JPS6256485B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an optical fiber connecting device used as an optical transmission line in optical communication.

Generally, when connecting optical fibers, an appropriate amount of extra length is taken due to operational constraints or to prevent stress from being applied to the optical fibers after connection.

Conventionally, to accommodate the extra length, the optical fibers 1 ₁ , 1 ₂ , 1 ₃ and 2 ₁ , 2 2 , 2 from the cables 1 and ₂ are
The remaining lengths of ₃ are collected into loops 1 _L and 2 _L , connected with optical fiber connections 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , 3 ₃ , and housed in a housing 4, as shown in FIG. 2. In this way, the sleeve 6 is used to house the device. In addition, 5 in FIG. 2 is a drum for fixing the connecting portion.

Now, in such a conventional example, due to the bending of the optical fibers 1 ₁ ..., 2 ₁ ..., etc. or the twisting that occurred during connection, all of the optical fibers 1 1 ..., 2 1 ..., etc. were connected to the loop 1 of the same size.
It is difficult to organize them into _L , 2 _L, etc., and especially when connecting a large number of optical fibers, it is difficult to organize them, and the workability is very poor.

In order to accommodate the extra length of the optical fiber, the present invention provides the following advantages:
There is no need to form a loop, and even if the optical fiber is bent or twisted, the excess length can be easily accommodated.Furthermore, even when connecting multiple optical fibers, the excess length can be processed all at once. This will be explained in detail below.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a principal part of a slope of an embodiment of the present invention, and the same parts as those explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same symbols.

In the figure, 7 indicates a drum for storing extra optical fiber length, and 8 indicates a wire straightening machine.

As is clear from the figure, the connecting portion fixing drum 5 is rotatably fitted approximately in the center of the drum 7, and the wire straightening machines 8 are fixed to both ends. The wire straightening machine 8 has a slit 8 ₁ and a through hole 8 ₂ connected to the slit 8 1.
is formed.

In this embodiment, optical fibers 1 ₁ ..., 2 ₁ ...
The connection work including the work of accommodating the extra length will be explained.

The optical fibers 1 _{1 .} . . and the optical fibers 2 _{1 .} . . are connected by optical fiber connecting portions 3 ₁ .

Each of the optical fibers 1 _{1 .} . . and the optical fibers 2 ₁ .

The optical fiber connection parts 3 ₁ are fixed to the connection part fixing drum 5 .

When the extra length storage drum 7 is fixed and the connection part fixing drum 5 is rotated, the extra lengths of the optical fibers 1 ₁ ... and optical fibers 2 ₁ ... are stored in a state where they are wrapped around the extra length storage drum 7. Ru. This state is shown in FIG.

The drum 5 for fixing the connection part and the drum 7 for accommodating extra length are locked to prevent them from returning and maintain the state in which the extra length is accommodated.

The apparatus in the above state is housed in the casing or sleeve shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the optical fiber connection work is completed.

By the way, when connecting multiple optical fibers,
The length of the extra length is not necessarily uniform. In such a case, if the optical fiber has a long extra length, wrap the optical fiber in advance around a drum for storing the extra length, adjust the extra length, and then attach the optical fiber connection part to the drum for fixing the connection part. What is necessary is to select a fixing position appropriately and fix it. This state is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 5, 1 _x and 2 _x indicate optical fibers with long extra lengths, and 1 _y and 2 _y indicate optical fibers with short extra lengths.

As is clear from the figure, the optical fibers 1 _x and 2 _x with longer extra lengths have a smaller pitch when wound around the extra length storage drum 7 .

In all of the above embodiments, the extra length storage drum 7
is fixed, and the connection part fixing drum 5 is made rotatable, but this is reversed and the extra length storage drum 7 is made rotatable.
It is also possible to make the connecting part fixing drum 5 fixed by making it rotatable. However, in that case, the configuration must be slightly changed. FIG. 6 is an example.

In FIG. 6, 8' and 8' are newly installed wire straightening machines, which are fixed.

With this configuration, the connection portion fixing drum 5 may be fixed or may be rotatable in the opposite direction to the surplus length storage drum 7.

In each of the above embodiments, when an external force such as a tensile force is applied to the optical fibers 1 ₁ ... and the optical fibers 2 ₁ ... after the connection is completed, the optical fibers loosely wound around the surplus length storage drum 7 are removed. 1 ₁ ..., 2 ₁ ... themselves absorb the external force by reducing their winding diameters. Incidentally, in the conventional example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when an external force is applied, the diameter of only one turn of the loop is reduced, and the diameter may become smaller than the allowable bending diameter of the optical fiber. However, in the present invention, such a problem does not occur, and by appropriately designing the diameter of the extra length storage drum 7, the allowable bending diameter of the optical fiber can always be maintained. In addition, a slip mechanism is added to the locking mechanism between the connecting part fixing drum 5 and the surplus length storage drum 7, and when an external force exceeding a certain threshold is applied, the locking mechanism will come off or the locking limit will be reached. The rotation of both may be returned beyond this point, and the accommodated extra length may be released to absorb external force.

As can be seen from the above description, according to the present invention, the connecting portion fixing drum is fitted onto the extra length storage drum,
Furthermore, a straightening machine is installed on the outside, and each optical fiber connected with an extra length is held by the straightening machine, and the connector of each optical fiber is fixed to the side periphery of the connection part fixing drum. By rotating either or both of the drum for storing the surplus length and the drum for fixing the connecting portion in opposite directions, the surplus length of the optical fiber is wound around the drum for storing the surplus length and stored therein. Therefore, there is no need to form a loop in the optical fiber, and even if the optical fiber has a bend or twist caused by connection, the extra length can be easily and easily accommodated, and a large number of optical fibers can be connected. Even in such cases, the workability is extremely good because they can be processed all at once.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of the main parts of the conventional example;
4 and 4 are perspective views of essential parts of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of essential parts of another embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of essential parts of yet another embodiment. In the figure, 1 ₁ , 1 ₂ , 1 ₃ , 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ ,
2 ₃ is an optical fiber, 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , 3 ₃ is a connector,
5 is a drum for fixing the connector, 7 is a drum for storing extra length, and 8 is a wire straightening machine.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A drum for storing the surplus length of an optical fiber by winding it thereon; and a drum that is fitted into the drum and is relatively rotatable around the center of the drum, and that has a side circumference thereof. a cylindrical connecting part fixing drum to which an optical fiber connecting part is fixed; a slit having a hole fitted in the extra length storage drum and extending in the radial direction on the side periphery; 1. An optical fiber connecting device comprising: a disc-shaped straightening device having a through hole through which an optical fiber is inserted and fitted and fixed to both ends of the surplus length storage drum.