JPH1048432A - Coating removing device for optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coating removing device for optical fibers capable of easily and rapidly executing the work for removing coating materials. SOLUTION: This device has optical fiber holding parts 13, 14 which are arranged in separated two positions so as to respectively hold the part C0 covered by the coating material C of the optical fiber F and the part Ci from which the coating material at its front end is removed, one cutting blade 17 which is arranged toward the optical fiber F held between the optical fiber holding parts 13, 14 parted from each other and another cutting blade 18 which is arranged to face the one cutting blade 17 across the optical fiber F and is supported movably between the position parted from the one cutting blade 17 and the position for cutting only the coating material C by being meshed with the one cutting blade 17. A blank impregnatable with liquid is adopted for the optical fiber holding part for holding the part where the coating material C is removed. This optical fiber holding part is provided with a groove part 13a for holding the optical fiber F and is impregnated with a liquid having lubricating effect.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber coating removing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a coating remover for removing a coating of an optical fiber coated with a resin material by a desired length has been known as a stripping length of a coating material of an optical fiber which is aligned and positioned (hereinafter referred to as a strip length). A cutting blade for cutting only the coating material is cut into the boundary of the portion, and the optical fiber contained in the removed length portion is pulled out while supporting the removed length portion of the coating material by the supporting means. The coating is completely removed at the tip of the substrate to form an exposed portion of the bare fiber.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a coating remover. The coating remover 1 includes a pair of vertically divided cutters (cutting blades) on a base 2 that holds the optical fiber F in an extended state.
3 and 4, the optical fiber F held on the base 2
Of the cut coating material C by cutting the coating material C by cutting the cutters 3 and 4 from both sides, and gradually pulling out the optical fiber F from the coating remover 1 in the direction of the arrow in the figure. The removal length portion C ′ can be easily removed.

As shown in FIG. 5, cutters 3 and 4 each have semicircular notches 3b and 4b formed between cutting blades 3a and 4a which are engaged with each other. Uncut portions 3b, 4b
And only the surrounding coating material C is cut off. In the case of removing only the outer layer sheath C _o of the optical fiber F to double coat was applied using the coating remover 1, the notches 3b,
Diameter of 4b is keep wearing the cutter 3, 4 is equal to the diameter of the inner layer coating C _i, the notch 3b of the inner coating C _i, 4b
Cleave only outer coating C _o miss the.

[0005]

However, in the above-described coating remover, friction occurs between the cut outer layer coating and the remaining inner layer coating when the optical fiber is pulled out.
If the removal length of the outer layer coating is increased, the frictional resistance between the coatings becomes too large, and it becomes difficult to pull out the optical fiber.Therefore, the removal length of the outer layer coating that can be removed by one operation is short, so that the coating is removed. In order to form the removed portion longer, the removal operation had to be repeated many times. Also, depending on the shape of the cutter, there is a problem in that a sharp cutting blade is formed above and below the outer layer coating, so that an uncut portion is generated, so that the outer layer coating cannot be completely cut, and the removed length portion is difficult to separate.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber coating removing apparatus capable of easily and quickly performing a coating material removing operation.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical fiber coating removing apparatus which holds a portion of an optical fiber covered with a coating material and a portion of the tip of the optical fiber from which the coating material has been removed. The optical fiber holding parts arranged at two positions separated as much as possible, and between these separated optical fiber holding parts,
One of the cutting blades arranged toward the held optical fiber, and arranged opposite to one of the cutting blades with the optical fiber interposed therebetween, at a position separated from the one of the cutting blades, and engaged with the one of the cutting blades. With the other cutting blade supported movably between the position to cut only the coating material by matching,
In particular, a material that can be impregnated with a liquid is used for the optical fiber holding portion that holds the portion from which the coating material has been removed, and the optical fiber holding portion has a groove that sandwiches the optical fiber and is provided with a liquid having a lubricating effect. It is characterized by being impregnated.

In this optical fiber coating removing apparatus, after the coating material is cut by a pair of cutting blades, the optical fiber is pulled from the side where the coating is removed to the side where the coating is left, and the coating material is removed. The removed optical fiber is drawn inside the cut outer layer coating while being coated with a liquid having a lubricating effect, and the frictional resistance between the coating of the inner and outer layers is reduced. This facilitates the operation of pulling out the optical fiber.
Further, the removal length of the coating material that can be removed by one operation becomes longer than before.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical fiber coating removing apparatus, wherein one of the cutting blades and the other cutting blade in the optical fiber coating removing apparatus according to the first aspect have a coating material removed. Each of the cutting blades has a semicircular shape equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the fiber and is sharply formed toward the center thereof. It is characterized by making.

In this optical fiber coating removing apparatus, one of the cutting blades is engaged with the other cutting blade so that both the cutting blades are cut into the entire circumference of the optical fiber and only the coating material is completely removed. Be cut off.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an optical fiber coating removing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The coating removing apparatus 11 shown in FIG. 1 includes optical fiber holding portions 13 and 14 which are arranged on both sides of the mounting base 12 on a smooth base surface 12 a formed on the mounting base 12, and the optical fibers 13. A pair of cutters (cutting blades) 15 arranged above and below the optical fiber (optical fiber core wire) F held by the, 14 and cutting the cladding material C from above and below;
16 are provided.

The optical fiber mounting portions 13 and 14 are provided on side plates 15 and 16 which are erected on the base surface 12a so as to be separated from each other. Recesses 15a, 16a cut out in the same direction are formed in the upper portions of these side plates 15, 16,
The optical fiber holding portions 13 and 14 are provided in the recesses 15a and 16a.
Are fixed respectively.

The optical fiber holding portions 13 and 14 are made of a sponge material impregnated with a liquid, and are fitted in the concave portions 15a and 16a so as to supplement the shapes of the side plates 15 and 16. Cuts (grooves) 13 a and 14 a are formed in the optical fiber holding portions 13 and 14 in the length direction of the mounting table 12. These cuts 13a and 14a are provided on both sides along a virtual straight line assuming the optical fiber F to be held. The upper portions of the cuts 13a and 14a are widened to have a V-shaped cross section, so that the optical fiber F can be easily fitted. The one optical fiber holding portion 13 is sufficiently impregnated with silicon oil (a liquid having a lubricating action), and when the optical fiber F sandwiched between the cuts 13a is pulled in its length direction, the surface of the silicon oil Is applied.

A cutter holder 19 having a pair of cutters 17 and 18 is provided on the base surface 12a located between the optical fiber holders 13 and 14. The cutter holder 19 includes a lower holder 19a to which one of the cutters 17 arranged below the optical fiber F held between the optical fiber holders 13 and 14 is fixed, and a hinge like the lower holder 19a. Open and close in combination,
An upper holder 19b to which the other cutter 18 is fixed so as to mesh with the one cutter 17 when closed. The open / close shafts 19c of the upper and lower holders 19a and 19b are parallel to the length direction of the mounting base 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cutters 17 and 18 have semi-circular cutting blades 17a and 18a, respectively.
When the teeth 7 and 18 are engaged with each other, the cutting blades 17a and 18a sharply sharpened toward the center of the semicircle coincide with each other to form a circle.

A first core guide 20 is fixed on the upper surface of the lower holder 19a as a centering mechanism for the optical fiber F to be held, with a cutter 17 interposed therebetween. Further, a second core guide 21 is fixed at a position separated from the first core guide 20 and close to the optical fiber holding unit 14. V-shaped notches 20a, 21a are formed at the upper portions of the first and second core guides 20, 21, and the portions corresponding to the bottoms of the notches 20a, 21a are aligned. U-groove 20 to accommodate optical fiber F
b, 21b are formed.

A third core guide 22 combined with the first core guide 20 is also fixed to the lower surface 19b of the upper holder as an alignment mechanism of the optical fiber F. The third core wire guide 22 includes the first and second core wire guides 2.
Unlike the optical fibers 0 and 21, the side 22a extending in the width direction of the optical fiber F presses the optical fiber F.

The coating removing device 11 configured as described above
Inner and outer layer C _i, be described by way operation for removing only the outer layer sheath C _o of the optical fiber F to the coating of C _o is performed in FIG. 3 using. First, the cutter holder 19 is opened, and the optical fiber F for performing the coating removal is installed between the optical fiber holding parts 13 and 14. At this time, the optical fiber holding unit 13 already arranged so as to fit from above into the outer coating C _o cuts the surface is the exposed portion of the inner layer cover C _i is removed 13a, the optical fiber holding unit 14 The portion where the outer layer coating _Co is left is arranged so as to be fitted into the cutout 14a from above. Then, the optical fiber holding unit 13,
The portion of the optical fiber F in which the outer layer coating _Co is left between 14 is arranged along the first and second core guides 20 and 21 in a state where the optical fiber F is stretched linearly.

When the cutter holder 19 is closed from this state, the third core guide 22 becomes the first core guide 2.
Alignment is performed by pressing down the optical fiber F from above in cooperation with 0. Then, by completely closing the cutter holder 19, the first and third core wire guides 2 are provided.
The cutters 17 and 18 are engaged from above and below the optical fiber F centered by 0 and 22, respectively. At this time, the cutting edges 17a formed in a semi-circular, 18a are cut from the top and bottom of the optical fiber to the outer layer sheath C _o, the outer layer sheath C _o only is cut off length portion C 'are separated.

Thereafter, when the optical fiber F is pulled from the optical fiber holding part 13 side to the optical fiber holding part 14 side, the optical fiber F from which the outer layer coating _Co has been removed is cut while the surface is coated with silicone oil. drawn into removal length portion C 'of is outer layer coating C _o. When the operation of pulling out the optical fiber F is continued as it is, the optical fiber F is finally pulled out from the coating removing device 11 and the removed length portion C ′ of the outer layer coating _Co is removed from the optical fiber F.

[0021] As described above, by using the coating removal apparatus 11 of the optical fiber, the cutting edge 17a of cutter 17, 18, 18a are cut from the entire circumference to the outer layer coating C _o of the optical fiber F coating Since the material C is completely cut,
The precision of cutting is improved, and the removal length can be easily separated.

After cutting the outer layer coating _Co , the optical fiber F is moved from the optical fiber holding section 13 side to the optical fiber holding section 14 side.
, The optical fiber F from which the outer layer coating _Co has been removed
There coated C _i of removing length portion C 'to retracted by the inner and outer layers of the outer coating C _o cut while being coated with the silicone oil to the surface, the frictional resistance between C _o is reduced, pulling operation of the optical fiber F And the operability of the apparatus is improved, and the length of removal of the coating material C that can be removed by a single operation is made longer than before so that the workability of the removal operation can be improved.

Although the sponge material is used for the optical fiber holding members 13 and 14 and silicon oil is impregnated with the sponge material, the material can be impregnated with other liquid instead of the sponge material. I do not care. Further, not only silicon oil but also other liquids having a lubricating action such as alcohol may be impregnated.

Further, the form of the core wire guide provided on the cutter holder is not limited to the one described above, but may be any one provided with a good alignment mechanism.

In this embodiment, the operation of removing only the outer layer coating of the optical fiber coated with the two inner and outer layers has been described. However, the coating removing apparatus of the present invention applies one layer coating to the bare fiber. It can also be used to remove the coating of an optical fiber or the like.

[0026]

As described above, according to the optical fiber coating removing apparatus of the first aspect, the liquid can be impregnated in the optical fiber holding section for holding the optical fiber from which the coating material has been removed. Since the material is adopted and the optical fiber holding part is impregnated with a liquid having a lubricating action, when the optical fiber is pulled from the side where the coating is removed to the side where the coating part is left, the coating material is removed. The optical fiber is drawn inside the cut outer layer coating while a liquid having a lubricating action is applied to the surface, so that the frictional resistance between the coating of the inner and outer layers is reduced. This facilitates the operation of pulling out the optical fiber, improving the operability of the apparatus, and improving the operability of the removing operation by increasing the removal length of the coating material that can be removed by a single operation as compared with the conventional case. .

[0027] According to the optical fiber coating removing apparatus of the present invention, both the cutting blades have semicircular diameters equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the optical fiber from which the coating material has been removed. Each of the cutting blades has a cutting blade, and both cutting blades are configured to form a circle when the cutting blades are engaged with each other. Is cut into the optical fiber from the entire circumference, and the coating material is completely cut, so that the cutting accuracy is improved and the removed length can be easily separated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an optical fiber coating removing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cutting blade mounted on the coating removing device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a state explanatory view showing an operation of removing only an outer layer coating of an optical fiber having two inner and outer coatings by using the coating removing apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional coating remover.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cutting blade mounted on a conventional coating remover.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... Coating removal device, 13, 14 ... Optical fiber attachment part,
13a ... notch (groove) 17, 18 ... cutter (cutting blade), 17a, 18a ... cutting edge, F ... optical fiber (coated optical fiber), C ... dressing, C '... removal length portion, C _i
... Inner layer coating, _Co ... Outer layer coating

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A part (C _o ) of an optical fiber (F) covered with a coating material (C) and a part (C _i ) of the optical fiber (F) from which the coating material at the tip is removed is separated from each other so as to hold them. An optical fiber holding part (13, 14) arranged at a position, one cutting blade (17) arranged toward the held optical fiber between these separated optical fiber holding parts, Is arranged to face one of the cutting blades,
An optical fiber comprising: a second cutting blade (18) movably supported between a position separated from the one cutting blade and a position for cutting only the coating material by meshing with the one cutting blade. In a coating removing device, a material capable of impregnating a liquid is used for an optical fiber holding portion for holding a portion from which a coating material has been removed, and a groove (1) for sandwiching an optical fiber is provided in the optical fiber holding portion.
3a) is provided, and the optical fiber coating removal device characterized by being impregnated with a liquid having a lubricating action. 2. The optical fiber coating removing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one cutting blade (17) and the other cutting blade (18).
In addition, a cutting edge (17a, 18a) formed in a semicircle having a diameter equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the optical fiber (F) from which the coating material (C) has been removed and sharpened toward the center.
An optical fiber coating removing device, wherein both cutting blades are circular when the cutting blades are engaged with each other.