JP2010262144A - Bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus and bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus of manufacturing bent optical transmission media, by which a collective and uniform bent state of a lot of optical transmission media is obtained without giving a crack, and to provide a method of manufacturing the bent optical transmission media. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus for manufacturing the bent optical transmission media includes: an electric discharge electrodes A which partially heat the optical transmission media; and moving means 101, 306 which move the optical transmission media or the electric discharge electrodes A, wherein a portion of the optical transmission media is heated while the optical transmission media or the electric discharge electrodes A are moved, wherein a conductive body 50 or an insulation body 60 are disposed in the vicinity of the electric discharge electrodes A. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a bent light transmission medium manufacturing apparatus and a bent light transmission medium manufacturing method.

As a technique for bending an optical transmission medium such as an optical fiber, for example, a technique described in Patent Document 1 is known.
Patent Document 1 describes a technique for obtaining a bent state by heating a part of an optical fiber using an arc discharge and bending it at a predetermined radius in a technique for deforming an optical fiber.
According to this technique, a bent state without cracks can be obtained by bending the optical fiber by non-contact arc discharge.
However, Patent Document 1 does not describe a problem in bending a large number of optical fibers at once.

This will be described with reference to FIG.
11A and 11B are diagrams showing a state in which a number of conventional optical fibers are bent at once, FIG. 11A is a diagram showing a temperature distribution of arc discharge, FIG. 11B is a diagram showing an arrangement of optical fibers, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a bent optical fiber.
1 to 8 are optical fibers, A is an arc discharge electrode which is a non-contact heating means, a is an optical fiber width, b is an electrode interval, x is a high temperature range, y is an intermediate temperature range suitable for bending of the optical fiber, and z is a low temperature. It is an area.
As shown in FIG. 11A, the temperature distribution of the arc discharge includes a high temperature region x at the center between the arc discharge electrodes A, a middle temperature region y around the high temperature region x, and a low temperature region z around the middle temperature region y. Become.
Here, in order to bend a large number of optical fibers 1 to 8 in a lump, when arranged in a line as shown in FIG. 11B, the optical fibers 3 to 6 are in the middle temperature range y, but the light The fibers 1, 2, 7, and 8 enter the low temperature range z.
Such a problem occurs when the optical fiber width a / electrode interval b is 0.5 or more.
If the optical fiber is bent in this state, as shown in FIG. 11C, the bending of the optical fibers 1, 2, 7, and 8 becomes insufficient due to the difference in temperature range, resulting in variations in the bent state. There was a problem.

In order to avoid this problem, it is possible to arrange the optical fibers so as to cross the center between the arc discharge electrodes A or to arrange them in a plurality of rows.
However, if the optical fibers are arranged so as to cross the center between the arc discharge electrodes A, the optical fibers 4 and 5 may enter the high temperature region x and be damaged.
In addition, if the optical fibers are arranged in a plurality of rows, the optical fibers may be brought into contact with each other during the bending process.

JP 2005-292718 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to obtain a uniform bent state in a lump without cracking a large number of optical transmission media. An object of the present invention is to provide a bent light transmission medium manufacturing apparatus and a bent light transmission medium manufacturing method.

The present invention has solved the above problems by the following technical configuration.
(1) A discharge electrode for heating a part of the optical transmission medium, and a moving means for moving the optical transmission medium or the discharge electrode, and moving the optical transmission medium or the discharge electrode while moving the optical transmission medium or the discharge electrode. An apparatus for manufacturing a bent optical transmission medium for heating a portion, wherein a conductor or an insulator is disposed in the vicinity of the discharge electrode.
(2) The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to (1), wherein the optical transmission medium is a plurality of optical fibers.
(3) The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to (2), wherein the width of a plurality of optical fibers / interval between electrodes is 0.5 or more and 0.95 or less.
(4) The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to (1), wherein the discharge electrode is an arc discharge electrode.
(5) The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to (1), wherein the conductor is a metal.
(6) The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to (1), wherein the insulator is ceramic.
(7) The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to (1), further comprising control means for controlling the operation of the moving means.
(8) A bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method for bending an optical transmission medium using a moving means and a discharge electrode, wherein the optical transmission medium or discharge electrode is moved by the moving means while the optical transmission medium is moved by the discharge electrode. A method for producing a bent optical transmission medium, comprising: a moving heating step for heating a part; and a bending step for bending the optical transmission medium, wherein a conductor or an insulator is disposed in the vicinity of the discharge electrode.
(9) The method according to (8), wherein the optical transmission medium is a plurality of optical fibers.
(10) The method for producing a bent optical transmission medium according to (9), wherein the width of the multiple optical fibers / interval between the electrodes is 0.5 or more and 0.95 or less.
(11) The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method according to (8), wherein the discharge electrode is an arc discharge electrode.
(12) The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method according to (8), wherein the conductor is a metal.
(13) The method for manufacturing a bent optical transmission medium according to (8), wherein the insulator is ceramic.
(14) The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method according to (8), further comprising control means for controlling the operation of the moving means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus and a bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method capable of obtaining a uniform bent state in a lump without cracking a large number of optical transmission media.

It is a figure which shows a mode that many optical fibers of Embodiment 1 are bent collectively, (a) is a figure which shows the temperature distribution of arc discharge, (b) is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning of an optical fiber, (c) is Perspective view showing a bent optical fiber It is a figure which shows a mode that many optical fibers of Embodiment 2 are bent collectively, (a) is a figure which shows the temperature distribution of arc discharge, (b) is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning of an optical fiber, (c) is Perspective view showing a bent optical fiber It is a conceptual diagram of the bending optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus of aspect I, (a) is a front view, (b) is the alpha-alpha sectional view. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the bending optical transmission medium manufacturing method of aspect I, (a) is the figure which mounted the optical fiber on the optical fiber mounting base, (b) is performing the moving heating process and the bending process continuously. Figure, (c) is a figure after bending of the optical transmission medium It is a conceptual diagram of the bending optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus of aspect II, (a) is a front view, (b) is a β-β line sectional view. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the bending optical transmission medium manufacturing method of aspect II, (a) is the figure which mounted the optical fiber on the optical fiber mounting base, (b) is performing the moving heating process and the bending process continuously. Figure, (c) is a figure after bending of the optical transmission medium It is a conceptual diagram of the bending optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus of aspect III, (a) is a front view, (b) is a γ-γ line sectional view. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the bending optical transmission medium manufacturing method of aspect III, (a) is the figure which mounted the optical fiber on the optical fiber mounting base, (b) is performing the moving heating process and the bending process continuously. Figure, (c) is a figure after bending of the optical transmission medium Conceptual diagram showing a bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method of aspect IV Block diagram showing an example of a control circuit It is a figure which shows a mode that many conventional optical fibers are bent collectively, (a) is a figure which shows the temperature distribution of arc discharge, (b) is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning of an optical fiber, (c) is bent. Perspective view showing an optical fiber

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a state in which a large number of optical fibers according to Embodiment 1 are bent at once, FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating a temperature distribution of arc discharge, and FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of optical fibers. c) is a perspective view showing a bent optical fiber.
50 is a conductor such as metal.
The temperature distribution of the arc discharge is a high temperature region x at the center between the arc discharge electrodes A, a middle temperature region y around the high temperature region x, and a low temperature region z around the middle temperature region y.
However, in the first embodiment, the temperature distribution is not concentric, and the conductor 50 is arranged near the arc discharge electrode A as shown in FIG. Arise.
Due to this distortion, the upper part of the intermediate temperature range y becomes substantially horizontal, and as shown in FIG. 1B, a large number of optical fibers 1 to 8 can be arranged in a line and placed in the intermediate temperature range y.
The optical fiber width a / electrode interval b is preferably 0.5 or more and 0.95 or less, and more preferably 0.5 or more and 0.9 or less.
When the optical fiber is bent in this state, as shown in FIG. 1C, an optical fiber having a uniform bent state and a uniform tip can be obtained.

(Embodiment 2)
A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
2A and 2B are diagrams showing a state in which a large number of optical fibers of Embodiment 2 are bent at once, FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a temperature distribution of arc discharge, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an arrangement of optical fibers. c) is a perspective view showing a bent optical fiber.
Reference numeral 60 denotes an insulator such as ceramic.
The temperature distribution of the arc discharge is a high temperature region x at the center between the arc discharge electrodes A, a middle temperature region y around the high temperature region x, and a low temperature region z around the middle temperature region y.
However, in the second embodiment, the temperature distribution is not concentric, and the insulator 60 is arranged in the vicinity of the arc discharge electrode A as shown in FIG. Cause distortion.
Due to this distortion, the lower part of the intermediate temperature range y becomes substantially horizontal, and as shown in FIG. 2B, a large number of optical fibers 1 to 8 can be arranged in a line and placed in the intermediate temperature range y.
The optical fiber width a / electrode interval b is preferably 0.5 or more and 0.95 or less, and more preferably 0.5 or more and 0.9 or less.
When the optical fiber is bent in this state, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), it is possible to obtain an optical fiber in which the bent state is uniform and the tips are aligned.

  Hereinafter, a bent light transmission medium manufacturing apparatus and a bent light transmission medium manufacturing method using the present invention will be described.

(Aspect I)
(Constitution)
3A and 3B are conceptual diagrams of the bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to aspect I, wherein FIG. 3A is a front view and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line α-α.
101 is a horizontal moving means as a moving means, 102 is an optical fiber mounting table, 103 is a support column, 104 is a push plate, 201 is an optical fiber support base, 202 is a support column, 301 is a support housing, and 303 is a base pedestal , 308 are U-shaped brackets, and G is a groove.
The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to aspect I includes an arc discharge electrode A that heats a part of an optical fiber, and a horizontal movement unit 101 that moves the optical fiber.
The arc discharge electrode A and the horizontal movement means 101 work together to heat a part of the optical fiber while moving the optical fiber.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable that a base pedestal 303 is placed on a plane and the support housing 301 is fixed to the base pedestal 303.
Then, the U-shaped bracket 308 can be fixed to the support housing 301.
Moreover, it is preferable that the horizontal direction moving means 101, the optical fiber support base 201, and the support | pillar 202 are provided on the base pedestal 303. FIG.
Thereby, the relative position of the moving means 101 and the non-contact heating means A can be fixed.

The horizontal moving means 101, the optical fiber mounting table 102, the support column 103, and the push plate 104 are configured as one unit.
The horizontal direction moving means 101 can be moved in the left-right direction in FIG.
And the optical fiber on the optical fiber mounting base 102 can be moved by fixing the optical fiber mounting base 102 on the horizontal direction moving means 101 via the support pillar 103.
The horizontal direction moving means 101 is preferably composed of a manual or automatic ball screw mechanism or the like, and preferably moves the optical fiber in the horizontal direction at a constant speed.
In addition, it is preferable that the height of the optical fiber and the arc discharge electrode A can be adjusted by providing a lift mechanism serving as a height adjusting means on the support column 103.
That is, the position of the optical transmission medium relative to the non-contact heating means is adjusted up and down, and the heating temperature to the optical transmission medium is finely adjusted indirectly.
Further, it is preferable that a groove G for stabilizing the position of the optical fiber is provided on the optical fiber mounting table 102 and the optical fiber is pressed by the pressing plate 104.
The groove G can be a V-shaped groove or a rectangular groove.

The optical fiber support 201 is a table for keeping the optical fiber horizontal.
The optical fiber is stretched between the optical fiber support 201 and the optical fiber mounting table 102.
The optical fiber support 201 is preferably provided with a lift mechanism serving as a height adjusting means.
Also, it is preferable to provide a groove G on the optical fiber support 201.
The column 202 is a column made of an insulator such as ceramic.
By attaching the conductor 50 or the insulator 60 to the tip of the column 202, the conductor 50 or the insulator 60 can be disposed in the vicinity of the discharge electrode A.
Further, by making the support column 202 itself an insulator, it is possible to prevent a short circuit of the arc discharge to the basic pedestal 303.

The U-shaped bracket 308 includes an arc discharge electrode A inside as shown in FIG.
In addition to the arc discharge electrode A, a burner or the like can be used as the non-contact heating means.
However, the arc discharge electrode A is preferable from the viewpoint of bending the optical transmission medium efficiently at a high temperature.
By using the non-contact heating means, the bent portion of the optical fiber does not come into contact with the heating means, so there is no risk of scratching the optical fiber.

(Operation)
4A and 4B are conceptual diagrams showing a bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method according to aspect I, in which FIG. 4A is a view in which an optical fiber is placed on an optical fiber mounting table, and FIG. FIG. 6C is a diagram in which the bending of the optical transmission medium is completed.
The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method of aspect I is a bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method in which the optical fibers 1 to 8 are bent using the horizontal direction moving means 101 and the arc discharge electrode A, and the horizontal direction moving means 101 uses the optical fiber. In the vicinity of the discharge electrode A, a moving heating step of heating a part of the optical fibers 1 to 8 by the arc discharge electrode A and a bending step of bending the optical fibers 1 to 8 while moving 1 to 8 The conductor 50 or the insulator 60 is disposed.

First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the optical fibers 1 to 8 to be bent are passed over the optical fiber mounting table 102 and the optical fiber support table 201.
Then, the optical fibers 1 to 8 are fitted into the grooves G and fixed with the pressing plate 104.
Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the optical fibers 1 to 8 are arc-discharged by the arc discharge electrode A at a desired position while the optical fibers 1 to 8 are moved horizontally by the horizontal movement means 101. Is heated (moving heating process).
Then, by heating the optical fiber to a temperature above the softening point, the optical fiber is bent by its own weight (bending step).

That is, in the aspect I, the optical fibers 1 to 8 are bent at a location where they are heated by the arc discharge electrode A due to the weight of the optical fiber itself.
During this time, the horizontal direction moving means 101 continues to move the optical fibers 1 to 8, so that the optical fibers 1 to 8 are continuously heated in a certain range, and a minute bending process is continued. Thus, a bent portion is formed.

The heating temperature of the optical fiber is adjusted by the arc discharge temperature and the distance between the arc discharge electrode A and the optical fibers 1 to 8, but the temperature is equal to or higher than the softening point of the material constituting the optical fibers 1 to 8. Preferably, the temperature is
Moreover, when the optical fibers 1-8 are comprised with the some material and the softening point is not the same, the highest softening point is employ | adopted.
In addition, the softening point here means the value measured based on JIS-R3103-1.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the movement of the horizontal movement means 101 and arc discharge are stopped at a predetermined location, the optical fibers 1 to 8 stop bending when they are bent by 90 °.
Thereafter, natural cooling is performed, and the optical fibers 1 to 8 are removed from the bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus, whereby the bending of the optical fibers 1 to 8 is completed.
The optical fiber to be bent may be made of any material such as glass and plastic, and can be appropriately selected depending on the application.
However, a glass optical fiber is preferable from the viewpoint of accurately maintaining bending.
Further, the optical fiber may be a single-core optical fiber or an optical fiber structure composed of a plurality of optical fibers, and the number of optical fibers processed at one time is not limited.
In addition, it is also possible to manufacture an optical transmission medium having two or more bent portions by repeating the bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method of the present invention. Specifically, a meandering optical fiber or the like can be formed by bending a plurality of portions of the optical transmission medium in order.
By using an optical transmission medium whose optical path is freely changed as described above, a space-saving optical circuit can be manufactured.

In addition, the curvature radius r of an optical fiber can be shown as follows.
Let X (mm) be the moving distance of the horizontal moving means 101.
When the desired radius of curvature is r (mm) and the bending angle of the optical fiber is θ (rad), the length of the bent portion of the optical fiber is r · θ (mm).
In the present invention, since the moving distance X and the length r · θ of the bent portion should match, X = r · θ.
Expressing this as a change per unit time,
dX / dt = (r · dθ) / dt (1)
It becomes.
Since dX / dt is the moving speed V (mm / s) of the horizontal moving means 101, and dθ / dt is the angular speed ω (rad / s) in bending of the optical fiber, the equation (1) can be expressed as V = rω · (2)
It can be expressed as.
Therefore, the radius of curvature r is r = V / ω (3)
It can be expressed as.
Thus, the radius of curvature r of the optical fiber is determined by the moving speed V of the horizontal moving means 101 and the angular speed ω in bending of the optical fiber.
Therefore, for example, if the angular velocity ω is kept constant, the radius of curvature can be increased by increasing the moving velocity V, and the radius of curvature can be decreased by decreasing the moving velocity V.
In this way, the radius of curvature r can be accurately adjusted.

(Aspect II)
(Constitution)
5A and 5B are conceptual diagrams of the bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment II, in which FIG. 5A is a front view and FIG.
Reference numeral 304 denotes a rotating jig, and reference numeral 305 denotes a lever that bends the optical transmission medium.
As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus of aspect II includes a rotating jig 304 that is rotatable by adjusting an angular velocity in a support housing 301. A lever 305 for bending the optical transmission medium is provided.
Therefore, by adjusting not only the moving speed of the horizontal moving means 101 but also the angular speed of the rotating jig 304, the radius of curvature of the optical transmission medium can be widely adjusted.
Other configurations are the same as those of the aspect I, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
In this example, the arc discharge electrode vicinity A is the rotation center of the rotating jig 304, but the optical fiber bending center vicinity can also be used as the rotation center of the rotating jig 304.

(Operation)
FIGS. 6A and 6B are conceptual diagrams showing a bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method according to aspect II, in which FIG. 6A is a diagram in which an optical fiber is placed on an optical fiber mounting table, and FIG. FIG. 6C is a diagram in which the bending of the optical transmission medium is completed.
The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method according to aspect II is characterized in that the rotating jig 304 is used in the bending step.
Other operations are the same as those in the aspect I, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the rotating jig 304 is adjusted so that the lever 305 contacts the upper portions of the optical fibers 1-8.
Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, the lever 305 is rotated by rotating the rotating jig 304 counterclockwise in FIG. 6 with respect to the optical fibers 1 to 8 extruded through the moving heating process. Is used to bend the optical fibers 1-8.
In aspect II, since the bending is adjusted using the rotating jig 304 and the lever 305, it is preferable that the heating temperature is lower than that in aspect I so that the optical fiber is not deformed by its own weight.
Specifically, a temperature not lower than the strain point of the material constituting the optical fibers 1 to 8 and lower than the softening point is preferable.
More preferably, it is above the annealing point and below the softening point.
In addition, when the optical fibers 1-8 are comprised with the some material and the temperature is not the same, the highest temperature is employ | adopted.
The strain point and annealing point here are values measured in accordance with JIS-R3103-2.
Adjustment of heating temperature can be finely adjusted by adjusting the position of the optical fibers 1-8 with respect to the arc discharge electrode A up and down.
And as shown in FIG.6 (c), the movement of the horizontal direction movement means 101, arc discharge, and rotation of the rotation jig | tool 304 are stopped in a predetermined location.

  It is also possible to adjust the radius of curvature so that the heating temperature is the same as in mode I and the lever 305 is applied from below the optical fibers 1 to 8 to support the bending.

(Aspect III)
(Constitution)
7A and 7B are conceptual diagrams of the bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to the aspect III, in which FIG. 7A is a front view and FIG.
Reference numeral 302 denotes a support column, and 306 denotes a moving base that is a moving means.
The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to aspect III includes an arc discharge electrode A that heats a part of an optical fiber, and a moving base 306 that moves the arc discharge electrode A.
The arc discharge electrode A and the moving base 306 work together to heat a part of the optical fiber while moving the arc discharge electrode A.
That is, not the optical fiber but the arc discharge electrode A moves.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, it is preferable to provide two moving bases 306 on the base base 303.
It is preferable that the movable base 306, the support column 202, the support column 302, and the U-shaped bracket 308 are integrally formed.
The moving base 306 can be moved in the left-right direction in FIG.
The arc discharge electrode A can be moved by providing the support pillars 302 on the two moving bases 306 and fixing the U-shaped brackets 308 on the two support pillars 302, respectively.
Further, by providing the support column 202 on the moving base 306, the conductor 50 or the insulator 60 can be moved simultaneously.
In the aspect III, the U-shaped bracket 308 and the support housing 301 are not fixed.
The moving base 306 is preferably constituted by a manual or automatic ball screw mechanism or the like, and preferably moves the arc discharge electrode A in the horizontal direction at a constant speed.
In addition, it is preferable that the height of the optical fiber and the arc discharge electrode A can be adjusted by providing a lift mechanism serving as a height adjusting unit on the support column 302.
Other configurations are the same as those of the aspect I, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
Note that, as in the embodiment II, the rotating jig 304 and the lever 305 can be used.

(Operation)
FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing a bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method according to aspect III, in which (a) shows an optical fiber placed on an optical fiber mounting table, and (b) shows a continuous heating and bending process. FIG. 6C is a diagram in which the bending of the optical transmission medium is completed.
The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method according to aspect III is a bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method in which the optical fibers 1 to 8 are bent using the moving base 306 and the arc discharge electrode A, and the arc discharge electrode A is moved by the moving base 306. A moving heating step of heating a part of the optical fibers 1 to 8 by the arc discharge electrode A and a bending step of bending the optical fibers 1 to 8, and the conductor 50 or the insulator in the vicinity of the discharge electrode A 60 is arranged.
That is, not the optical fibers 1 to 8, but the arc discharge electrode A is moved.
Other operations are the same as those in the aspect I, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

First, as shown in FIG. 8A, the optical fibers 1 to 8 to be bent are passed over the optical fiber mounting table 102 and the optical fiber support table 201.
Then, the optical fibers 1 to 8 are fitted into the grooves G and fixed with the pressing plate 104.
Next, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), while the arc discharge electrode A is moved horizontally by the moving base 306, arc discharge is performed by the arc discharge electrode A at a desired position, and a part of the optical fibers 1-8. Is heated (moving heating step).
Then, by heating the optical fiber to a temperature above the softening point, the optical fiber is bent by its own weight (bending step).
Next, as shown in FIG. 8C, when the movement of the moving base 306 and arc discharge are stopped at a predetermined location, the optical fibers 1 to 8 stop bending when they are bent by 90 °.
Note that, as in the embodiment II, the rotating jig 304 and the lever 305 can be used.
In this case, by rotating the rotating jig 304 while moving it in the same speed and in the same direction as the non-contact heating means A, the same effect as in the aspect II can be obtained.

(Aspect IV)
FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing a bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method according to aspect IV.
Reference numeral 304 ′ denotes a rotating jig having two levers 305.
For the bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus, only the U-shaped bracket 308, the rotating jig 304 ', the conductor 50 or the insulator 60 are shown.
By using a two-dimensional or three-dimensional drive stage (not shown) as the moving means, the U-shaped bracket 308 and the rotating jig 304 ′ can be freely moved in two dimensions or three dimensions.
As a result, as shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C, and 9D, a plurality of portions of the optical transmission medium are bent in order, thereby accurately and easily. An optical fiber can be made into a desired shape.

(Control circuit)
FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a control circuit.
401 is a control computer as control means, 402 is a moving means driving circuit, 403 is a non-contact heating means driving circuit, 404 is a rotating jig driving circuit, and 405 is a lift mechanism driving circuit.
The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention includes an arc discharge electrode A that heats a part of the optical fibers 1 to 8, and a moving unit 101 that moves the optical fibers 1 to 8 or the arc discharge electrode A. 306 and a control computer 401 that controls the operation of the arc discharge electrode A and the moving means 101 and 306.
That is, the control computer 401 heats a part of the optical fibers 1 to 8 while moving the optical fibers 1 to 8 or the arc discharge electrode A in conjunction with the arc discharge electrode A and the moving means 101 and 306.

The control circuit shown in FIG. 10 is disposed at an appropriate location such as the inside of the support housing 301.
The control circuit 401 controls the operation of the control circuit.
The control computer 401 includes a CPU, a memory, various interfaces, and the like, and it is preferable that an operation program and various data necessary for the operation are stored in the memory.
The moving means driving circuit 402 is a circuit that drives a motor or the like that moves the horizontal moving means 101 or the moving pedestal 306 left and right.
The non-contact heating means driving circuit 403 is a circuit that controls the heat generation temperature by changing the current to the arc discharge electrode A and the like.
The rotating jig driving circuit 404 is a circuit that drives a motor or the like that rotates the rotating jig 304.
The lift mechanism drive circuit 405 is a circuit that drives a motor or the like that moves the lift mechanism up and down when the support pillars 103 and 302, the optical fiber support base 201, and the like are provided with a lift mechanism.
The control computer 401 interlocks the moving means driving circuit 402, the non-contact heating means driving circuit 403, and the jig rotating motor driving circuit 404, whereby the optical transmission media 1 to 8 can be bent smoothly.

Hereinafter, description will be made using examples.
<Example 1>
In the examples, the bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus of aspect II was used.
An aluminum L-shaped bracket was prepared as the base pedestal 303.
A stepping motor driven ball screw type automatic X-axis stage was prepared as the horizontal moving means 101, the support column 103, the optical fiber mounting table 102, and the push plate 104.
As the arc discharge electrode A, an optical fiber fusion machine manufactured by Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., an arc discharge electrode (electrode interval: 2.1 mm) in the trade name: “S146” was extracted and used.
As the U-shaped bracket 308, a commercially available glass epoxy U-shaped bracket was used. As the rotation jig 304, a stepping motor driven automatic θ axis rotation stage was prepared.
As the lever 305, an aluminum cylinder having a diameter of 5 mm was prepared and fixed to an automatic θ-axis rotating stage.
The rotating jig 304 was fixed to an aluminum L-shaped bracket so that the center of rotation was an arc discharge electrode.
A ceramic support (optical fiber axial length 2 mm, width 1.5 mm, vertical height 190 mm) is used as the support 202, and an aluminum conductor (optical fiber axial length 0.5 mm, width 2 mm) is attached to the tip. , Vertical height 2 mm).
The distance between the conductor and the arc discharge electrode in the vertical direction was set to 2 mm.
As optical fibers 1 to 8, an optical fiber ribbon made of 8-fiber quartz glass (GI50 multimode, clad diameter 0.125 mm, coating outer diameter 0.25 mm, length 200 mm, manufactured by Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., trade name: “PE- A10G ") was used.
The coating was removed up to 50 mm from the tip.
The optical fiber was adjusted to pass 1 mm above the center of the arc discharge electrode.
Then, the automatic X-axis stage and the arc discharge electrode are interlocked so that the moving speed V of the automatic X-axis stage is 1 (mm / s) and the angular speed ω of the automatic θ-axis rotating stage is π / 3 (rad / s).
The point at which 10 mm from the tip of the optical fiber was closest to the arc discharge electrode was taken as the arc discharge start point.
Under the above conditions, arc discharge was performed for 1.5 seconds to bend the optical fiber to 90 °, and the bent optical fiber of Example 1 was obtained.
Thereafter, the bending angle of each optical fiber was precisely measured using a digital microscope (manufactured by Keyence Corporation, trade name: “VHX-900”).

<Example 2>
Instead of the conductor, an insulator made of zirconia (optical fiber axial length 2 mm, width 1.5 mm, vertical height 10 mm) was disposed.
The vertical distance between the insulator and the arc discharge electrode was set to 0.5 mm.
The optical fiber was adjusted to pass 0.1 mm below the center of the arc discharge electrode.
Otherwise, the bent optical fiber of Example 2 was obtained in the same manner as Example 1.
Thereafter, the bending angle of each optical fiber was precisely measured using a digital microscope (manufactured by Keyence Corporation, trade name: “VHX-900”).

<Comparative Example 1>
No conductor was used.
Otherwise, the bent optical fiber of Comparative Example 1 was obtained in the same manner as Example 1.
Thereafter, the bending angle of each optical fiber was precisely measured using a digital microscope (manufactured by Keyence Corporation, trade name: “VHX-900”).

<Comparative example 2>
No insulator was used.
Otherwise, the same procedure as in Example 2 was performed to obtain a bent optical fiber of Comparative Example 2.
Thereafter, the bending angle of each optical fiber was precisely measured using a digital microscope (manufactured by Keyence Corporation, trade name: “VHX-900”).

  Table 1 shows the bending angle of each optical fiber.

As is apparent from the table, in Example 1, since the conductor was placed in the vicinity of the electrode, a bending angle of 89 to 90 ° was obtained for all the fibers. The difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the bending angle was 0.8 ° and the variation was small.
In Example 2, since an insulator was placed in the vicinity of the electrode, a bending angle of 89 to 90 degrees was obtained for all the fibers. The difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the bending angle was 0.8 ° and the variation was small.
On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, since there is no conductor in the vicinity of the electrode, the bending angle of the outer fiber is less than 85 degrees. The difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the bending angle was 10.3 °, and the variation was large.
In Comparative Example 2, since there is no insulator near the electrode, the bending angle of the outer fiber is less than 85 degrees. The difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the bending angle was 10.6 °, and the variation was large.
The bent optical fibers of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 maintained 90 ° while being pressed by the lever 305 as shown in FIG. 6C. However, when removed from the apparatus, the bent optical fibers are elastic due to the elasticity of the optical fiber. ).
As described above, by disposing an insulator or a conductor in the vicinity of the electrode, it was possible to obtain a uniform bent state in a lump without cracking many optical fibers.

1-8 Optical fiber 50 Conductor 60 Insulator 101 Horizontal direction moving means 102 Optical fiber mounting base 103 Support pillar 104 Press plate 201 Optical fiber support base 301 Support housing 302 Support pillar 303 Base base 304, 304 'Rotating jig 305 Lever 306 Moving base 308 U-shaped bracket 401 Control computer 402 Moving means drive circuit 403 Non-contact heating means drive circuit 404 Rotating jig drive circuit 405 Lift mechanism drive circuit A Arc discharge electrode G Groove a Optical fiber width b Electrode interval x High temperature range y Medium temperature range z Low temperature range

Claims (14)

A discharge electrode for heating a portion of the optical transmission medium;
Moving means for moving the optical transmission medium or the discharge electrode,
A bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus for heating a part of the optical transmission medium while moving the optical transmission medium or the discharge electrode,
An apparatus for manufacturing a bent optical transmission medium, wherein a conductor or an insulator is disposed in the vicinity of the discharge electrode. 2. The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical transmission medium is a plurality of optical fibers. 3. A bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the width of the multiple optical fibers / electrode spacing is 0.5 or more and 0.95 or less. 2. The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge electrode is an arc discharge electrode. The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductor is a metal. 2. The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the insulator is ceramic. 2. The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling the operation of the moving means. A bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method for bending an optical transmission medium using a moving means and a discharge electrode,
A moving heating step of heating a part of the optical transmission medium by the discharge electrode while moving the optical transmission medium or the discharge electrode by the moving means;
A bending step of bending the optical transmission medium,
A method for producing a bent optical transmission medium, wherein a conductor or an insulator is disposed in the vicinity of the discharge electrode. 9. The method of manufacturing a bent optical transmission medium according to claim 8, wherein the optical transmission medium is a plurality of optical fibers. 10. The method of manufacturing a bent optical transmission medium according to claim 9, wherein the width of the multiple optical fibers / electrode interval is 0.5 or more and 0.95 or less. 9. The method of manufacturing a bent light transmission medium according to claim 8, wherein the discharge electrode is an arc discharge electrode. 9. The method of manufacturing a bent optical transmission medium according to claim 8, wherein the conductor is a metal. 9. The method of manufacturing a bent optical transmission medium according to claim 8, wherein the insulator is ceramic. 9. The bent optical transmission medium manufacturing method according to claim 8, further comprising control means for controlling the operation of the moving means.

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