JPH0440167Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention is an optical fiber that accommodates an optical fiber coupler that allows at least two or more optical fibers to be brought close together and allows light to move between the optical fibers. Concerning the Huaibaka Plastic Package.

[Prior Art] First, an optical fiber coupler is made by arranging two optical fibers 11 and 12 parallel to each other and fusing them using a propane oxide flame 13, for example, as shown in FIG. , 12 by pulling and stretching with an appropriate force.

As a result, the cores of the two optical fibers become thinner and approach each other, so that light incident on one optical fiber tends to seep out from the core and is more likely to be coupled to the other optical fiber. That is, it has an optical distribution and coupling function. The bonding ratio in this optical fiber coupler can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of stretching.

The fused and stretched portion of the optical fiber coupler is quite thin (approximately 50 μm or less), so it is very weak toward the outside, and if moisture adheres to this portion, the light branching ratio will change. Therefore, the optical fiber coupler is sealed with a case or the like to form an optical fiber coupler package.

9 and 10 show conventional packages for optical fiber couplers. The fused and drawn optical fiber coupler 14 is attached to a support plate, for example, a glass plate 1.
5 with an ultraviolet curing adhesive 16 or the like. Since the optical fiber coupler 14 fused and drawn in this manner is easily broken, the optical fiber coupler 14 fixed to the glass plate 15 is protected by a sleeve 17. The sleeve 17 is made of, for example, a glass tube. Sleeve 17 and glass plate 15
is fixed with, for example, an ultraviolet curing adhesive 18 or the like. On the other hand, the optical fibers 18 and 19 from the optical fiber coupler 14 are bonded with a silicone resin adhesive 2.
1, etc., and is fixed to the sleeve 17.

``Problems that the invention seeks to solve'' There are many applications in which multiple optical fiber couplers are used. For example, optical fiber sensors having a plurality of optical fiber interferometers are widely used in communication bases where lines are concentrated in optical fiber communications. Conventionally, only one optical fiber coupler was disposed in one package. The current package size is
It has a diameter of 4 mm and a length of about 50 mm, so in applications where multiple optical couplers are used, the size becomes large, which hinders miniaturization of the device.

Optical fiber sensors that measure physical quantities such as temperature, pressure, displacement, magnetic fields, acceleration, and angular velocity should be as small as possible when considering their intended use, and this is one of the development goals. Therefore, optical fiber couplers are naturally required to be made smaller.

Furthermore, since conventional optical fiber coupler packages are much larger than the optical fibers used, there is a risk that stress may be applied to the base of the optical fibers coming out of the package, causing them to break.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an optical fiber coupler package that can be made smaller and reduce stress on the base of the optical fibers coming out of the package in applications where multiple optical fiber couplers are used. .

``Means for Solving the Problems'' According to this invention, at least two or more fused and drawn optical fiber couplers are arranged in the same package.

In this way, compared to the case where one optical fiber coupler is arranged in one package, the overall shape can be made smaller, and stress on the base of the optical fiber is reduced.

Embodiment FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the optical fiber coupler package according to this invention. In this embodiment, six optical fiber couplers 14 fixed to a glass plate 15 are arranged in one sleeve 23. The optical fiber couplers 14 are attached to the glass 15 and then fixed by adhesive on both sides of the mounting plate 24, and the remaining two are attached to the sleeve 2.
It is glued to the side of 3. The mounting plate 24 is
For example, it is adhesively fixed to the sleeve 23 using a glass plate or the like. Optical fiber coupler 14, glass plate 1
5. As the adhesive for fixing the mounting plate 24 and the like, for example, an ultraviolet curing adhesive is used.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of another package. In this embodiment, six optical fiber couplers 14 attached to the glass plate 15 are adhesively fixed on the inner circumference of the sleeve 23.

4 and 5 show the optical fiber coupler 14 attached to the glass plate 15 in an H-shaped case 26.
They are fixed with adhesive and covered with covers 27 and 28.

6 and 7 show the cover 27 in FIG.
The optical fiber coupler 14 attached to the glass plate 15 was adhesively fixed to the portion 28.

The optical fiber coupler 14 shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 7 has been described only as one that branches the light incident on the optical fiber coupler into two directions; The same applies to the above.

``Effect of the Idea'' According to the optical fiber coupler package shown in Figures 1 and 3, six optical fiber couplers can be placed in a package with a diameter of 8 mm. As a result, the volume of the package required for each optical fiber coupler is 1/1/2 compared to the conventional package (diameter 4 mm, length 50 mm).
1.5, making it smaller. Although fused and drawn optical fiber couplers are fragile, they are stably protected by the package.

In the package method shown in FIG. 7, if the number of optical fiber couplers is further increased in a horizontal line, the package volume required for each optical fiber coupler becomes even smaller. By the way, if you store 10 optical fiber couplers on the top and bottom, the volume ratio will be less than 1/20 of the conventional optical fiber coupler package, which is a significant improvement.

As the volume of each optical fiber coupler decreases, the weight applied to the optical fiber coming out of the package will naturally become lighter, and the stress applied to the base of the optical fiber will also be reduced, making it less likely that it will break.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of this invention, Figure 2 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of this invention.
The figures are a sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 2 showing another embodiment of this invention, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 2.
The figure is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing still another embodiment of this invention, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing still another embodiment of this invention, FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 6, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an optical fiber coupler, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. A sectional view showing a conventional optical fiber coupler package, FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 9.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] This is an optical fiber coupler in which at least two or more optical fibers are fused and stretched to enable the transfer of light between the optical fibers, and the optical fiber coupler is supported by a support plate. At least two or more optical fiber couplers supported by such a support plate are arranged substantially parallel to each other in the same package and sealed, and are fixed to a common mounting body by the support plate, and the package An optical fiber coupler package in which the optical fibers at both ends of each of the optical fiber couplers are led out from both ends of the optical fiber coupler.