Fingerstall type optical fiber coupler and use method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a fingerstall type optical fiber coupler and a use method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of communication. The optical fiber coupler is composed of a base, a tail fiber pressing plate, a coupling body, a fiber pressing plate, a fiber pressing knob, a finger fixing belt and a magnet. The left side of the base is provided with a fiber guide groove, two ends of the coupling body are respectively provided with a horn mouth, the tail fiber and the tested optical fiber are connected in the coupling body, the tail fiber pressing plate presses the tail fiber in a magnet attraction mode, and the fiber pressing plate indirectly presses the tail fiber and the end face of the tested optical fiber in a pressing mode and a screw and nut screwing mode to form an optical transmission channel. The invention further provides a using method of the fingerstall type optical fiber coupler. The optical fiber coupler is small in size and light in weight, can be operated by directly sleeving an index finger, can be disassembled and replaced on site, is not limited by sites, is suitable for various construction environments, can reduce the labor intensity of constructors, and can be applied to the scenes of optical cable line construction, daily maintenance, optical cable obstacle searching and repairing and the like in the industries of communication, electric power, traffic, water conservancy and the like.

Description

Technical Field:

[0001] The present invention relates to a finger-type optical fiber coupler and a method for using the same, and belongs to the field of communication technologies. Background Art:

[0002] In optical cable line engineering, single-disk detection, detection within 72 hours after optical cable laying, real-time monitoring of optical cable splicing, and optical cable fault location are important links for controlling project quality. In these project quality control links, an optical fiber coupler is required. Through the optical fiber coupler, the test optical fiber and the core of the optical cable to be measured can be temporarily coupled, and a channel through which the optical test signal can pass smoothly can be quickly formed without fusing the optical fibers. Generally, the channel can be formed within 3 - 5 seconds. When the optical test channel is formed, test instruments such as OTDR, light source, and optical power meter can use this optical channel to test the optical fiber performance and obtain the required test data. Since the diameter of the optical fiber is 125μm, which is very small, it is very difficult to align two optical fibers by human eyes and hands directly to form a channel. Therefore, the optical fiber coupler is an indispensable tool in the project quality control link.

[0003] The existing dedicated optical fiber coupler has an appearance of a metal block with a bottom side of 10 cm × 10 cm and a height of 4 cm, and a mass of about 1 kilogram. The main material is aluminum. When in use, the coupler is placed on a stable position; the tester needs to lower the head and get close to the coupling slot; the eyes should stare at the tiny optical fiber end; the two hands need to cooperate with each other for fiber feeding and pressing; only when the eyes, brain, and hands are closely coordinated can the successful coupling of the optical fibers be achieved. Once the eyes are blurred and the position of the optical fiber is off by a few millimeters up, down, left, or right, the coupling cannot be successful. For beginners and workers who are not proficient in using the optical fiber coupler, the one-time success rate of using the coupler is relatively low.

[0004] Some operating workers use an optical fiber fusion splicer worth tens of thousands of yuan to do the work of optical fiber coupling. Using the optical fiber fusion splicer for coupling is a waste of resources, occupying the normal working time of the fusion splicer. The fusion splicer is not a suitable tool for optical fiber coupling. Compared with the coupling process of the coupler, using the fusion splicer increases the time for making the end faces of the two coupled optical fibers, about 1 minute or so, resulting in a slow coupling speed, an extended overall coupling time, and an increase in construction costs.

[0005] During the maintenance of optical cable lines and construction, tasks such as fiber optic coupling testing are often encountered in special scenarios with narrow spaces and unstable positions, such as in elevator shafts, manholes in pipelines, and on utility poles. Construction workers need to perform tests in standing, lying, or suspended postures. Especially after a major disaster such as an earthquake causes the communication system to collapse, construction workers need to complete the monitoring and repair of communication optical fibers in a more severe environment, risking being affected by the aftershocks of the disaster. To place the coupling tool stably, sitting or squatting postures are required for testing. Construction workers need to drag the optical cable to a stable area before testing, which will prolong the preparation time. When the special scenario is too severe and there is no stable position, construction workers will abandon the testing task, resulting in the inability to obtain test results in a timely manner, delaying the construction process or leaving quality hazards. If there is a compact, easy-to-operate coupler that can maintain relative stability with the tester, such hazards can be avoided. Summary of the Invention:

[0006] To solve the above existing problems, the present invention provides a finger-type fiber optic coupler, which is small in size, light in weight, can be held in the hand for operation, and is suitable for various construction environments, reducing the labor intensity of construction workers.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0008] A finger-type fiber optic coupler, which is composed of a base 1, a pigtail pressing plate 2, a pigtail iron piece 3, a pigtail rubber strip 4, a fiber guiding groove 5, a pigtail magnet group 6, a coupling body 8, a door-shaped fixing piece 9, a fiber pressing plate 10, a fiber pressing rubber strip 11, a fiber pressing knob 15, and a finger fixing strap 16. The pigtail pressing plate 2, the pigtail magnet group 6, the coupling body 8, the door-shaped fixing plate 9, the fiber pressing plate 10, and the finger fixing strap 16 are all installed on the base 1.

[0009] The pigtail pressing plate 2 is located on the left side of the base 1 and is connected to the base 1 by a hinge structure. The "Z"-shaped pigtail iron piece 3 is installed on the pigtail pressing plate 2, and the pigtail rubber strip 4 is installed below the pigtail pressing plate 2. There is a fiber guiding groove 5 from left to right on the left side of the base 1 for guiding the pigtail 17. When the pigtail pressing plate 2 closes and presses the pigtail 17, the pigtail magnet group 6 attracts the pigtail iron piece 3, so that the pigtail rubber strip 4 and the fiber guiding groove 5 close up and down to press the pigtail 17 tightly, making the pigtail 17 unable to move freely.

[0010] The coupling body 8 is installed in a groove on the base 1, and both ends of it are installed on the base 1 by the door-shaped fixing piece 9. The coupling body 8 has two bell mouths, one end is aligned with the entering direction of the pigtail 17, and the other end is aligned with the entering direction of the fiber to be tested 13. The terminated pigtail 17 enters from one bell mouth, and the fiber core can extend into the coupling body 8.

[0011] The fiber pressing plate 10 is located in the middle of the base 1, connected to the base 1 by a hinge structure, above the coupling body 8. The fiber pressing knob 15 is installed on the fiber pressing plate 10, and the fiber pressing rubber strip 11 is installed below the fiber pressing plate 10. A threaded hole is provided at the corresponding position of the base 1 for the fiber pressing knob 15, which can cooperate with the screw rod of the fiber pressing knob 15. During testing, the fiber pressing knob 15 is rotated clockwise, and the screw rod of the fiber pressing knob 15 is screwed into the threaded hole of the base 1. The generated pressure causes the fiber pressing rubber strip 11 below the fiber pressing plate 10 to tightly press the middle position of the coupling body 8. The optical fiber pigtail 17 and the fiber under test 13 in the coupling body 8 are stressed, reducing or even eliminating the gap where the optical fiber pigtail 17 and the fiber under test 13 are misaligned, forming an optical transmission channel.

[0012] The finger fixing strap 16 is two Velcro straps that wind around the finger and are installed at the bottom of the base 1 with screws.

[0013] In a further technical solution, the base 1 is made of plastic, nylon, plexiglass or epoxy resin board. The length of the base (1) is 60 - 100 mm, and the width is 10 - 40 mm.

[0014] In a further technical solution, the finger-type optical fiber coupler further includes a fiber guiding frame 12. The fiber guiding frame 12 is located on the side where the fiber under test 13 of the coupling body 8 enters, and its outer shape is "V", which is convenient for the fiber under test 10 to enter.

[0015] In a further technical solution, the finger-type optical fiber coupler further includes a pigtail screw 7, and the "Z"-shaped pigtail iron part 3 is installed on the pigtail pressing plate 2 by the pigtail screw 7.

[0016] In a further technical solution, the finger-type optical fiber coupler further includes a fixing part screw 14, and the door-type fixing part 9 is fixed on the base 1 by the fixing part screw 14.

[0017] The above finger-type optical fiber coupler can be fixed on the finger of the tester through the finger fixing strap, so that the optical fiber coupler can maintain a relatively stable state with the tester without the help of the other hand. At this time, the postures of other body parts of the tester will no longer affect the coupling result, and only the eyes and hands of the tester are required to complete the test. At the same time, during continuous testing or monitoring testing, since the optical fiber coupler is fixed on one finger, there is no risk of falling or fiber detachment, so that the other hand can be used for test preparation or maintaining body balance.

[0018] When inspecting optical cable faults in special environments such as tunnels, pipe galleries, on utility poles, in corridors, and in equipment rooms, the tester must use one hand to hold the coupling tool continuously or place the coupling tool in a horizontal position when using traditional optical equipment. To ensure stable testing, the tester needs to choose a standing or squatting position, otherwise accidents such as personal injury or tool damage may occur. If the testing position is changed, the stripping length and operation time of the tested optical fiber will increase; if additional assistants are added, the personnel cost will increase; and the reserved optical fiber length may not be sufficient, and the assistants may not be present. However, using the finger-type optical fiber coupler of the present invention can avoid these problems, improve testing efficiency, and reduce physical and personnel costs.

[0019] The present invention also provides a method for using the above-mentioned finger-type optical fiber coupler, which includes the following steps:

[0020] The first step: Select the end face of the optical fiber for production.

[0021] The tester drags one end of the optical cable to be stripped close to the test instrument, or brings the test instrument close to the optical cable to be tested. The tester strips the optical cable, and the stripping length of the optical cable is more than 60 cm. The optical fiber core to be tested is stripped from the optical cable. Select the optical fiber 13 to be tested in the optical fiber, and use a blade or hot stripper to strip the optical fiber coating at 3 cm from the end of the optical fiber to prepare the optical fiber end face for use.

[0022] The second step: Prepare the tail fiber for connecting the instrument.

[0023] The tester takes out the test instrument, turns it on and checks the test instrument, and adjusts the test instrument to the real-time state. Insert the connection joint of the single-head test tail fiber 17 into the optical fiber interface of the test instrument; strip the outer sheath of 10 - 30 cm on the optical fiber side of the single-head test tail fiber 17, and strip the plastic sheath and optical fiber coating at 2 - 5 cm from the end of the tight-buffered optical fiber to prepare the optical fiber end face for use. Stretch the optical fiber end of the tail fiber 17 into the middle of the coupling body 8 along the fiber guiding groove 5. When the end of the tail fiber 17 is at the central scale position of the coupling body 8, press down the tail fiber pressing plate 2, and the tail fiber magnet group 6 attracts the tail fiber iron part 3, and the tail fiber rubber strip 4 and the fiber guiding groove 5 are closed up and down to press the tail fiber 17 tightly. At this time, the tail fiber 17 cannot move freely.

[0024] The third step: Wear the finger-type optical fiber coupler.

[0025] Pinch the finger-type optical fiber coupler connected to the tail fiber 17 with the thumb and index finger of the left hand. The right hand winds the two finger fixing straps 16 on the coupler into a ring according to the size of the tester's index finger, and presses the connection part of the fixing strap 16 tightly to prevent the fixing strap from loosening. Put both ring sleeves on the index finger of the left hand, align the side with the fiber pressing plate 10 towards the tester, so that the thumb can easily push or press the tail fiber pressing plate 2 and the fiber pressing plate 10 of the coupler.

[0026] Step 4: Insert the optical fiber for coupling;

[0027] Gently press the thumb of the tester's left hand above the fiber pressing plate 10; with the right hand, the tester pinches the tested optical fiber 13 with the end face made at a position 3 - 5 cm away from the end face, inserts it along the fiber guiding frame 12 into the bell mouth of the coupler 8, and continuously extends it. Since the pigtail 17 under the pigtail pressing plate 2 is pressed tightly and cannot move freely, the end face of the pigtail is located at the center of the coupler 8. When the end face of the tested optical fiber 13 advances to the center and touches the end face of the pigtail 17, the tested optical fiber 13 is stopped from advancing by the end face of the pigtail, and the optical fiber pinched by the finger outside the coupler 8 will bend. When the tester finds that the tested optical fiber 13 bends, the thumb of the tester's left hand presses the fiber pressing plate 10 forcefully to reduce the end face gap between the pigtail 17 and the tested optical fiber 13, and the end faces of the two optical fibers are successfully coupled to form an optical transmission channel.

[0028] Step 5: Adjust the instrument to obtain data;

[0029] The thumb of the tester's left hand continuously presses the fiber pressing plate 10, and the tester's right hand controls and adjusts the test instrument to measure the required data and records the data with a pen. Usually, the test process for 1 fiber core takes within 1 minute.

[0030] In a further technical solution, when the above finger - type optical fiber coupler is used for testing multiple optical fibers, the usage method further includes the following steps:

[0031] Step 6: Conduct continuous testing;

[0032] The thumb of the tester's left hand no longer presses the fiber pressing plate 10 forcefully, and the tester's right hand takes out the tested optical fiber. The tester replaces it with a new tested optical fiber and repeats the operations of Step 4 and Step 5. New test data are obtained for different tested fiber cores until all the fiber core tests are completed.

[0033] In a further technical solution, the usage method further includes the following steps:

[0034] Step 7: Monitor the testing;

[0035] When the optical cable splicing is reworked, the tester conducts quality monitoring. The monitoring test process from finding the fiber core, making the end face to fusion splicing takes 2 - 5 minutes. During this period, the coupler needs to maintain the coupling state, and the tester needs to keep observing the display of the test instrument all the time. The tester's right hand rotates the fiber pressing knob 15 clockwise. When the screw in the fiber pressing knob 15 is screwed into the nut of the base 1 to an appropriate position, it plays the role of the thumb pressing. If the rework waiting time is too long, the coupler can be taken off the finger and placed on a stable position or the fixing strap 16 can be wound around other stable objects.

[0036] After all the above-mentioned test tasks are completed, the tester takes out the test pigtail 17 and puts the finger-type optical fiber coupler into the special tool box. Turn off the test instrument, put the instrument into the instrument box, clean up the garbage at the construction site, and leave.

[0037] The technical solution of the present invention is that after two optical fiber end faces are in direct contact, the misalignment distance of the optical channel after the two optical fiber end faces are subjected to external force is reduced or disappears, so that the optical signal enters from one optical fiber into another optical fiber with less loss. The structure of the above-mentioned finger-type optical fiber coupler takes into account the characteristics of the optical fiber coupling construction site, and its design idea and starting point are to improve the applicability and simplicity of optical fiber coupling during the construction process. The finger-type optical fiber coupler uses the characteristic that the sticky tape is easy to wind, and the coupler can be wound around a stable object for coupling tests at any angle; the coupler is light in weight and combined with the left index finger of the tester, and a special operation table is not required during the test process, which is convenient for construction personnel to use. The technical index of the optical fiber coupler of the present invention: the coupling loss is less than 0.3 dB.

[0038] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0039] 1. The present invention is light in weight, simple in structure and convenient to carry.

[0040] 2. The present invention is small in size and can be directly put on the finger for operation during use. A single person can operate the optical fiber test. The tester can use it conveniently whether standing, sitting, lying on the back or lying prone. It is especially suitable for post-disaster emergency repair, where the working environment is harsh, the maintenance work intensity is high, and it is required to restore communication at the fastest speed.

[0041] 3. The present invention is small in size and can meet special requirements by adding special auxiliary components. The finger-type optical fiber coupler can be installed into the optical test instrument as a supporting component, and the instrument can directly test the bare optical fiber.

[0042] 4. The present invention forms an optical channel by directly docking two optical fibers inside the coupling body. When the coupling body is blocked, a longer test optical fiber can be used to pass through the coupling body to remove the blockage. Moreover, the coupling body of the present invention is independently detachable. When the original coupling body is severely blocked, it can be directly disassembled and replaced on site. A simple tool, a small cross screwdriver, can be used to quickly remove the door-shaped fixing part, remove the original coupling body, and replace it with a new coupling body, and the coupler can be reused.

[0043] 5. The left side of the base of the present invention is thicker and the right side is thinner. The pigtail enters the coupling body from left to right in a way from high to low, which can keep the end of the pigtail close to the bottom of the coupling body and is not easy to shift, facilitating coupling.

[0044] 6. The present invention uses the magnetic force of a magnet to press the pigtail, and the force size is fixed. It not only presses the optical fiber, but also the force will not be too large like manual pressing to break the optical fiber, improving the test safety.

[0045] 7. The present invention uses the force generated by the screw of the tightening compression fiber knob and the thread of the bottom plate to compress the coupling body, indirectly reducing the end face gap between the pigtail fiber and the fiber under test, and forming an optical transmission channel. The pressure also compresses the optical fiber to prevent the optical fiber from being pulled by an external force during testing to generate a gap, causing the optical transmission channel to be disconnected and resulting in a test failure.

[0046] 8. The material of the fixing band of the present invention is a hook-and-loop fastener with a furry surface on one side and a hook surface on the other side. When the furry surface contacts the hook surface, they will stick firmly together and will not fall off. When in use, first wind the fixing band into a loop and then put it on the index finger. According to the on-site situation, the fixing band can be used flexibly to wind the coupler around the instrument handle and on-site tools for testing.

[0047] 9. The present invention has no electric components and can be directly used in flammable and explosive environments. When the present invention is in use, it does not produce any sound. During night construction, it does not generate noise and has no impact on the lives of residents. Description of the Drawings:

[0048] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of the construction method of the finger-type optical fiber coupler according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 2 It is a top view schematic diagram of the structure of the finger-type optical fiber coupler according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Description of the reference numerals: 1 - base, 2 - pigtail fiber pressing plate, 3 - pigtail fiber iron part, 8 - coupling body, 9 - U-shaped fixing part, 10 - fiber pressing plate, 12 - fiber guiding frame, 13 - fiber under test, 14 - fixing part screw, 15 - fiber pressing knob, 16 - finger fixing band, 17 - pigtail fiber.

[0051] Figure 3 It is a top view schematic diagram of the partial structure of the finger-type optical fiber coupler according to the embodiment of the present invention being opened.

[0052] Description of the reference numerals: 1 - base, 3 - pigtail fiber iron part, 4 - pigtail fiber rubber strip, 5 - fiber guiding groove, 6 - pigtail fiber magnet group, 7 - pigtail fiber screw, 8 - coupling body, 9 - U-shaped fixing part, 10 - fiber pressing plate, 11 - fiber pressing rubber strip, 12 - fiber guiding frame, 13 - fiber under test, 14 - fixing part screw, 15 - fiber pressing knob, 16 - finger fixing band.

[0053] Figure 4 It is an exploded view of the pigtail fiber pressing plate according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Description of the reference numerals: 2 - pigtail fiber pressing plate, 3 - pigtail fiber iron part, 4 - pigtail fiber rubber strip, 7 - pigtail fiber screw.

[0055] Figure 5 It is an exploded view of the fiber pressing plate according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Description of reference numerals: 10 - fiber pressing plate, 11 - fiber pressing rubber strip, 15 - fiber pressing knob.

[0057] Figure 6 This is the exploded 3D view of the finger - type optical fiber coupler component of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Description of reference numerals: 1 - base, 2 - pigtail pressing plate, 3 - pigtail iron part, 4 - pigtail rubber strip, 5 - fiber guiding groove, 6 - pigtail magnet group, 7 - pigtail screw, 8 - coupling body, 9 - U - shaped fixing part, 10 - fiber pressing plate, 11 - fiber pressing rubber strip, 12 - fiber guiding frame, 13 - fiber to be measured, 14 - fixing part screw, 15 - fiber pressing knob, 16 - finger fixing strap, 17 - pigtail. Specific implementation manner:

[0059] The following further elaborates on the present invention in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the specification and embodiments.

[0060] Embodiment 1

[0061] In this first embodiment, the finger - type optical fiber coupler is used for troubleshooting optical cable construction in a special scenario. The special scenario is in a narrow corridor computer room, where there are external optical cable terminal boxes, user optical fiber boxes, and building user ODF frames in the computer room space, and the remaining space is small. It is initially judged that a fiber optic obstacle is caused by the rough operation of a maintenance unit, and it is necessary to find the user optical fiber and restore the fiber optic channel.

[0062] As Figure 2-6 shown, the finger - type optical fiber coupler involved in this embodiment is composed of a base 1, a pigtail pressing plate 2, a pigtail iron part 3, a pigtail rubber strip 4, a fiber guiding groove 5, a pigtail magnet group 6, a pigtail screw 7, a coupling body 8, a U - shaped fixing part 9, a fiber pressing plate 10, a fiber pressing rubber strip 11, a fiber guiding frame 12, a fixing part screw 14, a fiber pressing knob 15, and a finger fixing strap 16. The pigtail pressing plate 2, the pigtail magnet group 6, the coupling body 8, the U - shaped fixing plate 9, the fiber pressing plate 10, the fixing part screw 14, and the finger fixing strap 16 are all installed on the base 1.

[0063] The pigtail pressing plate 2 is located on the left side of the base 1 and is connected to the base 1 by a hinge structure. The pigtail screw 7 forms the "Z" - shaped pigtail iron part 3 into a "Z" shape and installs it on the pigtail pressing plate 2. The pigtail rubber strip 4 is installed below the pigtail pressing plate 2. There is a fiber guiding groove 5 from left to right on the left - hand base 1 for guiding the pigtail 17. When the pigtail pressing plate 2 closes to press the pigtail 17, the pigtail magnet group 6 attracts the pigtail iron part 3, so that the pigtail rubber strip 4 and the fiber guiding groove 5 are closed up and down to tightly press the pigtail 17, making the pigtail 17 unable to move freely.

[0064] The coupling body 8 is installed in the groove on the base 1. Both ends of the coupling body 8 are installed on the base 1 by the portal fixing member 9 and the fixing member screw 14. The coupling body 8 has two bell mouths, one end is aligned with the entering direction of the pigtail 17, and the other side end is aligned with the entering direction of the optical fiber under test 13. After termination, the pigtail 17 enters from one bell mouth, and the fiber core can extend into the coupling body 8.

[0065] The fiber pressing plate 10 is located in the middle of the base 1, is connected to the base 1 by a hinge structure, and is above the coupling body 8. The fiber pressing knob 15 is installed on the fiber pressing plate 10, and the fiber pressing rubber strip 11 is installed below the fiber pressing plate 10. A threaded hole is provided at the corresponding position on the base 1 for the fiber pressing knob 15, which can cooperate with the screw rod of the fiber pressing knob 15. During testing, the fiber pressing knob 15 is rotated clockwise, and the screw rod of the fiber pressing knob 15 is screwed into the threaded hole of the base 1. The pressure generated makes the fiber pressing rubber strip 11 below the fiber pressing plate 10 tightly press the middle position of the coupling body 8. The pigtail 17 and the optical fiber under test 13 in the coupling body 8 are stressed to reduce or even eliminate the gap where the pigtail 17 and the optical fiber under test 13 are misaligned, forming an optical transmission channel.

[0066] The finger-type optical fiber coupler further includes a fiber guiding frame 12. The fiber guiding frame 12 is located on the side where the optical fiber under test 13 of the coupling body 8 enters, and its outer shape is "V", which is convenient for the optical fiber under test 10 to enter. The finger fixing band 16 is two sticky tapes that wind around the finger and is installed at the bottom of the base 1 with screws.

[0067] The specific implementation steps are as follows:

[0068] The first step: Disconnect the user's optical fiber connection according to the user's information.

[0069] The second step: Make the optical fiber at the user end emit red light to find the obstacle location.

[0070] The tester uses a visual red light source at the user's home to connect to the user's pigtail. The red light enters from the user's optical fiber until the corridor machine room. In the corridor machine room, the user's optical cable emits red light at multiple places. It is initially determined that the user's optical fiber is bent, causing optical loss and break points. It is necessary to cut off the part with large loss and splice a new optical cable to the user's ODF frame to restore the optical fiber channel. It is estimated that the obstacle is caused by the savage construction of unqualified maintenance personnel.

[0071] The third step: Prepare the instrument to connect the pigtail and determine whether the user's optical cable needs to be re-laid.

[0072] The user's optical cable box is located on the wall 1 meter above the ground. The tester opens the user's optical cable box on the wall, takes out the optical fiber in the user's optical cable, and makes the end face for standby.

[0073] The tester inserts the connection connector of the single-ended test pigtail into the fiber optic interface of the optical power meter, strips the outer sheath of the fiber optic side of the single-ended test pigtail by 15 cm, strips the plastic sheath and the fiber coating layer at 3 cm from the end of the tight-buffered fiber to make the fiber end face, and inserts the fiber end of the pigtail into the coupler along the fiber guiding groove. When the fiber end of the pigtail is at the central position of the coupler, the tester presses down the pigtail pressing plate, and the magnet attracts the pigtail iron part. At this time, the pigtail is pressed tightly by the rubber strip and the fiber guiding groove and cannot move.

[0074] The tester hangs the optical power meter on the ODF frame for easy data observation.

[0075] Step Four: Wear the finger-type fiber optic coupler;

[0076] The tester holds the finger-type fiber optic coupler connected with the pigtail in the left hand, and in the right hand, winds the two finger fixing straps on the coupler into rings according to the size of the tester's index finger and presses the connection of the fixing straps tightly. The tester puts both ring sets on the left index finger, with the side having the fiber pressing plate facing the tester. At this time, the tester's thumb can easily push or press the pigtail pressing plate and the fiber pressing plate of the coupler.

[0077] Step Five: Insert the optical fiber for coupling;

[0078] The tester raises both hands and carefully inserts the user optical fiber at a height of 1 meter above the ground into the coupler. The left thumb gently presses above the fiber pressing plate; the tester holds the tested user optical fiber with the end face made at a position 3 cm from the end face in the right hand, inserts it into the bell mouth of the coupler along the fiber guiding frame, and continues to extend it.

[0079] When the tester finds that the tested optical fiber is bent by being blocked by the end face of the pigtail, the left thumb of the tester presses the fiber pressing plate forcefully to reduce the end face gap between the pigtail and the tested optical fiber, and the end faces of the two optical fibers are successfully coupled to form an optical transmission channel. The tester turns the fiber pressing knob 15 clockwise to form a stable transmission channel for the end faces of the pigtail and the user optical fiber in the coupler 8.

[0080] If the obstacle occurs at a relatively high position, a ladder is needed for working at height. If the obstacle occurs on a utility pole, pole climbing tools are needed. If the obstacle is located in an underground manhole or pipe gallery, it is necessary to enter the underground; if the obstacle is located under a machine, the tester needs to lie under the machine for coupling, similar to the state of repairing a car.

[0081] Step Six: Adjust the instrument to obtain data;

[0082] The tester reads the value displayed on the optical power meter. At this time, the red light source emits light in a nearby user's home. If the displayed value conforms to the normal value, it indicates that the user optical cable from the user to the corridor machine room is okay. If the displayed value is much lower than the normal value, it means that the user optical cable from the user to the corridor machine room has problems and the user optical cable must be replaced.

[0083] Step 7: Repair the obstacle;

[0084] The tester takes out the user fiber optic cable in the fiber optic coupler, turns off the red light source in the user's home, returns to the user's optical cable box, uses an optical fiber fusion splicer to connect the user's optical cable and a new section of the user's optical cable, and then inserts the new user's optical cable into the corresponding machine room optical cable interface in the building user ODF frame to connect with the machine room optical cable. The tester returns to the user's home and uses an optical power test pigtail to measure the received optical data. If the data is normal, it indicates that the connection between the user and the machine room optical cable is normal and the obstacle has been successfully repaired.

[0085] Step 8: End the fault detection;

[0086] The tester tidies up the tools and instruments, cleans the construction site, puts the finger sleeve type fiber optic coupler into the special tool box, and leaves the site.

[0087] Embodiment 2

[0088] In this Embodiment 2, the finger sleeve type fiber optic coupler is used for single-disk test construction. The specific steps of the construction method of the finger sleeve type fiber optic coupler are as Figure 1 shown, and the specific implementation steps are as follows:

[0089] Step 1: Select the optical fiber to make the end face;

[0090] The tester drags one end of the single-disk test optical cable to be stripped close to the test instrument, or brings the test instrument close to the optical cable to be measured. The tester strips the optical cable, with the stripping length being more than 60 cm, and strips all the optical fiber cores from the optical cable. At 3 cm from the end of the optical fiber, use a blade or a hot stripping pliers to strip the coating of the optical fiber to make a temporary end face of the optical fiber for standby.

[0091] Step 2: Prepare the instrument to connect the pigtail;

[0092] The tester takes out the test instrument (OTDR), turns it on and checks the test instrument, and adjusts the instrument to the real-time working state. The tester inserts the connection joint of the single-ended test pigtail into the optical fiber interface of the instrument, strips the outer sheath of the optical fiber side of the single-ended test pigtail by 10 - 30 cm, and strips the plastic sheath and the coating of the optical fiber at 2 - 5 cm from the end of the tight-buffered optical fiber to make the end face of the optical fiber.

[0093] Insert the end of the pigtail into the coupling body along the fiber guiding groove. When the end of the pigtail is at the central position of the coupling body, the tester presses down the pigtail pressing plate, and the magnet attracts the pigtail iron part. At this time, the pigtail is pressed tightly by the rubber strip and the fiber guiding groove and cannot move.

[0094] Step 3: Wear the finger sleeve type fiber optic coupler;

[0095] The tester holds the finger-type fiber optic coupler connected to the pigtail with the left hand, and with the right hand, wraps the two finger fixing straps on the coupler around the index finger of the tester according to the size of the index finger and presses the connection of the fixing straps tightly. The tester puts both finger rings on the left index finger, with the side having the fiber pressing plate facing the tester. At this time, the thumb of the tester can easily push or press the pigtail pressing plate and the fiber pressing plate of the coupler.

[0096] Step 4: Insert the optical fiber for coupling;

[0097] The thumb of the tester's left hand gently presses above the fiber pressing plate; with the right hand, the tester pinches the tested optical fiber with the end face made at a position 2 - 5 cm away from the end face, inserts it into the bell mouth of the coupling body along the fiber guiding frame, and continues to extend it.

[0098] When the tester finds that the tested optical fiber is bent by being blocked by the end face of the pigtail, the left thumb of the tester presses the fiber pressing plate forcefully to reduce the end face gap between the pigtail and the tested optical fiber, and the end faces of the two optical fibers are successfully coupled to form an optical transmission channel.

[0099] Step 5: Adjust the instrument to obtain data;

[0100] The thumb of the tester's left hand continuously presses the fiber pressing plate, and the right hand of the tester controls and adjusts the test instrument (OTDR) to test the required data and records the test data with a pen. Usually, the test process for 1 fiber core takes within 1 minute.

[0101] Step 6: Conduct continuous testing;

[0102] The thumb of the tester's left hand no longer presses the fiber pressing plate forcefully, and the right hand of the tester takes out the tested optical fiber. The tester replaces the tested optical fiber with a new one and repeats the operations in Step 4 and Step 5 to obtain new test data for different tested fiber cores until all fiber core tests are completed.

[0103] Step 7: End the test;

[0104] The tester takes out the test pigtail, puts the finger-type fiber optic coupler into the special tool box; turns off the test instrument and puts the instrument into the instrument box; the tested optical cable needs to cut off the tested cable head and wrap the cable head with self-adhesive tape; clean up the garbage at the construction site and leave.

[0105] Embodiment 3

[0106] In this Embodiment 3, the finger-type fiber optic coupler is used for fault detection in optical cable construction, and the specific steps of the construction method of the finger-type fiber optic coupler are as Figure 1 shown, and its specific implementation steps are:

[0107] Step 1: Select the optical fiber to make the end face;

[0108] The tester and the construction team reach the splicing point closest to the obstacle according to the roughly measured fiber length, find the splice closure, open the splice closure, find the optical fiber corresponding to the faulty fiber number, and take out and disconnect the optical fibers at both ends of the fusion point.

[0109] This splicing point will be used as the test point. Considering that the obstacle point may be on both sides of the splicing point, about 60 cm of the optical cables on both sides of the splicing point should be taken out, the coating of the optical fiber should be removed with a blade, and temporary end faces should be made for standby.

[0110] Step 2: Prepare the instrument and connect the pigtail.

[0111] The tester takes out the test instrument (OTDR), turns it on and checks the test instrument, and adjusts the instrument to the real-time working state. The tester inserts the connection joint of the single-ended test pigtail into the optical fiber interface of the instrument, strips off the outer sheath of the optical fiber side of the single-ended test pigtail by 15 cm, strips off the plastic sheath and the coating of the optical fiber at 3 cm from the end of the tight-buffered optical fiber, and makes the optical fiber end face.

[0112] Insert the end of the pigtail into the coupler along the fiber guide groove. When the end of the pigtail is at the central position of the coupler, the tester presses down the pigtail pressing plate, and the magnet attracts the pigtail iron part. At this time, the pigtail is pressed tightly by the rubber strip and the fiber guide groove and cannot move.

[0113] Step 3: Wear the finger-type optical fiber coupler.

[0114] The tester holds the finger-type optical fiber coupler connected to the pigtail with the left hand, and with the right hand, winds the two finger fixing straps on the coupler into rings according to the size of the tester's index finger, and presses the connection of the fixing straps tightly. The tester puts both ring sleeves on the left index finger, with the side with the fiber pressing plate facing the tester. At this time, the tester's thumb can easily push or press the pigtail pressing plate and the fiber pressing plate of the coupler.

[0115] Step 4: Insert the optical fiber for coupling.

[0116] The tester gently presses the thumb of the left hand above the fiber pressing plate; with the right hand, the tester pinches the optical fiber to be tested with the end face made at a position 3 cm from the end face, inserts it into the bell mouth of the coupler along the fiber guide frame, and continues to extend it.

[0117] When the tester finds that the optical fiber to be tested is bent by being blocked by the end face of the pigtail, the tester presses the fiber pressing plate hard with the thumb of the left hand to reduce the end face gap between the pigtail and the optical fiber to be tested, and the end faces of the two optical fibers are successfully coupled to form an optical transmission channel.

[0118] Step 5: Adjust the instrument to obtain data.

[0119] The tester continuously presses the fiber pressing plate with the left thumb, and the tester uses the right hand to control and adjust the test instrument (OTDR). The fiber length from the obstacle point to the test point is judged by the image measured by the instrument, and the test data is recorded with a pen. Usually, the fiber length of the obstacle point is less than the fiber length between the wiring point at that place and the next splicing point.

[0120] Step 6: Repair the obstacle;

[0121] After the construction team obtains the fiber length of the obstacle point, it estimates the ground length in combination with the data, checks the damage condition of the optical cable at the estimated obstacle position, and takes out the damaged optical cable. The construction team uses different methods to fuse the optical fibers and repair the optical cable line according to the remaining cable length around. If there are multiple obstacles, one obstacle should be dealt with before dealing with the next one.

[0122] Step 7: Monitor and test;

[0123] When the construction team is splicing the optical cable and repairing the obstacle, the tester conducts quality monitoring through the instrument (OTDR) until the obstacle is repaired. The monitoring and testing process takes 2 - 5 minutes from finding the fiber core, making the end face to splicing. During this period, the coupler needs to maintain the coupling state. The tester needs to keep observing the display of the test instrument all the time, and does not need to keep pressing the fiber pressing plate with the finger all the time, nor does it need to wear the finger-type optical fiber coupler all the time.

[0124] The tester rotates the fiber pressing knob clockwise with the right hand. When the screw in the fiber pressing knob is screwed into the nut in the base to an appropriate position, it plays the role of pressing with the thumb. If the waiting time for monitoring and testing is too long, the coupler can be taken off the finger and placed on a stable position or the fixing belt can be wound around other stable objects.

[0125] Step 8: End the test;

[0126] After the construction team has completely repaired all the obstacles and the tester has passed the test, the tester tidies up the tools and instruments and exits the test state. The construction team returns to the test point, reinserts the test optical fiber, restores the optical fibers in the joint box to the state before the test, seals the joint box, cleans the construction site, and rebinds the joint box to its original position. The tester puts the finger-type optical fiber coupler into the special tool box; turns off the test instrument OTDR and puts the instrument into the instrument box. The construction team and the tester load the tools and equipment into the vehicle and leave the site.

Claims

1. A finger-type optical fiber coupler, characterized in that: The finger-type optical fiber coupler is composed of a base (1), a pigtail pressing plate (2), a pigtail iron piece (3), a pigtail rubber strip (4), a fiber guide groove (5), a pigtail magnet group (6), a coupling body (8), a door-shaped fixing piece (9), a fiber pressing plate (10), a fiber pressing rubber strip (11), a fiber pressing knob (15), and a finger fixing belt (16); There is a fiber guide groove (5) from left to right on the left side of the base (1); the pigtail pressing plate (2) is located on the left side of the base (1) and is connected to the base (1) by a hinge structure; the "Z"-shaped pigtail iron piece (3) is installed on the pigtail pressing plate (2), and the pigtail rubber strip (4) is installed below the pigtail pressing plate (2); the coupling body (8) is installed in the groove on the base (1), and the two ends of the coupling body (8) are installed on the base (1) by door-shaped fixing parts (9) and fixing screws (14); the fiber pressing plate (10) is located in the middle of the base (1), is connected to the base (1) by a hinge structure, and is located above the coupling body (8); the fiber pressing knob (15) is installed on the fiber pressing plate (10), and the fiber pressing rubber strip (11) is installed below the fiber pressing plate (10); The coupling body (8) is installed in a groove on the base (1), and both ends of the coupling body (8) are installed on the base (1) by door-shaped fixing parts (9); the coupling body (8) has two flared mouths, one end is aligned with the entry direction of the pigtail (17), and the other side end is aligned with the entry direction of the optical fiber (13) to be tested; the fiber pressing plate (10) is located in the middle of the base (1), connected to the base (1) by a hinge structure, and is located above the coupling body (8); the fiber pressing knob (15) is installed on the fiber pressing plate (10), and the fiber pressing rubber strip (11) is installed below the fiber pressing plate (10); a threaded hole is provided on the base (1) at a position corresponding to the fiber pressing knob (15), which can cooperate with the screw of the fiber pressing knob (15); The finger fixing belts (16) are two Velcro straps wrapped around the fingers and are installed on the bottom of the base (1) with screws.

2. The finger-type optical fiber coupler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base (1) is made of plastic, nylon, organic glass or epoxy resin board, and the base (1) is 60-100 mm long and 10-40 mm wide.

3. The finger-type optical fiber coupler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The finger-type optical fiber coupler also includes a pigtail screw (7), and the pigtail screw (7) installs the "Z"-shaped pigtail iron piece (3) on the pigtail pressing plate (2).

4. The finger-type optical fiber coupler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The finger-type optical fiber coupler further comprises a fixing screw (14), and the door-shaped fixing member (9) is fixed on the base (1) via the fixing screw (14).

5. The finger-type optical fiber coupler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The finger-type optical fiber coupler also includes a fiber guide frame (12), which is located on the side of the coupling body (8) where the optical fiber (13) to be tested enters, and has a "V" shape, facilitating the entry of the optical fiber (10) to be tested.

6. A method for using the finger-type optical fiber coupler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method consists of the following six steps: Step 1: Select the optical fiber to make the end face; Step 2: Prepare the instrument to connect the pigtail; Step 3: Wear the finger-type fiber coupler; Step 4: Insert the optical fiber for coupling; Step 5: Adjust the instrument to obtain data.

7. The method of use according to claim 6, characterized in that: The method of use also includes the following steps: Step 6: Continuous testing: The tester stops pressing the fiber pressing plate (10) with his left thumb, takes out the tested optical fiber with his right hand, replaces the tested optical fiber with a new one, and repeats the fourth and fifth steps. Different tested fiber cores obtain new test data until all fiber core tests are completed.

8. The method of use according to claim 6, characterized in that: The method of use also includes the following steps: Step 7: Monitoring test; When the optical cable is reworked, the tester monitors the quality. The monitoring test process from finding the fiber core, making the end face, to welding takes 2-5 minutes. During this period, the coupler needs to maintain the coupling state, and the tester needs to observe the display of the test instrument all the time. The tester rotates the fiber pressing knob (15) clockwise with his right hand, and when the screw in the fiber pressing knob (15) is screwed into the threaded hole of the base (1) at an appropriate position, the thumb plays a role of pressing. If the waiting time for rework is too long, the coupler can be taken off from the finger and placed on a stable position or the fixing belt (16) can be wrapped around other stable objects.

9. The method of use according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first step includes: the tester drags the end of the single-reel test optical cable to be stripped close to the test instrument, or moves the test instrument close to the optical cable under test; the tester strips the optical cable, the stripping length is more than 60 cm, and all the optical fiber cores are stripped out of the optical cable; strips the optical fiber coating layer 3 cm from the end of the optical fiber with a blade or a hot stripping pliers to make a temporary end face of the optical fiber for standby use; The second step comprises: the tester takes out the test instrument, turns on and checks the test instrument, and adjusts the test instrument to a real-time state; inserts the connection connector of the single-ended test pigtail (17) into the optical fiber interface of the test instrument; strips off 10-30 cm of the outer sheath on the optical fiber side of the single-ended test pigtail (17), strips off the plastic sheath and the optical fiber coating layer 2-5 cm from the end of the tight-fitting optical fiber, and prepares the optical fiber end face for standby use; prepares the optical fiber end face for standby use; extends the optical fiber end of the pigtail (17) along the fiber guide groove (5) into the middle of the coupling body (8), and when the end of the pigtail (17) is located at the central scale position of the coupling body (8), presses down the pigtail pressing plate (2), and closes the pigtail rubber strip (4) and the fiber guide groove (5) up and down to press the pigtail (17); The third step comprises: pinching the finger-tip type optical fiber coupler connected with the pigtail (17) with the thumb and index finger of the left hand, and winding the two finger fixing bands (16) on the coupler into a finger ring according to the size of the tester's index finger with the right hand, and pressing the connection of the fixing bands (16) to prevent the fixing bands from loosening; putting both finger rings on the index finger of the left hand, and aligning the side with the fiber pressing plate (10) with the tester, so that the thumb can easily push or press the pigtail pressing plate (2) and the fiber pressing plate (10) of the coupler; The fourth step comprises: the tester's left thumb gently presses on the fiber pressing plate (10); the right hand pinches the optical fiber (13) to be tested, whose end face has been prepared, at a position 3-5 cm away from the starting point, and inserts it into the coupling body (8) along the fiber guide frame (12) until it contacts the end face of the pigtail (17), and the optical fiber pinched by the fingers outside the coupling body (8) bends; after the tester finds that the optical fiber (13) to be tested is bent, the left thumb presses the fiber pressing plate (10) hard, so that the pigtail (17) inside the coupling body (8) and the end face of the optical fiber (13) to be tested form an optical transmission channel, and the coupling is successful. The fifth step comprises: the tester continuously presses the fiber pressing board (10) with the thumb of his left hand, controls and adjusts the test instrument with his right hand, tests out required data, and records the data with a pen.

10. The method of use according to claim 6, characterized in that: After all the test tasks are completed, the tester takes out the test pigtail (17), puts the finger-type optical fiber coupler into the special tool box, turns off the test instrument, puts the instrument into the instrument box, cleans up the garbage on the construction site, and leaves.

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