JPH05224021A - Method for supplying coated optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the method for supplying a coated optical fiber 1 which can surely feed the coated optical fiber into a prescribed working station. CONSTITUTION:The coated optical fiber 1 is first sent to a fiber gripper 7 and is gripped by the fiber gripper 7. While feed rolls 2 are rotated, the fiber gripper 7 is advanced to feed in the coated optical fiber 1 until its front end engages the imposing end face of, for example, a scalping station 4. The coated optical fiber 1 is then parted in the state of stopping the feed rolls 2 and the fiber gripper 7 is moved backward to the home position. The coated optical fiber 1 is again gripped by the fiber gripper 7 and while the feed rolls 2 are rotated, the fiber gripper 7 is advanced to feed the coated optical fiber 1 into the prescribed position of the scalping station 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of supplying an optical fiber core wire for feeding a single-core or multi-core optical fiber core wire to a predetermined work station of an optical fiber core wire connecting device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When connecting a single-core optical fiber or a multi-core optical fiber, the end of the optical fiber is stripped, the stripped bare optical fiber is cut, and the bare optical fibers are fused together. The work steps of splicing and reinforcing the fusion spliced portion are performed in sequence. When this connecting work is performed using the connecting device, it is necessary to supply the optical fiber core wire to a predetermined station in the connecting step, for example, a station in the skin removing step.

Conventionally, the supply of this optical fiber core wire is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the optical fiber core wire 1 fed from a bobbin (not shown) or the like is sandwiched between the feed roll 2 and the driven roll 3, and the feed roll 2 conveyed by a motor (not shown) is rotated. The optical fiber core wire 1 is fed by force between the upper base 5 and the lower base 6 of the stripping station 4,
A blade (not shown) provided in the skinning station 4
The optical fiber core wire 1 is stripped by using.

[0004]

However, in the method in which the optical fiber core wire 1 emitted from the feed roll 2 is brought to the peeling station 4 through the free space between the feed roll 2 and the peeling station 4, As shown in FIG. 11, if the optical fiber core wire 1 has a habit such as bending, or if the optical fiber core wire 1 is bent by the weight of the optical fiber core wire itself even without the habit, the optical fiber core to be sent The tip portion of the wire 1 does not rest on the mounting surface of the lower base 6 of the stripping station 4, but strikes the end surface of the upper base 5 or the lower base 6, and the optical fiber core wire 1 is attached to the upper base 5 and the lower base. There is a problem that it cannot be fed to a predetermined peeling station position through the space between the table and the table 6.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber core wire without being affected by habits such as bending of the optical fiber core and bending due to the weight of its own weight. An object of the present invention is to provide a method of supplying an optical fiber core wire which can be surely sent to a predetermined position of a skinning station.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. That is, the present invention provides a method for supplying an optical fiber core wire for supplying the optical fiber core wire to a predetermined work station of a connecting device,
After sending the optical fiber core to the fiber gripper by the feed roll and then stopping the feed roll and gripping the optical fiber core with the fiber gripper, the tip of the optical fiber core is placed at the mounting end of the work station. The fiber gripper is advanced and fed until it hits, then the fiber gripper is moved backward by separating the optical fiber core wire, and then the fiber is gripped and forward feed is performed. The backward movement is repeated a required number of times to supply the optical fiber core wire to a predetermined position of the work station.

[0007]

In the present invention, when the optical fiber core wire is supplied to the stripping station, for example, first, the feed roll is fed to a position where the end face of the optical fiber core wire passes through the fiber gripping tool, and the feed roll is stopped. The fiber core wire is gripped by the fiber gripping tool.

Next, the fiber gripper is advanced, and the fiber gripper is stopped until the tip of the optical fiber core reaches the mounting end of the stripping station and the advance of the fiber gripper is stopped. Separate from the grip. In this state, the optical fiber core is in a state of being hung between the feed roll and the stripping station.

Next, the fiber gripper is moved backward to the original position, the optical fiber core wire is gripped again, and the fiber gripper is moved forward. By repeating the advance and retreat of the fiber gripper a required number of times, the optical fiber core wire is sent to a predetermined position of the skin stripping station.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the description of this embodiment, the same parts as those shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. 1 to 9 show the operation of an embodiment of a method for supplying an optical fiber according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, a fiber gripper 7 is provided between the feed roll 2 and the stripping station 4.
The fiber gripper 7 includes an upper grip 7a and a lower grip 7.
b, and a gripping operation of the optical fiber core wire 1 and a releasing operation (grip release operation) of the optical fiber core wire 1 are performed by a known gripping mechanism (not shown). It is controlled by a control device (not shown). Further, the fiber gripping tool 7 is linked to an advancing / retreating drive mechanism capable of advancing and retracting, and under the control of the controller, when the fiber gripping tool 7 moves forward, the feed speed of the feed roll 2 and the advancing of the fiber gripping tool 7 are advanced. It is synchronized with speed. Further, when the fiber gripper 7 moves backwards away from the optical fiber core wire 1, the feed roll 2
Is controlled so that it remains stationary.

Under the above device configuration, the optical fiber core wire 1
When the fiber gripper 7 is supplied to the stripping station 4, the optical fiber core wire 1 is fed by the feed roll 2 to the upper grip 7a of the fiber gripper 7 and the lower gripper 7a while the fiber gripper 7 is opened as shown in FIG. It is fed through between the side gripping portion 7b and, as shown in FIG. 2, the feed roll 2 is stopped when the tip surface of the optical fiber core wire 1 is slightly out of the tip of the fiber gripping tool 7, and the fiber gripping tool 7 is used. The optical fiber core wire 1 is gripped.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, while the optical fiber core wire 1 is being fed by the feed roll 2, the fiber gripping tool 7 is advanced so that the tip end of the optical fiber core wire 1 is placed on the placing end of the stripping station 4. In this FIG. 3, until the tip end side of the fiber gripping tool 7 enters between the upper gripping part 7a and the lower gripping part 7b, the rotation of the feed roll 2 and the forward motion of the fiber gripping tool 7 are stopped until it reaches the section. To do. In this state, as shown in FIG. 4, the fiber gripper 7 is opened to release the optical fiber core wire 1, and as shown in FIG. 5, the fiber gripper 7 is retracted to its original position. Then, as shown in FIG. 6 again, the optical fiber core wire 1 is gripped by the fiber gripping tool 7, and as shown in FIG. 7, the fiber gripping tool 7 is advanced while rotating the feed roll 2 to move the optical fiber core wire 1 When the fiber gripping tool 7 advances to a predetermined stroke position, the feed roll 2 is stopped to open the fiber gripping tool 7 and separate the optical fiber core wire 1. Then, the fiber gripper 7 is moved back to the original position again.

As described above, the optical fiber core wire 1 is advanced by moving the fiber gripping tool 7 forward, and the backward movement of the fiber gripping tool 7 is performed by separating the optical fiber core wire 1 from the optical fiber core wire 1. Core wire 1 is a stripping station 4
It is sent to the predetermined position of. The optical fiber core wire 1
The feed amount of the optical fiber core wire 1 is provided with, for example, a detection sensor for the optical fiber core wire 1 and an encoder for detecting the rotation amount of the driven roll 3. When the passage is detected, the encoder is operated, and the feed amount of the optical fiber core wire 1 can be accurately controlled based on the detection signal of the encoder.

According to this embodiment, the optical fiber core wire 1 is first fed by the feed roll to the fiber gripper 7, and then the optical fiber core wire 1 is gripped by the fiber gripper 7 and the feed roll 2 is rotated. While the fiber gripping tool 7 is advanced, the optical fiber core wire 1 is fed until it reaches the mounting end of the stripping station 4 (the upper edge of the lower base 6), and thus the optical fiber core wire 1 is fed. Even if 1 has a tendency such as a bend, it does not hit the end surface of the peeling station 4.
Moreover, the tip end of the optical fiber core wire 1 is attached to the fiber gripper 7
Since the end portion of the optical fiber core wire 1 is not bent by its own weight, the end portion of the optical fiber core wire 1 must be hung on the mounting end portion of the stripping station 4 since the end portion of the optical fiber core wire 1 is not bent by its own weight. Can be done.

By further feeding the optical fiber core wire 1 with the end portion of the optical fiber core wire 1 securely hooked on the mounting end portion of the stripping station 4, the optical fiber core wire 1 is peeled off. It will be smoothly fed to a predetermined position of the station 4.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various embodiments can be adopted. For example, in the above embodiment, the optical fiber core wire 1 is first fed to the fiber gripper 7
At the time of feeding, the tip of the optical fiber core wire 1 was fed until it was slightly out of the tip of the fiber gripping tool 7. However, the tip side of the fiber gripping tool 7 is the upper base 5 of the stripping station 4 as in this embodiment. When the optical fiber core wire 1 can be separated by entering the gap of the lower base 6, the tip of the optical fiber core wire 1 does not necessarily need to be projected to the tip of the fiber gripper 7. On the other hand, when the tip side of the fiber gripper 7 enters the gap between the upper base 5 and the lower base 6 and the optical fiber core wire 1 cannot be separated (when the gap is small), the optical fiber core The tip of the wire 1 is slightly projected from the tip of the fiber gripper 7, and when the optical fiber core wire 1 is sent to the stripping station 4 side by the forward movement of the fiber gripper 7, it is projected from the tip of the fiber gripper 7. The leading end of the optical fiber core wire 1 is hooked on the mounting end of the stripping station 4.

In the above embodiment, when the optical fiber core wire 1 is gripped by the fiber gripping tool 7 and is fed forward, the feed roll 2 is rotated to move the fiber gripping tool 7 to the feed roll 2.
The optical fiber core wire 1 is fed by the feed force of the feed roll 2 and the feed force of the fiber gripper 7 in synchronism with the feed speed of the fiber roll. Alternatively, the optical fiber core wire 1 may be sent only by the carrying force of the fiber gripping tool 7 with the optical fiber core wire 2 being free.

Further, although the case where the optical fiber core wire 1 is sent to the stripping station 4 has been described in the present embodiment, the present invention is also applied to the case where the optical fiber core wire 1 is sent to another work station. is there.

[0020]

According to the present invention, the optical fiber core wire is fed to the fiber gripping tool by a feed roll, the optical fiber core wire is gripped by the fiber gripping tool, and the fiber gripping tool is advanced to move the tip end of the optical fiber core wire. Hang it on the mounting end of the work station,
In this state, the optical fiber core wire is configured to be further fed to a predetermined position of the work station.
It is possible to reliably solve the conventional problem that the optical fiber core wire hits the end of the work station and cannot be fed due to the weight of the optical fiber core wire or due to the bending of the optical fiber core wire. ,
The optical fiber core wire can be smoothly and surely supplied to a predetermined position of the work station.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of an operation state in which an optical fiber core wire is fed into a fiber gripping tool in an operation of an embodiment of a method for supplying an optical fiber core wire according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the optical fiber core wire is gripped by the fiber gripping tool after the optical fiber core wire is fed to a position slightly ahead of the fiber gripping tool from the state of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a state in which the optical fiber core wire is fed from the state of FIG. 2 to a position where it is hooked on a stripping station.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the fiber gripper separates the optical fiber core wire from the state shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of retracting the fiber gripping tool to the original position from the state of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a state in which the optical fiber core wire is gripped again with the fiber gripping tool returned to the original position.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of rotating the feed roll from the state of FIG. 6 and advancing the fiber gripper to further feed in the optical fiber core wire.

8 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the fiber gripper separates the optical fiber core wire at the feeding end position in FIG. 7. FIG.

9 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the fiber gripping tool retracts and returns to the original position from the state of FIG.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional optical fiber core wire supply method for sending an optical fiber core wire to a stripping station.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a defective state of a conventional optical fiber core wire supply method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Optical fiber core wire 2 Feed roll 4 Stripping station 7 Fiber gripping tool

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Seiyo Mishima 2-6-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Toshiaki Satake 1-1-6, Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method of supplying an optical fiber core wire for supplying the optical fiber core wire to a predetermined work station of a connecting device, wherein the optical fiber core wire is fed to a fiber gripping tool by a feed roll, and then the feed roll is stopped. After gripping the optical fiber core with the fiber gripper, advance the fiber gripper until the tip of the optical fiber core reaches the mounting end of the work station, and then release the optical fiber core. The fiber gripper is moved backwards and then the optical fiber core wire is gripped and forward feed is performed, and the forward feed and backward movement of the fiber gripper are repeated as many times as necessary to move the optical fiber core wire to a predetermined position on the work station. A method of supplying an optical fiber core wire to be supplied to a.