KR20220125994A - Coupling apparatus for optical fiber using a ring laser and coupling method for optical fiber using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser and an optical fiber coupling method using the same. The optical fiber coupling device comprises: one pair of chucks for holding an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers; a first chuck moving unit for moving a chuck unit forward and backward; and an optical fiber heating unit for heating the optical fiber bundle between the chucks. By evenly heating the fiber bundle from the outer circumference to the center, the fiber bundle can be tapered uniformly throughout, so that quality is improved during coupling the optical fibers, a defect rate is greatly reduced during operation, and the quality of the optical fiber bundle in which optical fiber coupling is performed can be uniformly managed.

Description

Optical fiber coupling device using ring laser and optical fiber coupling method using the same

The present invention relates to an optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser and an optical fiber coupling method using the same, and more particularly, to an optical fiber coupling device for obtaining a high-power light source by combining a plurality of lasers into one.

In general, a fiber laser beam using an optical fiber array is widely used in optical switching, signal processing, optical tomography, sensing, and multi-wavelength beam combining.

In addition, weapon systems using laser beams are becoming more diverse, and in particular, laser weapon systems using high-power fiber lasers are being developed to intercept threatening moving targets from a distance such as unmanned aerial vehicles and drones. There is a need for a beam combining method that increases the output while maintaining the .

That is, a high-power illumination light source is required in order to obtain an accurate image of a remote detection target and to increase the precision of tracking and aiming.

In addition, since the size of a laser light source that can be generated by a single laser of 1.5 μm band used as a laser for illumination is limited, there is a need for a technology for obtaining a light source of high power by combining a plurality of single laser modules.

That is, in order to obtain a light source of high power, the optical fiber bundle in which a plurality of optical fibers are bundled is combined with the optical fiber core close to each other through a melt tapering process, and the diameter of the optical fiber is reduced.

As a prior patent related to the present invention, Korean Patent Registration No. 1370628 "optical fiber melt tapering device" has been proposed.

Korean Patent Registration No. 1370628, "Optical Fiber Melting Tapering Device" has a structure in which the outer diameter of the optical fiber is reduced by holding the optical fiber with a pair of chucks, melting the optical fiber, and simultaneously stretching the optical fiber in the longitudinal direction.

However, the conventional Korean Patent Registration No. 1370628 "optical fiber fusion tapering device" does not melt a plurality of optical fibers evenly by heating and melting the optical fiber with a torch, resulting in many defects during the optical fiber tapering operation, and the optical fiber tapering operation is not uniform. There was a problem in that quality problems were frequently generated.

The conventional Korean Patent Registration No. 1370628 "optical fiber fusion tapering apparatus" has a problem in that it is only possible to perform a work in which a plurality of optical fibers are tapered at once by holding and stretching a plurality of optical fibers at the same time.

In addition, the conventional Korean Patent Registration No. 1370628 "optical fiber fusion tapering device" has a problem in that it is impossible to perform the operation of tapering and combining the optical fiber bundles arranged by a plurality of optical fibers around the central optical fiber to obtain a high-power light source. .

0001) Korean Patent Registration No. 1370628 "Optical Fiber Melting Tapering Device" (2014.02.27)

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber coupling apparatus using a ring laser capable of performing an optical fiber bonding operation after heating and melting a plurality of optical fibers evenly from the outer circumference to the center using a ring laser, and an optical fiber bonding method using the same. have.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber coupling device and an optical fiber coupling method capable of selectively performing optical fiber coupling operation in an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers through a chuck structure selectively holding a plurality of optical fibers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber coupling device and an optical fiber coupling method capable of stably performing an optical fiber coupling operation of tapering and coupling a bundle of optical fibers in which a plurality of optical fibers are disposed around a central optical fiber.

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, one embodiment of an optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention is a pair of chucks for holding a bundle of optical fibers including a plurality of optical fibers, a first for moving the chucks forward and backward. and a chuck moving part and an optical fiber heating part heating the optical fiber bundle between the chuck part, wherein the optical fiber heating part melts the optical fiber bundle by focusing a ring laser beam.

In the present invention, the optical fiber heating unit receives the ring-shaped ring laser beam generated by the ring laser generator and the ring laser generator for generating a ring-shaped ring laser surrounding the optical fiber bundle and focuses the ring laser beam to form the optical fiber bundle. It may include a ring laser focusing portion for heating and melting.

In the present invention, the ring laser focusing part may include a focusing reflective part having a conical reflective groove for focusing the ring laser beam and having a first optical fiber through hole through which the optical fiber bundle passes.

In the present invention, the ring laser focusing unit may further include a ring laser reflecting mirror member for reflecting the ring-shaped ring laser emitted from the ring laser generating unit and making it incident into the conical reflection groove of the focusing reflecting unit.

In the present invention, the ring laser reflector member may have a second optical fiber through hole through which the optical fiber bundle is passed.

An embodiment of the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention further includes a chuck rotating part for rotating the chuck part, and a pair of the chuck parts are respectively rotated in opposite directions by the chuck rotating part to twist the optical fiber bundle. have.

In the present invention, the chuck part includes a first optical fiber clamp part for holding and fixing at least one optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers, and a second optical fiber clamp part for holding and fixing the remaining optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers, wherein the chuck part includes a plurality of optical fibers. A plurality of optical fiber holding grooves spaced apart to be inserted further comprises a chuck body member formed to be elongated in the longitudinal direction, and the first optical fiber clamp unit holds and fixes the optical fiber inserted into at least one of the plurality of optical fiber holding grooves. , the second optical fiber clamp unit may hold and fix the optical fiber inserted into the remaining optical fiber holding grooves among the plurality of optical fiber holding grooves.

In the present invention, the optical fiber bundle includes a central optical fiber member positioned at the center and a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members positioned in a circumferential direction along the outer periphery of the central optical fiber member, and the plurality of optical fiber mounting grooves are the central optical fiber member. It may include a central optical fiber receiving groove to be inserted and a plurality of peripheral optical fiber holding grooves positioned to be spaced apart on both sides of the central optical fiber receiving groove and into which the peripheral optical fiber member is inserted.

In the present invention, the first optical fiber clamp unit may include a first clamp cover member rotatably mounted on the chuck body member and attached to the chuck body member by magnetic force to hold the central optical fiber member and fix the position.

In the present invention, the second optical fiber clamp unit may include a second clamp cover member that is rotatably mounted on the chuck body member and is attached to the chuck body member by magnetic force to hold a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members and fix the position.

In the present invention, the chuck body member includes a first chuck body in which the first optical fiber clamp part is positioned, a second chuck body separated from the first chuck body part and positioned in front of the first chuck body part, and in which the second optical fiber clamp part is positioned. and a second chuck moving unit capable of performing a tapering operation by separately pulling only a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members by moving the chuck body and the second chuck body forward and backward.

In the present invention, the chuck unit may further include an optical fiber holder located at the front end side of the chuck body member and capable of holding and fixing the central optical fiber member and the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members.

In the present invention, the optical fiber holder part is inserted into the holder base body member having a hollow part for passing an optical fiber through which the central optical fiber member and a plurality of the peripheral optical fiber members can pass in the longitudinal direction, and is inserted into the hollow part for passing the optical fiber, and is coupled to the center. A central hole through which the central optical fiber member passes is located, and a plurality of peripheral slits through which a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members pass respectively are located, spaced apart in the circumferential direction around the central hole, and at the tip of the holder base body member. It may include a holder cap member coupled to the central hole and the peripheral slit of the holder member to close.

In the present invention, the holder member may include a holder head having a cone shape in which a center hole is located on the front surface, a plurality of peripheral slit portions are located around the front and outer surfaces, and the diameter gradually decreases toward the tip end. have.

In the present invention, the holder cap member has a head through hole through which the holder head passes, and is screwed to the front end of the holder base body member to tighten the cone-shaped holder head passing through the head through hole. .

In the present invention, the holder base body member is provided with a hollow part for passing an optical fiber, is located on the tip side, and extends to the rear side of the cylindrical body to which the holder cap member is coupled, and the hollow part for passing the optical fiber on the upper surface; The insertion portion for passing the optical fiber to be connected may include an optical fiber support body having an open upper surface.

In the present invention, the optical fiber holder part is positioned to protrude in the insertion part for passing the optical fiber, and is detachably coupled to the central optical fiber guide protruding tube member and the central optical fiber guide protruding tube member in the form of a tube through which the central optical fiber member passes, , It may further include a coupling tube member for guiding the central optical fiber in the form of a tube through which the central optical fiber member passes in the longitudinal direction and is inserted into the holder member.

In the present invention, a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members are inserted and provided on both sides of the coupling tube member for guiding the central optical fiber in the hollow portion for passing through the optical fiber in the present invention. It may be positioned to pass through the holder member through the free space provided on both sides of the coupling pipe member for guide and to pass through a plurality of peripheral slits positioned on the tip side of the holder member.

An embodiment of the optical fiber coupling method according to the present invention is an optical fiber bundle fixing step of holding and fixing an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers with a pair of chucks positioned to be spaced apart, and fixed in the optical fiber bundle fixing step between a pair of chucks. In the optical fiber melting step, in which the optical fiber bundle is heated by an optical fiber heating unit to melt the optical fiber bundle, when the optical fiber bundle is melted, a pair of chucks are moved in opposite directions to pull the molten part of the optical fiber bundle in both directions to tapering the optical fiber and an optical fiber coupling step, wherein the optical fiber melting step is characterized in that the optical fiber bundle is melted by focusing a ring laser beam.

In the present invention, the optical fiber melting step is a ring laser emitting process for generating and emitting a ring laser beam, and reflecting the ring laser beam emitted in the ring laser emitting process to focus the ring laser beam. It may include a ring laser reflection process and an optical fiber heating process of heating the optical fiber bundle by reflecting the incident ring laser beam in the conical reflective groove through which the optical fiber bundle has passed through the center and focusing it on the center of the conical reflective groove.

In the present invention, the optical fiber heating process reflects a ring laser beam at 90 degrees within the conical reflective groove, focuses it toward the center of the conical reflective groove, and passes through the center of the conical reflective groove to center the optical fiber bundle located at the outer periphery. can be heated up to

An embodiment of the optical fiber coupling method according to the present invention may further include the optical fiber twisting step of twisting the optical fiber bundle by rotating a pair of chucks in opposite directions to each other between the optical fiber bundle fixing step and the optical fiber melting step.

In the present invention, the optical fiber bundle fixing step includes a central optical fiber arrangement process for fixing a central optical fiber member positioned at the center of the optical fiber bundle, and a peripheral optical fiber arrangement process for fixing and disposing a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members around the outer periphery of the central optical fiber member. may include

The present invention uses a ring laser to uniformly heat and melt a plurality of optical fibers from the outer periphery to the center, and then perform the optical fiber bonding operation, thereby greatly reducing the defect rate during the optical fiber bonding operation, It has the effect of uniformly managing the quality.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of being able to design various high-power optical fiber coupling structures by selectively performing the optical fiber coupling operation on an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers through a chuck structure selectively holding a plurality of optical fibers.

In addition, the present invention can stably perform an optical fiber bonding operation in which a plurality of optical fibers are arranged by tapering a bundle of optical fibers disposed around a central optical fiber, so that an optical fiber that can be used in a high-power optical fiber laser system of kW or higher can be manufactured. It works.

1 is a front view showing an embodiment of an optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the optical fiber heating unit in the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention.
Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the optical fiber heating unit in the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention.
4 and 5 are perspective views showing an embodiment of the chuck in the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention.
Figure 6 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the optical fiber holder in the chuck of the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention.
Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the optical fiber holder in the chuck of the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention.

The present invention will be described in more detail.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows. Prior to the detailed description of the present invention, the terms or words used in the present specification and claims described below should not be construed as being limited to conventional or dictionary meanings. Accordingly, the configuration shown in the embodiments and drawings described in the present specification is only the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not represent all of the technical spirit of the present invention, so at the time of the present application, various It should be understood that there may be equivalents and variations.

1 is a front view showing an embodiment of an optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an optical fiber heating unit in the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention , Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the optical fiber heating unit in the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention.

An embodiment of an optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 .

An embodiment of the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention includes a pair of chucks 100 for holding a bundle of optical fibers including a plurality of optical fibers.

The pair of chuck units 100 face each other and are spaced apart from each other, connected to the first chuck moving unit 200 and moved forward and backward by the first chuck moving unit 200 .

The first chuck moving unit 200 is provided in each of the pair of chuck units 100 to move the pair of chucks forward and backward, respectively.

The first chuck moving unit 200 is a ball screw type linear actuator as an example, and in addition to a rack gear and a pinion gear engaged with the rack gear and rotated by the motor, a rack that converts the rotational force of the motor into a linear movement; It should be noted that a more detailed description of the bar can be implemented with various modifications using a known linear moving device such as a pinion structure or a hydraulic cylinder.

In addition, although not shown, the first chuck moving unit 200 includes a screw to which a pair of chuck units 100 are screwed in different directions, respectively, and a screw rotation motor for rotating the screw, and a pair of chuck units ( 100) may be moved in opposite directions or may be moved in opposite directions.

That is, one of the pair of chuck parts 100 is screwed to the screw in the left-hand thread direction, and the other one of the pair of chuck parts 100 is screw-coupled in the right-hand thread direction so that the pair of chuck parts 100 face each other. The gap may be narrowed by moving to , and the gap may be widened by moving in opposite directions.

On the other hand, an embodiment of the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention further includes a chuck rotating unit 400 for rotating the chuck unit (100).

The chuck rotating unit 400 is mounted on the first chuck moving unit 200, moved forward and backward together with the chuck unit 100 by the operation of the first chuck moving unit 200, and rotates the chuck unit 100 to the chuck unit ( 100) to twist the optical fiber bundle between them.

The chuck rotating unit 400 may include a step motor to accurately rotate the chuck unit 100 at a predetermined angle.

The chuck rotating unit 400 rotates the chuck unit 100 in different directions, that is, in opposite directions to solve the inconvenience of having to manually twist the optical fiber by the operator, and also increases the tension of the optical fiber. It can be twisted and twisted accurately at a predetermined angle accordingly, preventing changes in production efficiency according to the skill level of the operator, and tapering the optical fiber with a constant quality.

In addition, an optical fiber heating unit 300 is positioned between the pair of chuck units 100 to heat and melt the optical fiber.

The first chuck moving part 200 moves the pair of chuck parts 100 in opposite directions, that is, the distance between the pair of chuck parts 100, while the optical fiber heating part 300 heats and melts the optical fiber bundle. By moving (100), the diameter of the optical fiber bundle is reduced, and a tapering operation is performed to bring the cores closer together.

The optical fiber heating unit 300 is located at the center between the pair of chuck units 100 , and the optical fiber bundle is twisted and twisted at the center between the pair of chuck units 100 by the operation of the chuck rotating unit 400 .

The optical fiber heating unit 300 heats the twisted part of the optical fiber bundle in the center between the pair of chuck parts 100 so that the twisted part of the optical fiber bundle is melted and tapered.

The optical fiber heating unit 300 is a ring laser generating unit 310 that generates a ring-shaped ring laser surrounding the optical fiber bundle, and a ring laser that focuses a ring-shaped ring laser beam so that the optical fiber bundle is heated by the focused ring laser. It includes a focusing part 320 .

The ring laser generator 310 generates a ring-shaped ring laser beam, and for example, the laser beam generated from the laser generator passes through an axicon lens to form a ring-shaped ring laser.

An axicon lens is a lens known as a lens for forming a ring laser beam with an annular cross-section.

In addition, the ring laser generator 310 is a known ring laser generator for generating a ring-shaped ring laser beam, which can be variously modified and implemented, a more detailed description will be omitted.

The ring laser focusing part 320 includes a focusing reflective part 321 having a first optical fiber through hole 321b through which the optical fiber bundle passes, and a conical reflective groove part 321a for focusing the ring laser beam. .

The focusing reflector 321 is opened to the outer side, and the first optical fiber passing slit 321c connected to the optical fiber first through hole 321b is positioned to send the optical fiber bundle to the optical fiber from the outside of the focusing reflecting unit 321. It can be easily positioned into one through hole (321b).

In addition, the ring laser focusing unit 320 reflects the ring-shaped ring laser emitted from the ring laser generating unit 310, and a ring laser reflector member ( 322) are further included.

The ring laser beam is emitted from the ring laser generator 310 and then reflected from the ring laser reflector member 322, then is incident into the conical reflective groove 321a, is reflected from the conical reflective groove 321a, and is reflected from the conical reflective groove 321a. is focused at the center of

The optical fiber first through hole 321b is located at the center of the conical reflective groove 321a, and the optical fiber bundle passing through the first optical fiber through hole 321b is focused in the conical reflective groove 321a by a ring laser beam. is heated

A second optical fiber through hole 322a through which the optical fiber bundle passes may be positioned in the ring laser reflector member 322 .

In addition, the ring laser reflector member 322 has a second optical fiber passing slit 322b, which is opened to the outer surface and connected to the optical fiber second through hole 322a, is positioned so that the optical fiber bundle is formed from the outside of the ring laser reflector member 322. It can be easily positioned into the optical fiber second through hole 322a.

The optical fiber bundle passes through the first optical fiber through hole 321b and the optical fiber second through hole 322a and may be fixed by being bitten by a pair of chucks 100 positioned on both sides.

The conical reflective groove portion 321a has a conical groove shape having an inclined surface of 45 degrees to reflect the incident ring laser beam by 90 degrees so that it can be focused to the center.

The ring laser beam is reflected from the conical reflective groove 321a and is focused so that the diameter is gradually reduced, so that the periphery of the optical fiber bundle is uniformly heated.

On the other hand, Figures 4 and 5 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the chuck in the optical fiber coupling device using the ring laser according to the present invention, Figure 6 is the optical fiber holder in the chuck of the optical fiber coupling device using the ring laser according to the present invention. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the optical fiber holder in the chuck of the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention.

An embodiment of the chuck in the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4 to 7 will be described in detail below.

The chuck unit 100 includes a first optical fiber clamp unit 110 for holding and fixing at least one optical fiber in an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers, and a second optical fiber clamp unit 120 for holding and fixing the remaining optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers. includes

The chuck unit 100 further includes a chuck body member 130 in which a plurality of optical fiber mounting grooves 131 spaced apart to insert a plurality of optical fibers are formed to be elongated in the longitudinal direction, and the first optical fiber clamp unit 110 includes a plurality of optical fibers. The optical fiber inserted into at least one of the mounting grooves 131 is held and fixed, and the second optical fiber clamp unit 120 includes the remaining optical fiber holding grooves 131 among the plurality of optical fiber holding grooves 131 . Hold the inserted optical fiber and fix it.

The optical fiber bundle includes a central optical fiber member positioned at the center, and a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members positioned in a circumferential direction along an outer periphery of the central optical fiber member.

In more detail, the plurality of optical fiber holding grooves 131 are spaced apart from each other on both sides of the central optical fiber holding groove 131a into which the central optical fiber member is inserted, and the central optical fiber holding recess 131a, and the plurality of periphery into which the peripheral optical fiber member is inserted. It includes an optical fiber mounting groove (131b).

In addition, the first optical fiber clamp unit 110 is rotatably mounted on the chuck body member 130 and is attached to the chuck body member 130 by magnetic force to hold the central optical fiber member and fix the position of the first clamp cover member 111 . ) is included.

A magnet is positioned on at least one side of the first clamp cover member 111 and the chuck body member 130 , and a magnetic material attached to the magnet is positioned on the other side, so that the first clamp cover member 111 is the chuck body member 130 . ) can be magnetically attached.

The second optical fiber clamp unit 120 is rotatably mounted on the chuck body member 130 and is attached to the chuck body member 130 by magnetic force to hold a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members and fix the position of the second clamp cover. member 121 .

A magnet is positioned on at least one side of the second clamp cover member 121 and the chuck body member 130 , and a magnetic material attached to the magnet is positioned on the other side so that the second clamp cover member 121 is connected to the chuck body member 130 . ) can be magnetically attached.

A plurality of second clamp cover members 121 are provided to be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the chuck body member 130 to stably press and fix the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members.

The magnet for fixing the positions of the first clamp cover member 111 and the second clamp cover member 121 may be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet, and the first clamp cover member 111 and the second clamp cover member 121 ) by fixing the position of the known magnet structure that generates a magnetic force that can fix the position of the central optical fiber member and the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members, it can be variously modified and implemented.

In addition, the chuck body member 130 is separated from the first chuck body part 132 and the first chuck body part 132 in which the first optical fiber clamp part 110 is located, and is formed of the first chuck body part 132 . The second chuck body part 133 and the second chuck body part 133, which are located in the front and where the second optical fiber clamp part 120 is located, are moved forward and backward so that only a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members can be separately pulled and tapered. It may include a second chuck moving part 134 that is located there.

The second chuck moving unit 134 is a ball screw type linear actuator as an example, and in addition to a rack gear and a pinion gear that is engaged with the rack gear and rotated by the motor, a rack that converts the rotational force of the motor into a linear movement; It should be noted that a more detailed description of the bar can be implemented with various modifications using a known linear moving device such as a pinion structure or a hydraulic cylinder.

An optical fiber movement slit groove (not shown) is positioned on the pressing surface of the second clamp cover member 121 so that the central optical fiber member can pass through and freely move in the longitudinal direction, so that the second clamp cover member 121 is magnetically applied to the second clamping surface. In the state attached to the chuck body 133, the central optical fiber member is pressed between the central optical fiber mounting groove 131a and the optical fiber movement slit groove (not shown), and is not fixed and is positioned in a state where it is movable in the longitudinal direction.

The second chuck body 133 is located in the front in the direction in which the optical fiber bundle is pulled, that is, one end side facing each other in the pair of chuck parts 100, and the first chuck body 132 is pulled by the optical fiber bundle. It is located on the rear side in the direction of the fall, that is, on the rear end side of each chuck part 100 in the pair of chuck parts 100 .

That is, the central optical fiber member is fixed by pressing the central optical fiber member with the first clamp cover member 111 in the first chuck body part 132 located on the rear end side of each chuck part 100, and each chuck part 100. Pressing a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members with the second clamp cover member 121 from the second chuck body 133 located on the tip side of the 134), by moving the second chuck body member 133 forward and backward, only the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members fixed from the second chuck body member 133 to the second clamp cover member 121 can be pulled separately.

In addition, the chuck unit 100 is located on the front end side of the chuck body member 130 and further includes an optical fiber holder unit 140 capable of holding and fixing the central optical fiber member and a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members.

The optical fiber holder 140 includes a holder base body member 141 having a hollow part 141c for passing an optical fiber through which a central optical fiber member and a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members can pass in the longitudinal direction, and a hollow part 141c for passing an optical fiber. ) is inserted into and coupled to, a central hole 142a through which the central optical fiber member passes is positioned at the center, and a plurality of peripheral slits are spaced apart in the circumferential direction around the central hole 142a to pass a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members, respectively. The holder member 142 in which the portion 142b is located, the holder cap member coupled to the front end of the holder base body member 141 to close the central hole 142a and the peripheral slit portion 142b of the holder member 142. (143).

The optical fiber holder 140 is positioned on the tip side of the second chuck body 133, and the holder base body member 141 is formed as one body with the second chuck body 133, and the second chuck body part ( 133) and the holder base body member 141, between the central optical fiber mounting groove 131a and the peripheral optical fiber mounting groove 131b positioned on the second chuck body 133 and a plurality of peripheral optical fiber mounting grooves 131b ), a plurality of optical fiber guide rod members 133a through which the central optical fiber member and the peripheral optical fiber member pass are provided.

The plurality of optical fiber guide rod members 133a pass through the central optical fiber member and the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members to guide the positions of the central optical fiber member and the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members, and the central optical fiber member and the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members are arranged on a plane. Guide them so that they can be aligned in a straight line.

The holder member 142 has a cylindrical shape, and a central hole 142a through which the central optical fiber member passes is located in the center on the front surface, and is spaced apart in the circumferential direction around the central hole 142a to provide a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members, respectively. A plurality of peripheral slit portions 142b to be passed are located.

The holder member 142 has a cone shape that gradually decreases in diameter toward the front end, and a center hole 142a is located on the front side, and is spaced apart in the circumferential direction around the center hole 142a to form a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members, respectively. and a holder head 142c in which a plurality of peripheral slits 142b to be passed are located.

The plurality of peripheral slit portions 142b may be positioned at the same interval so that the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members surround the central optical fiber member at the same interval.

In addition, the holder cap member 143 has a head through hole 143a through which the holder head 142c of the holder member 142 passes, and is screwed to the front end side of the holder base body member 141 to pass through the head. By tightening the cone-shaped holder head 142c penetrating the hole 143a to narrow the distance between the peripheral slits 142b, the central optical fiber member and the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members are firmly fixed.

In addition, the holder base body member 141 is provided with a hollow portion 141c for passing the optical fiber, and is located on the tip side of the cylindrical body 141a to which the holder cap member 143 is coupled, to the rear side of the cylindrical body 141a. It extends and includes an optical fiber support body (141b) formed in an open upper surface of the insertion portion (141d) for passing the optical fiber connected to the hollow portion (141c) for passing the optical fiber on the upper surface.

In addition, the optical fiber holder unit 140 is positioned to protrude in the hollow part 141c for passing the optical fiber, and the central optical fiber guide protruding tube member 150 and the central optical fiber guide protruding tube member in the form of a tube through which the central optical fiber member passes. It further includes a coupling tube member 160 for guiding the central optical fiber in the form of a tube that is detachably coupled to the 150, the central optical fiber member passes in the longitudinal direction, and is inserted into the holder member 142 and positioned.

The optical fiber support body portion 141b is provided with a central optical fiber support portion 141e on which the central optical fiber member passing through the protruding tube member 150 for guiding the central optical fiber is seated, and the central optical fiber member is provided on the central optical fiber support portion 141e. A slit groove portion 141f for guiding the central optical fiber is inserted and guiding the central optical fiber member into the protruding tube member 150 for guiding the central optical fiber.

In addition, the optical fiber holder unit 140 is rotatably mounted on the center optical fiber support portion 141e and is attached to the center optical fiber support portion by magnetic force, and further includes an auxiliary clamp cover member 144 for holding the central optical fiber member and fixing the position. do.

A magnet is positioned on at least one side of the auxiliary clamp cover member 144 and the center optical fiber support part 141e, and a magnetic material attached to the magnet is positioned on the other side, so that the auxiliary clamp cover member 144 is the center optical fiber support part 141e. ) can be magnetically attached.

The protruding tube member 150 for guiding the central optical fiber is inserted into the inside of the coupling tube member 160 for guiding the central optical fiber, and the central optical fiber member from the rear side of the holder base body member 141 is the coupling tube member for guiding the central optical fiber ( 160) to be correctly inserted into the interior.

In addition, the coupling pipe member 160 for guiding the central optical fiber is located in contact with the tip side of the holder member 142 inside the holder member 142 or is positioned to be close to the tip side of the holder member 142 so that the center optical fiber member is It guides to pass through the central hole (142a) of the holder member (142).

A plurality of peripheral optical fiber members are inserted and provided on both sides of the coupling pipe member 160 for guiding the central optical fiber in the hollow part 141c for optical fiber passage, and a free space is provided in which the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members can pass through the central optical fiber. It passes through the holder member 142 through the free space provided on both sides of the content coupling pipe member 160 and passes through a plurality of peripheral slits 142b located on the tip side of the holder member 142. Can be positioned have.

The outer diameter of the coupling tube member 160 for guiding the central optical fiber is formed to be smaller than the inner diameter of the holder member 142, and a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members are formed between the coupling tube member 160 for guiding the center optical fiber and the holder member 142. It should be noted that the space to be arranged has a diameter that can be formed and is formed with a diameter that can guide the central optical fiber member to pass through the central hole 142a.

The central optical fiber member is positioned through the central hole of the holder member 142 through the protruding pipe member 150 for guiding the central optical fiber and the coupling pipe member 160 for guiding the central optical fiber from the rear side of the holder base body member 141 . .

Then, the peripheral optical fiber member is the holder member 142 through the free space located on both sides of the coupling pipe member 160 for guiding the central optical fiber in the hollow part 141c for passing the optical fiber from the rear side of the holder base body member 141. ) is disposed on the outside of the coupling tube member 160 for guiding the central optical fiber and passes through the peripheral slit portion 142b of the holder member 142 .

Since the optical fiber holder unit 140 is positioned on a pair of chuck parts 100 positioned to face each other, the optical fiber holder part 140 positioned in the opposite direction also has the central optical fiber member and the peripheral optical fiber member disposed in the reverse order as described above. make it clear that

That is, the central optical fiber member and the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members are disposed through the holder member 142, the central optical fiber member is positioned through the central hole, and the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members have a plurality of peripheral slits 142b. are positioned through each.

Then, when the holder cap member 143 is screwed to the front end of the holder base body member 141 in a state where the central optical fiber member and the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members pass through the holder member 142 , the holder of the holder member 142 . The head portion 142c is pressed in the head passage hole 143a, whereby the diameter of the center hole 142a becomes small, and as the distance between the peripheral slit portions 142b becomes narrower, the center optical fiber within the center hole 142a. The member is tightened to firmly fix the position, and the peripheral optical fiber member is tightened within the peripheral slit portion 142b to firmly fix the position.

On the other hand, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the optical fiber heating unit 300 in the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an optical fiber heating in the optical fiber coupling device using the ring laser according to the present invention. It is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of the unit 300 .

6 and 7, the optical fiber heating unit 300 includes a ring laser generating unit 310 that generates a ring-shaped ring laser surrounding the optical fiber bundle, and a ring on which the optical fiber bundle is focused by focusing the ring-shaped ring laser beam. It includes a ring laser focusing portion 320 to be heated by the laser.

The ring laser generator 310 generates a ring-shaped ring laser beam, and for example, the laser beam generated from the laser generator passes through an axicon lens to form a ring-shaped ring laser.

An axicon lens is a lens known as a lens for forming a ring laser beam with an annular cross-section.

In addition, the ring laser generator 310 is a known ring laser generator for generating a ring-shaped ring laser beam, which can be variously modified and implemented, a more detailed description will be omitted.

The ring laser focusing part 320 includes a focusing reflective part 321 having a first optical fiber through hole 321b through which the optical fiber bundle passes, and a conical reflective groove part 321a for focusing the ring laser beam. .

In addition, the ring laser focusing unit 320 reflects the ring-shaped ring laser emitted from the ring laser generating unit 310, and a ring laser reflector member ( 322) are further included.

The ring laser beam is emitted from the ring laser generator 310 and then reflected from the ring laser reflector member 322, then is incident into the conical reflective groove 321a, is reflected from the conical reflective groove 321a, and is reflected from the conical reflective groove 321a. is focused at the center of

The optical fiber first through hole 321b is located at the center of the conical reflective groove 321a, and the optical fiber bundle passing through the first optical fiber through hole 321b is focused in the conical reflective groove 321a by a ring laser beam. is heated

A second optical fiber through hole 322a through which the optical fiber bundle passes may be located in the ring laser reflector 322 .

The optical fiber bundle passes through the first optical fiber through hole 321b and the optical fiber second through hole 322a and may be fixed by being bitten by a pair of chucks 100 positioned on both sides.

The conical reflective groove portion 321a has a conical groove shape having an inclined surface of 45 degrees to reflect the incident ring laser beam by 90 degrees so that it can be focused to the center.

The ring laser beam is reflected from the conical reflective groove 321a and is focused so that the diameter is gradually reduced, so that the periphery of the optical fiber bundle is uniformly heated.

On the other hand, the optical fiber coupling method using the optical fiber coupling device using the ring laser according to the present invention, that is, the tapering method of the optical fiber is as follows.

An embodiment of an optical fiber coupling method using an optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser according to the present invention is an optical fiber bundle fixing step, a pair of holding and fixing an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers with a pair of chucks 100 positioned to be spaced apart A pair of chuck parts ( 100) is moved in opposite directions to pull the molten portion of the optical fiber bundle in both directions to tape the optical fiber.

In the optical fiber melting step, the ring laser beam is focused to melt the optical fiber bundle.

In addition, the optical fiber coupling method using the optical fiber coupling device using the ring laser according to the present invention twists the optical fiber bundle by rotating a pair of chuck parts 100 in opposite directions, respectively, between the optical fiber bundle fixing step and the optical fiber melting step. further comprising steps.

In the optical fiber twisting step, the central portion of the optical fiber bundle is twisted and twisted between the pair of chuck parts 100 by rotating the pair of chuck parts 100 holding both end sides of the optical fiber bundle and fixing them in opposite directions. By heating the twisted part in the optical fiber bundle in the melting step, the twisted part in the optical fiber bundle can be tapered in the optical fiber bonding step.

The optical fiber bonding step is a known tapering process in which the optical fiber core is brought into close proximity by reducing the diameter of the optical fiber in the molten portion by pulling the molten optical fiber bundle, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The optical fiber bundle fixing step includes a central optical fiber arrangement process of fixing a central optical fiber member positioned at the center of the optical fiber bundle, and a peripheral optical fiber arrangement process of arranging a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members around the outer circumference of the central optical fiber member.

In the optical fiber melting step, the ring laser beam emitted from the ring laser generator 310 is focused to uniformly heat the optical fiber bundle in the circumferential direction.

In more detail, the optical fiber melting step is a ring laser emitting process that generates and emits a ring laser beam, and reflects the ring laser beam emitted in the ring laser emitting process to focus the ring laser beam and is incident into the conical reflection groove 321a of the beam focusing part. It includes a ring laser reflection process, which reflects the ring laser beam incident within the conical reflective groove 321a through which the optical fiber bundle has passed as the center, and focuses it to the center of the conical reflective groove 321a to heat the optical fiber bundle. do.

In the optical fiber heating process, the ring laser beam is reflected at 90 degrees within the conical reflective groove 321a to focus toward the center of the conical reflective groove 321a, and the optical fiber bundle located through the center of the conical reflective groove 321a is placed around the outer periphery. It is melted by heating evenly from the center to the center.

The present invention heats the optical fiber bundle by focusing a ring laser to evenly heat the optical fiber bundle from the outer periphery to the center so that it can be uniformly tapered as a whole, thereby improving the quality during optical fiber bonding, greatly reducing the defect rate during operation, and optical fiber bonding operation It is possible to uniformly manage the quality of the optical fiber bundle that has been performed.

In addition, the present invention can selectively perform the optical fiber coupling operation on the optical fiber bundle including the plurality of optical fibers through the chuck structure selectively holding the plurality of optical fibers, so that various high-power optical fiber coupling structures can be designed.

The present invention can stably perform an optical fiber bonding operation in which a plurality of optical fiber bundles are tapered and coupled around a central optical fiber, so that an optical fiber usable in a high-power optical fiber laser system of kW or higher can be manufactured.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist of the present invention, which is included in the configuration of the present invention.

100: chuck unit 110: first optical fiber clamp unit
111: first clamp cover member 120: second optical fiber clamp unit
121: second clamp cover member 130: chuck body member
131: optical fiber holder groove 131a: center optical fiber holder groove
131b: peripheral optical fiber mounting groove 132: first chuck body part
133: second chuck body 133a: optical fiber guide rod member
134: 2nd ship moving part
140: optical fiber holder part 141: holder base body member
141a: cylindrical body 141b: optical fiber support body
141c: hollow part for optical fiber passage 141d: insertion part for optical fiber passage
141e: center optical fiber support
141f: slit groove for guiding the central optical fiber 142: holder member
142a: center hole 142b: peripheral slit portion
142c: holder head 143: holder cap member
143a: head through hole 144: auxiliary clamp cover member
150: protruding tube member for guiding the central optical fiber
160: coupling pipe member for guiding the central optical fiber
200: first chuck moving unit 300: optical fiber heating unit
310: ring laser generating unit 320: ring laser focusing unit
321: focusing reflective part 321a: conical reflective groove part
321b: optical fiber first through hole 322: ring laser reflector member
322a: optical fiber second through hole 400: chuck rotating part

Claims (23)

a pair of chucks for holding an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers;
a first chuck moving part for moving the chuck part forward and backward; and
and an optical fiber heating part for heating the optical fiber bundle between the chuck parts,
The optical fiber heating unit focuses the ring laser beam to melt the optical fiber bundle.
The method according to claim 1,
The optical fiber heating unit,
a ring laser generator for generating a ring-shaped ring laser surrounding the optical fiber bundle; and
An optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser, characterized in that it includes a ring laser focusing unit that receives the ring-shaped ring laser beam generated by the ring laser generator and focuses the ring laser beam to heat and melt the optical fiber bundle.
3. The method according to claim 2,
The ring laser focusing unit,
An optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser, characterized in that the first through hole of the optical fiber through which the optical fiber bundle is passed is located, and it comprises a focusing reflective part having a conical reflective groove for focusing the ring laser beam.
4. The method of claim 3,
The ring laser focusing unit reflects the ring-shaped ring laser emitted from the ring laser generator and further comprises a ring laser reflector member for incident into the conical reflection groove of the focusing reflection unit.
5. The method according to claim 4,
An optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser, characterized in that the ring laser reflector member has a second optical fiber through hole through which the optical fiber bundle is passed.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a chuck rotating unit for rotating the chuck unit,
An optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser, characterized in that the pair of chuck parts can be rotated in opposite directions by the chuck rotating part to twist the optical fiber bundle.
The method according to claim 1,
The chuck part includes a first optical fiber clamp part for holding and fixing at least one optical fiber among the plurality of optical fibers, and a second optical fiber clamp part for holding and fixing the remaining optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers,
The chuck part further includes a chuck body member in which a plurality of optical fiber mounting grooves spaced apart from each other to insert a plurality of optical fibers are formed to be elongated in the longitudinal direction,
The first optical fiber clamp unit catches and fixes the optical fiber inserted into at least one of the plurality of optical fiber holding grooves,
The optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser, characterized in that the second optical fiber clamp part catches and fixes the optical fiber inserted into the remaining optical fiber holding grooves among the plurality of optical fiber holding grooves.
8. The method of claim 7,
The optical fiber bundle includes a central optical fiber member located in the center; and
a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members positioned in a circumferential direction along an outer periphery of the central optical fiber member;
The plurality of optical fiber mounting grooves,
a center optical fiber holding groove into which the central optical fiber member is inserted; and
An optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser, characterized in that it includes a plurality of peripheral optical fiber holder grooves spaced apart on both sides of the central optical fiber holder groove portion into which the peripheral optical fiber member is inserted.
9. The method of claim 8,
The first optical fiber clamp unit,
and a first clamp cover member rotatably mounted on the chuck body member and attached to the chuck body member by magnetic force to hold the central optical fiber member and fix the position.
9. The method of claim 8,
The second optical fiber clamp unit is rotatably mounted on the chuck body member and is attached to the chuck body member by magnetic force to hold a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members and fix the position of the second clamp cover member. Fiber optic coupling device used.
9. The method of claim 8,
The chuck body member may include a first chuck body in which a first optical fiber clamp unit is located;
a second chuck body part separated from the first chuck body part and positioned in front of the first chuck body part and in which the second optical fiber clamp part is positioned; and
and a second chuck moving part capable of performing a tapering operation by separately pulling only a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members by moving the second chuck body part forward and backward.
9. The method of claim 8,
The chuck unit is located on the front end of the chuck body member, the optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser, characterized in that it further comprises an optical fiber holder for holding and fixing the central optical fiber member and the plurality of peripheral optical fiber members.
13. The method of claim 12,
The optical fiber holder unit,
a holder base body member having a hollow part for passing an optical fiber through which the central optical fiber member and a plurality of the peripheral optical fiber members can pass in the longitudinal direction;
A plurality of peripheral slits are inserted and coupled into the hollow part for passing an optical fiber, and a central hole through which the central optical fiber member passes is positioned at the center, and a plurality of peripheral slits are spaced apart in the circumferential direction around the central hole to pass a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members, respectively. holder member; and
and a holder cap member coupled to the front end of the holder base body member to close the central hole and the peripheral slit of the holder member.
14. The method of claim 13,
The holder member comprises a holder head having a cone shape in which a central hole is located on the front surface, a plurality of peripheral slit portions are located around the front and outer surfaces, and the diameter gradually decreases toward the tip end. Fiber optic coupling device using ring laser.
15. The method of claim 14,
The holder cap member has a head through hole through which the holder head passes, and is screwed to the front end of the holder base body member to tighten the cone-shaped holder head passing through the head through hole. Optical fiber coupling device using laser.
14. The method of claim 13,
The holder base body member,
a cylindrical body having a hollow portion for passing through an optical fiber, the cylindrical body being positioned on the tip side and to which the holder cap member is coupled; and
An optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser, characterized in that it extends to the rear side of the cylindrical body, and comprises an optical fiber support body formed in an open upper surface of the insertion portion for passing the optical fiber connected to the hollow part for passing the optical fiber on the upper surface.
17. The method of claim 16,
The optical fiber holder unit,
a protruding tube member for guiding a central optical fiber in the form of a tube protrudingly positioned in the insertion portion for passing through the optical fiber, through which the central optical fiber member passes; and
It characterized in that it further comprises a coupling tube member for guiding the central optical fiber in the form of a tube detachably coupled to the protruding tube member for guiding the central optical fiber, passing the central optical fiber member in the longitudinal direction, and being inserted into the holder member. Fiber optic coupling device using ring laser.
18. The method of claim 17,
A plurality of peripheral optical fiber members are inserted on both sides of the coupling tube member for guiding the central optical fiber in the hollow portion for passing through the optical fiber, and a free space is provided to pass through,
The plurality of peripheral optical fiber members pass through the holder member through the free space provided on both sides of the coupling tube member for guiding the central optical fiber and pass through a plurality of peripheral slits positioned on the tip side of the holder member. An optical fiber coupling device using a ring laser as a feature.
an optical fiber bundle fixing step of holding and fixing an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers with a pair of chucks positioned to be spaced apart;
an optical fiber melting step of melting the optical fiber bundle by heating the optical fiber bundle fixed in the optical fiber bundle fixing step with an optical fiber heating unit between the pair of chucks; and
In the optical fiber melting step, when the optical fiber bundle is melted, a pair of chucks are moved in opposite directions to pull the molten portion of the optical fiber bundle in both directions to tape the optical fiber,
The optical fiber melting step is an optical fiber bonding method, characterized in that the melting of the optical fiber bundle by focusing a ring laser beam.
20. The method of claim 19,
The optical fiber melting step,
Ring laser emission process for generating and emitting a ring laser beam;
a ring laser reflection process of reflecting the ring laser beam emitted in the ring laser emission process and making it incident into the conical reflection groove of the beam focusing part for focusing the ring laser beam; and
An optical fiber coupling method comprising: an optical fiber heating process of heating the optical fiber bundle by reflecting the incident ring laser beam within the conical reflective groove through which the optical fiber bundle has passed through the center and focusing it on the center of the conical reflective groove.
21. The method of claim 20,
The optical fiber heating process is
An optical fiber characterized in that the ring laser beam is reflected at 90 degrees within the conical reflective groove to be focused toward the center of the conical reflective groove, and the optical fiber bundle positioned through the center of the conical reflective groove is heated from the outer periphery to the center. bonding method.
20. The method of claim 19,
and an optical fiber twisting step of twisting the optical fiber bundle by rotating a pair of chucks in opposite directions, respectively, between the optical fiber bundle fixing step and the optical fiber melting step.
20. The method of claim 19,
The optical fiber bundle fixing step is,
a central optical fiber arrangement process of fixing a central optical fiber member positioned at the center of the optical fiber bundle;
and a peripheral optical fiber arrangement step of arranging and fixing a plurality of peripheral optical fiber members around the outer periphery of the central optical fiber member.

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