like heater 1 and is sufficiently bent as shown in FIG. The length is set in advance to ensure a sufficient area.

Here, the screws 3 and 3 are fixing members for fixing one side of the sheet-like heater 1 on the heater mounting base 29 of the heating device 10 (not shown). These screws 3 and 3 are connected to the pins 6 described above. Located on opposite sides.
The pins 6 and 6 are also erected on a heater mounting base 29 (not shown). The heater mounting base 29 (not shown) is provided with a recess 30 as shown in FIG. 2, and the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 is placed on the sheet-like heater 1 as shown in FIG. In this state, when the optical fibers 11, 11 extending at both ends are lightly pressed downward (in the direction of the arrow), the sheet-like heater 1 bends downward due to its flexibility and follows the outer surface of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13. Dent.

As a result, the outer surface of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 and the sheet-like heater 1 are brought into a surface contact state, and the contact area between both is greatly increased. Hereinafter, the heating procedure of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 is the same as that described in the description of FIG. 1 and FIG.
When a series of operations are completed, the clamp portions 21 and 22 and the lid 25 are opened, and the connecting portion reinforcing portion of the optical fibers 11 and 11 is taken out from the heating device 10, and the sheet heater 1 is elastic, as shown in FIG. It returns to a flat state and waits for the next heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 to be placed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the present invention. 5 shows that the sheet heater 1 is mounted across the surface of the lid 25 of the heating device 10 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and the surface of the heater mounting base 29 connected to the lid 25 by a hinge. By tilting the lid 25, the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 placed inside is wrapped with the sheet-like heater 1 so that both are in surface contact. Here, reference numeral 31 denotes a groove for holding the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13.
The sheet heater 1 mounted on the lid 25 side is combined with a long hole 7 and a pin 6 as shown in FIG. You may make it bend according to a diameter.
Furthermore, if necessary, a heat resistant rubber or the like having an appropriate thickness may be attached to the back side of the sheet-like heater 1 and attached to the lid 25 and the heater mounting base 29 with the heat resistant rubber side as the back surface.
If it does in this way, when the lid | cover 25 will be closed, it will become easier for the sheet-like heater 1 to wrap the heat-shrinkable reinforcement sleeve 13, and the contact area of both increases and it is preferable.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the heating apparatus 10 is described separately from the fusion splicer. However, the present invention is similarly applied to the heating apparatus 10 incorporated in the fusion splicer. Needless to say, it can be done.
In addition to the fusion spliced portion, the heat-shrinkable reinforcement is also used when the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 is covered to reinforce and protect the sleeve connecting portion using a metal sleeve or the like as the connecting portion of the optical fibers 11 and 11. It goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the heating and shrinking of the sleeve 13.
Furthermore, the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 that covers the connection portion 12 of the optical fibers 11 and 11 may or may not have the reinforcing member 15 such as a glass rod inside as described above. In either case, the present invention can be applied. In short, the heating method and the heating device of the present invention can be applied to the case where the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve 13 is used as the reinforcing sleeve.

  In the present invention described above, the sheet-like heater bends so as to embrace the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve, and the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve and the sheet-like heater are brought into a surface contact state, thereby greatly increasing the contact area between each other. . As a result, the heat-shrinkable reinforcement sleeve is heated by the sheet heater more efficiently as the contact area between the two increases, resulting in the time required for heating and shrinking the heat-shrinkable reinforcement sleeve. Is greatly shortened.

  Furthermore, since the heater is a sheet-like heater and is flexible, even when the outer diameter of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve is different, the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve bends in accordance with the outer diameter. Can also be used. Furthermore, the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve shrinks during heating and its outer diameter gradually decreases, but if it is installed so that the sheet-like heater can move during heating, the sheet-like heater will reinforce this heat-shrinkable reinforcement. It becomes possible to keep the surface contact state corresponding to the outer diameter fluctuation of the sleeve, and the heating and shrinking time of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve can be further shortened.

  In addition, since this sheet heater is thinner than a conventional plate heater made of ceramic, for example, it is easy to reduce the heat capacity of the entire heater. As a result, not only the heating time but also the cooling time can be shortened. At the same time, if the heat capacity can be reduced, the temperature control of the sheet heater is facilitated, and more accurate heating temperature control is possible.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the heating method of the optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve capable of shortening the heating and shrinkage time of the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve and the heating device used for realizing this heating method.

It is an expansion perspective view which shows one Example of the sheet-like heater used for this invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state immediately before heating the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve with the sheet heater shown in FIG. 1. It is an expansion perspective view which shows another Example of the sheet-like heater used for this invention. It is an expansion perspective view which shows the state just before heating a heat-shrinkable reinforcement sleeve with the sheet-like heater shown in FIG. It is. It is a perspective view which shows another Example of this invention. The perspective view which shows an example of the heating apparatus of the general optical fiber connection part reinforcement sleeve concerning this invention It is a top view which shows the state which opened the heating part and clamp part of the heating apparatus which FIG. 6 shows. It is a typical expansion perspective view which shows the state which mounted the heat-shrinkable reinforcement sleeve on the plate-shaped heater in FIG. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is a top view which shows the state which heated and contracted the heat-shrinkable reinforcement sleeve with the heating apparatus which FIG. 6 shows.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sheet heater 2 Spring 3 Screw 5 Connection band 6 Pin 7 Long hole 10 Heating device 11 Optical fiber 12 Fusion splicing part 13 Heat shrinkable reinforcement sleeve 14 Hot melt resin tube 15 Reinforcement member 20 Heating part 21, 22 Clamp part 23 Temperature control unit 24 Temperature control panel 25 Lid 26 Plate heater 29 Heater mounting base 30 Recess 31 Groove

Claims (4)

  In the heating device for the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing sleeve, which heats the heat shrinkable reinforcing sleeve having the connecting portion between the optical fibers inside with a heater,
  A heater mounting base having a groove on the surface;
  A cover that covers the surface of the heater mounting base and has a groove on the inside for holding the heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve with the groove;
  The heater is a sheet-like heater having elasticity and flexibility, and is mounted across the surface of the heater mounting base and the inside of the lid,
  The sheet-like heater is in a state of being recessed in the groove of the heater mounting base and the groove of the lid, and is in surface contact with the heat-shrinkable reinforcement sleeve when the heat-shrinkable reinforcement sleeve is heated. An apparatus for heating an optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing sleeve.   2. The heating device for an optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve according to claim 1, wherein a heat-resistant rubber is attached to the back surface of the sheet-like heater on the heater mounting base side.   3. The sheet-like heater according to claim 1, wherein the sheet-like heater is formed by sandwiching a heater pattern between two rubber films having electrical insulation or a film of polyimide film. 4. Heating device for optical fiber connection portion reinforcing sleeve.   A fusion splicer incorporating the heating device for a reinforcing sleeve of an optical fiber connection portion according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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