JPS617810A - Setting device for optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automate setting operation by making a groove for optical fiber setting wider in distance from an electrode axis and as wide as a fiber diameter near the electrode axis, and sliding a guide mechanism and setting an optical fiber in the setting groove. CONSTITUTION:The tip of an optical fiber 1 is not stored in the optical fiber setting groove 13 normally because of vertical or horizontal curvature. For the purpose, the optical fiber guide mechanism consisting of a couple of main members 7 and 7' for optical fiber guidance is moved in the direction of the electrode axis. Consequently, the optical fiber 1 is pressed in the setting groove 13 with the force of a spring 11 by pads 12 which move along the setting groove 13 which are wide in distance from the electrode axis and as wide as the optical fiber diameter near the electrode axis. When the optical fiber guide mechanism reaches the terminal of the guide groove 8 nearby the electrode axis, the optical fiber 1 is all inserted into the setting groove 13, thus completing the setting operation. Thus, the setting operation is secured and automated.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention is an optical fiber! The present invention relates to a device that automatically centers an optical fiber during axis alignment in an IHA fusion splicer.

(Prior Art) As shown in FIG. 6, the optical fiber setting mechanism used in the conventional optical fiber fusion splicing apparatus has a V-groove 2 of approximately 30° to 90" for holding the optical fiber 1. It consisted of a holding stand 3 having a It has a slightly large opening, and the width of the opening is kept constant in the direction perpendicular to the electrode axis formed by the pair of electrodes 5. Therefore, if the optical fiber has even a slight bend, the light Inserting the fiber into the V-groove was extremely difficult.

For this reason, the only way to operate this was to manually correct the bend. Furthermore, even in this manual method, after the optical fiber is inserted into the V-groove, one hand must be used to prevent the optical fiber from floating up, and the other hand must be used to open and close the optical fiber clamp mechanism. However, it was impossible to automatically insert the optical fiber into the groove.

(Problems to be Solved by the Present Invention) As described above, if the optical fiber has even a slight bend, it is extremely difficult to insert the optical fiber into the V-groove, and it is difficult to correct the bend in the optical fiber. However, there is a problem in that the operation is complicated when the operator manually performs the operation.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve these problems, the present invention provides a pair of optical fiber guide mechanisms, and the guide surface thereof is provided on the outer surface of the optical fiber center groove. The opening of the groove is larger at a position away from the electrode axis, and adjusts to the diameter of the optical fiber as it approaches the electrode axis. The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the present invention, in which the axis alignment of the fusion device and the electrode portion are enlarged. In the apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, 3 is an optical fiber holding stand having an extremely large groove-shaped opening 2, and is connected to an optical fiber clamp 4 by a rotatable hinge 6. An axis perpendicular to the electrode axis constituted by electrode 5.
IMis are provided on the left and right sides respectively. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view at A, -A' in Figure 1;
is the main member for guiding the optical fiber. The lower ends of 7 and 7' are shaped to be slidably inserted into the guide groove 8.

Reference numeral 9 denotes an optical fiber holding plate, which is rotatably supported by the main member 7 via a hinge 10.

The side surface of the main member 7 in the axial direction of the optical fiber is connected to a pad 12 via a spring II, and the pad 12 is structured to move in the direction of the optical fiber center s13. r
The shape of a13 for optical fiber set J is V-shaped in the direction parallel to the electrode axis, and has an opening near the electrode axis in the direction perpendicular to the electrode axis, and the width of the opening is the diameter of the optical fiber. It has a shape that becomes wider as it approaches the fiber holding table 3.

(Function) Next, in order to operate this, the optical fiber 1 with the end face formed is roughly placed on the V-groove opening 2 of the optical fiber holding table 3 using a moving mechanism (not shown). At this time, the optical fiber clamp 4 and the optical fiber holding plate 9 are left open upward as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. Thereafter, the optical fiber clamp 4 of the optical fiber holding stand 3 is closed by rotating the hinge 6 (the rotation mechanism is not shown). Similarly, when the optical fiber holding plate 9 of the main member 7 for guiding the optical fiber is closed by the rotation of the hinge 10 (the rotation mechanism is not shown), the tip of the optical fiber 1 is normally placed upward, as shown in FIG. Due to its orientation in either the downward, left, or right direction, it will not fit into the optical fiber center groove 13. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, a main member 7 for guiding the optical fiber, an optical fiber holding plate 9, a hinge 10. An optical fiber guide mechanism consisting of a set of an optical fiber guide jig consisting of a spring 11 and a bud 12 and an optical fiber guide jig consisting of a main member 7', a spring 11 and a bud 12 is pulled by a wire (not shown). Alternatively, a gear mechanism (not shown) with a rank embedded in the guide groove 8 and a pinion attached to the lower part of the main member can be connected to an electric motor (not shown).
When the bent optical fiber l is moved in the direction of the electrode axis by rotating at Pushed in. When the optical fiber guide mechanism reaches the end of the guide groove 8 near the electrode axis, the entire optical fiber 1 is inserted into the optical fiber setting groove 13, and the optical fiber setting is completed.

Here, the spring 11 is set in a pre-stretched state as an initial state, and compressive force is used as the spring force. In order to avoid damaging the optical fiber 1, the pad 12 for feeding the optical fiber 1 into the optical fiber setting groove 13 is made of a soft material such as felt or rubber.

Therefore, by automating a device having these functions, the complicated setting of optical fibers that has been performed manually can be reliably and simplified.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the optical fiber setting device of the present invention allows the optical fiber to be roughly set in advance, and the optical fiber centering groove is wide at a position away from the electrode axis and wide at a position near the electrode axis. The optical fiber is adjusted to match the diameter of the optical fiber 1, and the optical fiber is housed in the optical fiber center groove by sliding of the optical fiber guide mechanism.
Even if the optical fiber has a bend, it can be corrected, and manual work is eliminated, making automation possible.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the optical fiber holding mechanism, and FIG. 3 is taken along line A-A in FIG. 1.
Figures 4 and 5 are explanatory diagrams of the operating principle of an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the fiber setting mechanism of a conventional optical fiber fusion splicer. FIG. 7 is a plan view of an optical fiber setting mechanism of a conventional optical fiber fusion splicer. 1... Optical fiber 2... v13... Optical fiber holding stand 4... Optical fiber clamp 5... Electrode 6... Hinge 7.7'... Main member 8... Guide groove 9... Optical fiber holding plate 10
...Hinge 11...Spring 12...
Bud 13... Groove for optical fiber center Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In the axis alignment mechanism of optical fiber fusion splicing equipment,
A pair of gripping mechanisms for gripping and fixing the optical fiber core wire are provided perpendicular to the fusion electrode axis and fixed to fusion splicing devices on both sides of the electrode axis, and a pair of gripping mechanisms are provided in front of the gripping mechanisms on the electrode side. a pair of optical fiber guide mechanisms that are movable on a line perpendicular to the axis of the fused electrode; the guide surface when the guide mechanisms move is the outer surface of the optical fiber set groove; An optical fiber setting device characterized in that the width of the groove decreases from the optical fiber gripping part to the diameter of the optical fiber as it approaches the electrode axis.