JPH07318731A - Optical fiber clamping device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an optical fiber clamping device which facilitates precision working of constituting parts and is simple in coupling structure of a clamp and a clamp holder by constituting this device in such a manner that a clamp holds down the optical fiber on a V-groove at one point of the intersected point of an upper pin and a lower pin so as to uniformly hold down the optical fiber in its longitudinal direction. CONSTITUTION:This optical fiber clamping device has the clamp 15 for holding down the optical fiber 11 on the V-groove 13 and the clamp holder 17 for holding this clamp. The clamp 15 is formed with an upper hole 19 and a lower hole 21 in such a manner that these holes intersect orthogonally with each other and are communicated with each other by overlapping of the lower part of the upper hole and the upper part of the lower hole in the intersected parts. The lower pin 29 is tightly inserted into the lower hole 21. The upper hole 27 is loosely inserted into the upper hole 19 and both ends of the upper pin 27 are fixed to the clamp holder 17.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber clamp device used in an optical fiber fusion splicer or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to fusion splice optical fibers, it is necessary to precisely align the optical fibers to be spliced. For that purpose, a clamp device for positioning the optical fiber with high accuracy is required. The conventional clamp device of this type generally has a structure in which the optical fiber is positioned by placing it on a V-groove that is processed with high accuracy and pressing it with a clamp whose bottom surface is flat from above. In such a clamp device, it is important that the optical fiber placed in the V groove can be uniformly pressed in the longitudinal direction by the lower surface of the clamp.

Therefore, a clamp device has been proposed in which the clamp holder side is a convex spherical surface and the clamp side is a concave spherical surface, and the two spherical surfaces are butted to allow the clamp to tilt in any direction with respect to the clamp holder. (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 58-109709).

[0004]

However, in this clamp device, since the surface on the clamp holder side and the surface on the clamp side are the abutting surfaces of the convex spherical surface and the concave spherical surface, the contact is made at a certain extent rather than at one point. Therefore, when the clamp is pressed against the optical fiber, the movement of the clamp is slow and the optical fiber cannot be pressed uniformly. Further, there is a problem in that the cost becomes high because a complicated spherical processing is required and the connecting structure between the clamp holder and the clamp becomes complicated.

In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to enable the optical fiber on the V-groove to be pressed more uniformly in the longitudinal direction, and to facilitate precision machining of parts, and to provide a clamp holder and a clamp. An object is to provide an optical fiber clamp device having a simple connecting structure.

[0006]

In order to achieve this object, an optical fiber clamp device of the present invention comprises a clamp for holding an optical fiber placed in a V groove, and a clamp holder for holding the clamp. , The upper hole and the lower hole having a circular cross-section having a central axis parallel to the optical fiber pressing surface are orthogonal to each other, and the lower part of the upper hole and the upper part of the lower hole are overlapped with each other at the intersection to communicate with each other. The lower pin with a circular cross section is inserted loosely into the lower hole, the upper pin with a circular cross section is loosely inserted into the upper hole, and both ends of the upper pin are fixed to the clamp holder. It is characterized by being.

[0007]

According to the above structure, the clamp is held by the upper pins whose both ends are fixed to the clamp holder. Since there is slack between the upper pin and the clamp, the clamp can move relative to the clamp holder. On the other hand, part of the outer peripheral surface of the lower pin projects at the intersection of the upper hole and the lower hole. Therefore, when the clamp holder is lowered and the lower surface of the clamp is pressed against the optical fiber on the V groove, the upper pin pushes the lower pin orthogonal thereto. Since there is no looseness between the lower pin and the clamp, the force applied to the lower pin is applied to the clamp as it is. After all, the clamp is pushed at one point at the intersection of the upper pin and the lower pin and can be tilted sensitively in any direction, so that the optical fiber on the V groove can be uniformly held in the longitudinal direction.

Further, in this device, since the upper pin and the lower pin which require high precision are straight rods having a circular cross section, and the upper hole and the pilot hole of the clamp are straight holes having a circular cross section, both are precise. Processing is easy. Further, since the clamp has a structure in which it is held in the clamp holder by the upper pin inserted into the upper hole, the structure for connecting the clamp and the clamp holder is simple and the assembly is easy.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 11 is an optical fiber placed in the V groove 13 of the fusion splicer, 15 is a clamp that holds the optical fiber 11, and 17 is a clamp holder that holds the clamp 15. Clamp 15
Is made of a hard material such as ceramics.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, an upper hole 19 and a lower hole 21 having a circular cross section are formed in the clamp 15 so as to be orthogonal to each other. The central axes of the upper hole 19 and the lower hole 21 are parallel to the lower surface (optical fiber pressing surface) 23 of the clamp 15, respectively. Further, the upper hole 19 and the lower hole 21 are communicated with each other at an intersecting portion by overlapping the lower portion of the upper hole 19 and the upper portion of the lower hole 21. Reference numeral 25 is the communicating portion (opening). The upper hole 19 penetrates the clamp 15, while the lower hole 21 is a non-through hole that is open only on one end side.

In the prepared hole 21, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,
A lower pin 29 having a circular cross section having the same outer diameter as the inner diameter is inserted and fixed. The lower pin 29 is fitted in the lower hole 21 without any looseness. As a result, upper hole 19 and lower hole 21
At the intersection, the part of the outer peripheral surface of the lower pin 29 projects into the upper hole 19 as shown in FIG. The lower hole 21 is the lower pin
In order to insert and fix 29, it is a non-through hole, but it can be a through hole.

On the other hand, an upper pin 27 having a circular cross section is loosely inserted in the upper hole 19, and both ends of the upper pin 27 are clamp holders.
It is fixed at 17. The outer diameter of the upper pin 27 is smaller than the dimension obtained by subtracting the protruding height of the lower pin 29 into the upper hole 19 from the inner diameter of the upper hole 19. Therefore, there is looseness between the upper pin 27 and the clamp 15, and the clamp 15 can move relative to the clamp holder 17 by the amount of looseness. In the illustrated example, since the outer diameters of the upper pin 27 and the lower pin 29 are the same, the inner diameter of the upper hole 19 is larger than that of the lower hole 21.

In this apparatus, when the clamp holder 17 is lowered and the clamp lower surface 23 is pressed against the optical fiber 11 on the V groove 13, the apparatus becomes as shown in FIGS. Ie upper pin
Eventually clamped as 27 pushes the lower pin 29 which is orthogonal to it
15 is pushed at one point at the intersection of the upper pin 27 and the lower pin 29. In this state, the clamp 15 can be delicately moved to match the direction of the optical fiber 11, so that the optical fiber 11 on the V groove 13 can be uniformly pressed in the longitudinal direction.

Further, when the clamp holder 17 is raised, FIG.
become that way. In this state, there is a gap at the intersection of the upper pin 27 and the lower pin 29.

5 and 6 show another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the direction of the V groove 13 is the same as that of the lower pin 29, but in this embodiment, the direction of the V groove 13 is the upper pin.
The same direction as 27. Other than that, FIGS.
Since it is the same as the embodiment described above, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, V
When pressing the optical fiber on the groove, the clamp is pressed at one point at the intersection of the upper pin and the lower pin, so the clamp can be delicately moved to match the direction of the optical fiber, and the optical fiber can be evenly distributed in the longitudinal direction. You can hold it down. Further, the precision machining of the component parts is easy, and the coupling structure between the clamp and the clamp holder is simple, so that the cost of the optical fiber clamp device can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an optical fiber clamp device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

3A is a sectional view taken along the same plane as FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along the same plane as FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the clamp holder is raised in the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the optical fiber clamp device according to the present invention.

6 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11: Optical fiber 13: V groove 15: Clamp 17: Clamp holder 19: Prepared hole 21: Upper hole 23: Lower surface (optical fiber pressing surface) 25: Communication part 27: Upper pin 29: Lower pin

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A clamp (15) for holding an optical fiber (11) placed in a V groove (13) and a clamp holder (17) for holding the clamp (15), the clamp (15) being provided with the clamp (15). Is an upper hole (19) and a lower hole (21) with a circular cross section having a central axis parallel to the optical fiber pressing surface (23).
Are formed so that they are orthogonal to each other, and the lower part of the upper hole and the upper part of the lower hole overlap each other at the intersection and communicate with each other.The lower hole (21) has a lower pin (29) with a circular cross section. It is inserted without looseness, the upper pin (27) with a circular cross section is loosely inserted in the upper hole (19), and both ends of the upper pin (27) are fixed to the clamp holder (17). Optical fiber clamp device characterized by