JPH09311227A - Method for storing optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To store and draw many optical fibers out without any interference with other optical fibers by inserting a loop holding means into respective winding parts of looped optical fibers. SOLUTION: A storage part 3 has a drawing-out part 3a for guiding a ribbon 10 of fibers out and a recessed part 3b where an optical connector 10a fitted atop of the ribbon 10 of fibers is disposed. A partition plate 4 is a hard material which has a through hole 4a in the center of its plate surface and many partition plates 4 are arranged between a couple of side plates 2b and 2b of a storage tray 2. The partition plates 4 are arrayed at specific intervals in parallel to the side plates 2b and fixed to a bottom plate 2a. Between respective partition plates 4, loop parts 10b of ribbons 10 of fibers shrink and expand as the ribbons 10 of fibers are taken in and out. Then a shaft 5 holds the loop parts 10b and is inserted into the through holes 4a of the respective partition plates 4 through the support holes 2c and 2c of the side plates 2b and 2b of the storage tray 2 and both the end parts are fixed to the side plates 2b and 2b with screws.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for accommodating an optical fiber having an optical connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an optical fiber switching device, an optical connector is attached to each end of a large number of optical fibers separated from an optical fiber cable, and each optical connector is switched and connected to an optical connector of another optical fiber. The optical fiber switching is realized with. At this time, in the switching device, a play of a predetermined length, that is, a surplus length is secured in consideration of handling associated with switching work of a large number of optical fibers, and the surplus length is processed by using a surplus length storage case. are doing.

In the optical fiber storage method using the extra length storage case, for example, two optical fibers each having an optical connector attached are wound in a loop shape for about 3 turns to form the extra length storage case. The optical connectors are housed and arranged in a predetermined tray, and each optical connector is housed in a housing outside the case.

[0004]

By the way, in the above-mentioned optical fiber storage method, since two optical fibers are wound in a loop, for example, 3 turns and stored in the extra length storage case, the optical fiber is It is complicated in the case. For this reason,
If one of the optical fibers is pulled out for handling accompanying the switching of the optical fibers, the optical fibers may interfere with each other and the other optical fiber may be pulled out.

In particular, when the optical fiber is a fiber tape formed by molding a plurality of optical fibers into a tape shape, if the optical fiber is pulled out from the extra length storage case too much, the loop is broken and the original loop state cannot be restored. The tape is twisted and the excess length cannot be processed. Furthermore, since the fiber tape cannot be wound, it will spread in the width direction when wound in a loop shape, and it will be difficult to store it in the extra length storage case, and the case will swell in the thickness direction and be placed on the tray. There was the problem of causing trouble.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems in the optical fiber storage method, and provides an optical fiber storage method in which a large number of optical fibers can be stored and pulled out without interfering with other optical fibers. The purpose is to

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the optical fiber storage method of the present invention, a plurality of partition means arranged at a predetermined pitch are provided between adjacent partition means.
The one end side of a large number of optical fibers having an optical connector attached to one end is wound and arranged in a loop shape, and the loop holding means is inserted into each winding part of the plurality of optical fibers wound in the loop shape. It has a different configuration.

[0008] Preferably, the loop holding means is a shaft having a diameter of 20 mm or more. Further, it is preferable that each optical fiber has a configuration in which a desired position on one end side where the optical connector is attached is fixed.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of an optical fiber housing method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a fiber tape storage unit to which the method of the present invention is applied. The storage unit 1 includes a storage tray 2, a large number of partition plates 4, a shaft 5, and a fixed arm 6.

The storage tray 2 is a flat box body for storing extra lengths of a large number of fiber tapes 10 separated from the optical fiber cable, and has a bottom plate 2a and side plates 2b, 2b. The bottom plate 2a is provided with a storage portion 3 in the front portion over the entire width. The housing portion 3 is formed with a pull-out portion 3a for leading out the fiber tape 10 and a recess 3b for arranging the optical connector 10a attached to the tip of the fiber tape 10.

The partition plate 4 is a plate made of a hard material having a through hole 4a at the center of the plate surface and having a thickness of, for example, 1 mm, and is arranged between the pair of side plates 2b, 2b of the storage tray 2. Here, a large number of partition plates 4 are arranged in parallel with the side plates 2b at a predetermined pitch and are fixed to the bottom plate 2a. Here, between the partition plates 4, as will be described later, as the fiber tape 10 is taken in and out, the loop portion 10b of the fiber tape 10 contracts and expands. Therefore, the number of partition plates 4 is set to an array pitch of 5 mm or more so as not to hinder such movement of the fiber tape 10. Further, the partition plate 4 is set to have an area larger than the area of the loop portion 10b at the time of storage so that the adjacent fiber tapes 10 are partitioned by limiting the position in the arrangement direction so as not to interfere with each other.

The shaft 5 is a holding means for holding the loop portion 10b of the fiber tape 10 and is a round bar made of a hard material. The shaft 5 includes side plates 2b and 2b of the storage tray 2.
A large number of partition plates 4 through the support holes 2c, 2c provided in the
Is inserted into the through hole 4a, and both ends are screwed to the side plates 2b and 2b. The shaft 5 is set to have a diameter of 20 mm or more, and holds the loop portion 10b so that the loop portion 10b does not unravel when the fiber tape 10 is pulled out excessively.
The fiber tape 10 is prevented from being pulled out excessively so that the fiber tape 10 has a bend radius smaller than the minimum allowable bend radius to prevent an increase in transmission loss and disconnection of the optical fiber. Here, in order to facilitate the pulling out of the fiber tape 10, it is preferable that the shaft 5 be provided with an elastic body having a small friction with the fiber tape 10 on the surface.

The fixed arm 6 is provided behind the many partition plates 4 and in parallel between the side plates 2b and 2b at a position substantially at the same height as the shaft 5, and the optical tape 10a side of each fiber tape 10 is provided. The desired position in is fixed by the fixing piece 6a. Here, as a method for fixing the fiber tape 10, the desired position of the fiber tape 10 may be bonded and fixed to the fixed arm 6 with an adhesive without using the fixing piece 6a. The length of the extra length of the fiber tape 10 that can be pulled out from the storage unit 1 is determined by the position where the fiber tape 10 is fixed to the fixed arm 6 by the fixing piece 6a and the diameter of the shaft 5. Therefore, the fiber tape 10 is preferably marked in advance at a fixed position in order to secure a desired drawing length.

In the optical fiber storage method according to the present invention, a large number of fiber tapes 10 are subjected to extra length processing and stored by using the storage unit 1 configured as described above. First, each of the large number of fiber tapes 10 is fixed to the fixed arm 6 by the fixing piece 6a at a preset fixing position. Next, the optical connector 10a side of the fiber tape 10 is arranged in a loop, for example, in a state of being wound one turn, between the adjacent partition plates of the large number of partition plates 4. At this time,
The fiber tape 10 is arranged between the partition plates such that the central portion of the loop portion 10b and the through hole 4a of the partition plate 4 are substantially concentric.

Then, in this state, the shaft 5 is passed through the central portion of the loop portion 10b and the through hole 4a of the partition plate 4.
After passing through, the both ends of the shaft 5 are screwed to the side plates 2b, 2b. In this way, each fiber tape 10
Between the adjacent partition plates, the extra length portion is the shaft 5
It is stored by being wound in a loop around. At this time,
The two adjacent fiber tapes 10 and 10 are led out from the pull-out portion 3a provided in the storage portion 3 in pairs at their tip portions, and the optical connectors 10a and 10a at the tip end are overlapped with each other to form the concave portion 3b. Placed on. Here, the drawer 3a
Is a set of fiber tapes 10, 1 derived therefrom.
It is advisable to provide it at a position facing the partition plate 4 located in the middle of the two adjacent fiber tapes 10, 10 so as not to obstruct the taking in and out of 0.

In the method of the present invention, one drawer 3a
Two more adjacent fiber tapes 10 are pulled out, but inside the storage unit 1, they are separated by a partition plate 4. Therefore, the two adjacent fiber tapes 10 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, only the desired fiber tape 10 can be smoothly pulled out without any complication.

When pulling out the fiber tape 10 from the storage unit 1 when switching the fiber tape 10, first, the desired optical connector 10a is picked up from the recess 3b of the storage portion 3 and gradually pulled toward the front side. 10 is pulled out from the pull-out portion 3a. Then, in the fiber tape 10, the loop portion 10b contracts, but the shaft 5 is positioned at the center of the loop portion 10b to regulate the contraction, so that the loop portion 10b can be unwound at the minimum of the optical fiber. It is also possible to prevent the diameter of the loop portion 10b from being reduced to a radius equal to or less than the allowable bending radius, and to suppress an increase in transmission loss of the optical fiber and disconnection.

When the fiber tape 10 is further pulled, it slides on the outer peripheral portion of the shaft 5 and is pulled out until it is stopped by the fixing piece 6a. In this way, the fiber tape 1
Since 0 is fixed to the fixed arm 6 by the fixing piece 6a, it is not pulled out more than necessary and is prevented from being pulled out too much and broken. As described above, the excess length portion of the fiber tape 10 is pulled out by a predetermined length to be handled, and various operations associated with switching are performed.

Next, when the switching operation of the fiber tape 10 is completed and the fiber tape 10 is to be stored in the storage unit 1, the extra length of the fiber tape 10 may be gradually pushed in from the pull-out portion 3a of the storage portion 3. Along with this, the loop portion 10b is gradually expanded between the partition plates 4 and 4 to return to the original state, and the extra length portion of the fiber tape 10 is stored in the storage unit 1.

In the above embodiment, the case where the optical fiber is a fiber tape has been described, but the method of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be used in the case of a single optical fiber. The partitioning means prevents the wound fiber tape 10 from swelling in the width direction when the fiber tape 10 is stored, and guides the loop portion of the fiber tape 10. Therefore, the partition plate is not limited to the above as long as it has the function. As the partitioning means, in addition to the plate, for example, a frame structure having a flat surface formed by bending a wire may be adopted.

Furthermore, the loop holding means is not limited to the round rod shaft 5 as long as it can hold the loop portion even if the optical fiber is pulled out too much, and may be a shaft having a polygonal cross section.

[0022]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the optical fiber storage method of the present invention, a large number of optical fibers are
It can be stored and pulled out without interfering with other optical fibers. Particularly, in the method of the present invention, since the optical fibers are arranged one by one between the partitioning means, the positions of the optical fibers in the arrangement direction of the partitioning means are regulated, and the adjacent optical fibers are complicated as in the conventional case. As a result, it is possible to prevent the undesired optical fiber from jumping out. Further, since the loop holding means is inserted through the loop portion of the optical fiber, even if the optical fiber is pulled out, the loop portion does not unravel and collapse, and the loop portion can be easily returned to the original state when stored. You can

At this time, according to the method of the second aspect, since the diameter of the loop holding means is 20 mm or more, it is possible to prevent the diameter of the loop portion from becoming too small and the optical fiber from increasing the transmission loss or breaking. Further, according to the method of claim 3, since each of the optical fibers fixes a desired position on the one end side to which the optical connector is attached, it is possible to define the drawing length of the optical fiber.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a storage unit that stores a fiber tape.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Storage Unit 2 Storage Tray 3 Storage Section 4 Partition Plate (Partitioning Means) 4a Through Hole 5 Shaft (Loop Holding Means) 6 Fixed Arm 10 Fiber Tape (Optical Fiber) 10a Optical Connector 10b Loop Part (Winding Part)

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Yoshihisa Ito 2-6-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Masato Kuroiwa 3-19-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo No. Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Naoki Nakao 3-19-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Inside Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Takashi Ebihara 3-19-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo No. within Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of partitioning means arranged at a predetermined pitch are arranged between adjacent partitioning means by winding the one end side of a plurality of optical fibers having an optical connector attached to one end in a loop shape. A method for accommodating an optical fiber, characterized in that a loop holding means is inserted into each of the winding portions of the plurality of optical fibers wound in the loop shape. 2. The optical fiber storage method according to claim 1, wherein the loop holding means is a shaft having a diameter of 20 mm or more. 3. The optical fiber storing method according to claim 1, wherein each optical fiber is fixed at a desired position on one end side where the optical connector is attached.