JP3305046B2 - Optical fiber cutting equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an optical fiber cutting device.
Related to location, in particular the intensity of different optical fiber, for example, high strength optical fibers by compression stress remaining on the surface has a quartz thin film doped with such standard optical fiber and Ti (hereinafter referred to as Ti coated optical fiber) Can cut
That's what I did.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ordinary standard optical fiber (which is not coated with Ti or the like, hereinafter referred to as a Si optical fiber),
FIG. 3 shows an example of a conventional high-precision cutting device. However, the figure is a schematic diagram showing only the main parts for explaining the operation of the cutting device. Reference numeral 10 is a base, 12 is a set table integrally fixed thereon, and 14 is a lid attached to the base so as to be freely opened and closed. Reference numerals 16 and 16 denote two clamps provided at appropriate intervals in the z direction (for convenience of explanation, the xyz direction is determined as indicated by an arrow 15). These are each 16
0 (fixed on the base 10) and a presser 162 (fixed to the lid 14) made of rubber or plastic. Reference numeral 20 denotes a cassette type tool post having a cutting blade 22 and a base 10.
The upper part can be moved in the x direction and can be detached from the cutting device body. Reference numeral 40 denotes a mache for pressing the optical fiber downward, and is attached to the tips of the retractable arms 41 and 42. 43 is a guide groove in which the adapter is fitted.

An optical fiber is cut in the following manner. The optical fiber 46 is set on the adapter 44 so that the distal end remains, and the cover 45 is closed to fix the optical fiber 46, and then, is housed in the guide groove 43. At this time, the optical fiber 4
The tip of 6 is at a position where it can be pressed against the clamps 16, 16. With the tool rest 20 approaching one end in the x direction, the lid 14 is closed, and the optical fibers 46 are gripped by the clamps 16, 16. By moving the tool post 20 in the x-direction, FIG.
(A) The cutting blade 22 is moved as shown in (b) to scratch the lower surface of the optical fiber 46. As shown in FIG.
By pressing just above the damaged portion of the optical fiber with 0, a compressive stress is applied to the optical fiber 46 to grow the cut and cut.

[0004]

The above-mentioned apparatus is intended for a Si optical fiber. It is said that the depth of the scratch made by the cutting blade 22 is about 1 μm, and the blade pressure at that time is preferably about 2 g. However, in the case of a Ti-coated optical fiber, as shown in FIG.
There is. Its thickness is, for example, 3.5 μm. 46
0 indicates a core. The Ti-doped layer 464 is provided to leave a compressive stress on the surface of the optical fiber and improve the damage resistance. Therefore, it cannot be cut under the same conditions as the Si optical fiber not subjected to the surface doping treatment.

[0005]

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a cutting blade 22 is attached to a frame 24 of a tool rest 20 at one end.
Is located at the center of the lever 26
Attach the other end of this lever 26 to the other end of this lever 26
A variable mechanism is provided to change the position of
The adjusting mechanism 34 having the switching lever 340 is
The lever 26 is provided so as to be able to protrude and retract with respect to the other end thereof;
did. By operating the switching lever 340, the cutting blade
The distance between the optical fiber 22 and the optical fiber 46 can be adjusted. And
When cutting an optical fiber having different compressive strength, such as a Ti-coated optical fiber, which has a residual compressive stress, the height of the cutting blade 22 is made higher than before so as to cope with the cutting of an optical fiber having a different strength.

[0006]

[Operation] If the height of the cutting blade 22 is increased, the blade pressure is increased, and the flaw can be deepened. When cutting a Ti-coated optical fiber, the tip of the scratch (the deepest point)
The closer to the boundary between the doped layer 464 and the cladding 462, the closer to the cutting condition of the conventional Si optical fiber is,
Obtained from experiments. The thickness of the Ti-doped layer 464 is 3.
In the case of the above optical fiber of 5 μm, blade pressure 10 g, scratch depth 1.8 μm
Thus, a good cut surface can be obtained.

[0007]

FIG. 1 shows only a tool rest 20 (but schematically). (A) is a front view as viewed from the x direction, and its B section is shown in (b) and its C section is shown in (c). Reference numeral 24 denotes a frame of the tool rest 20, which has a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. In the frame 24, one end of a lever 26 which is long in the x direction is fixed to the frame with a pin 28 so as to be swingable, and a disk-shaped cutting blade 22 is attached to the center thereof. The cutting blade 22 is kept from rotating by suitable means. A protrusion 30 is provided on the lower surface of the free end of the lever 26, and a metal ball 32 is embedded in the lower surface.

In the frame 24, the ball 32
An adjusting plate 34 in the form of a thin plate independent of the frame 24 is provided at a position where it comes into contact with the frame 24 so as to be movable at least in the z direction while being restricted by the inner edge of the frame 24. The adjustment plate 34 is a switching lever 34 protruding outside the frame 24.
0, and there are overhang portions 342 on both sides in the z direction opposite to the switching lever 340 (c).
, And moves only in the z-direction.
The amount that can be moved is only the width a of the gap 242 between the inner edge of the frame 24 and both ends 343 and 345 of the adjustment plate 34. A square thin plate 36 is attached to the upper surface of the adjusting plate 34, for example. This is for adjusting the blade height and its thickness is about 2-4mm. When the adjusting plate 34 is moved fully upward in the z direction as shown in FIG. 1C (at this time, the switching lever 340 is (a)
When the ball is moved downward as shown in FIG. 2C (at this time, the switching lever 340 is at the T position as shown in FIG. 2A). It is provided at such a position as to be directly below 32.
Numeral 38 denotes a spring inserted between the frame 24 and the lever 26, which constantly resiliently urges the entire lever 26 downward.

[Usage] (1) When cutting a Ti-coated optical fiber, the switching lever 340 is brought to the T position (FIG. 2). Then
The thin plate 36 of the adjusting plate 34 raises the free end of the lever 26 via the protrusion 30 and the ball 32, and the blade height of the cutting blade 22 increases. At the same time, the spring 38 is compressed and the spring force increases. In this state, with respect to the Ti-coated optical fiber set in the z direction, the tool rest 20 is moved to x
Moving in the direction will result in deep flaws and allow cutting. (2) When cutting the Si optical fiber, the switching lever 340 is moved to the S position (FIG. 1). Then, the blade height is reduced, and cutting can be performed as before. Since the optical fibers are pressed by the clamps 16 and the optical fiber between the clamps is not relaxed, the depth of the flaw changes with a change in the blade height. (3) The arms 41 and 42 are tilted, the tip end muck 40 is pressed against the damaged portion of the optical fiber, and the optical fiber is cut by strongly pressing the cutting button (not shown) on the arm. Although illustration and explanation are omitted, if the arms 41 and 42 are further pushed in after cutting the optical fiber,
A mechanism for opening the lid 14 is provided. Optical fiber of the present invention
In a cutting device for a bar, for example, two or more adjusting plates are provided and 3
The height may be changed more than one step,
It is also possible to perform a simple switching.

[0010]

As described above, the optical fiber according to the present invention is used.
The bar cutting device has one end swingable on the frame of the tool post.
Attach a cutting blade to the center of the attached lever, and
Position the other end of this lever at the other end of the lever
Is provided with a variable mechanism, and this variable mechanism switches
The adjustment plate with the lever is extended to the other end of the lever.
Since it is provided so that it can be immersed freely, operate the switching lever
Can change the distance between the cutting blade and the optical fiber.
You. For this reason, for example, for cutting a Ti-coated optical fiber
Shorten the gap and cut it with the required depth of scratch.
Can be turned off. Also, by increasing the interval,
It is also possible to cut the Si optical fiber .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a tool post, showing a state where a tool post 20 which is a main part of an embodiment of the present invention has a reduced blade height;
(A) is a front view seen from the x direction, (b) is a B sectional view of (a), and (c) is a C sectional view of (b).

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a tool post, showing a state in which a blade height of a tool post 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention is increased, where (a) is a front view viewed from an x direction, and (b) is (a). (C) is a C sectional view of (b).

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view schematically showing a conventional optical fiber cutting device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a method for cutting an optical fiber (common to the present invention and the prior art).

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a Ti-coated optical fiber.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 base 12 set table 14 lid 16 clamp 160 table 162 presser 20 tool post 22 cutting blade 24 frame 240 guide 242 gap 26 lever 28 pin 30 protruding 32 ball 34 adjusting plate 340 switching lever 342 overhanging portion 36 thin plate 40 arm 41, 42 arm 43 Guide groove 44 Adapter 46 Optical fiber 460 Core 362 Clad 464 Ti doped layer

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-275908 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02B 6/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An optical fiber is scratched with a cutting blade.
Apply pressure to the scratched area to cut the optical fiber.
An optical fiber cutting apparatus, wherein one end of the cutting blade is swingably attached to a frame of a tool rest.
It is attached to the center of the attached lever, and the other end of this lever is
A variable mechanism for changing the direction is provided, and the variable mechanism is provided with an adjusting plate having a switching lever as described above.
Provided so that it can come and go with respect to the other end of the lever
An optical fiber cutting device, characterized in that: