JPS62257108A - Automatic disconnecting device for optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To stably cut an optical fiber with high accuracy by rotating a cam shaft by an electric motor as a driving source and giving a flaw in an optical fiber by a cam, and then tensing or bending the optical fiber and cutting it. CONSTITUTION:An end part of the coating layer of an optical fiber core 20 is removed to expose the optical fiber 22, the end of the coating layer is set in an optical fiber clamp 51, and the optical fiber 22 is clamped by an optical fiber clamp 52. Then, the optical fiber clamp 52 moves through the operation of the cam 53 with a start switch ON and then the optical fiber 22 is tensed. Further, a flawing blade 54 is lowered and contacts the optical fiber to give an initial flaw and then returns, and a cutting head 55 is elevated to cut the optical fiber 22 and returns. Consequently, an excellently specular end surface is obtained and cutting which is reliable for a long period is enabled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an automatic optical fiber cutting device used in connection work, measurement, etc. of optical fiber cables.

(Prior art and problems to be solved) As a conventional optical fiber cutting device, for example,
No. 3 "Optical fiber cutting tool", Special Publication No. 58-6924 "
There are "optical fiber cutters" and the like, which cut optical fibers into mirror-like surfaces using a stress-rupture method.

However, all of these cutting devices are manual cutting devices, in which the optical fiber core wire is held down by hand and bent by being pressed and bent by hand. Therefore, the quality of the cutting condition varies greatly depending on the skill level of the operator, which may result in a low rate of obtaining good end faces, or may cause deterioration in the operation and performance of other devices such as fusion splicers and various measuring instruments. was.

(Background of the Invention) According to experiments conducted by the present inventors, the requirements for cutting an optical fiber with high precision are as follows.

■Use a high hardness blade with a Rockwell hardness of 90 (A scale) or higher.

■Inflicting small and deep initial wounds. For this purpose, the damaging blade must make point contact with the optical fiber at a cutting edge angle of 80° or less.

■Applying appropriate bending stress and tensile stress to the optical fiber.

However, the technology conventionally used as a scratching blade uses a WC-based cemented carbide with a Rockwell hardness of about 88, which tends to wear easily and increases the contact area.

■Since the mechanical scratching blade scrapes the surface of the optical fiber, large and shallow initial scratches are likely to occur.

■Since it is done manually, the magnitude and ratio of bending stress and tensile stress differ each time the cutting is done.

There were other deficiencies.

In particular, we have investigated how scratches occur and found that even with the same scratching blade and the same optical fiber, the way optical fibers are scratched differs depending on the contact speed. That is, if the speed is slow, the initial scratches will be small, but if the speed is fast, the scratches will be too large due to impact or reflection/re-contact, and the side surface will be damaged. As a result of the trial, it was found that a lowering speed of the blade of approximately 2 ms/sec was appropriate.

■The appropriate blade pressure for a damaged blade frame with high hardness is small; for example, when using sintered diamond, a blade pressure of 15 to 25 g is good. However, if an attempt is made to move only the scratching blade with a small blade pressure, the frictional resistance force becomes too large to be ignored, and the scratching blade may not operate smoothly due to stick-slip phenomena.

It turned out that.

Therefore, in order to cut optical fibers with higher precision and stability, we devised an automatic cutting machine that uses a motor as the drive source, especially since it has the advantage of being able to specify the cutting speed.

(Disclosure of the Invention) As described above, the present invention provides an automatic optical fiber cutting device using a motor as a drive source as a means for precisely cutting an optical fiber. ! [The exposed optical fiber is removed by removing the coating layer at the end of the coated optical fiber containing ffl, and the cam shaft is rotated via a gear or timing belt using an electric motor as a drive source, and the optical fiber is damaged by the cam. This automatic cutting device is capable of cutting an optical fiber by applying tension or bending and tension to the optical fiber.

The first leap is an explanatory diagram of one embodiment of the automatic cutting device of the present invention,
(A) is a front view of the interior, (B) is a sectional view taken along A-A in (A), (C) is a sectional view taken along B-B, and (B) is a sectional view taken along C-C.
5 is a sectional view, (e) is a sectional view taken along line DD, and (f) is a sectional view taken along line EE.

, in the drawings, (1) is a clamp for the optical fiber;
■ is a scratching blade, (3) is a cutting head, (4) is a clamp for the exposed optical fiber after removing the end coating layer of the optical fiber core, ■ is an electric motor as a driving source, and ■ is a cutting head for the above-mentioned processing. A cam that causes the scratch blade ■ and the vertical movement of the cutting head (3), ■
is a plate spring on which the optical fiber is placed; e is an optical fiber clamp (a cross roller guide that supports Φ and moves only in a direction parallel to the optical fiber to apply tension to the optical fiber;
(8') is a cross roller guide that supports the scratching blade and moves it only in the direction perpendicular to the optical fiber, ■ is a timing belt that transmits the drive of electric motor ■, and (g) is to specify the cutting length of the optical fiber. It is a core wire stopper.

In this type of cutting device, the optical fiber clamp (2) moves parallel to the optical fiber using a cross roller guide ■, and pulls the slack set optical fiber straight, making stable cutting possible. (2) damages the optical fiber by moving linearly in a direction perpendicular to the optical fiber, resulting in extremely small initial scratches.

Fig. 2 is an explanatory view of another embodiment of the automatic cutting machine of the present invention, in which (a) is a front view showing the inside, and (b) is (a).
The top view of the figure, (c) is a sectional view taken along line A-A in figure (a), fig. Identical symbols represent the same parts. Note that in the drawing, OD is a gear that transmits the drive of electric motor (2).

In this embodiment, both the damaging blade (■) and the cutting head (3) are supported by a rotating shaft, and have a mechanism for arc movement using a cam (■), and by simplifying the mechanism, an inexpensive and stable device can be realized. In addition, by pushing up the cutting head (3) with the cam (2), it can be operated without being affected by the rigidity of the plate by (ω).

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of still another embodiment of the automatic cutting machine '22C of the present invention, in which (A) is a front view showing the inside, (B) is a view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. ) is B sectional view, and ) is C
sectional view, (E) is D sectional view, (F) is E sectional view,
The same symbols as in the figure represent the same parts.

In this embodiment, the mechanism for applying tension to the optical fiber is integrated and interlocked with the lifting mechanism of the cutting head (J), so the mechanism is simple. Also, both the cutting blade (3) and the cutting head (3) have rotating shafts. The mechanism that is supported by and moves in an arc has been revised.

The operating method will be explained below based on FIG.

(a)? Turn on the lE source switch.

(b) As shown in FIG. 4, the m5 (2+) end of the coated optical fiber (20) is removed to expose the optical fiber (22).

(C) The end of the target FJ (2+) is set in the optical fiber clamp (51), and the optical fiber clamp (52)
Clamp the optical fiber (22) with. At this time, be careful not to allow excessive slack in the optical fiber (22).

(d) Turn on the start switch.

(e) (Automatic operation below) (See Figure 6) (e-1) The optical fiber clamp (52) moves to the right in the figure by the operation of the cam (53) to apply tension to the optical fiber (22). .

(e-2) The damaging blade (54) descends and the optical fiber (22)
), causing an initial injury and recovering.

(e-3) The cutting head (55) rises and the optical fiber (
22) disconnect and restore.

(e-4) The optical fiber clamp (52) is connected to the cam (53)
It is restored by the operation.

(f) (Manual again) Open the optical fiber core clamp (51) and take out the optical fiber core m (20).

(g) Open the optical fiber clamp (52) and discard the surrounding optical fiber (22').

At this time, the optical fiber clamp (52) of (e-1)
Instead, the cutting head (55) may be raised by 0.1-0.2 cm to apply tension to the optical fiber (22), and in this case, the moving device of the optical fiber clamp (52) may be used. Grooves are no longer necessary.

Furthermore, if the cam is shaped so that it cycles through one rotation, the origin position can be recognized by a touch sensor or a photo sensor and the beginning and end of the cycle can be set, thereby simplifying the mechanism.

FIGS. 5(a) to 5(c) are explanatory diagrams of a mechanism that applies blade pressure to the damaging blade.

The figure (A) shows a cutter box type, and as shown in the figure, the injury blade (3I) is stored in the Kabutabosoku (30), which has a length that matches the shape of the injury blade (31), and the blade is cut from the rear. Press with a pressure spring (32) to generate blade pressure. In addition,
In the drawing, (33) is a cutting head, (:14) is a cam, and (35) is a cam contact spring.

Also, the same figure (b) is a double slide type with a damaging blade (3I).
is fixed to the first slider (36), and this slider (3
6), another slider (3)) causes the blade pressure spring (32
) to apply pressure.

Furthermore, Q9 in the same figure is a tension type, with tension springs (4
This tension spring (40
) also serves as a force for bringing the arm (38) into contact with the operating cam (34).

Among the above, in the force single box type shown in (a) and the double slide type shown in (b), the damaging blade (31) performs a stroke movement as the cam (34) rotates, and at the lower end of the stroke, The damaging blade (3I) is attached to the optical fiber (22
), the movement of the damaging blade (31) is stopped, and the blade pressure spring (32) is compressed, and the blade pressure is increased when the damaging blade (31) contacts the optical fiber (22). Rise.

(C) The tension type shown in the figure has only one spring (40) (it has two functions: lowering the injury blade (3I) and applying blade pressure. In this case, the arm (38
) is provided above the cam (34) and a stopper (41) is provided to apply blade pressure, and by finely adjusting the stopper (41) up and down, the damaging blade (31) and the optical fiber (22)
The aim is to control the amount of contact. Further, the blade pressure can be made variable by adjusting the length with a fixed part at one end of the tension spring (40). In the drawing, (39) is the arm (
38).

Here, FIG. 8 shows a timing chart of the movement of the damaging blade and the cutting head.

At this time, before the damage is done, the cutting head is slightly raised to take up the slack in the optical fiber and align the optical fiber with the temporary spring. This has the effect of stabilizing damage to the optical fiber.

Next, the reason why the material of the scratching blade is made of cemented carbide with a Rockwell hardness of 90 degrees or more and diamond is to increase wear resistance and extend the life of the device. Here, A, 82m class was selected as the cemented carbide and the results of durability tests are shown in the following table.

From the results shown in the table, it was confirmed that a scratching blade with a hardness of 30 degrees or more can withstand at least 2000 cycles for single-core optical fibers. Also, the histogram (a) of the end face angle (θ) and the end face shape deafness (b) are as shown in FIG.

(Effect of the invention) According to the optical fiber automatic cutting device of the present invention described above,
It is possible to always apply a minimum initial scratch to the optical fiber placed on the substrate under constant blade pressure in the vertical direction.
By applying an appropriate bending stress to the optical fiber under a constant pressure, it is possible to obtain an end face with a good mirror surface and to enable reliable cutting over a long period of time.

Although the detailed explanation of the present invention has been given using Rishin optical fiber as an example, the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to cutting flat multi-core optical fibers, flat bunch fibers, etc. Needless to say.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of one embodiment of the automatic cutting device of the present invention,
&) is a front view showing the inside, (b) is A of (a)
-A cross-sectional view, (c) is B-B cross-sectional view, (b) is C-Cll
1. Ir plane view, (E) is a DD cross-sectional view, and (C) is an E-E cross-sectional view. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the automatic cutting device of the present invention, in which (a) is a front view showing the interior, (b) is a top view,
(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in figure (a), (ii) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B, and (e) is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in figure (a). FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of still another embodiment of the automatic cutting device of the present invention, in which (a) is a front view showing the inside, and (b) is (
b) A view in the direction of arrow A in the figure, (c) a cross-sectional view of B, (e) a cross-sectional view of C, (e) a cross-sectional view of D, and (f) a cross-sectional view of E. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the optical fiber, Figures 5 (a) to c) are explanatory diagrams of the mechanism that applies blade pressure to the wound blade, and Figure 6
Figures (a) to (d) are explanatory diagrams of the operating procedure. Also, Fig. 7 (a) is a histogram of the end face angle due to cutting.
FIG. 8B is an explanatory view of the end face state, and FIG. 8 is a cam diagram of the damaging blade and the cutting head. 1... Optical fiber core clamp, 2... Damaging blade, 3
... Cutting rod, 4... Optical fiber clamp, 5.
...Electric motor, 6...Cam, 8.8'...Cross roller guide, 9...Timing belt, 10...
- Core wire stopper, 11... Gear, 20... Optical fiber core wire, 21... Coating layer, 22.
... Optical fiber, 31 ... Damage blade, 32 ... Blade pressure spring, 33 ... Cutting head, 34 ... Cam, 35 ... Cam contact spring, 3B, 3 frame... Slider, 38...Arm, 4G
...Tension spring (also serves as blade pressure spring), 41...
Stopper. Aoi 4 Figure 5 (A) (Utsu (I) (Su) 1)
(8) (book)
(to) 寥 5 口 CJ Description of the case Patent Application No. 101563 of 1985 2 Name of the invention Optical fiber automatic cutting device 3 Person making the amendment Representative Tetsube Yojo 4 Agent address 1-9 Nishinakajima, Yodoyo-ku, Osaka City 20
No. 5, date of the amendment order 6, column 7 for a brief explanation of the drawings in the specification subject to the amendment, content of the amendment Middle East page 14, line 14 r (/Xl is the E-E cross-sectional view.) is corrected to "(f) is a sectional view taken along E-E."

Claims (9)

[Claims] (1) The end coating layer of the optical fiber core wire having the coating layer is removed, and the exposed end and root coating portion of the optical fiber is pressed and fixed, and an electric motor is used as the drive source, and a cam is used via a gear or a timing belt. An automatic optical fiber cutting device characterized in that the shaft is rotated and a cam damages the optical fiber between the press and fixing parts, and then the optical fiber is pulled or bent and pulled to cause the fiber to be cut. (2) The damaging blade is supported by a cross roller guide,
The automatic optical fiber cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical fiber is damaged by moving only in a direction perpendicular to the optical fiber. (3) The damaging blade is supported by a rotating shaft included in a horizontal plane containing the optical fiber, and is moved in an arc by a cam to press against the optical fiber in a vertical direction and damage the optical fiber. Optical fiber automatic cutting device described in Section 2. (4) The cutting head that bends and cuts the optical fiber is located directly below the scratching blade and is fixed to the leaf spring to prevent the leaf spring from deflecting downward, and is supported by a cross roller guide to cut the optical fiber. The automatic optical fiber cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical fiber cutting device cuts the optical fiber by moving only in the vertical direction. (5) The automatic optical fiber cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the cutting head is supported by a rotating shaft and moved in an arc by a cam to push and bend the optical fiber and cut it. (6) The automatic optical fiber cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber clamp that applies tension to the optical fiber is supported by a cross roller guide and moves only in a direction parallel to the optical fiber. (7) The automatic optical fiber cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber clamp is supported by a rotating shaft and moved in an arc by a cam to apply tension to the optical fiber. (8) The optical fiber damaging blade is fixed to a slider supported by a cross roller guide, and the slider is pushed down by a constant spring pressure from another slider supported by a cross roller guide, and the whole slider is lowered. Claim 1, characterized in that by contacting the optical fiber with the blade, vibration and rattling of the blade are reduced, and the blade pressure is kept constant.
Optical fiber automatic cutting device described in Section 2. (9) The automatic optical fiber cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber cutting blade is made of a cemented carbide having a Rockwell hardness of 90 or more, diamond, or a synthetic crystal material.