JPH06222225A - Tape-shaped multi-core fiber and its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a long, multi-core, small diameter, and small core interval tape-shaped multi-core fiber suitable for the simulator image transmission, and its simple manufacturing method. CONSTITUTION:A support tube 10 with a slit-shaped through hole 12 in longitudinal direction is prepared, and multiple optical fibers 14 are inserted supportedly into the slit-shaped through hole 12 in parallel with each other to provide a tape-shaped multi-core fiber base material. Because the support tube 10 supports multiple optical fiber 14 as its word indicates, these optical fibers 4 can be supported in parallel with each other even if they are thin, and also use of adhesive agent is not required. Thus a long, multi-core, small diameter, and small core interval tape-shaped multi-core fiber can be obtained easily by drawing the fused tape-shaped multi-core fiber base material from one end of it.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape-shaped multi-core fiber and a method of manufacturing the same, and provides a tape-like multi-core fiber having a small diameter, a large number of fibers, a long length, and a small fiber interval, which are suitable for image transmission of a simulator. To do.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, the following is an example of an array-shaped transmission line in which a large number of optical fibers are coherently arranged. Fibers are lined up one by one and fixed at both ends with an adhesive and polished, usually called a bundle type, and they are independent in the middle and rich in flexibility. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a bundle type array of this type, in which 1 is a number of optical fiber ends arranged in parallel and adjacent side parts are fixed to each other with an adhesive, and FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view thereof. ing. Reference numeral 2 is a holding member that supports the end portions of the plurality of optical fibers, and reference numeral 3 is a central portion of the plurality of optical fibers that are simply bundled without adhering to each other. The starting material to be the fiber has an appropriate thickness (3 to 20 m).
m) is drawn, cut to a certain length (about 10 to 50 cm), a required number of these are aligned, and the fibers are sequentially heat-welded with an oxyhydrogen flame or the like. This is further referred to as a tape-shaped bunch fiber by melting and drawing.

[0003]

However, in the case of the bundle type array shown in (1), it is difficult to align thin (about 10 μm) fibers, and the number is limited to 100 at most, and the durability is extremely poor. Sometimes the problem of breakage is large. Further, in the case of the bunch fiber, if the fiber for primary drawing has a diameter of 3 mm or more, the fiber is deformed during heat welding and the alignment is broken. If the fiber is made thick, the fiber preform for secondary drawing becomes too thick and drawing is not easy. Therefore, the obtained tape-shaped fiber has a small diameter, a large number of fibers, a long length, and cannot be used for transmission of a simulator image which requires a small fiber interval.

[0004]

The present invention has been made from the above point of view, and the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a large number of cores are arranged in parallel in a common cladding and are supported around them. In a tape-shaped multi-core fiber having layers, the core diameter is 1 to 25 μm, and the core interval is 3
It is in a tape-shaped multi-core fiber which is ˜45 μm.
Further, the invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that a support tube having a rectangular parallelepiped as a whole and having slit-shaped holes in its length direction is prepared, and a large number of light beams are provided in the slit-shaped holes of the support tube. This is a method for producing a tape-shaped multi-core fiber in which fiber strands are inserted in parallel to form a tape-shaped multi-core fiber preform and the preform is melt-drawn from one end. The relative refractive index difference between the fiber and the cladding is 0.5 to several percent.

[0005]

By properly selecting the size of the slit-shaped hole formed in the support tube, the support tube literally supports the optical fiber wire regardless of the diameter and number of the optical fiber wires that are inserted in parallel in it. Therefore, the problem of parallelization of optical fibers and the problem of adhesion are eliminated, and it is possible to easily obtain a tape-shaped multicore fiber having a large number of fibers, a small fiber interval, and a small diameter.

[0006]

EXAMPLE 1 FIG. 1 shows an optical fiber preform used in the method of the present invention. Reference numeral 10 is a rectangular parallelepiped support tube, and 12 is a slit formed in the length direction of the support tube. It is a through hole. Reference numeral 14 is a core-clad type optical fiber element wire that is inserted in a large number in parallel in the slit-shaped through holes. The desired tape-shaped multicore fiber shown in FIG. 2 is obtained by melt-drawing this optical fiber preform from one end and applying a protective resin coating on it. In the figure, 20 is a large number of juxtaposed core parts, 22 is a common clad part surrounding these many clad parts, 24 is a support layer that covers this common clad part, and 26 is a protective coating layer that covers the whole. .

(Specific Example) As the support tube 10 for supporting a large number of optical fiber strands, one made of quartz glass was prepared. The size was 7 mm in length, 130 mm in width, 300 mm in length, and the slit-shaped through hole 12 was 3 mm in length and 120 mm in width. A core diameter of 0.095 mm, a clad diameter of 0.12 mm, and a relative refractive index difference of 1% between the core and the clad in the slit-shaped through hole of the quartz glass support tube.
1000 pieces of the silica glass based optical fiber strands 14 in 1 were packed in parallel to obtain a tape-shaped multi-core fiber preform.
The base material was melt-drawn from one end to form a tape-shaped multicore fiber having a length of 0.5 mm and a width of 8.5 mm, and a protective coating layer 26 made of a UV resin was provided thereon. Thus, it was possible to easily obtain a tape-shaped multicore fiber suitable for image transmission of a simulator, having a long length, a large number of cores, a small diameter, and a small core interval.

[0008]

According to the method of manufacturing an optical fiber according to the present invention, the support tube for supporting the optical fiber element wire is prepared as described above, and a large number of optical fiber elements are provided in the slit-shaped holes provided in the support tube. The optical fiber preform by inserting the wires in a parallel shape, and since this is a method of drawing a molten wire, it is easy to arrange a large number of thin optical fiber strands,
The base material itself does not have a large size, and thus melt drawing of the base material is possible, and it is possible to easily obtain a tape-shaped multicore fiber having a long length, a large number of cores, a small diameter, and a small core interval.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a tape-shaped multicore fiber preform used in the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a tape-shaped multicore fiber preform obtained by the method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional bundle type array.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged explanatory view of FIG. 3.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Support tube 12 Slit-shaped through hole 14 Optical fiber strand

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kazuo Sanada 1440 Rokuzaki, Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture Fujikura Ltd. Sakura Factory

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A tape-shaped multi-core fiber in which a large number of cores are arranged in parallel in a common clad and a support layer is provided around the common clad, wherein a core diameter is 1 to 25 μm and a core interval is 3 to 45 μm. Characteristic tape-shaped multi-core fiber. 2. A support tube having a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole and having slit-shaped holes extending in its length direction is prepared, and a large number of optical fiber strands are inserted in parallel in the slit-shaped holes of the support tube. Tape-shaped multi-core fiber preform, and melt-drawing this preform from one end.