JPS60142306A - End surface abutting method of optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To butt end surfaces of optical fibers against each other while evading the occurrence of trouble by setting the end surfaces of the optical fibers on both surfaces of an abutting plate in abutting relation and then jogging both optical fibers in the opposite directions of the abutting directions, and moving the abutting plate back and moving both optical fibers relatively. CONSTITUTION:The optical fibers 10A and 10B are moved in their abutting directions through slip holders 8A and 8B, and the end surfaces of optical fiber end parts 11A and 11B are set on both surfaces of the abutting plate 6 in abutting relation. Both optical fibers 10A and 10B are jogged in the opposite directions of the abutting directions to separate both optical end surfaces from the abutting plate 6. Consequently, there is no trouble when the abutting plate 6 leaves both optical fiber end surfaces. Then, the optical fiber end parts 11A and 11B are moved relatively in the abutting directions and welded together.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for butting end faces of optical fibers during fusion splicing.

When fusion splicing one or more pairs of optical fibers in the longitudinal direction, the ends of these optical fibers are placed in a straight line facing each other via a groove-shaped axial mating stand, and the subsequent movement is prevented. During operation, the ends of both optical fibers are butted against each other, and heating is performed by electric discharge heating, laser heating, etc. from an appropriate time in synchronization with this movement, that is, from the time when the end face distance of both optical fibers reaches a predetermined value. This starts the fusion splicing of both optical fibers.

When fusion splicing optical fibers as described above, the known abutment plate is used to set the initial distance between the end faces of both optical fibers with the ends of both optical fibers moved to the heating position, This abutment plate is arranged so as to be able to move forward and backward in correspondence with the heating position of the heater (discharge electrode, etc.).

When the above-mentioned abutment plate advances to the heating position mentioned above, both optical fiber ends are abutted against both sides of the abutment plate, and when the initial end face spacing is determined, the plate is moved from between the two optical fiber end faces. be evicted.

□ By the way, in the general fusion splicing method, an optical fiber is held through a slip holder, and the end face of the optical fiber is abutted against an abutment plate by moving the slip holder in a predetermined direction.

When this slip holder is used, when the end face of the optical fiber is abutted against the abutment plate with excessive force, slip occurs between the optical fiber and the holder, so no force is applied to the end face of the optical fiber. Therefore, the end face will not be damaged or chipped.

However, such good results can only be obtained if the slip holder is functioning properly. For example, if the slip holder is not functioning correctly, the abutting force becomes too large and the gap shown in Fig. 1 (a) occurs. One or both of the optical fibers F, , F2 applied to the abutment plate P are bent as shown in FIG. If you leave like that,
The end of the optical fiber F is pulled in the withdrawal direction, bends greatly, and comes out of the predetermined position.

This situation also occurs when the end face of the optical fiber is still rough or the plate surface of the abutment plate P is scratched.

Of course this doesn't happen often, but when it happens,
The subsequent steps cannot be carried out continuously, and
If a series of processes were to be automated to perform fusion splicing of optical fibers, subsequent processes would be carried out in the defective state described above, leading to operational errors.

The present invention has been made to address the above-mentioned problems, and a specific method thereof will be explained below with reference to illustrated embodiments.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a known shafting table, and this shafting table 1 is equipped with optical fiber mounting parts 3A and 3B on both sides of a central recessed part 2, and these mounting parts 3A and 3B. , 3B has a V-groove 4A on its upper surface.

4B is formed.

Reference numerals 5A and 6B designate a pair of discharge electrodes placed in the front and back direction of the shafting base 1 in correspondence with the recess 2;
A and 5B may be replaced with laser light generators.

Reference numeral 6 denotes an abutment plate made of any material selected from metal, plastic, ceramic, etc., and this abutment plate 6 can move up and down through an opening formed at the bottom of the recess 2 of the shafting base 1. It has become.

Reference numerals 8A and 8B are operating rods that support the slip holders 8A and 8B, which are movably placed on both sides of the two-axis joint stand 1, and the slip holder 8A is shown in the figure.

8B uses a known three-point bottle structure,
Any known slip-type optical fiber holding function can be employed, such as one consisting of a fixed clamping piece and a movable spring-loaded clamping piece, or one with a roller receiving structure.

In the figure, 10A and 10B are coated optical fibers 11B1
11B is the optical fiber end from which the coating has been removed.

When carrying out the method of the present invention in the above manner, first, as shown in FIG. ，
4B, then raise the abutting plate 6 and advance it to the center of the shafting base 1, and then connect the optical fibers 10A, 10B to these via the slip holders 8A, 8B. The optical fiber end 1 is moved in the butting direction.
The end faces of 1A and 11B are brought into contact with both sides of the abutting plate 6.

FIG. 3(A) shows this abutting state.

After the optical fiber end surfaces are abutted in this manner, both optical fibers 10A and 10B are slightly moved in the opposite direction to the abutting direction, thereby bringing the two optical fiber end surfaces and the abutting plate 6 into a non-contact state.

FIG. 3 1o1 shows this non-contact state, and the gap G at this time is about several μm to several μm.

When the optical fiber end face and the abutting plate are brought into a non-contact state as shown in Fig. 3 (opening), the situation described in Fig. 1 (a) may occur at the optical fiber ends 11A and 11B. Therefore, when the abutment plate 6 is removed from between the end faces of both optical fibers as shown in FIG. 3, the I-rubble described in FIG. 1(b) does not occur.

Of course, the thickness of the abutting plate 6 is already known, and the amount of micro-movement during the non-contact operation described in -1 is also clear from this reading.
, 10B, the distance between the end faces can be determined.

After the abutment plate 6 is removed from between the optical fiber end faces as described above, the fiber end 11' is removed as shown in FIG.
A and 11B are moved relative to each other in the direction in which they meet,
The following is a conventional method and -C optical fiber ends 11A, 11B
fusion splice.

In the above, when controlling the states shown in FIGS. 3(a) to 3(b), this can be easily done by using the rotary cam 12 as shown in FIG. 4.

The rotating cam 12 in FIG. 4 includes the aforementioned slip holder 8A,
The cam surface is located between the operating rods 9A, 9B of the operating rods 9A, 9B and comes into contact with the protrusions 13A, 13B of the operating rods 9A, 9B. Sudame spring 14A,
14B is installed.

When the rotary cam 12 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4, the cam surface relative to the protrusions 13A, 13B is displaced, and the first cam surface A11B and the protrusions 13A, 13
When the protrusions 13A and 13B are in contact with the second cut A2 and B2, the state shown in Fig. 3 (b) is obtained. When the third cam surface A3, B3 is in contact with the protrusions 13A, 13B, the state shown in FIG. The fiber end face spacing can be set to about 20 μm.

It is D as a drive system for the above slip holders 8A and 8B.
If a C motor is used, after achieving the state shown in Figure 3 (A), rotate the DC motor in the reverse direction for a certain period of time to achieve the state shown in Figure 3 (A).
The required distance between the optical fiber end faces can be set by rotating the L) C motor in the forward direction.

Furthermore, when a pulse motor is used as the drive system described in section 2, it is almost the same as a DC motor. ) is obtained, and at other times, each predetermined state is obtained by passing a forward pulse current to the pulse motor.

When using a cam, DC motor, pulse motor, etc. to set the distance between the optical fiber end faces or to butt the end faces, the forward and backward movement (1'-F movement) of the abutment plate 6 is driven by a separate power system. Use the source and do it in a timely manner.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the case where there is one pair of optical fibers to be fusion spliced has been explained, but the same procedure can be performed not only when the number of optical fibers to be fusion spliced is one pair but also when there are multiple pairs. Can be done.

As explained above, when according to the present invention, when one or more pairs of optical fibers are fusion-spliced in the longitudinal direction, the end surfaces of these optical fibers are faced to each other and butted, so that the end faces of the optical fibers are faced to each other at a relative interval. An abutment plate is interposed between the end faces of each of the above-mentioned optical fibers, and after abutting the end faces of each optical fiber against both sides of the abutment plate, both optical fibers are slightly moved in a direction opposite to the abutting direction. The optical fiber end face and both sides of the abutting plate are brought into a non-contact state, and then the abutting plate is removed from between the end faces of both optical fibers, and both optical fibers are relatively moved in the direction in which these end faces abut. This makes it possible to match the end faces of optical fibers while avoiding trouble.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 (A) and (B) are explanatory diagrams showing the problems of the prior art, Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the apparatus used in the method of the present invention, and Figure 3 (
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the control means in the same method. 6...Abutment plate 10A, 10B, automatic, inertia, optical fiber/ku 11A, 11B
- Sachi... Optical fiber end G... Gap between optical fiber end face and abutment plate Patent applicant's representative Patent attorney Makoto Ito Figure 1 (a) (a) Figure II 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] When fusion splicing one or more pairs of optical fibers in the longitudinal direction, the ends of the optical fibers are opposed to each other with a relative spacing in a method in which the ends of these optical fibers are butted against each other. An abutment plate is interposed between the parts, and after abutting the ends of each optical fiber against both sides of the abutment plate, both optical fibers are moved slightly in the opposite direction to the abutment direction to abut the end surfaces of these optical fibers. A method for abutting the ends of optical fibers, in which both sides of the abutment plate are placed in a non-contact state, the abutment plate is then removed from between the ends of the two optical fibers, and both optical fibers are relatively moved in the direction in which their ends abut.