JPH05224097A - Optical fiber array - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the reliability of the introducing parts of the glass fibers by subjecting the surface of UV coated optical fibers to hermetic coating. CONSTITUTION:The UV coats 9 on the front ends of the UV coated optical fibers are removed and thereafter the glass fibers 10 with the carbon coats of these parts are arranged in V-grooves 2a and the introducing parts 10a are held by a holding part 3, finally, the glass fibers 10 with the carbon coats are fixed by a retaining plate 4 into the V-groove 2a. In this case, the optical fibers 5 are formed with the hermetic coats 8 around the glass fibers 10 constituted of cores 6 and clads 7. The carbon coats are used as the material for the hermetic coats 8. Accordingly, the coefft. of fatigue which is 20 to 25 with the ordinary optical fibers is >=100 in such a case and the generation of bending fatigue is substantially prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber array in which optical fibers are arranged at predetermined intervals.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an optical fiber array of this type is
As shown in FIG. 3, a holding portion 2 having V-shaped grooves 2a arranged at a predetermined pitch interval d for mounting glass fibers 16 and a glass fiber 1 introduced into the V-shaped grooves 2a.
6 is composed of a substrate 1 including a holding portion 3 that is formed one step lower than the holding portion 2 that holds the introduction portion 16a of 6, and a holding plate 4 that holds the glass fiber 16 so as not to float from the V-shaped groove 2a As the UV coated optical fiber 15, one having a coating outer diameter of 250 μm, which has the smallest outer diameter of the core wire, is usually used. Here, the pitch interval d is this coating outer diameter 2
They are arranged at a pitch interval smaller than 50 μm.

In order to manufacture the optical fiber array having such a structure, first, the UV coat on the tip portion of the UV coat optical fiber 15 is removed. Next, each glass fiber 16 from which the UV coating has been removed is attached to a predetermined V-shaped groove 2
The glass fiber 16 is placed at a position 1 and the introduction portion 1 of the glass fiber 16
6a is properly held by the holding portion 3 of the substrate 1. Then, the glass fiber 16 in the V-shaped groove 2a is pressed by the holding plate 4, the adhesive is poured, and the glass fiber 16 is fixed between the V-shaped groove 2a of the substrate 1 and the holding plate 4.

[0004]

As described above, even when the UV coated optical fiber having the smallest outer diameter is used, the optical fibers should be arranged at a pitch interval smaller than the outer diameter of the optical fiber. Then, as the number of optical fibers arranged in the V-shaped groove increases, the bending of the glass fiber is excessively bent due to the difference between the pitch interval of the V-shaped groove and the outer diameter of the outer cover of the optical fiber. Caused a problem in reliability. In particular, this has been a big problem in the optical fibers arranged outside.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a glass fiber with a coating having a high bending reliability and a high external damage resistance. An object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber array in which the reliability of the glass fiber introduction portion is improved.

[0006]

In order to achieve this object, an optical fiber array according to the present invention has a plurality of V-shaped grooves, which are recessed at predetermined intervals on the upper surface of a substrate, and have UVs of UV-coated optical fibers. Place the glass fiber with the coat removed,
An optical fiber array in which the glass fiber is fixed by a holding plate fixed to the substrate so as to cover the V-shaped groove from above, and the UV coated optical fiber is hermetically coated on the surface of the glass fiber. It is a thing. Further, in the optical fiber array according to the present invention, the material of the hermetic coat is carbon.

[0007]

In the present invention, the use of a carbon-coated optical fiber having high bending reliability and strong external damage resistance results in
Bending fatigue is reduced.

[0008]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical fiber array according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the same optical fiber. In these figures, the same components as those of the conventional technique are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The feature of the present invention resides in that the hermetic coat 8 is provided around the glass fiber 10 composed of the core 6 and the clad 7. A carbon coat is used as a material for the hermetic coat. Reference numeral 9 is a UV coat that protects the glass fiber 10.

By using the carbon-coated optical fiber with enhanced bending reliability and external damage resistance, the fatigue coefficient of an ordinary optical fiber is 20 to 25.
In this embodiment, the bending fatigue strength is 100 or more, and bending fatigue hardly occurs.

In order to manufacture an optical fiber array having such a structure, first, the UV coating on the tip portion of the UV coating optical fiber 5 is removed, and then the glass fiber 10 with carbon coating on that portion is formed into a V-shaped groove. 2a, the introduction portion 10a is held by the holding portion 3, and finally the carbon fiber with a carbon coat 10 is fixed in the V-shaped groove 2a by the holding plate 4.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, by using a carbon-coated optical fiber having excellent bending reliability and external damage, it is arranged at a pitch interval smaller than the outer diameter of the optical fiber. Also in this case, there is an effect that reliability is not affected even if bending occurs at the V-shaped groove introduction portion.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical fiber array according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an optical fiber of an optical fiber array according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional optical fiber array.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 substrate 2 holding part 2a V-shaped groove 3 holding part 4 holding plate 5 optical fiber 6 core 7 clad 8 carbon coat 9 UV coat 10 glass fiber

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A glass fiber from which UV coating of a UV-coated optical fiber has been removed is placed in a plurality of V-shaped grooves which are provided at predetermined intervals on the upper surface of a substrate, and the V-shaped groove is covered from above. In the optical fiber array in which the glass fiber is fixed by a holding plate fixed on the substrate,
An optical fiber array in which a V-coated optical fiber is hermetically coated on the surface of a glass fiber. 2. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the hermetic coat material is carbon.