Fusion splicer

Abstract

To provide a fusion machine which has excellent aligning workability and can perform highly accurate aligning.SOLUTION: A reflection member can move to a space between optical fibers by a drive unit when a pair of optical fibers is arranged so as to be opposed to each other. An imaging device can form an image reflected by the reflection member. Namely, an end surface of one optical fiber and an end surface of the other optical fiber can be simultaneously imaged by the imaging device. End surface images 41a, 41 in an image 40 are reflection images reflected by reflection surfaces 27a, 27b of the reflection member 23. An image processing unit inverts the end surface image 41b of the one optical fiber so as to be line-symmetric to a center axle orthogonal to a parallel direction like the image 40a, and can simultaneously display the end surface images 41a, 41b on a display unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fusion splicer that is excellent in alignment workability. [Background technology]

[0002] A fusion splicer is used to connect optical fibers together. The fusion splicer places optical fibers held in a pair of holders, butts them together, places them between electrodes, and fuses the tips of the optical fibers together using an arc, thereby connecting the optical fibers together.

[0003] When fusing optical fibers together, alignment work is required to align the tip positions of the optical fibers. For this reason, conventionally, alignment was performed by placing the optical fibers opposite each other and capturing an image of the tip positions of the optical fibers from the side (perpendicular to the axial direction of the optical fibers) using an imaging device.

[0004] On the other hand, when the optical fiber is not a typical single-core optical fiber but has a circumferential direction relative to the cross-sectional shape, such as a polarization-maintaining fiber or a multi-core fiber, alignment is required not only in the tip position but also in the rotational direction. In other words, alignment is required not only in the XY directions of the optical fiber but also in the circumferential direction with the axial direction of the optical fiber as the central axis.

[0005] To perform such rotational alignment of an optical fiber, for example, a reflective member is placed between the opposing parts of the optical fiber, the end face of the optical fiber is reflected by an imaging device to be imaged, and rotational alignment is performed by observing the end face (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-53625 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, conventional methods require separate imaging of each optical fiber, which is time-consuming. Furthermore, the need for a rotating mechanism for the reflecting member makes the mechanism complicated. Furthermore, it is not possible to simultaneously display the end faces of each optical fiber on a display in real time.

[0008] On the other hand, if the end faces of both optical fibers can be imaged simultaneously and displayed on a display unit, real-time rotation alignment can be performed while viewing both end face images. Therefore, rotation alignment can be performed while visually viewing the images on the display unit. However, simply displaying both optical fibers simultaneously does not necessarily mean that alignment can be performed easily and accurately.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a fusion splicer that has good alignment workability and is capable of highly accurate alignment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a fusion splicer for connecting optical fibers, the fusion splicer comprising: a holding unit for holding a pair of optical fibers facing each other; a pair of electrodes arranged facing each other in a direction approximately perpendicular to the facing direction of the pair of optical fibers; a reflecting member that is movable between the pair of optical fibers when the pair of optical fibers are placed facing each other; an imaging device for capturing an image reflected by the reflecting member; an image processing unit that is capable of processing an image captured by the imaging device; a display unit that is capable of displaying an image processed by the image processing unit; an alignment drive unit that is capable of aligning the pair of optical fibers by rotating at least one of the pair of optical fibers about an axis that is the facing direction of the pair of optical fibers; and a control unit that is capable of controlling the operation of the alignment drive unit. a shielding member that is disposed between the reflecting member and the optical fiber when the reflecting member is retracted from a position facing the optical fiber, and that is openable and closable in response to vertical movement of the reflecting member; the imaging device is capable of simultaneously imaging the end faces of one of the optical fibers and the other of the optical fibers, and the image processing unit is capable of inverting the image of the end face of one of the optical fibers and simultaneously displaying the images of the end faces on the display unit.

[0011] The image processing unit can display images of the respective end faces in an overlapping manner. The image processing unit converts the images of the respective end faces into different colors, and when the images are superimposed, the colors can be displayed in an overlapping manner. The control unit can calculate the area of ​​the color portion where both colors overlap from the superimposed images, and can calculate the amount of deviation or coincidence in the rotation direction and display it on the display unit. It is desirable to do so.

[0012] the image processing unit is capable of displaying images of the respective end faces in a superimposed manner, The image processing unit processes the images of the respective end faces. , one of the three primary colors of light, RGB Convert to different colors, Image When overlapped, Overlapped Color Synthesize It may be possible to display it.

[0013] The image processing unit may be capable of displaying the image before superimposition together with the superimposed image.

[0014] The image processing unit may detect the center position of each end face and overlap the images by aligning the center positions.

[0015] The aforementioned A transport driver is provided that can transport each of the pair of optical fibers individually in the axial direction of the optical fibers, and the transport driver is controlled to control the focal position of the captured image in the imaging device, thereby allowing the imaging device to simultaneously acquire end face images of each of the pair of optical fibers in real time. It may be possible.

[0016] According to the present invention, by disposing a reflective member having two reflective surfaces between opposing optical fibers, it is possible to simultaneously image and confirm the end faces of two optical fibers. This allows the end faces of the optical fibers to be confirmed in a short time. Furthermore, since the obtained end face images of the two optical fibers can be displayed simultaneously on a display unit, it is possible to perform rotational alignment while comparing the two. In this case, by displaying one of the images as a mirror image, it is possible to visually grasp the relative positional relationship of the end faces when they are actually facing each other. Furthermore, by providing a shielding member that can be opened and closed in accordance with the up and down movement of the reflecting member, the reflecting member can be covered by the shielding member when the reflecting member is in a retracted state.

[0017] Furthermore, if the image processing unit can display images of the respective end faces in an overlapping manner, visual rotation alignment can be performed more easily.

[0018] In addition, the image processing unit processes the images of the respective end faces. , one of the three primary colors of light, RGB Convert to different colors, Image When overlapped, Overlapped Color Synthesize If it is possible to display it, when overlapping, The difference in color makes it easy to understand which optical fiber is misaligned in which direction. It is easy to know which optical fiber to rotate in which direction.

[0019] Furthermore, if the image processing unit can display the superimposed image together with the image before superimposition, rotation alignment can be performed while simultaneously viewing both the superimposed image and each end face image.

[0020] Furthermore, if the image processing unit can detect the center position of each end face and overlap the images by aligning the center positions, the two images can be automatically overlapped.

[0021] In addition, the control unit determines from the superimposed images, The area where both colors overlap can be calculated. If it is possible to calculate the amount of deviation or coincidence in the rotation direction and display it on the display, The ratio of the overlapping areas tells you how well they match. Rotation alignment can be performed quantitatively with high accuracy. In addition, the optical fiber device is provided with a transport drive unit that can transport each of the pair of optical fibers individually in the axial direction of the optical fibers, and by controlling the transport drive unit to control the focal position of the captured image in the imaging device, the imaging device can simultaneously acquire end face images of each of the pair of optical fibers in real time, thereby enabling simultaneous and individual focus adjustment for each optical fiber. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fusion splicer that has good alignment workability and is capable of highly accurate alignment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a fusion splicer 1. [Figure 2] An enlarged schematic diagram of the vicinity of the fused portion. [Figure 3] 10(a) is a view seen from the axial direction of the optical fiber 21, and FIG. 10(b) is a view seen from the axial direction of the electrode rod 7. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a fusion splicer 1. [Figure 5] 1A is a diagram showing a state in which the reflecting member 23 is retracted, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which the reflecting member 23 has been moved between the optical fibers 21. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10( a ) is a diagram showing a process of performing focus adjustment, and FIG. 10( b ) is a diagram showing a process of performing rotational alignment. [Figure 7] 1A is a diagram showing end face images 41a and 41b before inversion processing, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing end face images 41a and 41b after inversion. [Figure 8] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams showing the process of performing rotational alignment. [Figure 9] 1A is a diagram showing a state in which the reflecting member 23 is retracted, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a process of fusing the optical fibers 21 together. [Figure 10] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams showing the process of performing rotational alignment using an image 40b. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 shows another form of image 40c. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a fusion splicer 1. The fusion splicer 1 includes a holder placement section 11 on which a holder for holding an optical fiber is placed, a holding section 5 on which the tip of the optical fiber and an electrode rod 7 are disposed, a cover section 3, an operation section 15 for operating the fusion splicer 1, and a display section 17 for displaying various information. The operation section 15 and the display section 17 may be integrated by using a touch panel as the display section 17.

[0025] The optical fibers are held in a V-groove on the holding unit 5. A pair of electrodes are arranged facing each other in the V-groove of the holding unit 5, which is formed in a direction approximately perpendicular to the opposing direction of the pair of optical fibers. The lid unit 3 is rotatable around a rotation axis 9. A clamp 13 is provided on the back surface of the lid unit 3, and when the lid unit 3 is closed, the tip of the clamp 13 is located at a position corresponding to the position of the optical fibers on the holding unit 5. In other words, the clamp 13 provided on the back surface of the lid unit 3 can hold the pair of optical fibers facing each other in the holding unit 5. An imaging device, which will be described later, is built in between the clamps 13, and is positioned so that it can capture an image of the vicinity of the tips of the pair of optical fibers when the lid unit 3 is closed.

[0026] Fusion splicer 1 connects a pair of optical fibers by fusion. The optical fibers are held by a pair of holders (not shown), and the holders are placed on holder mounting section 11. In this state, lid section 3 is closed, and with the tips of the optical fibers butted together, an arc is generated between a pair of electrode rods 7, melting and splicing the tips of the optical fibers.

[0027] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the vicinity of the fused portion when the optical fiber is installed, Fig. 3(a) is a side view seen from the axial direction of the optical fiber 21 (Z direction in Fig. 2), and Fig. 3(b) is a side view seen from the axial direction of the electrode rod 7 (X direction in Fig. 2). Note that Figs. 2, 3(a), and 3(b) show the state in which the reflecting member 23 is retracted. Also, configurations not necessary for the explanation are omitted from the illustration.

[0028] 2, in the following description, the opposing direction of the electrode rods 7 is defined as the X direction, the opposing direction of the optical fibers 21 which is perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Z direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions (the up and down direction in the figure) is defined as the Y direction. Also, the rotation direction around the Z direction as the rotation axis is defined as the R direction.

[0029] As described above, a pair of optical fibers 21 are arranged facing each other. In addition, a pair of electrode rods 7 are arranged facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the facing direction of the optical fibers 21 (a direction parallel to the X direction). By aligning the tip positions of the optical fibers 21 and generating an arc between the electrode rods 7, the optical fibers can be fused together.

[0030] The imaging devices 19a, 19b, and 19c can capture images of the tip positions of the pair of optical fibers 21 from a direction (side) substantially perpendicular to the opposing direction of the optical fibers 21. Furthermore, the imaging devices 19b and 19c can capture images of the tip positions of the optical fibers 21 from, for example, two directions that are perpendicular to each other.

[0031] The reflecting member 23 and the imaging device 19a are arranged in the vertical direction (Y direction in FIG. 2) of the optical fiber 21 so as to face each other. In the illustrated example, the reflecting member 23 is arranged below (on the side of the imaging devices 19b and 19c) and the imaging device 19a is arranged above (on the side of the lid part 3, not shown), but the opposite is also possible. Furthermore, the imaging device 19a and the reflecting member 23 do not have to be positioned opposite each other.

[0032] 3(b), the reflecting member 23 has reflecting surfaces 27a and 27b. The reflecting surfaces 27a and 27b are arranged facing in opposite directions and can each reflect light incident from, for example, the Z direction in a direction at an angle of 90 degrees (upward in the Y direction). When a pair of optical fibers 21 are placed opposite each other, the reflecting member 23 can be moved between the optical fibers 21 by a drive unit (in the Y direction in the figure). The imaging device 19a can capture an image reflected by the reflecting member 23.

[0033] When the reflecting member 23 is in the retracted state, the reflecting member 23 is covered by the shielding member 25. That is, when the reflecting member 23 is in the retracted state, the shielding member 25 shields the space between the reflecting member 23 and the optical fiber 21 (fused portion). The shielding member 25 can be opened and closed in accordance with the up and down movement of the reflecting member 23. The operations of the reflecting member 23 and the shielding member 25 will be described in detail later.

[0034] Next, the configuration of the fusion splicer 1 will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, the fusion splicer 1 includes an imaging device 19 (imaging devices 19a, 19b, and 19c are collectively referred to as imaging device 19), an alignment drive unit 31, a transport drive unit 33, a reflecting member drive unit 35, an image processing unit 18, an operation unit 15, a display unit 17, and a control unit 30 that controls and calculates these components. Note that components such as discharge control that are not necessary for the description of this embodiment will be omitted.

[0035] The operation unit 15 can input various control contents and setting conditions to be performed by the control unit 30. Furthermore, the image processing unit 18 can perform various processes on images captured by the imaging device 19. Details of the image processing by the image processing unit 18 will be described later. The display unit 17 can display images captured by the imaging device 19 and processed by the image processing unit 18, as well as information such as fusion conditions.

[0036] The alignment drive unit 31 can move the optical fibers 21 in the X, Y, and R directions shown in FIG. 2. That is, the alignment drive unit 31 can align the axial positions of the pair of optical fibers by moving at least one of the pair of optical fibers in the X and Y directions. Furthermore, the alignment drive unit 31 can align the pair of optical fibers by rotating at least one of the pair of optical fibers about an axis in the opposing direction of the pair of optical fibers. Furthermore, the transport drive unit 33 can transport each optical fiber 21 individually in the axial direction (Z direction) of the optical fiber 21. The reflecting member drive unit 35 can move the reflecting member 23 in the up and down direction (Y direction). Note that each drive unit is operated by, for example, a motor or the like.

[0037] Next, a method for aligning the optical fiber 21 will be described. The alignment work for the tip position (X and Y directions) of the optical fiber 21 can be performed by a conventional method. For example, the image capturing devices 19b and 19c capture images of the tip position of the optical fiber 21 from each direction and display them on the display unit 17, and the operation unit 15 is used to operate the alignment drive unit 31 (to operate the position and orientation of the holder placement unit 11) so that the two positions are aligned, and by aligning the X and Y positions with each other, the optical fiber 21 can be aligned in the X and Y directions.

[0038] When connecting single-core optical fibers, the alignment work can be completed with only XY alignment. On the other hand, when aligning a multicore fiber or polarization-maintaining fiber in which the arrangement of cores, etc. in the cross section has a circumferential direction, alignment of the optical fiber 21 is required not only in the XY directions but also in the rotational direction R. For this reason, in the present invention, a reflecting member 23 and an imaging device 19a that can observe the end face of the optical fiber 21 are used.

[0039] The method for aligning the rotation direction R will be described below. The operation of each of the following parts is controlled by input from the operation unit 15 or automatically by the control unit 30. FIG. 5(a) is a diagram showing the reflective member 23 in a retracted state. Furthermore, gaps are formed between the optical fibers 21 to an extent that the reflective member 23 can be inserted. These gaps can be formed by moving the optical fibers 21 in the axial direction using the transport drive unit 33.

[0040] As described above, when the reflecting member 23 is retracted from the position facing the optical fiber 21, the shielding member 25 is disposed above the reflecting member 23 (between the reflecting member 23 and the optical fiber 21). The pair of shielding members 25 are maintained in a closed state with their tips abutting each other by, for example, an elastic member. The shielding members 25 can be opened and closed by rotating them using the rotating parts 29.

[0041] 5(b), when reflecting member 23 is raised toward the gap between optical fibers 21 (arrow A in the figure), the tapered portion at the bottom of reflecting member 23 comes into contact with the tapered portion of shielding member 25, and shielding member 25 is pushed open (arrow B in the figure). That is, shielding member 25 rotates in opposite directions around rotating portion 29 as the rotation axis, and the upper portion opens, so there is no interference with reflecting member 23 as it rises.

[0042] 5(b), the upward movement of the reflecting member 23 stops when the reflecting member 23 rises to between the opposing portions of the optical fibers 21. Note that the opening and closing mechanism of the shielding member 25 is not limited to this example, and any mechanism may be used as long as it can open when the reflecting member 23 rises and close when it is in the retracted state.

[0043] 6(a), an image of the optical fiber 21 obtained by the reflecting member 23 is captured by the imaging device 19a. At this time, by irradiating light from the opposite end face or side face of the optical fiber 21, the arrangement of the cores, etc. at the end face can be clearly captured.

[0044] As described above, the reflecting member 23 has a first reflecting surface 27a (arrow E in the figure) that reflects an image of the end face of one optical fiber 21 toward the imaging device 19a, and a second reflecting surface 27b (arrow D in the figure) that reflects an image of the end face of the other optical fiber 21 toward the imaging device 19a. Therefore, the end faces of one optical fiber 21 and the other optical fiber 21 can be simultaneously imaged by the imaging device 19a.

[0045] In this embodiment, the reflection direction of the image of the end face of one optical fiber 21 on the reflection surface 27a is the same as the reflection direction of the image of the end face of the other optical fiber 21 on the reflection surface 27b. Therefore, the end faces of the optical fibers 21 can be simultaneously imaged by one imaging device 19a.

[0046] In contrast to this, the reflection direction of the image of the end face of one optical fiber 21 on the reflection surface 27a and the reflection direction of the image of the end face of the other optical fiber 21 on the reflection surface 27b may be different directions, so that the end faces of each optical fiber 21 can be simultaneously imaged by multiple imaging devices 19a.

[0047] Here, the focus adjustment of the end face of each optical fiber 21 is performed by moving each optical fiber 21 in the axial direction (arrows F and G in the figure). As described above, when fusing the optical fibers 21, a conveying and driving unit 33 is provided for moving the optical fibers 21 in the axial direction in order to butt the optical fibers 21 together and to perform screening after fusing. Therefore, in this embodiment, the focus adjustment of each end face can be performed by moving the optical fibers 21 by this conveying and driving unit 33.

[0048] More specifically, the control unit 30 can automatically or manually operate the transport driver 33 corresponding to each optical fiber 21, thereby adjusting the focus of the captured image of each optical fiber 21. When performing focus adjustment with the imaging device 19a, it is necessary to adjust, for example, the position of the imaging device 19a itself or the position of a lens (not shown) so that the end face images of each optical fiber 21 are simultaneously focused. However, by controlling the transport driver 33 with the control unit 30, the focal position of the captured image in the imaging device 19a can be controlled, allowing the imaging device 19a to simultaneously acquire end face images of each optical fiber 21 in real time. Therefore, focus adjustment can be performed simultaneously and individually for each optical fiber 21.

[0049] 7(a) is a conceptual diagram showing an image 40 displayed on the display unit 17. In the image 40, end face images 41a and 41b of the optical fibers 21 obtained by the imaging device 19a are displayed side by side. That is, in this embodiment, the end face images 41a and 41b can be displayed simultaneously in real time on the display unit 17. Note that, hereinafter, an example will be described in which the optical fiber 21 is a polarization-maintaining fiber including a central core 45, a cladding 43 covering the core 45, and a pair of stress-applying portions disposed inside the cladding 43 and formed at positions facing each other with the core 45 in between.

[0050] End face images 41a and 41b in image 40 are reflected images reflected by reflecting surfaces 27a and 27b of reflecting member 23, respectively. Here, the end faces of the optical fibers 21 are arranged facing each other. Therefore, if the end faces of end face images 41a and 41b displayed side by side are arranged facing each other, the portions indicated by S, T, U, and V in end face image 41a will face the portions indicated by S', T', U', and V' in end face image 41b, respectively. In other words, end face images 41a and 41b are displayed side by side as mirror images of each other.

[0051] 7(b), the image processing unit 18 inverts the end face image 41b of one of the optical fibers so that the image is linearly symmetrical with respect to the central axis (P in the figure) perpendicular to the parallel direction, and simultaneously displays the end face images 41a and 41b side by side on the display unit 17. In this way, the operator can align both end face images 41a and 41b with the same orientation.

[0052] 6(b) is a diagram showing the process of performing alignment in the rotation direction R (in the directions of arrows H and I in the figure) based on the image 40a obtained after focus adjustment is completed. As described above, the image capturing device 19a can simultaneously capture images of the end faces of the optical fibers 21 in real time. Therefore, the control unit 30 can automatically or manually align the rotation direction R of each optical fiber 21 by individually controlling the operation of the alignment drive units 31 corresponding to each optical fiber 21.

[0053] FIG. 8(a) is a diagram showing, for example, a state in which parallel center lines (J, J' in the figure) are displayed for each of the end face images 41a and 41b. For example, in the end face image 41a, the control unit 30 automatically or manually sets the center line J in a desired direction. In the example shown, the center line J is, for example, the center line in the opposing direction of the stress-applying units 47. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the optical fiber 21 connected to the end face image 41b may be rotated to perform rotational alignment so that the center line in the opposing direction of the stress-applying units 47 is aligned with the center line J'.

[0054] In this case, for example, with respect to the optical fiber 21 that is connected to the end face image 41b, the control unit 30 can automatically or manually determine the center line in the opposing direction of the stress applying unit 47, and automatically control the amount of rotation of the optical fiber 21 by the alignment drive unit 31 so that the set center line overlaps with the center line J' set by the end face image 41a.

[0055] Furthermore, instead of using one optical fiber 21 as a reference and rotating only the other optical fiber 21, both optical fibers 21 may be rotated so that both optical fibers 21 are in the same direction. In this case, even if the end face image 41a and the end face image 41b appear to rotate in the same direction on the image, the inverted end face image 41b will actually be rotated in the opposite direction.

[0056] After the alignment in the rotation direction R is completed, the reflecting member 23 is lowered downward (arrow M in the figure) as shown in Fig. 9(a). That is, the reflecting member 23 is set to the retracted state. At this time, accompanying the retraction movement of the reflecting member 23, the shielding member 25 is closed by an elastic member or the like (not shown).

[0057] After the alignment work is completed, as shown in Fig. 9(b), the conveyor drive unit 33 is operated to butt the tip ends of the optical fibers 21 together. Thereafter, an arc is generated between the electrode rods 7 under predetermined conditions to perform the fusion work. In this way, the optical fibers 21 can be aligned and spliced ​​together.

[0058] As described above, according to this embodiment, the end faces of a pair of optical fibers 21 can be imaged simultaneously, making alignment work easy. Furthermore, by reflecting the images of the respective end faces in the same direction, the end faces of the pair of optical fibers 21 can be imaged by the same imaging device 19a. In this case, by displaying the image with the end face of one of the optical fibers 21 inverted, both optical fibers 21 can be displayed as if viewed from the same direction. This makes rotational alignment visually easy.

[0059] Next, a second embodiment will be described. Fig. 10(a) is a conceptual diagram showing an image 40b according to the second embodiment. In the following description, components that perform the same functions as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as in Figs. 1 to 9, and redundant description will be omitted. In addition, it is assumed that the end face image 41b has already been inverted in the following images.

[0060] The second embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment, but differs in that the image processing unit 18 can display end face images 41a and 41b in a superimposed manner. A superimposed image 41c is an image obtained by superimposing the end face images 41a and 41b. The image processing unit 18 may also display the end face images 41a and 41b before superimposition together with the superimposed image 41c, or may display only the superimposed image 41c, excluding the end face images 41a and 41b.

[0061] For example, the image processing unit 18 draws multiple virtual lines perpendicular to the X direction at predetermined intervals for each of the end face images 41a and 41b, and detects the positions of the intersections between the virtual lines and the outer edges (boundaries) of the end face images. A center line for the X direction can be obtained by calculating an approximate straight line connecting the midpoints of the intersections of the virtual lines. Similarly, the same is performed for the Y direction to obtain a center line for the Y direction, and the intersection of these center lines for the X and Y directions is calculated as the center of the end face.

[0062] In this way, the image processing unit 18 calculates the center position of each of the end face images 41a and 41b, and by aligning the center positions and superimposing and combining the images, a superimposed image 41c can be obtained. As shown in Fig. 10(b), while viewing the superimposed image 41c, the operator rotates at least one of the optical fibers 21 so that, for example, the stress-applying portions 47 are completely superimposed. In this way, rotational alignment can be performed.

[0063] According to the second embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the superimposed image 41c obtained by superimposing the end face images 41a and 41b allows the worker to perform rotational alignment of the optical fibers 21 with high accuracy in a visually easy-to-understand manner.

[0064] Next, a third embodiment will be described. Fig. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing an image 40c according to the third embodiment. The third embodiment is substantially the same as the second embodiment, but differs in that a coloring process is applied to each of the end face images 41a and 41b.

[0065] The image processing unit 18 converts the end face images 41a and 41b into different colors. In this case, for example, the image processing unit 18 adds shading to the colors according to the brightness of the original images (black and white images) of the end face images 41a and 41b. The image processing unit 18 can also display these colors in a superimposed image 41c in which the end face images 41a and 41b are superimposed.

[0066] For example, when light of the three primary colors of light, RGB (Red-Green-Blue), is combined, R+B produces pink, R+G produces yellow, and B+G produces light blue, and the overlapping portion produces white. Therefore, it is easy to determine which optical fiber is misaligned in which direction in the overlapping image 41c based on the difference in color. For example, if the stress-applying portions 47 are overlapped and there is a slight misalignment, it may be difficult to determine which optical fiber should be rotated from the black and white image.

[0067] In contrast, by using different colors, the direction of misalignment can be easily grasped. For example, in the illustrated example, the stress-applying portion 47 (L in the figure) on the end face image 41a side is converted to R, and the stress-applying portion 47 (K in the figure) on the end face image 41b side is converted to B. For simplicity, if the color of the cladding 43 is ignored, in the superimposed image 41c, the overlapping portion (M in the figure) is combined in pink with R+B, and the misaligned portions (K, L in the figure) are displayed in their original colors. In this case, alignment can be performed by rotating the optical fiber on the end face image 41b side, which is misaligned clockwise on the image, counterclockwise on the image.

[0068] The image processing unit 18 or the control unit 30 can also detect a specific color from the superimposed image 41c. For example, a portion of the superimposed image 41c that falls within a specific RGB balance range can be detected. This allows only the color portion in the superimposed image 41c where both colors overlap to be detected. The control unit 30 can calculate the area (for example, the area of ​​M in the figure). Alternatively, the control unit 30 can detect the non-overlapping color portion and calculate the area (for example, the area of ​​L or K in the figure).

[0069] Therefore, by calculating the ratio of the area (M) of the overlapping portion after overlapping to the area of ​​the stress-applying portion 47 (K or L) calculated from the end face images 41a and 41b, it is possible to know the degree of agreement. Alternatively, by calculating the area (K or L) in the overlapped image 41c, it is possible to know the degree of misalignment remaining. At this time, by displaying the amount of agreement or misalignment of the rotational alignment as a numerical value in the image 40c, the operator can perform rotational alignment of the optical fibers 21 with high precision.

[0070] According to the third embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the second embodiment. Furthermore, the control unit 30 can calculate the amount of deviation or coincidence in the rotational direction from the superimposed images and display it on the display unit 17, allowing the operator to quantitatively grasp the accuracy of rotational alignment.

[0071] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1...Fusion machine 3……Lid part 5……Holding part 7……Electrode rod 9....Rotation axis 11...Holder placement portion 13...Clamp 15……Operation section 17……Display section 18...Image processing unit 19, 19a, 19b, 19c...imaging device 21...Optical fiber 23...Reflective member 25...Shielding member 27a, 27b……Reflective surface 29...Rotating part 30...Control unit 31.... Alignment drive section 33...Transport drive unit 35...Reflector member drive unit 40, 40a, 40b, 40c...Images 41a, 41b……end face image 41c...Overlaid image 43...Clad 45...Core 47...Stress applying section

Claims

1. A fusion splicer for connecting optical fibers, a holding portion that holds a pair of optical fibers facing each other; a pair of electrodes arranged to face each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the facing direction of the pair of optical fibers; a reflecting member that is movable between the pair of optical fibers when the pair of optical fibers are placed opposite each other; an imaging device that captures an image reflected by the reflecting member; an image processing unit capable of processing images captured by the imaging device; a display unit capable of displaying the image processed by the image processing unit; an alignment drive unit that can align the pair of optical fibers by rotating at least one of the pair of optical fibers about an axis that is the opposing direction of the pair of optical fibers; a control unit capable of controlling the operation of the alignment drive unit; a shielding member that is disposed between the reflecting member and the optical fiber when the reflecting member is retracted from a position facing the optical fiber, and that is openable and closable in response to vertical movement of the reflecting member; Equipped with the imaging device is capable of simultaneously imaging an end face of one of the optical fibers and an end face of the other of the optical fibers; The fusion splicer is characterized in that the image processing unit is capable of inverting an image of one of the optical fiber end faces and simultaneously displaying the images of the respective end faces on the display unit.

2. the image processing unit is capable of displaying images of the respective end faces in a superimposed manner, the image processing unit converts the images of the respective end faces into different colors, and when the images are superimposed, the colors can be displayed in an overlapping manner; 2. The fusion machine according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is capable of calculating the area of ​​the color portion where both colors overlap from the superimposed image, and is capable of calculating the amount of misalignment or coincidence in the rotational direction and displaying it on the display unit.

3. the image processing unit is capable of displaying images of the respective end faces in a superimposed manner, The fusion splicer according to claim 1, characterized in that the image processing unit converts the images of each end face into different colors of one of the three primary colors of light, RGB, and when the images are superimposed, the superimposed colors are synthesized and displayed.

4. 4. The fusion splicer according to claim 2, wherein the image processing unit is capable of displaying the superimposed image together with the image before superimposition.

5. 5. The fusion splicer according to claim 2, wherein the image processing unit detects the center position of each end face, and superimposes the images by aligning the respective center positions.

6. A conveying drive unit capable of conveying each of the pair of optical fibers individually in the axial direction of the optical fibers, 6. The fusion splicer according to claim 1, wherein the conveying drive unit controls a focal position of an image captured by the imaging device, thereby enabling the imaging device to simultaneously acquire end face images of each of the pair of optical fibers in real time.

Images