阅读说明：本技术 光纤排列夹具、配有光纤排列夹具的光纤熔接机及排列光纤的方法 (Optical fiber arrangement jig, optical fiber fusion splicer equipped with optical fiber arrangement jig, and method for arranging optical fibers ) 是由 佐藤龙一郎 于 2019-06-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的用于排列末端涂层被剥去以露出玻璃纤维的多根光纤的光纤排列夹具包括：导轨；凸形的上推部,其能够沿着导轨的延伸方向移动；以及多个板状构件,每个板状构件均具有与导轨的延伸方向垂直的第一表面和第二表面以及可以承载各个光纤的倾斜表面,多个板状构件的倾斜表面相对于导轨的延伸方向朝向相同方向倾斜。多个板状构件沿着导轨的延伸方向并排地排布使得一个板状构件的第一表面与相邻板状构件的第二表面面对,并且多个板状构件由上推部接触以便朝向倾斜表面侧移动。(The optical fiber alignment jig for aligning a plurality of optical fibers with their end coatings stripped off to expose glass fibers of the present invention comprises: a guide rail; a convex push-up portion movable along an extending direction of the guide rail; and a plurality of plate-shaped members each having first and second surfaces perpendicular to an extending direction of the guide rail and an inclined surface that can carry the respective optical fiber, the inclined surfaces of the plurality of plate-shaped members being inclined toward the same direction with respect to the extending direction of the guide rail. The plurality of plate-like members are arranged side by side along the extending direction of the guide rail such that the first surface of one plate-like member faces the second surface of the adjacent plate-like member, and the plurality of plate-like members are contacted by the push-up portion so as to move toward the inclined surface side.)

1. An optical fiber alignment fixture for aligning a plurality of optical fibers with their end coatings stripped to expose glass fibers, the optical fiber alignment fixture comprising:

a guide rail;

a convex push-up portion movable along an extending direction of the guide rail; and

a plurality of plate-shaped members each having an inclined surface on which one of the optical fibers can be placed and first and second surfaces perpendicular to the extending direction of the guide rail, the inclined surfaces of the plurality of plate-shaped members being inclined toward the same direction with respect to the extending direction, the plurality of plate-shaped members being arranged in parallel along the extending direction such that the first surface of one plate-shaped member among the plurality of plate-shaped members faces the second surface of an adjacent plate-shaped member, and each plate-shaped member being configured to move toward the inclined surface side by being in contact with the push-up portion.

2. The optical fiber arrangement jig of claim 1, wherein the plurality of plate-like members independently rotate about an axis extending along the extending direction in response to contact with the push-up portion.

3. The optical fiber arrangement jig according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of plate-like members are configured to have the same shape as each other.

4. The optical fiber arrangement jig of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the number of the plurality of plate-like members is larger than the number of the plurality of optical fibers.

5. The optical fiber arrangement jig according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a parallel pitch of the plurality of plate-like members in the extending direction is equal to an arrangement pitch of the plurality of optical fibers.

6. The optical fiber arrangement jig according to claim 5, wherein the parallel pitch of the plurality of plate-like members is 60 μm or more and 300 μm or less.

7. The optical fiber arrangement jig of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the push-up portion comprises:

a top portion parallel to an axial direction of the plurality of optical fibers; and

two inclined planes having different inclination directions with respect to the extending direction.

8. The optical fiber arrangement jig according to claim 7, wherein an angle formed by the two slopes is 60 degrees or more and 170 degrees or less.

9. An optical fiber fusion splicer comprising:

the optical fiber alignment jig of any one of claims 1 to 8;

a holder mounting portion on which an optical fiber holder is mounted, the optical fiber holder holding the plurality of optical fibers by clamping the plurality of optical fibers in an axial direction;

a V-shaped groove on which the glass fibers can be independently placed;

a further V-groove on which glass fibers different from the plurality of optical fibers can be placed; and

a pair of discharge electrodes facing each other,

wherein the additional V-groove, the optical fiber arrangement jig, and the holder placement section are positioned in order along a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the guide rail, and

the pair of discharge electrodes is configured to be able to discharge between the V-groove and the further V-groove.

10. An optical fiber fusion splicer according to claim 9,

wherein the plurality of plate-like members independently rotate about an axis extending in the extending direction of the guide rail in response to contact with the push-up portion, and

the shaft is positioned closer to the fiber holder than the V-groove.

11. A method of aligning optical fibers using the optical fiber alignment jig of any one of claims 1 to 8, the method comprising:

moving the push-up portion along the guide rail;

sequentially contacting the push-up portion with the plurality of plate-shaped members;

moving at least a part of one of the plurality of plate-shaped members toward the inclined surface side in response to the contact with the push-up portion; and

the plurality of optical fibers are respectively placed on the inclined surfaces of the plurality of plate-like members.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an optical fiber arranging jig, an optical fiber fusion splicer equipped with the optical fiber arranging jig, and a method of arranging optical fibers.

The present application claims priority from japanese patent application No.2018-160171, filed 2018, month 29, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Background

Patent document 1 discloses an optical fiber holder including a holder main body provided with a groove for gripping an optical fiber, and a cover attached to a groove forming surface side of the holder main body in a freely openable and closable manner. The holder main body is formed with a first arrangement groove for arranging the plurality of optical fibers, a plurality of positioning grooves for converting an arrangement pitch of the plurality of optical fibers, and a second arrangement groove for arranging the plurality of optical fibers in a longitudinal direction of the positioning grooves and having a width narrower than that of the first arrangement groove.

Patent document 2 discloses an optical fiber holder including a wide groove accommodating a plurality of large-diameter single optical fibers having a large diameter, which are obtained by coating single optical fibers, arranged side by side, and a narrow groove accommodating a plurality of single optical fibers arranged side by side. In the optical fiber holder, a pitch matching groove is provided between the wide groove and the narrow groove, and the pitch matching groove guides each of the single optical fibers obtained by peeling off a coating from the respective large-diameter single optical fibers and guides the single optical fiber to the narrow groove so that an inter-fiber pitch is narrowed.

Patent document 3 discloses an optical fiber fusion splicer including a V-groove for axially aligning an optical fiber ribbon, and a holder provided behind the V-groove and having a base and a cover openable and closable with respect to the base. On the upper surface of the base, a pitch adjusting unit capable of arranging the coated optical fibers of the optical fiber ribbon at substantially the same pitch as the V-grooves is provided.

Reference list

Patent document

Patent document 1: JP-A-2005-258129

Patent document 2: JP-A-2007-041380

Patent document 3: JP-A-H07-218753

Disclosure of Invention

Technical scheme for solving problems

In order to achieve the disclosed object of the present invention, the optical fiber arrangement jig according to the disclosure of the present invention is configured as follows:

an optical fiber alignment fixture for aligning a plurality of optical fibers with their end coatings stripped to expose glass fibers, the optical fiber alignment fixture comprising:

a guide rail;

a convex push-up portion movable along an extending direction of the guide rail; and

a plurality of plate-shaped members each having an inclined surface on which one of the optical fibers can be placed and first and second surfaces perpendicular to the extending direction of the guide rail, the inclined surfaces of the plurality of plate-shaped members being inclined toward the same direction with respect to the extending direction, the plurality of plate-shaped members being arranged in parallel along the extending direction such that the first surface of one plate-shaped member among the plurality of plate-shaped members faces the second surface of an adjacent plate-shaped member, and each plate-shaped member being configured to move toward the inclined surface side by being in contact with the push-up portion.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an optical fiber fusion splicer according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of a fusion splicing processing unit included in the optical fiber fusion splicer of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an optical fiber arrangement jig included in the fusion splicing processing unit of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the optical fiber arrangement jig of fig. 3 from another direction.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the fiber alignment jig.

FIG. 6 is a right side view of the fiber alignment jig.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the optical fiber correction plate included in the optical fiber arrangement jig.

Fig. 8 is a right side view showing a state where the slide member included in the optical fiber arrangement jig is moved forward.

Fig. 9 is a right side view showing a state where the slider is further moved forward.

Fig. 10 is a right side view showing a state where the slider is further moved forward.

Detailed Description

[ problem ] to

In the optical fiber holder disclosed in patent document 1 or patent document 2, the width of the space in which the plurality of optical fibers are arranged is narrowed or widened, so that the individual optical fibers are arranged side by side at a desired pitch and are fusion-spliced. However, the optical fibers may not be properly aligned due to the influence of bending deformation remaining on the respective optical fibers. For this purpose, the optical fibers may be realigned and the coating may be removed again.

Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an optical fiber arrangement jig capable of properly arranging optical fibers, an optical fiber fusion splicer equipped with the optical fiber arrangement jig, and a method of arranging optical fibers.

[ advantageous effects of the invention ]

According to the present disclosure, a plurality of optical fibers can be appropriately arranged.

[ description of the disclosed embodiments of the invention ]

First, the contents of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention will be listed and described.

The optical fiber arrangement jig according to the disclosed embodiment of the present invention is configured as follows.

(1) An optical fiber alignment fixture for aligning a plurality of optical fibers with their end coatings stripped to expose glass fibers, the optical fiber alignment fixture comprising:

a guide rail;

a convex push-up portion movable along an extending direction of the guide rail; and

a plurality of plate-shaped members each having an inclined surface on which one of the optical fibers can be placed and first and second surfaces perpendicular to the extending direction of the guide rail, the inclined surfaces of the plurality of plate-shaped members being inclined toward the same direction with respect to the extending direction, the plurality of plate-shaped members being arranged in parallel along the extending direction such that the first surface of one plate-shaped member among the plurality of plate-shaped members faces the second surface of an adjacent plate-shaped member, and each plate-shaped member being configured to move toward the inclined surface side by being in contact with the push-up portion.

According to this configuration, the plurality of plate-like members are brought into contact with the push-up portion such that each of the plurality of plate-like members is sequentially displaced and moved toward the inclined surface side together with the front and rear plate-like members, and the plurality of optical fibers are sequentially placed on the inclined surfaces formed on the plate-like members, respectively. As a result, the optical fibers can be corrected one by one, and a plurality of optical fibers can be appropriately arranged.

(2) The plurality of plate-like members may be independently rotatable about an axis extending along the extending direction in response to contact with the push-up portion.

According to this configuration, the plurality of optical fibers can be aligned one by one with a simple configuration in which the plurality of plate-like members are sequentially rotated.

(3) The plurality of plate-shaped members may be configured to have the same shape as each other.

According to this configuration, the optical fiber arrangement jig can be easily manufactured.

(4) The number of the plurality of plate-like members may be greater than the number of the plurality of optical fibers.

According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent a part of the plurality of optical fibers from being detached from the plurality of plate-shaped members, and to reliably align the plurality of optical fibers.

(5) The parallel pitch of the plurality of plate-like members in the extending direction may be equal to the arrangement pitch of the plurality of optical fibers.

According to this configuration, a plurality of optical fibers can be arranged at a desired pitch, and each optical fiber can be reliably received in each V-groove formed in the fusion spliced portion.

(6) The parallel pitch of the plurality of plate-like members may be 60 μm or more and 300 μm or less.

In order to properly arrange the plurality of optical fibers, the parallel pitch of the plurality of plate-like members is preferably within the above range.

(7) The push-up part may include:

a top portion parallel to an axial direction of the plurality of optical fibers; and

two inclined planes having different inclination directions with respect to the extending direction.

According to this configuration, the push-up portion is formed as a protrusion portion of a mountain shape, so that each of the plurality of plate-shaped members is sequentially displaced and moved together with the front and rear plate-shaped members by bringing the top portion of the push-up portion into contact with each plate-shaped member.

(8) The angle formed by the two slopes may be 60 degrees or more and 170 degrees or less.

The angle formed by the two slopes of the convex portion is preferably within the above range.

(9) An optical fiber fusion splicer according to a disclosed embodiment of the invention, comprising:

a holder mounting portion on which an optical fiber holder is mounted, the optical fiber holder holding the plurality of optical fibers by clamping the plurality of optical fibers in an axial direction;

a V-shaped groove on which the glass fibers can be independently placed;

a further V-groove on which glass fibers different from the plurality of optical fibers can be placed; and

a pair of discharge electrodes facing each other,

wherein the additional V-groove, the optical fiber arrangement jig, and the holder placement section are positioned in order along a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the guide rail, and

the pair of discharge electrodes is configured to be able to discharge between the V-groove and the further V-groove.

According to this configuration, it is possible to provide an optical fiber fusion splicer including an optical fiber arrangement jig capable of appropriately arranging a plurality of optical fibers.

(10) The plurality of plate-like members may be independently rotatable about an axis extending in the extending direction of the guide rail in response to contact with the push-up portion, and

the rotational axes of the plurality of plate-like members are positioned closer to the optical fiber holder than the V-grooves.

According to this configuration, a plurality of optical fibers can be arranged on the side close to the V-groove, and the respective optical fibers can be appropriately held in the V-groove.

(11) A method of aligning optical fibers according to a disclosed embodiment of the invention is

A method of aligning optical fibers using the optical fiber alignment jig according to any one of aspects (1) to (8), the method comprising:

moving the push-up portion along the guide rail;

sequentially contacting the push-up portion with the plurality of plate-shaped members;

moving at least a part of one of the plurality of plate-shaped members toward the inclined surface side in response to the contact with the push-up portion; and

the plurality of optical fibers are respectively placed on the inclined surfaces of the plurality of plate-like members.

According to this configuration, a method of arranging optical fibers capable of appropriately arranging a plurality of optical fibers can be provided.

[ details of the disclosed embodiments of the invention ]

Hereinafter, examples of embodiments of a reinforcing device for an optical fiber fusion splice and a fusion splicer including the reinforcing device according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, a fusion splicing process of optical fibers by an optical fiber fusion splicer according to the present embodiment and a heat treatment of an optical fiber reinforcing member by a heat treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 and 2.

As shown in fig. 1, the fusion splicer 10 is a device for splicing glass fibers exposed from optical fibers and further reinforcing the fusion splice at a site where an optical fiber facility is constructed, for example. In the present embodiment, glass fibers of the optical fiber ribbons 100a and 100b formed by collectively coating a plurality of optical fibers arranged in parallel are fusion-spliced. The fusion splicer 10 includes a fusion splicing unit 12 for fusing a plurality of glass fibers exposed from the optical fiber ribbons 100a and 100b, and a reinforcing device 20 for reinforcing the fused portions of the glass fibers.

The fusion processing unit 12 can be opened and closed by the opening and closing cover 14. In a state where the open-close cover 14 is opened, the end faces of the glass fibers of the optical fiber ribbons 100a, 100b extending from the optical fiber holder (see fig. 2) mounted in the open-close cover 14 are arranged at the fusion-spliced position. In the fusion processing unit 12, the end faces of the glass fibers are fused together by electric discharge of a pair of electrodes (not shown) at a fusion position where the pair of electrodes are arranged to face each other.

Further, the fusion splicer 10 is provided with a monitor 16 on the front side thereof. The monitor 16 displays, for example, an image of a fusion spliced portion of glass fibers taken by a microscope equipped with an image sensor such as a Charge Coupled Device (CCD). The operator can perform the welding operation while viewing the image on the monitor 16. Further, the monitor 16 also serves as an operation unit for operating the fusion-bonding processing unit 12 and the reinforcement device 20. The operator can perform various operations by touching the monitor 16. Further, an operation unit 18 provided with a power switch and the like is provided above the monitor 16.

Fig. 2 shows a state in which one optical fiber ribbon is arranged in the fusion-splicing processing unit 12.

A pair of fiber holders 32 is detachably attached to the fusion-splicing processing unit 12. In fig. 2, in order to clearly show the configuration of the optical fiber arrangement jig 40 described below, only the cover portion of the optical fiber holder 32 holding the optical fiber ribbon 100a is shown, and the main body portion of the optical fiber holder 32 and the holder mounting portion (an example of a holder mounting portion on which the optical fiber holder 32 can be mounted) to which the main body portion is attached are omitted. Further, in fig. 2, only the optical fiber holder 32 holding the end of one optical fiber ribbon 100a among the pair of optical fiber holders 32 is shown. By mounting the optical fiber holder 32 on the holder mounting portion (not shown), the optical fibers 102 exposed from the optical fiber ribbon 100a held by the optical fiber holder 32 are positioned at the fusion-spliced position.

Optical fibers 102 are drawn and exposed from the end of the optical fiber ribbon 100a held by the optical fiber holder 32. Although not shown in fig. 3 and subsequent figures, in the exposed optical fiber 102, the coating is removed at the end and the glass fiber 103 is exposed.

The fusion processing unit 12 further includes a V-groove member 34, the V-groove member 34 being used to position the end positions of a plurality of optical fibers 102 extending from the optical fiber ribbon 100a held in the fiber holder 32. The V-groove member 34 is provided on the upper surface thereof with a pair of V-grooves 35, and the pair of V-grooves 35 are used to position the glass fibers 103 of the optical fibers 102 exposed from one optical fiber ribbon 100a and the glass fibers 103 of the optical fibers 102 exposed from the other optical fiber ribbon 100b, respectively. The pair of V-grooves 35 can independently mount the glass fiber 103 of the optical fiber 102. The pair of V-grooves 35 are sized such that the glass fibers 103 to be joined to each other are supported and positioned in a straight line. A plurality of groove portions are formed in each V-groove 35 by alternately forming valley portions and peak portions. The parallel pitch of the V-grooves 35 is, for example, 60 μm or more and 300 μm or less.

In the V-groove member 34, an opening 36 is formed between the pair of V-grooves 35. The V-groove member 34 is formed with a pair of electrode holding portions 37 so as to interpose the opening portion 36 therebetween in a direction orthogonal to the parallel arrangement direction of the pair of V-grooves 35 (i.e., the axial direction of the glass fibers 103 facing each other). Electrodes (not shown) that discharge in order to melt the end faces of the glass fibers 103 facing each other are disposed on the electrode holding portion 37. Then, when the operator operates the operation unit 18 to discharge the electrodes, the glass fibers 103 located at the welding position inside the opening portion 36 are thermally melted and joined to each other.

The fiber alignment jig 40 is disposed between the fiber holder 32 attached to the fusion splice processing unit 12 and the V-groove member 34. In fig. 2, only the optical fiber alignment jig 40 disposed between one of the fiber holders 32 and one of the V-groove members 34 is shown, but in practice, the optical fiber alignment jig 40 is also disposed between the other of the fiber holders 32 and the other of the V-groove members 34.

Fig. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the optical fiber arrangement jig 40. Fig. 5 is a front side view of the fiber alignment jig 40. Fig. 6 is a right side view of the optical fiber arrangement jig 40.

As shown in fig. 3 to 6, the optical fiber arrangement jig 40 includes a base 42, an optical fiber correction member 50 rotatably provided with respect to the base 42, a guide rail 46, and a slider 60.

The base 42 is formed of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped block body. At the central portion in the front-rear direction of the base 42, a groove portion 43 cut in the left-right direction (i.e., the arrangement direction of the optical fiber holder 32, the optical fiber arrangement jig 40, and the V-groove member 34) is formed. A pair of wall portions 44 is formed on the base 42 to interpose the groove portion 43 therebetween in the front-rear direction.

The left half of the optical fiber correction member 50 is received in the groove portion 43 of the base 42. The right half of the optical fiber correction member 50 protrudes from the groove portion 43. The optical fiber correction member 50 includes a plurality of (28 in the present embodiment) optical fiber correction plates 51 (hereinafter, referred to as correction plates 51). Each of the plurality of correction plates 51 has a surface (side surface) 52 perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 102 along the axial direction of the optical fibers 102. That is, the side surface 52 is a surface perpendicular to the extending direction of the guide rail 46 to be described later. Further, each correction plate 51 has an upper surface 53 and a lower surface 54 extending in a direction along the axial direction of the optical fiber 102. The side surfaces 52 of the respective correction plates 51 are arranged in parallel along the front-rear direction as the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 102 to form the optical fiber correction member 50. That is, the correction plates 51 are arranged in parallel along the extending direction of the guide rail 46 such that the side surfaces 52 of the correction plates 51 face the side surfaces 52 of the adjacent correction plates 51. The parallel pitch of the correction plate 51 in the extending direction of the guide rail is designed to match the parallel pitch of the V-grooves 35, and the V-grooves 35 are formed at intervals equal to the arrangement pitch of the plurality of optical fibers. Specifically, the parallel pitch P (see fig. 7) of the correction plate 51 is, for example, 60 μm or more and 300 μm or less. A hole portion (not shown) is formed in a portion of each correction plate 51 accommodated in the groove portion 43, and a shaft 55 is inserted into the hole portion. Both ends of the shaft 55 inserted through the plurality of correction plates 51 arranged in parallel are held by shaft holes 45 formed in the pair of wall portions 44, respectively. The shaft 55 is disposed closer to the fiber holder 32 than the V-groove 35.

The correction plates 51 are configured to have the same shape as each other. Specifically, each correction plate 51 is formed to have a substantially L-shape when viewed from the direction shown in fig. 5. That is, on the upper surface 53 of each correction plate 51, the right half exposed from the groove portion 43 is formed with an upper step surface 53a that is one step higher than the left half accommodated in the groove portion 43. A plurality of optical fibers 102 may be placed on the upper step surface 53 a. As shown in fig. 7, the upper step surfaces 53a of the respective correction plates 51 are formed as inclined surfaces inclined in the same direction with respect to the arrangement direction (front-rear direction) of the optical fibers 102, that is, inclined surfaces inclined in the same direction with respect to the extending direction of the guide rail 46. In the present embodiment, each upper step surface 53a is inclined such that the rear end side is located below the front end side.

The number of the plurality of correction plates 51 contained in the optical fiber correction member 50 is preferably greater than the number of the plurality of optical fibers 102 contained in the optical fiber ribbon 100 a. Further, the number of the plurality of correction plates 51 is preferably larger than the number of the plurality of V-grooves 35 formed in the V-groove member 34.

The guide rail 46 is arranged below a portion of the optical fiber correction member 50 protruding from the groove portion 43. The guide rail 46 extends in the front-rear direction (i.e., along the arrangement direction of the plurality of optical fibers 102 mounted on the correction plate 51, respectively).

The slider 60 is disposed between the lower surface 54 of the fiber correction member 50 and the guide rail 46. The slider 60 is attached to the upper portion of the guide rail 46. A lever 62 is provided at one end (e.g., the right end in fig. 6) of the slider 60. When the operator moves the lever 62 in the front-rear direction, the ball (not shown) incorporated in the slider 60 rolls along the guide rail 46, and linear movement of the slider 60 in the front-rear direction becomes possible.

A push-up portion 63 is provided on the upper surface of the slider 60. The dimension of the push-up portion 63 in the front-rear direction is set to be capable of simultaneously contacting the plurality of correction plates 51. The top 64 of the push-up portion 63 is formed as a plane parallel to the axial direction of the aligned optical fibers 102 when viewed from the direction shown in fig. 5. Further, the push-up portion 63 is formed as an upward convex portion when viewed from the direction shown in fig. 6. That is, the push-up portion 63 has two inclined surfaces 65a and 65b, and the inclined directions of the two inclined surfaces 65a and 65b are different from each other with respect to the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 102. Specifically, the slope 65a is formed to extend obliquely upward from front to back. In contrast, the slope 65b is formed to extend diagonally downward from the front to the rear. Preferably, the angle θ formed by the inclined surface 65a and the inclined surface 65b is, for example, 60 degrees or more and 170 degrees or less. If the angle θ is less than 60 degrees, the push-up portion 63 may become too sharp, and each correction plate 51 may not be smoothly rotated. On the other hand, if the angle θ is larger than 170 degrees, the respective correction plates 51 cannot be sequentially displaced and rotated. Therefore, there is a possibility that a plurality of correction plates 51 are rotated at a time, and the positions of the optical fibers 102 cannot be corrected one by one. The push-up portion 63 configured in this way can be brought into contact with each of the lower surfaces 54 of the plurality of correction plates 51 in turn as the slider 60 moves in the front-rear direction along the guide rail 46.

Next, a method for arranging a plurality of optical fibers 102 exposed from the optical fiber ribbon 100a by using the optical fiber arrangement jig 40 will be described with reference to fig. 6 to 10. In fig. 6 and the like, only two optical fibers 102 of the plurality of optical fibers 102 exposed from the optical fiber ribbon 100a are shown for simplicity of illustration and description. For example, it is assumed that two optical fibers 102 are placed on the third correction plate 51-3 and the fourth correction plate 51-4 from the rear of the optical fiber correction member 50 (see fig. 7).

The operator first holds the optical fiber ribbon 100a in the optical fiber holder 32 and then pushes the lever 62 connected to the slider 60 of the optical fiber arrangement jig 40 forward (direction D in fig. 8) to move the slider 60 from the position shown in fig. 6 to the position shown in fig. 8. Therefore, as shown in fig. 8, a part of the inclined surface 65a provided on the front portion of the push-up portion 63 on the upper surface of the slider 60 is brought into contact with the lower surface 54 of each correction plate 51 in order from the rearmost correction plate 51-1 among the plurality of correction plates 51. The inclined surface 65a of the push-up portion 63 first comes into contact with the lower surface 54 of the first correction plate 51-1 from behind. As described above, each correction plate 51 is provided to be rotatable about the shaft 55 with respect to the base 42. Therefore, when the slope 65a comes into contact with the correction plate 51-1, the portion of the correction plate 51-1 on the upper step surface 53a side is pushed upward. Subsequently, the slope 65a of the push-up portion 63 comes into contact with the second correction plate 51-2 from the rear, and the portion of the correction plate 51-1 on the upper step surface 53a side is pushed up.

Next, as shown in fig. 9, when the operator further pushes the slider 60 forward (in the D direction), the inclined surface 65a of the push-up portion 63 comes into contact with the third correction plate 51-3 from behind after coming into contact with the first and second correction plates 51-1 and 51-2 from behind. As a result, the portion of the correction plate 51-3 on the upper step surface 53a side is pushed up, and the upper step surface 53a of the correction plate 51-3 comes into contact with the first optical fiber 102. The upper step surface 53a of each correction plate 51 is formed as an inclined surface that is inclined in a manner descending rearward. Accordingly, the optical fiber 102 contacting the upper step surface 53a of the correction plate 51-3 moves along the slope of the upper step surface 53 a. The optical fiber 102 is then held in the following positions: at this position, the optical fiber 102 is in contact with the upper step surface 53a of the correction plate 51-3 and the side surface 52 of the correction plate 51-2 adjacent to the correction plate 51-3 (see fig. 7).

Next, as shown in fig. 10, when the operator further pushes the slider 60 forward (in the direction D), the inclined surface 65a of the push-up portion 63 comes into contact with the fourth correction plate 51-4 from behind after coming into contact with the first correction plate 51-1, the second correction plate 51-2, and the third correction plate 51-3 from behind. As a result, the correction plate 51-4 is pushed upward, and the upper step surface 53a of the correction plate 51-4 comes into contact with the second optical fiber 102. Similarly to the first optical fiber 102, the second optical fiber 102 in contact with the upper step surface 53a of the correction plate 51-4 moves along the slope of the upper step surface 53a, and is held at the following positions: at this position, the second optical fiber 102 is in contact with the upper step surface 53a of the correction plate 51-4 and the side surface 52 of the correction plate 51-3 adjacent to the correction plate 51-4. As a result, the holding position of the first optical fiber 102 and the holding position of the second optical fiber 102 coincide with the parallel pitch P of the correction plate 51-3 and the correction plate 51-4 (see FIG. 7).

When the lower surface 54 of each correction plate 51 passes over the top 64 of the push-up portion 63 due to the forward movement of the slider 60, the correction plate 51 moves downward along the inclined surface 65b due to its own weight, as shown by the correction plates 51-1, 51-2 shown in fig. 10. As a result, the glass fiber 103 exposed at the end portion of each optical fiber 102 after alignment also moves downward by its own weight, and the glass fiber 103 is accommodated in the predetermined V-groove 35. In this way, when the push-up portion 63 comes into contact with the lower surface 54 of each correction plate 51, the plurality of correction plates 51 arranged in parallel move up and down one by one. Thus, the optical fibers 102 are arranged at predetermined positions, and the glass fiber 103 is accommodated in the V-groove 35.

As described above, the optical fiber arrangement jig 40 according to the present embodiment includes: a plurality of correction plates 51 (examples of a plurality of plate-like members) which are arranged in parallel along the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 102 and each of which has a side surface 52, the side surface 52 being perpendicular to the arrangement direction along the axial direction of the plurality of optical fibers 102 exposed from the optical fiber ribbon 100 a; a guide rail 46 extending in the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 102; and a push-up portion 63 formed as a convex portion. Each correction plate 51 is independently rotated about the axis 55 along the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 102 in response to the push-up portion 63 coming into contact with the lower surface 54 (lower portion) of each correction plate 51. The upper surface 53 of each correction plate 51 is formed as an inclined surface (upper step surface) 53a inclined in the same direction with respect to the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 102. The plurality of optical fibers 102 may be respectively placed on the inclined surfaces 53 a. In other words, the optical fiber arrangement jig 40 according to the present embodiment includes: a guide rail 46; a convex push-up portion 63 movable along the extending direction (front-rear direction) of the guide rail 46; and a plurality of plate-like members 51 each including an inclined surface 53a on which each of the plurality of optical fibers 102 is placed and a side surface 52 (an example of a first surface and a second surface) perpendicular to the extending direction of the guide rail 46, the inclined surfaces of the plurality of plate-like members being inclined toward the same direction with respect to the extending direction of the guide rail 46. The plurality of plate-like members 51 are arranged in parallel along the guide rail 46 such that the side surface 52 (an example of a first surface) of one plate-like member 51 among the plurality of plate-like members faces the side surface 52 (an example of a second surface) of the adjacent plate-like member 51, and the plurality of plate-like members 51 are configured to move toward the inclined surface 53a side by being in contact with the push-up portion 63. According to such a configuration, the plurality of correction plates 51 can be sequentially moved up and down by being in contact with the push-up portions 63. That is, each of the plurality of correction plates 51 is sequentially shifted and moved up and down together with the front and rear correction plates 51, so that the positions of the optical fibers 102 placed on the inclined surfaces 53a of the upper portions of the respective correction plates 51 can be corrected one by one. As a result, the plurality of optical fibers 102 can be appropriately arranged.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the correction plates 51 are configured to have the same shape as each other. Therefore, the manufacture of the optical fiber arrangement jig 40, particularly the optical fiber correction member 50, can be facilitated.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the number of correction plates 51 constituting the optical fiber correction member 50 is larger than the number of optical fibers 102 to be arranged. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a portion of the plurality of optical fibers 102 exposed from the optical fiber ribbons 100a, 100b is displaced from the arrangement position of the correction plate 51 of the optical fiber arrangement jig 40. Therefore, the plurality of optical fibers 102 can be reliably aligned.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the parallel pitch P of the plurality of correction plates 51 is equal to the arrangement pitch of the plurality of optical fibers 102 (i.e., the parallel pitch of the V-grooves 35). Therefore, the optical fibers 102 can be reliably accommodated in the V-grooves 35, respectively.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the push-up portion 63 includes two inclined surfaces 65a, 65b and a top portion 64 parallel to the axial direction of the optical fiber 102, and the inclined directions of the two inclined surfaces 65a, 65b are different from each other with respect to the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 102 (the extending direction of the guide rail 46). Therefore, by moving the slider 60 forward and backward, each of the plurality of correction plates 51 arranged in parallel along the arrangement direction of the optical fibers 102 can be sequentially shifted and moved up and down together with the front and rear correction plates 51.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the rotation shafts 55 of the plurality of correction plates 51 are positioned closer to the optical fiber holder 32 than the V-grooves 35. Therefore, the plurality of optical fibers 102 can be held and aligned on the upper step surface 53a of the correction plate 51 disposed on the side closer to the V-groove 35. Therefore, the aligned optical fibers 102 can be appropriately accommodated in the V-groove 35.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The number, position, shape, and the like of the above-described components are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be changed to appropriate numbers, positions, shapes, and the like during implementation of the disclosure of the present invention.

In the above-described embodiment, the plurality of correction plates 51 are rotated about the shaft 55 so that the optical fiber 102 can be placed on the upper step surface 53a of each correction plate 51, but the disclosure of the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the plurality of correction plates may be configured to be vertically movable in parallel by a linear guide or the like, and each correction plate is moved upward by bringing the push-up portion 63 into contact with a lower portion of the correction plate. With such a configuration, the optical fibers can be appropriately arranged.

List of reference numerals

10 optical fiber fusion splicer

12 welding processing unit

14 switch cover

16 monitor

18 operating unit

20 reinforcing device

32 optical fiber holder

34V-shaped groove component

35V type groove

36 opening part

37 electrode holding part

40 optical fiber arrangement jig

42 base

43 groove part

44 wall section

45 axle hole

46 guide rail

50 optical fiber correction member

51 correcting plate

Side surface 52 (examples of first and second surfaces)

53 upper surface

53a Upper step surface (inclined surface)

54 lower surface

55 shaft

60 sliding member

62 rod

63 push-up part

64 top part

65a, 65b bevel

100a, 100b optical fiber ribbon

102 optical fiber

103 glass fiber