JPH0219763Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an optical fiber cutter that is used for fusion splicing optical fibers and forms a fusion surface of each optical fiber.

To permanently connect optical fibers, the fusion splicing method is widely used because it does not require precision machining and the connection is highly reliable.

During this fusion splicing, an optical fiber cutter is used to form a fused surface of each optical fiber, which cuts the upper part of the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber with a blade and then bends and breaks the optical fiber.

At this time, there is a need for a cutter structure that facilitates the processing of optical fiber end materials.

[Conventional technology]

3 and 4 show a conventional optical fiber cutter, FIGS. 3a, b, and c are side sectional views of the cutting process, respectively, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of essential parts.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 2 denotes a cutter for cutting a desired portion of the optical fiber 1A from which the coating of the end portion of the optical fiber core wire 1 has been peeled off.

Approximately the center of the side edge of the main body 3 made of an elongated thin metal plate is bent into a U shape when viewed from the front, and a pin support side plate 3a is provided. An auxiliary plate 3b having a rounded surface 3c is fixed thereto.

The upper surface of the main body 3 is made of a rubber material, for example, and extends outward from the end surface 3c, and is manually attached to the end surface 3c.
A rectangular elastic plate 4 that bends at portion c is fixed, and a positioning piece 5 is attached to the tip of the elastic plate 4.

A V-groove is provided on the upper surface of the positioning piece 5 on the side opposite to the elastic plate 4, into which the optical fiber core 1 is inserted so that the optical fiber 1A contacts the upper surface of the elastic plate 4 and extends in the direction of the main body 3. ing. The end of this V-groove on the elastic plate 4 side becomes a stopper end face 5a against which the end face of the coating of the optical fiber core 1 comes into contact, and the end face of the optical fiber 1
The position where A is set on the cutter 2 is set.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a clamp plate made of a rectangular metal plate that swings within the pair of pin support side plates 3a with a pin 12 passing horizontally through the pin support side plates 3a of the main body 3 as a fulcrum. The clamp plate 10 is attached to the main body 3 with the elastic plate 4 side facing forward, and a pressure plate 11 made of, for example, a rubber plate is fixed to the lower surface of the clamp tip 10a, facing the elastic plate 4. .

The arm 6, which is made of a thin metal plate and has a length longer than the clamp plate 10 as desired, has both side edges shaped like an inverted U when viewed from the front so that the width of the upper plate portion is slightly larger than the width of the clamp plate 10. An arm side plate portion 6c is provided by being bent into a letter shape.

The arm 6 is mounted on the upper part of the clamp plate 10 so as to be swingable about a pin 12 and facing the main body 3 in a substantially parallel manner so as to sandwich the clamp plate 10 within the pair of arm side plate parts 6c. There is.

Further, a torsion coil spring 13 is wound around the pin 12, and one end of the torsion coil spring 13 is connected to the arm tip 6a of the arm 6.
The lower surface of the clamp plate 10 is pressed against the upper surface of the clamp tip 10a of the clamp plate 10 at the other end. Therefore, the clamp plate 10 and the arm 6 are opened at their distal ends, and a force is applied such that the rear end 6b of the arm and the rear end 10b of the clamp come into pressure contact with each other. That is, the clamp plate 10
As a result, the lower surface of the pressing plate 11 fixed to the lower surface of the clamp tip 10a is pressed against the upper surface of the elastic plate 4.

A blade holder 7 is attached to the arm tip 6a of the arm 6, as shown in FIG.

The blade holder 7 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and a blade 8 having a T-shaped cross section is inserted into the inner surface of the bottom plate.
The cutting edge of the blade 8 protrudes through a hole provided in the center of the bottom plate. Further, a compression coil spring 9 that presses the blade 8 is attached to the hollow hole of the blade holder 7 .

This compression coil spring 9 is adjusted so that when the arm tip 6a is pressed by hand (indicated by the symbol Z1), the cutting edge of the blade 8 bites into the optical fiber 1A with a desired force (for example, 10 g force).

To cut the optical fiber core wire 1 with the cutter 2 configured as described above, (1) As shown in FIG. 3a, hold the cutter 2 by hand,
The rear end 6b of the arm is pressed (indicated by M1) and the pressing plate 11 is separated from the clamping surface of the elastic plate 4 (indicated by M2). Then, the optical fiber core wire 1 is attached to the positioning piece 5, and the optical fiber 1A is
is placed in contact with and along the upper surface of the elastic plate 4, and its end is positioned below the pressing plate 11.

(2) Next, as shown in Fig. 3b, release the pressure on the arm rear end 6b. As a result, the elasticity of the torsion coil spring 13 presses the pressing plate 11 against the clamping surface of the elastic plate 4 (indicated by reference numeral M3), and the end of the optical fiber 1A is held and clamped between the elastic plate 4 and the pressing plate 11. be done.

Then, press the arm tip 6a with your finger (symbol Z
1), and the cutting edge of the blade 8 is bitten into the upper part of the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber strand 1A to make a cut.

(3) When the pressure on the arm tip 6a is stopped, Fig. 3c
As shown in FIG. 2, the arm 6 returns to be substantially parallel to the main body 3 (indicated by reference numeral Z2) due to the elasticity of the torsion coil spring 13.

Thereafter, the positioning piece 5 side is pushed down with a finger (indicated by reference numeral Z3) to bend the elastic plate 4 along the end surface 3c. As a result, the optical fiber 1A
The crack enters from the notch and is cut to form a beautiful end face perpendicular to the axial direction.

After cutting the optical fiber 1A, the force pressing the positioning piece 5 is removed and the optical fiber core 1 is taken out. Further, the press plate 11 is pulled apart as shown in FIG. 3a, and the scrap material 1B is removed.

Note that, excluding the pressing force of the positioning piece 5, the elastic plate 4
The fiber returns to its straight plate shape and becomes ready to cut the next optical fiber.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, the conventional cutter described above has a problem in that it is difficult to remove scraps remaining in the clamp portion after cutting the optical fiber.

That is, when the pressing plate is separated from the elastic plate,
When the scraps adhere to the bottom surface of the press plate and are lifted up, the length of the scraps is sufficiently longer than the length of the press plate, so
It is extremely easy to remove the pressure plate from the lower surface.

However, when it is attached to the top surface of the elastic board (which is the case in most cases), extremely thin (for example, the diameter of optical fiber is 125 μm) scraps are embedded in the top surface of the elastic board in a striped manner. condition, it is difficult to remove.

[Means for solving problems]

The above problem is solved by pressing the pressing plate 11 onto the upper surface of the elastic plate 40 and clamping the end material 1B side of the optical fiber 1A to be cut, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In a cutter that breaks the optical fiber 1A by bending the elastic plate 40 after making a cut in the upper part of the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 1A at a desired location with the blade 8, the pressing plate 11 is pressed against one end of the elastic plate 40. When the scrap material 1B side is in a clamped state, the upper end surface becomes the same plane as the upper surface of the elastic plate 40 by being pressed by the press plate 11, and when the scrap material 1B side is in an unclamped state, the upper end surface becomes flat due to elasticity. This problem is solved by the means of the present invention in which a protrusion 41 is provided that protrudes from the upper surface of the elastic plate 40.

[Effect]

According to the above means of the present invention, in the unclamped state, the protrusion protrudes from the upper surface of the elastic plate, so that the scraps attached to the upper surface of the elastic plate are pushed up by the upper end face of the protrusion. Therefore, it is extremely easy to remove the scraps.

〔Example〕

The gist of the present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to illustrated embodiments. Note that the same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the figures.

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 2a, 2b, and 2c are side sectional views of the main parts, respectively, showing the process of removing offcuts.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, on the top surface of the main body 3,
A rectangular elastic plate 40, which is made of a rubber material and can be manually bent at the end face 3c, is fixed to the end face 3c and extends outward from the end face 3c.
A positioning piece 5 is attached.

A square hole (or round hole) 43 smaller than the planar shape of the pressure plate 11 is provided in the clamp portion facing the pressure plate 11 near the rear end of the elastic plate 40, and the center of the square hole 43 has a A prismatic (or cylindrical) protrusion 41 with a flat upper end surface has a square hole 4 at the bottom.
3 and is connected to the side wall of No. 3 by a connecting portion 42.

In the unclamped state, the upper end surface of the protrusion 41 protrudes beyond the upper surface of the elastic plate 40, as shown in FIG. 2a, and in the clamped state, as shown in FIG. 2b.
As shown in FIG. 2, the end material of the optical fiber 1A is pressed by the pressing plate 11 so that the upper end surface thereof almost coincides with the upper surface of the elastic plate 40.
It is pushed into the square hole 43.

The protrusion 41 configured in this way is connected to the elastic plate 40.
After clamping the end material 1B of the optical fiber 1A with the press plate 11 and cutting it at the desired location, as shown in FIG.
When the pressing plate 11 is pulled apart as shown in FIG.

Therefore, the scrap material 1B that has been pressed and adhered to the upper surface of the elastic plate 40 is pushed up by the upper end surface of the protrusion 41. Therefore, it is extremely easy to remove the scraps 1B.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, the present invention has an excellent practical effect in that it is extremely easy to remove scraps after cutting the optical fiber by providing a protrusion that protrudes elastically on the clamp portion.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention;
Figures a, b, and c in Figure 2 are side sectional views of main parts showing the scrap removal process, and Figures 3 and 4 are of a conventional optical fiber cutter. FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of the main part. In the figure, 1 is an optical fiber core wire, 1A is an optical fiber, 1B is an offcut, 2 is a cutter, 3 is a main body,
4 and 40 are elastic plates, 5 is a positioning piece, 6 is an arm,
7 is a blade holder, 8 is a blade, 9 is a compression coil spring, 10 is a clamp plate, 11 is a press plate, 1
2 is a pin, 13 is a torsion coil spring, 41 is a protrusion, 42 is a connecting portion, and 43 is a square hole.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] The pressing plate 11 is pressed against the upper surface of the elastic plate 40 to clamp the end material 1B side of the optical fiber 1A to be cut, and the blade 8 is applied to the upper part of the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 1A. In a cutter that bends the elastic plate 40 to break the optical fiber 1A after making a cut, one end of the elastic plate 40 is placed in a portion pressed against the press plate 11 on the end material 1B side. In the clamped state, the upper end surface becomes the same plane as the upper surface of the elastic plate 40 by being pressed by the pressing plate 11, and when the scraps 1B side is in the unclamped state, the upper end surface becomes flat due to the elasticity. An optical fiber cutter characterized by being provided with a protrusion 41 that protrudes from the upper surface.