JPS597313A - Production of optical fiber for decoration - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a production method which enables mass production by placing the end face of an optical fiber on the surface of a heating plate, melting said face under pressure to form a head part for engagement and cutting the optical fiber to a prescribed length. CONSTITUTION:An optical fiber 1 produced by an usual method is supplied continuously while facing the one end face downward from the space between a pair of feed rolls 2 and 3 in the direction of an arrow F3 under the regulation of a guide member 4 by the rotation in the arrow F1, F2 directions of the rolls which are opposite from each other then are lowered vertically. A heating plate 5 is provided movably at roughly the lowermost perpendicular end of the fiber 1, and the bottom end face of the fiber 1 is brought into contact with the surface of the plate 5 under pressurization. Then, the bottom end face of the fiber 1 is melted and expanded, whereby a head part 6 for engagement is formed. A pair of cutters 7, 8 are operated in an arrow F5 direction to cut the fiber 1 from the part 6 at a prescribed length.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a decorative optical fiber, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a decorative optical fiber that can be easily attached to the base of a decorative article.

Due to its excellent information transmission properties, the SOC fiber has gradually been used in a wide range of areas as a signal transmission medium in communication lines or as an image guide means.
There is one.

Meanwhile, the progress of fiJI research and development of optical fiber! Coupled with the expected reduction in manufacturing costs, optical fibers will be used for more general purposes, such as everyday equipment.
It is expected to advance into the field of 14°4 used for various purposes.

By the way, the form of the Sofa r used as R44J for such a mounting fMli application is 1.4
It is often significantly different from the conventional SoC fiber type FLU4 fiber. For example, a large number of optical fibers are individually attached (=
When applying J'H, it is necessary to strip the SOQ fiber of a shape that is easy to stick and of a specified length, but it is necessary to cut it uniformly.
What about a long C fiber with a diameter of L? It is difficult to immediately apply the conventional method θ (G,

In view of these points, the object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing method that can continuously mass-produce a large number of decorative optical fibers, in particular, a large number of individual decorative optical fibers that have a shape that allows them to be easily attached to bases of decorative items, etc. It is possible to provide a method.

Therefore, in the present invention, the end faces of the nine fibers that are continuously supplied are brought into contact with the surface G of the heating plate, and the end faces of the nine fibers are brought into contact with the surface G of the heating plate.
11+': F11 heat melts and superhuman strength σ
- II L Expand the protruding engaging head, and then) press the above N C fuj'iha at a predetermined length j\j G from the recording head) to 9 The decorative optical fine obtained by the invention's No.jθ is enlarged in diameter at the tip G of the force. Equipped with an engaging head, it can be easily attached to the base of decorative articles.

Hereinafter, the method of the invention will be explained in detail by means of embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams showing one embodiment of implementing the method of the present invention. In Figure 1A, a 1m optical fiber 1 manufactured by a conventional method is placed on one side σ] with its end face facing down.
= J from between the feed rollers 2 and 6 to the roller t7. By rotating in the direction of the arrow FI + F2 opposite to the guide member 4, the guide member 4 is continuously supplied in the direction of the arrow F3 and vertically lowered. Approximately at the lowermost end of the optical fiber 1, there is an appropriate heat source (not shown) G, which heats the optical fiber at a temperature higher than the melting point of the constituent materials. g! 1′! It is provided in the IJi function and is brought into contact under pressure with the surface of the -F end surface (the heating plate 5σ, which is almost parallel to the surface) of the hanging surface. The end face of the optical fiber 1σ) is melted and bulged in the direction of the diameter of the optical fiber 1]l\\ to form an engaging head 6 (υ), as shown in Figure 1B. With the rotation of the rollers 2.6 interrupted and the heating plate 5 withdrawn in the direction of arrow F4 in the figure, a pair of forceps 7.8 is applied from the direction of arrow F5 to 11.in. b
By applying this action, the light beam 1 is emitted at a predetermined length from the head 6.
cut.

Thereafter, the rollers 2 and 6 are rotated 1j degrees to suspend the optical fiber 1 into the state shown in FIG. It is possible to continuously manufacture a large number of nine-fine rods 1 each having an engaging head 6 with an enlarged diameter on one end surface as shown.

The optical fines shown in the second figure of 1) 1j obtained by the method of the present invention can be used, for example, in handicraft applications (by piercing a decorative base etc. from the other end and pulling it). Since the engaging head 6 is held on the base surface, it is possible to stab the fibers reliably and easily.In this way, after a large number of optical fibers are stuck in the base in a predetermined pattern, When light is incident from the other ηiAi from a suitable source), it is emitted from the end face of the head side of the 1111 engagement river stuck to the base surface, and the light is emitted from the head side end face of the 1111 engagement river stuck to the base surface. A luminescent decorative effect along the pattern of fi can be obtained.

As mentioned in Section 1, in this embodiment, the F XA! Apply a force to the surface of the heating plate 5 ++ +1: When it comes into contact, the end face is heated and melted to expand its diameter, and at the same time, the end face is heated to the extent that it cuts the nine fibers 1 at a distance of > Jl. By repeating this process, a large number of SoC fibers of a predetermined length each having an engaging head 6 at the tip can be continuously manufactured. Therefore, according to this embodiment, decorative optical output fibers having a form suitable for decorative purposes can be mass-produced by simple means.

In addition, in the LI'1iL2 embodiment, nine
By pressing the F end face of the F end face into contact with the surface of the heating plate 5 which is substantially parallel to the F end face, a flat engaging head 6 is obtained in which one end of the F end is substantially uniformly bulged in the radial direction. But this! (C1f9Bθ) The shape must be l+ij:
It can be anything you like. For example, when forming the engagement head into a substantially hemispherical shape, as shown in FIG. Four parts 9 of the shape with slope t
If , the molten portion bulges out along these four parts 9 when the end face of the fiber 1 comes into contact with the pressure 1 .
A shaped engagement head 10 is formed. In this case, in order to smoothly exit the spherical head 10, the heating plate 5 is moved along the direction of arrow F6 with respect to the lowest hanging end region of the optical fiber 1, as shown in FIG. 3B. G is performed for rotational entry and exit.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to continuously mass-produce a specific type of decorative C fiber by an extremely simple method.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams showing one embodiment of the method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main part of the decorative optical fiber obtained by the method G shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3A, B is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of implementing the method of the present invention. First issue of Mal Mei 1, optical fiber, 2, 6, roller,
5 - Heating plate, 6... Head for engagement, 7, 8 - Cutter. Figure 1A Figure 1B

Claims (1)

[Claims] The end face of the continuously supplied optical fiber is brought into contact with the surface of the heating plate, and the end face is heated and melted under pressure F to form an engaging head protruding in the radial direction of the fiber. [A method for producing a decorative SO-C fiber, which comprises cutting the J-era fiber at a predetermined length position from the head.