JPH09197137A - Optical fiber cutting method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) 【Abstract】 PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To damage an optical fiber by pressing the optical fiber against a cutting blade in a state where tensile stress, bending stress, etc. are applied to the optical fiber, and to grow the scratch by the stress to generate an optical beam. When cutting the fiber, make sure that the cut surface of the optical fiber that is useful after cutting is not scratched. SOLUTION: When the optical fiber 1 is pressed against a cutting blade 23 for cutting, the cutting blade 23 is retracted in the d direction. Before cutting, the cutting blade 23 is set so that the surface a on the side of the useful optical fiber 1a after cutting of the both side surfaces a and b of the cutting edge is inclined to the side of the optical fiber 1b which is unnecessary after cutting from the planned cutting surface of the optical fiber. I'll do it. Since the cutting surface of the useful optical fiber 1a does not contact the cutting blade 23, it is not scratched.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber cutting method and device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a method for cutting an optical fiber, a method described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-230706 is known. In this cutting method, the optical fiber is first gripped by two sets of clamps arranged at a predetermined interval,
Then, by pushing and bending the optical fiber between the two sets of clamps with a pressing tool, tensile stress and bending stress are applied to the optical fiber, and the optical fiber is pressed against the cutting blade to scratch the optical fiber, and the scratch is described above. The optical fiber is grown by stress and cut.

[0003]

However, in the conventional cutting method, since the cutting surface or edge of the optical fiber is pressed against the cutting blade during cutting, the cutting surface of the optical fiber is scratched or the edge is chipped. As a result, the quality of the cut surface may deteriorate. Poor quality of the cut surface of the optical fiber significantly increases splice loss when the optical fiber is fusion-spliced or connected by a connector.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a scratch or chip on the cut surface of the useful optical fiber when the useful optical fiber and the unnecessary optical fiber are separated by cutting. An object of the present invention is to provide a method of cutting an optical fiber in which the occurrence of the above-mentioned problem and a device used therefor.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, according to the present invention, an optical fiber is pressed against a cutting blade in a state where one or more kinds of tensile stress, bending stress and torsional stress are applied to the optical fiber. In the method of cutting the optical fiber by scratching the optical fiber by the stress, the cutting blade is cut from the optical fiber cutting surface when the optical fiber is pressed against the cutting blade to cut. It is characterized in that it is retracted in a direction inclined to the side of the unnecessary optical fiber. By retracting the cutting blade as described above, there is less risk that the cutting surface of the useful optical fiber after cutting will be damaged by the cutting blade.

In the cutting method of the present invention, the cutting blade is cut before cutting so that the useful optical fiber side surface after cutting of both side surfaces of the cutting edge is located on the same surface as the optical fiber cutting surface. It is preferable to set the optical fiber so that it is inclined to the unnecessary optical fiber side after cutting from the surface to be cut. In this way, the possibility that the cutting surface of the useful optical fiber after cutting is damaged by the cutting blade is further reduced.

Further, the optical fiber cutting apparatus of the present invention used for carrying out the cutting method of the present invention,
In an optical fiber cutting device comprising a means for applying one or more of bending stress or torsional stress, and means for pressing the stressed optical fiber against a cutting blade,
When the optical fiber is pressed against the cutting blade to cut, the cutting blade is provided with a guide means for retracting from the planned cutting surface of the optical fiber in a direction inclined toward the unnecessary optical fiber side after cutting. .

Further, in the cutting apparatus of the present invention, before cutting, the cutting blade is arranged such that the surface of the both sides of the cutting edge, which is useful on the optical fiber side after cutting, is located on the same surface as the planned optical fiber cutting surface, or It is preferable that the optical fiber is set so as to be tilted toward the unnecessary optical fiber side after cutting from the surface to be cut.

[0009]

1 and 2 show an embodiment of a cutting apparatus suitable for carrying out an optical fiber cutting method according to the present invention. In the figure, 11 is an upper arm, 13 is a middle arm, and 15 is a lower arm. These arms are connected by a hinge pin 17 at one end side and can be opened and closed at the other end side. However, the middle arm 13 is held on both sides by the upper arm 11 as shown in FIG. 2, so that the middle arm 13 cannot be opened beyond a certain limit with respect to the upper arm 11. Also, between the middle arm 13 and the lower arm 15,
The first spring 19 that generates repulsive force in the direction of opening them
(For example, a leaf spring) is incorporated.

A push piece 21 is attached to the middle arm 13, and a cutting blade 23 is attached to the lower arm 15 at a position facing the push piece 21. Further middle arm 13
On the opposing surfaces of the lower arm 15 and the lower arm 15, one set of clamps 25A are provided at positions equidistant from the cutting edge of the cutting blade 23 to both sides.
25B is attached.

The pushing piece 21 penetrates the middle arm 13 in the vertical direction and is slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the middle arm 13. A T-shaped spring receiver 27 is formed on the upper end of the pushing piece 21, and a second spring 29 (for example, a coil spring) is interposed between the spring receiver 27 and the middle arm 13 in a compressed state. Has been inserted. Therefore, the repulsive force of the second spring 29 raises the pushing piece 21, but
Since the upper arm 11 and the middle arm 13 are prevented from opening beyond a certain limit as described above, the pushing piece 21 is always kept in a state where the upper end thereof abuts the upper arm 11. A rubber pillow 31 is attached to the lower end of the push piece 21 to prevent the optical fiber from being damaged.

On the other hand, the cutting blade 23 is set so that its base is slidable in the guide groove 33 formed in the lower arm 15 in the depth direction (d direction) of the groove, and the cutting edge is from the upper surface of the lower arm 15. It is in a protruding state. A third spring 35 (for example, a coil spring) is housed in the bottom of the guide groove 33 in a compressed state, and the repulsive force constantly pushes up the cutting blade 23. The cutting blade 23 and the guide groove 33 are engaged with each other at the step portion 37 so that the cutting blade 23 does not come out of the guide groove 33.

The guide groove 33 is an unnecessary optical fiber side after cutting from the planned cutting surface c of the optical fiber 1 (one without the coating 2).
It is formed in the d direction that is inclined to. Therefore the cutting blade 2
When the optical fiber 1 is pressed against 3, the cutting blade 23 can retract along the guide groove 33 in the d direction. Further, in the state where the cutting blade 23 is set on the lower arm 15, the surface a on the optical fiber side (the side with the coating 2) that is useful after cutting, of both side surfaces a and b of the cutting edge, is the planned optical fiber cutting surface c. After cutting, it is tilted toward the unwanted optical fiber side. In order to easily obtain such a state, a single blade is used as the cutting blade 23 in this embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the upper arm 11 and the lower arm 15 are closed and the optical fiber 1 is lightly sandwiched by the clamps 25A and 25B. In this state, the pillow 31 and the cutting blade 23 are not yet in contact with the optical fiber 1. The upper arm 11 and the lower arm 15 are opened at an angle of about 30 ° by the repulsive force of the first spring 19 in a state where an external force for closing them is not applied.

Next, a method of cutting an optical fiber using this apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG.
In FIG. 1, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 3, the illustration of the upper arm 11 is omitted, and the positional relationship between the pushing piece 21 and the second spring 29 is slightly different from that of FIG. 1, but the operation is substantially the same as that of the apparatus of FIG.

The state of FIG. 3 (a) is the same as the state of FIG. That is, the optical fiber 1 is lightly sandwiched between the clamps 25A and 25B. When the push piece 21 is pushed down from this state (by pushing down the upper arm), first, the second spring 29 is compressed, and the repulsive force of the second spring 29 strengthens the force with which the clamps 25A and 25B sandwich the optical fiber 1. Go. When the push piece 21 is further pushed down,
After the pillow 31 comes into contact with the optical fiber 1, the optical fiber 1 is pushed and bent as shown in FIG. 2B, so that bending stress and tensile stress are applied to the optical fiber 1. In this state, the optical fiber 1 is pressed against the cutting blade 23 and scratched. The repulsive force of the third spring 35 is set to such a strength that the cutting blade 23 scratches the optical fiber 1.

When the pushing piece 21 is further pushed down, a scratch grows due to the stress, and the optical fiber 1 is cut as shown in FIG. In this process, the cutting blade 23 moves the guide groove 3
3, the surface a on the side of the useful optical fiber 1a after the cutting of the cutting edge retreats to the side of the unnecessary optical fiber 1b after cutting, so that the cutting blade 23 is cut when the optical fiber 1 is cut. Does not contact the useful cut surface of the optical fiber 1a after cutting. Therefore, there is no risk of scratching the useful cut surface of the optical fiber 1a after cutting, and a good-quality cut surface can be obtained.

The above is one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even when using both blades (blades with the same inclination angle on both sides of the cutting edge) as cutting blades, position the useful optical fiber side after cutting on both sides of the cutting edge on the same surface as the planned optical fiber cutting surface. If the cutting blade is set so that the cutting blade is retracted in the direction inclined toward the unnecessary optical fiber side after cutting from the planned optical fiber cutting surface at the time of cutting, the same result as the above embodiment. Can be obtained.

Further, as the guide means for retracting the cutting blade in the direction inclined from the planned cutting surface of the optical fiber to the unnecessary optical fiber side after cutting, a rotating type can be used instead of the sliding type. As the rotating guide means, for example, a cutting blade is fixed to a rotating arm, and a fulcrum of this rotating arm is provided on the side of the optical fiber which is not used after cutting from the planned cutting surface of the optical fiber. It is possible to use, for example, a device that retreats in a direction inclined to the unnecessary optical fiber side after cutting from the planned fiber cutting surface. The present invention is also disclosed in JP-A-63-
It is also applicable to a method in which only tensile stress is applied to the optical fiber and the blade is inserted as described in Japanese Patent No. 304203.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a cut surface of good quality without scratches or chips on the useful optical fiber side after cutting.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of an optical fiber cutting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the apparatus of FIG.

3A to 3C are explanatory views showing an embodiment of an optical fiber cutting method according to the present invention in the order of a cutting process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: optical fiber 1a: useful optical fiber after cutting 1b: unnecessary optical fiber after cutting 2: coating 11: upper arm 13: middle arm 15: lower arm 17: hinge pin 19: first spring 21: push piece 23: Cutting blades 25A, 25B: Clamp 27: Spring holder 29: Second spring 31: Pillow 33: Guide groove 35: Third spring 37: Step portion

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber is scratched by pressing the optical fiber against a cutting blade in a state in which one or more of tensile stress, bending stress and torsional stress is applied to the optical fiber, and the scratch is caused by the stress. In the method of growing and cutting the optical fiber, when the optical fiber is pressed against the cutting blade to cut, the cutting blade is retracted in a direction inclined from the planned cutting surface of the optical fiber to the unnecessary optical fiber side after cutting. Characteristic optical fiber cutting method. 2. Prior to cutting, the cutting blade is cut such that the useful optical fiber side surface after cutting of both side surfaces of the cutting edge is located on the same surface as the optical fiber cutting planned surface or from the optical fiber cutting planned surface. 2. The optical fiber cutting method according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is set so as to be tilted toward an unnecessary optical fiber side. 3. An optical fiber cutting device comprising means for applying one or more of tensile stress, bending stress and torsional stress to an optical fiber, and means for pressing the stressed optical fiber against a cutting blade. When the optical fiber is pressed against the cutting blade to cut, the cutting blade is provided with guide means for retracting the cutting fiber from the planned cutting surface of the optical fiber in a direction inclined toward the unnecessary optical fiber side after cutting. Cutting device. 4. Before cutting, the cutting blade is cut so that a useful optical fiber side surface after cutting of both side surfaces of the cutting edge is located on the same surface as the optical fiber cutting planned surface or cut from the optical fiber cutting planned surface. The optical fiber cutting device according to claim 3, wherein the optical fiber cutting device is set so as to be tilted toward the side of the optical fiber that is not needed later.