JP6641436B2 - Optical fiber connector and optical fiber connection method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical fiber connector used for butt-connecting optical fibers and a method for connecting optical fibers.

  The optical fiber connector has a split structure composed of a pair of elements, and optical fibers inserted from both ends are aligned and butt-connected, and the optical fiber is sandwiched between the elements by a clamp spring and connected. A configuration for maintaining a state is provided (see Patent Document 1).

11 and 12 show an example of a conventional optical fiber connector. This optical fiber connector holds the base member 102 and the lid 103 inside the clamp 104. An alignment groove 120c and a guide groove 120b having a larger groove width than the alignment groove 120c are formed on the upper surface of the base member 102 (the surface facing the lid 103). The guide groove 120b is formed at one end and the other end of the alignment groove 120c.
The lid 103 has a central lid 131 and two covering grip lids 132 provided at both ends of the central lid 131.
The center lid 131 is superimposed on a portion of the base member 102 corresponding to the alignment groove 120c, and the two covering grip lids 132 are superimposed on a portion of the base member 102 corresponding to the guide groove 120b.
As shown in FIG. 12, in this optical fiber connector, the optical fibers 1, 1 butt-connected can be gripped and fixed between the base member 102 and the lid 103 by the elasticity of the clamp 104 made of a leaf spring.
The exposed bare optical fiber 14 of the optical fiber 1 is gripped between the base member 102 and the central lid 131, and the portion where the coating 12 is formed is gripped between the base member 102 and the coating gripping lid 132. .

When connecting the optical fiber 1 using this optical fiber connector, the coating 12 at the tip of the optical fiber 1 is removed in advance, and the bare optical fiber 14 is exposed.
With the wedge member 106 inserted between the base member 102 and the lid 103 to widen the gap, the optical fibers 1 are respectively inserted from the ends of the covering gripping lid 132, and the bare optical fiber is inserted into the centering groove 120c. The fourteen tips are butt-connected.

JP-A-9-297242

However, in the conventional optical fiber connector, there is a problem that it is necessary to remove the coating 12 on the distal end portion of the optical fiber 1 before connecting the optical fiber 1, so that many work steps are required and the operation becomes complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber connector and a method for connecting an optical fiber, which can facilitate an operation for connecting an optical fiber without requiring a coating removing operation.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following configurations.
One embodiment of the present invention is a pair of elements that sandwich a pair of optical fibers to be butt-connected, and a pair of coating removal that removes the coating of the pair of optical fibers inserted between the elements to form a bare optical fiber. Part, and a clamp part for gripping and fixing the butted portions of the bare optical fibers having the coating removed by the coating removing part between the elements, wherein the coating removing part is provided after the optical fiber insertion direction. A tapered cylindrical annular blade portion that tapers toward the side, and at least one of the elements, the optical fiber inserted from both ends of the element, removes the coating while restricting radial movement. A guide portion that is a groove or a hole leading to the portion is formed, one of the pair of elements is a base member, the other is a lid facing the base member, and the lid is a front member. A central lid that sandwiches the butted portion of the bare optical fiber between the base member, and a coating gripping lid that is provided on both ends of the central lid and sandwiches the optical fiber coating between the base member, Further comprising end covers provided at both ends of the covering grip lid, wherein the guide portion is formed between the end cover and a base member at a portion facing the end cover, Guiding the optical fiber inserted from both ends of the cover between the covering gripping lid and the base member, wherein the clamp portion faces the center lid and the coating gripping lid, and the central lid and the coating gripping lid. The end cover has a portion extending between the covering grip lid and the base member, and the covering grip lid receives the extended portion. Recess formed A pair of first positioning projections are formed on an opposing surface of the base member facing the lid, and the pair of first positioning projections are respectively formed on both outer surfaces of the end cover. An optical fiber connector having an opposing inner surface is provided.

In the optical fiber connector, a first side recess having the outer side surface is formed on both side surfaces of the end cover, respectively.
It is preferable that the pair of first positioning projections fit into the first side recess.

  The optical fiber connector may further include a second side recess formed on both sides of the end cover in a direction different from the first side recess in the direction of the guide portion. It is preferable that a pair of second positioning projections that respectively fit into the second side recesses protrude from an opposing surface facing the body.

  In the optical fiber connector, it is preferable that third side recesses are formed on both side surfaces of the covering grip lid, and a part of the second positioning protrusion is fitted into the third side recess.

  It is preferable that the center cover or a base member facing the center cover is provided with an alignment groove for positioning the ends of the bare optical fibers in a butt-connectable manner.

  It is preferable that the coating removing portion has a plate-like blade portion projecting from a plurality of locations in a circumferential direction of an outer periphery of the annular blade portion.

  One embodiment of the present invention is a pair of elements that sandwich a pair of optical fibers to be butt-connected, and a pair of coating removal that removes the coating of the pair of optical fibers inserted between the elements to form a bare optical fiber. Part, and a clamp part for gripping and fixing the butted portions of the bare optical fibers having the coating removed by the coating removing part between the elements, wherein the coating removing part is provided after the optical fiber insertion direction. A tapered cylindrical annular blade portion that tapers toward the side, and at least one of the elements, the optical fiber inserted from both ends of the element, removes the coating while restricting radial movement. A guide portion that is a groove or a hole leading to the portion is formed, one of the pair of elements is a base member, the other is a lid facing the base member, and the lid is a front member. A central lid that sandwiches the butted portion of the bare optical fiber between the base member, and a coating gripping lid that is provided on both ends of the central lid and sandwiches the optical fiber coating between the base member, An end cover further provided on both ends of the covering grip lid, wherein the guide portion is formed between the end cover and a base member at a portion facing the end cover, The optical fiber inserted from both ends is guided between the coated gripping lid and the base member, and the clamp portion faces the central lid and the coated gripping lid, and the central lid and the coated gripping lid. A portion of the base member, the end cover having a portion extending between the covering grip lid and the base member, wherein the covering grip lid has a recess for receiving the extended portion. Is formed, and A pair of first positioning projections are formed on a facing surface of the base member facing the lid, and the pair of first positioning projections respectively face both outer surfaces of the end cover. Using an optical fiber connector having an inner side surface, the pair of optical fibers, through the guide portion from both ends of the element in the state where the center lid and the cover gripping lid and the base member are opened respectively. The coating is removed by guiding the coating to the coating removing section, and the bare optical fibers from which the coating has been removed are butt-connected to each other.Then, the center lid and the coating gripping lid and the base member are closed by the clamp to close the butt portion. An optical fiber connection method for holding and fixing between the elements is provided.

One embodiment of the present invention is a pair of elements that sandwich a pair of optical fibers to be butt-connected, and a pair of coating removal that removes the coating of the pair of optical fibers inserted between the elements to form a bare optical fiber. Part, and a clamp part for gripping and fixing the butted portions of the bare optical fibers having the coating removed by the coating removing part between the elements, wherein the coating removing part is provided after the optical fiber insertion direction. A tapered cylindrical annular blade portion that tapers toward the side, and at least one of the elements, the optical fiber inserted from both ends of the element, removes the coating while restricting radial movement. Provided is an optical fiber connector in which a guide portion which is a groove or a hole leading to a portion is formed.
One of the pair of elements is a base member, and the other is a lid facing the base member, wherein the lid is a central lid that sandwiches a butt portion of the bare optical fiber with the base member. A covering gripping lid provided at both ends of the center lid to sandwich the coating of the optical fiber between the base member and the base member, wherein the guide section includes the optical fibers inserted from both ends of the element. Preferably, the guide is guided between the cover gripping lid and the base member.
The lid body includes an end cover provided on both ends of the covering grip lid, and the guide portion is formed between the end cover and a base member at a portion facing the end cover. Is preferred.
It is preferable that an alignment groove for positioning the tip of the bare optical fiber so as to butt and connect thereto is formed in the center lid or a base member facing the center lid.
It is preferable that the coated gripping lid has a dimension in a length direction of the optical fiber of a portion that sandwiches the optical fiber between the base member and the base member, being 1 to 3 mm.
It is preferable that the coating removing portion has a plate-like blade portion protruding from a plurality of locations in a circumferential direction of an outer periphery of the annular blade portion.

  One embodiment of the present invention is a pair of elements that sandwich a pair of optical fibers to be butt-connected, and a pair of coating removal that removes the coating of the pair of optical fibers inserted between the elements to form a bare optical fiber. And a clamp section (13) for gripping and fixing the butted portions of the bare optical fibers having the coating removed by the coating removing section between the elements, wherein the coating removing section inserts the optical fiber. A tapered cylindrical annular blade portion that tapers toward the rear side in the direction, and in at least one of the elements, the optical fiber inserted from both ends of the element, while restricting radial movement. Using an optical fiber connector in which a guide portion that is a groove or a hole that leads to the coating removing portion is formed, and the pair of optical fibers are respectively connected to the guide portion from both ends of the element. The optical fiber is guided to the coating removing section to remove the coating, and the bare optical fibers from which the coating has been removed are butt-connected to each other. Then, the element is closed by the clamp section, and the butt portion is gripped and fixed between the elements. A method for connecting a fiber is provided.

  The optical fiber connector includes a pair of elements that sandwich a pair of optical fibers to be butt-connected, and a pair of coating removal that removes the coating of the pair of optical fibers inserted between the elements to form a bare optical fiber. Part, and a clamp part for gripping and fixing the butted portions of the bare optical fibers having the coating removed by the coating removing part between the elements, wherein the coating removing part is provided after the optical fiber insertion direction. A tapered cylindrical annular blade portion that tapers toward the side, and at least one of the elements, the optical fiber inserted from both ends of the element, removes the coating while restricting radial movement. A guide portion, which is a groove or a hole leading to the portion, is formed, one of the pair of elements is a base member, and the other is a lid facing the base member; A central lid that sandwiches the butted portion of the bare optical fiber between the base member, and a coating gripping lid that is provided at both ends of the central lid and sandwiches the optical fiber coating between the base member and the central lid. An end cover provided at both ends of the covering grip lid, and the guide portion is formed between the end cover and a base member of a portion facing the end cover, The optical fiber inserted from both ends of the element is guided between the coated gripping lid and the base member, and the clamp unit includes the central lid and the coated gripping lid, and the central lid and the coated gripping lid. A pair of first positioning projections are formed on a surface of the base member facing the lid, and a pair of first positioning projections are formed. The end Both the outer surface may be configured to each have an inner surface that faces.

  The optical fiber connector includes a pair of elements that sandwich a pair of optical fibers inserted and butt-connected from both ends, and a coating on the pair of optical fibers inserted between the pair of elements to remove bare light. A pair of uncoated portions to be fibers, and a clamp portion that holds and fixes a butt portion between the bare optical fibers whose coating has been removed by the uncoated portion between the devices, and the pair of devices, The pair of optical fibers are inserted, respectively, and the pair of guides, which are grooves or holes leading to the pair of coating removing portions while regulating the radial movement of each optical fiber, can be opened and closed, and in a closed state. A first gripping and fixing portion for gripping and fixing the butted portion of the bare fiber after the coating removal by the pair of coating removing portions; A pair of second gripping and fixing portions for gripping and fixing the coating portions of the pair of optical fibers, respectively, in which the butted portions are gripped and fixed by the first gripping and fixing portion. The length of the portion in contact with the optical fiber in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber is a length that does not cause buckling of each optical fiber, and the coating removal portion has a window hole penetrating in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the inserted optical fiber. And an optical fiber insertion hole into which the optical fiber is inserted, a bare optical fiber insertion hole facing through the optical fiber insertion hole and the window hole, and taper toward the rear side in the insertion direction of the optical fiber. An annular blade portion which is formed in a protruding tapered cylindrical shape around the bare optical fiber insertion hole, and in the outer periphery of the annular blade portion, the penetration direction of the window hole and the optical fiber A pair of main plate-shaped blades protruding in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the pair, and a pair of sub-plate-shaped blades protruding in the direction of penetrating the window hole on the outer periphery of the annular blade. Is also good.

According to the present invention, since the coating removing portion having the annular blade portion is provided, the coating can be removed from the inserted optical fiber to obtain a bare optical fiber. For this reason, the operation of previously removing the coating of the tip portion of the optical fiber becomes unnecessary, and the workability of the connection can be improved.
At the time of optical fiber butt connection, the optical fiber is inserted with a gap between the elements, so if a strong pressing force is applied to the optical fiber to remove the coating, the optical fiber is likely to buckle. Since the movement of the optical fiber in the radial direction is restricted by the portion, the buckling of the optical fiber is prevented.

It is a perspective view showing the whole optical fiber connector of one embodiment of the present invention. It is an exploded perspective view of an optical fiber connector. It is a top view of a base member in an optical fiber connector. It is sectional drawing of an optical fiber connector. It is a perspective view of a coating removal part. It is sectional drawing of a coating removal part. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which inserted the wedge member in the optical fiber connector. 4A and 4B show a connection method of an optical fiber, in which FIG. 4A is a plan view of a base member showing a state in which one optical fiber is pushed in, and FIG. 6B is a base member showing a state in which the other optical fiber is pushed in following FIG. FIG. It is a perspective view in the partially broken state which shows the modification of a coating removal part. (A) It is a side view of a coating removal part. (B) It is an II line sectional view of a covering removal part of (a). It is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the conventional optical fiber connector. It is sectional drawing which shows the optical fiber connector of a previous figure.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments. 1 to 7 show an optical fiber connector 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, an optical fiber connector 10 includes a base member 2 and a lid 3 that sandwich a pair of optical fibers 1 butt-connected, and an optical fiber 1 inserted therebetween. The optical fiber 1 includes a pair of coating removing portions 5 for removing the coating, and a clamp portion 4 for holding and fixing the butted portion of the optical fibers 1 and 1 between the base member 2 and the lid 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, the base member 2 (base-side element) has a flat facing surface 20 that faces the lid 3.
The lid 3 (lid-side element) is composed of a central lid 31, two coated gripping lids 32 on both ends of the central lid 31, and two end lids 33 on both ends of the coated gripping lid 32. , Are provided to be superposed on the base member 2 side by side.

A plurality of support protrusions 21 (21a, 21b, 21c) for positioning the lid 3 with respect to the base member 2 are formed on the base member 2 so as to protrude from the facing surface 20 at intervals in the length direction. ing.
The support protrusion 21 includes first support protrusions 21a at both ends of the base member 2, a second support protrusion 21b provided inside the base member 2 in the longitudinal direction of the first support protrusion 21a, It has a third support projection 21c further provided inside the second support projection 21b in the length direction.

The first support protrusions 21 a are provided on both sides of the base member 2, respectively, and are positioned by fitting into the concave one-side ends 33 h formed on the side surfaces of the end cover 33. I do.
The second support protrusions 21b are provided on both sides of the base member 2, respectively, and have a concave other side end 33i formed on the side surface of the end cover 33, and the side surface of the covering grip lid 32 adjacent thereto. These are positioned by fitting them into the concave one-side end 32h.
The end cover 33 is in a state in which the movement in the length direction of the base member 2 is restricted by positioning the both ends by the first support protrusion 21a and the second support protrusion 21b.

The third support projection 21c is fitted with the concave other end 32i formed on the side surface of the covering grip lid 32 and the concave ends 31h at both ends of the side surface of the center lid 31. The other end 32i and the end 31h of the central lid 31 are positioned.
The third support protrusion 21c is provided only on one side of the base member 2, and the hinge protrusion 22 is formed on the side of the base member 2 where the third support protrusion 21c is not formed. ing.

A hinge concave portion 34 (see FIG. 7) corresponding to the hinge convex portion 22 is formed in the center lid 31 and the covering grip lid 32. When the hinge convex portion 22 is engaged with the hinge concave portion 34, the center lid 31 and the cover gripping lid 32 can rotate around the hinge convex portion 22 as a fulcrum.
The center lid 31 and the cover gripping lid 32 can rotate in a direction to open with respect to the base member 2 by inserting the wedge member 6 (see FIG. 7).

As shown in FIG. 4, grooves 32b and 33b formed of a V-shaped groove, a U-shaped groove, a round groove, and the like are formed along the length direction on the facing surface 32a of the covering grip lid 32 and the facing surface 33a of the end cover 33. Have been.
The grooves 32b and 33b are formed to communicate with each other in the length direction.
The groove 33b of the end cover 33 is slightly deeper than the groove 32b of the cover gripping lid 32, so that the friction with the optical fiber 1 in the groove 33b is reduced, so that the optical fiber 1 can be smoothly inserted in the insertion direction. It is possible to move.

As shown in FIG. 2, a groove 20b such as a V-groove, a U-groove, or a round groove is formed on the facing surface 20 of the base member 2 at a position facing the grooves 32b, 33b of the covering grip lid 32 and the end lid 33. Have been.
The groove 20b of the base member 2 and the groove 32b of the covering grip lid 32 form an introduction path 24 through which the optical fiber 1 is inserted. The length L1 is a dimension of the introduction path 24 in the length direction of the optical fiber 1, that is, a length dimension of a portion that sandwiches the optical fiber 1 (a portion where the groove 32b is formed).

The groove 20b of the base member 2 and the groove 33b of the end cover 33 form a guide hole 28 (guide portion) for introducing the optical fiber 1 into the introduction path 24.
The guide hole 28 is for preventing buckling of the optical fiber 1 when the optical fibers 1 are butt-connected, and is a hole through which the optical fiber 1 from which the coating 12 has not been removed is inserted.
The depths of the grooves 20b and 33b constituting the guide hole 28 can restrict the radial movement of the optical fiber 1 to such an extent that the optical fiber 1 does not buckle, and do not hinder the smooth insertion of the optical fiber 1. Is set.

  The base member 2 and the end cover 33 are formed with an insertion port 25 formed of a concave portion tapered toward the guide hole 28 so that the optical fiber 1 can be easily inserted into the guide hole 28. Can be done.

In the optical fiber connector 10, the buckling prevention effect can be enhanced by shortening the length L1 of the introduction path 24 shown in FIG.
The length L1 is preferably 1 to 3 mm. By setting the length L1 within this range, the optical fiber 1 arranged in the introduction path 24 can be shortened, so that buckling of the optical fiber 1 can be reliably prevented.
If the length L1 of the introduction path 24 is too short, the gripping force when gripping and fixing the optical fiber 1 will be small, but if the length L1 is within the above range, a sufficient gripping force by the covering gripping lid 32 will be obtained. be able to.

On the opposing surface 20 of the base member 2, an alignment groove 20c formed of a V groove, a U groove, a round groove, or the like is formed.
The alignment groove 20c positions and aligns the bare optical fibers 14, 14 to be butt-connected with high accuracy.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 7, the clamp portion 4 is made of, for example, a thin metal plate, and includes a back plate portion 4 a, from both sides of the back plate portion 4 a, over the entire length of the back plate portion 4 a in the longitudinal direction. The side plate portion 4b is formed so as to protrude perpendicularly to the back plate portion 4a.
The side plate portion 4b is divided into three portions corresponding to the central lid 31 and the cover gripping lid 32 by a slit-shaped cutout 4d.
The clamp portion 4 includes a first clamp spring portion 41 that holds one cover gripping lid 32 and the base member 2, a second clamp spring portion 42 that holds the center lid 31 and the base member 2, and a second cover gripping portion. It has a third clamp spring portion 43 that holds the lid 32 and the base member 2.

The side plate portion 4b is formed with an engagement protrusion 4c protruding in a direction approaching each other.
On the other hand, engagement grooves 31d and 32d are formed in the center lid 31 and the covering grip lid 32 at positions corresponding to the engagement projections 4c. The base member 2 also has an engagement groove 21d formed at a position corresponding to the engagement protrusion 4c.
In a state where the center lid 31 and the cover gripping lid 32 are superimposed on the base member 2 and the clamp portion 4 is mounted on them, the engaging projections 4c are formed by the engagement grooves 21d of the base member 2, the center lid 31 and the cover gripping lid 32. Are engaged with the engaging grooves 31d and 32d.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in a state where the lid 3 is assembled to the base member 2, the wedge insertion port 27 is provided between the base member 2 and the center lid 31 and between the base member 2 and the cover gripping lid 32. It is formed. The wedge insertion port 27 is formed on the side of the base member 2 opposite to the hinge projection 22. The wedge insertion opening 27 is for inserting a wedge member 6 (see FIG. 7) described later, and by inserting the wedge member 6 into the wedge insertion opening 27, the center lid 31 and the cover gripping lid 32 are attached to the base member 2. Pivots in the direction that opens.

As shown in FIG. 4, the coating removing portions 5 are provided between the base member 2 and the left and right coating holding lids 32 so as to be located on both sides of the central lid 31.
The coating removing section 5 removes the coating 12 from the optical fiber 1 inserted from both ends of the optical fiber connector 10 to form a bare optical fiber 14, and guides the bare optical fiber 14 to the center lid 31 side.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the coating removing section 5 has a substantially rectangular three-dimensional block portion 51, an optical fiber insertion hole 52 formed in the block portion 51, and an opposing optical fiber insertion hole 52. And a bare optical fiber insertion hole 53 formed in such a manner as to be inserted.
The optical fiber insertion hole 52 and the bare optical fiber insertion hole 53 face each other via a window hole 54 formed so as to penetrate the block portion 51 in the thickness direction (the direction orthogonal to the insertion direction of the optical fiber 1). I have.

As shown in FIG. 6, the optical fiber insertion hole 52 into which the optical fiber 1 before the coating 12 is removed is inserted, and has a diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the optical fiber 1.
The optical fiber insertion hole 52 is formed with a tapered opening 52a into which the optical fiber 1 enters, and the optical fiber 1 is introduced from the inlet 52a. The optical fiber can be smoothly guided to the optical fiber insertion hole 52 by the tapered opening of the introduction port 52a.
The end of the optical fiber insertion hole 52 faces the window hole 54. The bare optical fiber insertion hole 53 is for inserting the bare optical fiber 14 that has been exposed after the coating 12 has been removed, and is formed to have substantially the same diameter as the bare optical fiber 14.
The bare optical fiber insertion hole 53 is formed so as to be coaxial with the optical fiber insertion hole 52, and faces the optical fiber insertion hole 52 through the window hole 54. The end of the bare optical fiber insertion hole 53 is a tapered outlet 53a, which faces the alignment groove 20c formed in the base member 2.

An annular blade portion 55 is formed in the coating removing portion 5. The annular blade portion 55 separates the optical fiber 1 extruded from the optical fiber insertion hole 52 into the coating 12 and the bare optical fiber 53, and goes to the rear side (the right side in FIG. 5) in the insertion direction of the optical fiber 1. Is formed around the bare optical fiber insertion hole 53 in a tapered cylindrical shape protruding in a tapered shape.
The bare optical fiber 53 separated from the coating 12 by the annular blade portion 55 is inserted into the bare optical fiber insertion hole 53, and is further pushed out from the bare optical fiber insertion hole 53 into the alignment groove 20c. Note that the annular blade portion 55 is formed so as to project into the window hole 54 of the block portion 51.

  A plate-like blade 56 is formed on the outer periphery of the annular blade 55. The plate-shaped blade portion 56 protrudes from a plurality of circumferential positions on the outer periphery of the annular blade portion 55, and cuts the coating 12 of the optical fiber 1 reaching the annular blade portion 55 at the outer periphery of the annular blade portion 55. By this cutting, the coating 12 becomes a narrow band shape and can escape into the window hole 54.

As shown in FIG. 6, the coating removing portions 5 are arranged on both sides of the center cover 31, and each of the optical fibers 1 is pushed into the pair of optical fibers 1 from the guide holes 28 on both sides of the optical fiber connector 10. 1 reaches the optical fiber insertion hole 52 and is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole 52.
By further pushing the optical fiber 1, the optical fiber 1 reaches the annular blade 55, and the annular blade 55 is inserted between the bare optical fiber 14 and the coating 12.
By this insertion, the coating 12 can be easily separated from the bare optical fiber 14, and the bare optical fiber 14 is exposed. The exposed bare optical fiber 14 is pushed out through the bare optical fiber insertion hole 53 and inserted into the bare optical fiber insertion hole 53. At this time, the coating 12 is cut by the plate-shaped blade portion 56 on the outer periphery of the annular blade portion 55 into a narrow band shape, and the narrow band-shaped coating 12 escapes to the window hole 54 side.

Thus, the bare optical fiber 14 is smoothly inserted into the bare optical fiber insertion hole 53 by the escape of the coating 12 to the window hole 54 side.
The bare optical fiber 14 inserted into the bare optical fiber insertion hole 53 passes through the outlet 53a and enters the alignment groove 20c of the base member 2, but the outlet 53a of the bare optical fiber insertion hole 53 has a tapered shape. Therefore, there is some margin in the direction of exiting from the bare optical fiber insertion hole 53, and the bare optical fiber 14 can be easily guided to the alignment groove 20c.
As described above, the pair of optical fibers 1 is pushed into the optical fiber connector 10 so that the coating 12 is removed, and the ends of the bare optical fibers 14 exiting from the coating 12 are abutted and connected.

For connection of the optical fiber 1, a wedge member 6 shown in FIG. 7 is used. The wedge member 6 has a wedge body 61 and a wedge piece 62 protruding from the wedge body 61.
The wedge piece 62 is inserted into a wedge insertion opening 27 (see FIG. 1) formed in the base member 2, the central lid 31 and the two covering grip lids 32, and has an outer shape and position corresponding to the wedge insertion opening 27. It is formed in the wedge main body 61 so as to have the following numbers.

Next, a method of connecting a pair of optical fibers 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.
The center cover 31, the two cover gripping lids 32, and the two end lids 53 are overlapped on the base member 2, and the clamp 4 is attached to the center cover 31, the two coating gripping lids 32, and the base member 2.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the wedge piece 62 of the wedge member 6 is inserted into the wedge insertion port 27. As a result, the center lid 31 and the two covering grip lids 32 rotate with respect to the base member 2 and the base member 2 and the lids 31 and 32 are slightly opened to form a gap. Can easily enter the introduction path 24.

The optical fiber 1 is pushed in from one (right side) guide hole 28 of the optical fiber connector 10 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8A, the inserted optical fiber 1 reaches the coating removing section 5 through the guide hole 28 and the introduction path 24.
In the coating removing section 5, the optical fiber 1 is inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole 52, and the coating 12 and the bare optical fiber 14 are separated by the annular blade 55. The bare optical fiber 14 is inserted into the bare optical fiber insertion hole 53, and is introduced from the outlet 53a into the alignment groove 20c.
In the coating removing section 5, the coating 12 separated by the annular blade portion 55 is cut by the plate-like blade portion 56 and escapes to the window hole 32 side, so that the coating 12 does not hinder the optical fiber 1 from smoothly entering.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the same operation is performed on the other optical fiber 1, whereby the bare optical fibers 14 of the pair of optical fibers 1 are butted in the alignment groove 20c.
After this butting, the wedge member 6 is pulled out from the wedge insertion opening 27. Thereby, the center lid 31 and the two covering grip lids 32 are closed by the elastic force of the clamp part 4, and the connection state of the optical fiber 1 can be maintained.

  According to the optical fiber connector 10, since the coating removing portion 5 having the annular blade portion 55 is provided, the coating 12 can be removed from the inserted optical fiber 1 to obtain the bare optical fiber 14. For this reason, there is no need to previously remove the coating 12 on the distal end of the optical fiber 1, and the workability of connection can be improved.

  When the optical fiber 1 is butt-connected, the optical fiber 1 is inserted in a state where a gap is secured between the base member 2 and the coating gripping lid 32. Therefore, when a strong pressing force is applied to the optical fiber 1 for removing the coating, Although the buckling of the optical fiber 1 is likely to occur between the covering gripping lid 32 and the base member 2, the buckling of the optical fiber 1 is prevented because the guide hole 28 restricts the movement of the optical fiber 1 in the radial direction. Is done.

9 and 10 show another example of the coating removing unit.
In the following description, the X direction is the direction in which the optical fiber insertion hole 52 is formed, and the insertion direction of the optical fiber 1 is + X, and the opposite direction is -X. The Y direction is a thickness direction of the block portion 51 and is a direction orthogonal to the X direction. One side is + Y, and the opposite direction is -Y. The Z direction is a height direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction, and the upper part in FIG. 9 is + Z and the lower part is -Z. Note that the same components as those of the coating removing unit 5 in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

The coating removing section 75 shown here differs from the coating removing section 5 of FIG. 5 in that a plate-like blade section 76 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the annular blade section 55 is provided.
The plate-shaped blade 76 includes a pair of main plate-shaped blades 76A and 76A and a pair of sub-plate-shaped blades 76B and 76B.
The main plate-shaped blade portions 76A, 76A are formed substantially along the XZ plane, protrude upward (+ Z direction) and downward (−Z direction) from the outer peripheral surface of the annular blade portion 55, respectively. The surface and bottom have been reached.

The coating removing section 75 is different from the coating removing section 5 (see FIG. 5) in that the coating removing section 75 includes sub-plate-like blade portions 76B, 76B extending laterally.
The sub-plate-like blade portions 76B, 76B are formed substantially along the XY plane, and protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the annular blade portion 55 in one side (+ Y direction) and the other side (-Y direction), respectively. .
The side edges 76B1 and 76B1 of the sub-plate-like blade portions 76B and 76B are flush with the side surface 51a of the block portion 51.
These four plate-shaped blade portions 76 (76A, 76A, 76B, 76B) are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the annular blade portion 55.

In the coating removing section 75, since the four plate-shaped blades 76 are provided, the coating 12 of the optical fiber 1 can be cut at four different positions in the circumferential direction.
For this reason, compared with the case where the coating 12 is cut at two places, the load applied to each plate-shaped blade 76 can be reduced, and the plate-shaped blade 76 can be prevented from being damaged.
Therefore, the resistance at the time of inserting the optical fiber 1 into the optical fiber connector 10 does not increase, and the operation becomes easy.

In the present invention, the specific form of the guide section is not limited as long as the guide section can regulate the radial movement of the optical fiber so as not to cause buckling.
In the above embodiment, the guide hole 28 is a hole formed by the groove 20 b of the base member 2 and the groove 33 b of the end cover 33, but the guide in the present invention is formed by the base member 2 and the end cover 33. May be formed by a groove formed in one of them, or may be a hole formed in one of the base member 2 and the end cover 33.
9 and 10, the cover removing unit 75 has four plate-shaped blades 76, but the number of plate-shaped blades is not limited to this, and may be, for example, six or more.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Optical fiber, 2 ... Base member (base-side element), 3 ... Lid (lid-side element), 4 ... Clamp part, 5 ... Coating removal part, 6 ... Wedge member, 10 ... Optical fiber connector, 12 ... Coating, 14: bare optical fiber, 28: guide hole (guide portion), 31: central lid, 32: coating gripping lid, 33: end lid, 55: annular blade, 56, 76, 76A, 76B: plate shape Blade part.

Claims (7)

A pair of elements sandwiching a pair of optical fibers to be butt-connected,
A pair of coating removal portions to remove the coating of the pair of optical fibers inserted between the elements, respectively, to make a bare optical fiber,
A clamp portion for holding and fixing a butt portion between the bare optical fibers whose coating has been removed by the coating removing portion between the elements,
The coating removing portion has a tapered cylindrical annular blade portion that is tapered and protrudes toward the rear side in the insertion direction of the optical fiber,
At least one of the elements, the optical fiber inserted from both ends of the element, a guide portion is formed as a groove or a hole that guides the coating removing portion while restricting radial movement,
One of the pair of elements is a base member, and the other is a lid facing the base member,
The lid is a central lid that sandwiches the butt portion of the bare optical fiber with the base member, and the lid is provided at both ends of the central lid and sandwiches the optical fiber coating between the base member. Coated gripping lid, further comprising end lids provided on both ends of the coated gripping lid,
The guide portion is formed between the end cover and a base member of a portion opposed to the end cover, and the optical fiber inserted from both ends of the element, the coated gripping cover and the base member. Lead between
The clamp portion holds the central lid and the covering gripping lid, and a base member of a portion facing the center lid and the coating gripping lid,
The end cover has a portion extending between the covering grip cover and the base member,
A concave portion for receiving the extended portion is formed in the covering grip lid,
A pair of first positioning projections are formed so as to protrude on a surface of the base member facing the lid,
The first positioning protrusion of the pair may have a inner surface facing the respective outer surfaces of both of said end cap,
The lid body, of the central lid, the covering gripping lid and the end cover, only the central lid and the covering gripping lid are held by the clamp portion,
The optical fiber connection, wherein, of the base member, of the portions facing the center lid, the covering gripping lid, and the end cover, only a portion facing the center lid and the coating gripping lid is held by the clamp portion. vessel. First side recesses each having the outer side surface are formed on both side surfaces of the end cover,
The optical fiber connector according to claim 1, wherein the pair of first positioning projections fit into the first side recess. On both side surfaces of the end cover, second side recesses are formed at different positions in the direction of the guide portion with respect to the first side recesses, respectively.
3. The optical fiber connector according to claim 2, wherein a pair of second positioning projections that respectively fit into the second side recesses are formed so as to protrude on a facing surface of the base member that faces the lid. 4. . Third side concave portions are formed on both side surfaces of the covering grip lid, respectively.
The optical fiber connector according to claim 3, wherein a part of the second positioning projection is fitted into the third side recess.   The light according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the center cover or a base member facing the center cover is provided with a centering groove for positioning the end of the bare optical fiber in a butt-connectable manner. Fiber splicer.   The optical fiber connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the coating removing unit includes a plate-shaped blade protruding at a plurality of locations in a circumferential direction of an outer periphery of the annular blade. A pair of elements for sandwiching a pair of optical fibers to be butt-connected, a pair of coating removing sections each of which removes a coating of the pair of optical fibers inserted between the elements to form a bare optical fiber, and the coating removing section And a clamp portion for holding and fixing the abutting portions of the bare optical fibers between which the coating has been removed, between the elements, wherein the coating removing portion is tapered toward the rear side in the insertion direction of the optical fiber. A groove or a hole that guides the optical fiber inserted from both ends of the element to the coating removing section while restricting radial movement of at least one of the elements. The one of the pair of elements is a base member, the other is a lid facing the base member, and the lid is a projection of the bare optical fiber. A central lid for sandwiching the mating portion between the base member, a covering grip lid provided at both ends of the central lid to sandwich the coating of the optical fiber between the base member, Further, an end cover provided at both end sides, the guide portion is formed between the end cover and a base member of a portion facing the end cover, and is inserted from both ends of the element. Guides the optical fiber between the coated gripping lid and the base member, and the clamp portion includes the central lid and the coated gripping lid, and a base member at a portion facing the central lid and the coated gripping lid. The end cover has a portion extending between the covering grip lid and the base member, and the covering grip lid is formed with a concave portion for receiving the extended portion, The base member, An optical fiber having a pair of first positioning projections protrudingly formed on a facing surface facing the body, and the pair of first positioning projections having inner surfaces facing both outer surfaces of the end cover, respectively. Using a connector,
The lid body, of the center lid, the covering gripping lid and the end cover, only the center lid and the covering gripping lid are held by the clamp portion,
The base member, of the portion facing the center lid, the cover gripping lid and the end cover, only the portion facing the center lid and the coating gripping lid is held by the clamp portion,
The pair of optical fibers are guided from both ends of the element to the coating removing section through the guide section from both ends of the element in a state where the center lid and the coating gripping lid and the base member are opened, and the coating is removed. Butt-connecting the bare optical fibers from each other, and then closing the center lid and the covering gripping lid and the base member by the clamp portion to grip and fix the butt portion between the elements. .

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