JPH06167633A - Clamp mechanism for optical fiber coupler manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a clamp mechanism which can manufacture plural optical fiber couplers having uniform characteristics at the same time. CONSTITUTION:Respective exposed optical fibers in a 1st optical fiber 10 and a 2nd optical fiber group 11 which are arrayed one over another in parallel and in contact, a 1st spacer 21 which has one high raised part 23 for increasing the prescribed intervals of nearby optical fibers 10a-10d and 1a-11d by a desired quantity, and a 2nd spacer 22 having a couple of high raised parts 24a and 24b are disposed in series.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention, when manufacturing an optical fiber type coupler used in an optical communication system or a sensor system, simultaneously manufactures two or more optical fiber type couplers. The present invention relates to a device used for parallel alignment, and in particular, an optical fiber type coupler is manufactured by combining a pair of upper and lower optical fiber groups or a pair of upper and lower optical fibers in which a plurality of optical fiber strands are arranged in parallel on the same plane. It relates to a method / apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In constructing an optical communication system, an optical data ring network or the like, an optical demultiplexer that distributes an optical signal emitted from a light source at a desired ratio is important as a component. One of the optical demultiplexers is an optical fiber coupler. This optical fiber coupler is usually made by heating and melting a plurality of optical fibers to fuse them, and stretching the fused portions under a constant tension. . At the time of this fusion, it is necessary to closely align and align the glass portions of the optical fiber, and a clamp mechanism is used for that purpose.

Conventionally, from the viewpoint of improving the productivity of optical fibers, a method of manufacturing a plurality of optical fiber couplers at a time has been disclosed in JP-A-63-205615 and JP-A-1-12.
Various proposals have been made in Japanese Patent No. 0510.

8 and 9 show an example of a conventional optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus. First and second optical fiber group 1
0,11 parts 10a to 10d where the coating is not removed,
Reference numerals 11a to 11d denote left and right clamps 12a and 12b, and portions 10a 'to 10d' and 11 of which the coating is removed.
The a 'to 11d' are fixed on the pair of left and right moving stands 14a and 14b by the pair of left and right clamps 13a and 13b, respectively. The uncovered portions 10a 'to 10 of the first and second optical fiber groups 10 and 11 are then removed.
A plurality of optical fiber couplers are manufactured at the same time by heating and fusing d'and 11a 'to 11d' while heating and fusing with a burner 15. After that, a required molding is performed by a molding device (not shown).

[0005]

By the way, in the case of manufacturing a plurality of optical fiber couplers at a time, it is necessary that the characteristics of the manufactured couplers are uniform. It was difficult to manufacture the characteristics uniformly and with good reproducibility. The problem is that the size of the coating of the optical fiber is standardized, and when they are arranged side by side, the distance between them is narrow, for example, 125 μm, and uniform heating cannot be performed. The spacing is similar for tape fibers.

FIG. 1 shows the reason why uniform heating cannot be performed.
It shows in 0. In FIG. 10A, 10a 'to 10d' are the first
, 11a 'to 11d' are the second optical fiber group, and 15 is a burner. Burner 15
Since the combustion gas that comes out of the chamber burns while flowing as shown by the arrows in the figure, heat is not so much generated in the group of 10b 'and 11b', 10c 'and 11c', and 10a 'and 11a', 10
Since the heat of the d'and 11 d'sets goes considerably, it is relatively 1
The set of 0a 'and 11a' and 10d 'and 11d' are better heated and not uniform. Therefore, the characteristics of the manufactured optical fiber coupler are not uniform.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a clamp mechanism capable of simultaneously manufacturing a plurality of optical fiber couplers having uniform characteristics.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the structure of the present invention is an optical fiber element in which a plurality of first optical fibers are stripped of coating over a predetermined section at the same longitudinal position. A first optical fiber group in which a line is exposed and the exposed optical fiber strands are arranged so as to be parallel to each other on the same plane; and the same number of second optical fibers as the first optical fiber. Similarly, means for arranging the coated and stripped fiber strands of the second optical fiber group in close contact with each other in parallel and arranging them in a row, and the exposed optical fiber strands of the first and second optical fibers and the vicinity thereof And a spacer for widening a desired distance between the optical fibers.

[0009]

According to the above construction, the intervals between the exposed optical fiber strands of the optical fibers arranged in a row and the optical fibers in the vicinity thereof are simultaneously expanded by a desired amount in the first group and the second group, and are burned by the burner. Heated uniformly with gas.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 and 2 show the spacer alone. That is, the first spacer 21 and the second spacer 2 are formed on the base 20.
2 and 2 are fixed in series at a predetermined distance from each other, and the optical fiber first divided into two by the mountain-shaped portion 23 of the first spacer 21 is then divided into two mountain-shaped portions 24 a of the second spacer 22.
It can be further divided into two at 24b. Therefore, the distance between the finally divided optical fibers is equal to the peak-shaped portion 2 of the first and second spacers 21 and 22.
It is determined by the width dimensions of 3, 24a and 24b. Also, the first
The mountain-shaped portion 23 of the spacer 21 is formed higher than the two mountain-shaped portions 24a and 24b of the second spacer 22.

3 and 4 show how to use both spacers 21 and 22. That is, the portions 10a to 10d, 11a to 1 of the first and second optical fiber groups where the coating is not removed.
Eight 1d pieces are first divided into two by the mountain-shaped portion 23 of the first spacer 21. Next, the divided four pieces are further divided into two by the mountain-shaped portions 24a and 24b of the second spacer 22 to form a pair of two pieces.

As a result, the distance between the optical fibers can be increased by a desired amount in both the first and second groups at the same time.
As shown in (b) of FIG. 3, the combustion gas emitted from the burner 15 burns while flowing as shown by the arrows in the figure, and 10a, 11a, 10
Since the same heat as the combination of d and 11d goes, 10a and 11a
The sets of 10d and 11d are heated uniformly. For this reason,
The characteristics of the optical fiber coupler produced can be made more uniform.

The construction of an actual optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus is shown in FIGS. That is, the optical fiber groups 10a to 10d and 11a to 11d whose coatings have not been removed are the pair of left and right clamps 12a and 1 for use when the optical fiber groups on the pair of left and right moving stands 14a and 14b are aligned.
2b, and the first and second spacers 21 and 22 described above are fixed.
Of the optical fiber groups 10a to 1a whose coatings are not removed by the Z stages 25a and 25b.
Optical fibers 10a 'to 10d', 11a 'to 11 whose coatings have been removed by expanding the intervals of 0d and 11a to 11d
d'is fixed by a pair of left and right clamps 13a and 13b. After that, the portion where the coating is removed is heated by the burner 15 to perform fusion bonding and stretching.

At this time, 1.
LD light source of required wavelength such as 3 μm, optical fiber 10
A power meter is provided at the other end of a and the same side of the optical fiber 11a to manufacture an optical fiber coupler while monitoring a set of powers. When the desired branching ratio is reached, the flame of the burner 15 is extinguished to complete the optical fiber coupler. After that, mold according to your needs.

After this, molding may be carried out as it is, but both spacers 2 of the present invention used for expanding the interval.
If 1, 22 are lowered, the distance between the optical fiber groups will be restored,
A coupler having the same shape as that of the one without expansion is obtained, and a smaller coupler is obtained. In particular, when a coupler is manufactured from tape, this is more attractive and increases the commercial value.

Further, as the spacer, for example, the one shown in FIG. 7 can be considered. This is because the pair of left and right wedge-shaped first spacers 25a and 25b and the second spacers 26a and 26b, which are movable in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, are moved as shown in (a) to (e). This is an example in which the intervals of the two optical fiber groups 10a to 10d and 11a to 11d are simultaneously expanded by a desired amount. Of course, the structure of the spacer is not limited to these.

[0017]

As described above, by using the clamp mechanism of the present invention, a plurality of optical fiber couplers can be manufactured at the same time, and the cost of the optical fiber coupler can be reduced. Further, since a plurality of optical fiber couplers are collected by using the tape fiber, it is possible to provide an optical fiber coupler which is more convenient to use than the conventional one when using a plurality of optical fiber couplers.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a single spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a working state of the spacer.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a working state of the spacers.

FIG. 5 is an overall side view of the same optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the spacer.

FIG. 8 is a side view of an optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus according to a conventional example.

9 is a plan view of FIG. 8. FIG.

FIG. 10 is a comparative explanatory diagram of a heating state by a burner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 1st optical fiber group 11 2nd optical fiber group 12a, 12b Clamp 13a, 13b Clamp 14a, 14b Stretching moving stand 15 Burner 21 1st spacer 22 2nd spacer 23 Mountain shape part 24a, 24b Mountain shape part

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Eisuke Sasaoka 1 Taya-cho, Sakae-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Yokohama Works

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of first optical fibers, the coating is removed over a predetermined section at the same longitudinal position to expose the optical fiber strands, and the exposed optical fiber strands are parallel to each other on the same plane. First arranged to be
Of the optical fiber group and the second optical fibers of the same number as the first optical fiber, the fiber strands of the second optical fiber group in which the coating is removed and arranged in the same manner as the first optical fiber are closely adhered in parallel to each other. A mechanism for arranging the first and second optical fibers and a spacer for widening a desired distance between the exposed optical fiber strands of the first and second optical fibers and the optical fibers in the vicinity thereof. . 2. The clamp mechanism for an optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spacer has a mountain-shaped portion inserted between the optical fiber groups. 3. The clamp mechanism for an optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is divided into two and a necessary number of spacers are provided. 4. The clamp mechanism for an optical fiber coupler manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber group is a tape fiber.