JPS63259602A - Fusion splicing machine for optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute a fusion splicing of an optical fiber at an arbitrary place by separating an optical fiber aligning member from a fusion splicing machine body having a pair of discharge electrodes, and heating and fusing the optical fiber on a printed board. CONSTITUTION:An optical fiber aligning member 6 having an optical fiber arranging groove 7, and also, having an air-gap 8 formed in the vicinity of an optical fiber splicing part so as not to obstruct an arc generated by a pair of discharge electrode 5 is separated from a fusion splicing machine body having a pair of discharge electrodes 5. Subsequently, the aligning member 5 is installed so that a hole 9 whose dimension is almost the same as the air gap 8 of the aligning member 5, and the air-gap 8 coincide, and in case the eccentricity of an optical fiber core is large, a rotating body 12 provided on the tip of an optical fiber clamper 11 is rotated, by which an optical fiber is rotated and the optical fiber 3 is aligned. Also, a pair of discharge electrodes are placed at a position which is vertical to a printed board 4 and inserts and holds a connecting point of the optical fiber 3, and the optical fiber 3 is heated and fused. In such a way, a fusion splicing of the optical fiber can be executed at an arbitrary position on the printed board 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention provides a fusion splicer for fusion splicing optical fibers in places such as printed circuit boards where there is not much space for processing extra optical fiber lengths. It is related to.

(Prior art) As optical modules have become more compact, a large number of optical modules have come to be mounted on printed circuit boards. Connected to the outside via an optical connector.

Generally, many circuit components are mounted on a printed board.
Since it is difficult to secure space to accommodate the extra length of optical fiber, it is necessary to make the optical fiber between the optical connector and the optical module as short as possible. Optical modules la, l as shown in Figure 3
The optical fiber 3 from the optical module 1a is used for the optical fiber connection between the optical module 1a and the optical connector 2.
How to attach optical connector 2 to optical fiber 3 (pigtail) to which optical connector 2 has been attached in advance, how to attach optical module 1a to optical fiber 3 (pigtail), optical module la, lb
A possible method is to fusion-splice the optical fibers 3 from each other. However, when connecting with a connector, workability is poor;
Moreover, it has the disadvantage that the optical fiber length becomes long. Furthermore, the method using fusion splicing has the drawback that the extra length of the optical fiber becomes long because the conventional fusion splicer cannot directly attach a printed board and perform the splicing operation.

For this reason, it has been impossible to mount optical modules on printed circuit boards with high density.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention solves problems that could not be solved by conventional fusion splicers.
To provide a fusion splicer for fusion splicing optical fibers in a place such as a printed circuit board where a space for processing extra optical fiber length cannot be secured.

(Means for Solving the Problems) As shown in FIGS. 1(a), (b), (C) and FIG. 2, the present invention has grooves 7 for aligning optical fibers, and An optical fiber positioning member 6 having a gap 8 formed near the optical fiber connection portion so as not to disturb the arc generated by the pair of discharge electrodes 5 is separated from the fusion splicer body having the pair of discharge electrodes 5. , the positioning member 6 is formed at an arbitrary location on the printed board 4 so that the hole 9 of approximately the same size as the space 8 of the positioning member 6 coincides with the space 8.
If the eccentricity of the optical fiber core is large, the rotary body 12 provided at the tip of the optical fiber clamper 11 is rotated to rotate the optical fiber 3 and align the optical fiber 3. By placing a pair of discharge electrodes 5 perpendicular to the printed board 4 and sandwiching the connection point of the optical fiber 3, and by heating and melting the optical fiber 3, the optical fiber 3 can be fused at any position on the printed board 4. enable incoming connections.

The conventional fusion splicer is characterized in that the optical fiber alignment member 6 is separated from the fusion splicer main body having a pair of discharge electrodes 5, that the optical fiber 3 is heated and melted on the printed board 4, The difference is that the optical fiber clamper 11 has a function of aligning the optical fiber 3.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1(b)
) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA′ in FIG. 1(a);
This shows a state in which the discharge electrode is not close to the optical fiber, and the first
Figure (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA' in Figure 1 (a), showing a state in which the discharge electrode approaches the optical fiber. Below, a method for fusion splicing optical fibers will be explained with reference to FIG.

When fusion splicing the optical fibers 3 on the printed board 4, first drill a hole 9 in the printed square board 4 with the same size as the gap 8 in the optical fiber alignment member 6, and connect the hole 9 in the printed board 4 to the hole 9 in the printed board 4. The alignment member 6 is installed at a position where the gap 8 of the alignment member 6 coincides with the alignment member 6, and the alignment member 6 is removed by a method such as mechanical charring, suction, adhesion, etc.
is fixed to the printed board 4.

Next, almost in accordance with the fusion procedure in a conventional fusion splicer, two optical fibers 3a with their end faces cut flat,
3b is accommodated in the groove 7 of the alignment member 6 in a state □ in which it abuts against the optical fiber stopper inserted through the gap 8 of the alignment member 6, so that the end surfaces of the optical fibers 3a and 3b are After the gap is made one knot, the optical fibers 3a and 3b are fixed to the positioning portion □ material 6 by the optical fiber clamper 11. Next, after removing the optical fiber stopper 10, a pair of discharge electrodes 5 are arranged perpendicular to the printed board 4 and sandwiching the optical fiber connection part, and the optical fibers 3a and 3b are melted by heating. ' Make an incoming connection. When optical fiber immersion fusion splicing is performed by such a method, only a small amount of extra length of optical fiber is required, and the effort required for splicing is the same as when using a conventional fusion splicer.

Therefore, there is almost no need to process the extra length of the optical fiber on the package, and connection workability can also be maintained in a good state.

Conventionally, in order to protect the fusion spliced part, a circular plastic reinforcing member of about 60+ nm, which is a metal protective material that has been passed through the optical fiber in advance, is placed over the fusion spliced part, and then the plastic is heated and shrunk. However, after the fusion splicing, the alignment member 6 can be clamped or bonded to the optical fibers 3a and 3b, so that the alignment member 6 can be fixed to the fusion splicing portion. It can also be used as a small reinforcing member for fusion splices.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a clamper having an alignment function necessary for fusion splicing optical fibers with large core eccentricities.

The optical fiber clamper 11 having an alignment function is composed of a rotating body 12 having appropriate elasticity and a rotating body support 13, and the rotating body 12 contacts only the optical fiber 3 and aligns the optical fiber 3. Press it against the groove 7 of the member 6. At this time, the pressing force by the rotating body is set to a value that does not impede the rotation of the optical fiber 3 and does not allow the optical fiber 3 to separate from the groove 7. In the clamper 11 having this structure, the optical fiber 3 can be rotated within the groove 7 of the alignment member 6 by driving the rotating body 12 with a motor or the like. Also, by rotating the rotating body 12 while observing the mutual positions of the cores of the optical fibers 3 with a microscope,
It is also possible to align the optical fiber 3. Thereafter, as described above, the optical fibers can be fusion spliced by heating and melting the optical fiber abutting portion.

It goes without saying that the positioning member 6 is not limited to the body-shaped one with a hole in the center, but may also be of the two-piece type used in conventional fusion splicers.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, by using the optical fiber fusion splicer of the present invention, pigtail type optical fibers can be provided on a printed board with almost any extra length of optical fibers at any location. Since fusion splicing can be performed without any optical fibers, it is possible to achieve high-density packaging of optical modules, improve the productivity of packages in which optical modules are mounted, and reduce the processing space for surplus length by shortening the optical fiber length.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.
), (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' in Figure 1 (a), Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a clamper with an alignment function, and Figure 3 is a diagram showing a conventional module with a dirt floor and a module with light. It is a figure explaining optical fiber connection between connectors. la, lb...Optical module 2...Optical connector 3.3a, 3b...Optical fiber 4...Printed board 5...Discharge electrode 6...
- Optical fiber alignment member 7...Groove 8 of the alignment member...Gap 9 provided in the alignment member...Hole lO provided in the printed board...Optical fiber stopper 11... Optical fiber clamper 12... Clamper rotating body 13... Clamper rotating body support Patent applicant: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation Figure 1 11--Toy ring Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A fusion splicer for fusion splicing one or two optical fibers, which is independent from a fusion splicer main body having a pair of discharge electrodes, and has an alignment groove for the optical fibers and a fusion splicer for splicing one or two optical fibers. An optical fiber positioning member having a gap near the connection part is installed on a printed board in which a hole of approximately the same size as the gap has been drilled in advance so that the gap and the hole almost match, and the position of the optical fiber is adjusted. The optical fiber is installed in the alignment groove of the alignment member, and the optical fiber is fixed to the alignment member by an optical fiber clamper, and the optical fiber is placed at a position perpendicular to the printed board and sandwiching the connection portion of the optical fiber. Optical fiber fusion splicing, characterized in that the optical fibers can be fusion spliced at any position on the flat plate by arranging a pair of discharge electrodes and heating and melting the connecting portions of the optical fibers. Machine. 2. In the optical fiber fusion splicer according to claim 1, a rotary member having appropriate elasticity is provided at the tip of the optical fiber clamper for fixing the two optical fibers to the optical fiber positioning member. An optical fiber fusion splicer characterized in that it is provided with members that can be used.