Optical fiber processing device and processing method

Abstract

To collect and reuse deuterium containing gas while suppressing the enlargement of an apparatus.SOLUTION: An apparatus for treating an optical fiber includes: a treatment tank for storing an optical fiber in the inside; a gas supply device for supplying deuterium containing gas to the treatment tank; a pump for sucking the deuterium containing gas in the treatment tank; a pressure increase unit for increasing the pressure of the deuterium containing gas exhausted from the pump; and a pipeline for supplying the deuterium containing gas having a pressure increased by the pressure increase unit to the treatment tank.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to devices and methods for processing optical fibers. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for treating an optical fiber, which comprises reducing the pressure in a reaction vessel that contains a bobbin around which an optical fiber is wound, and introducing a deuterium (D2)-containing gas into the reaction vessel to expose the optical fiber to the deuterium-containing gas. This treatment method further comprises recovering the deuterium-containing gas in the reaction vessel and storing it in a storage vessel, thereby recovering and supplying the deuterium-containing gas.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses an optical fiber processing device that reduces the pressure in a reaction vessel that contains a bobbin around which an optical fiber is wound, and introduces a deuterium-containing gas into the reaction vessel to expose the optical fiber to the deuterium-containing gas. This processing device further includes a storage vessel that collects and stores the deuterium-containing gas in the reaction vessel, and collects and supplies the deuterium-containing gas by using a suction pump.

[0004] Patent Documents 3 and 4 disclose a method for treating an optical fiber, in which an optical fiber wound around a bobbin is placed in a sealed container, deuterium gas is supplied to replace the gas in the sealed container with a deuterium-containing gas, and the optical fiber in the sealed container is exposed to the deuterium-containing gas. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2005 / 062088 [Patent Document 2] JP 2005-301118 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2019-127412 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2005-292465 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an optical fiber processing device and processing method that is capable of recovering and reusing deuterium-containing gas while suppressing an increase in the size of the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The optical fiber processing device of the present disclosure comprises: a treatment tank for accommodating the optical fiber therein; a gas supply device for supplying a deuterium-containing gas to the treatment tank; a pump that draws in the deuterium-containing gas from within the treatment tank; a pressure increasing unit for increasing the pressure of the deuterium-containing gas discharged from the pump; a pipe for supplying the deuterium-containing gas pressurized by the pressure boosting unit to the treatment tank; Equipped with picture, The pressure increasing unit is connected between the pump and the piping, The deuterium-containing gas is pressurized and stored in the piping without a dedicated gas tank. is.

[0008] The method of the present disclosure for treating an optical fiber includes: A first step of placing an optical fiber in a treatment bath; a second step of supplying a deuterium-containing gas into the treatment tank through a pipe after the first step; a third step of exposing the optical fiber accommodated in the treatment tank to an atmosphere of the deuterium-containing gas after the second step; After the third step, By pump The deuterium-containing gas in the treatment tank is aspirated, By boost unit a fourth step of pressurizing the sucked deuterium-containing gas and returning it to the pipe; With And, The pressure increasing unit is connected between the pump and the piping, The deuterium-containing gas is pressurized and stored in the piping without a dedicated gas tank. There are. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an optical fiber processing apparatus and processing method that are capable of recovering and reusing deuterium-containing gas while suppressing an increase in the size of the apparatus. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of an optical fiber processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a process flow in the method for processing an optical fiber according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The optical fiber processing device of the present disclosure comprises: (1) a treatment tank for accommodating an optical fiber therein; a gas supply device for supplying a deuterium-containing gas to the treatment tank; a pump that draws in the deuterium-containing gas from within the treatment tank; a pressure increasing unit for increasing the pressure of the deuterium-containing gas discharged from the pump; a pipe for supplying the deuterium-containing gas pressurized by the pressure boosting unit to the treatment tank; Equipped with picture, The pressure increasing unit is connected between the pump and the piping, The deuterium-containing gas is pressurized and stored in the piping without a dedicated gas tank. There are.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the deuterium-containing gas supplied into the treatment tank can be recovered and reused. Furthermore, when the deuterium-containing gas to be reused is stored under atmospheric pressure, a dedicated large gas tank is required. However, since the deuterium-containing gas recovered from the treatment tank is pressurized, the volume of the container for storing the deuterium-containing gas can be reduced. This eliminates the need for a dedicated large gas tank, and for example, the pressurized deuterium-containing gas can be stored in a pipe that supplies the deuterium-containing gas to the treatment tank. Furthermore, since the pressurized deuterium-containing gas is supplied to the treatment tank, a pump used for supplying the deuterium-containing gas to the treatment tank is not required. Therefore, it is possible to provide an optical fiber treatment device that can recover and reuse the deuterium-containing gas while suppressing an increase in size of the device.

[0013] (2) The optical fiber processing device may further include a filter unit provided in the pipe.

[0014] According to the above configuration, dust and dirt contained in the recovered gas can be removed, thereby preventing dust and dirt from adhering to the optical fiber exposed to the atmosphere of reused deuterium-containing gas in the treatment tank.

[0015] (3) The optical fiber treatment device may include a plurality of the treatment tanks.

[0016] According to the above configuration, since deuterium treatment is performed simultaneously on a plurality of optical fibers, the productivity of optical fibers is improved.

[0017] The method of the present disclosure for treating an optical fiber includes: (4) a first step of placing the optical fiber in a treatment bath; After the first step, a second step is performed to supply a deuterium-containing gas through a pipe into the treatment tank. Tep and After the second step, the optical fiber accommodated in the treatment tank is immersed in the deuterium-containing gas. and a third step of exposing the mixture to an atmosphere of After the third step, By pump The deuterium-containing gas in the treatment tank is aspirated, By boost unit The aspirated deuterium A fourth step of pressurizing the contained gas and returning it to the line; With And, The pressure increasing unit is connected between the pump and the piping, The deuterium-containing gas is pressurized and stored in the piping without a dedicated gas tank. There are.

[0018] According to the above method, the deuterium-containing gas supplied into the treatment tank can be recovered and reused. In addition, when the deuterium-containing gas to be reused is stored under atmospheric pressure, a dedicated large gas tank is required. However, since the deuterium-containing gas recovered from the treatment tank is pressurized, the volume of the container for storing the deuterium-containing gas can be reduced. This eliminates the need for a dedicated large gas tank, and for example, the pressurized deuterium-containing gas can be stored in a pipe that supplies the deuterium-containing gas to the treatment tank. In addition, since the pressurized deuterium-containing gas is supplied to the treatment tank, a pump used for supplying the deuterium-containing gas to the treatment tank is not required. Therefore, it is possible to provide a method for treating optical fiber that can recover and reuse the deuterium-containing gas while suppressing an increase in size of the apparatus.

[0019] (5) The second step may include a step of blowing the deuterium-containing gas into the processing vessel under atmospheric pressure.

[0020] According to the above-mentioned configuration, when air remains in the treatment tank under atmospheric pressure, the air remaining in the treatment tank can be replaced with the deuterium-containing gas by the blowing step. Moreover, since the recovered deuterium-containing gas is pressurized, the deuterium-containing gas can be supplied into the treatment tank under atmospheric pressure without using a pump.

[0021] (6) The method for treating an optical fiber may include a fifth step, after the first step and before the second step, of reducing the pressure in the treatment tank so that the pressure in the treatment tank is in the range of 20 kPa or more and 90 kPa or less, absolute pressure.

[0022] According to the above configuration, the treatment tank is depressurized, so that, for example, when an optical fiber is wound around a fiber bobbin, the deuterium-containing gas can be distributed to the vicinity of the winding core of the bobbin. Also, since the amount of depressurization is small, the treatment tank can be depressurized in a short time. Also, if the pressure difference between the depressurized and normal pressure of the treatment tank is too large, for example, there is a risk that the winding of the optical fiber around the fiber bobbin will loosen. However, since the amount of depressurization is small, it is possible to suppress the winding of the optical fiber around the fiber bobbin from loosening.

[0023] (7) In the fourth step, the deuterium-containing gas may be sucked from within the processing tank so that the pressure within the processing tank is within a range of 20 kPa or more and 90 kPa or less in absolute pressure.

[0024] If the pressure difference between the reduced pressure and normal pressure in the treatment tank is too large, for example, there is a risk that the winding of the optical fiber around the fiber bobbin will loosen. However, with the above-mentioned configuration, the amount of reduced pressure is small, so that the winding of the optical fiber around the fiber bobbin can be prevented from loosening.

[0025] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Specific examples of optical fiber processing devices and processing methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims as set forth in the claims. In addition, the scale of each drawing used in the following description has been appropriately changed so that each component can be recognized.

[0026] (Optical fiber processing equipment) 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an optical fiber processing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment. The optical fiber processing apparatus 1 is configured to perform deuterium processing on an optical fiber 10 produced by drawing, and to diffuse deuterium molecules into the optical fiber 10.

[0027] The optical fiber 10 is manufactured by coating the outer periphery of a glass fiber produced by drawing an optical fiber preform with a resin. The optical fiber preform is drawn so that the outer diameter of the glass fiber is, for example, 125 μm. The glass fiber has, for example, a core portion made of silica glass doped with germanium or a compound containing germanium (for example, GeO2), and a cladding portion made of high-purity silica glass (an example of pure silica glass) provided on the outer periphery of the core portion. The optical fiber with the resin coated around the glass fiber is wound around a fiber bobbin 11.

[0028] Optical fibers made of silica glass transmit light with wavelengths in the infrared band, and it is known that the transmission loss increases when hydrogen (H2) gas diffuses into the silica glass. The main cause of this increase in transmission loss is the absorption of the transmitted light by the reaction product (Si-OH) between the H2 molecules diffused into the glass and the lattice defects (Si-O·) present in the silica glass.

[0029] In the deuterium treatment, the optical fiber 10 wound around the fiber bobbin 11 is exposed to an atmosphere of deuterium-containing gas, whereby defects in Si-O bonds are filled with deuterium, thereby suppressing an increase in transmission loss caused by the defects in Si-O bonds.

[0030] 1, the optical fiber processing apparatus 1 includes a processing tank 2, a gas supplying device 3, a vacuum pump 4, a pressure increasing unit 5, and a gas flow path 6. The vacuum pump 4 is an example of a pump.

[0031] The treatment tank 2 has a space 2A for accommodating the optical fiber 10, and is configured to be able to keep the space 2A sealed. In this example, the optical fiber treatment device 1 has two treatment tanks 2. The optical fiber 10 is placed in the treatment tank 2 in a state where it is wound around a fiber bobbin 11. The treatment tank 2 may be fitted with an instrument such as a pressure gauge for measuring the internal pressure.

[0032] The gas supply device 3 supplies a deuterium-containing gas to the processing tank 2. The deuterium-containing gas may be a mixed gas containing deuterium gas, or may be deuterium gas alone. A deuterium gas supply unit that stores deuterium gas and a dilution gas supply unit that stores dilution gas (not shown) are connected to the gas supply device 3. The gas supply device 3 mixes the deuterium gas and the dilution gas to generate a deuterium-containing gas, and supplies the deuterium-containing gas to the processing tank 2. The gas supply device 3 controls the mixing ratio of the deuterium gas and the dilution gas so that the concentration of deuterium gas (deuterium concentration) in the deuterium-containing gas supplied to the processing tank 2 is, for example, 2%.

[0033] The vacuum pump 4 sucks the gas in the processing tank 2. For example, before the deuterium-containing gas is supplied into the processing tank 2, the vacuum pump 4 sucks the air in the processing tank 2 to reduce the pressure in the processing tank 2. In addition, the vacuum pump 4 sucks the deuterium-containing gas in the processing tank 2 after the optical fiber 10 in the processing tank 2 is exposed to the deuterium-containing gas.

[0034] The pressure increasing unit 5 increases the pressure of the deuterium-containing gas discharged from the vacuum pump 4. The pressure increasing unit 5 increases the pressure of the deuterium-containing gas to, for example, atmospheric pressure or higher.

[0035] The gas flow path 6 includes a first flow path 61 and a second flow path 62. The first flow path 61 and the second flow path 62 are an example of piping. The gas supply device 3 is connected to the treatment tank 2 via the first flow path 61. The pressure increasing unit 5 is connected to the treatment tank 2 via the second flow path 62 and the first flow path 61. The first flow path 61 is provided with an on-off valve 71 that switches between opening and closing of the first flow path 61. The second flow path 62 is provided with an on-off valve 72 that switches between opening and closing of the second flow path 62.

[0036] The gas flow path 6 further includes a third flow path 63 and a fourth flow path 64. The vacuum pump 4 is connected to the processing tank 2 via the third flow path 63. The pressurizing unit 5 is connected to the vacuum pump 4 via the fourth flow path 64. The third flow path 63 is provided with an on / off valve 73 for switching between opening and closing of the third flow path 63. The fourth flow path 64 is provided with a three-way valve 74, and a gas exhaust path 65 is connected to the three-way valve 74. The three-way valve 74 is a valve for switching between a state in which the vacuum pump 4 is connected to the pressurizing unit 5 and a state in which the vacuum pump 4 is connected to the gas exhaust path 65.

[0037] (Method of processing optical fiber) Next, an optical fiber processing method for performing deuterium treatment on an optical fiber using the optical fiber processing device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a process flow in the optical fiber processing method according to one embodiment.

[0038] First, the fiber bobbin 11 around which the optical fiber 10 is wound is placed in the treatment tank 2 (step S1), and the space 2A of the treatment tank 2 is sealed.

[0039] Next, the pressure inside the treatment tank 2 is reduced by the vacuum pump 4 (step S2). Specifically, the on-off valves 71, 72, and 73 are operated to close the first flow path 61 and the second flow path 62 and open the third flow path 63. In addition, the three-way valve 74 is operated to connect the vacuum pump 4 to the gas exhaust path 65. Then, the air inside the treatment tank 2 is sucked by the vacuum pump 4 through the third flow path 63 and discharged to the atmosphere through the gas exhaust path 65. For example, the treatment tank 2 is reduced in pressure so that the pressure inside the treatment tank 2 is in the range of 20 kPa to 90 kPa in absolute pressure.

[0040] Next, the gas supply device 3 supplies the deuterium-containing gas into the processing tank 2 (step S3). Specifically, the on-off valves 71 and 73 are operated to open the first flow path 61 and close the third flow path 63. Then, the gas supply device 3 supplies the deuterium-containing gas into the processing tank 2 via the first flow path 61. The gas supply device 3 controls the mixing ratio of the deuterium gas and the dilution gas so that the concentration of deuterium gas (deuterium concentration) in the deuterium-containing gas supplied to the processing tank 2 is, for example, 2%. As the deuterium-containing gas is supplied, the inside of the processing tank 2 becomes atmospheric pressure.

[0041] Next, the optical fiber 10 accommodated in the treatment tank 2 is exposed to an atmosphere of deuterium-containing gas (step S4). Specifically, the on-off valve 71 is operated to close the first flow path 61. Then, the optical fiber 10 accommodated in the treatment tank 2 is exposed to an atmosphere of deuterium-containing gas having a deuterium concentration of, for example, 2% for a predetermined time. That is, the optical fiber 10 is subjected to deuterium treatment.

[0042] When the deuterium treatment of the optical fiber 10 is completed, the deuterium-containing gas in the treatment tank 2 is sucked by the vacuum pump 4. Specifically, the on-off valve 73 is operated to open the third flow path 63. Then, the deuterium-containing gas in the treatment tank 2 is sucked by the vacuum pump 4 through the third flow path 63 (step S5).

[0043] The deuterium-containing gas sucked by the vacuum pump 4 is pressurized by the pressurization unit 5 (step S6). Specifically, the three-way valve 74 is operated to connect the vacuum pump 4 to the pressurization unit 5. The deuterium-containing gas sucked by the vacuum pump 4 is then transported to the pressurization unit 5 and is pressurized by the pressurization unit 5, for example, to atmospheric pressure or higher. The pressurized deuterium-containing gas is stored in the second flow path 62, for example.

[0044] Next, the on-off valve 73 is operated to close the third flow path 63. Then, air is sent into the treatment tank 2 from a flow path (not shown), and after the pressure inside the treatment tank 2 becomes atmospheric pressure, the optical fiber 10 is taken out of the treatment tank 2 (step S7).

[0045] The deuterium-containing gas stored in the second flow path 62 is reused for the next deuterium treatment. That is, the deuterium-containing gas stored in the second flow path 62 is supplied into the treatment tank 2 in which a new optical fiber 10 is accommodated. Specifically, after the pressure inside the treatment tank 2 is reduced, the on-off valves 71 and 72 are operated to open the first flow path 61 and the second flow path 62. Then, the deuterium-containing gas stored in the second flow path 62 is supplied to the treatment tank 2 via the second flow path 62 and the first flow path 61.

[0046] At this time, the gas supply device 3 discharges the deuterium-containing gas to the treatment tank 2 in accordance with a measured value of the deuterium concentration of the deuterium-containing gas stored in the second flow path 62 measured by a concentration meter (not shown). The deuterium-containing gas discharged from the gas supply device 3 is mixed in the first flow path 61 with the recycled deuterium-containing gas transported from the second flow path 62, and supplied to the treatment tank 2. For example, when the deuterium concentration of the recycled deuterium-containing gas is less than 2%, the gas supply device 3 adjusts the deuterium concentration of the discharged deuterium-containing gas so that the deuterium concentration of the deuterium-containing gas supplied to the treatment tank 2 becomes 2%.

[0047] After the deuterium-containing gas is supplied into the treatment tank 2, the optical fiber 10 is subjected to deuterium treatment as described above.

[0048] As described above, the optical fiber processing apparatus 1 and processing method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure boosts the pressure of the deuterium-containing gas discharged from the processing tank 2 and supplies the boosted deuterium-containing gas to the processing tank 2. This allows the deuterium-containing gas supplied to the processing tank 2 to be recovered and reused. In addition, when the deuterium-containing gas to be reused is stored under atmospheric pressure, a dedicated large gas tank is required. However, since the deuterium-containing gas recovered from the processing tank 2 is boosted, the volume of the container for storing the deuterium-containing gas can be reduced. This eliminates the need for a dedicated large gas tank, and for example, the boosted deuterium-containing gas can be stored in the second flow path 62. In addition, since the boosted deuterium-containing gas is supplied to the processing tank 2, a pump used when supplying the deuterium-containing gas to the processing tank 2 is not required. Therefore, it is possible to provide an optical fiber processing apparatus 1 and method capable of recovering and reusing the deuterium-containing gas while suppressing the increase in size of the apparatus.

[0049] Particularly, in this embodiment, the optical fiber processing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of processing tanks 2. This allows the deuterium processing to be performed simultaneously on a plurality of optical fibers 10, thereby improving the productivity of the optical fibers 10.

[0050] In this embodiment, in step S2, the treatment tank 2 is depressurized so that the pressure in the treatment tank 2 is in the range of 20 kPa or more and 90 kPa or less in absolute pressure. Since the treatment tank 2 is depressurized in this manner, the deuterium-containing gas can be distributed to the vicinity of the winding core of the fiber bobbin 11. Since the amount of depressurization is small, the treatment tank can be depressurized in a short time. If the pressure difference between the depressurized state and the normal pressure state of the treatment tank 2 is too large, for example, there is a risk that the winding of the optical fiber 10 around the fiber bobbin 11 will loosen. However, since the amount of depressurization is small, it is possible to suppress the winding of the optical fiber 10 around the fiber bobbin 11 from loosening.

[0051] 1, the optical fiber processing device 1 may further include a filter unit 8 provided between the booster unit 5 and the processing tank 2. This makes it possible to remove dust and dirt contained in the collected gas, thereby making it possible to prevent dust and dirt from adhering to the optical fiber 10 exposed to the atmosphere of the reused deuterium-containing gas in the processing tank 2.

[0052] In addition, in the step of supplying a deuterium-containing gas into the treatment tank 2 of the optical fiber treatment method, the gas in the treatment tank 2 may be replaced with the deuterium-containing gas by blowing the deuterium-containing gas into the treatment tank 2, which has been placed under atmospheric pressure.

[0053] The gas discharged from the processing tank 2 by the blowing of the deuterium-containing gas is, for example, discharged to a gas exhaust path (not shown) and released into the atmosphere. Alternatively, the gas discharged from the processing tank 2 may be recovered via a vacuum pump and reused as the deuterium-containing gas supplied to the processing tank 2. The gas replacement in the processing tank 2 is terminated, for example, when the deuterium concentration contained in the gas discharged from the processing tank 2 becomes the same as the deuterium concentration (for example, 2%) of the deuterium-containing gas supplied into the processing tank 2.

[0054] According to this configuration, when air remains in the treatment tank 2 under atmospheric pressure, the blowing step can replace the air remaining in the treatment tank 2 with the deuterium-containing gas. In addition, since the recovered deuterium-containing gas is pressurized, the deuterium-containing gas can be supplied into the treatment tank 2 under atmospheric pressure without using a pump.

[0055] In the step of sucking the deuterium-containing gas in the processing tank 2, the deuterium-containing gas in the processing tank 2 may be sucked so that the pressure in the processing tank 2 is in the range of 20 kPa to 90 kPa in absolute pressure. If the pressure difference between the reduced pressure and normal pressure in the processing tank 2 is too large, for example, there is a risk that the winding of the optical fiber 10 around the fiber bobbin 11 will loosen. However, since the amount of reduced pressure is small, it is possible to suppress the winding of the optical fiber 10 around the fiber bobbin 11 from loosening.

[0056] Although the present invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the number, position, shape, etc. of the components described above are not limited to the above embodiments, and can be changed to the number, position, shape, etc. that are suitable for implementing the present invention.

[0057] In the above embodiment, one fiber bobbin 11 is disposed in the processing tank 2. However, a plurality of fiber bobbins 11 may be disposed in the processing tank 2.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the optical fiber processing device 1 is provided with two processing tanks 2. However, the optical fiber processing device 1 may be provided with one processing tank 2, or three or more processing tanks 2.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the optical fiber 10 is disposed in the treatment tank 2 in a state in which it is wound around the fiber bobbin 11. However, the state of the optical fiber 10 disposed in the treatment tank 2 is not limited to the state in which it is wound around the fiber bobbin 11.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the pressurized deuterium-containing gas is stored in the second flow path 62. However, for example, a small buffer tank may be disposed between the gas supply device 3 and the processing tank 2, and the pressurized deuterium-containing gas may be stored in the buffer tank. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1: Optical fiber processing equipment 2: Treatment tank 2A: Space 3: Gas supply equipment 4: Vacuum pump 5: Boost unit 6: Gas flow path 8: Filter unit 10: Optical fiber 11: Fiber bobbin 61: First flow path 62:Second flow path 63: Third flow path 64:Fourth channel 65: Gas exhaust channel 71, 72, 73: On-off valve 74: Three-way valve

Claims

1. a treatment tank for accommodating the optical fiber therein; a gas supply device for supplying a deuterium-containing gas to the treatment tank; a pump that draws in the deuterium-containing gas from within the treatment tank; a pressure increasing unit for increasing the pressure of the deuterium-containing gas discharged from the pump; a pipe for supplying the deuterium-containing gas pressurized by the pressure boosting unit to the treatment tank; Equipped with The pressure increasing unit is connected between the pump and the piping, The deuterium-containing gas is pressurized and stored in the piping without a dedicated gas tank. Optical fiber processing equipment.

2. The optical fiber treatment device according to claim 1 , further comprising a filter unit provided in the piping.

3. 3. The optical fiber treatment device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said treatment tanks.

4. A first step of placing an optical fiber in a treatment bath; a second step of supplying a deuterium-containing gas into the treatment tank through a pipe after the first step; a third step of exposing the optical fiber accommodated in the treatment tank to an atmosphere of the deuterium-containing gas after the second step; a fourth step of, after the third step, aspirating the deuterium-containing gas in the processing tank with a pump, pressurizing the aspirated deuterium-containing gas with a pressure increasing unit, and returning the gas to the piping; It has The pressure increasing unit is connected between the pump and the piping, The pressurized deuterium-containing gas is stored in the piping without providing a dedicated gas tank. How optical fiber is processed.

5. 5. The method for treating an optical fiber according to claim 4, wherein the second step comprises a step of blowing the deuterium-containing gas in the treatment tank under atmospheric pressure.

6. 6. The optical fiber processing method according to claim 4, further comprising a fifth step of reducing the pressure in the processing tank after the first step and before the second step so that the pressure in the processing tank is in the range of 20 kPa or more and 90 kPa or less in absolute pressure.

7. 7. The optical fiber processing method according to claim 4, wherein in the fourth step, the deuterium-containing gas in the processing tank is sucked in so that the pressure in the processing tank is in the range of 20 kPa or more and 90 kPa or less in absolute pressure.

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