JPS5928113A - Reinforcing method of connection part of optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reinforce the connection part of optical fibers, by covering a reinforcing member on the connection part of optical fibers and moving a thermally contractible tube having a tensile strength material to the connection part of optical fibers and heating this tube. CONSTITUTION:A thermally contractible tube 4 storing a tensile strength material 5 which is long enough to protect the connection part of optical fibers is set around one of coated optical fibers 1A and 1B, and coatings are removed from coated optical fibers 1A and 1B, and end faces of exposed optical fibers 2A and 2B are butted and are connected by melt-fixing. A reinforcing member 3 consisting of a thermally fusible adhesive is wound around the connection part of optical fibers from a direction approximately orthogonal to the direction of extension of optical fibers. The thermally contractible tube 4 set around one of coated optical fibers 1A and 1B is moved to the part where the reinforcing member 3 is placed, and this tube 4 is placed on the outside of the reinforcing member 3. The reinforcing member 3 and the thermally contractible tube 4 are heated simultaneously to make them into one body together with the connection part of optical fibers, thus forming a reinforcing part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for strengthening tilt of a source fiber connection.

Generally, as a method for connecting optical fibers, a fusion splicing method is often used in order to realize a connection with low 01 loss.

In this method, as shown in Fig. 1, the ends of two pairs of coated optical fibers IA and IJJ are removed, and the exposed optical fibers 2A and 2B are cut and polished to a predetermined length. Thereafter, the tips of the optical fibers are brought into contact with each other, and the portions are left to heat and fusion spliced using a laser beam or the like.

11. The optical fiber connection part connected in this way has poor strength because the coating has been removed and it is in a T-shape shape. A reinforcing means is installed at the optical fiber connection part to make m+bond T.

Conventionally, this type of reinforcing means has been formed into a sleeve shape as shown in Figure 2.
I @ member 8 Using the reinforcement 611 inserted together with the reinforcing tensile strength member 5 into the furnace heat shrink tube 4, insert one side of the diffused optical fiber into the reinforcing member 8 of this 911-strong component, and perform fusion N splicing. After forming the optical fiber connection M and the hole, the reinforcing part is moved to the optical fiber connection M9, and by heating the reinforcing part, the reinforcing member 8 made of hot-melt adhesive is shrunk together with the heat shrink tube 4. Let's connect the optical fiber! A method for reinforcing the parts is described.

By the way, this type of reinforcing work is often carried out in places with a lot of dirt and dust, such as inside manholes, and dust and the like usually adhere to the outer surface of the coated optical fiber. therefore,
When reinforcing with the above method, the reinforcing material may be damaged due to the fact that the reinforcing material is moved while touching the optical fiber. There is a drawback that when the heating is applied to the inner surface of the optical fiber, the stiffness and the like may adhere to the optical fiber connection portion, causing damage to the optical fiber and causing the optical fiber to break.

The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks of the original fiber connection. I
In a strong method, a pair of coated optical fibers, each having a connecting section at the end 0111, repair the defects of each operating section until they are repaired by each other. Fusion splicing: In the reinforcing method of 11, a heat shrink tube is attached in advance to one side of the attached optical fiber. Wrap the optical fiber connecting portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical fiber connecting portion, and then wrap the heat-shrinkable tinnyb described in njj.
tt Optical fiber connection h: The optical fiber connection portion is moved to the side portion of the layer and heated by heating this heat-shrinkable tube and the reinforcing member, thereby reinforcing the optical fiber connection portion.

Examples of the F5X development will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the ill%'J1 method, and when reinforcing the optical fiber connection h''1.ffl+, the coated optical fiber (coated optical fiber) IA, 113
Attach a heat-shrinkable tube (4P) with a length sufficient to hold the optical fiber connection to one side of the fiber optics, and remove the coating from the diffused optical fibers IA and LH. Then, the exposed end surfaces P95 of the optical fibers 2A and 2B are brought together and their parts are fusion spliced T.

Next, a hole material 8 (details of which will be described later) made of hot-melt adhesive is applied to the optical fiber connection portion, that is, the exposed fibers 2A, 2B and the ends 31i of the coated optical fibers 1A, 113. Width from the direction T that is approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the two extend. Optical fiber LA
, heat shrink tube 4L-J attached to one side of LB
11. Move the reinforcing member 8 to the position IM L, and then move it to the outside of the reinforcing member 8. Figure 3 shows the situation in which each member is arranged as described above. By drying and heating the tI+r strength member 8 and the heat shrinkable tube 14 at the same time, the tilt strength member J1 is formed by integrating the ff'L I-+ into the optical fiber connection part. , the production is completed.

Fourth! The figure shows the external appearance of the z-optical fiber connection after the reinforcement has been completed as described above.

FIGS. S to 7 show the structure of the strong member 8. FIG.

The reinforcing member B shown in Fig. S has notches formed in the longitudinal direction.
1 sleeve? Is it made in 11th century? The reinforcing member 8 shown in Fig. 7 has a spiral structure, and the reinforcing member 8 shown in Fig. 7 has a sleeve structure with a spiral cross section. The structure is such that the optical fiber is wound in a direction substantially intersecting the optical fiber (Pa4, V). 1IIl! i! Other configurations of the III member may be, for example, a flat plate structure, and the shape may be an optical fiber page M, wrapped around the top () ('11 structure).

As described above, in this reinforcing method, the reinforcing member 8
The spring is attached to the optical fiber connection part from a direction T substantially perpendicular to the connection part. Therefore, according to this method, Nl
l! Since there is no need to move it along the optical fiber, there is no need to move it along the optical fiber. ? j1 member 8 and optical fiber 2A
, 2B, and the possibility of damaging the optical fibers ZA and 21J is reduced (I).

! 1" In addition, after connecting the optical fiber, the reinforcing member is moved to the optical fiber connecting part by moving the heat absorbing J5if tube with the reinforcing member over the optical fiber connecting part M to the optical fiber connecting part, so that the original fiber connecting part is protected. This method has the advantage of reducing damage to the optical fiber by moving the heat-shrinkable tube or the like to its own location.

In the above example, C: is the optical fiber /X"C', but it may be a large number of optical fibers 6 glue. Also, the tensile strength member 5 may be integrated with the hli strong member 8 in advance. .

As explained above, according to the present invention, a reinforcing member made of a hot-melt adhesive is directly attached to the optical fiber connection portion after the optical fiber is connected. F-Do not move the coated optical fiber along the T-shaped reinforcing member to remove any dirt or other particles attached to the coating.N7E Safe? IT'T
m, 1'9ET:, b nli strong 151iif k
W[l# Ic 9d'j 21. It is important to make sure that no dust or the like collects on the strong parts, but if there is any dust, it is possible to clean it. Therefore, the optical fiber connection When reinforcing the optical fiber by heating, a burr or the like may be pressed onto the optical fiber connection 56, damaging the optical fiber and causing damage to the optical fiber.
It has the advantage of eliminating rJ and small rabbits and using T to make it appear as if it were in f.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the conventional optical fiber connection method;
The figure is an explanatory diagram of the conventional method of reinforcing optical fiber connections.
Figures 4 and 6 are explanatory diagrams of the method of reinforcing the original fiber connection portion according to the present invention, and Figures 3 to 7 each illustrate one of the reinforcing members used in the process of the present invention. ShowTtXJ
It is. IA, , IB...Coated optical fiber, 2A, 2B
・Old...Optical fiber, 8...911-strong material made of heat-melting adhesive, 4...Heat shrink tube, 5...
...Tensile strength body. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An optical fiber in which a pair of coated optical fibers each having a coating removed portion on the 11% connecting end side is Nli'M connected at a portion where the tips of the coating removed portions abut each other. In the connection hole reinforcing method, a heat shrink tube is attached to one side of the coated optical fiber in advance, and a reinforcing member made of a heat-melt adhesive is applied to the optical fiber connection portion from a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical fiber connection portion. Wrap it around, then write the n++ heat shrink tube TL--the optical fiber delivery! The reinforcing part of the optical fiber joint part I is formed by moving the heat-shrinkable tube and the reinforcing member to the peripheral part of the part, and forming a reinforcing part of the optical fiber joint part I. reinforcement method. 2. Reinforcement of the optical fiber junction M according to item 1 of the scope of patent 1t+ff, characterized in that the reinforcing member is a catch member with a single line structure of a sleeve in which notches 11 are formed in the longitudinal direction. Method. 8. A method for reinforcing an optical fiber connection part of a spiral (as described in Patent Rr7, Item 1) as a +m Nlt strong member. 4 Jiff's il1 method of optical fiber connection section of item 1, item 41'2 of patent tt/J, characterized in that a reinforcing member having a sleeve structure with a thin instep shape in cross section is used as the reinforcing member. . 5111. The 11th method for forming the original fiber connection portion according to item 1 in the range of 1 to 'F if' Fin, characterized in that a reinforcing member made of a flat plate is used as the sleeve reinforcing member.