JPH0943436A - Method for removing coating of multiple optical fiber and removing device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for removing coatings capable of well and efficiently removing the primary coatings of multiple optical fibers and a removing device therefor. SOLUTION: The fibers 13 with the primary coating of the multiple optical fiber ribbon 10 are placed on a base plate 1 and the front ends and base parts of the fibers 13 with the primary coatings are held on the base plate at the time of removing the primary coatings of the multiple optical fibers. A coating removing member 4 provided with a coating removing material 5 consisting of a brush, fiber material, fabric, etc., is pressed in this state onto the fibers 13 with the primary coating and the primary coatings are removed by sliding the coating removing member 4 back and forth in the axial direction of the fibers on the base plate 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a film removing method and an apparatus for removing a film used for removing a primary film of a multi-core optical fiber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A silica-based optical fiber is used to prevent physical contact between an optical fiber wire and a foreign substance during its manufacturing process.
Alternatively, a primary coating is applied to the surface in order to prevent the occurrence of scratches on the surface which may cause disconnection. This primary coating is
Generally, a modified silicon or urethane resin is formed into a film with a thickness of about several μm to several tens of μm. Then, on the outside of the primary coating, a secondary coating of nylon, polyethylene or the like is formed via a buffer layer of silicone resin or the like.

[0003]

By the way, as a method for satisfactorily permanently connecting silica-based optical fibers, there is a fusion splicing method in which the splicing end of the optical fiber is melted by heat and is widely used. In the case of fusion splicing of this kind of optical fiber, if a foreign matter is mixed in the fusion splicing portion, the splicing strength is lowered and the optical transmission loss is increased.

For this reason, it is necessary to completely remove the coating from the end portion of the optical fiber for fusion splicing. However, although the secondary coating that covers the optical fiber can be easily removed with an existing tool or the like, the primary coating cannot be easily peeled off because it is adhered to the surface of the optical fiber element wire. In the work of removing the primary coating of this type, an operator manually removes the primary coating by rubbing the cloth with a solvent such as alcohol and rubbing the primary coating with the cloth.

However, since the work of removing the primary coating is performed so as not to damage the optical fiber, it is a skill-consuming and time-consuming and complicated work, and in particular, a multicore having a plurality of optical fiber strands is used. In the case of an optical fiber, there is a problem that it is very complicated and time-consuming.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a coating film removing method and a removing device for removing the primary coating film of the multi-core optical fiber wire satisfactorily and efficiently. And

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a method of removing a coating film of a multi-core optical fiber according to the present invention is a method of removing a primary coating film of a multi-core optical fiber, wherein Place the strand with the primary coating on the multi-core optical fiber, hold the tip and the base of the strand with the primary coating on the base, and remove the coating with a coating removal material made of brush, fiber material, cloth, etc. It is characterized in that the member is pressed onto the strand with the primary coating, and the coating removal member is slidably reciprocated on the base in the axial direction of the strand to remove the primary coating.

Further, the coating removing device for a multi-core optical fiber according to the present invention holds a base on which a wire with a primary coating of a multi-core optical fiber is mounted, and a tip and a base of the wire with a primary coating on the base. Holding member and a film removing material composed of a brush, a fiber material, a cloth, etc., the film removing material is pressed against the wire with the primary film, and the base is slidable along the axial direction of the wire. And a film removing member engaged with.

[0009]

[Operation / Effect] When removing the primary coating of an optical fiber strand using the coating stripping method or coating stripping device having the above-mentioned configuration, a plurality of strands of the multi-core optical fiber with primary coating are arranged on the base. It is placed and the tip and base of the wire are held on the base by the holding member. Next, the film removing member is engaged with the base so as to press the film removing material onto the primary coated wire, and the film removing member is slid back and forth in the axial direction of the wire. As a result, friction is caused between the coating removing material such as the brush, the fiber material, and the cloth and each strand of the multi-core optical fiber, and the friction removes the primary coating on the upper surface from the strand. Next, the holding member is released and the multi-core optical fiber on the base is turned upside down. Again, similarly to the above, the element wire is held on the base and the film removing member is slid back and forth. As a result, the primary coating of each strand at the end of the multi-core optical fiber is completely removed from the strand.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the film removing device. Reference numeral 1 denotes a base having a flat horizontal surface on the upper part, and a holding recess 1a for holding the end of the secondary coating of the multicore optical fiber is formed at the left end on the base 1 in the shape of the multicore optical fiber. Is formed according to. For example, when the multi-core optical fiber is a four-core tape core wire, the holding concave portion 1a is formed of a concave portion that holds the end portions of the tape coating and a concave portion that holds the end portions of the four secondary coatings.

When the tip of the multicore optical fiber is held in the holding concave portion 1a, the holding concave portion is arranged so that the respective wires with the secondary coating can be properly placed on the flat surface of the base 1. 1a is formed. In addition, a linear groove may be formed on the upper surface of the base 1 for holding each strand in a fixed position. This linear groove has a width (about 125 μm) about the outer diameter of the wire,
Its depth is about 63 μm.

A base holding mechanism is mounted above the holding recess 1a on the base 1. This base holding mechanism is based on the base 1.
The base holding member 2 is attached to the side of the base via a hinge so as to be openable and closable, and a holding recess 2a for holding the ends of the four secondary coatings is formed inside the base holding member 2. It

The base 1 is attached to the tip of the base holding member 2.
Is provided with an engaging portion 2b that engages with a side portion of the engaging portion 2b.
Holds the base of the multi-core optical fiber while pressing the tape coating and the end of the secondary coating on the base 1 by fitting the protrusion provided inside the base into the recess on the side of the base. The member 2 is closed and clamped.

A holding portion 1b for holding the tip of the wire with the primary coating is formed at the right end of the base 1. The holding portion 1b is configured by attaching an elastic sheet material such as rubber on the base 1, and a tip end holding mechanism is provided above the holding portion 1b. This tip end holding mechanism is configured by attaching a tip end holding member 3 to the side portion of the base 1 via a hinge so that the tip end holding member 3 can be opened and closed. Inside the tip end holding member 3, the tips of the four primary coated wires are attached. Elastic sheet material 3a such as rubber for holding
Is formed by attaching.

Further, an engaging portion 3b which engages with the side portion of the base 1 is provided at the tip of the tip holding member 3, and the engaging portion 3b is provided.
Is a tip portion in a state in which a protrusion provided inside thereof is fitted in a concave portion on a side portion of the base, and an end portion of the strand with a primary coating of the multi-core optical fiber is pressed on the holding portion 1b of the base 1. The holding member 3 is closed and clamped.

Further, the film removing member 4 is disposed on the plane of the base 1 so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the wire. The film removing member 4 is formed in a substantially U-shape so as to have a sliding holding portion on both sides which slides on both sides of the base 1, and has a brush, felt, fiber, non-woven fabric, woven fabric or the like inside thereof. Film removing material 5
Is formed by attaching. The film removing material 5 may be impregnated with a solvent that dissolves the primary film.

When the primary coating is removed by using the coating removing device having such a structure, first, the tape coating 11 is peeled from the tip of the multi-core optical fiber 10 to expose the end of the secondary coating 12. Furthermore, by removing the end portion of the secondary coating 12,
The end of the strand 13 with the primary coating is exposed.

Then, the multi-core optical fiber 10 is mounted on the base 1.
A plurality of primary coated wires 13 of
3 is placed on the holding portion 1b, the ends of the tape coating 11 and the secondary coating 12 are placed in the holding recess 1a, the tip holding member 3 is closed, and the tip of the wire 13 is placed on the base 1. The multi-core optical fiber 10 is held by holding the upper part and closing the base part holding member 2.
The base part of is held on the base 1.

Next, the film removing material 5 is applied to the wire 1 with the primary film.
The film removing member 4 is engaged with the base 1 so as to be pressed onto the base 3. Then, the film removing member 4 is held by hand and manually slid back and forth in the axial direction of the wire 13. This causes friction between the film removing material 5 such as the brush, the fiber material, and the cloth and the individual wires 13 of the multicore optical fiber, and the friction breaks the primary film made of modified silicone, urethane resin, etc. Stripped from. When the film removing material 5 is impregnated with a solvent,
It can be removed even better, and there is little risk of scratching the surface of the optical fiber strand.

Next, the holding of the tip holding member 3 and the base holding member 2 is released, the multicore optical fiber 10 on the base 1 is turned over, and the same operation as above is repeated. As a result, the primary coating of each strand at the end of the multi-core optical fiber is completely removed from the strand.

The scraps of the primary film after removal are the film removing material 5
Therefore, the performance of removing (peeling) the coating deteriorates with repeated use. The film removing material 5 having deteriorated performance is replaced with a new one and used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a film removing apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a multicore optical fiber is placed on a base.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a multicore optical fiber is held by closing a front end holding member and a base holding member.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-base, 2-main part holding member, 3-tip holding member, 4-coating removing member, 5-coating removing material, 10-multicore optical fiber, 13-element with primary coating.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A coating removing method for removing a primary coating of a multi-core optical fiber element wire, wherein an element wire with a primary coating element of a multi-core optical fiber is placed on a base, and a tip and a base portion of the element wire with the primary coating element. Is held on the base, and a film removing member provided with a film removing material composed of a brush, a fiber material, cloth or the like is pressed against the primary coated wire, and the film removing member is placed on the base. A method of removing a coating film of a multi-core optical fiber, which comprises reciprocatingly sliding in the axial direction of a wire to remove the primary coating film. 2. A coating removing device for removing a primary coating of a multi-core optical fiber, wherein a base on which the primary coated strand of the multi-core optical fiber is placed, and a tip and a base of the primary coated strand. A holding member for holding on the base and a film removing material composed of a brush, a fiber material, a cloth, etc., and the film removing material is pressed onto the wire with the primary film, and the wire is provided along the axial direction of the wire. And a coating film removing member slidably engaged with the base, and a coating film removing apparatus for a multi-core optical fiber.