JPH01267507A - Device for removing covering of optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily remove the covering of an optical fiber by holding the optical fiber and heating the covering part to be removed to soften by a heating means, then withdrawing th optical fiber. CONSTITUTION:Guide grooves 12c, 13c which are the guide means for setting the optical fiber are formed to the front surface of a lower case 12 and the rear surface of an upper case 13 along the longitudinal direction thereof. The heating means, for example, a heater 21, is built in the rear surface of a blade member 14 in parallel with and proximity to the guide groove 12c. The front end part 25a of the optical fiber 25 to be removed of the covering is set into the guide groove 12c and in succession, a grip 23 is pressed downward to hold the upper case 13 for a proper period of time in the state of pressing the same to the lower case 12. The blade members 15, 14 of the upper and lower cases 13, 12 incise the covering of the optical fiber 25 at this time. The covering of the front end part 25a is heated to soften by the heater 21 right thereunder and, therefore, the optical fiber 25 is withdrawn in the state of pressing the grip 23 downward.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to an optical fiber coating removal device.

(Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention)
It is best to apply a coating made of resin or the like on the outside of the Iha. Therefore, when fixing the ends of optical fibers to a ferrule or the like, or when directly joining optical fibers together by, for example, arc discharge, it is necessary to remove this coating to expose the optical fibers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, as a tool for removing the coating of an optical fiber, a tool such as a double puncher used for removing the coating of an ordinary electric wire is known. However, with such tools, it is difficult to adjust the force applied, and the fiber itself may be cut along with the coating.

Therefore, in recent years, an optical fiber coating remover as shown in FIG. 7 has been proposed. I! This coating remover I is comprised of a lower stand 2 and an upper stand 3 for being held by an operator, and the upper stand 3 is rotatably supported by one 42a of the lower stand 2. Further, a 7.4 for urging the upper table 3 upward is interposed between the lower table 2 and the upper table 3. For example, two guides 5 are fixed at appropriate intervals to the tip of the lower stand 2 for supporting the optical fiber in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper. The guide 5 consists of a pair of wall members 5a and 5b, and a groove 20 having a substantially arcuate cross section is formed between these wall members 54.5b. On the other hand, a groove 30 having a substantially arcuate cross section is also formed on the lower surface of the upper table 3, corresponding to the groove 2c.

FIG. 8 shows a cross section of the groove 2C of the lower base 2, and cutouts 2a and 3a are formed in the regions corresponding to the groove 2C of the lower base 2 and the groove 20 of the upper base 3, respectively. 3
Blade members 6.7 for removing coatings from optical fibers are fixed in each case by presser plates 8.9. Then, when the optical fiber is inserted into the groove 2C and the upper stand 3 is pressed against the lower stand 2 against the biasing force of the spring 4, the blade member 6.7 cuts into the coating of the optical fiber from above and below, and in this state, the optical fiber is emitted. The coating is removed by pulling the fiber in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper.

However, even when such a sheath remover is used, the sheath removal work is performed only by the mechanical force that pulls the optical fiber out of the sheath, so work defects such as the optical fiber being cut are likely to occur. There is a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber coating removal device that can easily remove the coating of an optical fiber without applying excessive force. do.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, an optical fiber coating removal device of the present invention includes a guide means for setting an end of an optical fiber in a predetermined position, and a coating removal device for the optical fiber. a blade member for cutting, a pressing means for causing the blade member to cut into the coating of the optical fiber, and a blade member disposed close to the end of the optical fiber to heat and soften the coating of the end of the optical fiber. It consists of a heating means for heating.

(Function) The end of the optical fiber is centered in a predetermined position by the guide means, and the blade member is pressed against the end covering part by the pressing means to make a cut. When the optical fiber is held in this state, the coating portion of the optical fiber to be removed is heated and softened by the heating means. After that, when the optical fiber is pulled out, the coating is easily removed because the friction between the optical fiber and the coating is small.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 3 show an example of the structure of the optical fiber coating removal apparatus of the present invention. The coating removing device 10 has a pressing means consisting of a lower case 12 placed on a base 11 and an upper case 13 rotatably supported on one end of the lower case 12. Guide grooves 12c and 13c, which serve as guide means for centering the optical fiber, are formed along the longitudinal direction on the lower surface of the upper case 13. Tip surfaces 13a, 1 of upper and lower cases 13 and 12
Notches 13b and 12b each having a substantially rectangular cross section are formed in 2a, and the two notches 13b and 12b cooperate to form a recessed portion 16 for accommodating the blade member 14, 15.

A blade member 14.15 is disposed in close contact with the end surfaces 12b' and 13b' of the notches 12b and 13b, and the retainer 17.1
8. The blade member 14.15 has a third
As shown in the figure, a substantially arc-shaped cutout Lea, 15a is formed in the center of the width of the contact portion between the two, and the upper and lower cases 13.1
When the two are engaged, the peripheral edges of these notches 14a and 15a cut into the coating of the optical fiber. The spaces left by the notches 13b and 12b are filled with insulating members 19 and 20.

In the lower case 12, a heating means, for example, a heater 21 is built into the back surface of the blade member 14, parallel to and close to the guide groove 12c described above. As this heater 21,
For example, a normal nichrome wire heater or the like is used, and the heater 21 is connected to a power switch 26 via a thermostand 22 for temperature control. The temperature of the heater 21 is normally set to about 100''C.
A handle 23 is attached to the upper surface of the case 13, and the upper and lower cases 13.12 are covered with a cover 24.

The action will be explained below.

4 to 6 show the optical fiber coating removal operation using the optical fiber coating removing device of the present invention. First, the power switch described above is turned on, and the upper case 13 is lifted by pulling the handle 23 upward. Thereafter, the tip 25a of the optical fiber 25 whose coating is to be removed is inserted into the guide groove 12c of the lower case 12 (FIG. 4).

Subsequently, the handle 23 is pushed downward, the upper case 13 is pressed against the lower case 12, and the engaged state is held for an appropriate time (FIG. 5). At this time, the blade members 15.14 of the upper and lower cases 13.12 cut into 1jllf of the optical fiber 25, and furthermore, the coating on the tip 25a of the optical fiber 25 is heated by the heater 21 immediately below and softened.

When the optical fiber 25 is pulled out in this state, that is, with the handle 23 pressed downward (FIG. 6), the coating of the optical fiber 25 is cut by the blade member 14, 15, and the coating of the tip portion softened by the above is cut. Since the coefficient of friction between the fiber core 25a and the optical fiber core becomes small, only the coating of the tip 25a remains between the upper and lower cases 13 and 12, and the fiber 25 of the tip
b is exposed. During this time, the upper case 13 is lifted again and the remaining coating is removed from the upper surface of the lower case 12.

In this way, the operation of pulling out the optical fiber 25 can be easily performed without applying excessive force, and breakage of the core wire of the optical fiber is prevented.

In the above embodiment, the guide groove formed in the lower case is used as the guide means, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a guide bin or the like may be used. Further, in the above embodiment, the upper case is rotatably attached to the lower case to constitute the pressing means, but the upper case may be arranged to be slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the lower case, for example.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the optical fiber removal device of the present invention includes a guide means for centering the end of the optical fiber in a predetermined position, and a guide means for cutting off the coating of the optical fiber. A blade member, a pressing means for cutting the nuclear force member into the coating of the optical fiber, and a heating means disposed close to the end of the optical fiber for heating and softening the coating at the end of the optical fiber. With this structure, during the coating removal work, the coating can be easily removed without applying excessive force to the core wire of the optical fiber, thereby preventing the occurrence of defects such as breakage of the core wire. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 6 show an embodiment of the optical fiber coating removal device of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of the coating removal device, and FIG. 2 is a left end view of FIG. 1. , FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow line ■-■ in FIG. Figure 7 is a side view of a conventional optical fiber coating remover, and Figure 8 is the arrow line in Figure 7 - ■.
FIG. 1O... Optical fiber coating removal device, 12... Lower case, 13... Upper case, 12b, 13b... Notch, 12c, 13cm guide means (guide groove), 14.
15...Blade member, +4a, 15a...Notch, 16
... recessed part, 19.20 ... insulation member, 21 ...
Heating means (heater). Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] a guide means for setting the end of the optical fiber in a predetermined position; a blade member for cutting the coating of the optical fiber; a pressing means for causing the blade member to cut into the coating of the optical fiber; 1. A coating removal device for an optical fiber, comprising a heating means disposed close to the terminal of the optical fiber to heat and soften the coating at the terminal of the optical fiber.