JPH09230160A - Heater for optical fiber juncture reinforcing member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heater for an optical fiber juncture reinforcing member which obviates the breakage of optical fibers and prevents the central part of the optical fiber juncture reinforcing member from deviating from the fusion spliced parts of the optical fibers. SOLUTION: The heater 1 for the optical fiber juncture reinforcing member has an electric heater plate 4 for mounting the optical fiber juncture reinforcing member 24 to the optical fiber fusion spliced part 29 formed by disposing the ends of the optical fibers 26 opposite to each other and fusion splicing these ends. The heater is provided with a positioning block 11 for moving the optical fiber juncture reinforcing member 24 previously formed by inserting into the one optical fiber relatively with the fusion spliced part 29 near the electric heater plate 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heating device for an optical fiber splicing part reinforcing member for reinforcing an optical fiber fusion splicing part.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of the methods for reinforcing a fusion splicing portion of an optical fiber, as shown in FIG. 2, a fusion splicing portion 29 of an optical fiber core 20 is provided with a heat melting tube 21, a reinforcing member 22, and a heat shrinking tube 23. There is a method of covering the optical fiber splicing member reinforcing member 24, which is composed of the above, and heating and mounting it by the heating device 31 shown in FIGS. The heating device 31 has an electrothermal heater plate 33 installed in a support frame 32 having a groove. The electrothermal heater plate 33 of this device 31 is covered with the fusion splicing portion 29 of the optical fiber core wire 20 of FIG. The optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is placed, and the electric heater plate 33 is energized to heat it. Then, the heat melting tube 21
Is melted, and at the same time, the heat-shrinkable tube 23 is shrunk, and the fusion splicing portion 29 between the optical fiber core wires 20 as shown in FIG. 3 is reinforced by the optical fiber splicing portion reinforcing member 24. Is obtained. 2 and 3, reference numeral 26 indicates a bare optical fiber whose coating is removed from the optical fiber core wire 20.

[0003]

The conventional heating device 3 described above is used.
The method for heating the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 using No. 1 will be described in more detail. A transparent optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is provided on one of the optical fibers 26 (including the optical fiber core wire 20) to be connected. Insert it in advance. The optical fiber 26 to be connected to the optical fiber 26 is fused to form a fusion splicing portion 29. Reinforcing member 2 for optical fiber splicing part which is inserted and placed in advance
4. The fusion splicing part 29 of the optical fiber 26 formed in the central part of 4 is substantially aligned. The optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is placed on the electrothermal heater plate 33, and is electrically heated to heat the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24.
Is heat-shrunk to obtain the reinforcing connection portion 25.

Usually, the above-mentioned operations (1) to (3) are performed by one person, but the work site for fusion splicing is not limited to a laboratory or factory work room with well-equipped facilities, for example, in a cave. Sometimes it's on a steel tower. In such a working environment, as a method of making the fusion spliced portion 29 of the optical fiber 26 substantially coincide with the center portion of the optical fiber spliced portion reinforcing member 24, the left and right sides of the optical fiber 26 on which the fusion spliced portion 29 is formed are The optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is sandwiched between the two hands, and the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is moved while giving a slight difference in height to the left and right, and the center of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is moved. The fusion splicing part 2 of the optical fiber 26
Match 9 substantially.

However, the optical fiber 26, particularly the fusion splicing portion 29, is weak in bending because of its strength. Therefore, when the optical fiber 26 is gripped by both hands to make a height difference between the left and right sides, the optical fiber 26 is bent and broken when vibration is applied. That often happens. Further, even if the optical fiber 26 is not broken, the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is moved while applying vibration, so that the fusion splicing portion 29 of the optical fiber 26 is aligned with the central portion of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24. It is difficult to do, and the center part may shift.

Further, as another method, the optical fiber 26 having the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is grasped together with the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 by one hand and lifted upward to form the fusion splicing portion 29. There is a method in which the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is pulled down to a predetermined position with the other hand. This method is possible when the extra length of the splicing part is sufficient, but it is not possible when the extra length is short, and since the optical fiber 26 is laid around, not only the fusion splicing part 29 but also other parts. Also bends and, in the worst case, risks breaking them.

Further, after pulling down the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 to a predetermined position, the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is interposed and re-held horizontally with both hands and placed on the electrothermal heater plate 33. When reworking, the optical fiber 26 is often bent and broken. Further, even if the optical fiber 26 is not broken, the central portion of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is fusion-spliced with the optical fiber 26 when the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is re-grip horizontally with both hands. It may be displaced from the portion 29, and it may be necessary to perform the alignment again.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and does not break the optical fiber, and the optical fiber splicing is such that the central portion of the reinforcing member of the optical fiber splicing portion is not displaced from the fusion splicing portion of the optical fiber. An object of the present invention is to provide a heating device for a section reinforcing member.

[0009]

The present invention has the following means to solve the above problems.

In the heating device for an optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member according to claim 1 of the present invention, an electrothermal heater plate is provided in which the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member is mounted on the portion where the end portions of the optical fibers face each other and are fusion-spliced. A heating device for an optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member, comprising: the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member, which has been previously inserted into one of the optical fibers in the vicinity of the electrothermal heater plate, by fusion splicing the optical fibers. It is characterized in that a positioning table is provided for moving the part relatively.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the heating device for the reinforcing member of the optical fiber connecting portion, the positioning table is arranged substantially parallel to the electrothermal heater plate.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the heating device for an optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member, the positioning base has a positioning protrusion for regulating at least one end of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member.

According to the heating device of the optical fiber splicing member reinforcing member of the present invention, before the optical fibers are fusion-spliced in the vicinity of the electric heater plate on which the optical fiber splicing member reinforcing member is placed. since there is provided a positioning base for moving in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber optical fiber connections reinforcing member that has been inserted in advance either one of the optical fiber, the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member and the light on the positioning table If the fiber is placed and the optical fiber splicing part reinforcing member is held with one hand and the optical fiber is pulled out with the other hand, the central part of the optical fiber splicing part reinforcing member can be easily moved. Can be matched with the fusion splicing part of. In that state, together with the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member and the optical fiber,
Move to a nearby electric heater plate and place it. During this movement, the optical fiber is neither held nor routed, so that the optical fiber is not broken or the positions of the fusion splicing part and the optical fiber splicing part reinforcing member are not displaced.

According to the heating device for the reinforcing member of the optical fiber connecting portion of the present invention, since the positioning table is arranged substantially parallel to the electrothermal heater plate, the reinforcing member for the optical fiber connecting portion and the optical fiber are integrated. Since the moving work when mounting on the nearby electric heater plate is merely moving the two in parallel, the moving work can be performed more smoothly and safely without shifting the positions.

In the heating device for an optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member according to a third aspect of the present invention, since the positioning base has a positioning protrusion for regulating one end of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member, the optical fiber is attached to this protrusion. By locking one end of the connecting portion reinforcing member and moving it so as to pull out the optical fiber, the central portion of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member can be easily aligned with the fusion splicing portion of the optical fiber.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment. An embodiment of a heating device for a reinforcing member of an optical fiber connecting portion of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition,
The same parts as the conventional ones are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 1 shows a heating device 1 for a reinforcing member for an optical fiber connecting portion of the present invention. An electric heater plate 4 is installed. The electric heater plate 4 is electrically turned on and off by a timer switch (not shown).

Mounting walls 6 for mounting the optical fiber core wires 20 are provided on the walls 5 on both sides of the heating body 2 in the longitudinal direction so as to coincide with the central axis of the electrothermal heater plate 4 in the longitudinal direction. Clamping stands 7 for gripping and fixing the optical fiber core wires 20 are arranged outside the walls 5 on both sides.
Reference numeral 8 is a clamper made of a magnetic material, and is rotatably supported by the clamp body 9 so as to be openable and closable. Reference numeral 10 is a magnet fitted in the clamp body 9, which grips and fixes the optical fiber core wire 20 by attracting the clamper 8. On the front side of the heating main body 2 in FIG. 1, the positioning base 11 of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is arranged substantially parallel to the electrothermal heater plate 4. The positioning base 11 has convex walls 12 on both sides in the longitudinal direction. Between the positioning base 11 and the heating main body 2, there is provided a moving base 14 having an inclined surface 13 for allowing the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 mounted on the positioning base 11 to be smoothly translated to the heating main body 2. It is arranged.

A procedure for heating the optical fiber splicing portion reinforcing member 24 covering the optical fiber fusion splicing portion 29 using the heating device 1 will be described below. The transparent optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 is previously inserted and placed on one side of the optical fiber 26 to be connected. The optical fiber 26 to be connected to the optical fiber 26 is fused to form a fusion splicing portion 29. As shown in FIG. 4, the fusion spliced optical fiber 26 is placed on the positioning table 11 of the heating device 1 together with the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24. The optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 placed on the positioning table 11 is lightly pressed with one hand, specifically, the right hand in FIG. 4, and the optical fiber core wire 20 is pulled out with the left hand so that the left side (arrow direction) ), And the optical fiber fusion splicing portion 29 formed at the central portion of the optical fiber splicing portion reinforcing member 24 is made to substantially match.

When the optical fiber core wire 20 is moved so as to be pulled out, one end of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24,
For example, the left end 24A is the wall 12 provided on the positioning table 11.
Since the optical fiber splicing member reinforcing member 24 does not move and shift, it is locked. With the optical fiber fusion splicing portion 29 aligned with the central portion of the optical fiber splicing portion reinforcing member 24, the optical fiber splicing portion reinforcing member 24 and the optical fiber core wire 20 are integrated substantially horizontally to form the inclined surface 13. The movable table 14 is moved in parallel and mounted in the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member mounting groove 3. The optical fiber core wires 20 on both sides of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 are gripped and fixed by the clamp base 7, and the optical fiber core wires 2 are provided.
0 and the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 do not move. The electric heater plate 4 is energized to heat the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 and heat shrink the heat shrinkable tube 23 to obtain the reinforcing connecting portion 25.

(Embodiment 2) Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 1A indicates a heating device for the reinforcing member of the optical fiber connection portion, and the heating device 1A of the present embodiment is characterized by the positioning table 11A. Positioning stand 1
1A means that the protruding wall 12 is provided on only one of the two sides in the longitudinal direction, and only on the left side in FIG. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same members are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the case of the heating device 1A for an optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member according to the present embodiment, the wall 12 of the positioning base 11A is on the left side, so that the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member 24 to be attached to the optical fiber in advance faces toward FIG. It will be inserted into the optical fiber on the left side. Others are the same as those in the first embodiment in use, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

(Other Embodiments) In the positioning bases 11 and 11A of the heating device for the optical fiber splicing member reinforcing member of each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the wall 12 is only a ridge, but FIG. As shown, the wall 12A may be provided with a groove 12B into which the optical fiber core wire 20 is fitted. By providing the groove 12B, the optical fiber connection portion reinforcing member 24 can be securely locked.

[0022]

As described above, according to the heating device of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member of the first aspect of the present invention, the optical fiber connecting portion is provided near the electrothermal heater plate on which the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member is mounted. Since the positioning base for moving the part reinforcing member in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber is provided, the optical fiber connecting part reinforcing member and the optical fiber are placed on this positioning base, and the optical fiber connecting part reinforcing member is placed in one hand. The central portion of the reinforcing member of the optical fiber splicing portion can be easily aligned with the fusion splicing portion of the optical fiber simply by gripping with and moving with pulling the optical fiber with the other hand. Further, since the positioning table is near the electrothermal heater plate, the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member and the optical fiber can be easily and reliably moved after the positioning. During this movement, the optical fiber is not held or routed, so that the optical fiber is not broken or the position of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member after the alignment is not displaced.

According to the heating device of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member of the present invention, since the positioning table is arranged substantially parallel to the electrothermal heater plate, the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member and the optical fiber are integrated. Since the moving work when placing on the nearby electric heater plate is just moving in parallel,
The moving work can be performed more smoothly and safely.

According to the heating device of the reinforcing member of the optical fiber connecting portion of the third aspect of the present invention, since the positioning base has the positioning protrusion for regulating one end of the reinforcing member of the optical fiber connecting portion, the protrusion is provided with light. By locking one end of the fiber connecting portion reinforcing member and moving it so as to pull out the optical fiber, the central portion of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member can be easily aligned with the fusion splicing portion of the optical fiber.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a heating device for an optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a reinforcing connection portion.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a usage state of the heating device for the reinforcing member of the optical fiber connecting portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of a heating device for a reinforcing member of an optical fiber connecting portion of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a positioning protrusion of a positioning base used in another embodiment of the heating device for the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member of the present invention.

7A and 7B are cross-sectional views showing an example of a conventional heating device for a reinforcing member of an optical fiber connecting portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Optical Fiber Connection Reinforcing Member Heating Device 2 Heating Main Body 3 Optical Fiber Connection Reinforcing Member Mounting Groove 4 Electrothermal Heater Plate 11 Positioning Stand 12 Convex Wall 24 Optical Fiber Connection Reinforcing Member 25 Reinforcing Connection 26 Optical Fiber 29 Optical Fiber fusion splicing part

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] March 28, 1996

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Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A heating apparatus for an optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member, comprising an electrothermal heater plate for mounting an optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member on a portion where end portions of an optical fiber are opposed to each other and fusion-spliced to each other. A positioning base is provided in the vicinity of the electrothermal heater plate for relatively moving the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member previously inserted into one optical fiber to a portion where the optical fibers are fusion-spliced. A heating device for a reinforcing member for an optical fiber connection part. 2. The heating device for an optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member according to claim 1, wherein the positioning table is arranged substantially parallel to the electrothermal heater plate. 3. The heating of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member according to claim 1, wherein the positioning table has a positioning protrusion that regulates at least one end of the optical fiber connecting portion reinforcing member. apparatus.