JPH0151806B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention is used in a solar energy collection/transmission device for concentrating solar energy using an optical system and transmitting the concentrated optical energy by introducing it into a light conductor cable. In particular, it relates to an end structure and manufacturing method of a light guide cable that efficiently introduces focused optical energy into the light guide cable,
Alternatively, the optical conductor cable can be connected with less optical loss.

Recently, as we enter an era of energy conservation, interest in the use of solar energy has increased.

The present applicant was one of the first to pay attention to the effective use of solar energy and has already made various proposals, but in order to use solar energy most effectively, it is necessary to convert solar energy into light energy.
That is, it is used without converting it into other forms of energy such as electricity or heat. Therefore, the present applicant has proposed that solar energy be focused and introduced into a light guide cable, and guided through the light guide cable to a location that requires illumination to provide illumination. In this way, by transmitting solar energy using a light conductor cable and illuminating with solar energy, there is no conversion loss, and the solar energy can be used most efficiently. However, in reality, it is impossible to introduce all of the focused solar energy into the optical conductor cable, and the introduction efficiency is also low. Furthermore, the optical loss at the connection point of the optical conductor cable was also very large.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram for explaining an example of a solar energy collection/transmission device in which the optical conductor cable according to the present invention is used. a lens 2 for focusing light energy L, said lens 2;
It consists of a frame 3 and a bottom plate 4 for holding the lens 2, and a coupler 5 for introducing the sunlight energy focused by the lens 2 into the light guide cable 6. In such a solar energy collection/transmission device, the present invention improves the optical energy introduction end 6a side of the optical conductor cable 6 to efficiently transfer the solar energy focused by the lens 2 to the optical optical conductor cable 6. The invention also relates to a method for effectively fabricating a deceptively improved optical energy introduction end.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an example of a conventional optical conductor cable. As shown in the figure, the conventional optical conductor cable consists of a large number of optical fibers 6 ₁ , 6 ₂ , each having a round cross-sectional shape. 6 ₃ ... is made up of bundles. Therefore, when introducing the optical energy collected by the optical coupler 5 into the optical conductor cable 6 as shown in FIG. There was a drawback that the optical energy collected by the optical coupler 5 could not be efficiently introduced into the optical conductor cable 6. By the way, the area of the cladding part and the gap between each optical fiber is
Depending on the thickness of the cladding layer, it can amount to about 30% of the cross-sectional area of the optical conductor cable.

The present invention has been made to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art as described above, and one embodiment thereof is shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the optical energy introduction end 6a side of the optical conductor cable 6 according to the present invention. According to the present invention, the cladding of each optical fiber is removed from the optical energy introduction end 6a side of the optical conductor cable 6. , and the core of each optical fiber is approximately 6
It is formed into a square shape. Therefore, according to the present invention, all of the optical energy collected by the optical coupler 5 is introduced into the core of the optical fiber without being introduced into the cladding of the optical fiber or into the gaps between the optical fibers. Therefore, optical coupler 5
The transmission loss at the coupling surface between the optical fiber 6 and the optical fiber 6 can be significantly improved. Note that in order to remove the cladding of each optical fiber and form the cross section of each core into a substantially hexagonal shape, the end face of the optical conductor cable is heated to such an extent that the cladding melts but the core does not melt. If tightened with a jig or wire,
The cladding is melt-compressed and extruded, and finally,
Only the core is compressed to form the densest hexagon. Furthermore, although an example has been described above in which the optical energy focused by the lens 2 is introduced into the optical conductor cable 6 through the optical coupler 5, the optical energy from the lens 2 is directly introduced into the optical conductor cable 6 without using the optical coupler 5 . It will be easily understood that it may be introduced into the cable 6, and furthermore, it may be applied to the connection of a light conductor cable.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, light energy can be efficiently introduced into the optical conductor cable by simple processing on the end of the optical conductor cable, or the connection of the optical conductor cable can be easily performed. It has the advantage of being able to do this efficiently.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a solar energy collection/transmission device in which the optical conductor cable for transmitting optical energy according to the present invention is used, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional optical conductor cable, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the optical energy input/output end side of the optical conductor cable according to the present invention. 1 ...Solar energy collection/transmission device, 2...
... Lens, 5 ... Optical coupler, 6 ... Optical conductor cable, 6 ₁ , 6 ₂ , 6 ₃ ... Optical fiber.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Consisting of a bundle of multiple optical fibers, at one end of which is the optical energy introduction end, the optical fiber bundle is melted and compressed to extrude the cladding, and consists only of the core, and The end face of each core is approximately 6
An end structure of an optical conductor cable for transmitting optical energy, characterized by forming a rectangular shape and being closely connected. 2. Bundle one end of a large number of optical fibers, heat to such an extent that the cladding melts but does not melt the core, and tighten with a jig or wire to extrude the molten cladding, forming each core into a roughly hexagonal shape. 1. A method of manufacturing an end portion of an optical conductor cable for transmitting optical energy, characterized in that the end portions of the optical conductor cable are bonded to each other in close contact with each other.