JPH0431084B2 - - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a plastic fiber cutting device.

(Prior Art) In recent years, plastic fibers have been frequently used as means for transmitting optical signals. By the way, when cutting plastic fiber, conventionally, a nipper or the like is used to cut the plastic fiber, but this has the disadvantage that the cut surface is crushed.

For this reason, a method of cutting with a hot knife has also been developed. However, with this method,
Since the plastic fiber is cut by melting it, fiber debris adheres to the knife, impairing workability. Moreover, the knife had to be cooled to remove this fiber debris.

(Objective of the Invention) The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a plastic fiber cutting device that does not result in a flattened cut surface, does not have fiber debris adhering to it, and has good workability. It is about providing.

(Structure of the Invention) Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a cutting device 10 which is an embodiment of the present invention.
shows. In the figure, 11 is a casing 11 (device main body) that constitutes the outer shell of the device, and the casing 11
A base 12 is provided on the inside of the bottom, and a support 13 having a U-shaped cross section is provided on the top surface of the base 12. A window 17 for fiber insertion is formed on one side of the casing 11, and a window 18 for adjustment work, which will be described later, is formed on the other side.

A support body 20 is rotatably supported within the casing 11 around a shaft 21 . As shown in FIG. 2, the support body 20 includes a pair of levers 22 whose proximal ends are rotatably connected to the shaft 21 and which face each other in parallel;
It has a connecting member 23 made of an insulating material connected between the tips of these levers 22, and a pair of terminal plates 24 connected to both sides of the connecting member 23. A horizontally extending projecting piece 29 is attached to one terminal plate 24.

A metal wire 25 such as a nichrome wire is stretched over the tip of the terminal plate 24 for cutting a plastic fiber 1 (hereinafter referred to as fiber), which will be described later. The metal wire 25 is formed to have a diameter smaller than that of the fiber 1 (for example, about 1/10). As shown in FIG. 3, a V-shaped groove 26 is formed at the tip of the terminal plate 24, and a metal wire 25 is locked in this groove 26. The end of the metal wire 25 passes through the groove 26 and reaches the outside of the terminal board 24, where it is held by a holding member 28 having a U-shaped cross section and fixed to the outside surface of the terminal board 24 with screws 27 or the like. It is becoming more and more like this. The metal wire 25 is attached to the casing 1
1 window 17.

The support body 20 is adapted to be moved in the vertical direction by a moving mechanism 30 having the following configuration. Specifically, the shaft 21 is connected to the base end portions of a pair of links 31 . These links 31 are arranged outside the lever 22 of the support body 20, as shown in FIG. 2, and a shaft 32 is fixed between their tip ends. This shaft 32 comes into contact with the lower side of the lever 22 to support the weight of the support body 20. A lower end portion of an operating member 33 is rotatably connected to the shaft 32 . The lower half 33a of the operating member 33 is U-shaped, and the upper half 33b is rod-shaped. The upper half 33b of the operating member 33 passes through the upper side of the casing 11 and projects upward. A head 33c having a larger diameter is provided at the upper end of the upper half 33b, and a coil spring 37 is interposed between the head 33c and the upper surface of the casing 11. The operating member 33 is always urged upward by the coil spring 37.

The shaft 21 is supported by a position adjustment mechanism 40 so that its position can be adjusted in the horizontal direction with respect to the support base 13. In detail, the support stand 13
The lower end of the link 42 is rotatably supported by a shaft 41, and the shaft 21 is rotatably supported by the upper end of the link 42. Thereby, the shaft 21 is supported so as to be substantially horizontally movable. Both ends of the shaft 21 are inserted into elongated holes 14 formed in the support base 13 with some play, and the elongated holes 14 allow the shaft 2
1's horizontal movement is limited to a predetermined range. An adjustment screw 43 is rotatably attached to the support base 13 by a support member 44 . Adjustment screw 43
The threaded portion 45 is screwed into a threaded hole (not shown) formed in the middle portion of the shaft 21.
Then, the window 1 formed in the casing 11 by the operator
The horizontal position of the shaft 21 can be adjusted by inserting a screwdriver or the like through 8 and turning the knob 46 of the adjustment screw 43.

A positioning plate 50 (positioning mechanism) for positioning the fiber 1 is provided inside the lower edge of the window 17 of the casing 11 .

A limit switch 60 is installed on the base 12. Further, a stopper 61 is fixed to the base 12. This stopper 61 restricts the downward movement of the shaft 32, and furthermore, the stopper 61 restricts the downward movement of the shaft 32.
The limit switch 60 restricts the downward movement of
It protects the

Next, the operation of the cutting device 10 configured as described above will be explained. A holder 100 is attached to the tip of the fiber 1 in advance, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the fiber 1 is inserted from one end of the holder 100. A recess 101 is formed at the other end of the holder 100.
The tip of the fiber 1 is made to protrude from the center of the fiber 01. Note that this protrusion length is set to be longer than a predetermined length by eye. After inserting fiber 1,
The fiber 1 is fixed by a tightening means (not shown) attached to the holder 100. Then, the end surface of the holder 100 is brought into contact with the positioning plate 50, and the fiber 1 is inserted inside the window 17.

Next, the head 33c of the operating member 33 is pushed to lower the operating member 33 and lower the shaft 32. When the shaft 32 descends, the support body 20 rotates downward due to its own weight. As a result, the electrically heated metal wire 25 stretched over the tip of the support 20 descends while drawing a gentle arc (curvature close to a straight line), and the fiber 1
The fiber 1 is softened and cut by heating so as to be substantially perpendicular to the (see FIG. 5). At this time, if a wire with a larger diameter than the fiber 1 is used as the metal wire 25, the amount of heat generated by the metal wire 25 is large, so the part that is heated and softened and cut will not harden immediately, and a part of the cut part will become filamentous. It becomes attached to the metal wire 25. For this reason, the workability of cutting deteriorates. In this regard, in the present invention, a metal wire 25 having a diameter smaller than that of the fiber 1 is used, and its calorific value is small.
The cut portion of fiber 1 quickly cools and hardens.
Therefore, thread-like fiber debris does not adhere to the metal wire 25. Therefore, the fiber 1 can be cut with good workability.

When cutting the fiber 1, the positioning plate 50
Since the metal wire 25 draws a determined trajectory using the shaft 21 as a fulcrum,
The fiber 1 can be cut to a predetermined length.

At the time of the above-mentioned cutting, since the length of the fiber 1 protruding from the holder 100 is relatively short, the fiber 1 has rigidity, and if the metal wire 25 is forcibly lowered, it will break. However, in this cutting device, since the metal wire 25 is lowered by the weight of the support 20, an external force greater than the weight of the support 20 is not applied to the metal wire 25, and breakage of the metal wire 25 can be prevented.

The metal wire 25 is placed on the fiber 1 and gradually lowers by the amount softened by heating, and the shaft 32
lags behind the decline of After the above-mentioned cutting is completed, the support body 20 is further lowered and the overhanging plate 29 operates the limit switch 60, which causes the lamp (not shown) installed in the casing 11 to be activated.
The light goes off to notify the operator that cutting is complete. After confirming that the lamp is turned off, the operator releases his finger from the head 33c of the operating member 33. Then, the coil spring 37
The operating member 33 is raised by the elastic force, and the support body 20 is lifted by the shaft 32 and returned to its original position. The cutting position of the fiber 1, in other words, the protrusion length from the holder 100 after cutting can be changed by the position adjustment mechanism 40. Specifically, by turning the adjusting screw 43, the position of the shaft 21, which serves as a pivot point for the support body 20, is adjusted in the horizontal direction. Thereby, the locus of movement of the metal wire 25 stretched over the tip of the support body 20 can be moved in the axial direction of the fiber 1, and the cutting position of the fiber 1 can be changed.

After the cutting operation is completed, the tip of the fiber 1 is terminated as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 6a, the tip of the fiber 1 protruding from the holder 100 is pressed against the iron plate 102 heated by the heater 103 to melt it, as shown in FIG. 6b. The tip end face of the fiber 1 is made flat and flush with the end face of the holder 100.

In the above operation, when the fiber 1 is cut using a nipper or the like as in the conventional method, the fiber 1 cannot be accurately cut to a predetermined length, resulting in the following inconvenience. That is, if the fiber 1 is cut short, the amount of melting at the tip of the fiber 1 is smaller than the volume of the recess 101 of the holder 100, and therefore the molten resin cannot fill the recess 101. As a result, the end face of the fiber 1 is no longer flat and flush with the end face of the holder 100. In addition, if the protruding length is too long, the amount of melting at the tip of the fiber 1 will be greater than the volume of the recess 101, and the recess 101 will melt.
01, and as a result, the end surface of the fiber 1 is not flat and is not flush with the end surface of the holder 100. However, with the apparatus of the present invention, the fiber 1 can be accurately cut to a predetermined length as described above, so the above-mentioned disadvantage can be overcome.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the invention. In the illustrated cutting device 10A, the same components as those of the above-described cutting device 10 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The cutting device 10A has a position adjustment mechanism 70 that is different from the cutting device 10 described above. Specifically, the link 71 that supports the shaft 21 extends further upward from the shaft 21, and has a groove 72 formed on one side of its upper part. On the other hand, a support member 73 is fixed to the upper side of the casing 11, and an adjustment screw 74 is screwed into this support member 73. The tip of the adjusting screw 74 is rotatably connected to a U-shaped bracket 75.
A pin 76 is fixed to the bracket 75.
The pin 76 is engaged with the groove 72 of the link 71. The link 71 is biased counterclockwise in the figure by a coil spring 77, and the pin 7
6, so that the shaft 21 can be supported at a predetermined position when no forcible force is applied by an escape mechanism 80, which will be described later. In the position adjustment mechanism 70, by turning the adjustment screw 74, the pin 76 is horizontally moved via the bracket 75, and the link 71 is rotated. Thereby, the trajectory of the metal wire 25 can be changed by adjusting the horizontal position of the shaft 21 in the same manner as in the cutting device 10 described above.

Further, the cutting device 10A of this example has an escape mechanism 80.
have. The escape mechanism 80 includes the casing 11
The electromagnet 81 provided on the inner surface of the shaft 2
1 and extends horizontally to form an electromagnet 81.
It has an iron core 82 inserted therein. Also,
A limit switch 85 is provided on the base 12,
Another limit switch 86 is provided at the top of the casing 11.

In the above configuration, when the operating member 33 is pressed, the metal wire 25 cuts the fiber 1 while drawing a trajectory determined by the position adjustment mechanism 70. After the cutting is completed, the support 20 is further lowered and the limit switch 85 is actuated, the lamp goes out to notify the completion of cutting, the electromagnet 81 is energized, and the iron core 82 is pulled by the magnetic force of the electromagnet 81. As a result, the shaft 21 moves in a direction away from the positioning plate 50 against the elastic force of the coil spring 77. Therefore, the operating member 33
When the metal wire 25 is lifted together with the support 20 by releasing the finger from the head 33c of the metal wire 25, the ascending locus of the metal wire 25 is farther from the positioning plate 50 than the locus of movement when descending, that is, when cutting. line 25
There is no risk that the cut surface of the fiber 1 will come into contact with the cut surface of the fiber 1, and the cut surface can be protected.

FIG. 8 shows yet another embodiment. In the illustrated cutting device 10B, the same components as those of the above-mentioned cutting device 10A are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The cutting device 10B has a motor 91. A rotating plate 93 is fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor 91, and an eccentric pin 94 is attached to the rotating plate 93 at a position offset from the center.

The weight of the support body 95 is supported by the eccentric pin 94. A pin 95a is provided at the middle portion of the support body 95, and a pin 95b is provided at the base end portion.
On the other hand, a base 97 is provided at the bottom of the casing 11, and the lower end of the link 96 is rotatably supported on the base 97. The pin 95a is attached to a vertically long hole 9 formed in the link 96.
6a, and the pin 95b is engaged with the horizontally elongated hole 97a formed in the base 97.
The support body 95 is rotatably supported.

In the above configuration, when the motor 91 is driven by operating a start switch (not shown),
The eccentric pin 94 rotates counterclockwise and descends from the uppermost position (indicated by imaginary line A), and in conjunction with this, the support 95 descends under its own weight, and the metal wire 25 cuts the fiber 1. The motor 91 once stops at the lowest position of the eccentric pin 94 (indicated by imaginary line B). Then, when the support body 95 is lowered with a delay and a limit switch (not shown) is activated, the motor 91 is driven again. Then, the eccentric pin 94 moves up through the position shown by the imaginary line C and pushes the link 96 to the right in the figure, thereby pushing the support 95 through the engagement between the pin 95a and the elongated hole 96a. By moving the metal wire 25 in a direction away from the positioning plate 50, the upward locus of the metal wire 25 can be moved away from the cut surface of the fiber 1.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various embodiments are possible. For example, the fiber may be positioned and fixed using a positioning mechanism that is separate from the main body of the apparatus. Alternatively, cutting may be performed by fixing the metal wire and moving the fiber.
Furthermore, the metal wire and the fiber may intersect at an oblique angle rather than at a right angle. Furthermore, the moving direction of the metal wire can be arbitrarily selected; for example, the fiber may be cut while rising from the bottom to the top, or the fiber may be stretched vertically and moved laterally. Alternatively, the fiber may be cut by applying a constant pressure to the metal wire without depending on the weight of the support.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, a metal wire having a smaller diameter than the plastic fiber to be cut is used, and the metal wire is heated by electricity and moved relative to the plastic fiber to cut it. Since the plastic fiber is made of a metal wire, the cut portion of the plastic fiber quickly cools and hardens, and thread-like fiber debris does not adhere to the metal wire. Therefore, it is possible to cut the plastic fiber with good workability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a part of the same embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing how the metal wire is attached to the support body. FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the positioning state of the fiber, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing cutting of the fiber, FIGS. 6 a and b are explanatory views showing the end treatment of the fiber, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing other embodiments of the present invention. 1...Plastic fiber, 11...Casing (device main body), 20, 95...Support, 2
5... Metal wire, 50... Positioning plate (positioning mechanism).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A device main body, a support body rotatably supported by the device body, a metal wire having a smaller diameter than the plastic fiber to be cut and stretched over the tip of the support body and heated by electricity, and the plastic fiber. and a positioning mechanism for positioning the part to be cut on the locus of movement of the metal wire, and configured to move the support body and soften and cut the plastic fiber by heating and using the metal wire stretched at the tip of the support body. A plastic fiber cutting device featuring: