Optical fiber holder and fusion splicer

Abstract

This optical fiber holder holds bare optical fibers and an optical fiber cable having a sheath coating the bare optical fibers, and leads the bare optical fibers out externally. The optical fiber holder is provided with a base part having a mounting surface for mounting an optical fiber cable, and a lid part that is attached to the base part so as to be able to open and close, and covers at least a portion of the mounting surface. The lid part comprises one or a plurality of pads that face the mounting surface when the lid part is closed and press the optical fiber cable against the mounting surface, and an angle-regulating section that is located nearer the tips leading out from the bare optical fibers than all of the pads in the extension direction of the bare optical fibers, and that covers the bare optical fibers exposed from the sheath and regulates the lead-out angle of the bare optical fibers.

Claims

1. An optical fiber holder that holds an optical fiber cable having an optical fiber strand and a sheath covering the optical fiber strand, and allows the optical fiber strand to be led out to the outside, A base having a mounting surface on which the optical fiber cable is placed, A lid portion is attached to the base so as to be openable and closable, so as to cover at least a part of the mounting surface, Equipped with, The aforementioned lid portion is One or more pads that face the aforementioned mounting surface when the lid is closed and press the optical fiber cable against the aforementioned mounting surface, An angle defining portion is located closer to the leading end of the optical fiber strand than the entire pad in the extending direction of the optical fiber strand, and covers the optical fiber strand exposed from the sheath to define the leading angle of the optical fiber strand, It has, The angle-defining portion has a first groove and a second groove, The first groove is provided to accommodate the first optical fiber strand having a first outer diameter, and defines the exit angle of the first optical fiber strand. The second groove is provided at the central bottom of the first groove and is provided to accommodate a second optical fiber strand having a second outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter, and defines the lead-out angle of the second optical fiber strand. An optical fiber holder in which the first groove and the second groove extend in the extending direction of the optical fiber strand from the first end face of the angle defining portion on the side closer to the pad to the second end face of the angle defining portion on the side opposite to the first end face.

2. The optical fiber holder according to claim 1, wherein the second outer diameter is 0.25 mm or less, and the first outer diameter is greater than 0.25 mm.

3. The optical fiber holder according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the second groove perpendicular to the extending direction of the optical fiber strand is square or rectangular from the first end face to the second end face.

4. The base has a first projection and a second projection that protrude from the aforementioned mounting surface in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the optical fiber cable, The optical fiber cable is positioned by being sandwiched between the first projection and the second projection. The first projection has a first side surface, The second projection has a second side surface, The first side and the second side face each other, The distance between the first side and the second side increases as it moves away from the aforementioned mounting surface. The first and second aspects include the first region, The first region of each of the first and second sides extends to both ends of the first and second projections, respectively, in the direction of extension of the optical fiber cable. The first and second surfaces further include a second region located between the first region and the aforementioned mounting surface, The optical fiber holder according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the inclination angle of the first region with respect to the mounting surface is smaller than the inclination angle of the second region with respect to the mounting surface described above.

5. The optical fiber holder according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the angle-defining portion is fixed to the end of the cover portion located closer to the tip from which the optical fiber strands are led out, among the two ends of the cover portion in the extending direction of the optical fiber cable.

6. The optical fiber holder according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first groove has two flat inclined surfaces, the normals of the two inclined surfaces intersect each other, and the two inclined surfaces constitute a V-groove.

7. The optical fiber holder according to claim 6, wherein the orientation of the two inclined surfaces is set such that the central axis direction of the first optical fiber strand is inclined toward the aforementioned mounting surface.

8. The optical fiber holder according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the boundary between the first end face and the first groove, and the boundary between the second end face and the first groove, are rounded.

9. The optical fiber holder according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the boundary between the first end face and the second groove, and the boundary between the second end face and the second groove, are chamfered.

10. A first optical fiber holder and a second optical fiber holder, which are optical fiber holders according to claim 1 or claim 2, A fusion splicing unit that fusion splices together by discharge the bare fibers exposed from the optical fibers of the first optical fiber cable, which is the optical fiber cable held in the first optical fiber holder, and the bare fibers exposed from the optical fibers of the second optical fiber cable, which is the optical fiber cable held in the second optical fiber holder, A fusion splicer equipped with the following features.

11. In each of the first and second optical fiber holders, the plurality of pads include a first pad and a second pad arranged along the extending direction of the optical fiber cable. The first pad is located between the connection point between the bare fiber of the first optical fiber cable and the bare fiber of the second optical fiber cable and the second pad. The distance between the first edge of the first pad near the connection point and the connection point is greater than 16 mm. The distance between the second edge of the first pad opposite to the first edge and the connection point is less than 20 mm. The fusion splicer according to claim 10, wherein the distance between the edge of the second pad near the connection point and the connection point is greater than 20 mm.

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