JPH022502A - Terminal processing method for optical fiber cord - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To cut a fibrous plastic reinforcing layer surely and speedily to specific length by removing the clad of an optical fiber cord terminal, drawing the exposed fibrous plastic reinforcing layer away from an optical fiber core by an air sucking method and bundling it in a specific direction, and burning out the tip part to specific length. CONSTITUTION:The clad of the terminal of the optical fiber cord 1 is removed to expose the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer 3, which is drawn away from the optical fiber core 2 by an air suction nozzle 5 and bundles in the specific direction; and the bundled plastic reinforcing layer 3 is burnt out by a heater cutting machine 8 to the specific length form the tip part. Thus, the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer 3 is drawn away from the optical fiber core 2 and bundled in the specific direction by using the air suction nozzle 5, so manual operation is not necessary. Consequently, the reinforcing layer can be cut surely and speedily to the specific length.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to an optical fiber cord terminal processing method.

[Prior art and its problems] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, an optical fiber cord has a fibrous plastic reinforcing layer 3 provided on the outer periphery of an optical fiber core 2, and a thermoplastic plastic outer sheath on the outer periphery. 4
It consists of a structure with When such optical fiber cords 1 are to be connected to each other, the outer sheath 4 and the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer 3 at the terminals of the optical fiber cords are cut and removed to a predetermined length, respectively, and the optical fiber cores are removed. The connection is made by exposing 2 and attaching a ferrule to it.

Incidentally, the above-mentioned outer cover 4 can be easily peeled off using a normal mechanical cutting method. On the other hand, the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer 3 is removed by first loosening the fibers by hand and separating them from the optical fiber core 2, then bundling them together and cutting them with a cutter. Not only is it complicated, but because the fibers mentioned above are high-strength materials, they often get damaged by the cutter blade, which requires time and effort to maintain the cutter. The cutting length may be uneven. If the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer of the terminal is cut unevenly, it will have an adverse effect on the mutual connection of optical fibers of about 100 microns, and the connection work requires a high degree of skill.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention was created in view of the above situation, and its purpose is to reliably and quickly cut and remove a fibrous PLUSDEC reinforcing layer to a predetermined length. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for processing the terminals of optical fiber cords.

That is, the present invention provides an optical fiber cord terminal processing method in which a fibrous plastic reinforcing layer is provided on the outer periphery of an optical fiber core wire, and a jacket is further provided on the outer periphery. The fibrous plastic reinforcing layer is removed to expose the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer, and the exposed fibrous plastic reinforcing layer is separated from the optical fiber core wire by an air suction method and focused in a predetermined direction. This method is characterized in that the layer is removed by burning off a predetermined length from the tip.

In the present invention, the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer can be burned out by any method such as a method of pressing an electrically heated nichrome wire against it, a method of irradiating it with infrared rays or a laser beam, or a method of burning it out by applying a flame.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained in detail below using examples.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of constituent elements showing an embodiment of a terminal processing device that implements the method of the present invention. In the figure, 5 is an air suction nozzle, 6 is a support for fixing an optical fiber cord, and 7 is a chuck. Air suction nozzle 5 is optical fiber cord 1
The optical fiber cord fixing support 6 and the chunk 7 are for separating the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer 3 from the optical fiber core S52 and converging it in a predetermined direction. :For fixing and tensioning fibrous plastic reinforcement N3.
The support stand 6 prevents the optical fiber cord from bending, and the chunk 7 holds the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer 3. 8 is a heater cutting machine for burning out the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer 3, and this heater cutting machine 8 is composed of a Nichrome elliptic wire 9 serving as a heater and an electrode ring 10 for feeding power to the Nichrome wire 9. The nichrome wire 9 is fixed to a heater cutting machine main body 12 with tension springs 11 interposed at both ends thereof for absorbing thermal expansion during heating.

Next, the process of processing the end of the optical fiber cord 1 using the above-mentioned end processing device will be specifically explained with reference to FIG.

The optical fiber cord 1 has an aromatic polyamide synthetic fiber commercially available as "Kevlar" (registered trademark of DuPont, USA) as a fibrous plastic reinforcing layer 3 on the outer periphery of the optical fiber core 2, and then is coated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as an outer sheath 4. After peeling off the PVC outer sheath 4 of the optical fiber cord 1 to a predetermined length using a cutter to expose the inner layer Kevlar 3, the outer sheath 4 is Air suction nozzles 5 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the lateral direction at the end of the tube, and the Kevlar 3 is sucked into the nozzle 5 and concentrated (FIG. 1A). Next, the above-mentioned focused Kevlar 3 is collectively held in front of the entrance of the above-mentioned suction nozzle 5 by the chuck 7, and then a support stand 6 is placed close to the optical fiber cord 1 to support the above-mentioned Kevlar 3 from below, and to connect the above-mentioned optical fiber The cord 1 is prevented from curving and the Kevlar 3 is stretched between the chuck 7 (Figure 1);
After that, the nichrome wire 9 of the heater cutting machine 8 is connected to the electrode ring 1.
The heated nichrome wire 9 is moved and pressed against the stretched Kevlar 3 to burn it out (FIG. 3C), and then the chuck 7 is opened and the chips of the burnt-out Kevlar 3 are removed. is removed by suction with the suction nozzle 5 (
Figure 2).

Through the above steps, all of the Kevlar 3 at the end portion of the optical fiber cord 1 are burned off to a predetermined length.

When a ferrule was attached to the terminal of this optical fiber cord 1 and the optical fiber cords 1 were connected to transmit and receive light, good optical communication was achieved.

In the above-mentioned terminal treatment step, the nichrome wire 9 is stretched by the tension bar ♀ 11, so that it maintains a straight state even in the heated state and does not sag, and the Kevlar 3 is burned out in an instant. The smoke, odor, and chips of Kevlar 3 generated during burning were sucked by the suction nozzle 5 and did not harm the working environment.

Note that in the above embodiment, the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer 3
The air suction nozzle 5 was used to focus the air, but as shown in FIG. If ejection and suction are performed at the same time, the PI from the optical fiber core 2 of the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer 3 will be reduced.
i and the suction nozzle 5 more quickly and reliably.

Furthermore, if both ends of the nichrome wire 9 are formed into hook shapes and hooked onto the bow tension spring 11 for use, the nichrome wire 9 can be replaced quickly and conveniently.

[Effect]

As described above, in the present invention, an air suction method is used to remove the outer sheath of the optical fiber cord and separate the exposed fibrous plastic reinforcing layer from the optical fiber core wire and focus it in a predetermined direction. Since no manual work is required and the focused reinforcing layer is cut by burning out, the reinforcing layer can be cut at a predetermined length reliably and quickly.

〔effect〕

As described above, according to the method of the present invention, a series of processing operations such as separation, focusing, cutting, and removal of the fibrous plastic reinforcing layer in the terminal processing of an optical fiber cord can be performed quickly and reliably, which is an industrially outstanding method. be effective.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of components showing one embodiment of a terminal processing device for carrying out the method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of work steps showing an embodiment of the method of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4, a work explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the invention method, is a structural explanatory diagram of an optical fiber cord. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Optical fiber cord, 2... Optical fiber core wire, 3... Fibrous plastic reinforcement layer, 4... Outer cover, 5... Air suction nozzle, 6... Support stand,
7... Chuck, 8... Heater cutting machine,
9... Nichrome wire, 13... Air jet nozzle.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a method for terminal processing an optical fiber cord in which a fibrous plastic reinforcing layer is provided on the outer periphery of an optical fiber core, and a jacket is further provided on the outer periphery, the jacket at the terminal of the optical fiber cord is removed. The above-mentioned fibrous plastic reinforcing layer is exposed, and the exposed fibrous plastic reinforcing layer is separated from the optical fiber core wire by an air suction method and focused in a predetermined direction, and the focused plastic reinforcing layer is moved from the tip portion to a predetermined direction. A method for processing the terminal of an optical fiber cord, characterized by burning out the length and removing the cord.