A stress measurement method and a stress measurement device

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of optical fiber communication, and particularly relates to a stress measurement method and a stress measurement device. The stress measurement method comprises the steps of preparation, coupling, detection and force application. In the detection step, a detection mechanism measures a first reference value of an optical index when a coupler is formed. In the force application step, at least one taper mechanism releases the clamping of each optical fiber, and one end of a coupling area is fixed. A pulling force is applied to the other end of the coupling area in a direction away from the coupling area, a detection mechanism measures a second reference value of the optical index, the pulling force is gradually increased until the second reference value is substantially equal to the first reference value, and the value of the pulling force at this time is read to obtain the stress of the coupling area. The stress measurement method of the present application can quickly measure the stress of the coupling area.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of optical fiber communication, and particularly relates to a stress measurement method and a stress measurement device. BACKGROUND

[0002] The coupling region of a coupler is generally formed by fusing and tapering a plurality of optical fibers. Specifically, two or more optical fibers with coating layers removed are brought together in a certain manner, and the corresponding sections of the optical fibers are fused at high temperature, while the sections on both sides of the fused sections are stretched in two directions away from each other, so that the optical fibers are coupled and a coupling region is formed at the fused sections. The coupling region is generated by deformation of the optical fibers, and thus stress exists in the coupling region. Under the long-term action of the stress, there is a risk of rupture of the coupler with micro-cracks on the surface. If a pulling force greater than or equal to four times the stress in the coupling region is applied to the coupler after tapering and coupling, the coupler with micro-cracks can be screened out in advance, thereby ensuring the reliability of the product. Therefore, in order to screen out the defective coupler with micro-cracks before leaving the factory, the stress in the coupling region needs to be measured in advance.

[0003] However, the current commonly used stress measurement method is relatively complex, and is not easy to operate in practice, which is not conducive to the rapid testing of the stress in the coupling region of various specifications and models of couplers by the coupler manufacturers, and is not conducive to the control of the quality of the coupler products. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a stress measurement method and a stress measurement device, aiming to solve the problem of how to quickly measure the stress in the coupling region.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present application is as follows:

[0006] On the one hand, a stress measurement method is provided for measuring the stress in the coupling region of a coupler, and the stress measurement method comprises the following steps:

[0007] Preparation, preparation of a plurality of optical fibers, a heating mechanism, a detection mechanism and two tapering mechanisms;

[0008] Coupling, the two tapering mechanisms are arranged at intervals and detachably clamp each of the optical fibers, and the corresponding sections of each of the optical fibers are extended in the same direction; the heating mechanism is arranged between the two tapering mechanisms to heat and fuse the corresponding sections of each of the optical fibers; the two tapering mechanisms are moved away from each other to stretch each of the optical fibers, and each of the optical fibers is coupled and connected at the fused sections to form a coupler with a coupling region;

[0009] Detection, each of the optical fibers is connected to the detection mechanism to measure the optical index of the coupler; the detection mechanism measures a first reference value of the optical index when the coupler is formed; and

[0010] applying a pulling force to one end of the coupling region, and gradually increasing the pulling force, until the second reference value is substantially equal to the first reference value, and reading a value of the pulling force at this time to obtain a stress of the coupling region.

[0011] In one embodiment, in the step of applying a pulling force, one of the pull-taper mechanisms is loosened to release the clamping of the optical fibers, and the pulling force is applied to the end of the coupling region that is not clamped by the pull-taper mechanism and is gradually increased.

[0012] In one embodiment, in the step of applying a pulling force, the end of the coupling region that is not fixed is connected to a tray, and quartz powder is gradually added into the tray to increase the pulling force.

[0013] In one embodiment, the optical fibers are provided in two.

[0014] In one embodiment, the stress measurement method further comprises: encapsulating, covering the coupling region with a glue layer, and curing the glue layer.

[0015] In one embodiment, the pull-taper mechanism comprises a clamping structure for clamping the optical fibers, and a pull-taper driving structure for driving the clamping structure to move to stretch the optical fibers.

[0016] In one embodiment, the clamping structure comprises a fixed seat and a pressing block with magnetic adsorption force; the pressing block can be magnetically adsorbed on the fixed seat and clamps the optical fibers between the pressing block and the fixed seat.

[0017] In one embodiment, the optical index is any one or more of IL, CR, EL and PDL, the first reference value is a corresponding single value or a set of values, and the second reference value corresponds to the first reference value one by one.

[0018] In one embodiment, the optical index is CR.

[0019] In another aspect, a stress measurement device is provided for implementing any one of the stress measurement methods described above, and the stress measurement device comprises the heating mechanism, the detection mechanism, a force applying mechanism and two pull-taper mechanisms; wherein the force applying mechanism is configured to apply the pulling force to obtain the stress of the coupling region.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the present application are that: under the clamping and stretching actions of the two tapering mechanisms, the parts of the optical fibers between the two tapering mechanisms extend towards the same direction and merge into a bundle; the heating mechanism heats the optical fibers between the two tapering mechanisms, so that the corresponding sections of the optical fibers melt; the two tapering mechanisms stretch the optical fibers towards two opposite directions, so that the optical fibers are coupled and connected at the coupling area; the detection mechanism for connecting the optical fibers monitors the optical indexes of the optical fibers in real time, and measures the first reference value of the optical indexes when the coupling area is formed. After the coupling is completed and the first reference value is collected, at least one tapering mechanism releases the clamping of the optical fibers, so that the optical fibers are no longer subjected to the force of the tapering mechanism. At this time, the size of the optical indexes changes. The coupling area is subjected to the tension force applied in the force applying step, and the optical indexes change into the second reference value immediately. The size of the second reference value changes with the change of the tension force. When the tension force is increased, the second reference value changes to substantially equal to the first reference value, which means that the tension force applied to the coupling area at this time is substantially equal to the tension force applied to the coupling area by the tapering mechanism when the tapering is completed, and is further equal to the stress in the coupling area. Therefore, the value of the tension force at this time can be read to measure the size of the stress in the coupling area. In the stress measurement method of the present application, part of the steps can be used for the production of the coupler, and the remaining steps can be interspersed or immediately followed in the production process of the coupler. Each step of the present application can be implemented on the original device for producing and processing the coupler, so that the operations such as unloading, transporting or positioning the coupler are not required, which greatly reduces the steps of producing the coupler and measuring the stress in the coupling area, and shortens the measurement time. In summary, the present application solves the technical problem of how to quickly measure the stress in the coupling area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or exemplary technical descriptions. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without any creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 The flowchart of the stress measurement method provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 The structural schematic diagram of the stress measurement device provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0024] Wherein, the figure each sign: 100, stress measuring device; 10, heating mechanism; 11, quartz fire head; 111, output; 12, hydrogen pipe; 13, oxygen pipe; 20, pull tower mechanism; 21, clamping structure; 211, fixed seat; 212, briquetting; 22, pull tower drive structure; 30, detection mechanism; 31, optical power detector; 32, computer monitor; 40, packaging mechanism; 41, packaging table; 42, packaging drive structure; 50, coupler; 51, optical fiber; 52, coupling area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present application more clear, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific examples described herein are only used to explain the present application and not to limit the present application.

[0026] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "disposed on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or indirectly on the other component. When a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to the other component. The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances. The terms "first", "second" are only for the purpose of convenience, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the number of technical features. The meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more, unless otherwise specifically limited.

[0027] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The embodiment of the present application provides a stress measuring method, which can be used to measure the stress of the coupler 50 in the coupling area 52. It can be understood that the coupler 50 includes a plurality of optical fibers 51, and each optical fiber 51 is connected in an optical coupling manner to form the coupler 50; wherein the part of each optical fiber 51 coupled and connected is the coupling area 52 in the present embodiment which needs to measure the stress.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The stress measuring method includes a preparation step, a coupling step, a detection step and a force applying step; optionally, the above steps are sequentially performed in the following order:

[0029] S1, preparation, prepare a plurality of optical fibers 51, a heating mechanism 10, a detection mechanism 30 and two pull tower mechanisms 20;

[0030] S2. Coupling: The two tapered pulling mechanisms 20 are spaced apart and detachably clamp the optical fibers 51, and the corresponding sections of the optical fibers 51 are extended in the same direction; the heating mechanism 10 is disposed between the two tapered pulling mechanisms 20 to heat and melt the corresponding sections of the optical fibers 51; the two tapered pulling mechanisms 20 move away from each other to stretch the optical fibers 51, and the optical fibers 51 are coupled and connected at the melted sections to form a coupler 50 having a coupling region 52;

[0031] S3, testing, connecting each optical fiber 51 to the testing mechanism 30 to measure the optical index of the coupler 50; the testing mechanism 30 measures a first reference value of the optical index when the coupler 50 is formed;

[0032] S4. Apply force to release the clamping of each optical fiber 51 by at least one taper mechanism 20 and fix one end of the coupling region 52; apply a pulling force back to the coupling region 52 at the other end of the coupling region 52, and the detection mechanism 30 measures a second reference value of the optical index; gradually increase the pulling force so that the second reference value is substantially equal to the first reference value, and read the value of the pulling force at this time to obtain the stress in the coupling region 52.

[0033] The detection mechanism 30 for detecting the optical index of the coupler 50 may also be connected to each optical fiber 51 before the coupling step is performed; it only needs to be able to measure the first reference value when the coupling region 52 is formed.

[0034] It can be understood that the coupling region 52 is formed by deformation of each optical fiber 51 under the tensile force of the tapering mechanism 20. During this deformation process, each optical fiber 51 generates stress to counteract this deformation, and the magnitude of this stress is roughly equal to the magnitude of the force causing the deformation. Therefore, by measuring the tensile force applied by the tapering mechanism 20 to the coupling region 52 during its formation, the magnitude of the stress in the coupling region 52 can be measured. The optical index of the coupler 50 can indirectly reflect the force applied to the coupling region 52, so the first reference value can reflect the force applied by the tapering mechanism 20 to the coupling region 52 upon completion of the tapering. When the optical index again equals the first reference value, it means that the force applied to the coupling region 52 at this time is equal to the force applied by the tapering mechanism 20 to the coupling region 52 during its formation, and thus equals the stress generated in the coupling region 52. That is, when the second reference value equals the first reference value, the magnitude of the tensile force is equal to the magnitude of the stress in the coupling region 52.

[0035] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2It can be understood that, under the clamping and stretching actions of the two tapering mechanisms 20, the portions of the optical fibers 51 between the two tapering mechanisms 20 extend in the same direction and merge into a bundle; the heating mechanism 10 heats the optical fibers 51 between the two tapering mechanisms 20 to cause the corresponding sections of the optical fibers 51 to melt; the two tapering mechanisms 20 stretch the optical fibers 51 in opposite directions to cause the optical fibers 51 to be coupled and connected at the coupling region 52; the detection mechanism 30 that connects the optical fibers 51 monitors the optical indicators of the optical fibers 51 in real time, and measures a first reference value of the optical indicators when the coupling region 52 is formed. After the coupling is completed and the first reference value is collected, at least one tapering mechanism 20 releases the clamping of the optical fibers 51, so that the optical fibers 51 are no longer subjected to the force of the tapering mechanism 20, at which time the size of the optical indicators changes. The coupling region 52 is subjected to an additional pulling force in the force applying step, and the optical indicators change to a second reference value immediately, and the size of the second reference value changes with the change in the size of the pulling force; when the pulling force is increased, the second reference value changes to substantially equal to the first reference value, which means that the pulling force on the coupling region 52 at this time is substantially equal to the pulling force applied by the tapering mechanism 20 to the coupling region 52 when the tapering is completed, and is further equal to the stress in the coupling region 52. Therefore, reading the value of the pulling force at this time can measure the size of the stress in the coupling region 52. In the stress measurement method of the present application, some steps can be used for the production of the coupler 50, and the remaining steps can be interspersed or immediately followed in the production process of the coupler 50, and each step of the present application can be implemented on the original device used for producing and processing the coupler 50, so that the operations such as unloading, handling or positioning the coupler 50 are not required, which greatly reduces the steps of producing the coupler 50 and measuring the stress in the coupling region 52, and shortens the measurement time. In summary, the present application solves the technical problem of how to quickly measure the stress in the coupling region 52.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 It can be understood that the stress measurement method of the present application has simple operation steps and can be used to quickly test the stress in the coupling region 52 of the coupler 50; in the actual production of the coupler 50, according to the size of the measured stress, the corresponding screening standard of the coupler 50 of this batch can be used to screen the pulling force before the coupling region 52 is packaged, so that the coupler 50 with quality problems can be excluded in advance to ensure the quality reliability of the coupler 50 finally shipped.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2Optionally, the detecting mechanism 30 comprises an optical power detector 31 for detecting the optical index, and a computer monitor 32 electrically connected to the optical power detector 31 and used for displaying the change of the value of the optical index. It can be understood that, in the embodiment, the optical power detector 31 can monitor the optical index of the coupler 50 in real time, and the computer monitor 32 can display the change of the second reference value from the first reference value, so as to provide a reference for the increase of the pulling force in the force applying step, so that the second reference value can change smoothly to substantially equal to the first reference value. In addition, after the device is connected, no excessive manual intervention is required, and the intelligentization and automation are realized, the operation steps are simplified, and the accuracy and convenience of the measurement are improved.

[0038] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 It can be understood that, under the heating action of the heating mechanism 10, the optical fibers 51 are locally molten; the molten sections can be plastically deformed under the action of external force or self, so that the optical fibers 51 are gradually deformed and coupled by stretching the optical fibers 51 at both ends of the molten sections before the molten sections are cooled and shaped; after the stretching treatment, the molten sections can form stable coupling regions 52 after cooling.

[0039] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 Optionally, the heating mechanism 10 comprises a quartz torch 11, a hydrogen pipe 12 for conveying hydrogen, and an oxygen pipe 13 for conveying oxygen; the output port 111 of the quartz torch 11 is located between the two tapering mechanisms 20; the hydrogen pipe 12 and the oxygen pipe 13 are both communicated with the quartz torch 11 and can convey hydrogen and oxygen to the quartz torch 11 respectively, so that the hydrogen and oxygen are sprayed at the output port 111 of the quartz torch 11 to form a hydrogen-oxygen flame to heat the portions of the optical fibers 51 between the two tapering mechanisms 20, and the heated portions are molten.

[0040] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2It can be understood that the first parameter value is measured when the coupling region 52 is formed and the stretching effect of the tapering mechanism 20 on the coupler 50 has not been removed. It can be understood that the stress generated in the coupling region 52 is equal to the pulling force applied by the tapering mechanism 20 when the tapering is completed, and thus the first reference value of the optical index measured when the stretching effect has not been removed can more accurately reflect the stress in the coupling region 52. It can be understood that the pulling force applied by the tapering mechanism 20 on the coupling region 52 is difficult to directly observe, and thus the pulling force with a size convenient for measurement needs to be applied to the coupler 50 after the coupling is completed to simulate the pulling force applied to the coupling region 52 when the coupling region 52 is formed; in the embodiment, the simulation of the pulling force is completed by restoring the optical index to a value substantially equal to the first parameter, i.e., after the stretching effect of the tapering mechanism 20 is removed, a pulling force that can be observed and gradually changed is applied to change the second reference value of the optical index to a value substantially equal to the first reference value, so as to measure the pulling force applied to the coupling region 52 when the coupling region 52 is formed, and thus the stress in the coupling region 52 is obtained.

[0041] Optionally, in the force applying step, the two tapering mechanisms 20 are both loosened to release the clamping on the optical fibers 51, and the pulling force applied to the coupling region 52 is increased by one of the following methods: one is that one end of the coupling region 52 is fixed, the other end is connected to a tray or other containing structure, and weights are gradually added to the containing structure to increase the pulling force applied to the coupling region 52 until the second reference value is equal to or substantially equal to the first reference value; the other is that one end of the coupling region 52 is fixed, the other end is connected to a tray or other containing structure, and a small amount of quartz powder or other substances with relatively light weight are added to the tray for multiple times until the second reference value is equal to or substantially equal to the first reference value; the third is that one end of the coupling region 52 is fixed, a tension gauge with a directly observable pulling force is connected to the other end of the coupling region 52, and the tension gauge is manually or mechanically operated to increase the pulling force applied to the coupling region 52 until the second reference value is equal to or substantially equal to the first reference value.

[0042] Please refer to Figure 2 Optionally, in the force applying step, one of the tapering mechanisms 20 is loosened to release the clamping on the optical fibers 51, and the pulling force is applied to and increased at the end of the coupling region 52 that is not clamped by the tapering mechanism 20. For the convenience of explanation, the end of the coupling region 52 clamped by the tapering mechanism 20 is referred to as the fixed end, and the end of the coupling region 52 not clamped by the tapering mechanism 20 is referred to as the movable end. It can be understood that in the embodiment, the fixed end of the coupling region 52 does not need to be clamped again, and the force applying step can be completed by the above-mentioned method on the original device, thereby reducing the operation steps such as unloading, transporting and clamping, and further helping to improve the efficiency of stress measurement, i.e., helping to quickly measure the stress of the coupling region 52.

[0043] Optionally, the pulling force is increased at the active end of the coupling region 52 by one of the following methods: one is to connect the fixed end of the coupling region 52 to a tray or other containing structure, gradually add weights into the containing structure to increase the pulling force applied to the coupling region 52 until the second reference value is equal to or approximately equal to the first reference value; the second is to connect the fixed end of the coupling region 52 to a tray or other containing structure, add a small amount of quartz powder or other light-weight material into the tray a few times until the second reference value is equal to or approximately equal to the first reference value; the third is to connect a tension gauge that can directly observe the size of the pulling force to the fixed end of the coupling region 52, manually or using a device to operate the tension gauge to increase the pulling force applied to the coupling region 52 until the second reference value is equal to or approximately equal to the first reference value.

[0044] It can be understood that after the fibers 51 are coupled and form the coupler 50 with the coupling region 52, the two ends of the coupling region 52 can be used as the input end and the output end of the coupler 50, respectively. Optionally, in the pulling step, the input end is fixed, and the output end is applied with the aforementioned increasing pulling force. Optionally, the output end is applied with a pulling force that gradually increases from 2.5g. It can be understood that while the pulling force is applied, the change of the second reference value is observed, and when the second reference value is substantially close to the first reference value, the pulling force is stopped from increasing, and the size of the pulling force applied to the coupling region 52 at this time can be considered as the size of the stress in the coupling region 52.

[0045] Optionally, in one embodiment, in the pulling step: one end of the coupling region 52 is fixed, and the other end is connected to a tray; and the pulling force is increased by gradually adding quartz powder into the tray. It can be understood that the unit mass of quartz powder is light, and by applying the pulling force to the coupling region 52 in this way, the change gradient of the pulling force can be reduced by precisely controlling the amount of addition, and thus the stress of the coupling region 52 can be precisely measured.

[0046] Referring to Figure 2 Optionally, in one embodiment, the pulling force is applied to one end of the coupling region 52 and is located outside the coupling region 52. It can be understood that the pulling force applied outside the coupling region 52 can be transmitted to the coupling region 52 along the length direction of the fiber 51; by setting the pulling point outside the coupling region 52, it is helpful to avoid damage to the coupling region 52 during the holding process and thus affect its function; in addition, the operation space outside the coupling region 52 is more sufficient, which is helpful to connect a pulling mechanism for applying the pulling force or to stretch the coupling region 52 by manual operation to complete the pulling step.

[0047] Referring to Figure 2Optionally, in an embodiment, two optical fibers 51 are provided. It can be understood that in the force applying step, the optical fibers 51 can be constrained as a whole by the clamp to apply uniform tension to the optical fibers 51 at the corresponding positions, thereby improving the accuracy of the measurement; in particular, when the coupler 50 contains only two optical fibers 51, the force applied to the coupler 50 is more uniform, and the first reference value and the second reference value measured are more accurate, thereby making the measurement of the stress in the coupling region 52 more accurate.

[0048] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 Optionally, in an embodiment, the stress measurement method further comprises: encapsulating, coating the coupling region 52 with a glue layer and curing the glue layer. The glue layer is formed by coating glue on the surface of the coupling region 52; curing means that the glue is solidified to form a stable protective layer covering the outside of the coupling region 52, which can be achieved by heating. It can be understood that the glue layer has a protective and reinforcing effect on the coupling region 52: on the one hand, it can effectively prevent the coupling region 52 from being damaged during use; on the other hand, it can also improve the strength of the coupling region 52 to prevent the thinned optical fibers 51 from breaking during use. It can be understood that after the stress measurement of the coupler 50 is completed, the defective products can be removed by appropriate means, and then the coupler 50 can be packaged and shipped.

[0049] Optionally, the encapsulation step is completed by the encapsulation mechanism 40; the encapsulation mechanism 40 includes an encapsulation table 41 for heating the glue to cure the glue, and an encapsulation driving structure 42 for driving the encapsulation table 41 to move. The encapsulation table 41 moves towards the coupling region 52 under the drive of the encapsulation driving structure 42 to heat the glue coated on the coupling region 52, and moves away from the coupling region 52 after the curing and encapsulation are completed under the drive of the encapsulation driving structure 42.

[0050] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 Optionally, in an embodiment, the tapering mechanism 20 includes a clamping structure 21 for clamping the optical fibers 51, and a tapering driving structure 22 for driving the clamping structure 21 to move to stretch the optical fibers 51. It can be understood that the clamping structure 21 can clamp and fix the plurality of optical fibers 51 into a bundle to ensure that the coupling region 52 is uniformly stressed, thereby enabling the fusion section to form a coupling region 52 with a uniform cross-sectional area; the two tapering driving structures 22 connected to the two clamping structures 21 respectively stretch the optical fibers 51 in directions away from each other, thereby enabling the fusion section to plastically deform after being tensioned to be coupled and connected, and form the coupling region 52.

[0051] Referring to Figure 2Optionally, the clamping structure 21 comprises a fixed seat 211 and a pressing block 212 having magnetism and capable of being magnetically connected with the fixed seat 211; wherein the pressing block 212 is capable of being magnetically adsorbed on the fixed seat 211 and clamping the corresponding part of each optical fiber 51 between the pressing block 212 and the fixed seat 211. It can be understood that the pressing block 212 and the fixed seat 211 are magnetically connected, a strong clamping force is formed between the two, and then the fine optical fiber 51 can be clamped and fixed between the two to complete the subsequent taper coupling step.

[0052] Optionally, two pressing blocks 212 can be arranged on any fixed seat 211 to press each optical fiber 51. Optionally, the taper driving structure 22 is a motor, a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder or other devices capable of providing power for the movement of the clamping structure 21.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 2 Optionally, the pulling force is applied and increased in the following way: after the coupling is completed, one clamping structure 21 is kept in the state of clamping and fixing the coupler 50, and the other clamping structure is stopped from clamping the coupler 50, specifically, the pressing block 212 with magnetic adsorption force is replaced by a positioning structure without magnetic adsorption force; then a pulling force is applied to one end of the coupling area 52 which is not subjected to clamping action and gradually increased until the second reference value is equal to or approximately equal to the first reference value.

[0054] Optionally, in one embodiment, the optical index is any one or more of IL, CR, EL and PDL, the first reference value is a corresponding single numerical value or a group of numerical values, and the second reference value corresponds to the first reference value one by one; wherein IL, CR, EL and PDL respectively refer to insertion loss, splitting ratio, additional loss and polarization dependent loss. It can be understood that each of the aforementioned optical indexes can reflect the stress of the coupling area 52 and the stress of the coupling area 52; the same optical index at the same or approximate value means that the coupling area 52 is subjected to the same or approximate force; and the aforementioned optical performance parameters can be observed by the detection mechanism 30, and then the stress measurement in the coupling area 52 can be realized by a convenient method.

[0055] Optionally, the first parameter is CR, i.e. the splitting ratio. It can be understood that the splitting ratio is more sensitive to the pulling force; therefore, the splitting ratio is set as the optical index, which is more convenient for the marking of the first reference value and helps the second reference value to be closer to or equal to the first reference value in the force applying step, thereby improving the accuracy of the stress measurement in the coupling area 52 to a greater extent.

[0056] It is understood that after measuring the stress in the coupling region 52 using any of the aforementioned methods, applying a tensile force greater than or equal to four times the stress to the coupling region 52 can cause cracked couplers 50 to break. Discharging the broken couplers 50 can then screen out defective products with cracks, helping to ensure that all couplers 50 shipped are of qualified quality, thereby improving production quality. It is also understood that performing the packaging step after breaking the defective couplers 50 allows for a round of screening of the couplers 50 before packaging, eliminating the processing costs and time required for defective products and improving the production efficiency of the couplers 50.

[0057] See also Figure 2 The present invention also proposes a stress measurement device 100, which is used to implement any of the aforementioned stress measurement methods. The stress measurement method refers to the above-mentioned embodiments. Since the present invention adopts all the technical solutions of all the above-mentioned embodiments, it also has all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be described in detail here. Among them, the stress measurement device 100 includes a heating mechanism 10, a detection mechanism 30, a force-applying mechanism, and two taper mechanisms 20; wherein the force-applying mechanism is configured to apply tension to obtain the stress of the coupling area 52. Among them, the composition, function, and beneficial effects of the heating mechanism 10, the detection mechanism 30, the force-applying mechanism, and the two taper mechanisms 20 are all explained in the description of the above-mentioned method, and will not be described in detail here.

[0058] The above are merely optional embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A stress measurement method for measuring the stress in the coupling region of a coupler, characterized in that: The stress measurement method comprises the following steps: Prepare materials, including multiple optical fibers, heating mechanisms, detection mechanisms, and two taper mechanisms; The two tapered mechanisms are arranged at intervals and detachably clamp the optical fibers, and the corresponding sections of the optical fibers are extended in the same direction; the heating mechanism is arranged between the two tapered mechanisms to heat and melt the corresponding portions of the optical fibers; the two tapered mechanisms move away from each other to stretch the optical fibers, and the optical fibers are coupled and connected at the melted portions to form a coupler having a coupling region, wherein the coupling region is formed by deformation of the optical fibers under the stretching action of the tapered mechanisms; Detection, connecting each of the optical fibers to the detection mechanism to measure an optical index of the coupler; the detection mechanism measures a first reference value of the optical index when the coupler is formed; and Applying force to release the clamping of each optical fiber by at least one of the tapered mechanisms and fix one end of the coupling region; applying a pulling force back toward the coupling region at the other end of the coupling region, and the detection mechanism measuring a second reference value of the optical indicator; gradually increasing the pulling force so that the second reference value is substantially equal to the first reference value, and reading the value of the pulling force at this time to obtain the stress in the coupling region.

2. The stress measurement method according to claim 1, wherein: In the force applying step, one of the tapered mechanisms is caused to loosen the clamping of each of the optical fibers, and the pulling force is applied to the end of the coupling region that is not clamped by the tapered mechanism, and the pulling force is increased.

3. The stress measurement method according to claim 1, wherein: In the force applying step, the end of the coupling region that is not fixed is connected to a tray, and quartz powder is gradually added into the tray to increase the pulling force.

4. The stress measurement method according to claim 1, wherein: There are two optical fibers.

5. The stress measurement method according to claim 1, wherein: The stress measurement method further includes: packaging, covering the coupling area with an adhesive layer, and curing the adhesive layer.

6. The stress measurement method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The tapering mechanism includes a clamping structure for clamping each optical fiber, and a tapering driving structure for driving the clamping structure to move so as to stretch each optical fiber.

7. The stress measurement method according to claim 6, wherein: The clamping structure includes a fixing seat and a pressing block with magnetic adsorption force; the pressing block can be magnetically adsorbed on the fixing seat and clamp each optical fiber between the pressing block and the fixing seat.

8. The stress measurement method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The optical index is any one or more of IL, CR, EL and PDL, the first reference value is a corresponding single value or a group of values, and the second reference value corresponds to the first reference value one by one.

9. The stress measurement method according to claim 8, wherein: The optical index is CR.

10. A stress measurement device for implementing the stress measurement method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The stress measuring device includes the heating mechanism, the detection mechanism, a force applying mechanism, and two taper mechanisms; wherein the force applying mechanism is configured to apply the tension to obtain the stress of the coupling region.

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