JPH03180805A - Optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow the curved wiring along intricate shapes by coating a freely bendable coated fiber with a synthetic resin tube and disposing a bundle formed by bundling optical fibers of a very small diameter around this tube. CONSTITUTION:The coated fiber 2 consisting of a freely bendable blank material, such as copper or aluminum, is coated with the tube 3 made of the synthetic resin. The bundle 1 which is formed by bundling many pieces of the optical fibers of the extremely small diameter and acts as a piece of the optical fiber is disposed around this tube; further, the outer side thereof is coated with an outside tube 4. The relation of both is provided in such a manner that the bent state of the coated fiber 2 can be maintained against the elastic force of the bundle 1. The bent state is maintained in this way by providing the resilience and bendability. The wiring along the intricate shapes is thus executed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to the structure of optical fibers used in photoelectric switches and optical communications.

[Conventional technology and its problems]

Optical fibers are used for optical coupling in devices that use light as a medium, such as photoelectric switches and optical communications. Glass and plastic are used as materials for this optical fiber.

However, glass is extremely susceptible to bending, so when it is used as a single wire for optical fiber, care must be taken to avoid bending it, which limits its uses. Furthermore, when plastic is used as a single wire, it can be bent to a certain extent, but it has a strong elastic force, so it is difficult to wire along the equipment, and it is difficult to wire along the equipment, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Wiring must be done with curvature. Therefore, the wiring becomes complicated.

Moreover, there is also the problem that if the wire is bent with excessive force, the light transmission ability will be reduced. Furthermore, since it has to be bent with such a large curvature, it also has the fatal disadvantage of wasting space during storage and making the packaging box larger when it is commercialized.

On the other hand, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, optical fibers made by bundling wires with a diameter of several tens of microns have been provided, and although they are considerably more flexible than single wires, At present, it has not yet been possible to route the wiring along the lines.

Especially when using plastic. In some cases, the resiliency of the individual wires forces the wiring to have a certain degree of large curvature.

By the way, as a conventional optical fiber, broadband pair cables have been developed to bundle multiple single optical fibers and electric wires to transmit multiple pieces of information, but this is because the single optical fiber itself has one transmission function. This is different from the configuration of a single optical fiber.

In addition, there is a conventional structure in which one or more piano wires are placed along the outer circumference of an optical fiber, but this is intended to increase the tensile strength, and the piano wire makes the optical fiber flexible. will be lost.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and it is possible to use wires that are flexible and can be easily bent, while also maintaining the state bent at an angle. Our goal is to provide innovative optical fiber that can

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention uses a method of covering a bundle made of a large number of small-diameter optical fibers and a bendable core wire with a protective tube made of synthetic resin. .

Another method was used in which the core wire was covered with a synthetic resin tube and a bundle was placed around it.

c-Function] Each of the strands has a function of transmitting light, and the bundle in a bundled state acts as a single optical fiber. Furthermore, since the core wire is bendable, it has the function of maintaining the bent shape of the optical fiber against the elasticity of the bundle.

The tube coated with the core wire has the function of improving slippage with the bundle and preventing damage to the wires constituting the bundle.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the optical fiber of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. 1 is a bundle made of a large number of glass or plastic wires with a small diameter, and 2 is a bundle made of a flexible material such as copper or aluminum. The core wire is made of raw material, 3 is a protective tube that covers the core wire 2, and 4 is an outer tube that covers the entire core wire. 5 is a cap for forming the end face 6 of the bundle 1. Also,
The bundle l has a certain degree of elasticity even when the wires are tied together, and the core wire 2 is bendable, but the core wire 2 maintains its bent state against the elastic force of the bundle 1. It is necessary to have a relationship where you can do what you want.

Since the above-mentioned optical fiber can be bent at any position, it can be laid along the wall of the device at an angle, as shown in FIG. 3, and the wiring can be laid out neatly.

Note that copper wire, aluminum wire, etc. are usually used for the core wire in consideration of cost, but if conductive metal is used, it may pick up noise, and it is recommended that both ends be completely insulated. Otherwise, there is a problem that devices connected by optical fibers will be electrically connected to each other. Therefore, as shown in the figure, the core wire 3 is made shorter than the bundle 1 so that it does not appear on the end face 6, and does not come into contact with the cap 5 to maintain an electrically insulated state. however,
If cost is excluded, if the core wire is made of insulating and bendable plastic, there is no need to consider the problem of noise, and it can be used in a wide range of applications. moreover,
In this way, there is no need to process the end face and provide a cap, and it is also possible to provide a so-called free-cantable optical fiber that can be cut to any length on site.

Furthermore, the protective tube 3 prevents the core wire 2 from coming into direct contact with the bundle 1 to improve slippage with the protective tube during bending and prevent damage to the wire, but the core wire 2 is made of plastic. It is not necessarily necessary to provide it when a material is used.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The optical fiber of the present invention has a structure in which a bundle made up of a large number of fine-diameter wires and a bendable core wire are covered with a protective tube made of synthetic resin, so that the core wire can be placed in any position. By bending the wire, it is possible to maintain its shape, making it possible to easily wire the wire along a complex device shape.

Furthermore, since it can be handled in the same way as a general covered electric wire, it is easy to store and manage, and it no longer requires a large space when it is stored in a packaging box as a product.

Furthermore, if the core wire is covered with a protective tube, the protective tube and the bundle will slip more easily, which eliminates the problem of damaging the strands, making it possible to produce optical fibers with high precision.

As a secondary effect, when the optical fiber of the present invention is used in a photoelectric switch, it can be maintained in a bent state, so it is possible to use a separate fixing device, similar to the conventional optical fiber whose tip is covered with a stainless steel tube. We were able to provide an optical fiber that has a variety of effects, such as being able to wire freely without the need for fiber optics.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of the optical fiber according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the cut optical fiber, Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of wiring, Figs. 4 and 5 are FIG. 2 is a diagram showing wiring using conventional optical fibers. In the figure, 1...bundle, 2...core wire, 3...protective tube, 4...outer tube, 5...cap. that's all

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An optical fiber characterized in that a bundle 1 in which a large number of optical fibers of minute diameter are bundled together and a bendable core wire 2 are covered with a protective tube 3 made of synthetic resin. 2. The optical fiber according to claim 1, wherein the core wire is covered with a synthetic resin tube and a bundle is arranged around the core.