JPS6413103A - Optical fiber bundle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an optical fiber bundle with which fibers are hardly breakable even when repeatedly bent at a small radius of curvature and which has excellent durability is bundling the many optical fibers at both ends, releasing the respective fibers free to each other in the intermediate part, coating a gel- like fluid thereon and sealing the fibers into a flexible tube. CONSTITUTION:The fibers at both ends 1a of the optical fiber bundle are arrayed in the same sequence with each other and are joined within mouthpieces 2 made of a metallic pipe. The respective fibers are freely released from each other in the part except both ends 1a and the circumference thereof is covered by the flexible tube 3. Both ends of the flexible tube 3 are joined to the outside circumference of the mouth pieces 2 and are further tightened and fixed by yarn 4. The gel-like fluid is coated on the respective fibers near one end side of the optical fiber bundle and the optical fiber bundle is sealed into the flexible tube 3. The entanglement of the fibers with each other and the disturbance in the arrangement are thereby obviated in the part where the fluid is coated when the optical fiber bundle is bent at the small radius of curvature. The damage of the fibers is thus prevented and the optical fiber having the excellent durability is obtd.