JPS63167308A - Production of optical branching/coupling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need for refitting/refixing work by attaching a case body which stores an optical branching/coupling device main body after completion of the optical branching/coupling device and filling a part of the optical branching/coupling device body and the case body with a material having an adhering/fixing function. CONSTITUTION:Two optical fibers for optical branching/coupling device are crossed with each other at their exposed optical fiber strand parts 2, a fitting jig is fitted so that an intersecting point 3 is positioned between discharge electrodes 4 and 5, and while heating and melting the intersecting point 3 by discharge between the electrodes 4 and 5, optical fiber cores 1' are moved in an arrow direction. Then, B and C parts 8, 9 of the case body are arranged on the upper and lower positions of the optical branching/coupling device body and a part of the device body and the case body is filled with a material such as epoxy resin 10 having an adhering/fixing function. Consequently, work for removing the optical fiber strand parts 2 and the optical fiber strand coupling part 6 from the fitting jig and then fitting them again can be omitted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical branching coupler used in the field of optical communication and optical signal transmission such as optical measurement.

Conventional optical branching couplers can be broadly classified into types that use one optical fiber, types that use two optical components, and types that use three optical wave paths.

In the type that uses optical components, the light propagating through the optical fiber is sent out of the optical fiber, branched using a functional element such as a half mirror or total reflection mirror, and then redirected to the specified optical fiber using a lens, etc. It is an extension of conventional optical components and is relatively expensive.

In the optical waveguide type, an optical waveguide is formed on the surface of a dielectric or semiconductor substrate using a microfabrication technique such as photoetching. Although this method has the advantage of being the most compact and can integrate functions other than optical branching and coupling, it also has the disadvantages of insertion errors and large connection losses with optical fibers. There are many problems.

The optical fiber type does not use optical parts such as lenses, and the optical fiber itself is processed to have the function of branching and coupling light, making it more compact.

This can be expected to result in lower losses and lower prices.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical branching coupler using optical fibers.

FIG. 2 shows a method for manufacturing a conventional optical branching coupler using optical fibers, taking as an example the case where there are four input/output ports.

In FIG. 2a, the nylon jacket and buffer layer at the middle part of the optical fiber core 1 are removed, and the optical fiber strand 2 is removed.
A plurality of optical fibers for an optical branching coupler with exposed parts are crossed at the optical fiber wire section 2, and while discharging between the discharge electrodes 4 and 6, the optical fiber core wire 1' is moved in the direction of the arrow in the figure. move it. That is, after producing the optical branching coupler main body shown in FIG. 2 by performing discharge heating and melting spread, the optical branching coupler main body is removed from the manufacturing jig and attached to the optical branching coupler casing jig, An optical branching coupler is manufactured by attaching a casing that houses the optical branching coupler main body. As a result, light from port 1 (port 2) can be branched to ports 3 and 4, and light from port 3 (port 4) can be branched to ports 1 and 2, respectively.
light from port 3 (port 4), and ports 3 and 4.
The light from the two ports can be coupled to port 1 (port 2), respectively.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such a manufacturing method, the optical fiber wire portion and the optical fiber wire connection portion after completing the optical branching coupler main body are 0.1M thick.
The completed optical splitter coupler body can be removed from the mounting jig without damaging the optical fiber wire section and the optical fiber wire coupling section, and the jig for the optical splitter coupler casing can be removed. It is very difficult to reattach and fix it to the tool, and the workability is also very poor.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a casing that houses the optical branching coupler body without removing it from the jig and moving it after the optical branching coupler body is completed. The optical branching coupler is manufactured by attaching the optical branching coupler and filling the optical branching coupler main body and at least a portion of the inside of the casing with a material that has a function of adhesively fixing.

By adopting such a configuration, the present invention prevents damage to the optical fiber wire portion and the optical fiber wire coupling portion of the optical splitter/coupler main body, removes it from the mounting jig, and further mounts the optical fiber coupler. The work of re-fixing to the casing jig can be omitted.

(The following is a blank space) i and ji” Extrusion; Example In FIG. 1, based on the method for manufacturing an optical branching coupler of the present invention,
An example in which there are four input/output ports will be shown.

Referring to FIG. 1a, the nylon jacket and buffer layer at the intermediate portion of the optical fiber core 1 of a predetermined length are provided with the component 7 for housing the optical branching coupler main body,
Two optical fibers for an optical branching/coupler with the bare optical fiber part 2 exposed are crossed at the bare optical fiber part 2. An enlarged schematic diagram of the main parts is shown in Figure 1.

In Figure 1, the mounting is done on a jig so that the intersection 3 is located between the discharge electrodes 4 and 6, and the intersection 3 is located between the discharge electrodes 4 and 6.
and 6, the optical fiber core 1' is moved in the direction of the arrow in the figure while being discharge heated and melted. FIG. 1C shows an optical branching coupler main body produced by performing the above steps.

In FIG. 1C, the optical fiber coupling part is 0.11
It has a very small diameter of about 1 Im.

In Fig. 1d, the casing parts B 8 and C 9 are installed above and below the optical branching coupler main body, the respective casing parts 7, 8, and 9 are attached to the optical branching coupler main body, and the optical branching coupler The optical splitter coupler shown in FIG. 1f is manufactured by filling at least a part of the main body and the inside of the housing with a material having an adhesive and fixing function, such as epoxy resin 10, as shown in FIG. 1e. be.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent damage to the optical fiber wire portion and the optical fiber wire bonding portion of the completed optical branch/coupler main body, to remove it from the mounting jig, and to install the optical fiber coupler casing jig. By omitting the work of re-fixing to the tool, workability can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a process diagram showing an embodiment of the method for manufacturing an optical branching coupler according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a process diagram showing a conventional method for manufacturing an optical branching coupler. 1.1'... Optical fiber core, 2...
Optical fiber wire portion, 3... intersection, 4, 6...
...Discharge electrode, 6...Optical fiber wire coupling part, 7...Casing A parts, 8...Casing B parts, 9...・Casing C parts, 1o...Epoxy resin.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A state in which a predetermined length of optical fiber core equipped with at least a part of the casing that houses the optical splitter coupler main body is prepared, and the nylon jacket and buffer layer in the intermediate part are removed to expose the optical fiber part. A plurality of optical fibers for an optical branching coupler are made to intersect at the optical fiber wire portion, and the intersection portion is subjected to electrical discharge heating, melting and drawing to produce an optical branching coupler main body, and then the other parts of the casing are The optical branching coupler is manufactured by filling at least a part of the housing with a material that has the function of attaching the optical branching coupler body and fixing the optical branching coupler body to the housing. How to make the vessel.