JPH0379682B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a method for cutting an optical fiber.

[Prior Art] When fusion splicing optical fibers, especially single mode fibers with a small core diameter, it is necessary to obtain a good splicing end surface as a first condition for splicing with low loss.

Conventionally, the following cutting tools are known as cutting tools with good workability.

In other words, it is shaped like an office stapler, and the blade is applied at right angles to the fiber to make a scratch.
The method involves bending the fiber and applying tensile stress to the fiber to cut it.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, there are individual differences in the cut surface obtained using this tool, and a certain degree of skill is required to obtain a good cut surface.

The object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber cutting method that can always stably obtain a good cut surface without individual differences.

[Means for solving the problem] As shown in FIG. (2) After that, at an intermediate position between the two clamps, the optical fiber strand 14 is supported while floating in the air without contacting anything. In a plane perpendicular to the wire 14, a blade 72 having a semicircular cutting edge 74 moves circularly on the circumference of a circle that is different from and larger than the circle of the cutting edge without rotating itself. , a step in which the cutting edge 74 passes by the fiber strand 14 while contacting and damaging the fiber strand 14 during the circular motion; (3) After that, the pushing tool 8 having an arcuate front surface 90
8 moves forward and hits the fiber strand 14 at right angles from the back side of the scratch.

[Function] (1) Between both clamps 20 and 40, the optical fiber wire is supported in a state of floating in the air without contacting anything, and on the circumference in a plane perpendicular to it. When the cutting edge 74 of the blade, which moves in a circular motion without rotating itself, passes by the blade while making contact with it and causing damage, the fiber strand 14 is pushed by the cutting edge 74 and bends slightly, It comes to be pressed against the blade 72 by its own spring action.

(2) When a pushing tool having an arcuate front surface moves forward and hits the fiber strand at a right angle from the back side of the scratch, the optical fiber strand is subjected to bending and tensile stress and breaks.

[Example] ●About the device: First, a device that automatically performs the method of the present invention will be described.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the entire optical fiber core 10.
This shows the state in which . In FIGS. 2 and 3, 20 is a covering clamp.

Reference numeral 22 denotes its main body, to which the movable part 24 is attached via a shaft 26, and a groove 30 is attached by a spring 28.
Apply force in the direction in which it opens (in the direction of the imaginary line).

When the solenoid 32 is installed and energized, the plunger 34 protrudes to the right in the figure and the groove 30
The coated portion 12 of the optical fiber core 10 placed inside is sandwiched.

A stopper 36 having a V-shaped groove is provided on the front side of the main body 22 (on the right side in FIG. 2), and the covering portion 12
Make sure to hit the edge of the peel. Further, a presser foot 38 having one end hinged is provided to press the covering portion 12 placed in the groove 30 from above.

Next, 40 in FIGS. 2 and 4 is a wire clamp.

42 is its main body, to which a movable part 44 is attached via a shaft 46, and a groove 50 is attached by a spring 48.
Apply force in the direction in which it opens (in the direction of the imaginary line).

A solenoid 52 is attached, and when it is energized, the plunger 54 protrudes to the left in FIG.
The strands 14 of the optical fiber core wire 10 placed inside the 0 are sandwiched.

Next, in FIGS. 2 and 5, 60 is means for damaging the fiber.

62 is a stand, a motor 64 is fixed to it, and a box 68 is fixed to its rotating shaft 66.
A member 70 is placed in a box 68 so as to be movable, and its tip is pushed out by a spring 76, and a blade 72 is attached to the protruding tip. The blade 72 has a semicircular cutting edge 74.

Further, 78 and 79 are limit switches.

When the motor 64 is rotated, the blade 72 moves circularly through 180 degrees and stops when the box 68 contacts the limit switch 78 or 79. At this time, the blade 72
is configured to move circularly on the circumference of a circle that is different from and larger than the circle of the cutting edge 74 without rotating itself.

In this case, circular motion is defined as "motion constrained on one circumference (Real Number Publishing, Illustrated Mechanical Terminology Dictionary)"
Rotational motion is also used to mean "circular motion of each part of an object around one point or axis (Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Illustrated Mechanical Terminology Dictionary)."

Next, 80 is a means for applying bending stress to the fiber to break it (FIGS. 2 and 5).

82 is the stand, a stand 84 is attached to it, a movable piece 86 is attached to the upper surface of the stand, and a fiber wire 14 is attached to the stand 82.
Mount it so that it can move only in the direction perpendicular to the A push tool 88 is attached to the tip of the movable piece 86 (on the left side in FIG. 5). This is an arcuate front surface 9
It is a "kamaboko" shape with 0.

Further, a rack 92 is attached to the movable piece 86, and a pinion 94 that meshes with the rack is attached to the rotating shaft of a motor 96 (fixed to the stand 82). 97 is a dog integrated with the movable piece 86, and 98 and 99 are limit switches attached to the stand 84.

When the motor 96 is rotated, the pusher 88 pushes the fiber 1 through the pinion 94 and the rack 92.
4, and when the dog 97 touches the limit switch 98 or 99,
Stop.

●Description of cutting method: (1) Peel off the coating portion 12 at the end of the optical fiber core wire 10, and place the coating portion 12 into the groove 30 and the strand 14 into the groove 50. As described above, the end of the covered portion 12 is placed against the stopper 36, and the presser foot 38
Lower and hold.

Up to this point, the process is performed manually, and the subsequent operations are performed automatically.

That is, when a start switch (not shown) is turned on, the solenoids 32 and 52 operate to close the coated clamp 20 and the wire clamp 40.
The coated portion 12 and the fiber strand 14 are sandwiched within each groove.

(2) Next, the motor 64 rotates and the blade 72 moves circularly without rotating itself. and,
In the middle of the circular movement, the cutting edge 74 touches the fiber strand 1.
When passing by 4, it contacts the strand 14 and damages it.

At this time, the pusher 88 is separated from the wire 14, and the wire 14 is floating in the air.

When the blade 72 touches and passes the strand 14, the wire 14 is slightly bent and curved as shown in FIG.
Conversely, the blade 72 also moves back slightly while compressing the spring 76.

The state of the damage to the fiber strand 14 is determined by the distance between the covering clamp 20 and the strand clamp 40, the degree of deflection of the strand 14, the contact pressure of the blade 72, etc., but since these are always constant,
No matter who did it, the same wound always occurs.

It should be noted that the scratch is arranged to enter exactly in the middle between the covering clamp 20 and the wire clamp 40, and at a distance of 16 mm from the end of the covering portion 12.

(3) Next, the motor 96 rotates, and the pushing tool 88 moves forward and hits the back surface of the flaw from a direction perpendicular to the strand 14, applying bending stress and tensile stress to break it.

[Performance evaluation] Evaluation was performed using the breaking angle when the fiber was cut.

FIG. 7 shows the result for n+39. The same figure also shows a case where the fiber is cut by a skilled person using a conventional cutter.

The spread of the distribution is smaller than that of the conventional cutting angle, and it can be seen that by using the method of the present invention, a stable cut surface can be obtained regardless of the operator.

Furthermore, when the above-mentioned apparatus embodying the method of the present invention was used for fusion splicing of single mode fibers,
I was able to establish a stable connection.

[Effects of the Invention] (1) The optical fiber strand, which is supported floating in the air without contacting anything, between both clamps 40 is partially A blade 72 having a circular cutting edge 74,
In the plane perpendicular to the fiber strand, on the circumference of a circle that is different from and larger than the circle of the cutting edge, it moves in a circular motion without rotating itself.
Since the cutting edge passes by the fiber strand while contacting and damaging the fiber strand; by making the positional relationship between the trajectory of the cutting edge 74 and the fiber strand 14 appropriate; , fiber wire 1
When the blade 72 comes into contact with the blade 4 and passes through it, the blade 4 is pushed by the blade edge 74 and bends slightly, and is pressed against the blade 72 by its own spring action.

From the perspective of the blade 72, the fiber strand 1
4, and at the same time, the blade 72 moves in a plane perpendicular to the fiber strand 14, and passes through it while damaging the fiber strand 14 in such a state. become.

Therefore, there are the following effects.

1. No shock is applied to the fiber when cutting, thereby creating clean scratches without unnecessary and harmful scratches.

2. Cutting conditions can be kept constant, so consistent scratches can always be obtained.

(2) After the fiber is scratched, the pushing tool moves forward and hits the fiber, so there is no problem with the movement of the blade or the fiber during the scratching process.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 and subsequent figures relate to an example of the apparatus used to carry out the method of the present invention. -A sectional view at -, Fig. 4 is a sectional view at - of Fig. 2.
5 is a sectional view taken at - in FIG. 2, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the contact situation between the wire 14 and the blade 72, and FIG. 7 is a histogram of cutting angles showing performance evaluation. 10: Optical fiber core wire, 12: Covering portion, 1
4: Element wire, 20: Covered clamp, 40: Element wire clamp, 72: Blade, 74: Cutting edge, 88: Push tool.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. The optical fiber wire is held by clamps at two spaced apart locations, and the optical fiber wire does not come into contact with anything between the two clamps. a step in which the clamp is suspended in the air, and then at an intermediate position between the two clamps;
In a plane perpendicular to the fiber strand, a blade having a semicircular cutting edge moves circularly on the circumference of a circle that is different from and larger than the circle of the cutting edge without rotating itself; In the middle of the circular motion, the cutting edge passes by the fiber strand while coming into contact with the fiber strand and causing a scratch, and then a pushing tool having an arcuate front surface moves forward to cause the scratch. A method for cutting an optical fiber, comprising the steps of: hitting the fiber from the back side at right angles to the fiber strand.